Jesus Speaks About The Future: LUKE 21

Posted on January 24, 2020 by Christine Lailani

With all that is happening around the world, the only thing that matters is what Jesus has to say about the future. Worries, doubts, and anxieties are on the rise, and most of us are seeking Godly wisdom all the more each and every single day and asking for discernment about the things that we should all know.

About The Future: What It Holds

Last night, I was conducting research on the looming food crisis that the entire world may experience 3 decades from now. I found one article from the New York Times, which stated this:

“The report, prepared by more than 100 experts from 52 countries and released in summary form in Geneva on Thursday, found that the window to address the threat is closing rapidly. A half-billion people already live in places turning into desert, and soil is being lost between 10 and 100 times faster than it is forming, according to the report.

Climate change will make those threats even worse, as floods, drought, storms and other types of extreme weather threaten to disrupt, and over time shrink, the global food supply. Already, more than 10 percent of the world’s population remains undernourished, and some authors of the report warned in interviews that food shortages could lead to an increase in cross-border migration.

A particular danger is that food crises could develop on several continents at once, said Cynthia Rosenzweig, a senior research scientist at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and one of the lead authors of the report. “The potential risk of multi-breadbasket failure is increasing,” she said. “All of these things are happening at the same time.”

I’ll be sharing more about this topic in my upcoming articles. But just a heads up, I have been sharing opportunities in the local agribusiness sector on social media. They include the recent programs that the Department of Agriculture launched to entice millennials to venture into farming.

‘No Money In Farming’

As expected, this was received with mixed reactions. A majority of social media users, however, are against the idea with only one reason rising above their comments – there is no money in agriculture. I felt it in my heart to disagree since money is no longer the main concern here. It is about sustaining this world and its inhabitants in the coming decades.

Countless research conducted by different agencies all over the world all boils down to one result – earth’s resources are depleting at an alarming rate. I believe it already signals the time to shift our focus if we want to leave behind a better world for future generations to live in.

Farming As A Profession

Farming, according to studies, is a declining profession, and yet I believe it will become a career superior to all other jobs in the coming decades. Why? Its by-product involves food, which is an essential commodity and included in the 3 basic needs required for mankind to survive – food, clothing, and shelter.

Let’s just put it this way. Even if we have millions of money, if there’s no food available to consume, our millions will be worthless and useless. This issue of declining food supplies is not a minor problem. It affects everyone on a global scale. I searched for “global food crisis” and one word stood out – “famine.”

What The Bible Says About Famines

I continued my search by typing “famine” and included the word “Bible” along with it. One of the results that popped up and caught my attention was LUKE 21. I ended up reading the entire chapter, and I’ll share the verses here as well.

This chapter pretty much sums up everything that the world is going through now. Here’s how we can interpret some of the things mentioned in the Bible to what is currently happening around us:

EARTHQUAKES: volcanic eruptions, tsunamis

FAMINE: climate change, drought, super typhoons, food shortage

PLAGUE: sars, mers, corona virus

WAR – ongoing armed conflicts: Afghanistan Conflict, Mexican Drug War, Yemeni Crisis, Kurdish-Turkish Conflict, Somali Civil War, Iraq Conflict (Source: Wikipedia)

Luke 21:21 also has a personal calling, and I interpreted it as one of the reasons why I have this strong desire to go back to the province and live there. Each day I would claim the country lifestyle for me and my husband and our families. It is also the answer to the global food crisis that will take place decades from now since the city is just getting too congested day by day.

“Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city.” – Luke 21:21

This verse that stood out after hubby and I witnessed a perfect rainbow also seems to have a deeper meaning now:

And yet farming is not enough as a solution. It needs to be traditional farming that will limit the carbon released and any other environmental footprint we leave in the atmosphere. Indeed, the “farm-to-table” concept is just what we all need – go back to how things started similar to the Garden of Eden. The only difference is that there’s no hard labor in the Garden of Eden.

But the question still remains, “Is it already too late?”

Wisdom To Give Hope

It is my prayer that by reading this chapter about the future, everyone will be given hope that salvation, per se, is not about being kept alive from the dangers that are about to come.

As Jesus had said it, Himself, this world and the heavens will disappear. And yet, He also assures us that there is nothing to fear because salvation, which is life in eternity with our God, will be given to those who believe in Him.

Fear can never be our answer to escape the tragedies that will befall on us. They are inevitable, and they are bound to happen. But what God is asking from us is to be BRAVE and STRONG enough to face these trials until the time comes when we see Him face to face.

My Latest Convo With God

Just a few nights ago, I was having this unusual conversation with God. In fact, my prayer nights aren’t all the same. I pray about different things each night although there are particular prayer points that always pop up on some nights.

Sometimes I only pray a one-liner. Sometimes my prayer takes about an hour. These quiet times vary depending on how I felt and what I went through during the day. But oftentimes, they are all typical conversations you would have with an ordinary person.

My Prayer Life

How do I pray? No, I don’t usually utter my prayer. They are all just thoughts. Because my mind “talks” faster than my tongue. 😀

I also do this when I am about to sleep and when everything else around me is quiet. I could remember this one prayer night when I was seated on the bed, and my husband was sleeping soundly beside me.

I didn’t notice that my husband stirred and was startled when he saw me gazing towards the window, seated with my legs crossed, and with palms open. He asked me if I am okay. That was the time when we were just a newly married couple.

I think he was terrified I was doing “voodoo” or something on him. lol So I assured him that I was just praying. I can actually pray anywhere in the house with nobody disrupting me. But the thing is, I also pray over my husband each night. To be able to do this, I need to be beside him during my quiet time.

Eager Like A Child

Going back to the latest convo with God, I actually told Him I would love to see Him face to face. I am excited about how He would look like. My imagination was going out of bounds.

Will He be like a strong force of wind or blinding light? Will He be wearing golden robes flowing around? Will He be tall, small, huge, without a face, or with a face? And these questions just seem to go on and on.

Then later on, after realizing I might be asking too much, I just settle with I just want to hear His voice. Would it be a loud booming voice like a rumble of thunder? Or will it be a soft whisper?

When You Seek Him With All Your Heart

Sometimes I come to a point that I desperately ask God to answer and reveal Himself to me like how we expect humans to answer – hear a voice loud and clear with words that you can fully make out.

And when this doesn’t happen, I would just sigh with resignation knowing that God never acts in ways that we always imagine. But the never-ending questions of mine won’t stop there.

I’d still ask Him why it can’t be that way. I would realize then again that what I am insisting is my way and never about God’s ways. This is what I would tell Him in the end,

“Okay, Lord. That is all that I just want to say tonight. I just want to let you know what is going on in my mind and in my heart. I know you already know what they are even before I come before you and pray.

But somehow, when I let them be known to you by praying, the act, itself, gives me a comforting feeling. That there is this special dimension I am entering every time I have this quiet time with you, a very special place where I can just be myself and think about a lot of things so differently than how I think during the day.”

When Prayer Is The Only Weapon You Have

And this is the part where I will end this article. Because the Bible verse that created such a strong impact on me was Luke 21:36. God knows how much fear we would have to go through in this world as we face troubles of all kinds. And the first thing He said was to “PRAY.”

Are you afraid for your spouse, your children, your parents, your friends, and all the people you care about? PRAY. Are you going through extreme trials now? PRAY. Are you afraid of what will happen to this world decades or centuries from now? PRAY.

These are the only things that God asked us to do when judgment day comes – PRAY and be STRONG. Why? It only means leaving everything else in His hands because HE IS IN CONTROL, and that He SAVES those who BELIEVES in His Name. ❤

Believing that God is always MIGHTY to SAVE,

P.S. Here’s the song that’s been running on my head for the past weeks now. I’m sharing this here because I want you to know that you are a Child of God, and God has CHOSEN you. ❤

Claim it because you have nothing to lose but MORE TO GAIN when you declare it. 🙂

Bible Verses 10/19/2019

Posted on October 19, 2019 by Christine Lailani

When the scheming enemy strikes you with his attacks, DECLARE this Bible verse boldly:

And if he strikes again and again, CLAIM this verse:

And lastly, PRAY. 🙏🙂

Fighting and praying with you in this spiritual battle,

Paano Ba Ang Tamang Pagpapatawad? | Relationship Goals

Posted on April 5, 2019 by Christine Lailani

To my non-Filipino readers, I wrote this article in the vernacular because I felt the message will go through much better in this medium. But you may use the Google translate button below or at the sidebar of this page. I just hope Google will do a fine job of translating it. *wink*

“Paano Ba Ang Tamang Pagpapatawad?”

Noong nakaraang buwan, may isa akong status update na ni-post sa Facebook. Ito ay tungkol sa kasong adultery at concubinage. Hindi namin pinagdaanan ito ng asawa ko kaya sa mga nagtataka bakit nga ba bigla lang akong nag-post tungkol doon, wala akong ibang maisagot kundi dahil sa naramdaman ko lamang na kailangan ko syang i-post.

Infidelity: Kasong Concubinage at Adultery

Ang infidelity o pagkakaroon ng kabit o karelasyong babae/lalaki maliban sa iyong asawa ay isang sensitibong usapan pagdating sa ating lipunan. Madalas natin itong napapanood sa mga pelikulang Pinoy at teleserye. Ngunit sa totoong sitwasyon, ito ay itinuturing bilang isang kahihiyan. Kaya hindi nakapagtataka kung bakit maraming mga biktima ang piniling manahimik na lamang at indahin ang sakit at mga pasakit na dulot nito.

Ito ang isa sa mga dahilan kung bakit naisipan kong i-post ang tungkol sa adultery at concubinage case. Dahil nakita ko ang dalamhati nila, ang sakit na dinaranas bawat araw, at kanilang mga sakripisyo sa pamamagitan ng pagiging matatag sa kabila ng lahat alang-alang sa kanilang mga anak at ikatatahimik ng lahat.

Ang iba naman ay nagpaubaya na lamang dahil hindi sapat ang kanilang impormasyon tungkol sa infidelity at sa mga batas na nangangalaga sa mga karapatan ng isang asawa. Kahit saang bansa sagrado ang tingin ng batas at ng lipunan sa isang kasal o pagsasama ng isang mag-asawa.

Ang adultery case ay iba sa concubinage case. Ang una ay kaso ng isang asawang lalaki laban sa kanyang asawang babae at ang kabit nito. Ang huli ay kaso ng isang babaeng asawa laban sa kanyang asawang lalaki at ang kabit nito.

Para sa karagdagang kaalaman tungkol dito, maaari ninyong basahin itong artikulo:

“A Brief Discussion on Infidelity, Concubinage, Adultery, and Bigamy”

Hindi ko inakala na maraming kababaihan ang dumaraan sa ganitong mahirap na sitwasyon ngayon at walang alam kung paano ito resolbahan. Nakita ko ang mga komento ng iba’t-ibang kababaihan na naglahad ng kanilang mga kanya-kanyang sitwasyon. Hindi ko rin napaghandaan na ganito ang magiging kalalabasan ng post na iyon na ni-share ng mga kaibigan at ng mga kaibigan nila.

Ngunit ipinanalangin ko sa Panginoon na gabayan Nya ako kung paano makakatulong sa aking mga kapatid na kinakaharap ang ganitong masalimuot na sitwasyon. Ang itinuro sa akin ng Dios ay ang website ng Public Attorneys Office at ang mga numero kung paano ito kontakin. Ito ang kasagutang aking naibigay dahil hindi ko masasagot ang mga katanungan nila at hindi naman ako abogado.

Ano Ang Iyong Gagawin Bilang Isang Kristyano?

Marahil sa puntong iyon ng pag-post ko, marami sa mga kaibigan ko ang nagtaka lalo na sa konteksto ng pagiging isa kong Kristyano. Dahil ang utos sa Bibliya ay magpatawad at huwag maghiganti sa isang maling gawain na ginawa saiyo.

Mga minamahal, huwag kayong maghihiganti; ipaubaya ninyo iyon sa Dios. Sapagkat nasusulat, “Akin ang paghihiganti, ako ang gaganti,” sabi ni Panginoon. – Mga Taga-Roma 12:19

Ngunit ayon din naman sa aking pananaliksik, ang pagpapatawad daw ay laging may kaakibat na kondisyon. Dahil ganoon din ang hiningi ng Dios sa atin kapalit ng ating pagkakaligtas – tanggapin si Hesus bilang iyong tagapagligtas at talikuran ang masamang nakaraan. Pero meron din namang nagsasabi na sa anumang uri ng pagkakamali, palaging maging handa magpatawad.

Naisip ko na may rason ang Dios bakit Nya pinagawa ang sampung kautusan kay Moses noon na ‘yun ang naging basehan ng ating mga batas upang mapanatili ang katahimikan sa lipunan ngayon. Lahat ng ito ay naglalayon na mapangalagaan ang karapatan ng bawat isa sa ating mga mamamayan at mamuhay kasama ang iba ng tahimik at may respeto sa kapwa.

Sa usapang infidelity, and katanungan ng karamihan ay paano ba magpatawad at nararapat bang kasuhan ang iyong nagkasalang asawa? O patawarin ko na sya kaagad at ibaon ang lahat sa limot?

Kung walang nangyaring paghingi ng kapatawaran, para sa akin, mas pipiliin ko pa ring magpatawad. At sa ilang beses na naging bigo sa pagtupad ng kanyang pangako ang iyong asawa ngunit patuloy pa rin na gumagawa ng kasamaan at patuloy ding humihingi ng iyong kapatawaran, mas nakakabuting hingin mo ang payo ng Dios sa kung ano ang nararapat gawin.

Nakasaad sa Bibliya na ang adultery/concubinage ay isang sapat na rason para iwan mo ang iyong asawa. Ngunit nakasaad din dito na ang tunay na pagmamahal ay handang magpatawad sa lahat ng oras, sa anumang pagkakamali, at hindi basta-basta sumusuko.

Ang mga batas natin ay hinayaan ng Panginoon na maisakatuparan dahil ito ay may magandang pakay para sa lipunan at sa mga mamamayan. Hindi ito ginawa para lamang panakot kundi magsilbing gabay sa mga tao para gawin kung ano ang tama at maturuan ang mga may sala na talikuran ang paggawa ng masama at mag-bagong buhay.

God Is Always With you

Para saiyo kapatid na patuloy na nagdadalamhati sa sakit at pait na dulot ng infidelity, ito lamang ang aking maipapayo:

Hindi na mahalaga na tanungin mo ang iyong sarili kung saan ka ba nagkulang at nagawa ito saiyo ng iyong asawa. Lahat tayo ay may kakulangan. Pero kung totoong mahal ka nya, kaya nyang tanggapin ano mang pagkukulang mo at kung mahal mo rin sya, kaya mo ring tanggapin ang buo nyang pagkatao.
Hilingin mo sa Panginoon ano ang dapat mong gawin sa sitwasyon ninyo ng inyong asawa. Tanungin mo Sya kung nararapat bang kasuhan ang iyong asawa ng adultery o concubinage case o patawarin mo na lamang sya, talikuran ang mga nangyari, at hayaan na lamang na panahon ang maghilom ng lahat.
Dios ang palaging nagtatama ng lahat. Ngunit tayo ang kikilos ayon sa Kanyang mga utos. Ika nga nila, “Nasa Dios ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa.”
Huwag kang panghinaan ng loob, hindi lamang ikaw ang nagdurusa at nasasadlak sa ganitong kalagayan. At lalo na, hindi ka nag-iisa. Maraming tao ang handang tumulong saiyo sa anumang paraan na alam nila para ikaw ay makabangon muli.
Patatagin mo ang iyong kalooban dahil karamay mo kami at ang Dios. Sa Dios pa lang, panalo ka na. Hayaan mo Syang igabay ka sa mga tamang taong tutulong sayo at gagabay din sayo sa tamang daan.
Lahat ng bagay may simula at katapusan. Ang paghihirap mong ito ay matatapos din. Ang unos ay titila at ang araw ay lalabas din. Madilim man itong dinaraanan mo ngayon pero liliwanag din sa huli. Manalig ka na lahat ng mga nangyayari sa mundong ito ay nakikita ng Dios. Dios ang pinakahukom kung saan lahat ng bawat kilos natin ay ating pananagutan at sisingilin Nya sa atin pagdating ng tamang panahon.
Bumangon ka kapatid. Harapin mo ang bawat umaga ng may tapang at lakas. Na sa kabila ng pinagdaraanan mo, mananatili kang matatag. Isa kang magiting na sundalo na sa bawat laban, ang bandila mo ay patuloy na mamamayagpag. Higit sa lahat, isa kang magiting na mandirigma dahil kakampi mo ang Dios. At ito sana ang panghawakan mo palagi:

“Tinutulungan Niya ang mga nagdurusa at ‘di binibigo ang walang pag-asa.” – Mga Awit 34:18

Patuloy na nananalangin ng taimtim para saiyo, kapatid,

How Social Media Is Shaping Our Lives: Is It For The Better?

Posted on April 4, 2019 by Christine Lailani

I am “hibernating” on social media lately although not entirely because I still log in daily to check my messages and browse through newsfeeds. But compared to my regular social media habit the past months, I’ve been posting fewer updates recently.

I Was Gently Reminded

Last Christmas, I was excitedly capturing photos of the moments shared with my family from the food to the presents, to the activities that we did, to a whole lot more of fun-filled memories.

When my Mom saw what I was doing, she told me one thing that I’ll never forget:

“So you’re taking photos and will most probably post them on Facebook to show people the things that you have or done, which some of them might not have or can’t do.”

Ever since the Facebook revolution started, Mom has always been cynical about it. At first, I contradicted her by saying that Facebook and all other social media channels (she doesn’t know IG, yet 😀 ) are beneficial, too, in some ways. She relented but with a gentle reminder to be wise when sharing on social media.

I must admit I had moments back then when I felt that my Mom was right. As what they say on Facebook, always “think before you click.” But it was her very recent reminder about social media that cut deeper through me – the “why” of my social media hibernation except here on WordPress.

Is It Good?

I love Science and Technology so much that I am always excited about every new discovery and invention out there. And yet, we all know, too, that every single one of them has its own pros and cons. When it comes to social media, I was wondering to what extent can it affect our lives? Is it more on the pros or the cons?

I observed one negative side of social media, what study experts call as “humblebragging.” I never even knew the term existed until I encountered it while reading a couple of articles. These write-ups describe the studies conducted to observe the effects of social media on human psychology.

Research revealed that one of the most notable effects social media has on users is depression. To connect this to what my Mom said, more often than not social media posts can breed feelings of misery, discontentment, disappointment, and discouragement, which will eventually lead to depression. If we are to trace what is causing this, the root of the evil so to speak, it is this – envy.

I have a lot of photos and a lot of status updates to share on Facebook and Instagram, but what my Mom told me last year made me think twice whether I really should go ahead and post them or not. I want to share them BUT I know what my Mom is really telling me is to be responsible for what I will share. In other words, if it isn’t beneficial to others, then leave it unshared.

My social media hibernation isn’t because I won’t post anymore. Rather, I am thinking of ways how to share to people the things that I know, the things that I did, and the things that I have that won’t elicit any feelings of jealousy and disappointment on their part.

It is not my intent for my newsfeed followers to have the wrong notion that my life is way perfect and better than theirs because it is not just true. That’s why I make it a point to share a couple of bad news, even sensitive ones, just to bring light on my weaknesses and my lack of certain things and abilities, too. This is to affirm that we are all equal and go through different circumstances but the same seasons of drought and bountiful harvest.

Yes, Facebook and Instagram have become a “bragging wall.” This is becoming a deadly trend, and I really mean deadly because it can kill someone through depression. This is the deadly trend that portrays perfection on social media and it is encouraging everyone to have a false and pretentious lifestyle just to keep up with the game.

What if you can’t keep up?

Then this now becomes the problem. This is how people start feeling less about themselves, the inadequacy around them, the hopelessness, and ultimately, the unhappiness.

So I struggle.

What should I post? Will my post make me look like a humblebrag? Will it help other people feel good about themselves? Or should I not post anything at all?

Hmmm, I think I’m humblebragging in this post. So now I’m at a loss on what I should write about. 😀

Seriously, I’m going to end this article with a prayer asking for guidance and discernment to know the right actions when sharing about our daily lives to others. And my next article will be related to this, if God wills it, entitled “Humblebragging in Christianity: A Study.”

I am guilty of humblebragging one way or the other and I want to make up for all those feelings of misery and discontentment that I have caused on other people through my past social media posts. So yes, may the Lord give us new ways to make up for these mistakes made unknowingly. ❤

Asking for the Spirit’s guidance always,

How I Made A Deal With The Lord

Posted on July 20, 2018 by Christine Lailani

Before you get the impression that I had a bargaining moment with the Lord, it is not what you think it is. But do read ahead and find out. 😀

A Bargain, Not

Before anything else, let’s settle this thought – God can never be bargained. How He decides things to happen in our lives requires only a small percentage of our free will. That is, if we are more of His follower and would like to obey His will more than following our plans.

Action-Based But More on Faith

It’s been written in the Scriptures that “faith without deeds is dead” (James 2:14-26). Yes, this is true but it can also be tricky depending on how we will receive it. If you are more of a solution-based or output-based planner (like me), the danger here is knowing when to stop doing what you’re doing and allowing God to take control.

Overdoing things by sheer free will can lead to self-sufficiency which, as we all know, is not what faith is all about. It is actually the opposite – God-dependency. Our pastors have stressed this idea well enough in their lectures and messages that depending on our own strength and capabilities can lead us further away from God. It might even lead us to totally forget God thinking where and what do we need Him for.

What the Deal is All About

Now, let’s go back to the deal. The deal I was referring to is more of an agreement – me agreeing to God’s terms and me laying down specific terms for His approval (discerning whether they are part of His instructions or not).

If you’ve been constantly reading through my blog posts for some time now, I did mention about shifting seasons again and again. They all started right when I became a Christian. Maybe next time I’ll make a sort of a timeline in table form to better showcase the highlights of each year. They will prove that a Christian’s journey starting from the day he was born again until today is never like a plateau but a series of valleys.

I cannot tell if this is God’s way of making sure my faith will never remain lukewarm (considered a sin, btw). But I can tell that these seasons requested my full dependency on Him. I’m just amazed when I look back from everything that happened and where I am now. They were mere surprises that I never even imagined.

I have never felt so fulfilled, so content, and so assured of doing things for God as I do now. I guess this is the by-product of constantly seeking God’s purpose in my life and obeying Him completely. And spiritually, I can attest that I have grown so much since 2013. 🙂

Here are more examples of personal experiences that will showcase how I made a deal with the Lord:

1. Be Ready to Make Sacrifices

This is all about God slowly removing anything that is worldly in you and around you. I sacrificed a lot of things that I know would’ve made me “great” in the eyes of the world satisfying its demands and standards. It was difficult to “not conform to the patterns of this world” (Romans 12:12) but believe me, once you have made your stand, saying “no” to ALL worldly desires and temptations is now waaaaay easier.

What sacrifices can God be calling you out to do? Is it worldly success? Is it worldly achievement? Is it acquiring great wealth? Are they material possessions? Is it addiction or idolatry? Are they extramarital affairs? Is it workaholism?

2. Be Guided in Your Endeavors

This will come in the form of a family project that is not-for-profit. When Pastor Patrick shared last Sunday about us not being able to see some of the promises of the Lord come to fruition, I felt as if the message just hit something straight in my heart. He went on by mentioning about the generations before Joseph (Abraham-Isaac-Jacob) and how God used each generation until Joseph to complete the promise (the promised land) which none of them ever witnessed in their lifetime.

So this family project is about utilizing a land that’s been passed on to us from our ancestors. It was acquired first by my great grandpa who was also one of the pioneers and first pastor of the Protestant church in our town. Next, it was inherited by my grandfather who exemplified nothing but a man who’s all fired up in faith. The land has now been handed to our parents, then, we are next in line.

In all 3 generations, only a teeny weeny tiny portion of the land was being utilized for productive use. But now, all 5 of us siblings have this desire in our hearts to utilize it on a wider scale. I know that this desire did not come out of our own selfish ambitions to earn great wealth. We don’t need it, but we’re not rich. Having God, alone, is enough to satisfy us.

Instead, it is something that our forefathers have passed on to us that ties us to this land. It may not be similar to the Bible’s promised land, but then again, only God knows how He intended to use it to fulfill His plans.

All we know is we need to work on this. BUT here’s the part where I can relate to Pastor’s preaching – we may not be able to see how God’s promise over this land come to fruition. It is only in our generation wherein we have decided to utilize it on full throttle. We don’t even know what will happen to it after my siblings and I die or will our (future) kids or nieces and nephews and grandkids will have the same desire as we and our forefathers have.

BUT then again, as Pastor Patrick continued, all the generations before Joseph including himself claimed God’s promise BY FAITH even if they don’t know what is that promise and what will exactly happen. Yes, on behalf of my siblings, I am claiming BY FAITH that God did not place this desire in our hearts to work on this project out of nothing. We believe it will serve God’s purpose in the end whether it’s next year, after a decade, or after a century – only God knows when.

3. Be Specific with Career Choices

Now, this brings us to my career choices. This is the part where I became specific with my prayers to the Lord. Why? Let’s admit it. When you are planning projects, it will require time. Also, a career for me is not just about earning money. But more importantly, it’s about using my abilities, skills, and talents to serve and help others. Thus, I became specific with the Lord in my prayer over career opportunities. It went on like this:

“Lord, I want to have a career that will support me and my husband’s basic needs. And yet, with this desire to do all these things in my heart, I can only pray that I will be able to fulfill them all through Your guidance and Your grace. I am seeking for Your will in all the tasks I am set out to do, discernment on how I should do all of them, until when I should do them, or if these tasks are part of Your will.

I pray for opportunities that will help me accomplish all of the following:

maximize my gift in writing (either as a career or as a ministry)
use my license as an English teacher (I still love to help students in whatever way it may be)
how to plan the project so it will materialize
show me ways how can this project help others
my priorities will not be compromised (hubby time, family time, quiet time, etc.)”

4. Be Constant in Realigning Priorities

Speaking of priorities, I made a conscious effort to keep the top 3 in my list of priorities as constant – God, spouse, and family. They cannot be interchanged no matter what. All three should be in that order in everything. Why God should be on top? Let’s just say God is our CEO. He decides on everything and He instructs what should be done. Without a CEO in the company, the company won’t run. Or it may run, but it will be in complete chaos. Accomplishing tasks will be impossible in this state. In fact, we won’t accomplish anything at all.

5. Be Available 24/7 in Connecting with God

Connecting with God, therefore, is IMPORTANT – this is how we deal with Him and find out if our terms are aligned with His. How would we know what God requires of us if we’re so busy and don’t have the time to listen to what He says? Connecting with Him every single moment of our every day lives is the key. Always be in tune with the Spirit as we do day-to-day activities. Watch out for the signs but always carry a discerning heart. As much as we would like to take the enemy out of the picture, he’s always lurking around in the form of temptations and weaknesses.

Getting into a deal with God is never about the word “me” but the word “Him.” We don’t get to choose what’s in it for us but more about what God can get out of it. But do not be dismayed, God is a loving God. He will not put us through a task or a mission, how difficult or easy it may be, without preparing us. May we rest ourselves in His assurance that:

“…in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” – Romans 8:28

And also this,

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” – John 15:5

Are you also in the habit of making a deal with the Lord always? If you are, I’d love to hear how it turned out.

Always in agreement with the Lord,

P.S. (I’d rather call this a “Praise Script”) 😀

I now am convinced that the tasks that God had set in my heart came from Him and Him alone. He answered almost all of my prayers! 😀

So, here I am writing this, submitted an article for Daily PS (community of Christian writers), helped junior and senior high school students with their school work, did my workout (God requires we have not just a healthy soul but a healthy body, too), cooked a sumptuous dinner for hubby, did other chores, watched a movie together, then researched more for the project. As for the project, all the pertinent info needed is ready. We are only waiting for God’s perfect time when to execute them.

Ah, yes. God is the only One who can give me the GRACE to do all of these, fueled by my life verse, and of course, strict adherence to the schedule a.k.a. DISCIPLINE (holistically). 😉

“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” – Philippians 4:13

Mid-Year Prayer And Fasting 2018

Posted on July 6, 2018 by Christine Lailani

In our church, we have a yearly mid-year prayer and fasting where we consecrate to God the things that are done in the early part of the year and the things to be done through the latter part of the year. For this year, the schedule came in timely – July 3-5. I have so many things to be grateful for including answered prayers and realizations I encounter daily. I also have a lot to pray for because I will be going through a lot of seasons again.

What Transpired

Day 1

It is not a coincidence that July 3^rd was the schedule for my first article to go live at Daily PS, a community of Christian writers on WordPress. Here’s the link to the article and I hope this will recharge your spirits:

7 Highly Effective Ways To Avoid Burnout (The Christian Way)

Hubby dear was also scheduled to have his first day of training on this day for a tentative promotion (his 2^nd). I am also in the process of seeking for topics to contribute as guest posts for some of my fellow Christian writers here on WordPress such as The Christian Blog Ghana. Do visit their site, their posts are such an insightful read. 🙂

Day 2

After checking out the published article in Daily PS, I opened a new document over Microsoft Word for my next article submission. I was only targeting one topic. But God’s grace allowed I come up not only with 1 but 6! Ah yes, when God calls you for a task, He really will prepare you.

I had to blur it because I can’t spill all the beans just yet. 😉

I also decided to come up with a new blog logo since my old logo, the one with a bible verse in it, is perfect as a site header. For the logo design, I wanted it to be very simple. I chose a laurel wreath as it symbolizes victory. I plan to update my Facebook page’s profile picture to this new one but I am on social media hibernation (part of my prayer and fasting). I also plan to use this logo on all of my blog’s social handles instead of my photo. This blog is about God and not me. 😉

If you also want to learn how to create one, I can help you. You can find more details about this below.

I am feeling the inclination (tugging of the Spirit yet again) to conduct a free writing and website designing workshop for fellow Christian bloggers and writers who are just starting out or needing to revamp their sites. I am asking for God’s leading that either I host the workshop and invite other Christian writers to share their expertise or I join one. I already shared tips online with one sister in Christ (Hi, Mean! :-D) but I know meeting in person is better. 😉

I have been designing and managing this blog alone through tutorials (I learn from others, too) and it is quite challenging. But nothing is hard when God equips you to do a task. I believe I must thank the Lord for giving me the wisdom in making this website according to how He wishes it to be.

For the writing and web designing workshop, I am targeting an audience starting from teens and up. Yet another workshop I plan to conduct is a free art workshop but this time, for kids. I have always loved art back when I was a kid and I only got to explore so much of it now that I am an adult. 😀

Day 3

I have been conducting research for the past weeks about entrepreneurship and marketing for a not-for-profit project. It’s only during the mid-year prayer and fasting that I finally had a break from all the info overload. Ah yes, the “burnout” article really just came out timely, it’s even perfect for me as a reminder. 😉

Thank God for the grace, I got everything I needed and now ready to consolidate all the data for a better presentation. I still have so much to learn, though. My eldest sister suggested I make a storyboard. I am now working on how to integrate it with Microsoft Powerpoint. The current challenge I have is trimming down all the information and making it into one coherent output.

Today, I’ve also decided to come up with topics to share on my personal blog that are a little off the ordinary. These topics will be presented in a series to better categorize them and they will be technical with a little bit of faith on the side. This blog is meant to be informative. So any knowledge I can share with you all, it’ll definitely be posted. 🙂

The quotation for this week in my planner also came in timely:

The warrior of light has no “certainties,” he just has a path to follow, a path to which he tries to adapt depending on the season.

– Manual of the Warrior of Light (Paulo Coehlo)

I have high hopes that all I have mentioned above are plans that will materialize in God’s perfect time. Let’s just say this season is all about planning and preparing.

God is a god of perfect timing, anyway. 😀

Are you a Christian blogger? I would like to ask for your help by sharing your expertise with aspiring Christians writers here on WordPress. Any idea you have how we can share these tips will be highly appreciated. Thank you! ❤

Always waiting on God’s perfect time,

*Featured image copyright: Free 4K Wallpaper

Make Praying Your Daily Habit

Posted on November 13, 2017 by Christine Lailani

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

3 Days to Know God

Posted on July 7, 2017 by Christine Lailani

…on a deeper level. 🙂

Day 1

Though I am on complete social media hibernation, I still felt the need to record these thoughts over my phone’s notepad. But if you saw my Twitter account active during these days with posts from YouTube, that’s because I was browsing and listening to worship songs for my prayer and quiet time.

It is Day 1 of the Mid-Year Prayer and Fasting and after submitting an exam for a job application and before bedtime, hubby and I watched the movie John Q.

I was bothered how injustice and inequality can really make things look distorted. Thus, I had these questions in mind which were included in my prayers:

*Why are health services not free?

*What happened to EFA (Education For All) all throughout these years?

*Is life really unfair?

*Why should most things be about or are connected to money when money is the root of all evil? – Answer: We need money to survive but we also need self-control and discipline to have the right attitude in handling money matters and not be overtaken by greed and all sins related to money.

I haven’t received the answers for my other questions yet so I’ll just get on with how day 1 went. I was opting for a once-a-day meal but unfortunately after having an upset stomach with loose bowels for the past days, I need to eat regularly. But this time, I have decided to limit my rice intake to 1 cup per meal only. And no, I eat at least 2 cups of rice in every meal. I just don’t get fat and I don’t know why. 😀 Eating 1 cup of rice every meal though will send me to a major weight loss program towards anorexia. lol

Day 2

“Father, I come before you with a grumbling stomach…” 😀

I was browsing for recipes to cook for my husband’s dinner and I can hear my stomach grumbling its complaints. Imagine how hard it is to resist eating more than your usual food intake, but you had to RESIST the TEMPTATION.

It is lunch time but I’m still praying and having my devotion thus I blurted with a grumbling stomach and yet I had to CONCENTRATE. I had to wear earphones while I was about to start praying because the noise around, though very minimal, still distracted me.

But while I was browsing for instrumental praise songs, a recommended video/news about my favorite Korean actress Song Hye Kyo and Descendants of the Sun co-star Song Joong Ki getting married just popped up! An on-screen couple that turned to a real-life couple is just an amazing love story. So just imagine me beating those two, TEMPTATION and CONCENTRATION – the temptation not to log in on IG and all my social media accounts to share the news as I am on social media hibernation being part of my fasting and concentrate on finishing my devo. But if guided by the Spirit, you’ll know what to do – a rebuke will always be there. 🙂

I started eating my meal and I actually made a discovery. When you take time to appreciate every single item in the food before you eat it, it will give you that moment to savor every bite instead of gobbling all the food up. Appreciating every morsel and every ingredient from how God sent the rains to water the crops to the farmers who nurtured the crops, then the ones who transported it will help you resist man’s innate instinct of just consuming what its body desires. Our initial reaction when we see food is to eat it and consume right away.

On a side note, I also got news that I was scheduled for a job interview (a major career shift) and so I end the 2nd day with this and these running thoughts:

“Let the TRUTH be told in whatever season I am in, in whomever I become, in whatever I have.”

“More of you God and less of me.”

Day 3

“If love is so enormous in our lives, there’d be no space for hatred.”

I woke up with this thought in my head and just to give you a trivia, these are the thoughts that usually spark up an article. All my articles came from a single thought. But sometimes my thoughts can be so scattered. 😀

In another news, this day I was scheduled for yet another job interview for the next day which is Friday (today as of writing). This was part of my faith goals for this year and one of the things which I have been consistently praying for.

A thought also came during the praise and worship for the last day of fasting which was about praying for the community and I would just like to share the following experiences and musings regarding this.

I have made a discovery while I was browsing through new places around the neighborhood where hubby and I just recently transferred. I was a bit shocked and just a little bit dismayed that the community has been tagged as the “sex tourism” capital of the city. But upon seeing new establishments (and good ones they are) being built around the area from pretty nice restaurants to condominiums, I know and I am happy to know that God is going to do something great with this community.

The same thing happened to a situation wherein I almost passed up an opportunity because I saw something that I know will offend God. And yet if God brought me in these places and opportunities, I need not be worried, afraid nor doubtful about what I see on the outside. I need to see behind the enemy’s lies that this is corrupted and evil because in the eyes of God every single human being is beautiful, every one is given a chance, every thing has a GOOD purpose no matter how opposite the outside appearance or the first impression may look or seem.

I asked myself though, will this (being in a community/organization known to be corrupted) taint my reputation as a Christian?

The answer came just instantly: I was already made right in the eyes of God when I was saved, God already knows the condition of my heart I need not please the world. I will please Him if I accomplish what He has tasked me to do in this particular season, place and opportunity.

Reputation is something that this society is so concerned about and yet no one has the right to judge anyone except our God. This should not be an excuse though to sin and conform but to remain firm in the faith and become the “salt and light.”

“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

I can never judge the community I am in nor that opportunity which came along. In the same way that Jesus socialized with the drunkards and what society tagged as the “outcasts,” we must also do the same by helping and serving them while remaining true to the faith. Jesus never thought of them as different, He sees them as ‘sick’ people needing ‘treatment’ and yet He waited for the opportune time when God will change these people’s hearts. He was sent here not to condemn this world but to do only what He was tasked to do – share who God is and what eternal salvation is all about.

Jesus saw in these people what our naked eyes couldn’t see, a beauty that is skin deep – the soul. Whether someone is a drunkard or a prostitute, to God he/she is flesh and blood with a soul. He sees Himself in us because He created us. He sees the GOOD in every one of us no matter what ‘tags’ society has placed on us.

I am always fascinated by this quote ever since I stumbled upon it:

“It is easy to love a rose but it takes a great heart to include the thorns.”

God loves us COMPLETELY. It is this kind of LOVE that John says as NO GREATER LOVE than this. It was this kind of love that became a SACRIFICE and set all of us FREE from the sins of this world. And it is this very same LOVE that is working its way out through you and me each and every single day.

I can love a fellow Christian but I even have more love for those who are not because I saw my old self in them and I know that they, too, will experience this love that I have, they will be given a new LIFE and a new NAME.

If I speak of hope then they shall too. If I speak of life then they shall too. If I speak of love then they shall too. They will rise as I have risen in the same way Jesus have been raised from the dead. I have a GREAT HOPE that we will all rise with Him one day. Thus, we patiently wait. 🙂

P.S.

Great opportunities came along today too (7/7/17) career wise. And just to share, it was 8/8/08 when I got my first big blessing as a working professional. There really must be something with the numbers. 😉

Ah yes, the moments of His silence, my steady prayers and patience – the Lord is indeed FAITHFUL with His PROMISES in His RIGHT TIME. 🙂

What an awesome day today to break my Mid-Year Prayer and Fasting and the start of the last 2 quarters of this year. My last prayer is that may God continue to speak through our lives and may we continue to bring Him all the GLORY and HONOR that He deserves always. ❤

Oh and one very, very last thing in this postscript. (Promise!) 😀

A praying mantis visited our bedroom walls tonight. It’s a very rare sight for me living in the city half of my life. I only see them when I am in the province in Bicol where the air is clean and less polluted.

Well, it seems to me that it says of only one thing – if this praying mantis made it alive in the polluted, dirty and chaotic environment and still remained as pretty and as unblemished of a creation as it is, then I guess it speaks the same of us. If God can take care of this praying mantis, what more of us, His greatest creation. 🙂

Resting in His Saving and Amazing Grace

Posted on May 19, 2017 by Christine Lailani

“Do one thing: Live the life you always wanted to live. Avoid criticizing others and concentrate on fulfilling your dreams. This may not seem very important to you, but God, who sees all, knows that the example you give is helping Him to improve the world. And each day, He will bestow more blessings upon it.”

– Manuscript of Accra, Paulo Coehlo

I can see the cursor blinking in and out like an ellipsis….

So many words and yet so many ways to tell, undecided…

….how do I begin? 🙂

Yes, how do I begin testifying to a series of events that piled up already and yet I couldn’t find the “tugging” to post them until just now? *wink* Honestly, I still don’t have the slightest idea how to arrange the thoughts which have been sitting as a draft since February here in WordPress and share them. Yet I can only trust the Spirit’s leading on how the wordplay will come about in this post.

The posts in this blog for the past 2-3 years have been about nothing else but faith. This was how God intended it to be. Though for the first year of this blog I was grappling on what to write about, now, it is the other way around – I am battling with time for the numerous pending posts that I needed to write and post.

For March, it’ll summarize what went on from February until March. My January post summarized what transpired in the months of December and January. The month of March was about marching forward and yes, the character trait for March is CLARITY. As for February, it was AFFECTION (do read January post for this one.) 🙂

February: AFFECTION

March: CLARITY

This might explain why I was missing in the blogosphere for the month of February and why this post is super long (sorry about that, friends). February was the month of settling things – again, not a coincidence, but I have learned to rely on God’s plans all along even though some are hard to accept, some are hard to understand, and some are impossible to achieve. But then, that is one tough responsibility of a Christian and that is everyone’s calling too – live by faith and not by sight.

Last December, everything was unraveled. It was a moment of choosing among a multitude of choices and tough decisions. Every flaw, every need and every concern were brought out in the open. I have thought for that moment it might seem such an endless feat of emotional roller coaster and yet God had been faithful enough.

Fast forward to January, the start of 2017 was also the start of the turnaround of events. When seasons change and the comfort zone is no longer part of the next plans, it could be daunting. But as it was written, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” – 2 Timothy 1:7

February was a month jam-packed of events. When you are caught in a whirlwind of events, oftentimes a “soul check” may come as the least of your priorities. But in faith, it is the other way around – a “soul check” is necessary and should be the top priority before everything else. That was what happened in the last few months, a question of am I doing it God’s way or not. I’ll just mention a few and most of them actually were answered prayers – prayers that I never thought I have prayed and yet silently in my heart, I did. Only God sees our hearts, anyway.

Maybe that is the reason why fulfillment in those answered prayers never really came from receiving the actual answer to the prayer per se but more about how God listens and how great He is to provide even the most impossible. It was all about God in the end, never about our desires but a satisfied desire on both our end and God’s that thru this fulfillment, we have established a kindred spirit and a deeper and personal relationship with our Creator. It is all a matter of communicating between Him and you alone – the ONLY thing that He asks from us.

So let’s begin the long journey of disclosing in this online journal what traversed in my moment of hibernation in the blogosphere starting February.

The incident:

A convo between my husband and I took place wherein I asked him what is it that he wants best in this life. His answer made me smile and speechless at the same time making me wonder where he could possibly be generating all these answers. My best guess – the heart. Who really am I to judge, indeed? I don’t see the heart, God does. 😉

“I don’t want material things but eternal rest.”

We came to that point wherein we had that (serious) husband and wife contemplation about priorities, the future and life in general. I can say that throughout the moments since I got saved, I did not regret any decision I have made which included my decision to marry. It is only through the entire duration of our years together as a married couple did I get to see why God gave me my husband in particular – I had so many answered prayers through my husband. It is either an answered prayer to that change I have been rooting to do internally but don’t have the guts to discipline myself or the big and small things that I have been wanting in my heart but never expressed them openly.

But God, once again, proved Himself faithful all throughout.

I have always wondered what if I married another man. Will he be patient, understanding and forgiving enough as my husband is right now to me and my circumstances? I oftentimes ask my husband how he feels regarding our situation and ask him to be patient with me as well and what I am going through. His answer was always a gentle, “I understand.” Though he would always say that, I know that he is sacrificing so much for both of us and as his partner, I have felt this inadequacy when it comes to fulfilling my role and my duties as a wife.

Starting the month of January until now, this was personally, for me, a season of instability. Firstly, every married couple gets to deal with financial difficulties and this season, my husband and I are going through with our own fair share. We have decided to finally move out from the apartment that my sisters and I have been living in for the past 20 years though it was only me who lived in the place for the last 7 years. We have decided to relocate near his workplace as it is more convenient for him and he gets to rest right away after work.

But this posed as a problem since I have no work when we both decided to move out and we are relying on my husband’s income alone for our daily expenses. If you’ll do the numbers from bills to necessities plus all the home stuff that we have to buy, the total suggested more funds. I did get a job. It was a convenient one but, unfortunately, it was not from my field of expertise and ironically, my water loo too – finance. Yes, it has something to do with numbers and money.

If you are wondering how I ended up in that job, I don’t know too. 😀 But I know God has a reason why because I got that job just 3 days after we moved in our new apartment. We were able to buy some of the basic stuff that we need at home. But as you all know it, I had to let the job go. I will not be able to give my best if it is something that I am not familiar with or is not my cup of tea. Numbers make me cringe and the fear of committing a mistake when it comes to computing plus the fact that it deals with money just proved that I might regret it later if I stayed longer. Another thing too, the worry of it all just took the better part of me and stress replaced what used to be a hopeful and positive attitude – I first thought I should give it a try. Employment equates to stress but when I started having stomach problems, difficulty sleeping at night and puking for no reason at all, I know I have to make a decision.

I wanted to go back to teaching. It was actually the very reason I stated when I resigned. The calling of being a teacher is greater. But then again, we all know that a teaching job is even more challenging when it comes to classroom management, multitasking, time management, etc. Again, no employment is ever easy and stress-free. But then again, I did want to try it out. Here came the opportunity – I had everything carefully and perfectly planned out so I’d get the job. But here came unprecedented circumstances which for the first few, I was able to gain control over but it required my husband and me to stay up until past midnight. I was able to pull it off. The next day I woke up with my estimated schedule. Everything should be smooth sailing until news came that the MRT 3 broke down and became operational only at 8am. I didn’t give up. If commuting was not an option then I’d go for the GRAB car – I was wrong. Since majority of the stranded commuters chose other alternatives of commuting, traffic was inevitable and it was worse than the usual. I decided by then that I had to let the opportunity go because it only means that it wasn’t intended for me. If I still pursued it then most likely I’ll be going against the grain of fate and will meet more unfortunate events along the way.

I am well aware of the idea to keep on swimming ahead even if the vision before you is hazy or the waters seem to be too deep and troubled or the shore is nowhere to be seen, figuratively speaking. But I am also well aware that from what I have experienced so far, if everything seems to be failing even if you have tried all possible attempts in getting things right, it only means it is beyond your control and God has intended a different plan for you. It could be God’s way of preventing you from any future loss/failure, future pain, even more hassle and inconvenience than intended.

So I asked God why I can’t have a regular office job. That moment of quietude with Him and me asking all these sort of questions trying to make sense of what has happened and what is happening came to a final halt – a matter of life and death.

I have already mentioned this a couple of times in my previous blog posts and health wise, I know I have nothing to fear. In the recent medical checkup I came clear but if I am not cautious enough i.e. check my lifestyle, sleeping patterns, food intake, physical activity, etc., and all these accumulated through the years could mean my ending up in a hospital bed earlier than expected.

I have to be cautious with everything.

I am not claiming it but I know it as a fact that I am a carrier of cancer genes. It was a generational curse – it didn’t skip a generation starting from my great grandmother (we don’t know if it started even way before her generation) to my grandmother then to my Mom. They were all breast cancer survivors. Most likely you’ll tell me I will survive too. 🙂

Yes, by faith and by God’s saving grace I know I will. But then it should not be reason enough for me to be complacent. My great grandmother, grandmother and Mom spent most of their lives in the province – a laid back lifestyle, pure simplicity, a fresh and clean environment and less complicated than city life. I spent half of my life in the metro starting college which was the opposite.

Again. I have to be more cautious.

If you will notice, I referred to breast cancer in the past tense because I am declaring that starting from my generation, not one among my 3 sisters and I will have breast cancer how many years from now and that the future generations of our family will be free of this generational curse.

There’s another generational curse too that I am declaring for my family and relatives and the future generations in our blood line to be free from starting with our generation but due to its sensitivity, I chose to keep it confidential.

These generational curses have no cure – ONLY God can deliver us from these curses. Not even the fields of medicine and science have the capacity to provide a lasting treatment/solution.

But,

“We can face the reality of our own mortality because we trust in God.” – Our Daily Bread

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” – Psalm 90:12

Another thing too, my husband and I have been trying to have a child but time declared we can’t have one as of yet. We did talk about it and he told me that whatever God’s will is, he is happy and content either way.

That, I absolutely and unquestioningly agree upon. I did tell him though that as much as I’d want to have a child, I wouldn’t want to raise a child and let him suffer in this world or be punished for the mistakes that his parents did or bear the generational curse passed on to him. If part of the sacrifice that we have to make in order to break the generational curse is to be childless, then we have to honor it.

But then again, it entirely depends on what God’s will is and what His plans are. Indeed,

“As you do not know the way the Spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.” – Ecclesiastes 11:5

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” – Isaiah 55:9

The generational curses and the current situation my husband and I are going through both have one thing in common – stress as the triggering factor.

Looking back to what I had to give up, they were standards that this world dictated as what should be accomplished and yet it all equated to stress. When I gave up my graduate study, I asked myself if it is worth it especially when my eczema attacks started showing up again, I had to deal with black spots in my legs which lasted for how many months and I experienced tension headaches/migraines which lasted for 3 days twice a month. I also had to give up the liberty and privilege of working in the corporate world or in my field of expertise.

Do I have regrets? Certainly not. My decision to not conform to the terms of this world won’t rob me of my dignity and make me less of a woman, will it? My identity no longer is attached to those titles that this world offer but to the title that God has given me – His princess and His loving daughter.

“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

My situation now? God showed me other alternatives. I know God did not give me skills just to see them all go to waste until I die and not be able to contribute to this world and help humanity in any way – it’ll make Him unhappy. 😀 I told my husband he need not worry because there are a lot of home-based jobs available for me in the fields of teaching and writing, my two best fortes, if I really need to get a professional job as a means to get an income. There are so many of them actually in different fields of expertise and if I will be “takaw tingin,” I’d prefer having at least 2 since their schedules are usually flexible. BUT, God will definitely say “No.” 😀

In addition, I have witnessed a lot of female friends who shifted from being corporate employees to staying at home, being a full-time Mom and housewife with a home-based job, stressed also but FULFILLED receiving the same salary that she gets if she works in the office spending energy and time commuting, coming home extremely exhausted and has no time for her family.

Yes, fulfillment makes all the difference, right? Even if you are paid triple of what a regular wage earner gets if the fulfillment isn’t there, work will just be equated to work per se in all technical aspect of the term. Aside from that, “whatever it is that our hearts value, there our treasure will be also.” The bad thing about this is if we’re putting our hope on treasures that are temporary and will eventually fade away. Building relationships with people I love are important to me – quality time is my love language. I want to invest more in it – being with my family.

What else?

As of the late, my husband asked me if I could do commissioned work for my sketching hobby after I posted the sketch (next blog article) I did of him during his birthday last May 4. He told me that one of his Mom’s friends asked if I could do their family portrait and his Mom and brother also requested the same along with a few of my relatives and friends ever since I posted some of my previous sketches. My answer was an unsure “let’s see.” 😀

If God gives us a talent as a gift, He has a very good purpose behind it all and honestly, I am not yet confident enough to take my sketching hobby to a higher level. 😀 It’s been 15 years since I started this hobby out of my need to have an outlet when things and times get rough. I am not confident as well to tag a price in each of my art work. I intended to give them for free actually and make the recipient of the art work happy – my ultimate goal as an artist. But if God instructs I have them paid, then I believe I should. Now this, I need to really pray hard as I don’t want to disappoint those who have requested to have their sketches done and there are a lot of them pending requests already. I just need more time to pray to God about it and wait for His answers. *insert wide smile here*

Another opportunity also came about my putting up a restaurant/café after hubby and I made this special burger recipe and his brother insisted we make it as a business as he knows someone who can be our supplier. I told him we talked about this option but we have chosen my hometown in Bicol as our business location – yup, you guessed that right, too far. My 3^rd sister and I have actually planned about this already and came up with the concept for the café and went through the basics of business analytics and management and the only thing she said was that it won’t materialize if I am not there with her to get things started and to keep them running. One of my hobbies is cooking and experimenting with different recipes but eating the food I cooked is not part of them. lol I believe I am to blame if hubby gained a lot of weight after we got married. Ooops, not my real intention there though. 😀 I just want to cook for other people and it makes me happy when they are happy with the dishes I serve them. Again, this is another prayer for my prayer line when it comes to wisdom, guidance and instruction.

Honestly, I was never after the money nor the recognition – getting compensated for the things I love to do and the things that God has gifted me with in terms of talents and skills. I’d like to contribute and share them to society and be able to make every individual happy and fulfilled or if what I contributed could help them in any other way regardless if I’d get anything in return or not (awards, recognition, money, etc.). I only needed money for survival and for now, that is what my hubby and I needed – for our daily needs but never to satisfy our wants and live in excess.

Moreover, I told my husband that if time comes God blessed us with more than we needed, I will retain the kind of lifestyle I have now and would still prefer the same living conditions – not a lavish nor grand lifestyle but a simple, minimalist one. Again, by having only the things that I need and never the things that I want.

Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” – Mark 10:21

But as we all know it, I can plan so many things, have so many choices and wonderful opportunities to choose from and small and big decisions to make and yet, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” – Proverbs 19:21

Thus, I rest my case. 😀

For all the generational curses, the lifestyle check, the shift in opportunities, the continued pursuit of God’s will in my life – they were not because I live in fear but because I have fear in the Lord and if obedience is what He requires of me in this season so He can usher me towards what He desires for my life, then I should, by all means comply, stop figuring out this life on my own and rest in His saving grace.

Solution? Pray harder and trust God and His plans even harder.

[In prayer we call on God “who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.”] – Ephesians 3:20

Oh and I think I forgot to mention that in my Paulo Coehlo planner-turned-spiritual journal, April’s character trait is COOPERATION and May is FAITH.

April: COOPERATION

May: FAITH

Did God say, “Tin, you must cooperate with me and have faith?” I think He just did that’s why I wrote this. *insert wide smile here again* 😀

“Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.” – 2 Corinthians 7:1

P.S.

For the first quarter of year 2017, my life/planner went from having TOLERANCE (January), giving AFFECTION (February), to achieving CLARITY (March), giving COOPERATION (April) and last but not the least, having FAITH (May). 🙂

“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

“Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm for God can be trusted to keep His promises.” – Hebrews 10:23

“God can be trusted to guide us.” – Our Daily Bread

“…the challenge is to trust (in) God’s ability to lead rather than in our ability to follow.” – Genesis 12:1

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” – Romans 8:28

Year 2017: Everything Made New

Posted on January 31, 2017 by Christine Lailani

Vindicated is the world’s term for it, redeemed is how faith coins it.

This article was sitting as a draft since November. But I only had the urge to finish writing it today because a lot more happened after November. So for the month of December I didn’t publish any article – a moment of solitude and immersion in faith. 🙂

There’s social unrest in the decision of current president of the Philippines, President Duterte, and the supreme court to allow the remains of a dictator and former President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos to be buried in the Libingan ng mga Bayani or be given a hero’s burial. It was an unfair decision to most considering all the human rights violation committed, plunder and social injustice in all forms when the country was placed under martial law during the Marcos regime.

It doesn’t seem such a reasonable, sensitive and acceptable answer by comforting the victims of martial law and their families by the statement “forgive and move on.” If you are to ask my side, I chose to settle it with God instead – not my terms but His.

I went thru a similar situation myself about two months ago, so please bear with me if this part will be a bit sensitive and emotional. It was just one of those heated disagreements between me and hubby. Through this challenging situation, it was heartbreaking to hear your spouse renounce his faith and even curse God which made me speak against my faith too. Yes, it was a very sad moment between us which turned into something worse that our families needed to meddle to stop the damage from getting bigger. Hubby and I decided we live separately for the meantime for our own safety and for the sake of saving our marriage.

When I went to the province, I was given the wrong ticket for the first time in my entire 15 years of traveling back and forth going home. Can you guess what was the wrong ticket amount? It’s 888. 😀 Yes, I interpreted it as an assurance that the Lord, our God, is indeed with us we need not worry.

How ironic it is though that my husband’s surname is Rome. Jesus’ number one persecutor is none other than the Romans. 🙂 They tried to gain control over Jesus but in the end they were the ones defeated when He overcame death. Jesus symbolizes the church, if not, He is the church. In a marriage, the wife is the church.

This clearly illustrates how man tried to separate from God/church/wife because of the sins and that only Jesus can bridge this gap so the relationship between man and God will be restored. This is just like when Israel rebelled against God and how God tried to make them turn to Him.

What happened was this, God made my relationship something to learn from and yet just like the martial law victims whose rights were violated, God will be the only one with the authority and the power to judge anyone.

They say that when you are deeply hurting, God is creating something wonderful in you and He is veering you away from possible destruction. Yet, it always starts with humility and forgiveness. Just like in this quote from my Our Daily Bread daily devotion, “To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you. – C.S. Lewis”

For the two months that we have been apart, I persevered in assuring my husband that tho I have agreed we live separately for the time being, it doesn’t mean I am giving up on him and our marriage. It is indeed true that for all that we have been through, not once did I give up on our relationship and our marriage and I never will. The first thing that came to my mind during this season was the “love dare” from one of the greatest Christian films I have watched about marriages which is Fireproof.

Just like in the movie, I too am extremely grateful right now that God gave me a family whom I deeply appreciate being mentors in this ordeal who lead me to God and towards the right path. It was difficult to hear and choose from a lot of different prespectives but they did help a lot in widening my mindset about a lot of things through the Spirit’s guidance.

It wasn’t God’s goal that He’ll give you the perfect spouse because your husband/wife will fail you in the entire course of your marriage. This is not because God wants to see us suffer but He wanted to see how we will honor our commitment to Him and to our spouse, how will we continue fighting for our faith towards the beautiful promises that He has and last but not the least, to love unconditionally in the same way that He has loved us. We were born sinners, we are imperfect and we have been saved only by GRACE – something that we did not deserve but was given as a gift out of His great love for us.

I remembered a few years back when a male colleague actually confronted me with a startling confession, “Tin, no guy will ever be a match for you. You are talented, beautiful, almost everything.” I couldn’t give him a fair answer except that I wasn’t created by God to be someone’s or anybody’s rival. I was made as a man’s partner, as equal and as unique as everyone else. I, as a woman, do not have high standards or maybe I do but it doesn’t matter because what matters is that we have a God who has REALLY high standards and these are the standards that we ought to meet – not mine, not yours, but His.

So for two months I can say a lot have happened. But for the general feel of those two months, I can describe it as very painful and yet it was life-changing. As expected, I got a new Paulo Coehlo planner during the start of the year. This is my brother and sister-in-law’s consistent Christmas gift for me which, I must say, I appreciate a lot as my spiritual journey won’t be complete without it. This planner and I shared a lot of memories and it records all of my prayers, requests, letters of gratitude, revelations and daily bible verses from YouVersion and Our Daily Bread apps.

We also have a prayer and fasting in church at the start of the year and I must say too it was during this time that I had the greatest revelation from yes, the book of Revelation itself. 🙂

At first I did find it funny. I mean, even before, God’s ways are always amazing. He is so full of surprises. Most often these surprises will make you cry in awe – I always do. But it also made me humble – humble enough to acknowledge how could I have questioned God’s plans. It’s as if I am hearing Jesus when He said to His disciples, “you who have such little faith.” Well, when prayer time comes and I do get to talk with God, I feel all too guilty of this. However, His love and grace remain steadfast and true – it sets you free and it gives you a new chance in life always.

I shared this testimony exactly after the prayer and fasting ended. When I went home to my province last December, no one was left to tend my little garden. I just have faith that God will take good care of them for me in the same way He takes care of the wild forests. When I came back in January, true enough, my plants were flourishing except for one – the oldest plant I have since 2005 which is a calamansi plant. It doesn’t bear any fruit probably because there’s no other calamansi plant around that can pollinate it.

All the leaves of my calamansi plant were curled and dried up. My sister was the one who noticed it first and asked me what happened. We both could not explain as the rest of my plants were thriving. So she said maybe a fungus attacked the roots and I thought that it could very well be the reason. She suggested I throw the plant away. I thought it best too as it’ll be absurd keeping a dead plant in your garden. 😀

But on second thoughts, I have decided to keep it. I did water it for a day or two after we got back but when I saw that the leaves are really all dried up and they were starting to fall off one by one, I stopped watering it for about 2 weeks except for the occasional rainshowers but still chose to keep it. I just don’t know why I still kept it. 🙂

Anyway, for the month of November the character trait in my planner was patience, December was determination and January 2017 is tolerance. Nope, it is not an irony these traits are exactly what I needed to learn in the season I was in but I believe they’re all part of His plans. I have remained hopeful and faithful for the time when my husband will be saved and for the time when we will be together again. Ah yes, those grueling two months of being apart and you felt that your life was in shambles and what you have with you is nothing else but faith.

I asked God for forgiveness, that He would change me and yet I asked Him for strength and courage too. I know God is changing my hubby too. It is always between God and the person and that the people around are used only as vessels for God to allow that change to take place. I was claiming that the year 2017 will be the start of a lot of positive changes for all even if we seem to have lost everything. I am believing too that more unbelieving spouses will rise in the calling that God has for them to be Godly husbands and wives and Godly parents to their children. I am praying that the generations to come will learn from the generational curses that have been set and passed on to them by their ancestors and they will break free from them through the Cross.

As much as I’d want to share every single detail of those two months that I can say God was purifying me thus made me choose a white dress for Christmas day (see photo below), I would like to share the following bible verses, quotations in my daily devotion, articles I came across and questions I have asked God wherein I have felt much of the Spirit’s presence in what I was and am going through until now. I hope you will be blessed by them too in whatever season you are in. These verses came one by one consistently everyday. 🙂

P.S.

Don’t forget to read the last part – I have good news to tell. 😉

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding..” – Proverbs 3:5

“For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” – Isaiah 55:9

“Give your burdens to the LORD, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.” – Psalm 55:2

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” – John 15:4

“We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” – Hebrews 12:2

Lord, teach me how to carry my own cross and how to carry it well.

“This is how the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They put their trust in God and accepted the authority of their husbands. For instance, Sarah obeyed her husband, Abraham, and called him her master. You are her daughters when you do what is right without fear of what your husbands might do.”- 1 Peter 3:3‭-‬6

“God is at work to make us who He intends us to be.” – Our Daily Bread

“Hear the word of the Lord.” – Jeremiah 7: 2

“I am making everything new.” – Revelation 21:5

“The word of the Lord never fails.” – Luke 1:3

“But seek first the Kingdom of God and live righteously and He will give you everything you need.” – Matthew 6:33

“Only Jesus can give us new life.” (John 14:19)

“Christ will never leave His wife. Ever. There may be times of painful distance and tragic backsliding on our part. But Christ keeps His covenant forever. Marriage is a display of that! That is the most ultimate thing we can say about it.”

– http://www.desiringgod.org/messages/staying-married-is-not-about-staying-in-love-part-1

A display of His greatness.

I often wonder if my life was patterned after every devotion I am using – every bible verse, every Godly wisdom shared, I felt applying them all for real for they were all timely in every event that I am going through.

“So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time He will lift you up in honor.” – 1 Peter 5:6

Why choose me, Lord?

Who am I to question God and His ways?

“Let others see your testimony as well as hear it.” – Our Daily Bread (2 Corinthians 4:7)

For I prefer Lord for my faith to be tested like iron is being forged in fire. For I do not intend to be lukewarm in my faith.

“There is no risk in abandoning ourselves to God.” (Romans 12:1)

“To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you. – C.S. Lewis” (Romans 7:14)

“But the Lord is faithful; He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.” – 2 Thessalonians 3:3

“Christ holds all things together.” (Colossians 1:17)

Now we’re on to the last part of this article which I was referring to previously. So what’s the good news? Well, God’s grace made it possible for our marriage to be restored and we are on to an absolutely new chapter of our lives as a married couple. A new chapter indeed because we are finally deciding to relocate to a place near his work, I am going back to the work force and I just felt real change within me and my spouse. At first I was apprehensive about this change but if God brought us here, then He will help us go through it all as well.

As my husband put it (yes, my husband. 😀 ), God is good. 🙂

Oh and yes, remember the plant that died which I still kept? After 2 weeks, this is how it looks now – new leaves. It’s alive! “The old is gone and the new has come and I am making everything new” indeed as what the Lord says. All it took was FAITH. 😀

To end this article, I’ll share this bible verse which was from my laptop’s screensaver yesterday (it displays a different bible verse everyday). Yet another revelation from the book of Revelation:

“Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world.” – Revelation 3:10

Oh how I love my God. ❤ *insert wide smile here*

Continue fighting the good fight of faith my dear brothers and sisters. 🙂

	Christine Lailani on Why I Am Keeping This Blog AI-…
	Akhtar Munir on Why I Am Keeping This Blog AI-…
	Free KetoDietRecipes… on Home Cooking Made Even Better
	legendsfeedback1233 on Home Cooking Made Even Better
	Christine Lailani on Brief Encounters, Souls Intert…
	MERCY on Brief Encounters, Souls Intert…
	gold ira reviews on 1208611_4979879545525_10205000…
	company website on 8 Signs You’re A Literat…

The Journeyman's Moments

The musings of a wandergeselle about faith, literature, music, dancing, culture, food, travels, art, fashion, photography, life experiences, and everything in-between from journée to journée.

Tag Archives: prayer

Jesus Speaks About The Future: LUKE 21

About The Future: What It Holds

‘No Money In Farming’

What The Bible Says About Famines

Wisdom To Give Hope

My Latest Convo With God

Bible Verses 10/19/2019

Paano Ba Ang Tamang Pagpapatawad? | Relationship Goals

Infidelity: Kasong Concubinage at Adultery

Ano Ang Iyong Gagawin Bilang Isang Kristyano?

God Is Always With you

How I Made A Deal With The Lord

A Bargain, Not

Action-Based But More on Faith

What the Deal is All About

Make Praying Your Daily Habit

Year 2017: Everything Made New

About The Future: What It Holds

‘No Money In Farming’

What The Bible Says About Famines

Wisdom To Give Hope

My Latest Convo With God

Share this:

Share this:

Infidelity: Kasong Concubinage at Adultery

Ano Ang Iyong Gagawin Bilang Isang Kristyano?

God Is Always With you

I Was Gently Reminded

Share this:

A Bargain, Not

Action-Based But More on Faith

What the Deal is All About

Share this:

What Transpired

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: