Women in His Grain Field

I am aware that I hadn't been here in a while now and I'm honestly having a hard time regaining myself back into writing but today is different. This afternoon is something that I can't really help but share. Right after I reached home from work I jumped into my phone and hit Bible. I was reading how Ruth found favor in Boaz's eyes by allowing her to stay in to his grain field because of a good deed she did to Naomi, her mother-in-law. She stayed and took care of Naomi despite of her being a widow. As I read through the chapter I was really thinking if there's something good I've done or need to do to find favor in God's eyes until I read Ruth 2:22-23.

Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, "It will be good for you, my daughter, to go with the women who work for him, because in someone else's field you might be harmed." (v.22)


I realized it is not something I have to do to obtain God's favor but this is actually what God has done in my life. I didn't know that He protected me since birth through the life of women He sent to be with me in all the walks of life. First, I would like to honor my Mother, the woman who have been with me through the comfort and hardships in life, and the first woman who makes me know of who Jesus is. To my sister who made me realized that there are no regrets in life and reminds me that God is the One who redeems. I also thank God for Lei's life that I met her way back in College that if not because of her I might not receive the gift of Salvation and experience the happiness of Christian life that I am enjoying now when she invited me to her church. (But I know God always has His ways.)

Wait! There's more! Can you imagine that God gives me favor like this in my workplace too? Yes. He did! I'm grateful to God for Ate Joan's life when I was in CCT who inspires me that waiting will always be worth it. To the woman who was my accountability partner during my stay in NCO, I missed that early morning cup of coffee and devotion with you Mommy Armi. To Ate Rachel who taught me to start with God first before anything else when I was in Shinigawa and to Ate Shauie who give herself a time to pray for me everytime I struggle about something while I'm here in Sitel. Thank you God for these wonderful Ate's in my life.

I don't usually say this but I'm really in Awe of God's perfect plans in my life for the lives of these ladies who had been with me through the years, to them who I always cry and laugh with, and them who I'd been dating for years, Eds, Mahj, Ella, and Elsie never failed to encourage me, to lift me up when I am down, reminding me of my identity with Christ, protecting each other, and a looooot lot more and to Jen with whom I learned a lot through her life experiences though I'm the one who's mentoring her.  I just can't fathom the love and favor He showed me despite of my failures and disobedience. Being surrounded by these women makes me feel secured and let me know that me as well is a child of His, that I belong and part of His grain field. And as a woman of God I would love to return the favor of being part of it, do works and show God's everlasting love to other women out there.

How about you? Do you have women in your life that you are so thankful about to God?



"So Ruth stayed close to the women of Boaz to glean until the barley and wheat harvests were finished..." Ruth 2:23

Seasons in Life To Be Thankful For

Was there a time you felt so down and time that you felt so happy? A day that you were motivated at work and then got demotivated? Was there a time you feel you were the most beautiful person and on the other day you will see yourself as the ugliest creature ever created? Do you remember the first time you walked? Went to school? Changed fashion taste and style? Graduated? Get a job and so on....

For years we spent in this earth for sure we already went through each and every season in our lives that sometimes we like and sometimes we don't, we find ways to change it and sometimes we just accept and goes with it's flow. But was there even a time that we appreciate and thank God with the current season of our life? 

I remember during my grade school, I always wanted to grow up fast so that I can be a teacher. Then when I reached my high school days, I wished to be a college student already so I can do whatever I like, have boyfriends and hangout with friends. And when I went to college I was always looking forward to the graduation day so that I could find a good job, get salary and buy everything I want to. Instead of expressing our gratitude, we keep on complaining and complaining and complaining!! -- Discontentment.

If we will just give ourselves a time to think about it, we will realized that what and who we are right now is the fruit of what we had been through in the past. Those seasons shaped our lives to be the person God had intended us to be. We might have commit mistakes but as long as we learned from it, that is OK.  So if we never practiced appreciating the life we had years ago. It is never too late. If you are a student now, a young professional, a businessman, a traveler, a musician, an employee, whether if you are in love or brokenhearted, you're rich or broke, or whatever it is that is happening in your life now APPRECIATE AND THANK GOD. Enjoy and live it while you are still young so when you get older you will also appreciate that season because you know that you were able to maximize this life with the way you lived it. 

One last thing that we always have to remember: God is with us in every single season.

22 So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them? -  Ecc. 3:22

Back Into His Arms

A walk in Christianity is not that easy. If you are a Christian, you should expect more trials, suffering and temptations. Jesus experienced it himself. Tempted by Satan, persecuted and suffered on the cross. For the last 3 weeks, I'd been through things a lot. Family and other personal matters. I couldn't find my joy. I'm reading the bible but nothing on His words strikes my heart. I feel so tired, lonely, sad and bored. I can't think straight and start compromising.

"Where are my friends?" "No one cares for me." "I'm not pretty." "I don't want to go to church because it seems like I don't have real friends there and we are just pretending."  THOSE LIES. LIES THAT JUST POPS UP IN MY HEAD AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY CAME FROM. I even think I have nothing.  I am nothing.

Until I had a dream that I was talking to my family around the table and in my dreams we are aware that my brother doesn't have a head and arms but he actually have. As we were talking to him asking him how can he breathe, later on I realized that he has really a head and arms! I told him that but he would not believe because all he knows is that he doesn't have it. I felt bad for him for not believing until I woke up with that same feeling. I was really thinking of that dream and I realized God just spoke through it. God feels offended whenever we say that we don't have anything though we already have everything; that He already gave us everything.

Yes, this world has a lot to offer. Fame, power, money, friends, a lot, anything that we think that could satisfy our human's desire. But God has more than a lot than this world could offer -- HIMSELF. 

Now I'm back. And I will not stop until the whole world knows how blessed we are for having a loving and generous Creator. From Him being the source to contentment, there's nothing in this world I would ever ask for. If there's one thing God wants from us that is to desire Him, only Him and we will never be disappointed.



"He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young." Isaiah 40:11

Unshakable Faith at Trying Times

So He said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit' says the LORD Almighty. Zechariah 4:6(NIV)

Sometimes we think God doesn't care and don't listen to our prayers. Sometimes we vent out and ask Him why this bad things happen or why things we want to happen are not happening. We start doubting God, feel that He's not doing anything. Being consumed with wanders of God's existence. 
In my years of Christianity, there came to a point that I questioned Him. It was a time that it feels like everything is not going the way I want it. A point that I told Him that if He can't do this or that for me I will do it myself and will not go to Him anymore as if it's God who needs me. 
For months, I tried to turn against God and start doing things my own way. I became rebellious and proud thinking that everything will be fine without Him, it was very long that I thought it was far better than being with Him until I found myself kneeling and crying before God. 

We say that we have FAITH. But to tell the truth, it is easier said than done. It's easy to express our gratefulness and worship to God when there's an answered prayers or things in favor to us. Admit it, this really boosts our faith. But what if something went wrong, we lost our wealth, family or a love one gone, lost our job or parents asked us to stop studying as they can no longer provide financially? What if everything has been taken away from us? Where will our faith will be? To God or to our own self? 

Can we still believe God even if he's not doing anything? What if in the midst of chaos He's just sitting up there watching you being all by yourself, will you still have your faith? 

I can't say I will still have mine, but I hope I will always remember holding on to God no matter what my circumstances are. And I believe I have to. For me, one of the privilege of having God in our hearts is that God wants us to feel secure, a privilege that whatever season we have in our lives now God is up there to turn into. His voice may not be audible as much as we would like it to be but we know that He is listening and we will always be comforted. We are limited, and so, we need an unlimited God. If it will just be our own strength we can but it won't last. We will drain. We will give up. But with God, our strength is non-consumable. 

It's not really about how we struggle. It's about believing in God no matter what.


Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. - 1 Thes. 5:18 (NIV)

Do You Still Believe in Promises?

Ever hold on to a promise then was just broken? 

Oh men, I feel for you!

It's just so easy to voice out a promise yet it is challenging to keep one, isn't it? 

Hard. And I believe that is one of the things every people have in common.

Why is it so hard to keep a promise?

Don't dare throwing the question back to me, I don't have any idea why.

Well, maybe because I don't think if I can even count with my fingers the promises had I

broken too.

Promises as they said and mostly based from others experiences, are always meant to be broken. 
And with my own point of view, it could be because we are just human.

I understand that this might be a lame excuse but we all have our limitations.
Raise your hand if you ever promised with a "swear to God" quote at the end of it. Count me in. We are saying this not because we really mean it but this is to convince the one who we are giving a promise with, that we are sincere. 
And while it is so easy for us to make a commitment it is also easy for us to believe and hold on to a certain promise. 

The world we are living is promising us with a lot of things it could offer. Fame, money, love

and even authority. These are just some of the factors that we think could give us security. I think this is just fine. Anyone who does not want all of this to have?

This world can warrant us with many things but what is our assurance?

It is just so sad that there are some people trying so hard. Sometimes they tend to do whatever it

takes just to get this things up to the point of hurting somebody's feelings. Selfishness.

We are craving for this to have without realizing that if it is a promise then it is already OURS.

Promise for me is claiming for something that is already yours and what you are just doing is wait

for that person to make it happen. We do things our way to get it because admit it or

not we do not trust the person who gave us the vow.

Just like Sarah who refused to believe God's promise, more than that she actually laughed at it.

Then the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say,  'Will I really have a child, now that I am old?' - Gen. 18:12

And if we are going to read back from that Chapter and stop to Chapter 16 we will see how Sarah make a way to have a child.

“The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” - Genesis 16:2

The result, she is being despised by her slave. If only Sarah had learned to wait.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,"

declares the LORD."  - Isaiah 55:8

We tend to dominate the best plans of God over our lives because we are too excited.The word

"WAIT" is being deleted from our dictionary just because we really can't wait.

Doing what we think what's best for us and yet totally out of God's will is actually settling for

second best. And settling for second best definitely means not trusting the Promise-Keeper.

For this, I believe there are 2 prerequisites in claiming a Promise of God;

1. We have to know the Character of the One who's giving us the promise. 

"So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." - Isaiah. 55:11

2 We have to realize what is our identity before Him. We are his Children.

"And if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.." - Romans 8:17

While the world can give us fame, money and authority; God gave us thousands of promises to hold on to.

We really don't need an assurance, all we have to realize that the One who promise us is the most Faithful One. The One who promised Abraham. The One who's the same yesterday, today and forever.

Who doesn't want disappointments? Who doesn't wants to believe in a false promises?

Then go to God. He will never fail. You will never fail.

"He who did not spare his own Son, but gave Him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" - Romans 8:32

Do you have any promises you claim from God? Post a comment below. I would love to know. :)

God's Letter to Me

I’m one of the students in School of Leadership 2 being held in our church  every Sunday evening. We are studying everything about God, the bible, living a life with Christ, leadership and anything that is deeper than hearing a sermon in attending a Sunday Service. Then our teacher Kuya Benjie gave us an assignment to write a letter fromGod.  I never did anything like this in my entire walk in Christianity nor did I think of writing it during my devotion. And as I write each and every word in
the “His”  letter I just found myself bursting into tears, trying to comprehend the deep of His love for me; the kind of Love that I used to ask from the past relationships I had, from friends and from family in which I never realized that was already mine from the time that I was born.

And just to share, this what He said.

My Daughter,

I want to start this letter by saying I love you. You know that, don’t you? But what you don’t know is how much i do.  You would really never know because I love you without any measure, I love you in a way that no one could ever imagine and in a way that is beyond your understanding with the definition of love. It’s my love the very reason why I made you. The reason why I sent my son, Jesus to die for all of you. You were made for a great purpose. I want you to know that every single event of your life is planned. I’m seeing every details of it. I actually know what you’re future will be. I felt your hurt and your pain, I saw your tears and wiped it and of course the struggles you dealt me with. I saw your sins that, yes, offends me but that will never make me love you less.

You might want to ask me why you have to encounter all this while walking in your faith, “Why not?” But please don’t take it as if I really wanted you to suffer.  NO.  All good things comes from me but I’m allowing this because I want other people to see my glory in your life especially in the point of your weaknesses and how you will be able to use this struggles to uplift and encourage others. I want you to know that I’m allowing this to happen because I want you to realize how much you need me and I want you to get your strength from me. But what hurts is that you sometimes give up and not trusting me. You sometimes think that nothing will happen if you draw near me which is wrong because with me everything is possible. Don’t fret when things don’t go the way you wanted them to be. I know everything and if you encounter such struggles you just have to trust all of this with me and rest assured that there’s really a way out of it. It also hurts when you are self-pitying and compare yourself with others that well in fact I made you unique. Let go of your insecurities away. You don’t need them. It won’t help you grow. NEVER. You may try to avert your eyes from things that you don’t have and focus in improving the things I had entrusted you. Do it and you’ll see how wonderful you are. Listen, you are worthy, amazing, excellent, strong and beautiful. You are,  because I made you. No doubt on that. Remember, I am your Perfect Creator so I know what’s best for you. You are my Princess. I smile whenever you are smiling, I am pleased with everything that you are doing just to glorify me. Keep on doing good things and I’ll reward you in due time.  Daughter, I want you to know that I am excited for you to experience the love story I had already written for you. I’m telling you he’s on your way, just be patient. He’ll come at the time when you least expect him to come and in a way that you’ll be surprised. The man I saved for you will treat you in a way that you should be treated and with the love you should be getting. Trust me and my timing then you’ll not get disappointed.

Jean, whenever you feel so alone always remember that I will be your God throughout your lifetime–until your hair is white with age. I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you. You don’t have to worry for what would lies ahead because I am with you. I wat to bless every single aspect of your life, just one thing - OBEY ME. Fix your eyes in me. I’m in control.

Unconditionally loves you,

God

Ladies, if you dropped by and read this letter you can claim this as yours too. Just to let you know, you are also loved same with the love I am experiencing from Him. We are the apple of His eyes.  ♥

It Really Doesn't Matter

One thing that I know I am most passionate about is the one thing I had ever find frustrating from the past.

I always wanted to write. Ideas, imaginations that keep on running and coming up in my mind and yet unable to put them into writing. 

And as frustrating as it can be, it actually made me feel being a writer is not for me. I struggled. I started to write something but can’t even finished one good paragraph. Hesitant to express with my pen whatever the thing I have in mind.

This burning passion had only and absolutely burned me out and consuming each part of my being.. and suddenly.. i just stopped. Accepted that it would really never be. I believed sharing my knowledge and experiences in life is a good idea but what I was always afraid of is being criticized and the unwanted feeling of rejection.

I used to care what would other people think and say. I always give a place of insecurity in my head that I could not really make it without realizing that all those thought really doesn’t matter at all.

So before all of this going to eat me up, I decided to stand. Determined to get back the fire that used to consumed my passion, I have to accept that we cannot always please other people. Be willing to take the risk of being stoned of different opinions from the people with different perspective. 

Appreciate every good feedback. Learned from negative comments. What matters is the heart that I put in with the writings that I had and with what I will still be writing in the future.This is me. This is what my calling is. I will write to encourage others, I will write for God.