In a dry season

I’ve been standing strong.  I thought so.  Things are just not working favorably as I saw it for the past days.  And yet I know that no matter how I see things, it will NEVER be the same way how God sees me and my situation.  My quiet times and Bible reading have ceased.  I just do not hear Him, feel Him.  Yes, I still have short prayers.  But He doesn’t deserve it.  I am drying up and is in a dry season.  Because I know walking away from Him will not do me good, I still worship Him.  It is odd to need music just to lift my soul back but it is working for me and may work for others.  It is crushing my heart and is wanting more of Him.  I realized that no matter how heavy the circumstances are, I should not let go one of the following: prayer, Bible reading, talking to a sibling in Christ, worship and going to church.  Surely, one of it will heal me.  Then doing each back one by one will please Him.  Just like the bamboo, bend but don't break. Be flexible yet firmly rooted in Him.

When women writes

I had been writing for quite sometime now but I never really produced something that is really worth reading for.  I realized that I am emotionally driven when writing.  I tend to write when I am emotionally disturbed.  I can give perfect picture of how I think through words.  But again, this only happens when emotional hype strikes.

When does it usually strike?  Emotions.  Unpredictable.  There can be many reasons behind.

1)     Monthly cycle – There is a point in a woman’s monthly cycle that makes us emotional (usually on or before the menstrual period.  Women are soft at this stage.  We easily cry at petty things.  Some tend to be more hot tempered.  Emotions.  It may be both aggressive or regressive.

2)     Something happened that day – If she is the type of woman who takes hours before she speaks about what happened (or doesn’t talk about it at all), one of her outlets is writing.  She will pour out all the emotions and will reread whatever she wrote and would feel better after that.

Yes, I said many.  Others are yet to be explained how.

Lovely magazine covers

Rosas ng Digma

Sumibol sa isang panahong marahas

Bawat pagsubok ay iyong hinarap

At hangga’t laya’y di pa nakakamtan

Buhay mo’y laging laan

Namumukadkad at puno ng sigla

Tulad mo’y rosas sa hardin ng digma

At di maiwasang sa’yo ay humanga

Ang tulad kong mandirigma

(Refrain)

Ako’y nangangarap na ika’y makasama

Taglay ang pangakong iingatan kita

Ang ganda mong nahubog sa piling ng masa

Hinding hindi kukupas, di malalanta

Ang kulay mong angkin, sintingkad ng dugo

Nagbibigay-buhay sa bawat puso

Tinik mo’y sagisag ng tapang at giting

Sa langara’y kislap ng bituin

(Repeat refrain twice)

Gaya ng pag-ibig na alay ko sinta

I have included this song in my blog today to mark the death of Ka Roger.  A name I have always heard but never really knew in person.  I may not fully under understand why he went to fight (for what whatever he was fighting for).  I just want to honor him for everything he did, he was.

I am a writer

14 yrs ago (07-Oct-1997) I won 1^st price for Editorial Writing Contest.  It was such a fulfilling experience.  I need to write.  It expresses the cheese out of me.  Otherwise, I will be vague.  Vague in what I say because of those thoughts that are not put into words.  But for the past years, my passion in writing has diminished specially when I worked in a callcenter.  I just had to talk and key in important details in a system.  That was 3 years of talking.  I am living in a country where English is a slight challenge that I need to bend what I know so our ideas will meet.  3 years.  I can state many reasons why I stopped writing.  But I know there are more reasons to write.  I tried to write again through blog.  There is effort is producing topic, effort in producing words, effort in making it interesting, effort in the composition when all I need to do is write.  Rust.  Writing is writing.  It sounds easy to do but if you do not practice this passion, it will feel awkward to do the next time you try it.  Struggle.  As I write, I am also reading books.  This is to refresh me of the ways people write.  To refresh me with words.  To give me patience in focusing on one thing and squeeze ideas about it rather than agreeing to the only idea presented by the book.  I play word games.  I won and had been defeated many times.  Challenge.  Lesson learned.  Do not stop reading.  Do not stop writing.  Do not stop learning.

Paper Roses

Monday, he called up to remind me that he is in the country.  Damn, how can I forget that he informed me about it 2 months ago.  So I hurriedly went to the meeting area to see him and our batchmates from elementary years.  Oh man, his eyes were the same.  Looking at it brought me back to our 4^th grade when I gave him a short love note with letters only I could understood.  But I never told him it came from me.  I told him it was from a friend.  2011, after 16 years since highschool, this is the first time we saw each other again.  The intensity of being-ok-though-it-felt-awkward was high. In short, I did not know how to act.  But I did.  We had dinner and toured around the city, had laughs and short talks.  But yeah, the feeling was a little awkward.  Yet I hope it will happen again when we see each other again in November.  My crush.  He still is.

What does the Bible say about money?

Warm up question:  If you will be blessed with wealth (money), how much would you would want it to be and why?  Please be a little specific with the figure.

Why do we need to talk about money?  Money is a personal possession and is a sensitive topic.  We talk about money only with people we are very confident with, close friends, financial advisers, or family members.  Why?  Nowadays, money has become our identity statement.  It is featured through the way we dress, the brand and model of our hand phones, bags, shoes, and the way of living.  There can be many things that will benchmark our financial value.  As Christians, we view this state as being blessed.

In the Bible, there are 800 scriptures referring to money.  There are stories about money, love of money, tribute of money, and warnings.

1)    Where do material blessings come from?

·         Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the LORD's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” Example: CREATION.

·         Deuteronomy 8:18 “But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.”

·         Riche men in the Bible:

1)    Abraham – Animals, maidservants, son.  Abrahamic covenant.

2)    Isaac – Land, animals, crops – Blessed through Abraham.

3)    Jacob- Blessed through Isaac.  Blessing rivalry with Brother Esau.

4)    David- I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread [Psalms 37:25].

5)    Solomon – son of David.  The wisest and richest king.

6)    Joseph the disciple. - Built the first Christian church.

·         Your money is not your own.  It all belongs to God. 

2)    Why is not everyone wealthy?  God has always wanted us blessed even from the beginning.  God wants us prosperous.  But because of greed and love of money, it has led us to destruction. 

Ø  1 Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

*Contentment, discipline, investment, tithing, seek His kingdom first, know your priorities (family/future), every blessing has a purpose, know your goal.

Ø  Matt 6: 24 “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”  KJV

Mammon is a term, derived from the Bible, used to describe material wealth or greed, most often personified as a deity, and sometimes included in the seven princes of Hell. (Personification) Mamon -Dinero in Spanish.  He is one of the 7 prince of hell.  Prince of Greed.

This craving for fortune is nothing new. Two thousand years ago Jesus said, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." (Mark 10:25 NIV)

Why is that? Jesus, who knew the human heart better than anyone ever has or ever will, understood that it's a matter of priorities. Too often, rich people make wealth their number one priority instead of God. They spend most of their time making wealth, spending it, and increasing it. In a very real sense, money becomes their idol.

God won’t stand for that. He told us so in his First Commandment: "You shall have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:3 NIV).

Why is there suffering/ lack of money?

a)    Sin – Esau and Jacob

b)    Discipline – warning, prevention to further evil

c)    To seek Him – Jehovah Jireh

d)    To bless us again

3)    Wealth cannot buy happiness

Despite all their money, many rich people feel empty and without meaning.

-       Some surround themselves with a dozen hangers-on.

-       Confusing opportunists with friends. Loyal during the times of troubles and happiness?

-       No time for most important people of their lives, most important things to do.

-       Others get pulled in by New Age beliefs and religious cults

-       Searching in vain for something that will help them make sense of their lives – surgeries.

4)    Seeing Ourselves as we Really Are

Because of the world's false values, we seldom see ourselves as we really are. The truth is that in the eyes of God, every believer is rich and famous. We possess the richness of a salvation that can never be taken from us. This is the treasure that’s immune from moths and rust. We take it with us when we die, unlike money or fancy possessions. We are famous and precious to our Savior, so much that he sacrificed himself so we can spend eternity with him. His love surpasses any earthly fame because it will never end.

It’s time to stop comparing houses, cars, clothes, and bank accounts. It’s time to stop feeling inadequate because we don’t own the outward symbols of success. Instead, it’s time to turn our eyes to our intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. That’s where we’ll experience our greatest fulfillment. That’s where we’ll finally find all the riches we’ve ever wanted.