Serendipity

Arise, o children of the Most High God
Return to your Savior
The time is coming
Everything is at hand

Release every oppressed
From bondage of sin be thou freed
Entertain not thy bad feelings
And to the Word of God thou shall clings

I am a  woman brought with a mission
Though unworthy, unclean in all my action
I am only asking my precious Savior
To extend His love and compassion

Who amongst us never sin?
Who can say "i am perfect therein?"
None i suppose, none but only One
Jesus, clean, pure and holy.


To God be the glory.

Singing for God's Glory

Oh i love to sing for the glory of God.

I love to shout God's love and grace in a song.

Being part of the music team in our church, gave me happiness and joy.

This is one of my ministry....my service to the Living God and my Creator.

I love to share God's faithfulness in the dance.

I love to proclaim His might in all His creatures.

God is worthy of all our praise and adoration.

To God be the glory forever and ever.

God be magnified.





PSALMS 84

1	How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!
2	My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD:          my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.
3	Yea, the sparrow hath found a house,          and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God.
4	Blessed are they that dwell in thy house:          they will be still praising thee.Selah.
5	Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee;          in whose heart are the ways of them.

Monsoon Rain that Brings Flood

Days will give us bright sun and some just rain...heavy rainfall.

It's here in the Philippines again.

It leaves people run for life...for food...for shelter...and some...SHOULDER to cry on.

This are days of trials...of suffering...of fear...of questions.

But this are also days of strength - endurance to overcome.

My husband and i wade in the flood for 8hrs in my Olongapo City. The motor his been driving got drowned in the water, unable to start the engine...we just leave it somewhere down that flooded road and went back the other day to check on it.

The current that day is scary.

But the Word of God brings HOPE and COURAGE.

He let us walk in the water and all throughout protected us.

God is good...ALL THE TIME.

I pray for strength for filipino people during these times of trials - for STRONGER FAITH and for more of JESUS in our lives.

Here's some of our photos of the flood taken by my husband:

Olongapo CIty Market 8-7-2012 Morning

Olongapo City Monument 8-7-2012 Morning

Amapola St. - noon time

our motorcycle 8-7-2012 8:30am...why there's motor oil? We're supposed to deliver it at 7am

Olongapo City 8-7-2012 showing the banks and some establisments

those trucks came back..not to get sands but people wading in the flood

people wading in the flood early morning probably going to work

a coconut of hope..when we came back to check on our motorcycle, we found this beside it...brought it home and remember one day in our life, we found it sitting peacefully, alive, near our heart

husband trying to save the motorcycle...for an hour it wont start..but praise God its able now

afternoon sight of the public market

Meet The Everpraisers

Everpraiser's First Outdoor Fellowship at the Skipper's Christian Beach :)

Together Again

The joy of a wife is to be with her husband. The joy of a husband is to see her wife everyday of his life.

For us, that defines JOY...being TOGETHER and never apart.

For how long, we don't know. But we trust in the Lord in everything. We don't hold the world, Jesus has it in His hands.

It took longer than expected to be back in each others arms again but the joy of embracing our dreams being together is without an end.

I thank God for a husband who cares and who works as a good man working for his family.

I thank God for a year of strength and courage and comfort and patience He gave us.

I thank the Lord for the fulfillment of His promises. There's nothing too hard for Him and we testify on that.

"Together Again"...a song my mom and dad usually picked on our karaoke moments.

Sweet.

Praise the Lord.

IF I HAVE THE GIFT OF PROPHECY 

AND CAN FATHOM ALL

                      MYSTERIES AND ALL KNOWLEDGE, 

AND IF I HAVE A FAITH  

THAT CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS, 

BUT HAVE NOT LOVE, I AM  NOTHING."                       

1 CORINTHIANS 13:2 

Search me o Lord

Lord, search me
My heart and mind
Come and make me realized
Life is not for me to hold
But Yours to mold.

Lord, search me
When sun won't shine
When days are blue and skies cry
When hope can only be found
In You.

Lord, search me
Night and day
Consoles my soul
Bring out in me potentials
To be able to overcome trials.

Lord, search me
Do not give up on me
Lord search my soul
Let Your Holy Spirit
Takes control.

Broken and Happy

Many times in my life, i always feels good about everything. But there's just some part of that "everything" that somehow shows me realities in life....that sadness will always be part of it.

Seems like yesterday when i first started writing and reading. And now reading and writing added stress to me. It's not as fun as before. Its not as inspiring. It's not as cool.

Why?

Because some time in my life i felt broken...i felt something emptied within me....something is missing.

Those are the times when i wanted to write but emotions won't let me. Because i know i won't be a blessing if i say something out of my emotion that will just ruin a day...my day.

But life goes on. Life will always be beautiful regardless.

I am broken...but happy. Because i believe someone's in total control of my life. It's that HAND that i know i will be safe and guided accordingly. The ARMS that will always embrace me and tells me everything will be alright. That WINGS that will fly me away from past pains and discouragements and bring me to a life of purpose..where happiness is waiting.

I am broken and happy.

Glad to have Jesus in my life. Everything's smooth and wonderful!

A thought for today

This is a message I've read from one of my friends in Facebook.

It says,

"
‎..You cannot lift up HIS name if His Glory cannot be seen in you......:-)"

The message is sooooo true....as for me.

This made me meditate and reflect on the Word.

Thanks brother Alberto for this :)

the Gospel

The Gospel is a message to WHOSOEVER :)

To ALL who have sinned 

Romans 3:10-23

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁰ As it is written:   “There is no one righteous, not even one;
 ¹¹ there is no one who understands;
   there is no one who seeks God.
¹² All have turned away,
   they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
   not even one.”^[a]
13 “Their throats are open graves;
   their tongues practice deceit.”^[b]
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”^[c]
 14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”^[d]
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
 ¹⁶ ruin and misery mark their ways,
¹⁷ and the way of peace they do not know.”^[e]
 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”^[f]
 19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. ²⁰ Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

Righteousness Through Faith

 ²¹ But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. ²² This righteousness is given through faith in^[g] Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

It's a message of the LOVE of God. 

Romans 5:8

New International Version (NIV)

⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

It's a reminder that we can be saved by faith 

Romans 10:9-10

New International Version (NIV)

⁹ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

Romans 10:13

New International Version (NIV)

¹³ for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Why do we still have problems if God cares?

Well, PROBLEMS are common to man.

And still there are instances that problems causes us to give up and turn away from our faith.

It is because of certain questions that came from our expectations as compared to what really happens.

So why do we still have problems if God cares?

Because we think that PROBLEM is never good. We find it easier to accept when the unbelievers suffer but when Christians suffer, most of us begin to doubt God. And forgot that God is a just and good God.

Found the truth about problems:

> it doesn't happen without God's permission.
> it has purposes in our lives.
> there's a corresponding promise on every problem
> the Lord is bigger than our problems.

God never gives up on us even though how many times we fail Him and how many times who break a precious heart. The Lord intervenes in our lives, reveals His loving and forgiving heart and uses the problems we have to get our attention and force us to realize that we can't make it on our own. We need Him and we could never live victoriously without HIM.

It says "Anyone" and "Whosoever"

ANYONE who has the gift of serving should SERVE.

ANYONE who has the gift of teaching should TEACH.

WHOEVER has the gift of encouraging others should ENCOURAGE.

WHOEVER has the gift of giving to others should GIVE FREELY. 

ANYONE who has the gift of being a leader should try hard when he LEADS. 

WHOEVER has the gift of showing mercy to others should do so with JOY. 

Romans 12:7-8

Flowers Always Got A Message

Flowers fade and bloom again and die soon but the message of LOVE they are giving me everytime i'm looking at them are simply PRICELESS.

My favorite part of happiness is....FLOWERS!!!

DEALING WITH OTHER'S FAILURES

The book of John is a wonderful biography of our Lord Jesus and it also highlights how God deals with certain people.

There are many truths in life and one of which is our dealings with other people's failure.

In our generation (and even in the past), people are quick to judge. We (yes i am not exempted on this) are harsh on others. Am i right or am i right?

And the TRUTH is we don't have any right to judge!!!!

Why? Because judging are acts of people who think highly about themselves.

In John 8:1-15, Jesus has to deal with two things: (1)woman caught in the act of adultery and (2) face the group of people trying to trap Him.

I read it again and again since it is our topic in our Bible Study Cell. I wonder why the pharisees only got one person when in fact the act of adultery's between two persons. So i read again....and oh its a TRAP.

As I've said, normal people judged quickly. And the spirit-filled One are wise in thoughts and actions, just what Jesus is.

So do we deal with someone else's failures?

1. Don't attach labels
People sell branded clothes, bags, accessories and the like and they earn from it. When we judge, are we earning from it? We somehow call a person by their looks and acts...we secretly call them "the loveless", "the heart-breaker", "the proud" etc.

Notice how the pharisees address the woman in front of so many people and Jesus, they called her "the adulterer".

We quickly judge and never give the person a chance to change. We close possibilities for change. We forgot what Jesus said on 2 Corinthians 5:17 that says, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away..." What if we think first before we judge? But this somehow doesn't happen eh. We thoughts of the failure first and not their future.

We should not attach labels. Just like Jesus, show grace and compassion.

2. Always remember there are two sides to every story
Let us not be one-sided. I am thankful and grateful that my God is a God of balance. He is both fair and just. Can we not give the person a chance to reason? We are not God that we can search and know what is in the heart of another person. We must not judge even though we know the story.

3. Don't use embarrassment
We don't have any right to humiliate others. Let us be considerate as to their feelings. They too have dignity that they wanted to protect we just have to respect that. Notice how the pharisees brought the woman with lots of people witnessing or looking...its a total humiliation. What we should do instead is to help them get up and bring them nigh to the Lord who is able to change a person's life...a new one in Jesus.

4. Never separate confrontation with care
Jesus said, "I don't condemn you..." this is CARE. And He also said, "Go and sin no more..." this is CONFRONTATION. I believe that what He said was coated with love and mercy towards the woman.

"Let us be a vessel of God's grace to weak people rather than a rod of judgment"

We too commit mistakes.

We are not perfect.

We are not exempt from being judge by other people.

But we should not do unto them what they do to us. That is being different.

That is being TRULY CHANGED in Christ.



Loving Jesus,

In His Presence

The love of God keeps me alive.

It's always been good to rest under the shadow of God's wings where comfort and peace and strength dwells.

In His presence there's fullness of joy. Joy unspeakable. Joy that can surpass all things you couldnt imagine.

Love dwells in there.

A Man i also Admire

Isaiah 42:10 Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof. 

Bro. Jeremy Camp is in the Philippines!!!

I am glad that he came to worship and evangelize.

I admire people who doesn't sell God's Word or the talent given to them by God. I admire people with a good heart. You will know them when you heard their voice and when their hearts touches yours.

I hope there will be a lot of filipinos who will accept the Lord Jesus as their Lord and Savior and that the Lord use Jeremy Camp as His mouthpiece and that He anoint him and use him mightily. I also pray for people who will go to wherever Bro. Jeremy is going and they too will have an open heart for the Lord. Salvation is here!

God is working and now moving for He cares for our souls.

To Bro, Jeremy Camp, enjoy your stay and always give the highest glory and adoration to our Lord Jesus.

God bless us all abundantly.

A link to his site:
http://jeremycamp.com/
https://twitter.com/#!/jeremycamp

Psalm 96:1 O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.

On Visa/Petition Journey

           "There are so many plans in a man's heart but God will prevails."

A lot of people are asking me when can my husband and i be together in the mainland USA? And whatever the question is i can only answer, "the Lord's will be done"

There are times that when people raise a question, i panic. I don't know if they are asking out of curiosity or just wanted to know things about me. I Don't know. And i don't understand why they seem impatient while i am happy waiting. Whoa...

The visa petition is a long process. And as far as my husband and i are concern, we do things one at a time. And while waiting we do minister. He share the Word of God in the state and i sing and share the Word of God in the Philippines.

Isn't it wonderful that while we are waiting we do ministry all for the glory of God?

The thing is....we are happy.

God has His perfect time for this. And the love that binds us is the love we shared with the Lord.

Awesomeness!!!

Our Name

In the Bible (Old testament) times, names are of a significant importance. People then believe that the name says who you are and what you will be in the future.

In our present time, do you think you live by your name or you live a positive life centered on the power of God ?

Just saying...LIVE a life that is God-centered not i-me-myself-centered :)

The Prayer of Jabez

Who loves reading the Book of 1 and 2 Chronicles?

Whoa, i have to confess that it somehow give me whirlwind thoughts. It's genealogies, at least 600 names written on it on the first nine chapters of the 1 Chronicle. All names and the orders i don't remember anymore. How i wish to still be good at memorization and that i don't forget things easily.

But something STRUCK me...a very short story about our dear friend Jabez and how the Lord answered his prayer. I can only believe that his desire and the Lord's purpose for him have met. It's a win-win situation. It's a prayer that the Lord cannot say "no" to. Oh this must be beautiful.

And i have thoughts about my needs and desire too. One thing is to be heard and be answered by the Lord. I have been asking on the purpose of God for me. It goes straight to be of service to him: To acknowledge Him as my Lord and as the lover of my soul. To follow His leading too.

1 Chronicles 4:10
New King James Version (NKJV)
¹⁰ And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested. 

I have learned that "indeed" is a modifier. And it shows a positive thoughts. Jabez has been straightforward on what he is asking and i can sense and feel how strong his faith was when he utter those things. I believe that what he requested coincide with the plan of God for him. 


~ Oh that You will bless me indeed..
             We all have blessings. Be it personal, material, financial and of course spiritual. We grow in faith, in love and we keep on hoping and trusting the Lord for everything. I believe we received what we need if our hearts are pure and our intention/motives are not questionable. I have a blessing and God bless me indeed. This shows God's faithfulness to us. The gift of salvation is a blessing. The gift of life is a blessing. The gift of being called the children of the Most High is a blessing. That's blessing INDEED. 


~ and enlarge my territory...
             Are we willing to travel beyond our comfort zone? Do we have strength to start a journey in the ministry of going around the world to preach the Gospel and make disciples? Do we still look on our mountains (problems) and seas (storms of life)? Enlarging ones territory is going out of the comfort zone, leaving the guilt, fear and negative thoughts behind - leaving the Benjamin and start a new life with a big view and vision of what's in store for us. 


~ that Your hand would be with me...
             What's a hand for? I viewed it as support and guidance we found in Jesus. Jesus said, "apart from me you can do nothing". This is a reminder for us to always cling unto Him. We can't do things solo-flight. We need help. Who doesn't? If we let God hold us then we won't be in trouble...this my soul knows very well. 


~ and that You would keep me from evil...
              Fight a good fight of faith. Destroying darkness with the light that shines through Jesus. The Lord got the power to bring the power of the evil thing underneath our feet. We belong to the Lord and not to the enemy. 


~ that I may not cause pain.
             "What makes you sad?", a friend once asked. I told her, "its when i hurt someone even if it isn't intentional". Why? Because i don't wanna be in pain too. I don't like pain and so i don't like to cause pain.


The prayer of Jabez strengthen my belief that God's plan and purpose for my life is the best. It's a journey and each single step leads me to God's perfect will for me. 


Have a blessed Wednesday to all. 

Leigh is Late

AGAIN!!!!

I know where did this sickness started...back in high school. I promised to get the loyalty awarded on my graduation but something happened why i didn't get it.

For four (Philippine education high school setting) years in high school, i have been early going to school and attending classes. For years i didn't have an absent. I am for the perfect attendance. I got it until 3rd year but when i reach the final year....sad but i was discouraged.

Before the Christmas break, we usually have our party...you know, exchanging gifts and eating some food which money we collect everyday from the month of september to december. I remembered one classmate ask me to join them in preparing for the food that morning. I thought the teacher asked her to do that....but no. Found about that when its time for us to go back to the school. The guard won't let us in...the teacher came out and shout at us telling that she didnt ask us to do such thing outside the school. Oh well...in other words...because of that late...i didnt get the loyalty award for perfect attendance for the four years in high school.

That begins my being late ...sometimes a buzzer beater...but mostly late coming in during college and until now.

I pray the Lord help me overcome this thing. I don't wanna be like the virgins who wasn't able to go inside because they are late.

That's all :)