Life is comprised of many choices that we face each and every day.
Has there ever been a time when you thought about taking your own life, for whatever reason? Had it come to a point when you wanted to end everything because you couldn’t handle everything that’s happening to you and around you? Well, if you’re reading this and can relate to it, I’m glad you didn’t. I’m glad I didn’t.
Life is a gift in itself, and it is given to us for us to take care of. Our minds are clouded by the world around us, but as it says in Romans, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2 NIV) Many people don’t understand that our lives are basically a gift from God, and they let the worldly things take over them.
I admit, back then, I was guilty of this; that is, until I found new life in Christ. And boy, it was so amazing. “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” (Ephesians 2:4,5) It is in this new life that we become children of God.
It’s this new life in Christ that’s sustaining me right now, and I honestly couldn’t ask for more. God just does wonders, and I’m just amazed each and every day with what He does in my life. He’s changed me in ways I never imagined possible back then. “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26 NIV)
But, it doesn’t end there. Life, as I’ve mentioned earlier, consists of choices. Most of the time, it’s in the simple everyday decisions we make that we focus more on ourselves than what God is planning for us. We’d choose to remain angry with someone who did us wrong. We’d choose to satisfy our mundane cravings, even though we have full knowledge that this is against the teachings of the Bible, against His Word. It starts with these simple things; the simple everyday choices we make. And it shows in how we live our lives.
It’s hard, I know. Even I have struggles I face everyday. So, what helps? Choosing to be in Christ, each and every waking moment of our lives. What can go wrong, then? Every moment of our lives is a test of faith, a testimony as to whether we truly are in Christ.
When things seem to go wrong, talk to God. “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” (Jeremiah 29:12 NIV) Tell him of your worries, but I’m sure, He’ll reassure you, “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 NIV)
We are where we are right now because of the choices we made. More importantly, it is God’s will for us to be where we stand. Take a look at your journey with Christ and take notice of all the marvelous things He’s done. What better way is there to repay Him of the love He gives, than become a good child of God? It’s our choice to live out to our names as Christians, as children of God. It’s the challenge for all Christians.
"To call yourself a child of God is one thing. To be called a child of God by those who watch your life isanother thing altogether." (Max Lucado)
It’s never too early to be a good example. It only shows how God gives us the strength and wisdom to be light to others; light that emanates, reaches out and touches the lives of others, especially those who are lost in the midst of darkness in this world. If you feel that life’s bringing you down, remember that God has a plan for you. The challenge is how you’ll respond to everything that’s happening in your life, the choices you make—will these be according to God’s plan, or will you let the worldly things take over?
It all starts with the decision to live a life in Christ—every aspect, every moment—and just let Him work His wonders in you. I’m sure you’ve experienced this at least once in your life, and wouldn’t you say it’s worth it? Wouldn’t you want that feeling you get when you glorify His name for the rest of you life? Wouldn’t you want to experience eternal life with God? I know I would. It’s something I wouldn’t give up for the world. How about you? :)
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 NIV)
This was written for my friend, Fiona's blog. The link can be found here. :)
Has there ever been a day in your life that you were so down and that everything seemed to go against you? When you woke up and the first thing you heard was terrible news. When you went out, it suddenly starts raining and you realize you forgot to bring your umbrella. When all the things you need to do suddenly pile up, and you don't know where to start and where in the world you'd be able to find time and strength to finish everything.
Everything's just not going the way you wanted it to. You feel the energy being drawn from you as every painstaking minute passes by. You feel that the day can't get any worse than it is, but suddenly it does get worse.
Ever had one of those days? I know I have.
But at that time that you were caught up in your misery, were you able to notice the person who offered to keep you company? Did you acknowledge the warmest smile your friend greeted you with despite the long face he saw upon seeing you? Were you too preoccupied that when someone was trying to talk to you, you suddenly have a fit of anger?
During the times that we are utterly stressed out, we close our hearts to God. We rely on our own strength to accomplish everything. We focus on everything that needs to be done, but seemingly forget to give the time and attention He deserves. We worry too much that it isn't becoming healthy for us and the people around us.
We keep that sadness marked on our faces for the rest of the day, tuning out God's knocking on our hearts, manifested by the people around who try to cheer us up.
And most of all, we forget to find rest in God, in spite of all the challenges we are facing.
"My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him." (Psalm 62:1 NIV)
We forget that what we do should be for God's glory because we are caught up with pleasing ourselves and the people around us. But the bigger question that we need to answer is: Are we pleasing God?
He is willing to listen. He is willing to help. So why worry in spite of everything that's happening in our lives when He is always there?
"Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall." (Psalm 55:22 NIV)
We just fail to notice how He reveals Himself to us sometimes. These are the times when we are too caught up with worldly things. But remember, there's always a reason to smile, everyday. Why? Because He is always with us. Because He loves us.
It's a choice of letting God work in our lives each and every day.
So, are you opening the door to your heart for Him?
from http://www.vocation-network.org/articles/show/9
Pretty much like how endings leave a bittersweet feeling that leaves you inspired, music flows through the ears and into one's soul. The ears are like eyes visualizing how the notes and all its components coalesce to provide a sense of surreality. It's when we catch and feel the glimpse of fantasy we long to achieve, and the feeling just flows naturally, leaving a sense of longing.
A few years ago, this was my definition of Music, until recently, I found myself noticing a few changes in my way of thinking.
Music has always been close to my heart. Besides writing, singing has also been something I've loved ever since I was a kid. Although at times, I'm still a bit shy about letting people hear me sing, the years of experience has taught me a lot, and I can say that I don't think there's ever been a moment I've regretted singing the songs I've sung.
Just like writing, singing is also one way of expressing myself. Having been a member of a choir ever since I was a kid has taught me lots of things that are useful in life, but probably the most important one I keep in heart would be the passion it takes to deliver a song well.
A few nights ago, I had the opportunity to watch the Philippine Madrigal Singers in their concert called "All For Love" in CCP along with some of my friends in our choir (pictures to follow). I love how their voices melded and resonated so perfectly that after hearing them, I felt my passion for music grow stronger. They serenaded us with different kinds of love songs, and my favorite would have to their their rendition of Gary Valenciano's How Did You Know. As some of you know, I'm also a big fan of Gary Valenciano. Sir Marvin Gayatgay just sang this beautifully, and my heart just melted upon hearing them sing this.
So what's the big deal about love songs this Valentine's? For me, I just realized how relevant love songs have been in my life recently, especially this one. Why? The lyrics just reminded me of someone.
How Did You Know I needed someone like You in my life?
That there was an empty space in my heart.
You came at the right time in my life.
I'll never forget how You brought the sun to shine in my life
And took all the worries and fears that I had.
I guess what I'm really trying to say
It's not everyday that someone like You comes my way
No words can express how much I love You.
One big change I noticed in my way of thinking is who I had in mind while I heard them sing this. Most people dedicate this kind of song to a person they're courting, a partner, or maybe a relative close to their heart. I admit doing this in the past, but what shocked me was how I only realized recently how some love songs describe God beautifully; this being one of them. I am reminded of this verse:
We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19 NIV)
People give special importance to Valentine's Day as the Day of the Hearts and a day of just sheer love, but given a different perspective, I can see how this can be applied not only every Feb. 14 of the year, but in every day of our lives. It's our decision to love people in this world, and what stands between dedicating one day of the year and every day of our lives to loving out of the overflow of our hearts is love for Jesus.
This can be seen in the simplest of acts such as what we do and the words we speak. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34 ESV).
So, this Valentine's Day, with the stir of all the love songs around, I challenge you to listen for the love song you dedicate to God and start singing it with all your heart every day of your life. Express your heart in song and live it out with the passion that's needed to deliver a song well, and focus on Him who enables you to love so that you'll never ever get tired of singing.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. (Psalm 95:2 NIV)
Today's my Lolo's 40 days, and watching the video mom brought home from his funeral made me miss my Lolo more. Here's what I posted in his online tribute during his wake.
I never really got to know Lolo very much because he was living in L.A. when I was young, and he had Dementia during the latter part.
Nevertheless, there is still one distinct memory I remember from my very first trip to California. I was 6 at that time, but what Lolo did stuck to me. He made my stay in L.A. very memorable because I remember he toured me there, he bought me lots of seedless grapes, and showed me the 99-cents store. He showed me how he played billiards with his neighbors, and proudly introduced me to some of them. These were some of the highlights of my brief stay with him, Lola, and Mom.
Also, every time I think of him, the first image my mind comes up with is his chuckle that comes with his cheerful nature and his jokes.
He made my brief stay there very warm and happy, just like how a little kid wants it to be.
Thanks for making this grandson happy, Lolo! I'll surely miss you. :)
He writes the pages of the storybook of our lives, and just like how mundane writers do it, every part, every segment, every word has a purpose, a meaning, and a connection to the bigger picture of our lives.
Everyone has his or her own belief about a perfect love story. It’s a very personal opinion because we have different experiences and we differ in what makes our heart melt—the kurot-sa-puso effect.
I’ve loved writing ever since I was a kid, and growing up, I learned to look at how different authors have their own writing style. My favorite would have to be Nicholas Sparks and his romance novels. Call it cheesy, but for me, his novels are one of my heart-tuggers. But I must admit, his works are fictional. It feels great to imagine myself as one of the characters in his novels, deeply in love and stuck in the moment. His works have honestly influenced how I view love, relationships, and the like for the longest time, until I realized, through the help of Kuya Joey, one of my mentors, that there’s a glitch in what I’ve been holding on to for so long.
Our modernized world
We are influenced by the world around us—media, friends, family, school and the like—and every time we learn something new, there’s a chance that this new knowledge will influence and have an impact on us. So what’s wrong with that? We put our faith on things that are changing. This is one of the reasons why things that work for other people may not exactly work for smoothly for us. The ways of a friend in dealing with studies may not work great if we try it out ourselves.
So what can we do? We can base our beliefs on something concrete and constant. The Bible doesn’t teach us methods or step-by-step instructions on what to do. It teaches us principles from which we can base what we should think and do.
I’ve discovered four steps in getting the love stories of our lives in sync with God’s plan.
First is to open our hearts to God’s plan. If his will is pleasing and perfect, then what’s there to worry about? It’s our faith in Him that our love stories will begin to make sense. We need to trust in His plan for us and open our hearts to the many possibilities. It may not turn out the way we want it to, but just let God do His wonders.
Second is to learn the principles through reading the Bible. Let’s take it from a source that’s permanent and has been tried and tested for lifetimes. Here are some verses we can reflect on: God-Breathed (2 Timothy 3:16,17) Please the Lord (1 Corinthians 7), View Things in God’s Perspective (Ephesians 5), The Unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14) and Being Filled With the Spirit (Galatians 5:22,23).
Third is to pray for God to remain the center of our lives in spite of waiting and searching for God’s revelation of His plan for us. Pray for the strength to do His will and never get tired of pleasing Him.
Fourth is to pursue. Men must do their part, too, but do so in line with the three previous insights. Some other principles to reflect on before pursuing a girl: Timing (Song of Songs 3:5), Do Not Defraud (Mark 10:19), and Present Yourself and Your Intentions.
Jan and Tricia
Of course if our pursuit works out, we mustn’t forget to keep God in the center of our relationship.
When things seem to go wrong, ask yourself where your heart is. Is it still centered on God? We need to remember that even though things may get complicated, that relationships may become hard to deal with, God will make a way. Just focus on Him. He is the author of our lives, our love stories. Let’s remember to spread the love, savor the moments, and do our parts—fall in love with Him more and more each day. Just let God mold our hearts amidst the stones surrounding us, and help Him in molding the hearts of others.
Love and Nature
Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. (Hebrews 4:7 NIV)
Submitted the first draft to Ptr. Dennis Sy for his contest in his website. Also inspired by one of his posts found here.
I've been immersing myself in Photography the past few weeks thanks to one of my electives in school, and I've gotta say that it takes a lot of practice and involves a lot of technicalities. Our teacher, Ms. Borsoto, taught us the three key elements of a photograph on our first day of class back in November. These are: the Composition, the Lighting, and the Subject.
Today is the fifth day of our Seven Days of Prayer and Fasting in Victory, the church that I go to.
Just a little background. We go through the Seven Days of Prayer and Fasting each year (though this is only my first year) as an act of humility and consecration before God, and to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Each day, we dedicate our quiet time to Read, Reflect, and Respond based on the booklet provided for us. It's a time to sacrifice some of our earthly desires to focus on God and rely on Him for strength.
As the days passed by, I was able to connect my Photography elective to our Seven Days of Prayer and Fasting. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, and beauty is subjective. But here are my thoughts:
The Composition of a photo is how the elements of the photo are artistically arranged to achieve a desired effect. This is quite similar to how we arrange the different aspects of our lives in accordance to God's will.
The Lighting is the element that brings illumination to certain parts of the photo. In our case, it's through reading and living out the Bible that brings illumination in our lives, through the grace of God.
Lastly, the Subject is the main focus of every photo. Without a Subject, a photo is just a snapshot--something that wasn't well thought of because the picture has nothing to focus on. Here's where Jesus comes in the picture. He is the subject, the main focus of every Christian's life. And as a relatively new Christian, I find myself discovering new things about Him everyday.
So what makes a picture different from all the rest? Well, as I've mentioned earlier, beauty is subjective. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder is what people usually say. One photo may not be striking for others, but some may find it very eye-catching. Some may focus more on the technicalities, while others enjoy the sheer artistic simplicity of photos.
As a newbie photographer, what I can say is good photos take a lot of patience and practice. One aspect of Photography that sometimes gives me trouble is in using the Manual Focus. Sometimes, I see the photo focused on the subject through the viewfinder, but when I take a look at the finished product, it's not as sharp as I wanted it to be. Take this photo as an example:
What Story Can You Share?
The same goes to every new Christian. The main problem most of the time is not being able to focus on who we need to focus on, the Subject of our lives. Sometimes our focus drifts unto other unimportant things, especially when things seem to be going relatively fast in our lives.
So what can we do? We can and should keep ourselves focused on Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. We have to take things slow when everything seems to happen too fast. Just like Photography, it takes a lot of practice. But keep in mind that it will be worth it in the end. :)
Taking Things Slow
Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you. (Joshua 3:5 NIV)
Pictures are from my online portfolio for my Photography Elective. Here's the Link.
Thought I'd reignite my love for writing by creating this blog. I haven't written for the longest time, and I think I'll take up some writing classes along with my Production electives next semester.
Here's to baby steps to my lifelong dream: To publish my own book/novel or collection of my poems before I die.
Yesterday, I bought a new notebook to compile all of the works I've written before that I want to keep. And maybe I'll post some of my favorites here. I had fun doodling the cover last night!
Alongside this is a book I'm reading from my favorite author, The Choice by Nicholas Sparks, which I got from my teammate in an exchange gift. I'm hoping to catch some of his brilliance from reading his novels again.
An ode to finding God in our lives.
