worry. stress. rejoice. praise.

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Rejoice in the Lord always;
again I will say, Rejoice.
[Philippians 4:4]
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"When I am consumed by my problems, stress out about my life, my family and my job, I actually convey the belief that I think the circumstances are more important than God’s command to always rejoice. In other words, that I have a right to disobey God because of the magnitude of my responsibility.

Worry implies that we don’t quite trust that God is big enough, powerful enough, or loving enough to take care of what’s happening in our lives. Stress says that the things we’re involved in are more important to merit our impatience, our lack of grace towards others, or our tight grip of control...

Basically these two behaviors communicate that it’s okay to sin and not trust God because the stuff in my life is somehow exceptional. Both worry and stress reek of arrogance... in the context of God’s strength, our problems are small indeed"

- from the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan

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Dear Lord, Father of all mercies, God of all comfort,

Please teach me to completely trust in You at all times because I know I worry way too much. It's so easy to praise You when things are just dandy. Please forgive me for my inconsistency. I believe that You have the power to do wonders in the hearts of people, but I also need to understand that what you do is at your will. Please grow me, teach me patience, and rid my own heart of stubbornness and pride to genuinely rejoice in You always. You are so wonderful and it's such a blessing to know that even with everything that You are handling in this world, You take the time to listen to the individual prayers of those who call on You. Through these rough times, I am being humbled by the recurring fact that I cannot do anything without You. I'm discovering that I'm not as strong as I tend to think I am and I need Your grace and comfort more than ever, but I can rest assure that You have not abandoned or forsaken me. Oh Lord, I cannot thank You enough. You are more than worthy of our praise!

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But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you,
for my power is made perfect in weakness."
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses,
so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses,
insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.
For when I am weak, then I am strong.
[2 Corinthians 12:9-10]

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if someone's reading this and going through some rocky times, let's talk.
if my words can't help, maybe i can help show you whose Word can.

awesome.

lately, i've been so in awe of God's grace: how God works in everything, how He changes hearts, how He answers prayers, how beautifully-constructed He created this world, how He always provides and comforts, how He strengthens us through trials, how His ultimate sacrifice offers great rewards. God is so super wonderful and I'm such an unworthy gal, but He continues to pour out His amazing love in so many ways!!
PTL!


so thank you God for the many blessings...

...including someone who makes me laugh.

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Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!
[Psalm 107:1]
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apprehended.

But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind
and straining forward to what lies ahead,
I press on toward the goal for the prize
of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
[Philippians 3:13-14]

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we had the privilege of having Pastor Rector Cadayday (from Doane Baptist Seminary in the Philippines) present the message this sunday entitled "PRESS ON". it was a great reminder that our walk with God doesn't come to a halt once we are saved through Jesus Christ. although i know this life is only temporary and the glory is to be revealed in heaven, i think it's easy to forget that there's still work to be done here and now (Matthew 28:16-20). pastor cadayday mentioned that we should not only think of heaven, but also about God's purpose for our lives now.

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Many are the plans in the mind of a man,
but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.
[Proverbs 19:21]
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my heart races with excitement when i hear about mission work and people going out to proclaim the gospel in different areas. encouraging stories of missions to other countries, testimonies of others who found Christ after hitting rock bottom, even high schoolers being so bold to share the gospel with their peers. but what am i doing? am i doing my part? am i doing what God has commanded me to do as someone called for His purpose? i get so anxious that im not doing enough. i tend to compare myself with others, which i know i shouldn't do (Galatians 6:4) because we were all given unique talents and gifts that God will definitely use however He sees fit. i know God's still growing me and i am learning to let go and let God direct my path. i pray that He will grow me just enough to be used according to His will. ive got a long list of goals and i want to do so much in life, but i need to be patient and allow Him to pave the way for me.

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"you can be any profession,
but God first made you a Christian"
-Pastor Rector Cadayday

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sunday's message reminded me that my life goal should be to honor and glorify God through my thoughts, words and actions (Colossians 3:17). pastor cadayday explained that we get so caught up trying to figure out what God's will for our life is, but if we simply obey His Word, we are already on our way to participating in His plans for us. but i need to do my part to progress on this journey, i need to be an active participant in my walk. i need to spend more time with God, diving into the Word, intently thinking about Him, praying more, waking up & giving each day to Him. i have to constantly remember that...

if im not living each day for God,
then what/who am i living for?

the missing piece.

i never realized how twisted my mentality was before coming back to my faith. i was seeking it all... in all the wrong places. i was stressed out, burnt out, people kept letting me down. yeah, i had friends, i was surrounded by people, i had things to occupy my time, i had places to go. but i don't think i ever truly considered them to be the great blessings that i am so thankful for now. before, they were just things in my life. but once i remembered how awesome God is for giving me these things, everything else fell into place. through my faith, im learning about His grace and receiving these blessed gifts that i know i do not deserve. after i remembered how awesome God is, the magnitude of gratitude for these blessings skyrocketed. i began to appreciate these gifts more because i began to understand who they were from.

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Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of lights
with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
[James 1:17]

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God is there for us because He loves us. He provides, guides and cares because He wants to, out of this crazy unfailing love for us. He is the one absolutely absolute (Hebrews 13:8). and for me, even when nothing makes sense in this world and my chaotic life is taking a toll on me, there's this unusual peace. that's what i was missing before, i was missing the understanding that trials were meant to refine you and blessings were meant to bring thanks back to God. before, i was blaming the world (and myself) for any event that i wasn't happy with and i inconsistently attributed the good things to many different things. but i am constantly reminded that it is God who has a purpose for everything. God's good promises through Jesus Christ. that was the missing piece in my unstable life before... that was the missing peace (Philippians 4:7) that i searched for in other things, but could never find until my faith was revamped and i was reunited on this walk with God.


a couple weeks ago, i heard the testimony of the son of a pastor and he said:

"if i have absolutely nothing else but Jesus,
i still have everything i need"

so true.

where a kid can be a kid.

i ventured to a familiar place this past weekend, with the same yummy pizza, screaming kiddos, rigged games, and creepy robotic mascots to celebrate my little goddaughter's big 6th birthday!

my goddaughter, mari, growing up too fast!birthday diva.the real party people.
after hours of frustration, competitiveness, many laughs,
(and 1500 tickets later)
the birthday princess took home a twisty straw, blendy pens and something with hannah montana's face on it....
so worth it for this little lady.

from verseoftheday.com for july 10 2009

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. — Philippians 4:11

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Paul tells Timothy that one of life's greatest treasures is to find contentment in godliness (1 Tim. 6:6). With this treasure, our physical circumstances become far less important to us than the character we display in those circumstances. Our bottom line is less important than loving God from the bottom of our hearts. Those who are wealthy and show godliness, a very difficult challenge according to Jesus, are those who have demonstrated that they are content to be godly and will be that kind of person with or without wealth. Those who are poor and are godly have demonstrated the same ability. So the bottom line is not how rich are we in money, but how rich are we in grace!

My Prayer...

Steadfast and faithful Father, still my restless and sometimes covetous heart and help me find my contentment in your presence and character in my life. In the name of Jesus. Amen.


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i made this website my homepage, so i get a little snipit of Scripture every time i decide to browse el interneto. it helps to reinforce verses and it's really been a blessing to be exposed to the Word at various times throughout the day. PTL for the encouraging and convicting Word.

resting.

Come now, you who say,
"Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town
and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"—
yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring.
What is your life?
For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

Instead you ought to say,
"If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that."
As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
[James 4:13-16]

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i've been struggling with the temptation of worrying. the last several months have brought about an abundance of changes and the next several months will have a bunch as well. new & different circumstances arise, triggering an emotional freakout inside. my initial response is to question. i get that unsettling feeling of anxiety. i always want to know what lies ahead, i want to be able to have a say, i want to lead, i want to know that everything will just be okay.
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doubt & fear are the opposites of faith & trust

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a couple of weeks ago, pastor ed presented a sermon entitled "Knowing God's Will is Worth the Wait". in a society that's based on instant gratification, we (too) often lose patience and become frustrated when we do not see immediate results. then we try to take matters into our own hands, assuming that we have it under control as if our way is the better way. but as pastor ed explained in his sermon, our failure to wait upon the Lord "can bring about disastrous consequences". our distrust and impulsive decisions hinder God's ability to bless us in the path that He has established. in the end, we cause more harm than help in a situation that was already under control. but of course, pastor ed reminded us that waiting patiently does not imply that we idly sit around and twiddle our thumbs. instead, we need to have the mindset of resting in the Lord and listening for God's guidance because im sure
His plans surpass anything that we could ever do on our own.
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"while we stand still, God is moving and active"
-pastor ed

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i don't know what will happen in the future.
i don't know how He'll change & grow my heart.
i don't know how God will work in my life.

but i do know (and trust) that God has a plan to work out all things for good (Romans 8:28). i know that God will never abandon us even at seemingly hopeless moments (Deuteronomy 31:8). i know i need to listen, understand and pray more. i know i need to be more patient and more trusting during all these changes. i know God is strengthening my faith in Him through these new&different experiences. i know that the God who's responsible for creating this wonderful and ginormous world also takes time to care for individuals.

and i know it will all be okay
because i know that God is good.
PTL indeed.

romans.

And we know that for those who love God
all things work together for good,

for those who are called according to his purpose.
[Romans 8:28]

What then shall we say to these things?
If God is for us, who can be against us?
He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all,
how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
[Romans 8:31-32]

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers,
nor things present nor things to come,
nor powers, nor height nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us from
the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
[Romans 8:38-39]