Thursday, February 14, 2019

Valentinus Day

     Hey! It’s Valentine’s Day.
The cliché of the day floods the view of flowers, teddy bears, chocolates and sight of lovers.

     But what’s the story behind Valentine’s Day? Is it really about lovers exchanging gifts and letters and having dinner dates? Or is it something more?

     I have read from my hallmark planner that has ignited me to pen this:

“Valentine’s Day – according to Roman legend, during 33rd century, Valentinus was imprisoned for his Christian belief and sentenced to death. While jailed, according to the legend, Valentinus restored the sight of jailer’s blind daughter. The night before he died, Valentinus wrote a farewell note to a girl, which signed, “From Your Valentine.” His sentence was carried out the next day, February 14, 269 A.D.”

     Now, squeezing the juice from the finds -- Valentine’s Day was beyond the façade. It is a reminiscence of a man who was persecuted and fought his love for God even it cost his very life. Even, it ended him not to marry the woman of his dreams. His moment before his death was a display of God’s love and brought sight. Valentinus life displayed a strong sense of love. It made me realize that love restores sight. Love heals. Love makes you see things clear, make things clear. It removes the cloud of darkness in its sight ahead. Love pursues and stands on the Truth all at the same time. Love overcomes fear. Love overcomes death. Love is giving up your life.

Our generation promotes sweet but empty-selfish love; professing love in its cheapness everywhere. But are we brave enough to question what kind of love we display that make you stand and pursue Truth? Can that kind of love give you sight for what love really is and heal? Can you love God more?

Valentine’s day had inspire us to stand and die for God’s purpose – not just to stand for what we believe but to stand and die for what is the only Truth. To love that brings healing. To love in order to brave those fears and lose your life for the one you really love and worth dying for.  In a sense, we needed to go back to love’s origin enabling us to love strong and true. For love is neither a feeling nor a thing. Love is an action.


“Let us not love with word and speech but with actions and in truth.” 1 john 3:18

Sunday, July 27, 2014

When it is the only thing to do...


This is what I'm a called to do for this very season. Waiting on God is never a waste of time. Results is unclear. Battling to get my butt moving but I can't do anything for I have understood that this is where and what I am called to do.

Waiting is not only sheepishly sitting around waiting -- to see Him move. But is a way of getting to know Him. Knowing him to in line your heart to His heart and responding to where He will lead you.
Remember, God is working when we don't see it.
So, chill and enjoy His presence.

Monday, July 21, 2014

The Summer Grain Fields


Well, I'd like to share a discovery in my gleaning to one of the ancient version of Pride and Prejudice. A love-story that happened on a summer season. ☺Yes! it happened on one summertime during barley harvest (Fyi, grain harvest happens only during summer season.) The love-story of Ruth and Boaz where the grain field has been their love nest.

So summer, the warmest among the four season {winter, spring, summer, and fall). Where there is intensified humidity. AlingasaInit. Can makes us thirsty and uncomfortable. Exposure on too much heat can burn your skin, can make you prone to heat stroke and can lead to death.


QUENCH YOUR THIRST. GO GET A DRINK.
 

RUTH 2:9
Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.

Way back on ancient times, offering of water or drink to someone would mean hospitality and wanting to get to know a person more.


There is an invitation. Jesus wants to quench the thirst of your heart. There is an invitation to a deeper relationship. Would you honor His offer?
At times, our heart gets thirsty due to an intensified heat. The heat of pressure from our culture or friends. The heat of a desire of wanting to have someone on to be your companion or be intimate with someone. The heat of the need to love and be loved. All of these things can be quenched by having an intimate relationship with God. For those intensified "somethings" should be quenched and mastered. Pressure, desires and needs are not bad at all but they are to be mastered. Mastering those are like burying them in your weakness and raising when you are in your strength. For if intensified in our weakness, that can consume and burn your heart alive. So for a while that you are in your weakness, master it. Quenching your thirst by having an intimate relationship with Him that birth outs contentment in God alone. For in contentment comes the quiet strength or inner peace.Whether we cannot have fulfillment of our desire or needs weren't met -- at least when you are contented in the Lord, parang nasayo na ang lahat
"Nasayo na ang lahat..." as Daniel Padilla sings. ☺



SUMMER GRAIN FIELD
This is where God has put you in your season. Embrace it. Understand the purpose of your season.

So be...
  • selfless. Think of others. Take out your focus to your self. Being self-focused makes your need and desires intensified!
1 Corinthians 15:58 
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain., giving yourself fully to the Lord.
Give yourself fully to the work of the Lord. Know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Malay mo, sa paging selfless and focused mo kay Lord,  it will cause your mate to notice you!  
Di ba mas nice na makita ka ng mate mo na busy in doing the work of the Lord than seeing you nawerla dahil antagal nyang dumating? 
    •  persevering, hard-working and determined.  
    Persevere in improving your life's status without someone as your mate. Get a life and maximize it while your spouse is still on its journey. Kasi mas maganda na magkikita kayo ng spouse mo na may maximized-life ka When both where maximized in their single life, mas mamaximizes pa yan when you get into marriage (The power of  one/ couple.). You don't need a mate to improve your life -- you will need it when God says you need it. Do some hard-work on your character, your life. Be determined in serving others-- to the work of the Lord.
        • a gleaner. Being a gleaner is humbling for one must be qualified as an orphan, widow and a foreigner. Thinking that you are one of it can be humiliating. As for Ruth, she has been qualified to almost-- all. Orphan? For she is been living at her mother-in-law. Widow? For she had her husband died on summer. He died for he didn't not survived the intensified heat. Tsk! For her husband was named Mahlon, meaning weak or wasting (as his name declares, no wonder he did not survived the season. So, don't get yourself involved in a Mahlon. That can be traumatic.) Foreigner? Yes. She was moabite who stepped the land of Judah --land for Israelites. Hmmmm, back to being a gleaner--yes, she was all qualified. As being a gleaner, one takes humility to approach a field like that so she could glean in a field.
        So what does the gleaner do? Every gleaner do follow the harvesters and pick the left over from the harvested grains.
           Gleaning can mean learning. It takes humility to learn one. Learn all you can. Kung kailangan yumuko para makaglean... sige, yuyuko ako even if theres an intensified heat gagawin ko! Endure! Gora lng☺The more humble you are, the more you grains you can gather in your gleaning. It is worth the glean!  Glean in the life of others by watching and following  the harvesters (mentors) before you. OBSERVE,  WATCH  and APPLY.
          Proverbs 24:30-32 NIV
          I went past the field of a sluggard, past the vineyard of someone who has no sense;   thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins.
          I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw.

          • a listener, stay in the boundary and obey. 
          Ruth 2:8 NIV
          So Boaz said to Ruth, “My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field and don’t go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me. 
          Ruth 2:22-23 NIV
          Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It will be good for you, my daughter, to go with the women who work for him, because in someone else’s  field you might be harmed.”   So Ruth stayed close to the women of Boaz to glean until the barley and wheat harvests were finished. And she lived with her mother-in-law.
          Going far beyond the set boundary can be harmful or trespassing can make you pay the price without the joy of paying it -- in fact it can force you and put you to jail. Taking the very freedom that you should be enjoying. So, listen to your leaders or to the right people who are concerned with your life. There is no loss for taking a wise advice or responding to a caution.
          Proverbs 22:3 NIV
          The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty
          By obeying a wise advice it makes you stay on God's boundaries. GOD wants your heart safe and protected, not be harassed by someone or anyone who doesn't even know how to care. God knows the value -- the preciousness of you heart. Therefore, care also not to allow anyone to trample your precious heart. Be wise in giving it to someone.

          SOoooo....You don't have to be that discontented person, slacker (complacent),  be a trespasser or foolish when it comes to your heart.
          For God knows everything about you.
          Ruth 2:11 NIV
          Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about...what you have done...." 
          He has heard you.
          He seen all your efforts.
          So, He invites you to His best providence in for life that leads to joy.
          Ruth 2:14 NIV
          At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come over here. Have some bread and dip it in the wine vinegar.” When she sat down with the harvesters, he offered her some roasted grain. She ate all she wanted and had some left over. 
          (Bread means providence. Wine means joy.)
          God is treating you with His kindness.
          God's favor always conspire on you.
          God wants to overwhelm you with His favor.
          Until you can't resist its overflowing and seeing yourself before him asking all the "Why-s" of such.
          Why he is treating you with such favor? For He knows you deserve his favor when you don't understand it.  And every favor God have set in your life, that will lead a life of gratitude and blessing. Moreover, leading you to be in love with the Lord all the more.
          Therefore, never settle for less. For He will give you His best. So while you're on a summer grain field, meditate on God's intensified favor and kindness to you where you will be quenched! Pursue that intimate relationship with him. Leave the choice to him.

          "God always gives His best
          to those who leave the choice with him."
          -- Jim Elliot

          Sunday, October 6, 2013

          Rubber Bands.


          Even how strong is the tension,
          Losing one's identity is never an option.
          Each flexion is for a criterion;
          To ascertain its glorious conclusion.
          Together in tension,
          We gain vitality against opposition;
          By the recognition of the Supremacy's perfection
          His strength is our provision.

          'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty.
          Zechariah 4:6

          “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.
          Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
          2 Corinthians 12:9

          Monday, May 27, 2013

          Motherhood in Singleness. :)



          Today, I am preparing for a lesson to teach the younger about DREAMING BIG.
          I am not yet a mother, but I am preparing a generation, I am a parent to my generation. :)

          Since I don't have the clearer idea how to parent, it is my responsibility to educate myself.
          So I did some research and I have found this blogs:

          http://www.thewmparentingconnection.com/2011/02/teaching-kids-to-dream-big.html

          • Discover the Dream
          • Dream Big
          • Support the Dream
          • Visualize the Dream
          • Share the Dream
          • Be a Dream Model
          http://prekandksharing.blogspot.com/2012/01/teach-children-to-dream-as-big-as-they.html

          • The more a child practices this discovery process, the closer she moves toward eventually finding her true purpose in life.
          • The next time your child asks for something and you’re not sure what to say, tell her to “put it in her dream book.”

          Education is important. Resources to educate yourself is readily available in this generation -- internet!

          Indeed I don't need to be a biological mother to know how to parent -- doing the ministry which promotes loving God and loving people prepares me how to be a mother. :) If you want to prepare to be a biological mom, disciple a  generation. :)

          Monday, September 10, 2012

          He just turned 21! :)


          *Late post. 

          It's my brother's debut-- He just turned 21. I'm blessed to have a brother. :) He is a gift from God-- a stress-reliever and may kulitan-buddy even if sometime we have disagreement. For overall, I love my brother. :) so here are snaps on his special day. I am a self-proclaimed stage-ate (secretly). :)) Why? Maybe for the reason that my mom is away with us (working abroad). So, I want to make him feel loved despite of our mom's absence.
          Say Hi to this lil' fellow! :)
           His name is Sheeby. :) 
          He is my gift to my brother. :)
           Isn't it cute?? :)

          I made this birthday card for my favorite brother.. :) haha *pinakalit


          I bought this cake with errands. :) heheh
          And added some embellishments that I made to make it lil' thoughtful. :) 


          And finally, the birthday surprise. :) 
          I don't know if he was surprised-- He is quite emotionally hideous sometimes. :)) 


          The day after the next day-- September 7, 2012.
          We had a lunch date at Classic Savory SM Mall Gensan.
          He did the spending... :))
          I allowed him to do it so he can practice as a provider someday. :D

          Thursday, August 23, 2012

          His Victory. :)


          My failure is about HIM all the more in my victory! :)
          He is romancing me by giving freebies to my life.
          This, does not complete me--but through this He showed His glory!! :)
          Now, this season has come to it's end and new season is about to come. :)
          Truly, He is faithful! He is with me in my coming out and going in. :)

          [Psalm 121:8]
          *This photo was taken while I'm having recital with the Italians day after my oath taking. 

          This reminds me  of my devotion day before my board exam.
          This testifies that he is so concern of me. :) <3 p="p">