Moving out: It is much more than that.

What & When.

I’m moving out of my condo! Times are exciting but at the same time sentimental of leaving a place I called home for the last two years. Since I moved out of my grandparents’ house after college, I moved to Marikina for work.

Quick two stories about my preps:

1.    I didn’t realize moving out was this tedious! I mean it’s not because I’m OC ha. There’s really a lot of things to do! Not complaining here, though. Hehe.

2.    I was a bit (emphasis on a bit) uneasy that I still didn’t have my boxes on the day I planned to buy them. I went to Robinson’s Supermarket and found out they don’t sell boxes anymore. Next plan was a sari-sari store but didn’t have any near our place, so I posted in facebook asking where to find boxes. Haha! Thanks to all who suggested, National Bookstore and ACE nga naman, Cha! Haha! Anyway, one of my good colleagues volunteered to deliver extra boxes he has for free. Favoooor! J It was a slap on my face when I realized I was again anxious over very small things! I mean, boxes? Really?

Okay back to my story – I’ll be packing things and cleaning the unit for two days. My two years, in two days. Good bye, my 21 SQM homey, comforting, welcoming, warm unit! Thank you for the sunlight and sky every single day. Thank you for being my home while I was getting fixed. Perhaps I really needed time alone. :)




Left most photo was taken on my first night in the unit. :)

The idea of leaving not just my unit but Marikina itself too makes me sentimental! I said I was going to be a south girl but I just fell in love with the east. I love Marikina’s suburban feel, like how everything’s a tricycle or jeep away. From local food joints (Tapsi ni Vivian, Momma Brown, Katsu, everything in Lilac, actually, Mama Chit’s, Rustic Mornings/Café Isabel, Pan De Amerikana, Beefalo, Café Lidia!!! And a lot more), Sports Center, cheap alterations and shoe repairs, not having to be so dressed up when going to the grocery… I am surely gonna miss Marikina!

I’d like to share with you some things I learned for the past 4 years:

Where & How.

You know those circumstances in life where you’re still not sure of something but you have to make a decision? And that something is out of your control? This is one of those. Thus, to kick this season off (haha!) I decided to go back to my family’s house. But of course I had to ask permission first, from my family and a lot of talking to God.

I was scared, nervous, and fearful about getting a NO, all the lies the enemy would let me think – I thought of. But prayers always work… who was I kidding? They are my family. I am my grandparents’ granddaughter, I am my tita’s niece… but most of all I am God’s daughter. I mean, He will never leave me homeless, you know…

When I was having my quiet time and praying about this decision, God answered me…

“Why are you so afraid, my child? Speak in love, in humility and in truth. I will be with you. I am with you. I have already been there. I have prepared your new home for you. Yes, I have! I have placed you where I want you to be. Just follow Me.”

Why & WHO.

Fast forward, when I asked my family if I can go back home, I got a YES. I got a yes by God’s grace. Only by God’s grace... Yes, it is undeserved!

GOD has again reminded me of His faithfulness in my moving out. It IS amazing that His faithfulness to us does not depend on our faithfulness to Him. Romans 8:28 (ESV) says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” God makes things work together. Siya talaga ang nagtatahi-tahi ng lahat. Aayusin Niya. A new chapter of my life has started (yes, for me it’s really one whole chapter!) and I am humbled, I am at peace, I am grateful, and I am excited. I cannot fathom how thankful I am, really.

So this season.. this season that I am about to leave, living alone... to a new season, living with my family again... I know that God has a greater, bigger purpose of why He led me to go back. It’s not just about saving money, or free wifi, or having home-cooked food ready when I get home… 

Spiritual Gifts and Ministry: What's yours?

“It is not the possession of extraordinary gifts that makes extraordinary usefulness, but the dedication of what we have to the service of God.” – Frederick William Robertson

 

Since I started getting involved more in our Church last year when I decided not to become a ‘benchwarmer’ who sat at the back so exiting would be much quicker (hehe), my friends would ask me what my Spiritual Gifts and Strengths are. I’d tell them I don’t know, but maybe an encourager? I really didn’t know. Strengths? What did they mean by strengths? Uhh, creativity? I was guessing. Haha.

So earlier this week, finally, I got to ‘officially’ find out about my Spiritual gifts and I would like to share them to you.

My top 3 gifts, in my current season, are: FAITH, EXHORTATION & WISDOM.

Faith

The spiritual gift of faith is not to be confused with saving faith.  All Christians have been given saving faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), but not all receive this special gift of faith.  The word for faith in the New Testament is Pistis.  It carries the notion of confidence, certainty, trust, and assurance in the object of faith.  The gift of faith is rooted in one’s saving faith in Christ and the trust that comes through a close relationship with the Savior.  Those with this gift have a trust and confidence in God that allows them to live boldly for Him and manifest that faith in mighty ways.

Exhortation

The spiritual gift of exhortation is often called the "gift of encouragement."  The Greek word for this gift is Parakaleo.  It means to beseech, exhort, call upon, to encourage and to strengthen.  The primary means of exhortation is to remind the hearer of the powerful and amazing work of God in Christ, particularly in regard to the saving work of Jesus in the atonement.  We see Paul commanding Titus to use this gift in Titus 1:9 and throughout chapter 2, particularly Titus 2:11-15.  He also charges Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:2.

The Spirit of God gives this gift to people in the church to strengthen and encourage those who are wavering in their faith.  Those with the gift of exhortation can uplift and motivate others as well as challenge and rebuke them in order to foster spiritual growth and action.  The goal of the encourager is to see everyone in the church continually building up the body of Christ and glorifying God.  See also Romans 12:8, Acts 11:23-24; 14:21-22; 15:32.

Wisdom

The spiritual gift of wisdom, like the gift of knowledge, is also referred to as the “word of wisdom” or “utterance of wisdom.”  The Greek word for wisdom is sophia and it refers to the intimate understanding of God’s Word and His commandments which results in holy and upright living.  In the context of 1 Corinthians 12:8, it means to speak to the life of an individual or to a specific situation with great understanding and a righteous perspective, with the goal of guiding others toward a life of holiness and worship. 

Those with the gift of wisdom have a deep understanding of the holiness of God and the lack of holiness in their own hearts.  They can recognize this in others as well and have the compassion and boldness to share that truth with them.  They are able to take from their own life experiences and share what God has taught them through those things.  They can easily recognize where a decision or action may lead and can warn against those that may be harmful or unfruitful.  They can often see through the confusion of a situation and can give direction that would help an individual or group obtain a God-glorifying goal.  The church needs those with the spiritual gift of wisdom to guide her though uncertain or difficult times.  See also 1 Corinthians 1:17-31, 2:1-16, 12:8; Colossians 1:9-10, 2:1-3; James 3:13-18

After taking the test, I felt “Wow Lord, Thank You for this! But Wisdom? Me? True? Ako talaga Lord?” I took the test again, actually and got the same results (Except for one: Discernment replaced Exhortation by one point, so anyway I just went with the first one). But the test was an answer to my question. Lately I’ve been asking God where am I supposed to be and how can He further use me to advance His kingdom. Plus God has given me this GIFTS. He was the one who planned this. He knows this!

Now that I’m aware, I can now leverage on these Spiritual gifts to Honor God and Make Disciples.

I really, really encourage you to find out your gifts as well! Check out http://www.spiritualgiftstest.com/tests

In connection to Honoring God and Making Disciples, (hehe, maipasok lang!) I’d also like to encourage everyone who has no ministry yet in our Church to volunteer and join a ministry. Let us Honor God thru our Service! Tomorrow is our Volunteer Weekend and it would be great if we get more volunteers this year!

A volunteer is someone who freely offers his / her talent, time, resources to take part in the enterprise to undertake a task (which is for us, to Honor God and Make Disciples! Can never really emphasize this enough.)

Why volunteer?

• To show our appreciation for what God has done for us.

• To reach out to more people – ultimately for them to know the Gospel. Knowing will be understanding, then later on living the Gospel.

• To recognize God’s call for us. The leaders are instruments but it is God who is calling us!

For me, joining KIDS ministry is one of the best decisions I made last year. I joined wholeheartedly. I was like KAMOOOON KIDS!!!!!! LET’S DO THIS!!! It has helped me become more patient, more appreciative of the little things, I gained new friends and most importantly I experienced this joy knowing that KIDS ministry trains the NEXT GENERATION to Honor God and Make disciples (again!)!!! I also grew my relationship with the Lord and has made my walk more exciting!

Where is God calling you?
Anong sabi ni Lord sayo, kapatid? Anong ministry ka Niya gusting sumali? Excited na ako para sayo. Kamon. Kamon let’s do this!

Join ka sa ministry bukas, ha. See you there!



(Lyrics from Lord of All)

Let's continue to use our Spiritual Gifts and Ministry for His Glory, not ours.



 

 

Surrounded by love.

"I wouldve asked for your number. And i wouldnt be able to wait for 24hrs before calling you up
and say hey How about some coffee or drinks or dinner or a movie...
for as long as we both shall live?" - You've Got Mail

I've been surrounded by love lately.

New relationship status, new babies, new courtship, you know, those things about love (like classic movie You've Got Mail). Haha.

I am just simply reminded of the following:

• God is faithful in our love life just as He is in all other areas of our life!
• Our love stories are all different. This makes it more looking forward to!
• Our stories may be different but one thing is common - that GOD should be the center. GOD should be the ultimate leader and that GOD should still be pursued.

For all single women out there who are waiting (no matter how old you are!) continue to grow your relationship with God. You were bought with a price and that price ain't cheap, sistah (Hihi). Set your standards. Set your convictions and stand by them. Grow with and in your convictions as Godly woman. Continue growing as you wait. Do not assume (I know, I know, but better safe than sorry!). Guard your heart. Be the best for your God's best! Godly men think about their plans, they pray a lot before pursuing or before making 'the' move, so just be patient. Have faith in God, that He is working.

For all single men out there, continue to pray for the woman (woman, not women!) you faithfully believe God wants for you. Not who you want for your self. Not out of selfish ambition. Not out of lust. Not because you just want to settle. When you get the Go signal you've been waiting for from Him, have the courage, have the faith, act like a man! Go and pursue her! (Quick story: I talked to one of my guy friends yesterday and he shared to me how he has been praying for the girl he likes for two years already and just recently got a GO already to get to know her! I am excited for them!) Indeed everything is God's timing, not ours! (update: Guys, when you are already pursuing someone or if you are in a relationship already, you still MUST respect other women - in the way you talk to them, you act around them, etc. The way you act, your stature, your wisdom must not depend on the woman, but must depend on GOD.)

If you are single now, enjoy this season! This is your season! Make the most out of it! (I'm not just preaching here.. this is also a note to self!)
To God everything is worth the wait. I know for one that it is going to be sooooo worth it!

For all those who are in a relationship already, don't stop pursuing each other. Pursuing doesn't end when you officially become a couple. Pursue each other everyday. But most of all, never stop pursuing God. When you genuinely pursue God, everything else follows - you pursue purity, honesty, faithfulness.. the list goes on. Also, relationships are hard work. But the best things don't come easy, do they?
(Quick singit: Congratulations again to my good friends Lady and Ward. I am excited for the both of you too! Hehe)

God is our ultimate goal. If God is not your ultimate goal now... then who is?

Allow yourself to be surrounded by love. By family's love. By friends' love.

Especially God's love. Most of all God's love. Ultimately God's love.

Oh and by the way, God will never stop pursuing us, too.

HONOR GOD.

Disclaimer: I set up this blogsite way back 2011 but wasn't able to sustain it. Therefore it will be under construction once I actually get a good Wifi signal. hehe. Cheers to my first ever post after three years. Hihi

Touch of Glory Prayer Mountain, Antipolo

During this time last year, our church held its annual Prayer and Fasting. Last year was about FIGHT: Fight the Good Fight of Faith, while this year’s theme is only two words, which actually encapsulates a lot of things: HONOR GOD.

It’s amazing how God can reveal Himself to us especially, especially if we deliberately ask Him to. During last year’s Prayer and Fasting, I prayed for something, then three weeks later, there it was! A life changing event indeed! I’m still in owe of how 2014 was so amazing. God, You never fail to amaze me!

Ok back to P&F…

First, it was God’s favor that I got to attend all five days of the Prayer and Fasting Service! It was the first week of the year and so I was expecting a busy-cannot-go-home-at-5:30-2hours-from-Makati but thank God schedule was manageable for me to attend all the 5 days, and actually report in our Marikina office for 3 days which meant I attended the 6:00 PM service and didn’t have to rush getting out of office to reach the 7:00 PM service. Grateful for God’s favor.

Secondly, I realized or was reminded of these three things. God speaks to us in different ways. For me, for the 5 days of prayer and fasting, there were mindsets that were corrected, prayer that was answered.

1.       Wait.

So of course, like all those who took part of this, I wrote my faith goals for this year. I have specific ones and general ones. I have small ones and big ones. Nevertheless, I know God is telling me to wait. Wait for Him. Wait for His timing. Wait on His ways. Wait for His answers. We have 365 days in a year and I know that every single day of 2015, He will be with me. I might not get what I pray for, but I will wait for His good, pleasing, and perfect plan. God is so worth it!

During the second day of fasting, He actually answered one of my prayers already! His answer was “No.” It’s okay. That’s not where He wants me to be, so it’s okay. I will wait.

2.       Trust.

 

I do not know what God’s plan for my life is. But I know that He does have a plan. I may not see the whole picture, but what I know is I have today. I have to trust Him with all my heart and surrender everything to Him. And when I say surrender, it’s not a onetime big time event – it’s an everyday thing to do! Sometimes I forget that. Sometimes I forget that He is a BIG God who can do BIG things. That I have to trust Him because He is limitless! Trust in Him. Trust in His timing. Trust His ways. Trust that He will answer.

 

3.      Faith.

I’ve been hearing people say “Claim it by faith!” or “I will do this by faith!”. I initially didn’t get it, but in the long run I did… As I was writing my faith goals, I was writing some things that to me seemed impossible. Like how will I…. (okay won’t share that! Hehe)… it just seems impossible to me! How can this happen? How can I buy this? How can I have this amount by the end of the year? But I was reminded that to men it may seem impossible, but to God, EVERY.THING. is POSSIBLE. We just need to claim it by FAITH! To believe in the things that cannot be seen! Faith that He has already been there. He is ahead of us. He has written our story! It will just unfold… Believe it. Have faith in God! It can and will happen if it’s aligned to His will! Have faith in Him. Have faith in His timing. Have faith in His ways. Have faith that He will answer.

“Be in faith for God to move miraculously in your life this year beyond what you can ask or imagine.”

Here are some of my random notes and reflections each day of the P&F:

Day 1: Honor God’s name

·         All of our conversations should be honest and hypocritical.

·         Let my yes be a yes and my no be a no.

·         I mean well but sometimes I get masungit or mataray (or maybe because my punto is Ilocana? So matapang talaga? Hehehe reasons!) so I actually don’t get my point across because people tend to respond/react to my katarayan rather than what I’m actually saying (which is good naman talaga, hehe) – am and will work on this. Looord, help J

Day 2: Honor God with our Worship

·         Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

·         The bad things that happened to me before made me draw near to Him, and I am closer to God now than I ever was in my 24 years of existence.

·         This year I am participating in 90-days to read the Bible. (not study but just read).

·         If we complete reading the Bible, our prayer life will change! (I am so excited!)

·         Dancing and singing are expressions of worshiping God – so don’t be shy – raise that hand in Church! At the end of the day, it is God we are Honoring and pleasing, not men.

Day 3: Honor God with our Wealth

·         “Lord, you are a Big God!”

·         Giving to the Lord is a matter of the heart.

·         Need to sustain discipline in budget!

·         I would want to be a testimony of how God can restore and sustain.

·         ‘God may not literally send someone to give you money, but He gives you favor.’

Day 4: Honor God with our Bodies

·         Mindset that was broken: Not just about the weight! I was too focused on weight but then during our lunch fellowship, this mindset was definitely broken. It’s not just about the weight.

·         It’s about all parts of our body! Our hands – what do we do with our hands?

·         Our ears – what do we listen to? Does it Honor God?

·         Our eyes – what do we look at? What do we watch? What do we read? Does it Honor God?

·         Our lips – what do we say? How do we say it? Does it Honor God? The same mouth that curses, the same mouth that praises.

·         On weight – you can be payat but not Honor God… like you can be so vain

·         How do you dress? I like what Rica Peralejo-Bonifacio said in her blog,

"I do not want to be legalistic. There are times when dressing is contextual. I sometimes see women were tanks, tees, and shorts that would otherwise look sensual on me but somehow it does not send the same message when worn by these women. (Hint, hint: they are often younger women.) But the point remains, this is a matter of asking ourselves: have we thought about the Lord’s honor enough to change even the simplest act of choosing what to wear for the day? Have we thought about the Lord’s honor before that intercourse with our partner? Because surely, the Lord has thought about your honor when He said not to do those things." (More on: http://www.ricaperalejo.ph/2015/to-die-for-honor/)

·         Pursue for noble purposes – only possible by God’s grace!

·         Pursue for Purity – not just in physical but as well in thoughts

·         Pursue purity not just for God’s best, but ultimately for God Himself.

Day 5: Honor God with our service

·         It’s not about what we do, it’s what He did for us 2000 years ago.

·         Always go back to WHO you are serving.

·         You grow in ministry.

·         Walang hierarchy sa Panginoon. Wala ring mas magandang ministry. Hindi higher ang music ministry. Pantay-pantay lahat.

·         Appreciate the skills and talents that God gave you. Don’t compare yourself to other people! (I was rebuked here – coz I always ask God, ‘Lord bakit hindi mo ako binigyan ng gift sa singing?’ hehe.)

·         HOW is as important as the what. So I service KIDS church – now what? How do I do it?

·         Serve with gladness.

·         Jesus died for us. How can we not allot time for our ministry?

 

All of us have different faith goals, realizations and reflections. God also has different answers for all of us. It’s between you and Him. Me and Him. He’s just so personalized. Aren’t you glad He is? J

Thank you LORD, for 2015. Whatever plans You have for me, I will accept it wholeheartedly. Surprise me!

Different days, different people: Eunice, Kim, Khay, Jeriel  Gurdeep, Jen, Ayen, Cathy, Jaimmie, Lady.

My accountability sisters and prayer partners, Diana and Eunice. Thank you so much!

Pastor Alfred as he talks about Honoring God in more ways than one.