I just want to share the wisdom that God has shared to me yesterday:
Waiting might be hard. However, it is not the result that we are after. When we wait, we discover God's dream and God's will. And most of all, we get to know Him, His ways, and His heart. That is much more precious than the result. The result may be forgotten as life goes on but our relationship with Him and our knowledge of Him will never vanish.
We ought not to compromise to keep a man because the man who's worth it won't need you to compromise for him to stay.
You can do so much in life but without God, you are nothing. Without God, it will all just be a heavy load. But with God, He gives you the power and grace to do what He has called you to do.
This world is harsh. Thank God I don't belong here. This is not, this is not my home.
The best thing about following God's will is that HE IS THERE. That is more than enough. Would we want to be away from Him? Wouldn't we rather be with Him? The truth is, He is all we need.
Does everything we do build His kingdom or build the kingdom for ourselves? Or perhaps lets me rephrase it: Are we building on the Kingdom that cannot be shaken and destroyed? Or are we building on the kingdom that can?
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Charles Spurgeon on Obedience
"You are God’s creature, and yet you have rendered to Him no obedience! You would
not keep a horse or a dog that did not do you some service, or follow at your whistle."
“Sir,” said the Duke of Wellington to an officer of engineers, who urged the
impossibility of executing the directions he had received, “I did not ask your opinion,
I gave you my orders, and I expect them to be obeyed.” Such should be the obedience
of every follower of Jesus. The words which he has spoken are our law, not our
judgments or fancies. Even if death were in the way it is—
“Not ours to reason why—
Ours, but to dare and die;”
"That obedience which is not voluntary is disobedience, for the Lord looketh at the
heart, and if He seeth that we serve Him from force, and not because we love Him,
He will reject our offering."
"Some Christians are very curious, but not obedient. Plain precepts are neglected,
but difficult problems they seek to solve."
"Do what the Lord bids you, where he bids you, as he bids you, as long as he bids you,
and do it at once."
"Love is the chief jewel in the bracelet of obedience."
"Obedience rendered without delight in rendering it is only half obedience."
"It seems to me that half the beauty of obedience consists in obeying the command at
once."
"Which is the best servant—the man who must always have his orders written for
him every morning, and who at night excuses himself for the neglect of many an
obvious duty because, as he says, “It was not down on the paper, sir; I have followed
your instructions,”—is he the better servant, or the other man who thinks, after he
has obeyed his orders, “What ought I to do for my master? Is there not this thing, or
that thing which, though it may not be absolutely recorded or written down, yet is
intended in the spirit of my instructions?” Do you not love the child who looks out for
occasions and opportunities to please you? Do you not feel a satisfaction in accepting
from a friend a kindness which may be almost unexpected, and which manifests to
you that he must have been thinking about you, and has, perhaps, lain awake all
night to consider how he could gratify or serve you? You feel that this is sincere
friendship. So is it with your service for God."
"No man is really saved unless he is in his heart obedient to Christ."
"Obedience is one of the lessons of wisdom which this age needs to learn, for
everybody must be master or mistress nowadays. We all desire to rule, and we all feel
that we could do it far better than the present leaders are doing it."
not keep a horse or a dog that did not do you some service, or follow at your whistle."
“Sir,” said the Duke of Wellington to an officer of engineers, who urged the
impossibility of executing the directions he had received, “I did not ask your opinion,
I gave you my orders, and I expect them to be obeyed.” Such should be the obedience
of every follower of Jesus. The words which he has spoken are our law, not our
judgments or fancies. Even if death were in the way it is—
“Not ours to reason why—
Ours, but to dare and die;”
"That obedience which is not voluntary is disobedience, for the Lord looketh at the
heart, and if He seeth that we serve Him from force, and not because we love Him,
He will reject our offering."
"Some Christians are very curious, but not obedient. Plain precepts are neglected,
but difficult problems they seek to solve."
"Do what the Lord bids you, where he bids you, as he bids you, as long as he bids you,
and do it at once."
"Love is the chief jewel in the bracelet of obedience."
"Obedience rendered without delight in rendering it is only half obedience."
"It seems to me that half the beauty of obedience consists in obeying the command at
once."
"Which is the best servant—the man who must always have his orders written for
him every morning, and who at night excuses himself for the neglect of many an
obvious duty because, as he says, “It was not down on the paper, sir; I have followed
your instructions,”—is he the better servant, or the other man who thinks, after he
has obeyed his orders, “What ought I to do for my master? Is there not this thing, or
that thing which, though it may not be absolutely recorded or written down, yet is
intended in the spirit of my instructions?” Do you not love the child who looks out for
occasions and opportunities to please you? Do you not feel a satisfaction in accepting
from a friend a kindness which may be almost unexpected, and which manifests to
you that he must have been thinking about you, and has, perhaps, lain awake all
night to consider how he could gratify or serve you? You feel that this is sincere
friendship. So is it with your service for God."
"No man is really saved unless he is in his heart obedient to Christ."
"Obedience is one of the lessons of wisdom which this age needs to learn, for
everybody must be master or mistress nowadays. We all desire to rule, and we all feel
that we could do it far better than the present leaders are doing it."
Monday, January 9, 2012
My World is Brighter Because of You
Facing the window as the gentle snow falls down from the sky. How beautiful! What a beautiful moment to reflect and write... How God loves details!
For the past 7 years, I remembered crying every birthday. For some reason, there are reasons that just makes me cry. Maybe for one, I was away from my family. Second, there were expectations that didn't materialize. This year, I said, it will be the best birthday ever. So I took the chance to just stay at home and spend some time with the Lord. It has been beautiful. I coulnd't help but cry as I can feel His love towards my life.
A week ago, I was thinking about my birthday and how I wanted it to be. Do I really know what will make me happy? The truth is, I really don't. So I reflected on my life and how it was for the past year and the past month. Life is good. REALLY really good! I can say that this has been the BEST season of my life. I am really happy and at times I couldn't explain my happiness. I am happy not because everything is doing just fine. I am happy not because I have everything I want. Actually it's quite the contrary. Everything is not doing smoothly as the world may describe it and I don't have everything I want.
But you know something, life doesn't have to be smooth and easy for one to be happy. The quality of life and our joy doesn't depend upon that.
As the years go by, I have learned that in this life, nothing will ever be "perfect". Nothing in this world will last forever. No one will always be good to you. Nothing will ALWAYS go the way you want it to go. One of the things that matter in this life is who we are really and whose we are. Then our perspective depends on that.
As I reflect in my life and just thinking how happy I am, I wouldn't be who I am now without the people that has become a part of my life. So I just want to take this opportunity to write a tribute to each of you. I am very grateful to God for EVERYTHING He has given me including the gift of YOU in my life - those who love me and hurt me. Without you, I wouldn't be who I am now and I wouldn't be as happy as I am now.
I thank you for your time. I thank you for sharing what you have. I thank you for every kind and harsh word. I thank you for sharing a part of you to me. I thank you for wiping my tears and I thank you for making me cry. I thank you for your encouragement and I thank you for the hurtful words. I thank you for prayers and I thank you for persecutions. I thank you because through all these, I was challenged and then I was drawn closer to Jesus more and more. I thank you for the hurtful words and actions because through these, I am cleansed by my own selfishness and immaturity and therefore all those things that can be shaken has been removed and I was drawn to death of SELF and drawn closer to life in Christ. Thank you very much!
I thank you for all those who love me. You made me feel very special. You made me see that there is hope in life, that God's love is still present in this world. You are also very special to me. and I treasure you for the rest of my life.
I really thank you for making a big difference in my life. To each of you, I pray that God will bless you even more! He is faithful and trustworthy. He is who He says He is!
I have the best birthday ever! Praise God!
God bless you!
For the past 7 years, I remembered crying every birthday. For some reason, there are reasons that just makes me cry. Maybe for one, I was away from my family. Second, there were expectations that didn't materialize. This year, I said, it will be the best birthday ever. So I took the chance to just stay at home and spend some time with the Lord. It has been beautiful. I coulnd't help but cry as I can feel His love towards my life.
A week ago, I was thinking about my birthday and how I wanted it to be. Do I really know what will make me happy? The truth is, I really don't. So I reflected on my life and how it was for the past year and the past month. Life is good. REALLY really good! I can say that this has been the BEST season of my life. I am really happy and at times I couldn't explain my happiness. I am happy not because everything is doing just fine. I am happy not because I have everything I want. Actually it's quite the contrary. Everything is not doing smoothly as the world may describe it and I don't have everything I want.
But you know something, life doesn't have to be smooth and easy for one to be happy. The quality of life and our joy doesn't depend upon that.
As the years go by, I have learned that in this life, nothing will ever be "perfect". Nothing in this world will last forever. No one will always be good to you. Nothing will ALWAYS go the way you want it to go. One of the things that matter in this life is who we are really and whose we are. Then our perspective depends on that.
As I reflect in my life and just thinking how happy I am, I wouldn't be who I am now without the people that has become a part of my life. So I just want to take this opportunity to write a tribute to each of you. I am very grateful to God for EVERYTHING He has given me including the gift of YOU in my life - those who love me and hurt me. Without you, I wouldn't be who I am now and I wouldn't be as happy as I am now.
I thank you for your time. I thank you for sharing what you have. I thank you for every kind and harsh word. I thank you for sharing a part of you to me. I thank you for wiping my tears and I thank you for making me cry. I thank you for your encouragement and I thank you for the hurtful words. I thank you for prayers and I thank you for persecutions. I thank you because through all these, I was challenged and then I was drawn closer to Jesus more and more. I thank you for the hurtful words and actions because through these, I am cleansed by my own selfishness and immaturity and therefore all those things that can be shaken has been removed and I was drawn to death of SELF and drawn closer to life in Christ. Thank you very much!
I thank you for all those who love me. You made me feel very special. You made me see that there is hope in life, that God's love is still present in this world. You are also very special to me. and I treasure you for the rest of my life.
I really thank you for making a big difference in my life. To each of you, I pray that God will bless you even more! He is faithful and trustworthy. He is who He says He is!
I have the best birthday ever! Praise God!
God bless you!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
His Faithfulness Alive: Dream Once Again
A big part of my life is gone. Such a loss broke my heart. My dreams were shattered. I was in tears for weeks and months. I knew I made the right decision to leave it behind for God. I knew I had to give it up. But why does it have to hurt so bad? Why does it have to linger for months and months? Can the pain just disappear and may I at least feel that I am happy I made that decision? Why do I have to hurt this much? I didn't ask those questions literally but most days I would cry out saying, "It is so hard, Lord!" Although it wasn't as hard as before, it was still hard. There were nights that I fear tomorrow. There were days when my heart was gripped with fear for what is going to happen.
BUT God...
God is faithful! His grace sustained me when I was at my weakest! Although I felt pain and fear, I never gave up. I never felt any regret! Then, God has brought people in my life to encourage me and give me hope. God brought people into my life to stand by me in prayer without them knowing everything I was going through. God brought situations that brought me more to Him. People around me didn't even know what I was going through but they spoke to me in ways that really encouraged me. I knew that was God in them. I knew that this is for God and although it hurt so much, I didn't want God to take it out of my life. Rather, I wanted Him to take me through the journey of healing and restoration and getting out of it is not the way - as He taught. I remember one day I was in the train, I told God, "Lord, I wanted to go through this with You. I wanted to take this path until we reach the end of the tunnel." There is a light that glimmers at the end of the tunnel. and although it is far, we will get there some day. For now (then), I will travel this tunnel with Him. It wasn't easy but I tell you, it is WORTH it.
So daily, God showed His mercy. He showed His faithfulness through little things. He has brought so many things into my life including more opportunities to reach out to people. I will list them here:
1. By September, God gave me the opportunity to tutor Rose Anne, an eight year old girl who is having difficulty with school. I was hesitant at first and I was also scared. But in my mind, this will be a good opportunity to reach the family for Jesus Christ. But you know what? I am more blessed to be there! First, God has restored my gift of teaching. (That is another story.) Second, they feed me there a lot! Everytime I go there, they feed me with home-cooked food. God is restoring my health! They also give me a lot of food to take home. I am gaining weight! Third, He gave the heart and love for children. How I love them and how I daily see their preciousness and delight! It is beautiful. Fourth, I was blessed with a car to use. Her mom lend me the car so I can go to their house easily and leave anytime. I have a car now without having to pay for it and for its insurance. Then I get to practice driving. God is restoring my skill. Then I get to go to work during holidays and go to church even if I am alone. I can go to stores if I need to. Talking about God answering your needs that you don't even know about. Fourth, I get to build relationships with other children and other people. Fifth, they showered me with so much love, especially Rose Anne. Everytime I am with her, I forget everything I am going through. I am so loved. I am so blessed. This is only the beginning. The best is yet to come!
2. September was by the best month of my life before December came. Friendships were restored and new friendships came into my life. Friendships became so precious to me. Friendships became deeper and more meaningful. I treasure it more and more. I never knew how much I have missed in this life when I was squandering my life in bondage. I can say there is really so much more to life. We don't have to live in the dark. There is life! I met a lot of new people that really touched my life and I still keep in touch with them.
3. God brought me to places. I went to CEF - Explore Weekend in October for free. I met a dear sister in Christ. I treasure that too! That was a wonderful time of revelation and refreshment. I have seen God in there. That was just a start. Last month, God faithfully showed again. I registered for the classes with CEF. God is really moving. The money I got from tutoring (you see!) I used to pay for the registration and the books! I am very excited. God has given me more opportunities to reach the community with the Gospel. Tune in the next months!
4. Children's ministry. Yes. I will be serving with the Pre-k in Church. It is official now. Another blessing with having a car! How awesome!
5. Teaching. Teaching. Teaching. Teaching at work and teaching one-on-one. I now go to somebody to teach Microsoft Office. I can practice my skill in teaching and save a little money. Praise God!
6. Entwined Hope. Two months ago, we started a new ministry. Story here
7. More of Jesus. A lot of revelations about Him and from Him. That in itself is trully splendid! No words could ever describe how much of a beauty it is to discover God and His ways...
And more... I have more to say! One day, God spoke:
"But forget all that—
it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.
"For I am about to do something new.
See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?" Isaiah 43:18-19
Wow! I was wowed by His faithfulness. One day, I found my self dreaming again. That was very memorable. It was fresh and sweet! I dreamt again. Then I surrendered again to His hands.
He promised: "I will never leave you nor forsake." Hebrews 13:5 Yes, He will not. When you say "Yes" to God, He will show you more of Him, more of His power and more of His faithfulness. He will take you to places you have never been before. You will experience Him more. I am not saying that there will be no trials and pain. There will be. But despite all that, there is peace and joy when we look unto Him for everything. There is victory. There is assurance. There is HOPE. God is faithful.
I can say this by experience, He is alive. He is FAITHFUL. He is TRUSTWORTHY. He is POWERFUL.
Take Him by His word. When He says He will do it, He will. When He says He is that, HE IS! No shadows nor doubts. Take it as it is because HE IS WHO SAYS HE IS.
Praise God for healing and restoration. I dream once again...
BUT God...
God is faithful! His grace sustained me when I was at my weakest! Although I felt pain and fear, I never gave up. I never felt any regret! Then, God has brought people in my life to encourage me and give me hope. God brought people into my life to stand by me in prayer without them knowing everything I was going through. God brought situations that brought me more to Him. People around me didn't even know what I was going through but they spoke to me in ways that really encouraged me. I knew that was God in them. I knew that this is for God and although it hurt so much, I didn't want God to take it out of my life. Rather, I wanted Him to take me through the journey of healing and restoration and getting out of it is not the way - as He taught. I remember one day I was in the train, I told God, "Lord, I wanted to go through this with You. I wanted to take this path until we reach the end of the tunnel." There is a light that glimmers at the end of the tunnel. and although it is far, we will get there some day. For now (then), I will travel this tunnel with Him. It wasn't easy but I tell you, it is WORTH it.
So daily, God showed His mercy. He showed His faithfulness through little things. He has brought so many things into my life including more opportunities to reach out to people. I will list them here:
1. By September, God gave me the opportunity to tutor Rose Anne, an eight year old girl who is having difficulty with school. I was hesitant at first and I was also scared. But in my mind, this will be a good opportunity to reach the family for Jesus Christ. But you know what? I am more blessed to be there! First, God has restored my gift of teaching. (That is another story.) Second, they feed me there a lot! Everytime I go there, they feed me with home-cooked food. God is restoring my health! They also give me a lot of food to take home. I am gaining weight! Third, He gave the heart and love for children. How I love them and how I daily see their preciousness and delight! It is beautiful. Fourth, I was blessed with a car to use. Her mom lend me the car so I can go to their house easily and leave anytime. I have a car now without having to pay for it and for its insurance. Then I get to practice driving. God is restoring my skill. Then I get to go to work during holidays and go to church even if I am alone. I can go to stores if I need to. Talking about God answering your needs that you don't even know about. Fourth, I get to build relationships with other children and other people. Fifth, they showered me with so much love, especially Rose Anne. Everytime I am with her, I forget everything I am going through. I am so loved. I am so blessed. This is only the beginning. The best is yet to come!
2. September was by the best month of my life before December came. Friendships were restored and new friendships came into my life. Friendships became so precious to me. Friendships became deeper and more meaningful. I treasure it more and more. I never knew how much I have missed in this life when I was squandering my life in bondage. I can say there is really so much more to life. We don't have to live in the dark. There is life! I met a lot of new people that really touched my life and I still keep in touch with them.
3. God brought me to places. I went to CEF - Explore Weekend in October for free. I met a dear sister in Christ. I treasure that too! That was a wonderful time of revelation and refreshment. I have seen God in there. That was just a start. Last month, God faithfully showed again. I registered for the classes with CEF. God is really moving. The money I got from tutoring (you see!) I used to pay for the registration and the books! I am very excited. God has given me more opportunities to reach the community with the Gospel. Tune in the next months!
4. Children's ministry. Yes. I will be serving with the Pre-k in Church. It is official now. Another blessing with having a car! How awesome!
5. Teaching. Teaching. Teaching. Teaching at work and teaching one-on-one. I now go to somebody to teach Microsoft Office. I can practice my skill in teaching and save a little money. Praise God!
6. Entwined Hope. Two months ago, we started a new ministry. Story here
7. More of Jesus. A lot of revelations about Him and from Him. That in itself is trully splendid! No words could ever describe how much of a beauty it is to discover God and His ways...
And more... I have more to say! One day, God spoke:
"But forget all that—
it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.
"For I am about to do something new.
See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?" Isaiah 43:18-19
Wow! I was wowed by His faithfulness. One day, I found my self dreaming again. That was very memorable. It was fresh and sweet! I dreamt again. Then I surrendered again to His hands.
He promised: "I will never leave you nor forsake." Hebrews 13:5 Yes, He will not. When you say "Yes" to God, He will show you more of Him, more of His power and more of His faithfulness. He will take you to places you have never been before. You will experience Him more. I am not saying that there will be no trials and pain. There will be. But despite all that, there is peace and joy when we look unto Him for everything. There is victory. There is assurance. There is HOPE. God is faithful.
I can say this by experience, He is alive. He is FAITHFUL. He is TRUSTWORTHY. He is POWERFUL.
Take Him by His word. When He says He will do it, He will. When He says He is that, HE IS! No shadows nor doubts. Take it as it is because HE IS WHO SAYS HE IS.
Praise God for healing and restoration. I dream once again...
Monday, December 12, 2011
A Father's Love
She was assigned to light the Advent candle during the Worship Service. A little girl in a dainty dress. Pretty and innocent. In her 6 or 7. As she stood on the stage, her father stood below, smiling, putting on his camera. As she lit the Advent candle, her father was busy taking her pictures while her mother was taking the video. As the congregation and the choir sang, "Hark the Herald Angels Sing, GLORY to the New born King!", she got out of the stage and walked down the stairs. While she was walking, her father was on his knees so ready to give her a very big hug. She rushed to him and he gave her a very big hug. One can feel the deep love and pride of a father for his little girl.
Tears streamed down my face. How lovely was the sight! How touching that a father could be so proud and loving for her daughter like that! I couldn't help but cry as I watch them and as the beautiful song was being played. I remembered when I was in 2nd year High School, I got an award - First Honors. As I got out of stage and walked down the aisle to go back to my seat, my father was waiting for me at the end of the aisle. I was very surprised yet very happy to see him there! He gave me a hug. Oh how he was so proud of me. He also cut his hair that day. Oh how I miss him! So much! How much he meant for me. How much he has loved me!
It is Christmas time again. It is the most beautiful time of the year. But yet, for me, it is another holiday that I am away from my family. It has been 6 years now. I am alone, once again. How I long to be with them. As the song played, I remember them... How dear they are to me! How I wish I will be with them.
But God.... God called me, to be alone this season. I embrace it. I will be brave. I will be brave this Christmas and the days to come. That He may be glorified through me.
I am happy to know that I am not alone. He is with me ALWAYS.
And so, I sing this song with all my heart.... because the truth is, this is not about me. This is all about the One who came that no one may die! Jesus, our Emmanuel. The Perfect showcase of a Father's love. The Love HIMSELF. He gave Himself for us. What a Father's Love! and this Christmas, I am with the King. So trully, I am with a Family, with God as my Father. I rush to His arms.
Tears streamed down my face. How lovely was the sight! How touching that a father could be so proud and loving for her daughter like that! I couldn't help but cry as I watch them and as the beautiful song was being played. I remembered when I was in 2nd year High School, I got an award - First Honors. As I got out of stage and walked down the aisle to go back to my seat, my father was waiting for me at the end of the aisle. I was very surprised yet very happy to see him there! He gave me a hug. Oh how he was so proud of me. He also cut his hair that day. Oh how I miss him! So much! How much he meant for me. How much he has loved me!
It is Christmas time again. It is the most beautiful time of the year. But yet, for me, it is another holiday that I am away from my family. It has been 6 years now. I am alone, once again. How I long to be with them. As the song played, I remember them... How dear they are to me! How I wish I will be with them.
But God.... God called me, to be alone this season. I embrace it. I will be brave. I will be brave this Christmas and the days to come. That He may be glorified through me.
I am happy to know that I am not alone. He is with me ALWAYS.
And so, I sing this song with all my heart.... because the truth is, this is not about me. This is all about the One who came that no one may die! Jesus, our Emmanuel. The Perfect showcase of a Father's love. The Love HIMSELF. He gave Himself for us. What a Father's Love! and this Christmas, I am with the King. So trully, I am with a Family, with God as my Father. I rush to His arms.
May you feel God ready to give you a very big hug with so much love in it, this Christmas and ALWAYS. May you feel the intense love of God for you through Jesus Christ. May you give your heart to this LOVE this Christmas and make Him your Lord and Savior. He is waiting...
And may those who are with their families treasure every moment being with them...
"For God so LOVED the world that He GAVE His one and only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him will NOT perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16
Friday, December 2, 2011
When God Writes Your Ministry Story
Life hasn't been easy for me growing up and living in the US. But when God took over my life, life has turned around beautifully and wonderfully!
For a year now, I have been wondering where God wants me to be. I wanted to God out into the world and serve God in the midst of suffering, hunger and pain. I really desire to be a missionary one day. Then so I have asked to show me where He wanted me to be so I can prepare myself. But you know what God did? He responded this way: "Be faithful in little things. Come closer to Me. Spend time with Me. Study My Word." I was like, ok, Lord?... It didn't really hit me the first time. But as patient as He is, He kept on telling me the same thing. Then He added, "Discipline. Discipline yourself. Take every thought captive in obedience. Obey. Be faithful. Rejoice always. PRAY without ceasing. Trust Me." But as time goes by and by His guidance and grace, I began to understand what He trully meant. I began to see Him hand and yield. He is right! Every ministry is founded in one thing: Our relationship with Jesus Christ. To be an effective servant of God, we need to have a surrendered life and a growing intimacy with the One we want to serve, Jesus Christ. He is absolutely right. We need to be grounded in the Rock because in that Rock is where we find everything we need. In that Rock, the Rock Himself moves and lives through us. In that Rock, we are taught what we need, we are changed, we are formed, we are trained, and most of all we are made like Him. Yes, being in a seminary may taught us many things about the Word but there is nothing that will compare to a time spent with Him and His word. There is nothing compared to the joys experienced in obeying and trusting Him. There is nothing compared to the work of the Holy Spirit. It is a journey and as we walk with Him, He leads us to places where He wants us to be to do the things He wants us to do. And what are these? Only He knows and only in following His will can we ever discover the mystery of His plans for our lives! Amazing!
Guess what I did? By His grace, I did just the same. It was such a delight to follow Him. I forgot all about my so-called plans. I yielded to Him instead and nourished this precious relationship with Him. As I prayed for Him to guide me, He has lead me to different places. He has shown me different things. He has led me to something outside of my comfort zone. I started teaching and tutoring. He has also 2 organizations: Voice of the Martyrs and Child Evangelism Fellowship. There is such a great need but I only wanted to be where God wants me to be. Both ministries are really great and I believe God has a purpose as to why I was led there. And I can say they are still in a seed right now. However, while that seed is being watered, God has something different in mind. Are you ready to hear this?
This is the story...
My friend Rose and I have been friends for 3 years now but we never really been very close. I felt that I can't relate to her and I never felt comfortable. However, God has lovingly put us together by the painful situations that we were facing. That brought us to commit to pray and study the word of God together with her dear friend (who because of this became very dear and close to me). We have been praying together for 4 months now. Although times may call us to miss a day, we get back and encourage each not to give up. And God? GOD IS FAITHFUL! God is true to His promises.
Rose has a talent in making crochets. She does a wonderful job in it and is very creative with it. People love it a lot and she was able to give and sell a few in the past year. However, she never thought of making it serious. One day, as we talked, we said, "let us do this to bring glory to the Lord!" Then we asked HOW? We had no clue. We also said that we wanted this to be different from the others in the market. That night we prayed for wisdom and we surrendered ourselves to the Lord. We prayed for God to remove us from anything that glorifies self. We asked Him to strip us of any selfishness and worldliness and to use our talents for His Kingdom and for His glory. Then one Sunday, God answered our first question! It was a light bulb moment. I was so overwhelmed with happiness as He showed it to me. And you know what? It is in line with the passion, gifts and desire that He has given me too! Isn't that amazing? In every package, we will include a a note with a word of encouragement from the word of God. After that, we will pray for the person who is going to receive it. Then the package will be uniquely painted! I love letters. I love writing. I love arts. God has given me the gift of creativity. So... This is it. Rose is going to make the crochets and I will be in charge of the letters, the packaging, the website and the administration. Then we will be both praying together! Who said God isn't creative? He is! We have never seen this idea before and God truly is amazing. (No matter how many times I say God is amazing, I know it will still be not enough to really describe Him but I hope you get the picture!) So there it is!!! It won't just be a regular scarf or a regular hat. With every product, we will spread God's word, love and hope. We hope that this will reach thousands and millions of people one day. We hope as well that through this, we get to share the story God has lovingly written in each of our lives and the miracles He is about to do!
We started last week and in everything, we lift to the Lord. He is our First Love and we want it that way. We want His way ONLY.
For two weeks, God has blessed us with a name, ideas, a slogan, resources and a website! The website was pretty difficult to make but after prayers, God moved mightily and it is now ready. Check it out at http://www.entwinedhope.com/. (Pictures in the site too.)
The recent thing God has done is this: Last Wednesday, I came across an email from our Church. There will be a Ladies Christmas Party on Sunday, the 4th. It is also Rose's birthday so I didn't even think about going because we already have plans. At the bottom of the email, it says that there that there will be a marketplace for entrepreneurs. As I read, I was stirred by it. And so I informed Rose about it and she was also very excited about it. That day, I finished the website. That night, I sent an email to the contact. Well, I thought we are not entrepreneurs and there are so many businesswoman in Church. Do we stand a chance? Plus, we don't have a lot of products yet. But I thought it would be great opportunity to introduce the ministry through this. But anyway, we sent an email and we prayed. After a few minutes, I got a reply!!!! The lady LOVED the concept and has forwarded us right away to the one in charge. The next day we got an approval from the one in charge. The space is limited (only 10 vendors) and we are the 10TH! We were sooo overwhelmed by how God did it! We were humbled that our hearts were filled with joy as we gaze upon His hand and all that He is doing! It is MORE than we could ever ask of think of!
"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, nor entered the heart of men, what God has prepared for those who love Him." 1 Corinthians 2:9
Surely, we really don't know what we want. We really don't know what we need. We really don't know who we are. We really don't know what is best for us. We really don't know how to live for God. But unless we enter into His Sanctuary, all of these are answered and FULFILLED.
We are humbled.
This is our story. For. His. Glory.
For a year now, I have been wondering where God wants me to be. I wanted to God out into the world and serve God in the midst of suffering, hunger and pain. I really desire to be a missionary one day. Then so I have asked to show me where He wanted me to be so I can prepare myself. But you know what God did? He responded this way: "Be faithful in little things. Come closer to Me. Spend time with Me. Study My Word." I was like, ok, Lord?... It didn't really hit me the first time. But as patient as He is, He kept on telling me the same thing. Then He added, "Discipline. Discipline yourself. Take every thought captive in obedience. Obey. Be faithful. Rejoice always. PRAY without ceasing. Trust Me." But as time goes by and by His guidance and grace, I began to understand what He trully meant. I began to see Him hand and yield. He is right! Every ministry is founded in one thing: Our relationship with Jesus Christ. To be an effective servant of God, we need to have a surrendered life and a growing intimacy with the One we want to serve, Jesus Christ. He is absolutely right. We need to be grounded in the Rock because in that Rock is where we find everything we need. In that Rock, the Rock Himself moves and lives through us. In that Rock, we are taught what we need, we are changed, we are formed, we are trained, and most of all we are made like Him. Yes, being in a seminary may taught us many things about the Word but there is nothing that will compare to a time spent with Him and His word. There is nothing compared to the joys experienced in obeying and trusting Him. There is nothing compared to the work of the Holy Spirit. It is a journey and as we walk with Him, He leads us to places where He wants us to be to do the things He wants us to do. And what are these? Only He knows and only in following His will can we ever discover the mystery of His plans for our lives! Amazing!
Guess what I did? By His grace, I did just the same. It was such a delight to follow Him. I forgot all about my so-called plans. I yielded to Him instead and nourished this precious relationship with Him. As I prayed for Him to guide me, He has lead me to different places. He has shown me different things. He has led me to something outside of my comfort zone. I started teaching and tutoring. He has also 2 organizations: Voice of the Martyrs and Child Evangelism Fellowship. There is such a great need but I only wanted to be where God wants me to be. Both ministries are really great and I believe God has a purpose as to why I was led there. And I can say they are still in a seed right now. However, while that seed is being watered, God has something different in mind. Are you ready to hear this?
This is the story...
My friend Rose and I have been friends for 3 years now but we never really been very close. I felt that I can't relate to her and I never felt comfortable. However, God has lovingly put us together by the painful situations that we were facing. That brought us to commit to pray and study the word of God together with her dear friend (who because of this became very dear and close to me). We have been praying together for 4 months now. Although times may call us to miss a day, we get back and encourage each not to give up. And God? GOD IS FAITHFUL! God is true to His promises.
Rose has a talent in making crochets. She does a wonderful job in it and is very creative with it. People love it a lot and she was able to give and sell a few in the past year. However, she never thought of making it serious. One day, as we talked, we said, "let us do this to bring glory to the Lord!" Then we asked HOW? We had no clue. We also said that we wanted this to be different from the others in the market. That night we prayed for wisdom and we surrendered ourselves to the Lord. We prayed for God to remove us from anything that glorifies self. We asked Him to strip us of any selfishness and worldliness and to use our talents for His Kingdom and for His glory. Then one Sunday, God answered our first question! It was a light bulb moment. I was so overwhelmed with happiness as He showed it to me. And you know what? It is in line with the passion, gifts and desire that He has given me too! Isn't that amazing? In every package, we will include a a note with a word of encouragement from the word of God. After that, we will pray for the person who is going to receive it. Then the package will be uniquely painted! I love letters. I love writing. I love arts. God has given me the gift of creativity. So... This is it. Rose is going to make the crochets and I will be in charge of the letters, the packaging, the website and the administration. Then we will be both praying together! Who said God isn't creative? He is! We have never seen this idea before and God truly is amazing. (No matter how many times I say God is amazing, I know it will still be not enough to really describe Him but I hope you get the picture!) So there it is!!! It won't just be a regular scarf or a regular hat. With every product, we will spread God's word, love and hope. We hope that this will reach thousands and millions of people one day. We hope as well that through this, we get to share the story God has lovingly written in each of our lives and the miracles He is about to do!
We started last week and in everything, we lift to the Lord. He is our First Love and we want it that way. We want His way ONLY.
For two weeks, God has blessed us with a name, ideas, a slogan, resources and a website! The website was pretty difficult to make but after prayers, God moved mightily and it is now ready. Check it out at http://www.entwinedhope.com/. (Pictures in the site too.)
The recent thing God has done is this: Last Wednesday, I came across an email from our Church. There will be a Ladies Christmas Party on Sunday, the 4th. It is also Rose's birthday so I didn't even think about going because we already have plans. At the bottom of the email, it says that there that there will be a marketplace for entrepreneurs. As I read, I was stirred by it. And so I informed Rose about it and she was also very excited about it. That day, I finished the website. That night, I sent an email to the contact. Well, I thought we are not entrepreneurs and there are so many businesswoman in Church. Do we stand a chance? Plus, we don't have a lot of products yet. But I thought it would be great opportunity to introduce the ministry through this. But anyway, we sent an email and we prayed. After a few minutes, I got a reply!!!! The lady LOVED the concept and has forwarded us right away to the one in charge. The next day we got an approval from the one in charge. The space is limited (only 10 vendors) and we are the 10TH! We were sooo overwhelmed by how God did it! We were humbled that our hearts were filled with joy as we gaze upon His hand and all that He is doing! It is MORE than we could ever ask of think of!
"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, nor entered the heart of men, what God has prepared for those who love Him." 1 Corinthians 2:9
Surely, we really don't know what we want. We really don't know what we need. We really don't know who we are. We really don't know what is best for us. We really don't know how to live for God. But unless we enter into His Sanctuary, all of these are answered and FULFILLED.
We are humbled.
This is our story. For. His. Glory.
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