Our high scholars have gone back to school since Monday. I pray they will study hard and will really exert effort to finish school with high grades. I know it won't be easy as school is hard work , assignments here and there, researches, experiments (don't know though if they use laboratory furnaces in their experiments) but really I hope they would strive hard.
Our college students will go back to school next week. Two of them are freshmen and I'm sure there will be huge adjustments in their life. I pray they can adjust well and they''l not just be plain students in the school but model students and ambassadors of Christ.
Pray for our scholars and let's keep on supporting them.
Friday, June 8, 2012
Rainy Days
June is when the rainy season officially starts here but why is it still so hot? Yes, it rains and it gets cooler but when the rain stops it heat shoots up again. I literally want to soak my self with a fireman's single jacket fire hose..that would be cool! well, if I won't be thrown away :) hehe!
If only things happen right away when you just wish :)
Rudolf my husband said, he wish he is in Alaska now. I wish I am in a nice hotel with good air conditioning system and with lots of food! :)
How about you? what do you wish for now?
If only things happen right away when you just wish :)
Rudolf my husband said, he wish he is in Alaska now. I wish I am in a nice hotel with good air conditioning system and with lots of food! :)
How about you? what do you wish for now?
God is good all the time!
These are indeed tough days, in all aspect, spiritual, financial and emotional.
A lot has been happening to us and to the church. Sometimes I can't comprehend anymore, my mind and heart cannot process any longer, all the incidents and stuff. But I am holding on to God's word and that these happenings doesn't indicate that He is not good because God is good all the time, even in the toughest day.
I was actually sick yesterday (emotionally stress and the lack of sleep) are the culprit. I had terrible headache and body pain and was throwing up. Last night, I prayed and ask the Lord to give me complete rest and a sound sleep. I woke up and I feel strengthened :)
Yes, times are hard, situations are not good but GOD is GOOD all the time!
We haven't been to grocery store for like a month now, haven't seen barcode scanner for a while but we were never hungry. yes, money is hard at this point in time but GOD is GOOD all the time!
There is no reason not to praise the LORD everyday because His goodness never fails :)
A lot has been happening to us and to the church. Sometimes I can't comprehend anymore, my mind and heart cannot process any longer, all the incidents and stuff. But I am holding on to God's word and that these happenings doesn't indicate that He is not good because God is good all the time, even in the toughest day.
I was actually sick yesterday (emotionally stress and the lack of sleep) are the culprit. I had terrible headache and body pain and was throwing up. Last night, I prayed and ask the Lord to give me complete rest and a sound sleep. I woke up and I feel strengthened :)
Yes, times are hard, situations are not good but GOD is GOOD all the time!
We haven't been to grocery store for like a month now, haven't seen barcode scanner for a while but we were never hungry. yes, money is hard at this point in time but GOD is GOOD all the time!
There is no reason not to praise the LORD everyday because His goodness never fails :)
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Our Words can Heal or Destroy
by Christina Ryan Claypool
Words are a powerful tool. Some folks never learn just how powerful they are. Rather, by not guarding what they say, they spend their lives wreaking emotional havoc wherever they go. In explanation, loving words can heal a broken bond, while hurtful remarks could destroy a relationship forever. The importance of governing words is sometimes lost on those who grow up in dysfunction, like I did. We can become misguided individuals believing that as long as we aren’t physically abusing anyone, screaming, or cursing; that verbal attacks are acceptable.
What happened behind closed doors when we were children, is often not an acceptable role model for healthy communication. No matter our age, and regardless of how painful our past has been, it’s wrong to think that God allows His children to wound others. West central Ohio’s Pastor Randy Bargerstock shared this poignant truth in a message once. He said that there is a lie that some people believe that when they have been hurt, this gives them the right to hurt others.
The Bible contradicts this falsehood, “The good man from his inner good treasure flings forth good things, and the evil man out of his inner evil storehouse flings forth evil things. But I tell you, on the Day of Judgment men will have to give account for every idle (inoperative, non-working) word they speak. For by your words you will be justified and acquitted, [or]…you will be condemned and sentenced.” Matthew 12:35-37
Not only will we be called to account for our words, but the kind of life that we live today is dependent on healthy communication. After all, Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life].” In explanation, unchecked anger, lack of forgiveness, or bitterness, can drive us to say cruel things to others. In Matthew 12:34 we are told that, “…For out of the fullness (the overflow, the superabundance) of the heart the mouth speaks.”
“If we permit wrong thoughts [or motives] to dwell in our hearts, we will ultimately speak them. Whatever is hidden in our hearts will sooner or later be expressed openly through our mouths,” cautions Evangelist Joyce Meyer.
Dr. Gary Chapman, author of The Five Love Languages also believes that words have great impact. He even identifies, “Words of Affirmation,” as a basic love language for some individuals. “One way to express love emotionally is to use words that build up,” explains the bestselling writer. “Verbal compliments, or words of appreciation, are powerful communicators of love,” adds Chapman.
However, sometimes relationships, and especially marriages, fall into a vicious cycle where partners exchange criticisms and complaints, instead of encouraging words. When a relationship reaches this point, author and speaker, Nancy Leigh DeMoss suggests fasting critical comments for 30 days to break the destructive pattern.
Because a man’s greatest need in relationship is respect, the harm of disrespectful words can cause great division. Since a woman’s primary need is for love, she will also begin to have damaged emotions from constant verbal criticism.
Biblical writer, James understood the power of words. “But the human tongue can be tamed by no man. It is a restless…evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who were made in God’s likeness! Out of the same mouth come forth blessing and cursing. These things, my brethren, ought not to be so.” James 3:8-10
We can’t tame our own tongues, but God can. After all, most of us realize that domestic violence is never acceptable often forgetting that verbal battering is another form of abuse. Therefore, ask the Holy Spirit to guard your mouth during disagreements. In addition, realize that you don’t have to raise your voice to be abusive. Rather a demeaning tone or the viciousness of accusatory words can break a loved one’s heart. I will honestly admit that I’m writing this, because controlling my words has been one of my greatest life struggles.
If you are like me, and you do feel yourself losing control, walk away from the situation, until you are able to deal with the confrontation more calmly. Also, apologize to those you have wounded in the past, assuring them that you are working on communicating more appropriately. Pray for wisdom, requesting God’s help in changing destructive verbal behavior. “But the wisdom from above is first of all pure; then it is peace loving, courteous, (considerate, gentle). [It is willing to] yield to reason, full of compassion and good fruits…” James 3:17
If you have read all of the above, then please watch this incredibly insightful, but very short video that millions of viewers have seen on YouTube. You will be amazed at how we say, what we say, affects our lives.
Christina Ryan Claypool is a 1st place Amy Award winning freelance journalist and Christian speaker. She is the author of the book, Seeds of Hope for Survivors. Contact her through her Website at www.christinaryanclaypool.com
My Father and his hats
Whenever I go out of town for a vacation or mission trip, I make sure I bring my father home a Cowboy Hat, I have bought him so many (lost count already) as far as I remember , got him one from Malaysia and Hongkong and he always love it!
The pictures below were taken on his 75th birthday and each of us are wearing his hats :)
I pray I can bring him more hats in my future travels and mission trips :D
The pictures below were taken on his 75th birthday and each of us are wearing his hats :)
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| the girls in the family with my Tatay |
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| and the boys :) |
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
New things to come
It's 6:00 in the morning and I am still awake. I had a very rough night last night but surprisingly I'm okay now. It is still sad and I still don't understand everything but I've already offered it to the Lord.
We're moving out of the church and I guess you know that it is not easy. I'll post more about it (probably the details when I have the time and I'm rested and I can sit still in front of the pc and write my heart out)
For now, I am (we are) excited for the new chapter of our life, new worship place, new people, new souls to win and new environment. It would be hard to start anew specially if you start from scratch as in nothing even one chair (I wish I have silver bars from Golden Eagle which I can sell so we can buy all the things we will be needing in the new church but alas I have none.
But that only makes me even more excited to see and witness how God will work and how He will provide for our every need.
I'll keep you updated. :) Thank you for all the prayers and support!! Love you all!
Soul Surfer
Of course, you don't want something bad happening in any member of your family right? I always worry about road accidents because we do often ride a motorbike ( although my husband make sure that we wear our motorcycle helmets when we go out and ride but still it does not ensure us that nothing wrong is going to happen.) But what if something terribly wrong happened? How will you face it?
The soul surfer "Bethany Hamilton" was attacked by a shark in one of her surfing days and she lost her left arm but that didn't stop her from going back to her board and the water. Her determination and her faith is very inspiring. It's a very good movie.
I am hoping I can get hold of the book also. I would definitely love to read it. One of my favorite quote in the movie is this "I don't know why terrible things happen to us sometimes. But I have to believe something good is going to come out of this."-Sarah Hill
I know something good is going to come out in my current situation now :)
Enjoy the movie or the book everyone !
Monday, June 4, 2012
Letters to God
We've been watching faith inspirational movies lately. We rarely watch movies now because for one our television was broken and we can only watch in our computer (subject to movies we can play with it) I hope we can have our tv set replaced so I can watch movies again and maybe watch comfortably sitting in huge bean bags with buckets of popcorn :)..but that's me dreaming lang....
So anyways, last night we watch "Letters to God" and it made me cry a lot.
I used to do that, I write letters to God, though I don't mail them of course instead I write them on my notebook and I realize I miss doing that. Writing letters to God is actually praying, it's a written prayer.
I remember that when I'm feeling low, I write and I tell God how I feel but I also have letters thanking Him and praising Him for his goodness and love.
It helped me a lot, I don't know but during that stage of my life where I used to write letters to God, that's when I feel I am closest to HIM. It feels different. And it also nice to once in a while go back and read your letters. I do that once in a while.
Now I wish I can go back to writing my letters to God again.
What to Do When You Have No Way Out
By Phil Cooke
I’ll never forget the experience of being fired. I was 36 years old, with a wife and two small children. After telling my wife Kathleen, we sat on the bed, cried a little, and realized there was no way out. But looking back today, I can see the jolt of that experience was the best thing that could have ever happened. Shortly afterwards, we began the greatest journey of change we had ever experienced, because I had hit a wall. I had no other choice, and there was only one answer—change or die. Perhaps you’ve hit your wall. Maybe you’ve been fired, divorced, financially ruined, hit bottom from substance abuse, been humiliated, experienced failure, or had a close call with death. If your life has been completely turned upside down, and you’re at the end of your rope, then you have it easy.
That’s right—you have it easy! Doing the research for my book on how to change your life called “Jolt!” I discovered that the most difficult aspect of changing your life is beginning – taking the first step. Most people rest on their laurels, take the easy way out, rationalize their options—anything—to keep from changing. If you’ve hit your wall and have no other options, then your decision is already made. Your choice has been decided and you’re on the way up! But if you haven’t quite hit bottom yet and been jolted into reality, the choice is going to be much tougher.
Your arguments might include: Sure I’m frustrated with my job, but at least it’s a paycheck, and a lot of people are out of work right now. I’m not really drinking that much, and after all, I could quit just about any time. Oh, I dreamed about a different life, but that was a kid’s dream. It’s not really something that’s realistic for me to pursue now. I could advance faster if I got my college degree, but I work all day, so why should I spend my evenings going to class? I could go on and on. I don’t know your particular frustration, but I’m sure you have a million excuses for why you’ve never begun your journey to change. You haven’t hit your particular wall, so your life could easily go on for years, maybe your whole life, before you realize you’ve traded your dreams for a shallow, empty copy.
“The absence of alternatives clears the mind marvelously.” – Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger
The truth is, as long as we see any other way out, very few of us will muster the will to make real change happen. But the good news is, hitting a wall can be your ticket to freedom because it forces you to change course and to do it now. A friend thought he was doing fine until doctors discovered he had developed cancer of the esophagus. His treatment and recovery forced him to leave his business and literally took him out of everything for more than four years. Thinking his career was over, he nearly gave up. But hitting that wall jolted him, and the experience completely changed his perspective on life. As a result, he’s transformed his thinking about his purpose for living, and guess what? His cancer even went into remission and he’s back at work.
Whatever your wall—getting fired, losing your home, receiving the medical diagnosis you’ve dreaded, closing your business, bankruptcy, divorce, whatever—it doesn’t have to be the end. As terrible as the wall may be, you can overcome it if you use the moment to jolt you back to reality. You have to face the fact that circumstances won’t change until you change. Family members won’t change until you change. Your job won’t change until you change. And your future will never change until you make a decision. Embrace the wall. Let it help you focus your mind and face the real truth about your situation.
Phil Cooke has produced media programming in more than 40 countries around the world, and in the process, been shot at, survived two military coups, fell out of a helicopter, and in Africa, been threatened with prison. And during that time, he's helped some of the largest non-profit organizations in the world navigate periods of dramatic disruption and change.
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| image source : google |
I’ll never forget the experience of being fired. I was 36 years old, with a wife and two small children. After telling my wife Kathleen, we sat on the bed, cried a little, and realized there was no way out. But looking back today, I can see the jolt of that experience was the best thing that could have ever happened. Shortly afterwards, we began the greatest journey of change we had ever experienced, because I had hit a wall. I had no other choice, and there was only one answer—change or die. Perhaps you’ve hit your wall. Maybe you’ve been fired, divorced, financially ruined, hit bottom from substance abuse, been humiliated, experienced failure, or had a close call with death. If your life has been completely turned upside down, and you’re at the end of your rope, then you have it easy.
That’s right—you have it easy! Doing the research for my book on how to change your life called “Jolt!” I discovered that the most difficult aspect of changing your life is beginning – taking the first step. Most people rest on their laurels, take the easy way out, rationalize their options—anything—to keep from changing. If you’ve hit your wall and have no other options, then your decision is already made. Your choice has been decided and you’re on the way up! But if you haven’t quite hit bottom yet and been jolted into reality, the choice is going to be much tougher.
Your arguments might include: Sure I’m frustrated with my job, but at least it’s a paycheck, and a lot of people are out of work right now. I’m not really drinking that much, and after all, I could quit just about any time. Oh, I dreamed about a different life, but that was a kid’s dream. It’s not really something that’s realistic for me to pursue now. I could advance faster if I got my college degree, but I work all day, so why should I spend my evenings going to class? I could go on and on. I don’t know your particular frustration, but I’m sure you have a million excuses for why you’ve never begun your journey to change. You haven’t hit your particular wall, so your life could easily go on for years, maybe your whole life, before you realize you’ve traded your dreams for a shallow, empty copy.
“The absence of alternatives clears the mind marvelously.” – Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger
The truth is, as long as we see any other way out, very few of us will muster the will to make real change happen. But the good news is, hitting a wall can be your ticket to freedom because it forces you to change course and to do it now. A friend thought he was doing fine until doctors discovered he had developed cancer of the esophagus. His treatment and recovery forced him to leave his business and literally took him out of everything for more than four years. Thinking his career was over, he nearly gave up. But hitting that wall jolted him, and the experience completely changed his perspective on life. As a result, he’s transformed his thinking about his purpose for living, and guess what? His cancer even went into remission and he’s back at work.
Whatever your wall—getting fired, losing your home, receiving the medical diagnosis you’ve dreaded, closing your business, bankruptcy, divorce, whatever—it doesn’t have to be the end. As terrible as the wall may be, you can overcome it if you use the moment to jolt you back to reality. You have to face the fact that circumstances won’t change until you change. Family members won’t change until you change. Your job won’t change until you change. And your future will never change until you make a decision. Embrace the wall. Let it help you focus your mind and face the real truth about your situation.
Phil Cooke has produced media programming in more than 40 countries around the world, and in the process, been shot at, survived two military coups, fell out of a helicopter, and in Africa, been threatened with prison. And during that time, he's helped some of the largest non-profit organizations in the world navigate periods of dramatic disruption and change.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Waiting before the Lord
It's middle of the year already. JUNE and we are expecting a lot of change to be happening soon. I am just not so sure on how extensive the changes will take place and no I'm not talking about me wearing those stylish maternity clothes soon, which I hope of course :) but I'm talking about church and ministry here as this our ministry blog.
Currently, we are on rest and waiting (just finished the dinner for a cause event and that would be all for me now).
Psalm 37:7 said "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him" and that is what we are doing.
Waiting for the Lord's instructions and waiting patiently for Him.
I trust that the Lord has GREAT PLANS for us and I am so sure of that. We just have to wait for now
Currently, we are on rest and waiting (just finished the dinner for a cause event and that would be all for me now).
Psalm 37:7 said "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him" and that is what we are doing.
Waiting for the Lord's instructions and waiting patiently for Him.
I trust that the Lord has GREAT PLANS for us and I am so sure of that. We just have to wait for now
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