Coffee Theory

It's only been 24 hours since my best friend left for Manila, but I already miss her. Dang.

As I was having my after-dinner cup of coffee with a friend (yes, 11pm at that), I could not help but think of the long conversations my best friend and I had over a cup of cappuccino or latte or a peach frappe. Friends wonder, "how on earth could you not run out of things to talk about?!?" 5 hours of non-stop talk is normal for us. Well, 3 straight days is still THE record to beat haha.

It's truly a blessing to witness our friendship mature, as our individual selves have. I remember the first few years we've been together. We've always been profound about lots of things -- like men, work, life, family, you name it. Usual girl talk, if you know what I mean. But now, I believe our friendship has taken a *leap of faith*. Never did we imagine that one day we'll be talking about God. Sometimes, when we reminisce about stuff we talked about in the past, we can't help but compare how much we have truly grown. Now, we reflect on things we have read (amazingly, sometimes we receive the same message on separate instances) and try to discern the message together when the words seem unclear. We have helped each other deal with our weaknesses, especially patience and pride. We have also learned to count our blessings more.

Humor plays a major role in every conversation. We can be very much into serious stuff, but we sure can laugh like crazy. It is a kind of friendship one would wish to last, till every strand of hair turns to grey, even when both have families of their own.

We have certainly made several eyebrows raise upon sharing our friendship with others, and we've always tried to ignore prejudice. On the other hand, a number of friends and acquaintances have honored our friendship, sometimes even wished they had the same. On a human scale, it is truly something to be proud of. At the same time, it is humbling, because we continuously try to submit ourselves to Him, praying and hoping that others may see the glory of God instead of ours. We tend to reach out to others, hoping to build meaningful friendships with other people, too.

Honestly, to walk by faith has been a day-to-day struggle. But when God is in the middle of our relationships with our brothers and sisters, we are assured that someone else is walking that same path, and the road definitely seems a lot smoother.

Winners and Losers

Just wanted to share what a 10-year old child sent me thru email. Kids truly amaze me sometimes.

A winner works harder and has more time.
A loser is always too busy to do what is necessary.

When a winner makes a mistake, he/she says, "I was wrong."
When a loser commits a mistake, he/she says, "It wasn't my fault."

A winner faces and solves his/her problems.
A loser does otherwise.

A winner make things happen.
A loser only makes promises.

A winner would say, "I am good but not as good as I want to be."
A loser would say, "I am not as bad as others."

A winner says, "Lets find out."
A loser says, "Nobody knows."

A winner credits his/her "good luck" for winning.
A loser blames his/her "bad luck" for losing.

A winner listens, understands and responds.
A loser only cares about voicing out his/her opinions.

A winner respects people would like to learn from them.
A loser would do otherwise, and would try to find other's faults.

A winner is responsible not just for his/her own.
A loser will not dare help others and would say, "I'm just doing my job."

A winner would say, "There must be a better way to do it."
A loser would say, "This is the only way to do it."

“We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today.”

When Weakness Becomes Strength

There are times when we feel downhearted by the impact of our weaknesses. We ask, "why did this person do this to me? Why did I allow myself to repeat past mistakes?" or even, "why did God let this happen to me?"

Oftentimes, we perceive our weaknesses as something to get rid of. We forget that through them, we are strengthened. Yes, we feel hurt and betrayed. It's only human. But everything lies on the next step. And the mere fact that we acknowledge our weaknesses is a good thing, because we tend to choose not to run away from the problem.

Many times, we are caught in situations that test our faith. Like moth to a flame, we are blinded by our misguided judgements that we end up catching fire. But you see, not all flames are bad. There's One definite flame that we should be aiming ourselves for. The Flame that burns inside us, the Light that shows us the way, the Source of all power.

If our weaknesses cause us to seek God and rely on Him, they actually help us instead of hinder us. In fact, they become the best thing that could happen to us, because our growth in courage, power, and happiness depends on our relationship with the Lord and how much we are relying on Him.

Sometimes in life we fall, but we must always have faith and make the effort to get right back up. Eventually, we'll be ready for more.

Superficial Forgiveness?

A Brother Who Sins Against You

15"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
(Matthew 18:15-17)

The Bible makes it clear that we have been created for relationship -- with God and with one another. When the relationships that form our lives are broken because of wrongful acts, genuine confessions and loving forgiveness are the first steps toward repairing those relationships. This requires us to be honest with ourselves and with each other. It can be difficult -- but genuine love can settle nothing less.

Why? Is the path of pain so necessary in such cases of hurt and heartache? Yes, it's important to see broken relationships healed. It's also critical that we see hearts set free from bitterness (when having been hurt) or guilt (when having hurt others).

There is another reason, however. As members of God's family, we are called to represent Him in the world. The Apostle Paul put it this way: We are therefor Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:20).

As His representatives, we are to model His character and His ways in our dealings with one another -- including an honest and genuine means of restoring broken relationships.

When we do this, we do more than heal the hurting and bind the wounded. We do more than absolute guilt or relieve bitterness. In fact, we put God's perfect love on display -- a love that is deep, fair, just, and determined to move us toward His good desires for us.

Read Avoiding the Danger of Superficial Forgiveness.

Kabaklaan

Gay talk always makes me laugh. Here's one hilarious review about the movie 300, forwarded to our org's egroup:

Aahaaay chorva!

Di kinaya ng powers ko ang kahotness ng movieness na itetch! It's raining men! (haleluya)! like go go go mga anik anik at ang mga mudra mega taray ang haba ng hair production number clothing designer eklavu powerness! kaboom!

It's like go papa spartans! go delisyus fighting karne! i get so weak on the knees i can't hardly breathe go go go! spapartans make bugbog the evil persia! make warla the queen xerxes.

At antaray naman ng lolaaaaaa xerxes mooooooo! nagmamaasim ang fingerlets ng hinawakan si spapartan head papa! ang entrance pang vilma with matching solid gold dancers itetch! with diamente ala maricel! wiiinnneeeeeer! ang eye brows ha! mega shoot to the stratosphere sa katarayan!

Ang warlahan ditetch daig pa ang rineregla sa dami ng vlood! at ang nacut neck na cutie spartan...nag cryola aketch! di kinaya ng emoticons ko ang death by tamponess ng cutie spartan. huhuhu. I'm sure proud si mother ricky dahil ang ganduuuuuuuuh talaga ng movieng itetch. like super mega walang halong chorva!

PERO LYER SILA! binilang ko ang mga papa...di umabot ng 300. 127 lang ang mga spapartans! etchos!

Dealing With Difficulty

by Chip Brogden

"Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us" (I Thessalonians 2:18).

We ought to be able to tell the difference between the Lord preventing us and the devil hindering us. Some Christians throw everything together and treat it as all the same. They reason that if God wants them to be somewhere then He will work everything out in their favor. They think if it is God's will then it will just automatically happen without any trouble at all. Scripture and the experience of countless saints prove otherwise.

We should not expect things to always go as planned, even when we are indeed following the will of God, and especially when we are trying to do what we feel led to do. Sometimes it seems as if everything is rising up against us. Cars break down, people get sick, misunderstandings arise, businesses fail, things happen. We do not want to give the devil any glory and attribute everything to him. But we do want to discern the true operation of the enemy so we may dispose of him. We must exercise discernment and wisdom to know the difference between the hand of the Lord, the work of the enemy, and the natural environment. Otherwise we will suffer unnecessarily.

Taken from The School of Christ.

When You Forgive

You are free from pain.
You give others a chance to do goodness.
You see the beauty of others.
You are humbled.
You make peace not only with your enemy but with yourself.
You recognize the power of the Holy Spirit.
You are closer to Jesus Christ.
You glorify God.

300 Memorable Quotes

Spartan King Leonidas: This is where we fight! This is where they die!
Captain: On these shields, boys!
[Spartans cheer]
Spartan King Leonidas: Remember this day, men, for it will be yours for all time.
Persian Officer: SPARTANS! Lay down your weapons!
Spartan King Leonidas: Persians...COME AND GET THEM!

---

Spartan King Leonidas: We're in for one wild night.

Spartan King Leonidas: Give them nothing! But take from them everything!

---

Spartan King Leonidas: Spartans! Enjoy your breakfast, for tonight we dine in Hell!

---

Stelios: Then we will fight in the shade.

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Spartan King Leonidas: A new age has come, an age of freedom. And all will know that 300 Spartans gave their last breath to defend it.

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Spartan King Leonidas: This is where we fight. This is where they die.

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Xerxes: Cruel Leonidas demanded that you stand. I require only that you kneel.

---

Persian Officer: Spartans, lay down your weapons.
Spartan King Leonidas: Come and get them!

---

Persian Emissary: This is madness!
Spartan King Leonidas: Madness? This is Sparta!

---

Spartan King Leonidas: We Spartans have descended from Hercules himself. Taught never to retreat, never to surrender. Taught that death in the battlefield is the greatest glory he could achieve in his life. Spartans: the finest soldiers the world has ever known.

Life of Faith

He went out, not knowing where he was going —Hebrews 11:8

In the Old Testament, a person’s relationship with God was seen by the degree of separation in that person’s life. This separation is exhibited in the life of Abraham by his separation from his country and his family. When we think of separation today, we do not mean to be literally separated from those family members who do not have a personal relationship with God, but to be separated mentally and morally from their viewpoints. This is what Jesus Christ was referring to in Luke 14:26.

Living a life of faith means never knowing where you are being led. But it does mean loving and knowing the One who is leading. It is literally a life of faith, not of understanding and reason— a life of knowing Him who calls us to go. Faith is rooted in the knowledge of a Person, and one of the biggest traps we fall into is the belief that if we have faith, God will surely lead us to success in the world.

The final stage in the life of faith is the attainment of character, and we encounter many changes in the process. We feel the presence of God around us when we pray, yet we are only momentarily changed. We tend to keep going back to our everyday ways and the glory vanishes. A life of faith is not a life of one glorious mountaintop experience after another, like soaring on eagles’ wings, but is a life of day-in and day-out consistency; a life of walking without fainting (see Isaiah 40:31 ). It is not even a question of the holiness of sanctification, but of something which comes much farther down the road. It is a faith that has been tried and proved and has withstood the test. Abraham is not a type or an example of the holiness of sanctification, but a type of the life of faith -- a faith, tested and true, built on the true God. "Abraham believed God. . ." ( Romans 4:3 ).

Taken from My Utmost For His Highest dated 19 March 2007

The Gift of Christ

by Chip Brogden

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3).

For most of my life as a Christian I sought God for THINGS. When depressed, I would seek joy. When worried, I would seek peace. When weak, I would seek strength. When angry, I would seek self-control. When defeated, I would seek victory. Most Christians are taught to approach God and seek these things when they are conscious of some lack. For a time it seems they are given what they ask for, but soon they are back asking for more of the same thing. Today we ask for patience, and tomorrow we ask again, and the day after that we have to ask yet again. So it is with peace, joy, victory, and everything else.

Eventually we must learn that we have everything in Christ already. That thing called "patience" that we are so diligently seeking is not a thing at all, it is Christ. "Victory" is no longer a "thing", it is a Man. And so it is with everything else we need. It is certainly possible to seek spiritual blessings from God apart from Christ, or in addition to Christ. What a difference it makes to realize that He HAS (past tense) blessed us already - not with three or five or twenty blessings - but with EVERY spiritual blessing. However many there may be, we have them all. Where and how has He done this? Thank God, it was done the moment we received Christ and entered into Him as our All in All. God would have us seek Him first, and not His things. To Him there is no "thing", for they are all summed up into Christ.

Taken from The School of Christ. Thanks, ST! God bless.

A Celebration of Love

I can't help but share a wonderful entry a friend's boyfriend posted, which I recently found while browsing though friendster the other day. It is several months old, yet it has given me great pleasure to read it. Read Making An Offer She Cannot Refuse.

Sometimes we wonder if certain guys still exist. Well, they most certainly do. To Micah and Miren, as you start your journey together as husband and wife, may you continue to walk by faith and celebrate love for the rest of your lives.

Fear

Somebody from a Christian channel in mIRC asked, "what does 'to fear the Lord is to be wise' mean"? After a few attempts of other channel users to disprove his absurdity on the subject, something urged me to find words of wisdom from Our Daily Bread. And this is what I was led to share:

To fear the Lord means giving Him
Our reverence, trust, and awe,
Acknowledging His sovereignty,
Submitting to His law.

I copied and pasted this on the channel. And guess what? We didn't hear from him/her again.

Definition of terms plays a vital role in communication. It is truly difficult to understand each other when we are not speaking the same language.

Count Your Blessings

Friendly smiles
Labors of love
Thoughtful gestures
Answered prayers
Wonderful memories
Fun surprises
Hearty conversations
Good advice
Sincere apologies
Inspirational music
Words of wisdom

... just a few of the many, many things to be thankful for.

Wonderful Maker

You spread out the skies over empty space
Said, let there be light to a dark and formless world
Your light was born

You spread out your arms over empty hearts
Said, let there be light to a dark and hopeless world
Your son was born

No eye has fully seen how beautiful the cross
And we have only heard the faintest whispers
Of how great You are

You made the world and saw that it was good
You sent Your only son, for You are good

What a wonderful maker
What a wonderful savior
How majestic Your whispers
And how humble Your love
With a strength like no other
And the heart of a father
How majestic Your whispers
What a wonderful God

Between Friends

Accountability

Encourage each other daily....so that none of you is hardened by sin's deception. Hebrews 3:13

“I will bless the Lord who counsels me—even at night my conscience instructs me. I keep the Lord in mind always.” (Psalm 16:7-8).

He's there. Wherever you are. Whatever you're feeling. Without having to play a silly mind game or pretend something that's not real, you can just believe the fact that God is always with you, His power always within reach, His help always a word away.

But when it's late, when you've had a tough day, when a drink is sounding awfully good, or the remote control is driving your TV through a bad section of town, the features on God's face can dim a little. His invisible presence can fade into forgetfulness.

But if you've got a couple of friends you've promised to stay accountable to, if you dread the thought of facing them without a clear conscience and a good word of testimony, you can flash their faces through your mind or make a quick phone call and remember what a holy life is worth.

Look, we're all in this thing together.

Look Up
Hebrews 3:12-14

Forwarded by a friend. Thanks, ST. God bless.

Liven Up at Prachuap

Company Outing @ Tanao Sri Resort
March 10-11, 2007
Pranburi, Prachuapkhirikhan, Thailand





More pictures here! Enjoy :D

Have You Ever Been Alone with Him?

Taken from My Utmost For His Highest dated 13 January 2007

His Solitude with Us. When God gets us alone through suffering, heartbreak, temptation, disappointment, sickness, or by thwarted desires, a broken friendship, or a new friendship— when He gets us absolutely alone, and we are totally speechless, unable to ask even one question, then He begins to teach us. Notice Jesus Christ’s training of the Twelve. It was the disciples, not the crowd outside, who were confused. His disciples constantly asked Him questions, and He constantly explained things to them, but they didn’t understand until after they received the Holy Spirit (see John 14:26).

As you journey with God, the only thing He intends to be clear is the way He deals with your soul. The sorrows and difficulties in the lives of others will be absolutely confusing to you. We think we understand another person’s struggle until God reveals the same shortcomings in our lives. There are vast areas of stubbornness and ignorance the Holy Spirit has to reveal in each of us, but it can only be done when Jesus gets us alone. Are we alone with Him now? Or are we more concerned with our own ideas, friendships, and cares for our bodies? Jesus cannot teach us anything until we quiet all our intellectual questions and get alone with Him.

The Wise Guy In The Backseat

Taken from Daily Strength dated 7 March 2007

Driving with two young children in the backseat often requires a special kind of grace. Especially when, like on this trip, I was the parent. We were driving to Grand Rapids to hear one of my favorite pastors speak, and we were seriously stuck in traffic. I desperately studied the map for an alternate route while my 3-year-old son amused himself by teasing his 18-month-old sister. Her piercing screams got louder until my already frayed nerves finally snapped. I reached behind my seat with the folded map and bonked my son on the head, yelling, “Stop doing that to your sister!”

My son, wide-eyed, looked at me from the backseat and admonished, “Daddy, it’s not be ye kind to hit people!”

Ouch.

I have an advanced degree in theology and make a living teaching others the Word of God. And yet, in that moment, it took a 3-year-old’s loose paraphrase of Ephesians 4:32, to help me catch a biblical clue. Out of the mouths of babes!

That’s exactly what the psalmist is talking about in this tiny nugget of truth from Psalm 119. Advanced degrees and knowledge-laden education or even an ordination to preach, do not, in and of themselves, make one wise. In fact, some of the smartest and most talented people in this world live and act in extremely unwise ways. Paul references people like that in Romans 1:21-22 when he says, “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools.”

It’s God’s Word that makes us wise. In fact, let me be more specific—it’s knowing and applying God’s Word that makes us wise. I knew the biblical truths in my head. But in a frustrated moment, I got a solid “F” in translating God’s Word into wisdom in my life.

The beauty of God’s Word is that it is so accessible. From young children, not even yet able to read, to stellar biblical scholars, His truths offer fresh insight and perspective. In the trustworthy pages of the Bible, God actually—get this—teaches us. Instruction directly from the Author and Creator of Life! No wonder His Word “gives understanding to the simple” (Psalm 119:130).

That’s why the writer of this psalm, the longest chapter in the Bible, committed to meditating on God’s law all day long. He knew that questions would surface every day for which he had no answer. He knew that the daily struggle to live with integrity and purpose would require countless moment-by-moment decisions for which he would need wise counsel. And so he steeped his mind and his heart in the truth of God’s Word, heartily trusting that it would be sufficient for every situation. His confidence was that immersion in the truth of the Law granted him wisdom—the real, rubber-meets-the-road kind of wisdom—beyond what could be learned in school.

And so, armed with sound biblical wisdom, a 3-year-old wise guy in the backseat of my car brought a much-needed rebuke to his “biblically educated” Dad. And, by the way, for the rest of the car trip, I was a little bit more “be ye kind.”

A Time For Everything

Ecclesiastes 3

1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

9 What does the worker gain from his toil?

Stop, Look and Listen

After living yet another day of sinful opportunities, I have realized how much we have conversed the whole day. Every single thought and feeling, He knocks. Lost in doubt, He stirs us back into the right path. Everyday, I am tempted to indulge my thoughts on jealousy, doubt, misjudgement, selfishness and lust. And the minute He speaks, I feel ashamed for even entertaining those thoughts. How mighty is His work in our hearts!

The other day, I have allowed my own selfish thoughts to wander again in malice on an innocent person. On and on, I prodded, as if trying to prove myself more worthy of something. Never should we think less of others. Who are we anyway?

Guilt is a blessing. It tells us we are connected to Him, that we are aware how sinful we are. Thru this, we are given the choice to follow in His steps or not. And for this, I am eternally grateful.

So, what did He tell you today?