Netty's first ortho class

Today is my wife's first ortho class. Just want to take this time to thank the Lord for His faithfulness. Another altar in the name of the Lord is set-up. Another milestone of his faithfulness. Another routemark to remind me that God does provide. She will be graduating October 2011.

New Blessing!

This week my wife surprised me with a new phone.. A smartphone. My first smartphone. The phone i had before was a nokia 6500 slide which was popular at that time which was two years ago. Anyway its not even a week old I'm already loving it, especially it,s GPS feature. This week I also had my sun internet GPRS fixed because since before I can't make it to work. thank God sun cellular fulfilled their promise to fix it after my visit to their customer service.

Aug 15: I forgot to say that the day before this I set-up a wishlist app in my blog and one of my wishlist was a Nokia smartphone :)

Unite my heart to fear Thy name

"Unite my heart to fear Thy name" (Psalm 86) is a prayer uttered by the psalmist monarch David. Unity is not achieved by just one entity. For unity to be achieved there must be more than one. Therefore our prayer should not be "God help me focus on this one thing" but "God help me so that everything I do, every facet of my life's end desire is so that it glorifies You. "Whatever you do, whether you eat or drink, do it for the glory of God." 

Testimony - Flight Tickets Covered!

This week we were invited to go to Iloilo City to conduct Chi Alpha training there. To get there we have to fly there. And though there were a couple of promos left and right, I was not able to find one. So I booked a regular fare for a regular fare amount for both of us. Though this expense was not in our agenda, we went ahead with the purchase because we believe God funds His work (amen!). So I decided to text blast some friends to pray for us for the need to be met. And after a few minutes when I sent out the text message, a partner called and set-up a meeting with us informing us that she will help us with the need. Praise God because we didn't expect this immediate response. When we received the support it was a check written with the amount that covered the airfare and travel expenses. Thank You God for touching this sister, bless her a hundredfold. Thank you guys for all who prayed with us to meet this need. And thank You God for giving me a chance to step in faith. Another "route marker" to remind me that God does provide. 

God in all my senses

Today I have this conscious decision to expose myself to God's presence in all of my senses. Eyes to see God's beauty, ears to hear his voice, speech to praise his name and hands to lift in worship. Praise God because I have hit breakthrough, after much prayer and desperation, I pray I am on my way. Indeed it's in returning to the center of God's presence that His purpose is revealed, that my eyes are once more open to the spiritual. Yesterday, I spoke at a youth group in Bulacan. I had a sermon with me, but after much discernment chose to share from my recent experiences--of how God's love never fail despite our weaknesses, that in fact his love is made perfect in our weaknesses. I am reminded once more that when we are in the center of God's will everything is in-sync, no room for confusion. God conducting the universe to communicate His message to you. What seem to be coincidences become pieces of a greater puzzle of His will and desire, affirming Your place in His eyes. From songs sung yesterday and today, from the message heard from and away from the pulpit, to the writings of men and prophets. Truly, His invisible qualities clearly seen from what has been made, so that we are without excuse.

Unspoken Sermons

"Love is one, and love is changeless. 

"For love loves unto purity. Love has ever in view the absolute loveliness of that which it beholds. Where loveliness is incomplete, and love cannot love its fill of loving, it spends itself to make more lovely, that it may love more; it strives for perfection, even that itself may be perfected--not in itself, but in the object. As it was love that first created humanity, so even human love, in proportion to its divinity, will go on creating the beautiful for its own outpouring. There is nothing eternal but that which loves and can be loved, and love is ever climbing towards the consummation when such shall be the universe, imperishable, divine. 

"Therefore all that is not beautiful in the beloved, all that comes between and is not love's kind, must be destroyed.

"And our God is a consuming fire."

- George McDonald (1824-1905)

Love Bade Me Welcome

Love bade me welcome, yet my soul drew back

       Guilty of dust and sin.

But quick-eyed Love, observing me slack

       From my first entrance in,

Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning

       If I lack anything.

"A guest," I answered, "worthy to be here";

       Love said, "You shall be he."

"O, the unkind, the ungrateful? Ah my dear,

       I cannot look on thee."

Love took my hand, and smiling did reply,

      "Who made the eyes but I?"

"Truth, Lord, but I have marred them; let my shame

       Go where it doth deserve."

"And know you not," says Love, "who bore the blame?"

       "My dear, then I will serve."

"You must sit down," says Love, "and taste my meat."

       So I did sit and eat.

- George Herbert (1593-1633)

Please Be My Strength - Gungor

Beautiful Things - Gungor

Of Jacob and Jonah

Another work week wraps up. I am now here at home in Makati preparing for my message. I was invited to speak at a youth group tomorrow. Perhaps you might have noticed, that I'm busy again, no time to write (and gloat :) Resting for a while to reflect on my life. This is one thing I am losing in touch of these past few days.

Praise God because for the past few weeks He has blessed us again with provision. I feel .. (I know) that recently I am failing at giving God due credit. In fact, I've been itching to buy a Mac Book Pro. Know that feeling of you want something so badly but you can't have it. Recently my hard drive broke down, taking my files and working files with it. And after a few days, the keyboard of this laptop broke down as well. In front of me are two keyboards: the laptop's and a desktop keyboard I'm using to type with. So I mean the need to buy a new laptop is justified right? But I realized having this exaggerated wants just drives me restless, envious, discontent, and ungrateful. Ungrateful. Lord, I'm sorry. And thank You for your good gifts. You know what I need and I will shut up now.

I remember myself always saying that perhaps the reason why I wasn't able to push through with my last two subjects of my masteral course in the seminary is because I would be arrogant if I did. Just like why I wasn't able to pursue my architectural career, why every pursuit that ended up not-so-successful turned out the way it is--Because if I did (and somehow God knew that's why it is why it is), I will be an arrogant person. I reject that thinking now. First, I've been looking too low at myself, as if I am not capable of success without breathing pride. And second, I believe that God is not in the business of giving up on people's dreams. I mean, in other words, God wants us to succeed in what we do. I realized this has been the lie of the enemy, that I'm not good enough so I can wallow in self-pity and feed on the sympathy and praise of other people. I remember a passage in the Bible that said if earthly fathers give good gifts to their children, how much for the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit (what's best for us). 

I have yet to conquer this thing within me. This thing that feeds on busyness, and ministry. I've realized that I've been far from the persons of the Bible. This week I've been searching the Scriptures for a person I can relate with. Two things come to mind: Jacob and Jonah. Jacob was by default a coward at the core. He became a deceiver because he didn't want to face his lot and his choices. Recently I saw this 2006 mob movie by Martin Scorcese called "The Departed", and the character of Matt Damon was (slightly surprisingly) someone I can relate to. To say the least he was like Jacob. He would not fess up if no one had found out. I am reminded by the passage that says, be sure your sins will find you out. By the end of the movie this guy thought he had already gotten away now that the people he messed up with had died, except for one dude who caught up with him and killed him.

Then there is Jonah. This small time prophet is asked by the great God of the universe to go to Niniveh to preach the message of repentance. Instead he chooses in a twisted sense of self-sufficiency to disobey. But no matter where he ran, the God who commands the winds and the seas and the mysterious creatures of the deep is always present, always near. God is always near. The God of love, the God of justice, the God of compassion, the God of second chances, the God of righteousness and holiness, the God of hope and everlasting joy, is always near.

I will not be able to run away from His unchanging Love. "I am convinced that ... nothing can separate us from the Love of God."

He is a God who chooses to wrestle with us, chooses to be overpowered, chooses to be shamed. Because He is the kind of God who can experience being laid low without losing every part of who He is. Though I am tempted to say that that is something I cannot become. At the after thought, He invites us to be like Him.

Jesus, loose the ropes that bindeth the hands that are kept from praising You.


Something Beautiful

Something beautiful, something good
All my confusions, He understood
All I have to offer Him was brokenness and strife
But He made something beautiful of my life