tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49698838224394922032023-11-16T18:41:41.123+08:00Expanding My TerritoryWalking Towards HeartlandJabezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00134299194006331843noreply@blogger.comBlogger72125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969883822439492203.post-59217330995077887592022-10-23T10:18:00.007+08:002022-10-23T10:57:37.204+08:00Caught Between Church and School (for Youth Leaders/Workers)<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">“Busy sa Academics pero sa church hindi” . I think we should stop making our young people choose between church activities and school. I mean it. This is for anyone working with the young people, from a former young person shaped by the church and the schools. </span><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> I love studying, or maybe the idea of it. I loved going to school and I feel like I enjoyed the environment where I can always get some new information, exchange Ideas and to some degree, be transformed by them. When I was younger though, I couldn’t wait for ‘studying’ to finally be over. There was one moment in high school when I got so overwhelmed and frustrated after I realized I still have years and years after until I finish college. Little did I know studying DOES NOT end in college. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I love going to church too, and doing ‘church things’. When I was younger, I was active in the youth group. As I grew in my Christian life, I realized that my Christianity should not just be exclusively expressed in ‘Christian activities’. To a certain degree, I was transformed by that thought. One day, I picked up a book in my Tatay’s bookshelf that had the title “NOT JUST ON SUNDAYS”. It talked about how we should bring our Christ-like attitude everywhere. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> Back then, school was never a competition for church. In fact, I came to believe that school was the overflow where my Christlikeness can be observed by others. Most times I failed, of course. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">So, it appalls me every now and then to read on my FB feed posts like “Busy sa Academics pero sa church Hindi” or something to that effect that creates a dividing line between the secular and the spiritual life!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I understand that the academic pressures are different now than then. And maybe, we see less of our young people in the church now because they have stuff to do for school. I also understand that that is frustrating for pastors. But, instead of throwing statements that make them guilty, why don’t we strategize? Adapt! Youth Fellowship does not have to be on Sundays if it means our teens can’t attend. Its not in the Bible to always do it on Sundays! Heck, YF is not even in the Bible! On that note, maybe we should also dig deeper why we are doing other activities. Are they serving purposes that enable our young people to grow and be more like Christ or… they’re merely handed down activities for generations? It’s time to deconstruct.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Here. Teach them to grow in the word! That’s the major thing! Major on the majors, the trappings are always optional. But, here’s another thing, Academics is as much an avenue where you can reflect the love and grace of Christ as Sunday school, or the youth fellowship or the outreach. In fact, at certain stages in our lives, God calls us to do something. I believe, when our teenagers are in school, that is where God is calling them. And they should be faithful in their studies as much as they are faithful in memorizing the assigned verses in youth group. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Dear youth leaders, please dont slack in your academics and be active in church. That is bad testimony. Heaven doesn’t give you a point for missing a class to do something ‘for the ministry’. Trust me, it does not look so Christ-like for you to miss half of your class for the week and be leading the worship on Sunday! Imagine if your teacher was in your church! (When I was working in the Bible college, we discouraged students from missing classes just because they had to attend the ‘youth rally’. In fact, one of the youth leaders had to make compromises in his schedule because we made him understand that for that season, God’s calling for him was to be a Bible Student, to be fully prepared for the ministry. He got it!)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">And dear young person, if you are in school, do all you can to maximize the faculties God has given you! You brains should not be slightly used —exercise it! Your enthusiasm for Discipleship Group meeting should be the same as when you do group work in class! You should be able to memorize the periodic table without grudging the way you memorize the books in the Bible! You should be excited for the opportunity to go to school the way you are excited for the freedom to go to church. You are called to be God’s light in the campus you are in. Shine! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">I don't want you to think that the temporal is better than the spiritual. What I am trying to say is that when we are falsely emphasizing attendance in activities as the only avenue of their expression of faith, then we are stunting their spiritual growth. And when we get them divided over church activities and school responsibilities, then we are unconsciously basting them with the idea that God is not interested in their lives outside of church. That's dangerous. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The youth ministry is pivotal in the life of every young person. I admire every youth worker I know who stick to Biblical truths yet evolve in their strategy to get to the heart of every kid. I pray, as people ministering to the young people, that we erase the diving line between what’s worldly and what’s spiritual and see our every effort AS TO the Divine. Only then can we raise a generation who is conscious of bringing Christ to the world —their world, their future, where we will not be in.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Our posts will not transform them. And I do not expect this to transform you as well. But, maybe to a certain degree (as much as you hope your post would do to them), it will prick us somewhere and, make us bruise a little, and then move us to start making changes for the better. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicNlkFB4UCU5egfwGzs5Er0bb3xu8lDY2rGXvblsYDjT0WYKC3ozMomATudSizmQN7yDlLVq9EPi9IVLkxPksV3NOyFjqywf1Sp2mAHXliPLVbVlBIP7svdK9RAPWS7ZRdc6gCZtj_nHAg2rZ-s-UfykzcEgYIZZex0M4zXy637ZCTpJgIzKm56awN/s960/88248299_10157846759136438_129012498220187648_n.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicNlkFB4UCU5egfwGzs5Er0bb3xu8lDY2rGXvblsYDjT0WYKC3ozMomATudSizmQN7yDlLVq9EPi9IVLkxPksV3NOyFjqywf1Sp2mAHXliPLVbVlBIP7svdK9RAPWS7ZRdc6gCZtj_nHAg2rZ-s-UfykzcEgYIZZex0M4zXy637ZCTpJgIzKm56awN/s320/88248299_10157846759136438_129012498220187648_n.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me at 38, loving the school and the church at the same time. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><strike></strike></div>Jabezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00134299194006331843noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969883822439492203.post-75999619591092756822022-01-24T15:54:00.004+08:002022-01-24T15:54:47.526+08:00My Thoughts about Banished<p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEge1K88jYffwBMU9eMkTET0W1Qym0z5o8uRhYeS1cZU_qs2VkyDNgC1fxGkgFjOF9B9KjtGan0bUwh8c6clUIk5Do2qF9O76geUX2ZSxWNxMW8bEHb6BA48foSaOHf4p99mGcRGYG9IYBTP4BZ4eQdlcvzjUrUwVRWWP7A08XGFZ_lfuga30r8mkaN_=s4608" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEge1K88jYffwBMU9eMkTET0W1Qym0z5o8uRhYeS1cZU_qs2VkyDNgC1fxGkgFjOF9B9KjtGan0bUwh8c6clUIk5Do2qF9O76geUX2ZSxWNxMW8bEHb6BA48foSaOHf4p99mGcRGYG9IYBTP4BZ4eQdlcvzjUrUwVRWWP7A08XGFZ_lfuga30r8mkaN_=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Opening a
book to read is like swinging a door open. Each book I read leads me to a room where
the author creates a certain environment by stringing words together. Some
rooms, I like to stay a while and then leave. Some rooms I kept visiting. Some
rooms, I decided, I’d never enter again. And then, there are rooms in my shelf that are still waiting to be opened. </div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">When I got
my hands on Banished, I knew the kind of room I was getting into before I even started
reading it. Pastor Joshua has a way of making me uncomfortable when reading his
work. Somehow, as in the books he wrote in the past, he makes me rethink my
life and my witness. Halfway into banished, he did not disappoint. I was right.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">In Banished,
Pastor Joshua takes us back to the events surrounding the birth of Jesus and helps
us look at it with the lens of the present time. In my opinion, the west has sanitized
our image of Christmas that it is almost easy to overlook how scandalous the circumstances
were, just as disgusting as the stories we have in the present day. He then
seamlessly brings us to look at Jesus’ life and teachings in contrast to how we,
the church, live it today. Are we "walking the talk" of the sermon on the mount? To answer, read the book. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">As a student
of the Bible, Banished sparked an excitement in me as I savored the author’s
own take of the scriptures, the snippets of history he dashed here and there,
the laborious research he put into his
work --- it was compelling! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">As a Christian
involved in ministry, he rattled my convenient way of ministering. Suddenly, I
am thrown into a puddle of information, opening my eyes even more keenly on the plight of the
OFW, the struggles of those in the margins, and the unbridgeable gap between the Lazaruses and
the Rich Men of today’s world. In one of those pages, I came to the realization
that many of the theories we teach in missions, in the Bible Schools, or those
we even observe from ministers ahead of us in the field, are no longer
applicable in the age we live in. Many of our strategies are coated with
agenda. Pastor Joshua writes “<b>Authenticity
and integrity are the key to transformative evangelism and discipleship.”</b><b> </b> He talks extensively of humility as an
integral virtue in the ministry --- something many, I observed, have dispensed of
in exchange of militant, aggressive, number-driven Christianity. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">As an adult
finding my place in the world, a new sense of adventure <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was planted in me in the last few chapters of
Banished. The author talks about living our witness in public spaces, understanding
first the perception of those outside the Christian tradition. We often fault
ourselves in gagging those outside the ‘faith’ with Bible verses and doomsday
revelations, instead of listening to them – finding out where they’re at, and taking
them along in the journey of knowing Jesus. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Pastor
Joshua concluded the last chapter with a voice of hope. I closed the book, my
thoughts still easing through the discomfort of knowing that my actions as a
Christ-follower have not always been in congruence with my talk. I am plagued
with questions. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just left a room that
made me uncomfortable. But, like many who met Jesus – along dusty roads and polished
palaces, in sinking boats and atop feeble tree branches --- discomfort is the way
to discovering the truth; to live in perpetual discomfort of the mind, the
heart and the body, until you come to the resolve that Jesus is truly, truly, the
only One that satisfies them all. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Get the
book. Get into that room. Get uncomfortable. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">Book is available through Central Logos https://www.facebook.com/centralogosofficial . </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></p>Jabezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00134299194006331843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969883822439492203.post-7360869612877897832021-07-22T19:01:00.006+08:002021-07-22T19:16:13.968+08:00Bad Decisions (I'm Decaffeinating, again!) <p>I love coffee. But many a night, I found myself saying "I shouldn't have had that second cup!"</p><p>The most horrible thing about our bad decisions is, we were present when we made them. And that is haunting. (And Palpitating!) Sometimes they cannot be undone, but we are always redeemable from it. (Ehem, Gaviscon!) It takes God's grace to get us out of it, and right decisions to keep us away from it. When we fall into the trap of always spiritualizing things, we refuse to take responsibility of our participation in our bad decisions. And so, the cycle continues. </p>
<p dir="ltr">As I deal with work backlogs, for example, I am confronted with the fact of my chronic procrastination. I get flashbacks of the many times I wasted an opportunity to work. And then I begin to think about all the other parts of my life that are leaking with inefficiency and chaos. But, if I refuse to acknowledge these things, or say it was someone else's job, or worse, blame this on the pandemic, I have missed an opportunity for growth. Spiritually and Professionally. If I say the devil is making me procrastinate, he will laugh!</p>
<p dir="ltr">When we experience abuses, for example, we can not say no one was responsible for it. While God does make something good out of what others meant for evil, it does not justify the evil. Our spiritual understanding saves us from going crazy over its effects; insisting on human responsibility puts a stop to the abuse. Our flawed understanding of man's volition and God's will most times keeps us from making the necessary decisions that will change our lives. Or that of others. But indecision is ALSO a decision. </p><p dir="ltr">Treading into this new decade of adulthood, I welcome these pauses where I get the opportunities to learn from bad decisions either of myself or others. And learning is measured by the outcome. I hope someday when I come back to this post and put myself against the scale, I would find that I attended lesser bad decisions. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVaG4McQkF6jRu4KeGL0f8mgvwnd30s_n5RcBqDz9s8RqNOGlYNOcP-ThamZa1RbjM1XI9PQvOt0DPo98oE9YfodqQ8a55hV4gLyYXefXDFofxTmmS3cdQySwpKLCSm0cvQH85pcNXEiQ/s4608/IMG20200505135506.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVaG4McQkF6jRu4KeGL0f8mgvwnd30s_n5RcBqDz9s8RqNOGlYNOcP-ThamZa1RbjM1XI9PQvOt0DPo98oE9YfodqQ8a55hV4gLyYXefXDFofxTmmS3cdQySwpKLCSm0cvQH85pcNXEiQ/s320/IMG20200505135506.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p dir="ltr">Let's start by getting off coffee. Shocking, I know! </p><p dir="ltr">Acid reflux: </p><p dir="ltr">Gaviscon: </p><p dir="ltr">Kapehan: Luh! </p><p dir="ltr">💛</p><p dir="ltr"><span style="background-color: #1877f2;">#FortyForward</span></p>Jabezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00134299194006331843noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969883822439492203.post-20156650296937884102020-07-30T11:35:00.002+08:002020-07-30T12:02:52.478+08:00Slow Growth is Still Growth<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">While I do not undermine the effects of the virus to every aspect of society, I am thankful for how it has created an opportunity for me to discover what really matters to me, test out my own limits in different areas, and build habits that hopefully, will be beneficial to me moving forward. I have mined a wealth of encouragement from doing something regularly and getting results. Albeit not 'astounding', the effects of little changes in our lifestyle do make a difference.</div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">We can no longer leave it to 'nature' to shape us. The world has 'genetically modified' everything. Our body, mind and spirit has to be intentionally nurtured in order for us to relish the life God has given us. And I believe, it is never too late to make that first step to doing something about what you would want to change. </div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">I learned from someone that it is systems that bring results. Goals may help but oftentimes, when we don't reach them, we become frustrated. However, when we create systems in whatever aspect of our lives, we see our progress little by little.</div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">Those who know me can testify that consistency is not my strength. Variation is. But, as I unfold the wonder of creating systems, I found out I don't have to beat myself about being inconsistent. </div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">I've been exercising regularly since March. This is my longest streak so far. Years ago, I had episodes of running that went for about a month, followed by a thousand excuses. Hahaha! </div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">I am struggling to count my calories. It helped me shed some weight before, so I'm trying to incorporate that in my eating habits again. </div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">I tried eating mostly plant-based meals for 3 weeks. "Mostly" because what's a pizza without cheese, right? But I learned a dozen recipes that made me love eating plant based food. </div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">I have practiced sifting my thoughts. Philippians 4:8 on repeat. </div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">Have I mastered these habits? Definitely not! </div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Some days I excitedly play a 30-minute work-out on Youtube but when the first sweat breaks, I decide I'm good for the day! Hahaha! But I happily show the single 'dent' in my abs that I be</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">lieve is the result of my standing abs exercises. Take note, SINGLE! I had to force my sister to 'see'it. Yes I still have tummy rolls. :D </span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">I overeat and credit it to cheat days. Sometimes cheat dayssss.</div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">For breakfast this morning I ate hotdogs and eggs. First processed meats after almost a month of clean eating. </div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">There are talks and rumors, fears and anxious thoughts that surround me everyday. Sometimes, I slip a crisp "What the FUDGE?!" I still want to break dishes sometimes when I wash them.</div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">But I have learned to be kinder to myself because that is how God shows his love to me every single day. When the sun rises, I know I have another shot at becoming better than yesterday. When it comes to self-transformation (mind, body and spirit), you can never run out of chances. For.As.Long.As.You. Live. Other people may give up on you, but you owe it to yourself, and to your Creator most importantly, to keep growing ---because everything we need for growth is right inside of us. </div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">Get up. Wiggle if you must, but get up! </div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">Do something productive. Stop if you must, but never go three days without doing it.(this has been life changing for me). Whether it is exercising, calorie counting, eating right, get back on track. You can. </div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">Whatever works for you, do it! </div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">Don't forget to enjoy watching yourself grow. Slow growth is still growth. :) </div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7GkDztTlcisTdXmHdlZCHWxelYMd3ExmdlvUoP7yVWVcmm4hJ3se0QjZImY1ErGGicvTVYajlWpy67SL_-B-ppkXBEDZh2QNphBRsEuCjkr6JnoU-d1h6dHQ9kQ7VuNnbeaxtusVv1Vc/s1564/IMG_20200730_111621.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1564" data-original-width="1564" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7GkDztTlcisTdXmHdlZCHWxelYMd3ExmdlvUoP7yVWVcmm4hJ3se0QjZImY1ErGGicvTVYajlWpy67SL_-B-ppkXBEDZh2QNphBRsEuCjkr6JnoU-d1h6dHQ9kQ7VuNnbeaxtusVv1Vc/w400-h400/IMG_20200730_111621.jpg" title="My Meatless Meals" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">My Meatless Meals <br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyO7RBOE9YHWnRtjI38B_o_FzrxSmJR3z_jtHNkKv-hEi6fYYG_HoF6tCFVBu-SMt-Vf1kedsGYsMksSx6AxLcTjDFOAvO_XLmBpU9zRQKLWtKotalkdaRXcVHvRG91Hcdexfgseojln8/s1564/IMG_20200730_101453.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1564" data-original-width="1564" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyO7RBOE9YHWnRtjI38B_o_FzrxSmJR3z_jtHNkKv-hEi6fYYG_HoF6tCFVBu-SMt-Vf1kedsGYsMksSx6AxLcTjDFOAvO_XLmBpU9zRQKLWtKotalkdaRXcVHvRG91Hcdexfgseojln8/s320/IMG_20200730_101453.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add caption<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></blockquote>Jabezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00134299194006331843noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969883822439492203.post-47120242001649787442020-01-06T02:15:00.001+08:002020-01-06T14:43:02.301+08:00Trusting God with Our Stories<br />
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"I could live life alone</div>
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And never fill the longings of my heart</div>
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The healing warmth of someone's arms</div>
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And I could live without dreams</div>
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And never know the thrill of what could be</div>
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With every star so far and out of reach</div>
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I could live without many things</div>
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And I could carry on..." --- Avalon</div>
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This is how my life song starts. I embraced it as I entered the last decade. I was at a place of uncertainty, but with an overarching excitement at what God was going to do in my life. I had just committed my life to full-time ministry, specifically to be a cross-cultural missionary, and while the future was unsure, I was confident that it was what God was telling me to do. </div>
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Fast forward to the end of the decade, it was not exactly what I thought life would be for me. God, the Grandweaver of my life, had a different design in mind. I thought a recap was in order. However, once I started writing these 'events' in my life one by one, they seemed to be separate from the other. At times, the things God made me do were completely at other ends of the pendulum. So I decided, maybe I would just write about where I am at now as we enter a new decade in my journey. </div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b>2020</b></span></div>
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Here I am, in the cool of the evening, just a little past midnight, typing this post with ink stains on my fingers from writing case digests with cheap fountain pens. Sprawling on my bed are books, notes and more pens. I study in the evenings. </div>
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During the day, I cross a bridge to the place where I sit on a desk, respond to emails, queries, print documents, answer the phone and basically do the rigodon of a secretary. On special days, I am the registrar. I call myself the #EverydayMamumugon. </div>
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On weekends I pack my bags and head back to my hometown beside the sea, lounge in my mother's living room, get coffee, go to church, and blink. And then, it is Monday again. </div>
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But, I don't ever remember telling myself "<i>Hay, Monday na naman</i>!". And you will see why. </div>
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The way I describe it, it seems like my life is pretty uninteresting --- a contrast to what I had imagined it to be in 2010. But truth is, for countless times, I have caught myself at a loss for words at how God had tweaked my story.</div>
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I have been to places I have never imagined I could be in. I haven't set foot in West Africa yet, but...but..this decade, we will never know. </div>
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I have been on stages and pulpits I feel so unworthy of. I sometimes laugh at how God takes me from a classroom of seven sleepy students to a hall of a thousand (or even more) young people packed with adrenaline. Whether it be the classroom or the auditorium, I see lives hungry for God. </div>
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I have been to hills of victory and valleys of pain. I tried fighting wounded. It only revealed to me that God's character never changes. For every win - a milestone. For every pain - a growth point. </div>
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I have been to committee meetings and coffee breaks where I met people who, I would have never met had I not allowed God to let me be like water in his plans --- flowing to where He cuts a path. The coffee chats are more enjoyable. Memorable, even. </div>
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I have been to classrooms and bar rooms. They're all the same --- filled with drunk men, intoxicated by intellect, who throw statements that don't make sense. But, the teachers and the bar tenders -- they... they can spin good in every tragedy. </div>
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I have been to chaos where demands grab you by the hand. But, in the midst of those were springs of joy where God invited me to freely drink. </div>
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I have been to a place called Love. One that gives selflessly for the sake of another. One that is not held captive by feelings but liberated by truth. Truth most times is hard to swallow. But, that is how you know you have been to a place called Love. I have been to one. </div>
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I have been to a place called Surrender. And it did not feel comforting. But oh the taste of liberty, refreshing to the soul!</div>
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I tried writing the things God has been surprising me with. Each of them outdoes the other. I mean, does God ever run out of ideas? My stomach is churning with excitement at the possibilities of the outrageous things I ask the Lord to do. This decade will definitely outdo the last. </div>
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In all my wanting and believing for the big things God will do, my heart still quietly sings to me the part of my lifesong that says</div>
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"I couldn't face my life tomorrow </div>
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Without your hope in my heart I know</div>
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I can't live a day without You</div>
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Lord, there's no night and there's no morning</div>
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Without Your loving arms to hold me</div>
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You're the heartbeat of all I do</div>
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I can't live a day without You" ---Avalon</div>
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If all the things I hope for will vanish in the wind, Jesus is enough for me. Here's to another decade of trusting God for a beautiful story. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiidu_jx6-bnQHQdiqf0ue2YclQHrhd3dtqO2i1DihE2HM2ClLEzhGE42pInGqU8yT79bTCGtdutK4iqpvBDuQe7xx_bobC-HbRJHNbPXoIQLg6-Xb7O1ZGgnhgHL0I7DPHwo9Shx8P0_8/s1600/2020-01-04+08.50.07+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiidu_jx6-bnQHQdiqf0ue2YclQHrhd3dtqO2i1DihE2HM2ClLEzhGE42pInGqU8yT79bTCGtdutK4iqpvBDuQe7xx_bobC-HbRJHNbPXoIQLg6-Xb7O1ZGgnhgHL0I7DPHwo9Shx8P0_8/s640/2020-01-04+08.50.07+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> January 4, 2020<br />
(I should do a post on why January 4 is significant to me through the years. hehehe! ) </td></tr>
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Jabezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00134299194006331843noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969883822439492203.post-3230406812809536222019-09-25T16:35:00.000+08:002019-09-25T16:44:51.046+08:00HelplessI wonder what it is with September that I always get the urge to write. Like a buzzer, or a vibrating alert, I often find myself checking my blogs in September and panic at the fact that for the months that went by, I have been silent.<br />
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I have not been truly silent, of course. I have rekindled my love for journalling. Not like it really went away. My entries have been frequent. I felt that my thoughts are safer there and free of any judgement. </div>
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An opportunity to speak to the community at CPU came to me again, giving me an avenue to declare the encompassing love of God to all. Last month was quite eventful. I anticipate the coming month to be even more eventful with the semestral examinations in Law school, weddings to attend and the ending of another semester here in the Bible College. While the weight of what is to come seems already heavy to think about, I rest in the promise that God will help me overcome. I have to rest, lest I cower. </div>
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On a more personal note, the past couple of months have been quite interesting. I went through (and I think I still am in ) a season of undoing. I met a few people that put me in a very uncomfortable situation. The good kind of uncomfortable, that is. </div>
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While I would like to reserve the details to myself, this is what I am willing to share: In the many years that I am a Christian, there have been milestones where I mark a certain growth point. Usually, it was via a heartbreaking situation. However, this one was not. I was just caught off guard, like God grabbed me by the hand and said "We need to talk!" One night, I found myself crying before the Lord because he impressed upon my heart that I have not been trusting Him about many things in my life --- especially the matters which are important to me. </div>
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I felt I was being un-clothed. I was very vulnerable. I felt naked before God. And I saw how, all these years, I have been grinding on my own... as if I can handle things naturally. I realized I held tightly to my pride, that I do not intentionally ask the Lord for the things I desire because I do not like the feeling of wanting somethign or someone so much. I have life a linear life when it comes to asking God. My thought pattern was this: I want 'this', If God wants it for me, he will give it. If not, I will not bother. </div>
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But how in the world do I experience the Joy of Asking and actually receiving? I have not. Because I asked not. Asking, like begging, is a sign that one is in lack of something. I never liked the thought of asking, much less begging. </div>
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And that is how I found out my faith was problematic. Because I wanted something/someone and under the 'normal' circumstances I operate in, there is no way, NO WAY, I will ever experience the joy of having that desire satisfied. And upon realizing my complete helplessness, I turned to God.<br />
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However, it was not the 'wanting' that churned my spirit. It was the discomfort that I do not truly know God and therefore have not truly trusted Him with even the little details of my life. It was devastating to watch everything 'i have built' in my spiritual life deconstruct, like chaff, they disappeared. I had nothing to hold on to. No spiritual life to be proud of. </div>
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And at the point of surrender, I crumbled. </div>
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Oh what relief it is to be rid of yourself, be broken down and wait... wait for the Master to pick you up, piece by piece, to be put together in the way He had always had in mind about you. </div>
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Jabezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00134299194006331843noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969883822439492203.post-91421422713928187672019-05-16T00:43:00.001+08:002019-05-16T00:45:55.211+08:00Scroll Down (The Fight is Not Between Us) One of my Facebook friends posted that he voted for the controversial politician who won a seat in the Senate. To that he added the virtue of being united in 'faith', in effect, telling whoever gets to read it, "My religion is powerful." Educated. Professional. Religious.<br />
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I scrolled down.<br />
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Many times when I read the rants on Facebook or Twitter of friends who suffer through the heavy traffic on their daily commute, I shake my head. I live in the campus where I work, in a city where everything is 10 minutes away - 40, when it is the holidays. I could only imagine how they feel.<br />
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I scroll down.<br />
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Today, on Twitter, a tax reform 'advocate' reacted when I made a comment that "Tag dise-syete na ang sardinas." He/she asked why I was more worried about the the price of sardines when I should be "tired about the low productivity due to traffic, hindered creative jobs because of lack of infrastructures". He/she suggested I should just cooperate and support the government's #BuildBuildBuild. Have I not been compelled to do so, thus, the 17-peso sardines?<br />
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I said a line or two. I scrolled down.<br />
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Someone posted online "It's just politics." Saying to the effect that we should not let it ruin our relationships. I agree on letting love rule in our relationships. But I definitely disagree that "It is just Politics." Our politics is a reflection of what we value, what we believe in, and what we want for the future of our children. I started writing it down as a comment to that post. However, it was my mother who posted it, and lest I be misjudged by online spectators as a rebellious, disrespectful child for not agreeing with my mother, I desisted.<br />
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I scrolled down.<br />
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We are judged by what we put online. That's the risk we take when we post our thoughts, or a photo, a meme, or an article. And the person's reaction to it would largely be affected by the way he perceives you. If he likes you, he understands your sarcasm. If he doesn't, he would think your are mocking...and Christians shouldn't mock. Yes, we are fond of pulling-out the "What-Kind-Of-Christian-Does-That" card on people. It is even worse for pastors.<br />
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When a girl is raped or murdered, you would read the rage from people. But the angriest ones are the mothers of daughters. Understandably so because she could not imagine what kind of hell she would go through if that happens to her own.<br />
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When a fragment of the society suffers a calamity ,or an oppression, people start online revolutions. Rightly so because they need the voice to cry out so the spotlight's be turned on them. For help, for retribution, for the realization that they are a 'fragment that makes the world whole'.<br />
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When corruption is blatant in the government we rally our cries on the streets... but more often now, in the world wide web --- the new highway. We let them know we are watching.<br />
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No, we don't scroll down. We say our piece. We string our words so they can be deadly enough like a sword. Sometimes wielding them in all directions, hoping for a hit no matter how wide the battle ground. Most times we miss the target. And we end end up wounding a co-worker, a friend, a drinking buddy, a relative...or ourselves.<br />
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But we type away with blood on our hands because we are convinced that we are fighting a worthy cause.<br />
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A mother painstakingly goes through the rigors of raising a daughter who will become a teacher, or a son who will someday be an doctor, and she will not let any pervert steal that away. She makes that known on Facebook.<br />
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A conscientious public school teacher, who shows up every morning in a room full of empty minds waiting to be poured upon with hope... but emptier stomachs with lesser hope of getting filled. He would not allow any selfish politician in the guise of public service to steal away their dreams. He retweets a link on that investigation update.<br />
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A promising leader who has climbed from poverty to get an education, uses his education to lift others out of it. He will not allow ignorance to dictate his destiny.. and that of others. He campaigns online.<br />
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An advocate for children lives the life of a vagabond. Peddling the cause of the children to whoever will have the courage to make them a priority - a celebrity, a philanthropist, a diplomat...anyone, and anywhere. She would not allow the children to be victims by the systems their parents have voted for. She massively campaigns on social media.<br />
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They are not on the streets. They are in their kitchen, in their desks, in the courtrooms, aboard a plane, doing what they do best --- fighting for someone.And so, when you read what they write online, it is not merely a rant. It is a spillage of frustrations that they could have just walked over, but refused to. Slippery floors are more dangerous.<br />
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They write at the risk of being misconstrued because those who can't be heard --- the fisherman who stays all night casting his net, the street-sweeper who wakes up before dawn, the farmer who bends his back all day --- they too, have children who are swelling up with dreams. We have no right to shut them down and say "stop posting, do something".<br />
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If someone's transcribed thoughts are not a threat to the life you choose to live, be kind. His weapon is not aimed at you. Let him fight the battles he picked for himself. Remember, you are not his enemy.<br />
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Scroll down.<br />
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Even if he unintentionally scrapes your ego.<br />
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Scroll down.<br />
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You are not the enemy.<br />
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<br />Jabezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00134299194006331843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969883822439492203.post-55559588843892067302019-04-30T11:51:00.000+08:002019-04-30T15:48:28.918+08:00Restful I did not know I have an ounce of bravery hidden in the corners of my heart until I faced my exams this year with little to no time to study. Turns out, studying while working is only for the brave. But God has been so gracious to me. He sustained me through this year, surprising me many times.<br />
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I got to know myself more this year. In the face of pressure, my flaws were magnified. I watched Suits for the first time last night and laughed at the line "Push until it hurts". When buttons were pushed, I ached in many places this year. Notwithstanding, I am now more peaceful, rested and accepting of the process God is bringing me through. </div>
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I anticipated a restful summer with visions of lounging by the beach... or my bed. Alas, reality has been different for me. May is here tomorrow and there is nothing more to describe the month that went by than productively eventful. So far from what I had imagine. Yet, at the conclusion of this month, I thank the Lord that he ushered me through opportunities to be a good steward of the talents and time he entrusted me. </div>
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Here's me sharing with you my summer. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Registrar Duties During the Graduation</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9MFwGrVXRdK688YDOJsy06tlrsHGeDqZOXenTmAUfnV1CjqZ5d7je3eMe0OMPw6lQXUI43FpqfvOkV01GiiftYg-13vH0bYT8ztjWl1aPkQRb0_hV6uiXTFQLA8nCFt536_Xt9IGs-eI/s1600/received_2121194091321387.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1131" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9MFwGrVXRdK688YDOJsy06tlrsHGeDqZOXenTmAUfnV1CjqZ5d7je3eMe0OMPw6lQXUI43FpqfvOkV01GiiftYg-13vH0bYT8ztjWl1aPkQRb0_hV6uiXTFQLA8nCFt536_Xt9IGs-eI/s640/received_2121194091321387.jpeg" width="452" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Was invited to speak at Filamer Christian University again</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaDfZeKboUVKbRvu4RH-napd6022iN3B0GHVVcZpAdpNffBNVyWVwBl63eUC8bWe89X4eBJRW67Mch6P1TCwtSMQhSMSp6ebRXrnHRuAECASpDuDqf1JRnfUjMIOKxxwYBqlclpJohcp8/s1600/received_394485957803133.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaDfZeKboUVKbRvu4RH-napd6022iN3B0GHVVcZpAdpNffBNVyWVwBl63eUC8bWe89X4eBJRW67Mch6P1TCwtSMQhSMSp6ebRXrnHRuAECASpDuDqf1JRnfUjMIOKxxwYBqlclpJohcp8/s640/received_394485957803133.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Was given the opportunity to speak to Young Leaders of JCI</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCUlbhnjD_gmt9Rf7XiEQvdsbZnRh0RKqrQhYxk75xkUGTBh1IfJ7JzU1pI2IXJrq-Txzyyl86nF_bH8vLo3Zx7MGMrtNRX5mOsR1JTLNtvHyNrfii8yHH87-jFtO0_GdL2YymBcyrelo/s1600/20190416_125109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCUlbhnjD_gmt9Rf7XiEQvdsbZnRh0RKqrQhYxk75xkUGTBh1IfJ7JzU1pI2IXJrq-Txzyyl86nF_bH8vLo3Zx7MGMrtNRX5mOsR1JTLNtvHyNrfii8yHH87-jFtO0_GdL2YymBcyrelo/s640/20190416_125109.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Visited the Gospel Teams</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHAk9cA9sRvB1J-UUvJPy1ngv5F8hJ2smDXrddMU_xl1yc2Ed6K8pHMSezK152d5Vx7hD5i6dsiFtSzx4r1r-lWU3ZfCXWUH_kbNUPKJBuVL056HUylneUjMKJZ62jWiWkd-fsOHk-DXw/s1600/received_307556606604339.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHAk9cA9sRvB1J-UUvJPy1ngv5F8hJ2smDXrddMU_xl1yc2Ed6K8pHMSezK152d5Vx7hD5i6dsiFtSzx4r1r-lWU3ZfCXWUH_kbNUPKJBuVL056HUylneUjMKJZ62jWiWkd-fsOHk-DXw/s640/received_307556606604339.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmG6eFWHvTS8YTphOB4Pqrc68F3wgLHMPe4u-FnQrbcleKBBGzwjOacH74F2A6MVoiGmIxrSEABN8SQMoXggqTrozKAjETfxL0dlDulOv0bxCVxQ7HW3O6aGSZugzXeG9sI8B9uNIUJG8/s1600/IMG_20190422_093706.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmG6eFWHvTS8YTphOB4Pqrc68F3wgLHMPe4u-FnQrbcleKBBGzwjOacH74F2A6MVoiGmIxrSEABN8SQMoXggqTrozKAjETfxL0dlDulOv0bxCVxQ7HW3O6aGSZugzXeG9sI8B9uNIUJG8/s640/IMG_20190422_093706.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Storyteller during the VBS at Calatrava</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZXwEubmZh20IvRo9NdjkbCX3qP1usgsBrMVbIG6-qDJfQiO25ekXtqmwQJ9C-xbH77Sltg3NgtWzzTGPiXFMwia0ZaW5MZz-qac4LOCexgZ3g4b2ynDOiH1cLTh0qy2ytsHM99RkzWW8/s1600/FB_IMG_1556593505097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1316" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZXwEubmZh20IvRo9NdjkbCX3qP1usgsBrMVbIG6-qDJfQiO25ekXtqmwQJ9C-xbH77Sltg3NgtWzzTGPiXFMwia0ZaW5MZz-qac4LOCexgZ3g4b2ynDOiH1cLTh0qy2ytsHM99RkzWW8/s640/FB_IMG_1556593505097.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Directed the Testimonial Dinner Concert of MFBC's 50th Anniv</td></tr>
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Jabezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00134299194006331843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969883822439492203.post-47572635271836844152018-11-24T11:48:00.001+08:002018-11-24T11:48:28.839+08:00Bleed Thankfulness (not to the Universe)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_MY7dtx-jixoTOxLSvbvlGTIR4Qb4wpgWjdU6T5bsA3nTE7z_6cRh07SFdH7c-lM7EdjV4AWleJA1hc6tcRYg2dmWId_ZLNP-Adi6jCCxlbUwzJ16eH5cKr_hMfXILAuVoJqtmuqeKxw/s1600/1238013_10151878439687302_207360643_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="960" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_MY7dtx-jixoTOxLSvbvlGTIR4Qb4wpgWjdU6T5bsA3nTE7z_6cRh07SFdH7c-lM7EdjV4AWleJA1hc6tcRYg2dmWId_ZLNP-Adi6jCCxlbUwzJ16eH5cKr_hMfXILAuVoJqtmuqeKxw/s640/1238013_10151878439687302_207360643_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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"There is nothing to writing. You just sit in front of a typewriter and bleed." - Ernest Hemingway</div>
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Yes. I used to just sit in front of a computer and bleed. Words flowed like water seeking its own level. They came out of my head through my hands like restless birds waiting to be freed. Sometimes, they were shy, like a young love dreading to be found out but also dying to be known. These days though, they seem like treasure hidden deep down that takes too much trouble to unearth. </div>
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I also read somewhere that writing is like surfing, you wait for the perfect wave and then ride it. I feel a wave coming along today. So, while my laundry dries out on the clothesline, I will write. </div>
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It was thanksgiving in America the other night. Here in the Philippines, it is a church celebration brought to us by the American missionaries who pioneered the Christian churches. While thanksgiving is supposed to be a lifestyle, it is helpful that we have a holiday to actually think of the things we are thankful for. Because, truth is, when we are wallowing either in wealth or worry, gratefulness is the first virtue that goes down the drain. </div>
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With that in mind, I will try to make a short list of what I am thankful for this year. (Hey, the year is ENDING! Where did 2018 go? ) </div>
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1.<i><b><span style="color: blue;"> Thankful for H</span></b></i><i><b><span style="color: blue;">ealth</span></b></i>. Truly, health is wealth. I know I am not in tip-top shape but I am thankful for the way God has engineered our bodies to heal themselves. I do have health issues. I battled with one the beginning of this year. Most nights my joints and my allergies conspire to make me remember the future of this body – rotten. But, I have always believed in the Proverbs written in the Bible which said, “A merry heart doeth good like medicine” because “the heart is the wellspring of life”. I have not perfected the art of having a ‘merry heart’. But I am trusting God to transform my heart to be always cheerful. </div>
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2. <i><b><span style="color: blue;">Thankful for Growth</span></b></i>. Spiritually, Mentally and Emotionally. I wish I could boast of a prolific spiritual life. What I can only claim is that I am step-by-step working towards growing. It is not a race but a journey towards maturity. Being in the ministry does not help me grow. It even poses a challenge because complacency is the real enemy that I fight with everyday. </div>
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God led me to further my education and that is one of the things I have always been thankful for this year. if you read my previous post, it talked about how I finally embarked on this new journey. For a person living on a-little-above-minimum wage, in a third world country, enrolling in Law school would require a miracle. And that is exactly what is happening to me. Plus, the bulk of studying I have to do while at the same time working, requires a lot of ‘imploring the aid of the almighty God”. </div>
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There are days when my emotions are out of whack. Thank God I can blame it on hormones. Seriously, I am seeing some growth in the way I handle my feelings toward a person or a circumstance. I still have to work on completely eradicating my flawed emotional budget and just love unlovable people completely the way Jesus did. </div>
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3. <b><i><span style="color: blue;">Thankful for Genuine Relationships.</span></i></b> Being with people are the hardest challenge that God had to let me handle. Not because I don’t like them but because loving people require a lot of energy. And I am on the lazy side. There is no such thing as a relationship hack. You have to go through the long and hard process of maintaining relationships. Family is one feat. Friendships are another. Nevertheless, I close my eyes at night knowing I am loved and accepted by those who truly love me and for that I am thankful. </div>
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Let me get this straight. I am not thankful to the universe for letting everything fall into place. I am thankful to the Lord of the Universe, He who created it in an instant by merely speaking it into existence. He holds the entirety of human existence, making sure the heavenly bodies don’t collide – tough job! Yet, at my slightest discomfort, when I have a bruised ego, or I needed my printer to not act up at a crucial time, or that when I needed ice cream on a very very bad day… he slips into my world* to calmly reassure me – he’s got me in the palm of his hands. I am thankful mostly for God’s love. </div>
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Today, my life is not perfectly put into place as I wanted it to be. I still have bruises here and there from the battles I face on a daily basis. I struggle to be compassionate, forgiving and loving. I struggle to be grateful for what I have been given and for the things that are withheld from me. But it turns out, Ernest Hemingway is right. You just sit in front of a typewriter and bleed.</div>
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Today, I bleed thankfulness. </div>
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*now, don’t go debating me on the Theological correctness of the phrase ‘slips into my world’ Lol!</div>
Jabezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00134299194006331843noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969883822439492203.post-10071622118486892422018-08-05T12:41:00.000+08:002018-08-05T12:41:29.641+08:00Walking on Water (#TheLAWngRoad)<br />
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For <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Peter to go to
where Jesus was, he had to get out of the boat and literally step on the water.
He had to stand ON the water to be able to walk on it.*<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have studied and preached on this story of Peter several
times already. Each time, a new understanding of faith is unfolded and a deeper
knowledge of God is gained. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Stepping out in faith is one of my favourite topics. But not
until last year did I realize that I just tested it in calculated proportions. And
so, I took a leap out of the boat. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Last year, I was convinced by my friend to take Law classes.
This idea had been hovering me for quite sometime already, about eight years in
counting. What was stopping me was my financial incapacity, my ministry and my
feeling of inadequacy when it comes to the academic demands of the course. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So I brewed the idea in prayer for a year. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I have also known that things don’t just ‘fall into place’. For
the Israelites to be able to live in the promised land, they had to keep moving
in obedience until they get to the place God prepared for them. <o:p></o:p></div>
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My leap of faith started when I registered to take the
PhilSat. It is the national Law School admission exam. From there, God
confirmed that this was the way to go when He helped me pass the exam. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Tuition fees are another story. I get a decent salary as a
staff of the Bible School but it is clearly not sufficient to send me to
school. So, for the past year that I was praying about it, I starting
calculating how much I would save each month to set aside for the tuition fees.
I also mentally noted down the areas of my spending that I need to cut down,
including food, so I can come up with the amount needed to pay for my
education. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I took another exam in the university and an interview with
the dean before I was accepted in the School of Law. There was no doubt this
was God’s plan for me this season of my life. I am entering my seventh year in
the ministry and somehow I already mastered, to a certain degree, the routines
of the ‘job’. My position as college registrar and our challenges in implementing the Disciplinary sanctions most times need an understanding of the laws of the land. I took this leap, far from my comfort zone, because I have the convinction that God is leading me through this path, in this season. <o:p></o:p></div>
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On the first day of class, I was floored by how God IS God! I found out that I was granted a scholarship that will cover 75% of my tuition fee. I did not apply for it. I did not even know there was a scholarship grant for Law students. It turned out I ranked 2nd of all the applicants and they give grants to the top 3 of Law school applicants. I cried happy tears. </div>
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I borrowed books. My work schedule is lighter that it was years ago. Another friend was used by God for more provisions. My family helped me set up my living arrangements. One after the other, God confirms that he wants me to walk on this water with Him. </div>
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I happened to talk to different people on separate occasions sharing with me their dreams and plans. I smiled at them and, with more conviction than ever, told them "Step out in faith". </div>
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Yes, calculations and preparations must be made. But, it is that act of faith of taking the first step toward a legitimate dream, goal, plan that will introduce you to another chapter of God's grace. </div>
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Peter stepped out of the boat, took a few wobbly steps on the water, sank at the sight of wind and was lifted out of it by the hands of the Master crafter of waves and winds. We will have our own stories of 'walking in faith'. But, none of us will ever feel like what it is to step on water like glass. </div>
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When Jesus calls you to walk with Him on the water, step out of the boat. Yours will be quite a story. </div>
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I'm still tiptoeing. Nevertheless, I am already on the water. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJiss0_I6niSivBKMmse-9dZ91YZpMP89fgLdlPIlZMAKALejzKFl6T1kVFVdvGIWEQQJflmHvZ1KR0PelNEZLMWtXys0aC4MD8RjiPyNotf4D7YQ5Aa3fL96A7NIAsMfP9rquGkqhtt0/s1600/35511226_10156380254637302_8141603112252080128_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="809" data-original-width="1080" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJiss0_I6niSivBKMmse-9dZ91YZpMP89fgLdlPIlZMAKALejzKFl6T1kVFVdvGIWEQQJflmHvZ1KR0PelNEZLMWtXys0aC4MD8RjiPyNotf4D7YQ5Aa3fL96A7NIAsMfP9rquGkqhtt0/s320/35511226_10156380254637302_8141603112252080128_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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*Matthew 14:22-33</div>
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<br />Jabezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00134299194006331843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969883822439492203.post-81376455832639469152018-01-03T00:30:00.000+08:002018-01-03T00:40:58.043+08:00New Year Emote-icons<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQj3tZEaT-HInbU_QBWulMBkW8-4STX77SwhWQjFjy0GideSMd4WOK1RFLoq3_s0x3jATkrVBaXbA6-VAdpSqk9Lh2GHJHWjfvtsGYYpRbKO92VOH1_-Pxu6pOdXmBH1H3czp5EGA2H3Y/s1600/26170872_10155962032057302_160132058355806918_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQj3tZEaT-HInbU_QBWulMBkW8-4STX77SwhWQjFjy0GideSMd4WOK1RFLoq3_s0x3jATkrVBaXbA6-VAdpSqk9Lh2GHJHWjfvtsGYYpRbKO92VOH1_-Pxu6pOdXmBH1H3czp5EGA2H3Y/s400/26170872_10155962032057302_160132058355806918_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My FIRST bathroom selfie (i think) because, why not?!!! Have a Blessed Year ahead! - Jabez</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
"2018, please be good to me". Such pleadings are pasted on thousands of Facebook walls the moment the clock struck 12 on January first. They should have made a specific emoticon for New Year Apprehensions.<br />
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I have always loved the idea of
celebrating the New Year. It is a significant period when we are stopped on our
tracks to look back and look forward. Somehow, whether we like it or not, the turning
of the year gives us a momentary halt. To
some, it is a chance to evaluate what went wrong, what worked out right. To
most, it is a time to draw the line between what was then and what will be. But
to many, it is a chance to do things over, better. A reset. <o:p></o:p><br />
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However, life does not always get
solved by a reset. Most times, it needs a lot of undoing, untangling and most
painfully, deconstructing. <o:p></o:p><br />
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And this the part where the New Year
makes me uncomfortable. When the fireworks have turned to ashes, and the
feasting have been replaced by acid reflux, you sit in one corner, confronted
by the realities that make you uneasy. <o:p></o:p><br />
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How do you manage your way around
work, laundry and a social life without getting broke?<o:p></o:p></div>
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How do you speak your mind, your
ideas, your convictions and not have second thoughts about being hated?<o:p></o:p></div>
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How do you submit to your
superiors and stand your ground?<o:p></o:p></div>
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How do you hold fast to the laws
you keep and let grace trickle from your grip?<o:p></o:p></div>
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How do you start to pursue a goal
you have long believed was too high for your reach?<o:p></o:p></div>
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How do you begin to plan for
retirement when you are only a few years away from it?<o:p></o:p></div>
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How do you sustain the momentum for things you have started when your body tells you to slow down?<o:p></o:p><br />
How do you inspire others when you are wrestling with your own idealism?<br />
How do you draw the line between "waiting" and "working on it"?<br />
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These and a thousand other
questions. Oh, I hate how acid reflux
impales me sometimes!<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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And then, you run through your IG
Best Nine and experience a pocket of sunshine. For a moment, you smile at the
thought of these nine photos you immortalized in this intangible wall called social
media. 2017 was not that bad. <o:p></o:p><br />
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You picked up a healthy habit. Lost
20 lbs and your appetite for Unli-rice.<o:p></o:p></div>
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You met new people and wonder
where they have been hiding all these years. <o:p></o:p></div>
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You ventured to learning new
skills and polishing the old ones and felt fulfilled.<o:p></o:p><br />
You have failed at some attempts but your spirit keeps going.</div>
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You mastered the art of rest. And
saying no. <o:p></o:p></div>
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You have finally come to terms with
your weaknesses and let yourself be soaked in God’s grace to overcome them. <o:p></o:p><br />
You keep noticing how your well of joy never dries up despite seasons of drought.</div>
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You have tested the limits of
your love…and found yourself unbreakable. Malleable. <o:p></o:p><br />
You love, yet again, though bent.<br />
<br />
Just nine out of the hundreds of moments of joy, of hope, of faith.<br />
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It is easy to be distracted by
questions and weakened by our fears. There are 365 days ahead of us, not one of
which is certain and that is overwhelmingly scary. But, through the years I
have learned the art of restedness ---- an act of actively resting in God, His
promises and His sovereignty. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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The New Year is not necessarily a
reset. It is a time to recalibrate our hearts, retool our minds and resume with
the original plan God has already set for us. Not without adjustments.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Paul instructs in Ephesians 4:22-24 <i><span style="color: magenta;"> You
were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old
self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made
new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created
to be like God in true righteousness and holiness</span></i>. This exercise of “Putting
off” and “Putting on” is tiresome, challenging and definitely not easy. But only
when we are no longer entangled in the pursuits of our flesh will we be able to
experience the true joy of a life lived in freedom through Christ. <o:p></o:p><br />
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Our weaknesses will only magnify.
Our questions will continue to haunt us. Our challenges will continue to mount
(laundry, included!). But when we are standing behind the One who has ‘overcome
the world’, we can walk into 2018 smiling. There's already and emoticon for that!<br />
<br />
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Jabezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00134299194006331843noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969883822439492203.post-56081127213858651792017-05-23T16:51:00.000+08:002017-05-24T10:29:41.310+08:00A Little Light<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We do not undermine the value of a little light when the night is at its darkest. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzwgpiVZSDP5Er5Pqs1qK-Z3PvReLF62gfToRPwVcbzskGdHgdlHVtziSlekXr4GhsL4ttkHqbE5SMyENc3vndYMOUaXflvNxKpwYbTBfmmmcAjzgLsa-NZltxwbdGFtOSouRhoT2U2Ic/s1600/a+light.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzwgpiVZSDP5Er5Pqs1qK-Z3PvReLF62gfToRPwVcbzskGdHgdlHVtziSlekXr4GhsL4ttkHqbE5SMyENc3vndYMOUaXflvNxKpwYbTBfmmmcAjzgLsa-NZltxwbdGFtOSouRhoT2U2Ic/s320/a+light.jpg" width="320" /></a>And at a time like this in my life, I trace my way back to that little light that kept me alive ten years ago when my heart was broken. Sometimes, you can smell heartbreaks from afar. Other times, they make themselves felt like a mini-earthquake underneath, not damaging but definitely alarming. But most times, they come unexpected. And unwanted. </div>
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And so did mine. </div>
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My convictions and peace crumbled before me like a wafer in a child’s hand. I am out of strength and slowly losing words. They say when you have a problem, all you need to do is to go out and stand under the night sky and you’d realize how small your problems are compared to the vastness of space and how few compared to the multitude of stars. I tried. But I could not even gather the strength to open my eyes. </div>
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So this piece is my attempt to crawl out of this heartbreak. Eyes still closed, heart still bruised. Even with my troubled vision I can see a flicker of light at the end. I am not so sure except that it looks like the same light that lead me out of darkness ten years ago. Light in all forms look the same. And so I hope that this one too would lead me home. One more time.</div>
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Light, no matter how little is still light and darkness still gives way to it.<br />
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John 1: 4-5<span style="color: orange;"> " In him was life,and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."</span><br />
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Jabezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00134299194006331843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969883822439492203.post-68328976511056000002017-01-03T16:26:00.001+08:002017-01-03T16:43:43.275+08:00Tiptoeing ( A New Year Post)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHdTJYK8gxQYDMJNpo_CdzRAxkjT85BulvmSwFqV9ucQokroGf3_edIu6PwesviB89WaPIb-civX4sbOhrFsy-VuwL8aswDyJ9VOPJPRnE7yzSEtamflvHDpzLT1_0himkVkPlj74qZI4/s1600/tiptoe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHdTJYK8gxQYDMJNpo_CdzRAxkjT85BulvmSwFqV9ucQokroGf3_edIu6PwesviB89WaPIb-civX4sbOhrFsy-VuwL8aswDyJ9VOPJPRnE7yzSEtamflvHDpzLT1_0himkVkPlj74qZI4/s320/tiptoe.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://undergodsfingernails.typepad.com/.a/6a017743779588970d017d3e617828970c-pi">SOURCE</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The sun shines like it is new. It seems energetic, like it is giving out warmth for the first time. It is only the 3rd day of 2017 and I am still tiptoeing into the new year, fearful I might trip. </div>
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I am here in my office desk, writing this as I wait for the lunch break. I have so much to look forward to this year. However, I am still somewhat hinged to 2016 that I don’t know where to start. Thus, the tiptoeing.<br />
<br />
A very good friend asked me what were my highlights for 2016. I paused for a few seconds to recall. Somehow, qualifying events as ‘highlights’ was a little difficult. I knew exactly why. The past year, I was beat up with work concerns that I hardly had time to pause and thank God for what was happening in my life. Yesterday, I took out my annual prayer notebook and wrote down my thanksgiving for the year. Today, I’m sharing <i>some</i> of them with you. <br />
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<u><span style="color: magenta;"><b>Highlights of 2016 (Best Twelve)</b></span></u><br />
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<span style="color: magenta;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></div>
<div>
1. Attending the Global Discipleship Congress 2016 in Manila and hearing Ravi Zacharias speak again. It was a time of refreshing and realigning to God’s purpose in my life.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy2n8TBzzOpRdMhg62QEEwa8GzaPAH-Rwb_p_sGLFn0bbchGIcuQlHa2XvW7XjtrF573aWeZvwdpm14aRrfECza0hdZY-a6aAIl-0G-J62moelSoNrCWZt_-f2AGkPtXfbXlx1YPluU0o/s1600/12621984_10153909551222302_17489856258534733_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy2n8TBzzOpRdMhg62QEEwa8GzaPAH-Rwb_p_sGLFn0bbchGIcuQlHa2XvW7XjtrF573aWeZvwdpm14aRrfECza0hdZY-a6aAIl-0G-J62moelSoNrCWZt_-f2AGkPtXfbXlx1YPluU0o/s320/12621984_10153909551222302_17489856258534733_o.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
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2.Writing short poems for the whole month of February. Writing
used to be a breeze but for the years that went by, it was a struggle. Maybe for the lack of a
muse. Or maybe for sheer laziness. But, for the month of February, I was able
to write 14 poems. Exercise is the key. You can read them at <a href="http://anovembermiracle.blogspot.com/">A November Miracle.</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvQJ2VEytgiifokd_eEKUeJBEUEKRohg_O2Tg00UimN3PZTOnoI-pozGJ2uNf_IVhlh9wRG3OkxPcZWTIfV2PLZnG-SXy75P3gCKfaZwmqzGjwA_v1YzAfYKK88rfOj8sjqa732Z1w9iw/s1600/12697408_10153934727692302_7356195909350006361_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvQJ2VEytgiifokd_eEKUeJBEUEKRohg_O2Tg00UimN3PZTOnoI-pozGJ2uNf_IVhlh9wRG3OkxPcZWTIfV2PLZnG-SXy75P3gCKfaZwmqzGjwA_v1YzAfYKK88rfOj8sjqa732Z1w9iw/s400/12697408_10153934727692302_7356195909350006361_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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3. Earning the Masters in Ministry degree. The highlight is not
the degree but graduating with my father.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdG9vEVP6EcRwjCvJALBf5fnAfNHTQy2-PomM4e_2XttRbVHL7jxtwViJGVaarAlRQ4m1tQyYAPHoaHY6L-fYJn-Fjbh_5k2yljIG9qLzh_dbj3MPJIAZvXLGPsPZVcIxu2qcSrgUUo5U/s1600/12898152_10154053171877302_7853537740799638598_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="467" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdG9vEVP6EcRwjCvJALBf5fnAfNHTQy2-PomM4e_2XttRbVHL7jxtwViJGVaarAlRQ4m1tQyYAPHoaHY6L-fYJn-Fjbh_5k2yljIG9qLzh_dbj3MPJIAZvXLGPsPZVcIxu2qcSrgUUo5U/s640/12898152_10154053171877302_7853537740799638598_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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4. <o:p></o:p>Turning 35 and enjoying the last stretch of single-life. (Why
not?) Hahahaha!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwOiaRb9p3pzK7mPAh-nyY2uUrv3Oyq8biRAaOSz5SHvL-sONb40RROemcAa4rkQupFCs0Z79-scfP8niqphpWMfq8kYzLoZsPnZsOlbkLQb_uSkZYm2Gs-jPgLU8wv2zLCkG3LBPbgHI/s1600/12970841_10154113145702302_5671994073301519623_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwOiaRb9p3pzK7mPAh-nyY2uUrv3Oyq8biRAaOSz5SHvL-sONb40RROemcAa4rkQupFCs0Z79-scfP8niqphpWMfq8kYzLoZsPnZsOlbkLQb_uSkZYm2Gs-jPgLU8wv2zLCkG3LBPbgHI/s640/12970841_10154113145702302_5671994073301519623_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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5. Training young people to be better leaders. This year, two of my friends and I started a Public Speaking company. We called it The Speaker Crafters. We trained young children not only to speak well but also to become better citizens of this country. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7VkvIkTYYuuZs2xQOKLpdcGDt5XXg0xdtYeVuYYCKH2wwt829WVYmPQUECdbregBsc3Rkw-UH7qtYrP1U8xZFBsYa4qjGxvIVCgkBPhuExrA23R1BqCzbsbLoj-iZRf2Iv141ER3zoEM/s1600/13307385_10154236599722302_5292236828565765152_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="537" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7VkvIkTYYuuZs2xQOKLpdcGDt5XXg0xdtYeVuYYCKH2wwt829WVYmPQUECdbregBsc3Rkw-UH7qtYrP1U8xZFBsYa4qjGxvIVCgkBPhuExrA23R1BqCzbsbLoj-iZRf2Iv141ER3zoEM/s640/13307385_10154236599722302_5292236828565765152_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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6. Visiting our students during their Gospel Team deployment. It was an experience that is one for the books. I went to far-flung villages to find out the situation of our student-pastors who were on Summer Internship. I am not an outdoorsy person but the lot fell on me. I was joyful enough to take the challenge. It turned out to be exciting!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmOvNsy0eUVQ4kxKnZvGsJQfDmNdZ8M8ndzlw-JzvkOcQZs-xbQ-7-0rRye7AYElKW9ZzR271ELI3LWFRF4xCfm4Vf61TbobltO-EWS86PzMql1Zp0I_NtR9Dl0tiUl3rUnDDRSWJ_QPU/s1600/13029413_10154131779912302_8038654309275815338_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmOvNsy0eUVQ4kxKnZvGsJQfDmNdZ8M8ndzlw-JzvkOcQZs-xbQ-7-0rRye7AYElKW9ZzR271ELI3LWFRF4xCfm4Vf61TbobltO-EWS86PzMql1Zp0I_NtR9Dl0tiUl3rUnDDRSWJ_QPU/s400/13029413_10154131779912302_8038654309275815338_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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7. Making myself available to be God’s mouthpiece in many
places and different occasions. God gave me opportunities to speak of His love to people of all ages, in churches, campuses, youth fellowships and even the Police force. I am humbled by this calling. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCpdCh36AKuod-7LmdF6K7MnMNTJL8hrjPwQaOJ2wYjJjPB-PrnHIFhQEl4BnoyJNHSBGn1hEFzA6AkKEDnI7JsIpZCskXKj1KUv0v-4kVMM21-Ku1qVWqUxigy8ZYsPsCj2umY1ms7fU/s1600/14706789_10157869726560001_149341780234045795_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCpdCh36AKuod-7LmdF6K7MnMNTJL8hrjPwQaOJ2wYjJjPB-PrnHIFhQEl4BnoyJNHSBGn1hEFzA6AkKEDnI7JsIpZCskXKj1KUv0v-4kVMM21-Ku1qVWqUxigy8ZYsPsCj2umY1ms7fU/s640/14706789_10157869726560001_149341780234045795_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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8. Studying Introduction to Hebrew. I can now read a little and write a little Hebrew. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVSwulCNkfEao2eSSC5avCvbVuQ1PmROW94ywEQpjSCJ93eHKwVz5BMKWliIIebT08h4TmD6q_aCgiJEQx7PRrQhMLioAl-5CVwfR9bpm4i0XMaFm5NmfH_CtGdIfrAoJBW48BOzN_axY/s1600/14711312_10154623897137302_651929047543819353_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVSwulCNkfEao2eSSC5avCvbVuQ1PmROW94ywEQpjSCJ93eHKwVz5BMKWliIIebT08h4TmD6q_aCgiJEQx7PRrQhMLioAl-5CVwfR9bpm4i0XMaFm5NmfH_CtGdIfrAoJBW48BOzN_axY/s400/14711312_10154623897137302_651929047543819353_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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9. Coordinating benefit concerts. The latest was in December. It was a
production that brought me out of my comfort zone. It was only by trusting God
that we made it through. Not only am I ecstatic that I am working with world-class performers, I am awed at how they are all-out in serving God. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjciR8JdObWtvDMYN_a3WciseIQHH272Rf-ioW65l3spr5GxLaSNo3DSZi26W4fIxE9pX9SsipHWyRkJx1p5CJECbS_0IlhqHuGhvxvJN3-2A42vQ_3xeHqjOTmDD54zQ60Nio0LRLpgKk/s1600/15741191_1758197931170363_7248346307006137333_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjciR8JdObWtvDMYN_a3WciseIQHH272Rf-ioW65l3spr5GxLaSNo3DSZi26W4fIxE9pX9SsipHWyRkJx1p5CJECbS_0IlhqHuGhvxvJN3-2A42vQ_3xeHqjOTmDD54zQ60Nio0LRLpgKk/s640/15741191_1758197931170363_7248346307006137333_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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10. Being with high school friends is always a yearly highlight. These
are the people I grew up with and somehow, being with them makes me forget
momentarily the troubles of adult life.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNtcKaEG-ls7hSMtvn7b2SNAZ7Cv3UGzHvXOZDqp61HpWlBIYFpWJivPk3sTLy7grxVgqrfLnYYs8Ge61a0XTpOH1-L6-ST_aqfoUYB3GmSTeQPjjl5lPtYiAMJWyQBAG1imBqF8ql7qk/s1600/15731791_1895747260711775_8096661122366429241_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNtcKaEG-ls7hSMtvn7b2SNAZ7Cv3UGzHvXOZDqp61HpWlBIYFpWJivPk3sTLy7grxVgqrfLnYYs8Ge61a0XTpOH1-L6-ST_aqfoUYB3GmSTeQPjjl5lPtYiAMJWyQBAG1imBqF8ql7qk/s640/15731791_1895747260711775_8096661122366429241_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<o:p></o:p><br />
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11.Spending time with family. We had spur of the moment reunions and they
were all fun!!! <o:p></o:p></div>
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12. Having a family that accepts me for everything that I am not and holds the hope for everything I can become. </div>
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I started this piece by saying how I am tiptoeing into 2017. Now, having looked back, I can say, there is nothing to fear! God has been faithful and will always be faithful. </div>
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I am reminded of what I read yesterday in Psalm 106. It was a recounting of how the Israelites turned away from God and how, each time, God came to their rescue. But, as the pattern repeats and the plot worsens, verse 44-45 say:</div>
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<span style="color: magenta;">"Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress, when he heard their cry.<br />For their sake he remembered his covenant,<br /> and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love."</span></blockquote>
I know now why the sun shines like it has not seen the troubles of 2016. It was created by a God whose love is persistent, endless, unceasing. That fact alone steadies my wobbly feet.<br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Happy New Year! </span><br />
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Jabezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00134299194006331843noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969883822439492203.post-6693001631340536522016-10-05T16:12:00.000+08:002016-10-05T17:14:54.616+08:00To Teachers<div class="MsoNormal">
I was raised by teachers. My parents were Public school
teachers. Manila paper was a staple and the smell of Pentel pen ink was always
present in the house. Back in the day, teaching using the computer was unheard
of. Chalks were the medium and dustless chalks a luxury. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I am a teacher but admittedly, not a very effective one. As
to why, I will explain it in another post. Today, in celebration of World
Teachers’ Day, I dedicate this piece to the teachers who made a dent in my
life. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>To the teacher who
opened my world to the wonder of stories</i>. I looked forward to every Sunday
School, paid close attention to how your eyes would grow wide, and most
importantly, your nail polish. I copied you at home, lining up my dolls and
retelling the stories I heard from you. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>To the teacher who taught
me to read.</i> It was not the reading I remember the most but how, one
surprising day, we cut bananas and papayas in class and made fruit salad. It was
the first time I wore an apron. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>To the teachers who
helped me discover new things.</i> You taught me the word ‘kidnap’ and it was a
fear that haunted me daily. You taught me the words ‘noisy pupils’ and I was
careful not to be on that list. You taught me the word ‘quiet’ and I had a hard
time being one, even until now. But, you also taught me the words assignment,
cleaners, and pass your papers. With those I learned that some things have to
be done on your own, you need to pick up after yourself, and most importantly,
opportunities have deadlines. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>To the teachers who
gave me time on stage.</i> You helped me conceive a dream I never knew I had
until later when the stage became my avenue for influencing others. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>To the teacher who
made me take over her class when I was 14</i>. You were right. I was going to
need that experience to toughen me up six years later when I had to go on
Practice Teaching. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>To the teachers who
made science and math the most important subjects in the world</i>. You made me
religious! True enough, algebra, trigonometry, chemistry and physics are
nothing compared to the complexity of romantic love. I am glad I was trained in
your class to survive!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>To the teacher who
taught me how to be a homemaker</i>. I can bake, I can sew, I can arrange
furniture, I know the color chart, I can make fruit preserves ,I can embroider,
heck, I can even dress a chicken all
because you did not accept anything less than perfect from us. As to having a
family, I am working on that. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>To the teachers who
had to deal with our adolescence</i>. Today, as I deal with young people I have
one question: <i>How did you maintain your
sanity without punching us in the face?</i> *clap clap clap* I have many words
but all can be summarized in two: Thank You! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>To the teacher who
made me fear my English class</i>. You unearthed a wealth of courage I did not
know I have. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>To the teacher who
scribbled notes on my essay</i>. I fell in love with writing because of you.
Also, I was slightly in love with you until you left us. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>To the teacher who
gave me an 80 in a major subject.</i> I.will.never.forget.you. Hahaha! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>To the teacher who made
me interpret my Dexter’s Laboratory comics in class</i>. I discovered my humor
because of that experience. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>To the teachers who instilled
the love of country to us.</i> I am fighting because of you. I will not be
quiet because of you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>To the teachers who
showed me the bridge between Theology and Practice.</i> I am having a swell time
because your lives are living examples. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Lastly, <i>to my in-house
teachers</i> who until today check my attendance, give me occasional lectures
on matters I usually evade, and evaluate my performance in life, thank you. You
were <i>our</i> first teachers and will
continue to be after every one is finished with us. Thousands of unruly,
hard-headed pupils came and went out of your classrooms but, bad news, we’re
staying! Sorry parents, you can’t get rid of us. Haha! After years of leaving the
service, here you are still teaching us tirelessly about life and the one true
God we serve. I guess, when you are a parent, you never retire from teaching. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I was raised by teachers. I hope that in this generation, I
can also raise some. With everything that is happening in the country and
around the world, I fear for this generation. The world is full of monsters
ready to pounce at these young people. Therefore, I have committed to fight for
them and with them. And education is my weapon of choice.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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I am a warrior. I teach. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Back in the days when my ideas of entertainment were cutting my bangs, and letting my Grade 2 students interpret the skit "The Cat and Dog" on their own. They made their own costumes and did their own make up. <br />
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These kids are in college now and I, well, am tempted to cut my bangs again.Hahaha! <br />
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Jabezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00134299194006331843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969883822439492203.post-84626843103482897442016-08-23T16:01:00.000+08:002016-08-23T16:05:02.429+08:00CPU Christ Emphasis Week<div class="MsoNormal">
I just came back from a week-long preaching engagement. It
is a miracle I have even managed to write. My body is weak, as of the moment,
suffering from Acid reflux – the kind where you can not eat but you have to
eat. I think it is my body demanding some rest. Or maybe it is my mind that
needs to. Whichever it is, I will not let that stop me from writing about this. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I have never realized the depth and width of a Christian
university's ministry until I had this opportunity to speak at Central
Philippine University last week for their semestral Christ Emphasis Week. I was
invited to speak to the high school students of the university for five days.
It was daunting to face 1500 young people, full of energy and all with
different backgrounds. It was only by the grace of God that I was able to go up
on stage, speak the word and invite them to commit their lives to God. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But 1500 is nothing compared to the 10 thousand plus college
students the university has, and all these
heard the Gospel all week. And this happens every semester. Imagine, if each college student stayed in the university for 8 semesters, that’s
8 chances of telling them the Good news! Not to mention the many campus
ministries who are also doing their best wining the students for Christ! Kudos to Rev. Cris Amorsolo Sian , Rev. Francis Neil Jalando-on and the pastors in the Chaplain's Office for putting their heart, mind and body into this, making sure the Gospel will not be delivered unsatisfactorily. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I am glad CPU is still going against the tide. These days when it is even difficult to call yourself a Christian School, CPU is standing up, bearing strong the legacy of the missionaries who started it 110 years ago! May God protect the hearts of its leaders. It is my prayer that It will continue to put Christ central to its objectives. </div>
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<b>Isaiah 55:11<i><span style="color: purple;"> "<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; font-family: "arimo" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."</span></span></i></b></div>
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Jabezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00134299194006331843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969883822439492203.post-56225482828587315732016-03-27T17:10:00.001+08:002016-04-08T04:14:57.761+08:00I Looked For the Living Among the Dead<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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“Where do I go to take a break?”<br />
<br />
I heard myself ask this question a few times over for about three months now. I felt that I was in dire need of refreshing. No, I was not bent from work – just a little chipped maybe. Normal, I guess. I was not going through an emotional problem. I read my bible. I prayed. These were the things I told myself that were NOT the reasons why I needed to get away. <br />
<br />
Or maybe, these were the reasons why I needed a break. Because everything was normal on the outside but inside, things were a little messy. We know the mess we keep inside. I ‘try’ to keep the office table tidy by dumping all the things inside the drawer. The table looks clean but the drawers are another story. This was how I felt these months. <br />
<br />
I tried to read the Bible everyday for fear that if I don’t , I’d fall off completely. I walked the way of wisdom but during the day I find myself making some foolish decisions or spilling ungodly talk. It was terrifying to go to bed at night and realize how horrible I lived the day. <br />
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I marched through a ceremony, bowing my head not much as a sign of commitment but in shame for how unworthy I am to say yes to a task for the chosen. Me, chosen? <br />
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Most times, I felt God was a little far. No, not that He was. I <i>FELT</i> He was. It was a foreign feeling. I justified it by saying maybe this is how I should always feel so that I would always seek Him. I told myself maybe this is what they mean when they say have a “hunger for God”. But it wasn’t. <br />
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I figured, a personal retreat would cure it. A special time of meditation, a special revelation and a dramatic visitation would be the turning point for this. <br />
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Until this morning.<br />
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My unexcited self went to church (thanks to also being sick for days) unaware that what I was longing for will be answered. My pastor talked about Jesus being alive in our lives. She talked about how, in our daily living we say we believe Christ is alive but live as though He isn’t. It was the prelude to how God revealed to me the truth about everything I've been going through.<br />
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Then we sang “He Lives”. And all that has kept me chained came loose. <br />
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<span style="color: blue;">I serve a risen Saviour, He's in the world today;<br /> I know that He is living, Whatever men may say;<br /> I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer,<br /> And just the time I need Him He's always near.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: blue;">Chorus:</span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: blue;"> He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!<br /> He walks with me and He talks with me Along life's narrow way.<br /> He lives, He live, salvation to impart! You ask me how I know He lives:<br /> He lives within my heart.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: blue;">In all the world around me I see His loving care,<br /> And tho my heart grows weary I never will despair;<br /> I know that He is leading Thro' all the stormy blast,<br /> The day of His appearing Will come at last.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: blue;">Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian, Lift up your voice and sing<br /> Eternal hallelujahs To Jesus Christ the King!<br /> The hope of all who seek Him, The help of all who find,<br /> None other is so loving, So good and kind.</span></blockquote>
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I saw what was wrong with me. I did not remember that Jesus, this God I believe in, is living in me. So,I desperately looked for him elsewhere. I was like one of those women during the resurrection morning “looking for Jesus among the dead”. <br />
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I looked for him in the songs I sang. I looked for him in the feeling of accomplishment at having read my bible. I looked for him in my ritualistic service. I looked for Him in my theology. There, I fooled myself into believing that<b><i> I can</i></b> look for him. <b><span style="font-size: large;">I</span></b>. As if my eyes were clear enough to see Him.<br />
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But there He was, having not left at all, loving me through my pride, arrogance, my constant defeat against my flesh, my anger and my unforgiveness just to name the ‘majors’. Believe me, people who are in the 'ministry' have a longer list.<br />
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I forgot that He was walking with me “along the narrow way” as the song says. I always thought that this refers to some problem or devastation but today, I realized THIS IS MY NARROW WAY! And what comfort it is to know that I don’t have to keep walking to find Him. He’s here!<br />
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I forgot that He took the long and dusty road from heaven to earth to find me. Me, the lost one.<br />
And all this time, I made myself believe it was <b>I</b> that should look for him. He's here!<br />
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I forgot that He bore to be forsaken by the Father so he can win over death. Win over any form of death anyone can imagine so we don't have to keep looking for him like sorrowful lovers. He's here!<br />
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I do not boast of a steady spiritual life nor a strong one. But one thing I boast of is this, that the Christ I believe in has conquered death and lives every day to bring life to me.<br />
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I may need a break, but no longer to 'find' God. He's here!<br />
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Today is Easter. Indeed, my Easter! <br />
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Happy Resurrection Morning! <br />
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<br />Jabezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00134299194006331843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969883822439492203.post-2245804447825071372015-12-08T16:35:00.000+08:002016-10-06T10:27:06.004+08:00A Challenge to LoveNovember breezed through. We are in the Christmas season. "Time flies" is cliche but there is no better way to describe what it does than exactly that - it flies!<br />
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I just finished reading a blog post by Dr. Everett Piper, President of the Oklahoma Wesleyan University. He wrote about how we have taught this generation to be self-centered and narcissistic. It was brought about by an incident where a student went to him and complained after a chapel service that he felt 'victimized' by the sermon on 1 Corinthians 13 by making him feel guilty that he does not love enough according to the terms in the Bible. Piper went on to say that this :<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #484545; font-family: , sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24.3px;">If you’re more interested in playing the “hater” card than you are in confessing your own hate; if you want to arrogantly lecture, rather than humbly learn; if you don’t want to feel guilt in your soul when you are guilty of sin; if you want to be enabled rather than confronted, there are many universities across the land (in Missouri and elsewhere) that will give you exactly what you want, but Oklahoma Wesleyan isn’t one of them.</span></blockquote>
He then concluded with the statement : This is not a Day Care, this is a University!<br />
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(You can read the whole article here:<a href="http://www.okwu.edu/blog/2015/11/this-is-not-a-day-care-its-a-university/">OKWU</a>)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjijqQF9c9XeozruXjp2OF9eZTYafqIrfR7WqwoJSude-EUSzSemjUYy5I5yUptvBGm9jSF6wfb3LkoNF-U7mLUe4UCSGzpTB8m0Z1CgoijwS35Uxb_QlnvzpJ4ayXEQb4AWx1D9cb8ubU/s1600/Bible-Verses-For-College-Students.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjijqQF9c9XeozruXjp2OF9eZTYafqIrfR7WqwoJSude-EUSzSemjUYy5I5yUptvBGm9jSF6wfb3LkoNF-U7mLUe4UCSGzpTB8m0Z1CgoijwS35Uxb_QlnvzpJ4ayXEQb4AWx1D9cb8ubU/s320/Bible-Verses-For-College-Students.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn3.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Bible-Verses-For-College-Students.jpg">SOURCE</a></td></tr>
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I share his sentiments because I am working in a Bible College. We train young people who answered the call of God for full-time ministry service. It seems like a noble place to work in. A cause that is a major player in the Kingdom Agenda. But 4 years into the job, I am slowly coming to terms with what Jesus really meant when he said "take up your cross and follow me".<br />
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We try to help the students maximize the learning experience by enclosing them within a set of rules.In my opinion, boundaries help us discipline ourselves. And so, these boundaries were set so they can stick to their goal and grow while keeping at it. But this is where the struggle comes. Obedience is not man's impulse, sin is.<br />
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When some students are reprimanded for their obvious violation of rules, there's usually a retaliation. Because for them, their judgement was right. And no matter how logically you present things, they will always see you as the adversary and will feed on self-pity and anger against the implementors of the rules. And this is the hard part - no amount of reason can win them. Only genuine love.<br />
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Man's impulse is not love, sin is. And puttting love to work the way Jesus did, is difficult. It is during these times that I tell myself "when Jesus said, 'take up your cross and follow me' he wasn't exaggerating!!!" This, here, most times feels like a trip to Calvary.<br />
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Giving up is the easiest option. Or apathy. But both will not let me taste the sweet fruits of victory when these young people are transformed into what God has called them to be. I, too, will be transformed.<br />
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Everyday, I wish I could say what Dr. Piper has said. But following Christ has a taller demand.<br />
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And so I wait, and I work, and in the meantime, put Love into action until love becomes my compulsion.<br />
<br />Jabezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00134299194006331843noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969883822439492203.post-52626182376643563012015-10-21T11:49:00.001+08:002015-10-22T11:21:56.292+08:00Grace-fully YoursMy High School best friend was married last Monday to his girlfriend of many years. It was something he had long planned for. It went beautifully, I gathered. Yes, I did not make it to the wedding. Long story.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://mynaijastories.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/grace.jpg">Source</a></td></tr>
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There are things in our lives that pushes us to get out of our own puddles and walk on dry ground. "Get up and Grow up", I once wrote. Growing older must mean growing wiser. Imperative. It is an odd sight to see people who are well in years whine about irrational things like a two-year-old boy who was not allowed to fly a kite in the rain.<br />
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I do not say that I have never ever acted irrationally. I have. Many times, I have allowed feelings to make decisions for me. I ended up either apoligizing to the person I have hurt or lose them completely. It is terrible.<br />
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But what is worse is my tendency to be apathetic about a situation or toward a person for fear of making emotionally-driven decisions. I mistake apathy for rationality. And the results are equally terrible. I still lose people.<br />
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Adult life is tricky. You stature demands an equal level of maturity of which we lack most times. It is frustrating to deal with immature people. More frustrating when it is your own immaturity you are dealing with.<br />
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Lately, I watched a movie with my friend that we found unsatisfactory - the plot, the acting - everything! And I endlessly expressed my disgust about this movie to anyone I was in conversation with. A few days after, I prayed and asked God for one thing: that He would help me manage the intensity of my expressions of disgust about things and people. Mature people dont spill their comments anywhere where it is not needed.<br />
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So what is the middle ground for irrationality and apathy? Grace. Grace. Grace.<br />
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The other person's incompetence may irritate you, but you don't count it against him. He does not deserve another mile of your patience (because, hello! You have repeated the instruction a thousand times!) but you stretch it anyway. Grace.<br />
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You're at a restaurant and ordered the food they can serve the fastest (15 mins) because you are famished. 20 mins goes by. You call for the waiter. He comes back and asks apologetically if you could wait for another 10 mins as your order was not forwarded to the kitchen. You are now unbelievable HANGRY (hungry +angry). You position yourself to deliver your Customer Rights monologue but you stop you take out your phone instead and type out a status message on facebook that will obviously bash this establishment. But you delete it. You ask for another glass of water and just make a mental note to not go there again when you are hungry. Grace.<br />
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You're waiting for a phone call. He said he would call after this 2-hour meeting. By the time you turn-on your night light, your phone rings. And you pull out that mental drawer where you kept the essay you composed in your mind as to how abandoned he makes you feel. Maybe this is not working for you. Maybe you are not meant to be together. But you quietly listen to how his day went and you lovingly tell him how frustrated you felt without putting the blame on his one-track male mind. You forget about your fiery essay. Grace.<br />
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Or he calls and you are determined to not talk to him again. Maybe ending it this way is better. No exchange of words. But you pick up the phone anyway and say hi. Grace.<br />
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It is not losing your cool over something nor it is losing interest over it.<br />
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Many times I find myself being completely out of reason. I do things I shouldn't. I hurt people I thought I couldn't. And oh, the scandals I make in the face of God! But, God has never lost His composure in my presence. He has never banged the door on me. He has never let out an essay of how wicked, wretched, and beyond repair I am. Instead, he delivers sunshine at the doorstep everyday, inviting me to breakfast. Grace.<br />
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Truth is, God did lose his cool - in that workshop by the hill when he nailed his anger on the One who did not deserve it. Grace for me. Grace for you and me!<br />
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Grace is indicative of Maturity. There is a deeper truth to the term "Growing Old Gracefully". It is more than just embracing adulthood with a positive attitude. It is maximizing the moments of your life by not being weighed-down by the people who wear you out.<br />
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That's the kind of life you want right? Grace ushers you to live it. It is up to you to give it.<br />
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I don't want to miss anymore weddings of the people I treasure most. I decide to let people enjoy the Grace I enjoy.<br />
<br />Jabezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00134299194006331843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969883822439492203.post-29464834472319116302015-09-17T23:42:00.000+08:002015-09-17T23:42:07.017+08:00I am single. I choose Joy. Last Saturday, my friend <a href="http://emmyloufiman.com/ep-1-over-thirty-and-still-single/">Emmy of A Beautiful Life</a> invited me to be the guest in the first episode of her podcast series. We talked about the struggles and delights of being over thirty and still single. Aptly, it was titled that - "Over Thirty and Still Single". I have not talked about that topic in this blog although in my Poetry blog, <a href="http://anovembermiracle.blogspot.com/">A November Miracle</a>, most poems are drawn out from my experiences as a single adult. Mostly, my romantic experiences..or the lack thereof.<br />
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A few years back, I ranted often about my single status. I usually talked about it in a comedic way. The only people who did not find it funny were my relatives, my mother most especially. Looking back, I had the constant urge to tell the world I am single. For advertisement maybe(Hahaha!), or plainly, I just wanted people to have something to laugh about. Thanks to Timehop, I am reminded everyday of the things I said and am embarrassed about them.<br />
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For a while, I tried to evade the issue of singleness. When people ask why I am single, I usually tell them "Nobody wants to marry me!" And then laugh. It was funny. Until, it became my default answer...and it wasn't funny anymore.<br />
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When your timeline is filled with babies and your calendar with weddings, being single is no longer funny. It takes the fun out of funny. When you are asked a million times why you aren't married, coached hundred times how to get a guy, and subjected countless times to matchmaking (which by the way you try very much to politely decline), being single is no longer fun.<br />
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Jealousy. Envy. Pride. Self-absorption. Arrogance. Bitterness. They all start to form a bedrock for you to fall on. It was very tempting and easy to pick a person, or a circumstance to take the blame for my single sorry state. But, it was not the route I was willing to take. And so, I sought the Lord how to graciously navigate through this life of singleness without draining the life out of me.<br />
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The solution? Joy. Not happiness. Not positivity. Not a ton of activities to take up my time. Not the constant urge to look like a head-turner.<br />
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Joy. That peace that tells you you don't have to run after your biological clock. That peace that tells you "this, right here is your best spot". That peace that tells you married life is something to look forward to but singleness is, as of the moment something for you to enjoy. That peace that tells you not everyone's love story is the same. That peace that tells you you are at the center of God's will. That for me is joy.<br />
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It is a daily battle to fight for joy. Tucked beside my door is a note that says "Choose Joy" so I can read it to myself before I leave the room. There are many things I struggle with everyday and being single is the least of them. In fact, being single, in many ways have become an advantage in the light of the other things I struggle with.<br />
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Joy is a personal matter. It is not tied to anyone. It is not tied to any circumstance. It is the evidence of God in you, a fruit of the Spirit.<br />
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Lately, singleness is not longer an 'issue' I need to evade. It is where I am. And I am joyful about it.<br />
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<br />Jabezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00134299194006331843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969883822439492203.post-80549880670781503242015-06-24T17:54:00.000+08:002015-06-24T18:13:14.009+08:00Back to Baking<div class="MsoNormal">
No, I have not been on hiatus. I have been inconsistent in
updating this blog. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I still desire to finish that #35weekslist blog. I will
continue next week. Meanwhile, let me share my recent ‘pick-me-upper’: Baking! <o:p></o:p></div>
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Yes! Believe it or not, I know how to bake. Haha! I learned
baking in High school. It was part of our Home Economics class and one could
never graduate without learning how to bake a cake and decorate it. I still have the index card recipes that our teacher
told us to copy and keep. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEuPSITVU9HIhMHLtz_d55uEujpHRSm3szMbN0PuEuDNg-_iQ5Zy5RhM8vPmqAGbZK3ZrV3z3_5PxyHitzP4gvLjLCkifg11DYWcvV80Dv-fRfUg9Vh3GEnhiUqJzb6nIGbDL57IszXc0/s1600/1382034_10151932652962302_34278566_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEuPSITVU9HIhMHLtz_d55uEujpHRSm3szMbN0PuEuDNg-_iQ5Zy5RhM8vPmqAGbZK3ZrV3z3_5PxyHitzP4gvLjLCkifg11DYWcvV80Dv-fRfUg9Vh3GEnhiUqJzb6nIGbDL57IszXc0/s400/1382034_10151932652962302_34278566_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Last summer, my cousin gave me her unused electric oven.
Just in time, the mango season came and the overflow of mangoes perked up my
creativity. So I made mango jams to preserve them and baked mango muffins and
pie tarts just so we wont have to throw out overriped mangoes. That rekindled my love affair with baking. I discovered, it relaxes me and
gives me a sense of satisfaction when I hit the bed at night feeling very tired
from it. It is also a joy watching people eat the sweets. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWE18ubuF6kdUW-Tzn0o8KksAt2mDnFSY__i4Nxi_6Pq8ACVyvQbseVF6tz1PupYqr1KUAqPzbtGA5d5DKxtPcUJhnO_rxGTy5dWuvb8sy0ACmcYKIXcRInvRukDQEIGrEctDLz7FJTH0/s1600/IMG_20150521_211058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWE18ubuF6kdUW-Tzn0o8KksAt2mDnFSY__i4Nxi_6Pq8ACVyvQbseVF6tz1PupYqr1KUAqPzbtGA5d5DKxtPcUJhnO_rxGTy5dWuvb8sy0ACmcYKIXcRInvRukDQEIGrEctDLz7FJTH0/s400/IMG_20150521_211058.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homemade Mango Jams</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mango and Chocolate Chip muffins</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqhM3xSL9AHo4M6trscsmo9zmGqY58fKZLPZuZsjXR0eXbAjeekC6MFq1WWkbjFETfXaDjyPPfqbndprPttlMOm3RA9w8hfscNON8fx0KvtHpU3fV13gHogcAMGLm-3HB4Uv6jUrS5lzw/s1600/IMG_20150619_143800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqhM3xSL9AHo4M6trscsmo9zmGqY58fKZLPZuZsjXR0eXbAjeekC6MFq1WWkbjFETfXaDjyPPfqbndprPttlMOm3RA9w8hfscNON8fx0KvtHpU3fV13gHogcAMGLm-3HB4Uv6jUrS5lzw/s400/IMG_20150619_143800.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate Chip and Oatmeal Cookies</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV5WcuYoE2GBRli2nE9rsokt0s_BIbyrqyKidznWr9j5lIuX_L-RRSfW4iswjjxv3tst_TM_-RL5nTf8zIs38iPSQM2W4flXmy6DZFNrM2q12qHqd5-BjuTi7MuKPm7cU0dn2eEXb544I/s1600/IMG_20150621_151737.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV5WcuYoE2GBRli2nE9rsokt0s_BIbyrqyKidznWr9j5lIuX_L-RRSfW4iswjjxv3tst_TM_-RL5nTf8zIs38iPSQM2W4flXmy6DZFNrM2q12qHqd5-BjuTi7MuKPm7cU0dn2eEXb544I/s400/IMG_20150621_151737.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carrot Cake. I am glad I tried baking it. <br />Carrot cake is my favorite cake :D<br /></td></tr>
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One of my favorite bible stories is that of the widow of
Zarephath who fed Elijah during the time of famine.When Elijah came and asked
if she could bake him some bread, this
is what she said: <o:p></o:p></div>
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“As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she
replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little
olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a
meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.” 1 kings 17:12<o:p></o:p></div>
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But she did anyway. And we know what happened next. The flour
never ran out and the oil kept on pouring. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I love this story not only because the story book showed a
picture of a woman kneading flour to make bread, but also because it tells us
of the joy and blessing of obedience. </div>
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Jabezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00134299194006331843noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969883822439492203.post-19658968363237739532015-04-08T11:32:00.000+08:002015-04-08T11:32:22.573+08:00Love is...( A DIY Country-Themed Wedding) On Easter Sunday, while the sun was slowly retiring, my friends Peter and Kay were married in a small chapel in Cadiz City. It was a beautiful afternoon. Friends and family gathered to celebrate their union, one that was written by God, as evidenced by their lovestory.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1KX0IYsFczBYbEUjY9ftQJVN5UlaE_jYtCC-6bAziYCn_F4lucjMg7lKugI814QFVotPH4iZedEsroF8N5jZYasMI9PtPw3yH89oI9XhMMvWyNZQjfj_Yi3sO0mLAlbDJk_ygXVG_H9c/s1600/PhotoGrid_1428394784165.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1KX0IYsFczBYbEUjY9ftQJVN5UlaE_jYtCC-6bAziYCn_F4lucjMg7lKugI814QFVotPH4iZedEsroF8N5jZYasMI9PtPw3yH89oI9XhMMvWyNZQjfj_Yi3sO0mLAlbDJk_ygXVG_H9c/s1600/PhotoGrid_1428394784165.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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Kay and Peter grew up in the same small city, went to the same church, made many common friends but fell in love only later in life. Born a few years apart from each other, Peter being the senior, they developed different interests that amazingly makes them perfect for each other. Like how Kay had always wanted a ranch-like wedding - laid back, raw and cozy, and Peter, long before falling in love with Kay, has planted so many trees, a necessity in this country-themed wedding. Those trees are what they cut off to enclose a clearing that made the venue look like a barn. Perfect! That, and many more, they just go well together, bringing out the best in each other.<br />
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So, here are a few pictures from that wedding. Pinterest-worthy, I must say!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigkUrHzYNvtIiEcQs1wjZMXiKHFbEZLcMwMw35xZsdcv_1erXOiGZmjKYckAKPuSBpQe5vEwd3yhk9toB1rw__82QIvofFFeg_tPrsXc-U-XCefQt8roJDIGqe_6bfCa4vL7U25AR5eBo/s1600/11096525_813035312117453_130861609508694158_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigkUrHzYNvtIiEcQs1wjZMXiKHFbEZLcMwMw35xZsdcv_1erXOiGZmjKYckAKPuSBpQe5vEwd3yhk9toB1rw__82QIvofFFeg_tPrsXc-U-XCefQt8roJDIGqe_6bfCa4vL7U25AR5eBo/s1600/11096525_813035312117453_130861609508694158_n.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The very beautiful bride, Kristine Anne Yee</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGAgft_KAnmr7HAcRCRTdcHFMP52-6jly7g1Lm322a81cST31iUxl7V-OFhosaGgmVVghOaMln9nHUyxsEJgAspDDHERTC86CRKX5SNeAa3X1SXlXN-28nkEb72_v3U6B58IPP0G6Nok/s1600/10636181_10205034521040020_6614600470960523464_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGAgft_KAnmr7HAcRCRTdcHFMP52-6jly7g1Lm322a81cST31iUxl7V-OFhosaGgmVVghOaMln9nHUyxsEJgAspDDHERTC86CRKX5SNeAa3X1SXlXN-28nkEb72_v3U6B58IPP0G6Nok/s1600/10636181_10205034521040020_6614600470960523464_n.jpg" height="473" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Wedding Ceremony at the Chapel</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEHHJ6V1cR70pZbgN08zTiXzF8ujuuOXlYplP0EPN5GX76ScZZCzkE8qRFmdNOvB8z4tK4kmSh2t2I75QocsOBC6QBDfy_fEQcPypDLSh1xthEDMTgZDn0qbtyH1yj-JL1Jo8iVP84bZM/s1600/10985191_813743652046619_7320550892420037209_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEHHJ6V1cR70pZbgN08zTiXzF8ujuuOXlYplP0EPN5GX76ScZZCzkE8qRFmdNOvB8z4tK4kmSh2t2I75QocsOBC6QBDfy_fEQcPypDLSh1xthEDMTgZDn0qbtyH1yj-JL1Jo8iVP84bZM/s1600/10985191_813743652046619_7320550892420037209_n.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The equally beautiful Maid of Honor, Kathrine Rose Yee<br />This amazing lady conceptualized the Dessert Table and made all the desserts. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLopFe6NCABmhdjvlAvPDF3uqRlpC8miUgciQGtT4U7OsJjLoiNiMlf-FyMFPXMc5cWrJQaL2ecZVP_JLVlz93OMb-LsyvdmT5iA0QotslLkaArDBcKQEfoBtKbejnIqaW2tQL2-FoRJ4/s1600/2015-04-07+16.09.35.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLopFe6NCABmhdjvlAvPDF3uqRlpC8miUgciQGtT4U7OsJjLoiNiMlf-FyMFPXMc5cWrJQaL2ecZVP_JLVlz93OMb-LsyvdmT5iA0QotslLkaArDBcKQEfoBtKbejnIqaW2tQL2-FoRJ4/s1600/2015-04-07+16.09.35.jpg" height="640" width="473" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cocktails ala Country</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMY7nbJJiAv7FCj0hBMFEjGzQ60imlIZ_lCW4sEgA0jN1OL72OdrD0ZR1HrF4qzCWcHPOfKr4jQpW2lUs-h_Dr4F6RCJP1Rg6x37wAWpe2sUZIOjeuOi7f3P22ikR6vY5U3Y0Rgu1ip0/s1600/2015-04-07+15.35.36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMY7nbJJiAv7FCj0hBMFEjGzQ60imlIZ_lCW4sEgA0jN1OL72OdrD0ZR1HrF4qzCWcHPOfKr4jQpW2lUs-h_Dr4F6RCJP1Rg6x37wAWpe2sUZIOjeuOi7f3P22ikR6vY5U3Y0Rgu1ip0/s1600/2015-04-07+15.35.36.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bride's Maids and Matron</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_c9X26SsE66Z4sAzbNHH9Z5u6HDpnZN40HHnUd-isU963uWV16mT2YB_POf0EfbRj3V221FRXUQTiZv2TQJ2-i4SEi6-ZtjDmafcRgfxghkjdhuEgoJ_uw95OfGcg-3WJzMFM3yUyPU/s1600/10982282_813840698703581_7291411245544741863_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_c9X26SsE66Z4sAzbNHH9Z5u6HDpnZN40HHnUd-isU963uWV16mT2YB_POf0EfbRj3V221FRXUQTiZv2TQJ2-i4SEi6-ZtjDmafcRgfxghkjdhuEgoJ_uw95OfGcg-3WJzMFM3yUyPU/s1600/10982282_813840698703581_7291411245544741863_n.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh, the unmatched Dessert Buffet!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq1MncNNFU-e_rSXjthdShlyLT6HVTvGxu_p8G7BEDbqqLAja5ylirYsK70FpKRoJ9c4tt6yJZ9jFzzVQf0qR_n4SFET0QmwJ1Ru57ecpmNFjznknpl6F2uxdVPAC4Gnsi3lCUa5-jAKk/s1600/11046648_813840488703602_3123805360461880078_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq1MncNNFU-e_rSXjthdShlyLT6HVTvGxu_p8G7BEDbqqLAja5ylirYsK70FpKRoJ9c4tt6yJZ9jFzzVQf0qR_n4SFET0QmwJ1Ru57ecpmNFjznknpl6F2uxdVPAC4Gnsi3lCUa5-jAKk/s1600/11046648_813840488703602_3123805360461880078_n.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tiered cake was made by the bride's sister Mae Anne, of<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Cakes4YouCebu?fref=ts"> Cakes4You</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI7gqhd3kMKfXGvkwfAanden0Yh9KrBI4zwSIXWaZ_mp6461_HkwTqmio6-7ZFeSMviv_lR0-v_o2Kz8XPhvUZCYbmLlmx8YLUXKqVal-xdadHfn4ENRXbAfZa_xj8wM6YfeasCDKLh1M/s1600/11060886_813743538713297_7749318515881296569_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI7gqhd3kMKfXGvkwfAanden0Yh9KrBI4zwSIXWaZ_mp6461_HkwTqmio6-7ZFeSMviv_lR0-v_o2Kz8XPhvUZCYbmLlmx8YLUXKqVal-xdadHfn4ENRXbAfZa_xj8wM6YfeasCDKLh1M/s1600/11060886_813743538713297_7749318515881296569_n.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bridesmaids.<br />Photo by the bride's brother in law, Josiah of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TeamFotograpia?fref=ts">Team Fotograpia</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrCiLf077f2-jn6VT3SuHh7D5IT9T8rgwXYmFyyvwADfH2pt4WCdIvJ49EkNB_-pvWBwWDjFuupsS10RwsWkqiKNQtkXAbZR7Sr4jx1kJK6Xg_rW9qt2nh_VUa782fyVeprWpVdl6U5vU/s1600/2015-04-07+15.37.39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrCiLf077f2-jn6VT3SuHh7D5IT9T8rgwXYmFyyvwADfH2pt4WCdIvJ49EkNB_-pvWBwWDjFuupsS10RwsWkqiKNQtkXAbZR7Sr4jx1kJK6Xg_rW9qt2nh_VUa782fyVeprWpVdl6U5vU/s1600/2015-04-07+15.37.39.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1NaAqlCS7Vr3uGsOCz3f3IVcfBThfLE5YkS0qMeDZhPmqo8exU3AwozD8egdg9x3zd9iwEuPWaXQDtcFR7xREXcjHKIOThR8B0tb_09wtpqTqW_2fTSAJ-lwR_8kVKk5SWx2qvoJTyY/s1600/2015-04-07+15.32.36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1NaAqlCS7Vr3uGsOCz3f3IVcfBThfLE5YkS0qMeDZhPmqo8exU3AwozD8egdg9x3zd9iwEuPWaXQDtcFR7xREXcjHKIOThR8B0tb_09wtpqTqW_2fTSAJ-lwR_8kVKk5SWx2qvoJTyY/s1600/2015-04-07+15.32.36.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With my Sisters Jemima and Jezrel</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjreSexO0BYLPBpJmTiZPG5HIiTRhjtvFCJe5nTz4JPnaeUKQOZCrxmToJ9k4GLjRklOlX7kRQhnnj9h0mwCcpCPKYFJSMBE9aAMrJW6zq-NSzxMfa-Y_k_PBpLdI8yQ8WINb2P29_5TPQ/s1600/11110884_813910718696579_1768872189156529229_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjreSexO0BYLPBpJmTiZPG5HIiTRhjtvFCJe5nTz4JPnaeUKQOZCrxmToJ9k4GLjRklOlX7kRQhnnj9h0mwCcpCPKYFJSMBE9aAMrJW6zq-NSzxMfa-Y_k_PBpLdI8yQ8WINb2P29_5TPQ/s1600/11110884_813910718696579_1768872189156529229_n.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sister, together with Coleen was the WEdding Singer.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhbIRAqzWflnQ911R-wDx7BDyFourSo8EnYqtXF8wq-sn2fZAbFQM1ET_SsKx3eglxk_mpX4D4eu590UHmxOrayqt3a4XzEP_7jqvMQfu_JCO7R6u6nxHDJ9NEFeRUv6TUUZKF2RNy-Co/s1600/2015-04-07+15.31.29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhbIRAqzWflnQ911R-wDx7BDyFourSo8EnYqtXF8wq-sn2fZAbFQM1ET_SsKx3eglxk_mpX4D4eu590UHmxOrayqt3a4XzEP_7jqvMQfu_JCO7R6u6nxHDJ9NEFeRUv6TUUZKF2RNy-Co/s1600/2015-04-07+15.31.29.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Pastors who are also my classmates in the Masteral class</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhisw9XAptxU2qyfUibuW4kfE0H6Rk31SGyVp5_pqJg0e8a5pRD68Z3AHlw-sSDqKEiam9gGJbHRLNr0WGCxm18L5EIm_YkP_CUb-_VVyh67OUGsBeyYdisDDDH_4wzsAyz0VgQoDxLJ_8/s1600/2015-04-07+15.38.23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhisw9XAptxU2qyfUibuW4kfE0H6Rk31SGyVp5_pqJg0e8a5pRD68Z3AHlw-sSDqKEiam9gGJbHRLNr0WGCxm18L5EIm_YkP_CUb-_VVyh67OUGsBeyYdisDDDH_4wzsAyz0VgQoDxLJ_8/s1600/2015-04-07+15.38.23.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Centerpiece</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5XS6-e3B9itNqD3RTSIT5DBCRTBWwoO6j_rlWupc0vEW7PVUuFFXB2m6o95kfd_JUCoSFYZQ5lj8ti3h-anjaE6YmgjgskhV0yN8y6YvYYth-npVxrsyanjWeJDkGkTuz9Tnz76eQWPk/s1600/2015-04-07+16.07.50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5XS6-e3B9itNqD3RTSIT5DBCRTBWwoO6j_rlWupc0vEW7PVUuFFXB2m6o95kfd_JUCoSFYZQ5lj8ti3h-anjaE6YmgjgskhV0yN8y6YvYYth-npVxrsyanjWeJDkGkTuz9Tnz76eQWPk/s1600/2015-04-07+16.07.50.jpg" height="640" width="473" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's a country wedding without apple pies? Yum!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNqhSJICENJPCovQaKBlvR2UIHzZ9skTKVRBitOTSYbjFGgFIp7Y5a7QZeYa9fBmd6CfTAA2GUxb4y6ksdgM1fo3P3BMpGdNDFX2FfMNlw5kBZCDt3no6mpJLqjrHxh_Xsxf-1D5t6fq8/s1600/2015-04-07+16.08.56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNqhSJICENJPCovQaKBlvR2UIHzZ9skTKVRBitOTSYbjFGgFIp7Y5a7QZeYa9fBmd6CfTAA2GUxb4y6ksdgM1fo3P3BMpGdNDFX2FfMNlw5kBZCDt3no6mpJLqjrHxh_Xsxf-1D5t6fq8/s1600/2015-04-07+16.08.56.jpg" height="473" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The backdrop at night</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1AKopPcESq62GziPjXaMq59dDVJZkjtka1tJcpgd1yruHGZtIcjSUcdifCkY4dh5f83mqJxf9KGoptk3_NV1zv-e_Q6BGqCvk_OxEgAnecHbsTytzcQLZjzSBr-nwSMoYFZ36F3PzgWE/s1600/FB_IMG_1428393073899+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1AKopPcESq62GziPjXaMq59dDVJZkjtka1tJcpgd1yruHGZtIcjSUcdifCkY4dh5f83mqJxf9KGoptk3_NV1zv-e_Q6BGqCvk_OxEgAnecHbsTytzcQLZjzSBr-nwSMoYFZ36F3PzgWE/s1600/FB_IMG_1428393073899+(1).jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Party! </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA5Xrtz6sGOYsWP1xq-vZ8sonGmL296WhufCSLXKurPKOTcciE4UJwG_hTVKvwnFPWazCiDzfuD8oi4_C7Vls-bj-soqUd4G86WRINLymM3o2AwZsp7AlEVPX12kb2oN3dxD6141NzqQg/s1600/PhotoGrid_1428392980009+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA5Xrtz6sGOYsWP1xq-vZ8sonGmL296WhufCSLXKurPKOTcciE4UJwG_hTVKvwnFPWazCiDzfuD8oi4_C7Vls-bj-soqUd4G86WRINLymM3o2AwZsp7AlEVPX12kb2oN3dxD6141NzqQg/s1600/PhotoGrid_1428392980009+(1).jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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And here's the Wedding Video snippet</div>
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<br /><iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/BraxvrprlDo/0.jpg" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BraxvrprlDo?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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This video was also shot and made by our church friend Rene Kristian. </div>
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A DIY Wedding is really a labor of love. It is tedious, and sometimes frustrating, but it is a testament to how much the couple is loved by people around them. I wrote on my facebook page that when Artistry is fueld by Love, expect a masterpiece. This wedding is a masterpiece. Indeed, True love brings out the beauty in everything. </div>
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Congratulations, Peter and Kay! Keep love alive!</div>
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1 Corinthians 13: 4-13</div>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><i><span class="text 1Cor-13-4" id="en-NIV-28670" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 22px;">"</span><span style="line-height: 24px;">Love is patient,</span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-28670I" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-28670I" title="See cross-reference I">I</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.625em; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span><span style="line-height: 24px;"> love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.</span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-28670J" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-28670J" title="See cross-reference J">J</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.625em; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span><span style="line-height: 24px;"> </span><span class="text 1Cor-13-5" id="en-NIV-28671" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span>It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-28671K" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-28671K" title="See cross-reference K">K</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> it is not easily angered,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-28671L" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-28671L" title="See cross-reference L">L</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> it keeps no record of wrongs.<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-28671M" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-28671M" title="See cross-reference M">M</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span><span style="line-height: 24px;"> </span><span class="text 1Cor-13-6" id="en-NIV-28672" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span>Love does not delight in evil<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-28672N" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-28672N" title="See cross-reference N">N</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> but rejoices with the truth.<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-28672O" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-28672O" title="See cross-reference O">O</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span><span style="line-height: 24px;"> </span><span class="text 1Cor-13-7" id="en-NIV-28673" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-28673P" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-28673P" title="See cross-reference P">P</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span></i></b></span></div>
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<span class="text 1Cor-13-8" id="en-NIV-28674" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><i>Love never fails."</i></b></span></span></div>
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Note: Photos were grabbed with permission from Aisa Alladin, Ian Karos, Jezrel Oberes and Josiah Caare</div>
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<br />Jabezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00134299194006331843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969883822439492203.post-36093429984498390332015-04-07T15:19:00.001+08:002015-04-07T15:19:12.559+08:00Week 4: What is in my Bag?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5C78w977Af48lbqbF15sWY2fFTNOYSFjIHUIyWLV4X0-7HMmGEF7_4-pqorqSNtrEwIzlUvoFMrgOkAHpx9kzoIdB6mZd4qQJSMRVtGRmNjlHBL3JRSVGlgbrM7CdEUgGpbvSIfNxhM4/s1600/bags.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5C78w977Af48lbqbF15sWY2fFTNOYSFjIHUIyWLV4X0-7HMmGEF7_4-pqorqSNtrEwIzlUvoFMrgOkAHpx9kzoIdB6mZd4qQJSMRVtGRmNjlHBL3JRSVGlgbrM7CdEUgGpbvSIfNxhM4/s1600/bags.jpg" height="272" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo not mine</td></tr>
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<span id="goog_921771582"></span><span id="goog_921771583"></span>Week 4 of <span style="color: blue;">#35WeeksOfLists</span> is "What is in your Bag?" I used to carry 2 bags on a normal day. And it had all that I "thought" I would need for the day. I was scared that if I needed something, I would not have it in my bag. However, as I grew older, I realized, I don't need much to get through the day, and that most of the weight I carry with me are unnecesary.<br />
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I live in the campus I work in, so even if I just carry a toothbrush to work, that would do. Well, I don't even have to bring my toothbrush. I can literally run to the bathroom anytime. So, here's what's in my bag.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1SN_ZjZyvPpgtuZoVz_MSkYcFYQkrZtUc-bN5pYjeJhuz7NEc1pwe_oxQXBn04zi0uL282a1PCDmgITJoB8DyajBc0MbQbPOCbFJBvWthFBHMw8Oe-AhgZ7zCvRK-nR14CMaKxTyOQV0/s1600/2015-04-07+14.29.08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1SN_ZjZyvPpgtuZoVz_MSkYcFYQkrZtUc-bN5pYjeJhuz7NEc1pwe_oxQXBn04zi0uL282a1PCDmgITJoB8DyajBc0MbQbPOCbFJBvWthFBHMw8Oe-AhgZ7zCvRK-nR14CMaKxTyOQV0/s1600/2015-04-07+14.29.08.jpg" height="400" width="393" /></a></div>
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1. Food Supplement<br />
2. Make-up bag<br />
3. Charger<br />
4. Dexa lotion for my allergy scars<br />
5. Gray nail polish<br />
6. Lip balm<br />
7. CoffeeMate<br />
8. Earrings<br />
9. Body spray<br />
10. Mentos gum<br />
11. Planner (yellow)<br />
12. Bead necklace<br />
13. Keys<br />
14. Phone<br />
15. Markers<br />
16. Coin purse<br />
17. Wallet<br />
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What? Seventeen items for someone who can 'literally run to the bathroom anytime'? Oh well, I don't really like running. Hahahaha! Some of the items here are there because I forgot to unload them from my bag. Also, I have not included the trash that is in my bag (papers, leaflets, candy wrappers, etc.) If anyone does not have trash in their bags, they're littering them anywhere. I am pro-environment. Haaaaa!<br />
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<span class="crossverse" style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://biblehub.com/matthew/6-34.htm" style="color: #0092f2; text-decoration: none;">Matthew 6:34</a></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."</span></div>
Jabezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00134299194006331843noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969883822439492203.post-83560982546945094882015-03-27T23:51:00.000+08:002015-03-27T23:51:01.252+08:00A grocery list, a tough week and a sweet GodIts time to update the #35WeeksofLists again. This week is "Grocery List". <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieWNIcwpMkzh-zMYa1KwT00zZ7T48CcXBMdnlvBMQ33jGBlHYX4RIrsaoIH9a2zUsw4A8feySNmb4l1Cz3vJbO71iXGt_WfmS0u5P-l162rTtvgtBuh6iQQ0qJq_DL5xDUgz1_WDpL4Yk/s1600/2015-03-27+16.11.57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieWNIcwpMkzh-zMYa1KwT00zZ7T48CcXBMdnlvBMQ33jGBlHYX4RIrsaoIH9a2zUsw4A8feySNmb4l1Cz3vJbO71iXGt_WfmS0u5P-l162rTtvgtBuh6iQQ0qJq_DL5xDUgz1_WDpL4Yk/s1600/2015-03-27+16.11.57.jpg" height="400" width="307" /></a></div>
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This week was really tough. As a college registrar with no staff under me, this is one of my busiest weeks of the year. I was always asking for joy to never leave my side. The Lord has graciously provided what I needed. </div>
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We graduated 20 students who are ready to serve as full-time pastors and church workers. While it is a joy to see them graduate, a certain pang of sadness fills my heart. I lived with these young people day in and out and one cannot evade the unhappy feeling of separation. And i have to deal with this scenario every year. </div>
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I am looking forward to many good things in April - the celebration of the Holy week, my closest friends' wedding, and the family reunion in Manila. More than that, I am excited to turn 34! Some don't like the idea of getting old. I say there is so mcuh to look forward to when you have a God who grows sweeter everyday. </div>
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"<span style="color: #674ea7;">Oh taste and see that the Lord is good. How blessed is the person who trusts in Him." Psalm 34:8</span></div>
Jabezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00134299194006331843noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969883822439492203.post-62632409461901762742015-03-17T14:31:00.001+08:002015-03-17T16:21:48.998+08:00#35WeeksofLists: Week 2 - SpeechesI dont know the category but the prompt from <a href="http://emmyloufiman.com/week-2-speeches/">A Beautiful Life </a> told me that the list for this week 2 is Speeches.( I am a week behind, by the way.) So, I wrote down my list of the speeches that are significant for me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh13j3xBvepTmLjGqYQzsbb8XDdEuixf7Cg8R6zONnW_yJlrHdipGtPLWR2Ip4CFV-xJfPh0QZUv-GKbJTsBFobJ3wZYLjBP3Xkb3NHQ5lzkwA2dyKjMK5_twmw6bulFVf1v_XtseS5WFw/s1600/PhotoGrid_1426568501096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh13j3xBvepTmLjGqYQzsbb8XDdEuixf7Cg8R6zONnW_yJlrHdipGtPLWR2Ip4CFV-xJfPh0QZUv-GKbJTsBFobJ3wZYLjBP3Xkb3NHQ5lzkwA2dyKjMK5_twmw6bulFVf1v_XtseS5WFw/s1600/PhotoGrid_1426568501096.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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1. <b>Efren Peñaflorida'</b>s acceptance speech when he was awarded as CNN Hero of the year in 2009. I like his speech because it has all the elements of a good speech (Opening, Body, Conclusion) despite it being a very short one. I use it in most of my lectures on Public Speaking.<br />
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2. <b>President Aquino's</b> speech during the Global Discipleship Congress in 2013 at CCF Manila. It was a very humble speech. He talked about why there is a need to constantly pray for him. Now, I am not a fan of politics and seldom do I give comments about it, but after that speech, I grew a deeper commitment to support our leaders in the community.<br />
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3. <b>"Single, Satisfied and Sexy"</b>. This is the speech I delivered in Davao in 2009 during the national Humorous Speech Contest of the Toastmasters International. I won the championship trophy and my life was changed since.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYeA9tMSkjOVj5yaaSP3troXtsAOUQzoAyShO2h-b5PnPB_prCuLgXlI4OVXNHSHXlmou31HnAKPHO0HW_aLIFqiRmyJzr53Tl6P7v3m_iXQIDVBg_x4XytNnW_b0lPyZudxTKKRLbaBM/s1600/165299_10150089559677302_6957370_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYeA9tMSkjOVj5yaaSP3troXtsAOUQzoAyShO2h-b5PnPB_prCuLgXlI4OVXNHSHXlmou31HnAKPHO0HW_aLIFqiRmyJzr53Tl6P7v3m_iXQIDVBg_x4XytNnW_b0lPyZudxTKKRLbaBM/s1600/165299_10150089559677302_6957370_n.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delivering the "Single, Satisfied and Sexy" Humorous Speech<br />
at Marco Polo, Davao City in 2009.</td></tr>
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Writing and delivering speeches are very much a part of me. I am committed to training others to be effective public speakers. Many leaders with a a good cause are misunderstood because they can not convey their messages in a way that is convincing and memorable. Words are powerful. And when you employ it to your advantage, it can usher you into so many posibilities.<br />
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<b>Ravi Zacharias</b>, one of my favorite authors and speaker once said, <b>"There is a massive difference between the use of fine words and the fine use of words." </b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">"A word fitly spoken</span><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.42em; line-height: 0;"> </span></span></b><span class="text Prov-25-11" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; position: relative;"><b><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">is like apples of gold in a setting of silver." </span></b></span></div>
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<span class="text Prov-25-11" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; position: relative;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Proverbs 25:11</b></span></span></div>
Jabezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00134299194006331843noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4969883822439492203.post-18634237742664876362015-03-09T17:00:00.001+08:002015-03-09T17:33:42.983+08:00I am doing the #35WeeksofListI am resurrecting this blog by doing the <span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>#35WeeksofList</b> </span>that my friend Emmy is also doing on her site <a href="http://emmyloufiman.com/week-1-books-read-the-last-2-months/"><b>A Beautiful Life</b></a>. My hands have been full lately (excuses, excuses!) but I thought this one should at least spark my writing energy.<br />
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So, here goes <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">WEEK 1: Books Read the Past 2 Months</span></b><br />
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These books are not newly acquired except for the last one. </div>
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1. <b>David and Goliath</b>, by Malcolm Gladwell. Status: Unfinished. </div>
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This is a book I gave my father last year. The joy about giving books as gifts is, it benefits the recipient and the giver. hahaha!</div>
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2. <b>The Practice of Godliness</b>, by Jerry Bridges. Status: Unfinished. </div>
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I started reading this book in January, about five years after it was given to me as a birthday gift by my friend Jaja. </div>
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3. <b>The Jesus I Never Knew</b>, by Philip Yancey. Status: Second Reading.</div>
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I finished this years ago and I started rereading it last Christmas. This has to be one of my favorite books. </div>
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4. <b>Brothers, We are still Not Professionals</b>, A compilation from Desiring God.org. Status: Unfinished. </div>
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I downloaded this free e-book from Desiring God last month. I am halfway into the book and I find it a good read for ministers. There is one article though that I don't completely agree about - one which talks about why women should not be allowed in the pulpit. My disagreement does not stem on the fact that I am a woman. I just think that the Biblical basis the writer mentioned was taken out of context. That, or it was not extensively explained. </div>
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Having written that, I am thankful for the ability to read, the eyes that has not failed me yet, and the love for reading that has grown in me since childhood. </div>
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I am hoping this #35WeeksofList will not only compel me to write but will develop in me a habit of remembering God's faithfulness in my life. </div>
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<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><i><b>Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart</b>. Proverbs 7:3</i></span></span></div>
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Jabezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00134299194006331843noreply@blogger.com0