Tuesday, January 29, 2008
"Anong ulam?"
"Uhhhh....Yun lang?"
"May gulay na kasama?"
"Ah so sayote....anong cut?"
"Sige...una ka na."
This is a phone conversation that I heard when I was in the FX on my way home. I cannot help but hear those words of disinterest as he talked with someone about the dinner he's going to have; I cannot help as well but to get annoyed with how he reacted. You'd say I'm too quick to judge the person at the back seat, but to tell you, it seemed like I heard myself saying those words.
Probably you have at least expressed those phrases on certain occasions, especially when you have eaten the same food but with different ingredients or sauce; and this usually happens when we eat veggies. Perhaps the person who prepared it lacked time to buy from the market or simply has no means to buy food with more costly prices and that they're saving money.
Unknowingly we tend to grumble when we see/experience the same thing God gives us because in full pride we assume as if we've mastered surpassing those. We could even be numb enough to feel that we let the days pass by without rethinking if we should act the same way we did for the past weeks...months...or horribly, years. We just go on our routinary days without realizing if we still keep our characters (especially at home) unchanged...stagnant...especially that we're comfortable with the people we're with at home and that we feel at ease with how they deal with our unacceptable attitude.
Sometimes the Lord would give us the same testing but on each occasion, it comes with a different "cut". We complain, get sarcastic and express the biggest sigh we could ever make because we see each of those testings on a different view. We feel like God's overloading us with too much trials, allowing ourselves to think that they're too many and too huge to take in and carry on with our walk with Him.
And do not be conformed to this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,
in order to prove by you what is that good
and pleasing and perfect will of God.
For I say, through the grace given to me,
to every one who is among you,
not to think of himself more highly
than he ought to think.
But set your mind to be right-minded,
even as God has dealt to every man
the measure of faith.
Rom 12:2-3
Let us cast down all our heavy burdens unto the Lord. Climbing that steep mountain and walking into that narrow road don't come easy but God has promised us that He will walk along with us. Change doesn't happen overnight, but never should we make this a futile excuse to escape from our fleshly nature; God's grace is ever-sufficient and may we see it as a precious gift given to us by the Lord, so we can always be encouraged to change and grow.
God is a God of in-between. We saw how He has called us and He can give us a vision of what our upward call would be like, but He won't tell us the things that we will go through. However, one sweet promise we can hold on to is that He will be with us along those "in-betweens".
Trust Him and His ways always.
Our God is a God of victory!
God's servant blogged @ | 5:14 PM
Sarap talaga matulog ng walang pressure na kailangan mong magising sa itinakdang oras. Day-off ko kasi. Haha! May times nga lang na boring kasi pag online lang ako at wala nang ibang ginagawa. Pero yun nga, I try to make every second meaningful by doing it for the glory of the King. Sabi nga sa Bible (1 Cor 10:31), "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." It's pretty funny if you're gonna look at it literally and be sarcastic about what was written, but if we start placing the Lord in every area of our lives, we would be motivated to live for Him. No matter what it takes, it's our passion for the Lord that drives us to be more intimate with our relationship with Him, live our lives with a single purpose - and that is to do what He wants us to do, become how He wants us to be and glorify His Name.
Sabi nga sa akin ng youth pastor ko, if we are passionate about something/someone, talaga kahit anong mangyari, like what i said earlier no matter what it takes...you'd be ever-willing to take charge of it and carry it out wholeheartedly. Actually, when these words of wisdom were spoken to me by our youth pastor, uhm, it's in a form of rebuke. It hit me and I needed that or else I wouldn't be awaken with the reality that I had to be refocused. The Lord never gives up on us, He never will. He always uses things, people, situations where it will bring us to our knees and ask for the love, grace and mercy of the Lord to be upon us. He is forever faithful and He wants us to be directed unto Him always.
May we all have a fruitful week. God bless and be a blessing!
God's servant blogged @ | 11:48 AM
Sa ngayon, nalilito na ako kung saan ako magbblog. Pero hindi, sa blogsite pa rin ako loyal! Haha!
Pumapayat na ako masyado and marami nang nakakapansin, at ang mga nakakapansin ay mistulang nalulungkot sa klase ng pangangayayat na ito. Mga katrabaho ko, churchmates ko, pamilya ko, ultimong senior pastor namin! Haha! In short, sa ginagalawan kong mundo, pansin nila. Matutuwa ba dapat ako sa komento nila o hindi? Nakakatuwa dahil di na ako kasing-taba tulad noon, pero sa kabila naman noon ay may nakapagsabi na rin na "hindi maganda" ang pagkapayat ko. Guess I should reducing the frequency of staying up late. Pwede yun ang factor or... stressed out ako masyado. Hmmmm....
O siya, to be continued na lang ito kasi 11:37pm na. Naks! Gusto ko lang mag-blog kasi. Tomorrow baka may mailagay ako na mas malalim pa sa iniisip ko ngayon. Whew! Nose bleed! Haha!
God bless! Have a fruitful week!
God's servant blogged @ | 11:18 PM
Tama! Dumating na ang panahon na kung saan may mga pag-ulan at pag-kidlat na tayong mararanasan sa mga susunod na araw at buwan. Nariyan na muli ang mga pagkakataon na makikita ko ang kapatid ko na nilalasap niya ang bawat pagbiling sa higaan kasama ang malamig na panahon dahil sa pagsuspinde ng kanilang mga klase. Ako naman, habang nagbibihis ng uniporme para sa paghahanda sa pagpasok ko sa trabaho, ay inaalala ang ilang mga pagkakataon na ako'y estudyante pa at gustung-gusto ang tunog ng ulan na pumapatak habang yakap ng mahigpit ang kumot at unan. Sa ngayon, mananatili na lamang na pangarap iyan sa mahabang panahon sapagkat iba na ang tinatahak kong daanan - ngunit salamat naman dahil ako pa rin ay nasa ilalim pa rin ng kalooban ng Panginoon. Aleluya!
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Teka lang. Napagod na ako mag-tagalog ng ganun kalalim! Haha! Wala lang. Umuulan kasi. Kanina pag-uwi ko from work, walang bahid ng bagyo or kung anuman kaya tuloy pa rin ang cell group ko. Nung hinihintay ko ung churchmate ko na magsspeak sa cell group na hina-handle ko, ayun, bumuhos ng malakas ang ulan, parang bagyo! Eh di ako naman, super go pa rin kasi wala naman sa akin yun. Paglabas ko ng bahay, naghahanap ng tricycle, medyo baha na sa amin and ang lakassssssss ng ulan. Tumuloy pa rin ako. Nakisilong muna ako sa may tindahan after kong maglakad ng konti kasi bibigay na yung payong ko pag hinayaan kong magpaalila siya sa lakas ng ulan. Right before I went inside the trike, dad called and commanded me not to push through with my cell group anymore since it's raining hard. Lakas pa ng hangin kamo. Sabi pa ni dad, "wisdom lang dianne!" Napagalitan pa ako. Haha! I never expected it naman kasi na ganun katindi na. So I told dad that I'll just inform my churchmate na rain check na lang. Excited pa naman ako kasi first time na magkakaron ng guest speaker yung cell group namin. Anyways, nainform ko cell group members ko and ok naman sa kanila.
Actually, nagbakasakali ako sa 7-11 kasi dun ko imi-meet ung churchmate ko. Wala siya, na-stuck sa traffic ata. I called him and let him know na cancelled na muna and sa isang araw na lang kami. Buti pumayag siya kahit na malayo pa pinanggalingan niya. Superrrrrrr baha. As in! Dun sa may 7-11. Sabi ko sa sarili ko, di ko na talaga itutuloy. Si Lord na mismo nagsasabi sakin niyan na wag na ituloy to tonight. So there.
Ayun lang po. Konting update lang. God bless you all!!!
God's servant blogged @ | 8:32 PM
* Natutuwa ako sa mukha ng kapatid ko pag natutulog siya. ganda niya. hehe. ano ba naman yun, siyempre it runs in the blood!
* I don't want to call it this way, but, it seems that I have splurged again. Well, investment naman yun kasi I bought 2 blouses and rubber shoes. Pang-duty lang talaga yung shoes na yun kaya wala masyadong dating, pero i made sure that it is durable naman kaya no biggie yon. Thank You Lord for Your provision!
* Was health-conscious all throughout the day. When we learned that one of my co-staff's cholesterol level is off the charts, we suddenly became cautious of what we're gonna eat. Mahirap nang ma-therapy at gumastos ng pagkalaki-laki dahil lang sinunod mo ang luho mo sa pagkain ng sobrang di na nakakatuwa sa blood vessels mo. Hehe. Kaya ayun, miraculously, kanina sa Sbarro I ordered vegetarian pizza and green garden salad. Bwahaha! And as expected, my parents were amazed of what I ordered. Diet?! Nyorks! Skinny daw ako sabi ng nakararami, pero ayoko namang gawing rason yun para kumain ng marami. Haha! Ako ba talaga tong nagsasalita?!
* Still conditioning myself til the end of the week that starting Monday, I will be allotting one hour for OT-related topics and another hour for enrichment of my spiritual life - studying Anointed Music and Worship. This way I wouldn't be missing my student life that much, since I will be spending a couple of hours alone in my room, browsing and refreshing every detail that I need para di kalawangin utak ko. Hay Lord, let me become consistent with this decision.
* Recovering from cough and colds, I've been 'on leave' for almost a week now in my church activities. Ok lang yun. The Lord knows my limitations and that I should also be taking care of what He has entrusted me with. Not sure if makakasama ako sa pag-back-up sa Sunday service.
* Speaking of Sunday service, I'm already excited how the Lord will move in our midst! Wow! God is amazing!
* And lastly, just wanna share some of my fave songs ;)
God's servant blogged @ | 11:47 PM
Ewan ko ba. Suddenly I miss school. Lectures, quizzes, late-night review, advance studying (ows?!), writing down notes, and the list goes on. Whenever I see my sister wearing her uniform, getting all excited for school and enjoying being with her classmates, I get envious. There were times I regret not being able to share God's Word to my classmates because back then I was no different from them - with my speech, actions, perspectives, interests, etc. Only the Lord's peace and encouragement are the ones that comfort me that everything in my past was part of His wonderful plan for my life.
Inasmuch as I wanted to go back to school for further learning, I could not just indulge myself with that desire and pursue it. I need to be pulled back into reality and see clearly what's going on around me right now. There are things that must be prioritized; and from there, I see another necessity birthing. But what can be done with that thing should also be taken into deep consideration. Di pwedeng pabara-bara. Not only will I be deciding for that need but I have to ask God if I'll be growing spiritually there as well, if ever I'd decide to take that unfamiliar road.
Right now, there's one plan that had suddenly come up on my thoughts. And I will be surrendering that unto the Lord. O God, please continue to lead me in Your path. Guide me, Father, to be directed in the center of Your will...
God's servant blogged @ | 11:49 PM
Now I'm beginning to REALLY see why the Lord is placing His people out in the battlefield. God is allowing me to step out of my comfort zone and be the person that He wants me to be. I have always been asking Him to consume and use all of my being for His glory...and He really never fails to give that desire to His children. When we become transparent to what we say or declare unto the Lord, He can freely move and make His wonderful work in our lives. There will be transformation, breaking, consecration, and purification - perfectly made for the Master's pleasure.
And this what I get. I'm not complaining, in fact, I'm so grateful the Lord is letting me experience what I'm going through right now. I cherish every opportunity wherein I can learn something and develop a Christ-like character. It's not impossible to be conformed into His image. We need His awesome power, grace, and an active faith for change to finally take place in our lives. God's Word is faithful and true! In Him we have our hope and in the midst of our troubles, we can live each day looking unto Him...gaining strength and being refreshed to press on and run this race that Christ has set before us.
God is teaching me to show who He really is in my life as I live amongst the darkness and life's cruelty, in places where hope seems to fade and where hearts are shattered. This is not to present a showcase of my blessings, but to reflect Lord God Almighty through my speech, actions, and character. Showing God ALONE - what He can do and how He can mightily make a transformation in His children. That even though we could be experiencing as well what they are going through, we can show them directly to the One who brings unfailing love and hope - Jesus Christ. It definitely is a challenge, but that's what the Lord requires of us to do; it could be overwhelming, but we can say that we will never run out of His resources (grace, mercy, love, comfort, His Word, etc.). Amen to that!
Thank You Lord for Your Word! Hallelujah!
God's servant blogged @ | 12:08 AM
