They point me to Him

Apart from the Word of God and friends, what helped me remain sane in the past few weeks were the numerous books which cluttered my bed and room.  Once again, I make sure that a member of their kind is inside my bag. I tried not to keep my mind idle for there is truth in the saying “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.” Whenever grim or depressing thoughts enter my mind, I just open a helpful book to feed my mind with positive content.

  

The books which accompanied me :

 

Captivating : Unveiling the mystery of a woman’s soul by John and Stasi Eldredge.

 

Rereading this book led me back to finding my worth in God’s eyes. I was reminded of who I am and what qualities I have as a woman which mirrored God’s heart. 

The best part? It finally dawned on me that my desire to be loved mirrors the mind-boggling desire of God to be loved by His creation, us, the human beings.

 

The Renewed Mind: Becoming the Person God Wants You To Be by Larry Christenson

 

I have always held the opinion that whatever we feed our minds become the contents of our hearts. My heart and mind needed renewing. Thus, I read and reflected on five spiritual experiences that the book offers : dependence on God, facing challenges with the authority of Christ, patience, discipline and prayer. 

I believe that there was transformation within me.

 

Windows of the soul: Experiencing God in new ways by Ken Gire

I am still reading this one. It admonishes me to actively look into the windows of the soul anywhere and everywhere. To receive and learn from what I see and do as Christ would have done. A personal application for me is not to just resist the entry of negative things into my being but instead, only allow the positive from God to come in and exude from my heart. A challenge, indeed.

 

Today, I bought two new books (thanks to OMF Lit bookstorewww.omflit.com): 

(1) On the Anvil: Stories on being shaped into God’s image by Max Lucado, a favorite author, and 

(2) The Spirit-controlled Woman by Beverly LaHaye.

 

I know these too will help me continue my journey. 

I am pursuing God, desiring to be just like Mary who stayed to listen and just be with Jesus Christ.  

Because why were we created? 

To love God.

I am learning: Choosing to love my country

In the last few weeks that I have been going to work, colorful banners have been catching my attention. They are all over EDSA, the main thoroughfare of Metro Manila. What really captured my eyes were the words “Pilipinas kong mahal” (The Philippines I love). These are words that should make each Filipino think. As citizens of this country, can we truthfully say that we love the Philippines?

 

Sometimes I find it hard to do so.

 

When I hear about numerous politicians who focus on their personal ambitions instead of serving their constituency. Or policemen and traffic enforcers who, instead of protecting the people, use their uniforms to solicit money, goods and services. Or when I see the lack of action of our government to solve crime, poverty, and violence among the most marginalized in our country.

 

I despair over the lack of discipline, the discrimination against our own people, the mediocrity of some government services. When you sense that there is a dominant perception that anything foreign, Western or Asian, is better.

 

But I cannot blame them. It took me some time before I finally saw the beauty of our country and our people. Several trips abroad made me realize that yes, there are wonderful things across the sea but we, too, have our own beauty to offer. We have beautiful beaches, majestic mountains, unique animals and fauna, awesome underwater creatures, delectable delicacies, mysterious caves, varied landscapes and temperate weather. Our land is filled with good-hearted people, warm, loving and forgiving (sometimes to a fault), flexible, resilient, industrious, and when given the right goals and opportunities, excellently crafting our products and services.

 

Many times though I wonder if we would ever reach the success that other countries have attained.

 

I remind myself: we are a young republic. Though we officially declared our independence on June 12, 1898, we were only able to run our country on our own in 1946. I often have to stop myself from comparing the Philippines with other countries because we are different. We were endowed with different gifts. We are not like Singapore , set in a much smaller area. We are not like Thailand or Vietnam, partly surrounded by other countries. We are not like Japan, speaking a common language and made up of mostly big islands.

 

Our geography has greatly influenced the birth of what is thought to be the Filipino of today. Living in more than 7,000 islands, coming from different tribes, speaking hundreds of dialects, we are unlike other any nation in the world. I am not sure if we will ever attain the sense of unity that other countries have. We are such a diverse nation. But we do recognize and champion our own.

 

Often we are haunted by our past. We sometimes blame the sufferings we have gone through. True, the Spaniards did abuse us and impressed upon us some of their negative attitudes but they introduced to a majority of our people the reality of Jesus Christ and instilled in us a faith in God. Yes, the language of the Americans connected us to their land and culture but this also helped us prepare for our future in the global scheme of things. As we sent our families and friends abroad, we also become the bearer of God’s Word. When we proudly say that we are the only Christian nation in Asia, we are in fact bringing His Light to some of the darkest corners of the world, unreached by other more advanced nations.

 

It really is hard to see where our country would be in five years time. With the elections next year, a lot of things can happen. But we need to do our share. Begin to love our country. Speak good words about our people and our land. Recognize the quality of our products. Visit our beautiful sites. And most of all, please pray for our country. Everyday. Pray for our government. Pray for our media. Pray for the private sector. Pray for each OFW we send out as well as for the families they leave behind. Pray for yourself that you can love the country that provided the environment, history and culture which made you who you are today.

 

I love my country. I love my color. I am a proud Filipina.

Thinking...

Listening to Josh Groban and not being overwhelmed by this spiraling down of a feeling means I am doing okay.

A question from a recent acquaintance which made me teary-eyed for a few moments just countered my initial thoughts.

So which one is it?

Both?

Note to God by Charise

May her song and talent be used by God to speak to those who need to hear that we need Him. Only Him.

Half-full day!

Two weeks ago, at 7:00am, I was seated in front of some business people. Today, I exchanged that early "overtime" for some time off for school. Yeah, I woke up early but it was not necessary to get a vacation leave for today.

Two pre-enlistment stages. The second one was supposed to have been invalidated. I happily found out that the system took the changes I encoded!

The road became a one-way lane because of construction works. To make it to the assessment office before lunchtime, I opted to walk instead of waiting for the jeepney (mode of transportation here in Manila) that would go all the way around. My injured leg was aching again. The walk was slow. The cloudy skies shaded me from the sun. The rain did not fall. I made it in time. I completed the process.

I pre-enlisted in two classes. I planned to ask about the teachers and workload. I found out that my initial choice would be held in a distant building. I received some positive feedback on the second one. Good thing the system validated the changes I made.

I was about to leave my room. My eyes fell on my MRT card (metro transit system). There was a long line at the ticket counter of the train station. It only took me a minute to get in with my ready MRT card. I was downstairs. I realized I forgot the envelope that contains the paper I needed to submit to my advisers. I went to get it. My adviser asked me about the paper.

I arrived at 7:30am for an enrollment that was supposed to start at 8:00am. The filling out of forms started at a quarter-past eight. The advisers arrived at 10:00am. I had to wait. I had a few hours of reading and contemplation. And prayed. For me to finish the enrollment process. I did.

It only rained when I safely back in my office. While I was enjoying my aloha burger and black forest sundae.

My leg is still painful. I can walk. I have just eaten chocolates.

The cup is half-full.

Thank you, Lord.

Half of What He Has to Say (Mark Batterson)

Half of What He Has to Say

"He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth." John 14:17  I think most of us wish the Holy Spirit led us into all comfort. We might even settle for partial truth. But all truth? Most of us would rather surround ourselves with people who will simply validate what we falsely believe about ourselves. That isn't the Holy Spirit. Like a good counselor, He'll take you places you don't want to go so you can get where He wants you to go. He'll reveal things you don't want to know so you can become who He wants you to be. I think many of us get frustrated at times because it seems like God is silent. Here's a thought: if you cannot hear the voice of God maybe it's because you aren't willing to hear everything He has to say? You can't tune out His convicting voice and still hear His guiding voice or wise voice or comforting voice. You cannot listen to half of what the Holy Spirit has to say. It's a package deal. If you tune out His convicting voice you won't hear anything He has to say.

Constant reminder

Create in me a pure heart, O God,

   and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me from your presence

   or take your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation

   and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. 

– Psalm 51:10-12