Tag Archives: Jesus Christ

Is The Church Ready For A Bigger Harvest?

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This came to me as a vision last year when my siblings and I have decided to utilize a piece of property previously owned by our great-grandparents and grandparents. While I was writing down our targeted goals, it included the retreat house. Or that was what it seems to me at that time – unclear and yet the idea was there.

God’s Mission Remains The Same

Until the first Sunday of January when I attended the church service at our mother Protestant church. We have this church tradition to celebrate the first Sunday of the month as “everybody’s birthday.” This is a way for the congregation to consecrate to God the new year asking for guidance, wisdom, and provisions. This tradition is celebrated by going to the church pew kneelers in front of the pulpit and kneel or stand while the pastor says a prayer of benediction when your birth month is called.

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For this particular year, I had a hair-raising thought while our pastor was laying his hands to say his prayers and blessings upon us. I know this wasn’t just a passing thought because any thought during a pastor’s laying of hands accompanied by the raising of hair all over me literally isn’t just a regular calling by the Spirit.

This time the image was vivid – build a church like this one, a big one. Build it in the “land the Lord, Your God, is giving you.” If you have been reading some of my previous articles such as this and this, you may already have an idea which land I am referring to. This land was acquired by our great-grandpa during the pre-World War II and now being handed down from generations to generations.

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The passing thought was too vivid for me I couldn’t keep it to myself that I shared it with my sister who’s also with me on that Sunday. It was also a communion Sunday on that day so that afternoon, we went to my grandma’s place so she can still partake in the communion officiated by our pastor.

My grandma is already bedridden and her place is close to our farm – the farm where I got the vision to put up the church. So my sister, Dad, and I took the opportunity to check on the current developments at the farm – laying down of the boundary markers which we call as “mohon” to specify the delineations of the property. For the particular vision of the farm agribusiness-wise, I’ll share it in another article.

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After sharing my vision to my sister, she told me that we can donate a portion of the land to the church. I told her that I thought about building a bigger church since the farm is strategically located to cater most of the members of our church’s congregation who came from the barrios. Then the current location of the church now will serve as the building for the administrative functions of the church and also as a guest house for visiting pastors and seminarians.

A Promise from Generation to Generation

Our pastor now is also a descendant of one of the first ministers of the church – a great-grandson. I see him as having the gift to make more disciples being able to encourage the youth in our church to study at the seminary and raise future leaders of the church. One close family friend and also an elder of the church told my sister way back that the bloodline of our pastor now still continued in retaining the mission that God has for them – serving the church. She encouraged us that maybe we should also have one representative (a family member to become a pastor also) to represent the line of our great-grandpa who’s also one of the first ministers in the church a hundred years ago.

This year, our mother Protestant church will be celebrating its 110th founding anniversary. I told my sister and my brother that the mission of God for the descendants of our great-grandpa never changed though nobody in our generation pursued being a pastor. Well, if I am not a writer or a teacher, I’d love to be a Bible woman or a pastora. 😉 But here we are, still fulfilling God’s calling that has been started by our ancestors. That is, being gifted with an abundance of property which will be our contribution to the body of Christ and in expanding God’s Kingdom.

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I shared with my brother that this foresight/vision was already revealed by God to our forefathers, our great-grandpa and grandpa who were both active members of the church, through the acquisition of properties. And some may think of it as a means to become richer, but no, I actually see it as God’s way to prepare us in the fulfillment of a promise to His people in the coming days. Our great-grandpa and grandpa obeyed God, just like Moses, to fulfill their tasks with great faith even if they don’t know what were they intended for later on.

Now, in the generation of my siblings and I, the vision is clear. Although I still need to consult with my other two sisters since they are also my coheirs to the property (and God’s Kingdom), but I know they, too, will agree to my proposal since they are also devoted Christians. Ah yes, the benefits of having an entire family who is devoted to serving the Lord – truly a wonderful blessing.

As everything else dawned on me now, I told my brother, this is the reason why the enemy’s attacks are getting stronger in every coming season. Bishop Juray Mora shared the same thing during the last prayer meeting that I was able to attend for this year’s start-of-the-year prayer and fasting. This is in the other church where I attend services here in Manila. He said, “The bigger the vision, the bigger the enemy’s attacks. The bigger the task, the bigger the challenge.”

Why? Because God is preparing for a big harvest. Is the church ready?

And yet,

“You can make many plans, but the Lord ’s purpose will prevail.” – Proverbs 19:21

So let Your will be done, Lord. ❤

Remaining true to the calling,

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P.S.

It isn’t also a coincidence that I invited my Norwegian brother-in-law and sister to attend worship night with me during their stay here last December. We got to pray for each other and I wasn’t prepared to see them shed tears while it was my turn praying for them. And then another vision came through me, Every Nation – Norway. 😉

My brother-in-law and sister can be used by God to expand His kingdom there. They can welcome missionaries to their home when the time is ripe for planting an Every Nation church there. And yes, 2019 is all about preparations for expanding the Kingdom of God.

On the side note, the New People’s Army is becoming more active in our place engaging in gunfights with our local policemen. Our home is near the police station and everyone else is just scared for their lives. And we also noticed that calamities such as floods are getting higher every year in our town. I thought, just like in Israel, these circumstances happen as God’s attempts to win His people back. Because it is in times of peril that the people will look for a Savior, a higher, all-knowing, powerful God, a Rock whom they can cling to.

Thus, when this happens, people will be flocking the church as they start to look for the Source of Hope. But then again, is the church ready when that happens? I believe God has already prepared and is preparing us for it. 🙂

P.S. 2

I am targeting to earn a Guinness World Records title as having the longest postscript. lol Please bear with me. 😀

December: Revival and Reconciliation

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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,

Things About Christmas That We Don’t Know

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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

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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,

What Matters

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Friday blog post is here! 😀 I guess I need to start every Friday’s blog post with an attitude of gratitude thanking God who gives me the Grace always. 😉 Why? It seldom happens that I am idle and doing nothing. This means I need to find time for my blog and of course, find time for God. 😉 But as always, hindi Nya ako binibigo. Lagi Syang nandyan para alalayan ako.

For the most part of this article, English ang gagamitin kong lenggwahe. ‘Yun ay dahil ni-copy and paste ko lang sila from the caption of my photos over Instagram and tweaked it a bit para maging isang article. 😀

The gist of this article revolves around last holidays’ events (still) since I was hibernating for almost a month in the blogosphere. So, here goes my story. 🙂

I am sure a holiday never passes by na wala tayong natatanggap na regalo. Kahit sabihin nating konti lamang natanggap natin, meron at meron pa din tayong natanggap. However, in my case, I don’t go about counting how many gifts I received. I am even fine in case I don’t receive any.

Why? Let’s just say I am never materialistic because my love language is quality time. I appreciate gifts not based on their worth or brand but based on the sentimental value. Yet I never fail to appreciate all of them because I know they’ve been given thoughtfully.

To our beloved families and friends, our deepest thank you for all your time and effort to shower us with these gifts. This gives us all the more reason to pay it forward. So if you see me using branded stuff, they are not a personal choice but are gifts. 😉

Next in line was the holiday feast – yes, the food coma. *burp* I have made a promise that during the holiday season, one of my ways to express my love for God is to serve others. The best way to serve your family is through the tummy, right? 😃

Though it’s hard to pull off several dishes (chicken skewers, shrimp scampi, embutido, stuffed roasted chicken, beef broccoli, leche flan – not in the pic), I am just grateful to my assistant chefs (Ate Boden and hubby dear) for helping me out in the kitchen. But most importantly, I give thanks to God for giving me the grace to do it. ☝❤

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” – 1 Peter 4:10

This was the reason why I was hibernating on social media during the holiday season. I was very busy in the kitchen because having good food on the table means longer conversations a.k.a. meaningful, priceless moments with the family. This is something that social media can never offer – genuine moments and memories made along with your loved ones.

The cake’s not mine though because baking’s not my cup of tea. I am also not a lover of cakes but my Mom is the ultimate fan so there went Goldilocks’ Rocky Road. 😀

For the latter part of the holidays and the early part of January, hubby and I spent quality time with my second sister, Ate Ayn, and her Norwegian hubby, Kuya TK (they recently got married! Yay!). One of these photos was taken after our church service at Victory Fort.

Ah yes, this is just one of my answered prayers for my second sister – to have a lifelong companion who will be her prayer partner and who will share in her ups and downs, in sickness and in health ’til death parts them both. I am just grateful for this especially since she lives in Norway and we have no relatives there.

Indeed Lord, despite all the troubles we faced, You always give us a reason to smile, be grateful, and know Your goodness. Thank You for everything You’ve done for me, my hubby, and our families. All of us will remain to worship You as our one and only GOD in our lives.

Real treasures aren’t really those that are tangible but those that lay hidden in the depths of our souls and our hearts. They are what matters to God.

“..but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the Word, making it unfruitful.” – Mark 4:19

May we all not be pierced with so many sorrows brought about by the complexities of our own worldly choices. But may our minds be renewed so we can live in utmost freedom savoring the very essence of salvation – the priceless, most beautiful gift we have received and we can ever receive. ❤

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” – Romans 12:2

So this is it! This wraps up the Friday article for this week and I am wishing everyone a blessed weekend ahead! 🙂

From God’s daughter with love,

Tin ❤

Make Praying Your Daily Habit

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At home, my husband and I made it a habit to take turns in praying before bedtime and before mealtime. This is regardless if we are going through tough times or good times. We intend our future kids to do the same for the following reasons:

1. They learn how to pray regardless of their ages. The little one (early grade schooler) can say a line or a 3-line prayer while for the older one (pre-teens), 5 sentences (so precise, Tin. lol) can be enough. 😉

2. You teach them responsibility and accountability at an early age. This will give them the confidence to take on leadership roles in the future and be accountable for it. They will have to choose what to pray for.

If they ask, “Mom/Dad, I don’t know what to pray for.” You can simply say, “Listen carefully when Dad or Mom prays. You may pray the same things but when you are older, pray from your heart and what your heart is telling you.”

3. They learn to address us, parents, as spiritual leaders of the household. We are the mentors, we guide them, we set the examples. They will copy what they observe, thus, it is best to leave a legacy behind that is worth following/copying.

4. They learn to say grace, to extend grace, and to receive grace from God who provides all – a great opportunity to introduce and build faith in the family.

If you and your family don’t pray together, make it a habit now. Remember, it is also our responsibility as parents to lead them well while they are still young. 🙂

“Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.” – Proverbs 22:6

The Christian Professional: How Do You Respond?

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Photo courtesy: StockSnap

I originally thought about putting the word “react” in the title. But based on what I’ve learned in our bible study group, there’s a difference between “respond” and “react.” In a situation, when you choose to react, emotions come into play first. Whereas with responding, you think and analyze first what is the situation on hand then that’s when you act. The former is usually regarded as negative and the latter as positive.

Too often we neglect responding when driven towards tight and tense situations. I must admit there are times wherein I reacted with anger and we all know what happened next – more consequences came along with it. Yes, reacting ends with regretting.

When I became a Christian, I have learned so much about self-control and discipline. It applies on all – the way I speak, the way I think, the way I act, and even with the way I decide. I cannot say I’ve done it perfectly now but it was a long grueling process of transformation. I am not sure if you’ll believe me when I say that before I got saved I am a cynic. Sarcasm’s my favorite language.

A person from my past once told me, “Tin, you don’t need a knife or any weapon to kill someone. Your words are enough.” At that time, I glorified in it. Yes, it gives me that sense of power when you crush someone’s ego and pride.

But my sarcasm ended there when part of my spiritual transformation involved I, myself, experience how it feels to be on the other end – the recipient of that sarcasm. That’s how I learned that God indeed punishes as part of His disciplinary actions as a Father to make His children better. So I’ve learned how painful it is. Only then did I realize I needed to change it completely.

Changing is hard if you’re doing it alone. You cannot change if you don’t know why you need to change and what is it that needs changing. When I was starting to immerse myself in the Bible back in 2013, I have found everything I needed to help me with the transformation – letting go of the old self and ushering in the new one.

You will find in the bible everything about forgiveness, about unconditional love, patience, understanding, gentleness, about not retaliating and so much more. So I got to say to myself that indeed, these are what it takes to learn them.

I am at this age (31) where I have been in different work settings since I started as a working professional back in 2008. I have seen the different work cultures and the diverse people I have worked with. I have also heard stories upon stories about their ordeal in the workplace and the struggle of having to live with those challenges day by day.

I have observed how crab mentality, favoritism, abuse of authority, wrong accusations, taking the blame for someone else’s mistake, bullying, and persecution are all present in every workplace. The workplace showcases the complexities of the human behavior which we have no control over and why there is a need for Christians to be the “salt and light” and set Christlike examples.

If we are to react in all the situations I have given, these are what will come out – irritability, anger, bitterness, hatred, and retaliation. I am sure you will agree with me there. That’s perfectly understandable – part of our fallen nature as a man is being corrupted with sinfulness such as greed, envy, jealousy, hunger for power, discontentment, rage, and all other sins. These are the same reasons why Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden.

And yet, those sins are part of what the Cross is for which is also part of our own crosses that we have to carry each day. But because Jesus already paid a price for those sins, we should claim free and uncorrupted lives.

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” – Romans 12:2

So what does God require of us now? Instead of retaliating, leave it all to God. I have long learned that we do not have the power to change people. In the same way that it was only God who helped me change, the same goes for others. Instead, what He instructed us to do is to lord it over to Him all these things and pray for others.

Instead of letting bitterness and anger take the best out of you and make your life miserable, choose to forgive. This way you’ll also learn to empathize with people. You’ll learn to understand why they have so much anger on you, why they are behaving that way or why they’ve done this to you.

Maybe they went through the same thing and their anger made them into the person that they hated. Maybe they are having relational problems at home. Maybe they are depressed. We really don’t know the reason why but only God sees the hearts of each and every one of us. He knows and sees everything so take heart in that too. Do not fear these people even. As God says,

“Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety.” – Proverbs 29:25

Don’t take it personally either. Why? If they haven’t been saved, we all know they are still under the stronghold of the enemy. They don’t know anything yet about the loving grace of God and how great His love is. So maybe that is the reason why God put us there so we could show them that.

Forgive and do not retaliate….answer with gentleness…submit to authority…follow without grumbling…and so on and so forth.

“Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the Word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.” – Philippians 2: 14-16

I have seen numerous cases wherein when you leave everything to God, God always acts and would do something about it. He is the ultimate judge so to speak and has the ultimate power to do everything. In the same way that I have been disciplined for my wrongdoings, the same goes for those who have wronged others. I do not glorify in it because I also felt how painful it was when God disciplined me. However, I am grateful because I know this will be the start of a new chance for a new life for them too.

For the record, I am grateful to God I am working with a great team. Yes, it is not a perfect team but I appreciate all my supervisors’ work and the effort of the rest of the team members to work cooperatively despite our different backgrounds. I have no assurance it will stay this way forever but as always, it is in my prayers.

But for those who are going through the opposite right now, always believe in your heart God did not put you there for no reason. He has a very good reason why you have to be exactly where you are now. It might be painful but the best way to respond to it is to pray and ask God this:

“Father, what do you want me to learn from this adversity/season/trial?”

Then ask Him to lead you and your ways so you won’t go astray, you won’t be tempted, and you won’t fall to committing any sin and face the consequences.

I will end this article with a bible passage and I hope it will encourage you to fight the good fight of faith may it be in the workplace or anywhere else that He has called you to be.

Lastly, always pray not just for yourself but for the people around you too. ❤

Have the Attitude of Christ

“Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

 Though he was God,[a]
    he did not think of equality with God
    as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges[b];
    he took the humble position of a slave[c]
    and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,[d]
    he humbled himself in obedience to God
    and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor

    and gave him the name above all other names,
 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

Shine Brightly for Christ

Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.

Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.”

– Philippians 2:1-18

P.S.

If after seeking for God’s help God has told you to leave a toxic company and all the negativity around it, it is best to take heed. Remember, it is not your boss who gave you your job, he was just used by God as an instrument for you to get that job. Bottomline is that, if God takes away that job from you, most likely He’ll give you another one according to His plans in His right time. 🙂

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

 

Hope for the Young Generation

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This is an excerpt from my previous article but I added this part a bit later after the article was published. I thought it would be best if I share it separately in another blog post. 🙂

“I cannot do all those if I lack in finances. Volunteering, for me, can only do so much. I want to help in a way that I can see these people slowly reach their dreams and see them aim towards better opportunities in life.

The recent killings of juvenile delinquents here in the Philippines are very alarming. Not only that. These juveniles are rising by the number and are becoming more aggressive. If only the spiritual family can reach out to them before another young life becomes a collateral damage again, the better opportunities for these kids to have another chance in life. Poverty is not reason enough why these kids should resort to crime, robbery, and drugs and vice versa.

Poverty has an end. Education can be a tool for that – financial education, family planning education, livelihood education, and regular schooling. Faith makes it all happen.

If money is the problem, there are foundations willing to provide scholarships to students as long as students meet a certain criteria and fulfill a set of obligations. Just to mention a few, we have in church the Real Life Foundation. World Vision and Operation Blessing also provide that. These kids don’t actually need a one-time outreach event. What they need is serious mentoring making sure they’ve been given the right opportunities toward a better life through empowerment.

I am never a fan of spoon-feeding when it comes to succeeding in life in general. Just the way my parents have taught me, it is all about personal effort which contains persistence, patience, and resilience. And yet faith has taught me too that it is only God who provides EVERYTHING we need and that we should trust in Him alone.”

These kids need faith. They don’t need money per se but who they really need is God in their lives. I know more opportunities will arise in the following years – game changers, radicals, advocates, catalysts of social change, the academe, and businesses will unite toward one common goal with God at the center.

I am believing there is nothing impossible with God. That’s why I am claiming it as early as now and doing the best I can in my own little way to fulfill God’s will not just for my life but for the rest of the world.

Because this is what it really means to be the salt and light in the world and that is our mission here in this world as sons and daughters of God – preach the Gospel and share the love of God.

“So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.” – James 2:17

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.” – Matthew 6:33

It’s Our 2nd! :-)

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Ha! I’m the first one to do the goofy pose this time (for a change). lol 😀

I am squeezing in this article despite my pending tasks for today as part of our 2nd year wedding anniversary celebration. Yes, 2 years down the marriage lane and by God’s grace, I can thankfully say we are getting better, stronger, and deeper with our relationship with God and with one another. (Awww Tin, sniff, sniff.) 😀

Seriously though, I am also sharing two awesome articles which I found over Fb news feed shared by a friend and the other was advertised. One is about grace and the other one is about how to keep your marriage intact. These articles are a huge help to all those who are married and even to those who are single but are planning to enter the married couples department.

Here they are:

In contrast to the article I have written for our first year wedding anniversary, I won’t delve into nitty gritty details about our year as a married couple for 2017. The start of this year has been more like the ‘calm after the storm.’ If you’ve been reading my blog posts since the start of this year, you’ll know why. 🙂

I told hubby dear that I don’t want to celebrate this year’s wedding anniversary with lavish dates and extravagant gifts because first, receiving gifts is not my love language and second, we are saving financially (I can be very kuripot too fyi. lol). The fact that we’re still together after all that we’ve been through is enough gift for me. In fact, it is the best gift that I always thank God for every single day. ❤

Ah yes, to the single sisters and brothers in Christ reading this, you’ll understand when you get married and go through yourself the chapters of the married life. But for the married couples, I know they all agree (including me) to what our pastors in church would always reiterate – “marriage is hard work.”

I told hubby that our first year wedding anniversary deserves that much of an emphasis because it’s the most crucial year for any newlyweds. It’s that year when you’re starting to get to know each other in an extremely deeper level like what ticks him off when he’s at home, what are my routines, etc., and adjusting to living together under one roof.

For the first few months after our first year wedding anniversary, we’re still experiencing ripples of that adjustment period and honestly, even now, we are still adjusting to one another. My Mom actually advised me that it indeed takes a lifetime to know your spouse. She added that she and my Dad (both in their 70s now) are still making those adjustments even after 44 years of being married.

But don’t interpret this in a way that the married life is far too burdensome. Although I might have to add that at some point in your married life you would feel that way, I assure you that for the greater part, it is an awesome journey holistically. It will nourish every aspect of your life and every aspect of who you are.

Personally, being married made us grow deeper in our walk with God. I must admit that our faith was extremely challenged to the point wherein we felt like we’re too exhausted to fight it out, and yet, by the grace of God, you will “indeed soar with wings like an eagle” and fly like never before.

To put it in another way, this article has no meaning if I won’t say that it was all God who made our marriage the way it is now. Our own efforts are useless – if and only if they are the only things that we hold on to every time challenges of all sort come our way. It was all about God, all about our prayers every single night, all about finding ways to attend and listen to the Sunday preaching, all about hearing out from spiritual mentors, and all about our trust in Him every single day, in every decision, in every thought, in every action, just literally everything.

Everything is about God and that is the bottom line of it all. Remove God in the husband and wife equation and it sure will fail. No amount of human effort can save a failing marriage except by the loving grace of God. 

Believe me, I have been through very tough circumstances but I never gave up on my husband because I know God will never give up on us for as long as we keep the commitment – our marriage vows. I know that my husband is not perfect and neither am I that’s why it is a given that we will both fail each other through the entire course of our marriage. But it is not in ourselves that we rely on for hope, instead, we put it in God.

Well honestly, I can’t help but cry a tear or two (yes, I counted them. lol) while typing this and I looked back at every single moment that my husband and I went through. Through the good and the bad times, God was always there. I felt Him, I heard Him but it took me my COMPLETE trust in Him as well.

There were moments wherein imagining now, I know my husband and I wouldn’t be able to make it through, and you may indeed call it as the worst of the worst. But I held on to my faith. I trusted blindly to the point that I just surrendered everything to God.

Yes, our human frailties will require we REALLY let go of some things. Instead, let God take over, let God fix what needs to be fixed, ask God to give you wisdom, clarity, and instructions – HE WILL NEVER FAIL YOU.

If I cry now while I type this, that’s because I am overwhelmed by the fact that all three of us made it all through – God, Brian, and me. If you are reading this and you’re going through the toughest times in your marriage, I encourage you to NEVER GIVE UP. Never give up on your spouse and most definitely, never give up on God. HOLD ON TO HIS BEAUTIFUL PROMISES.

Pray that God will soften hearts; pray that God will heal gaping wounds; pray for restoration; pray for reconciliation; pray for forgiveness; pray for a change in you and a change in your spouse; and most of all, LISTEN TO WHAT GOD HAS TO SAY.

Never let your emotions drown the voice of God. Calm yourself and calm your spirit by immersing in the BIBLE day and night. Your bible will be your guide, it will be your weapon when the enemy starts to fill in your thoughts and your heart with lies.

What are these lies? Let me just share a couple of them and they are the usual thoughts:

  • your husband/wife doesn’t love you anymore
  • you are not worthy of love
  • you will not change
  • your spouse will not change
  • there is no hope for both of us
  • the damage has already been done
  • the damage is far too great
  • he/she will be happy with someone else
  • he/she is not the right one for me
  • I am a failure

Counterattack these lies with these TRUTHS instead:

  • my husband/wife will always love me no matter what
  • I am worthy of the greatest love Jesus died for me on the Cross
  • I will change by God’s grace in God’s time according to His plans
  • my spouse will change by God’s grace in God’s time according to His plans
  • there is ALWAYS HOPE IN CHRIST JESUS OUR SAVIOR
  • we all make mistakes BUT we are also given CHANCES
  • NOTHING is too damaged or too broken for God to heal and restore
  • I can make my spouse happy
  • my spouse is God’s best for me (claim it in Jesus’ Name)
  • I am a work in progress and God will see to it that “whatever work He’s started in me will be brought to completion in His perfect time”

Lastly, claim God’s beautiful promises for you and your spouse and fight for your marriage. Look at the bigger picture and don’t be too absorbed by the small things or the stumbling blocks in front of you.

Instead, THANK GOD EVERY DAY IN EVERY WAY.

And always look at your end goal as a married couple by keeping these vows you made in front of God latched in your heart safe and secure:

“Through thick and thin, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part…” ❤

P.S.

I’d like to thank my spouse for keeping the faith, for not giving up, for redirecting me to God during the times that I felt so weak, for praying with me always, for the many chances to change, and last but not the least, for loving me beyond my imperfections. ❤

Oh and also, for being so patient with me like in the photo above during one of our photo stints last Sunday for a project. 😀

I love God and I love my husband. Nope, it’s an understatement – I LOVE BOTH OF THEM SO MUCH – God first, my husband next. 🙂

To cap off this cheesiness, do watch this awesome cover of “Say You Won’t Let Go” by Moira dela Torre. 😉

If You Do Not Have Love

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heartlove

This is a morning thought that’s been itching to get out and I just need to write it fast before I get on with today’s tasks and busy schedule. Yes, my priority is God first. So this first before anything else. 🙂

However, I do not have the extra time (maybe later) to look up the exact biblical references (bible verses) for some of my quoted statements. You know I am never good in memorizing numbers but I can memorize a thought. But you can go the extra mile by typing them over Google search, it might show you other verses too that the Holy Spirit may be speaking to you in whatever season you’re in.

So what’s this morning thought I was saying? It’s this – as believers, may we not fall into the sin of having the superiority complex and the exclusivity of Christians mingling with fellow Christians or on-the-road-to-being-a-Christian alone. Remember that “we ALL have fallen short of the glory of God” and salvation is not reserved for the privileged few but it’s FREE FOR ALL.

That’s regardless if someone used to be/or currently a drug addict, a rapist, a robber, a criminal, an adulterer, an abortionist, etc., CHRISTIAN OR NOT. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ because we have ONE FATHER, ONE CREATOR.

Even pastors and ministers sin by saying the wrong word, by making the wrong decision, by being tempted with anger, etc. for they are as human as we all are and to sin is part of our fallen nature. Yet when we were given a new life when we got saved, we commit to a life of righteousness.

That is why the greatest way to show our love back to the Father who gave us this opportunity to a new life is to extend the GRACE that He has given us even if we all DO NOT DESERVE IT. We are all a work in progress in our spiritual journey, it is best to develop a character that ENCOURAGES, that gives HOPE, rather than a character that condemns and criticizes.

The core of Christianity was never just about faith nor discipleship but most importantly, about LOVE. The greatest commandment is this, “Love one another as I have loved you.”

Jesus came here not to condemn this world but to give HOPE out of His Father’s LOVE FOR US. That is why even “if we speak in tongues,…but DO NOT HAVE LOVE, we are only a resounding gong. And for anyone who doesn’t know how to love doesn’t have the love of the Father in them.”

And lastly, “faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is LOVE.”

What do you know about love? Read 1 Corinthians 13. I got to know all about it and apply what I learned from the bible when I got married.

Yes, my seasons changed and it was a total paradigm shift from knowing the theories alone (when I was single) to applying them for real (when I got married). And yet I am more than glad to God for giving me this opportunity. 🙂

My challenge is this:

If you can overlook an offense no matter how grave it is even to the point of life and death, then you know how it is to love. You know without a doubt the Father’s love for you and me. It was when Jesus died for our sins – the greatest sacrifice and form of love ever done.

For one, try to reach out and LOVE that person under the stronghold of drugs and massacred an innocent family. Pray for a new life to begin with God at the center of his life, then maybe that love you have given will radiate in him and him to others until it becomes a domino effect.

How do you change the world? Be that change by starting with one person at a time. That is our responsibility, leave the government to carry on with its own and other affairs.

Again, do you have the love of the Father in you? If yes, then we should love others as to how He loved us. Start it with someone you know whom you thought is impossible to love. You might be startled by the fact that it did not only change that person but it also changed you.

Indeed, “be the change you wish to see in the world.” 🙂

P.S.

This is the intro for my next article – the 2nd year wedding anniversary special. Pretty long, eh? 😀