Rejoice always..♥

Devotion

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

In times when you face challenges in your personal life or when your world seems to be falling apart, you still have plenty of reasons to be grateful as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Why? Because God is good… and He’s good all the time. He is full of grace and mercy, and you know what? He cares about you. He knows where you are in life and what you’re going through.

Also, remember that God is in control. He is sovereign. He sees the big picture—the past, present, and future.

What’s even more exciting is that the God of the universe has a plan specifically for your life. And that plan is already in motion. He knows where you’re going and how to get you there.

This is why you and I should give thanks in every situation or challenge—no matter how daunting or intimidating it may seem.

Because God will use it ultimately for your good. You and I may not understand why we face certain trials in life, but God has a purpose and a plan that is in place for you. Through it all, He is equipping, preparing, and positioning you for His ultimate purpose.

This isn’t just a good thing… it’s a great thing!

One of my favorite verses, Romans 8:28, offers this hope: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

With so much hope and promise for our future, how can we not be thankful? We are blessed because God loves us! We are blessed because God is still in control! We are blessed because God has called us to a unique purpose!

So no matter what you’re facing today, I want to encourage you to take a moment to consider your blessings.

Remember what God has brought you through and get excited about where He is taking you. When you do, you’ll be able to live with an attitude of gratitude no matter what your circumstances are!

TAKE SOME TIME TO WRITE DOWN YOUR BLESSINGS TODAY.

YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED HOW IT WILL CHANGE YOUR OUTLOOK!

•-•-•

it's good that we remind ourselves some basic thoughts that will help us grow in Christ.. =)

unchanging love♥dream wedding..

haha..

this night.. as I watch the APO hiking society in Juday and Ryan's wedding in cinema one.. I'm starting to like them.. really..haha..
they are my new favorite.. haha!..nice nice!

nice wedding they had..haha.. really!..

i hope someday.. when the time that someone.. my beloved prince and I finally decides on getting stable.. i hope it's this happy.. so wonderful..

haha.. but it's so tagal pa.. really.. it will take several years siguro..

hays..
ngayon pa lang i can feel the excitement of being married atlast to the person you want to be with for the rest of your life.. gosh!..

haha.. it's so early for me to think the marriage thing now.. haha!..

galing galing..

'the unchanging love' ika nga.. =)

the 80/20 rules in relationship

“DO NOT LOOK BACK AND ASK WHY, LOOK FORWARD AND ASK WHY NOT”

A very valuable lesson to learn ...

Interesting quote from the movie 'Why did I get married?'
In most cases, especially in relationships, you will only get 80% of what you NEED and you will hardly get the other 20% that you WANT in your relationship. There is always another person (man or women) that you will meet and that will offer you the other 20% which is lacking in your relationship that you WANT And believe me, 20% looks really good when you are not getting it at all in your current relationship.
But the problem is that you will always be tempted to leave that good 80% that you know you have, thinking that you will get something better with the other 20% that you WANT
But as reality has proven, in most cases, you will always end up with having the 20% that you WANT and loosing the 80% that you really NEED and that you already had.
Be careful in deciding between what you WANT and NEED in your life.

Adultery happens when you start looking for what you don't have. 'Wow, this girl in my office is a real looker. But it's not her Wynona Rider features that got me. I'm crazy about her because she's also understanding, intelligent, tender - so many things that my spouse is not'

Somewhere along the way, you'll find a woman or a man who will be more charming or sensitive.
More alluring. More thoughtful. Richer. Have greater sex appeal.. And you will find a woman or man who will need you and pursue you and go loco over you more than your spouse ever did.

Because no wife or husband is perfect. Because a spouse will only have 80% of what you're looking for. So adultery takes place when a husband or wife looks for the missing 20%.
Let's say your wife is melancholic by nature.

You may find yourself drawn to the pretty clerk who has a cherry laugh no matter what she says:
'I broke my arm yesterday, Hahahaha . . ..'

Or because your wife is a homebody in slippers and pajamas, smelling of garlic and fish oil, you may fall for a fresh-smelling young sales representative that visits your office in a sharp black blazer, high heels, and a red pencil-cut skirt Or because your husband is the quiet type,
your heart may skip a beat when you meet an old college flame who has the makings of a talk show host.

But wait! That's only 20% of what you don't have.

Don't throw away the 80% that you already have!

That's not all. Add to your spouse's 80% the 100% that represents all the years that you have been with each other. The storms you have weathered together. The unforgettable moments of sadness and joy as a couple. The many adjustments you have made to love the other. The wealth of memories that you've accumulated as lovers.

Adultery happens when you start looking for what you don't have.

But faithfulness happens when you start thanking God for what you already have.

But I'm not just talking about marriage.

I'm talking about life!

About your jobs.
About your friends.
About your children.
About your lifestyles.

Are you like the economy airline passenger that perennially peeks through the door of the first class cabin, obsessed with what he's missing? 'They have got more leg room! Oh my, their food is served in porcelain! Wow, their seats recline at an 80% angle and they've got personal videos!'

I guarantee you'll be miserable for the entire trip! Don't live your life like that. Forget about what the world says is first class. Do you know that there are many first class passengers who are miserable in first class -- because they are not riding in a private Lear Jet?

The main message

If you start appreciating what you have right now, wherever you are, you are first class!

•-•-•

..well that's a big thing that must be considered..=)

it's an e-mail from a friend..=)

wake up call•a reminder

Naruto is my homeboy

Wednesday, 22 April 2009 13:15

By Pastor Emil L. Galang and the KKB Core Leaders One of the most disappointing effects of our culture’s media craze is that it has penetrated so deeply into our society. Concepts endorsed by media are often canonized into norms. Media today are among the most forceful influences to daily life and ideologies. They’re so influential they can even threaten to subvert the Bible’s idea of a Christian lifestyle. And what is the Bible’s idea of a Christian lifestyle? One that is holy and pleasing to God. (Romans 12:1-2). To be holy is to be set apart from the world and its tendency to feed on appetites that are not characteristic of Godly worship. So when a media product like an anime or Manga series comes around with a main character who has a power source of a Nine-tailed Demon Fox inside his body, Christians should be quick to raise eyebrows and shun the thought of promoting, endorsing, or even contemplating on getting hooked on that kind of story concept. That story concept obviously glorifies demonic activity while, at the same time, overly simplifying the truth about demons. Not for the Christian One doesn’t even need to go to the subliminal to know and discern that Manga artist Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto series is not for the Christian to absorb into his system. Naruto is a young ninja-in-training who grew up in a village that once fought the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox. The only way to defeat it was to trap it inside the body of an infant. Naruto’s father was a very powerful ninja who heroically died in the battle while successfully sealing the Demon Fox inside the infant boy Naruto. Growing up, Naruto finds himself shunned by the very villagers his father protected. They feared that he would soon discover the truth about the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, and eventually unleash its destructive power. In order to feel accepted, Naruto resolved to become the greatest ninja ever known. Naruto employs a coming-of-age formula that is similar to the plot of Spider-Man or the X-Men. In this story framework, a young character or characters usually find themselves caught in critical transition periods, complicated by their environment or the forces that antagonize them. Characters learn a lesson by the end of the story. Such formula proves to be highly effective for youth media consumers. Its relevance to youth life, and, in Naruto’s case, the use of imaginative supernatural elements are sure-fire audience nabbers. No wonder even many church-attending youths are hooked on the global Naruto fever. The plot is so feverishly fantastic that it can easily astonish one’s imagination despite its presentation of a perverted viewpoint on demonic activity. In the Naruto world, demons are real, powerful beings who have great amount of influence over forces of nature. They can inhabit human beings on a level that is similar to a parasite-host relationship. What’s more, they can be “contained” or “entrapped” in a host human body without necessarily overriding the person’s will, or bringing out horrible manifestations upon the person as long as the host body is “in control.” Truth about demons Every Christian must acknowledge that the Bible is the only source of truth about demons. From a Biblical perspective, demons should be cast out of—not entrapped in—a human being’s body as it brings about dreadful torment upon a person possessed by it. What’s alarming about Naruto is that the hero sometimes taps into the power of the demon inside him, enabling him to accomplish feats of kindness such as rescuing his friends from danger. Tapping into demonic power in order to accomplish good? Doesn’t it sound to you like what has been “white” witchcraft’s selling point over the centuries? In fact, Naruto fans often justify this by magnifying the values of loyalty and friendship which characterize Naruto. So what if it promotes loyalty and friendship? No matter how much of a morality guru something or someone purports to be, no amount of moralizing can erase its perversion as long as it does not align with Biblical truth. New Ager Oprah Winfrey is one of the most generous people in the planet; but does it take away the fact that she says Jesus is not the only way to heaven? Culture clash And then there’s the culture argument that says, “Let’s just try to be more tolerant and understanding toward the culture behind Naruto.” To set the record straight, Paul didn’t practice tolerance and “sympathetic understanding” when he publicly went up against the Greeks for their idolatrous culture. Certainly, it didn’t mean that he hated the Greeks. In fact, he loved them so much that he had to expose the nakedness of their sinful culture so they would come to know the truth of God’s Word. (Acts 17:16-34). Culture is the most flawed indicator of whether or not a Christian should act against a demonic message or not. And some may go as far as saying that, “It’s plain entertainment! I can absorb its moral values while throwing away the bad sides.” The problem with this argument is that it prevents the Christian from making a clear-cut stand on whether or not it is right to like Naruto, or whether Naruto is demonic. That argument makes a Christian not submit to the admonition of 1 Peter 3:15: “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.”(KJV) Holy responsibility It is the Christian’s holy responsibility to reject a media product which main character is inhabited by a demon, and taps into demonic powers in order to win his battles. Truth be told, Naruto is taking kids and young adults all over the world by storm. And sadly, instead of opposing it, many Christians are among those who fanatically support this unholy story. It is unthinkable for any Spirit-filled Christian to compartmentalize his Christian lifestyle just to accommodate his pop culture consumption, and derive enjoyment from a series that is grounded on demonic activity. “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers [do not make mismated alliances with them or come under a different yoke with them, inconsistent with your faith]. For what partnership have right living and right standing with God with iniquity and lawlessness? Or how can light have fellowship with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and Belial [the devil]? Or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? What agreement [can there be between] a temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in and with and among them and will walk in and with and among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. So, come out from among [unbelievers], and separate (sever) yourselves from them, says the Lord, and touch not [any] unclean thing; then I will receive you kindly and treat you with favor, And I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (AMP)

from: KKB official website: kkbmovement.org •-•-• Well..it's really alarming that our media culture is getting worse than ever and I'm thankful for God's reminder that we must be sanctify ourselves, our heart..for him to easily move in our lives..and must not really equally yoke-in any form of-with an unbeliever..(2 Cor. 6:14-18) It took me quite a long time to accept that verse and finally apply it to my Christian lifestyle.. I hope God will continue to sustain me the courage to do what He wants me to do.. =)

may 14•my wEek

hi!..its been a while since i last shared here..

since may 9.. i really had no time to catch up things.. i had a crazy mind nowadays.. and I can't help rethink everything.. hays.. though i know what's right and wrong.. i've been really carried by the annoyance i felt inside..

well.. after quite sometime here i am again.. i think quite ready to continue what i've just started..

i had a great night during chelle's 18 birthday celebration.. i really felt very much nervous when i hand chelle's gift to her.. its like i don't want to give it to her anymore.. or kaya.. simply..i don't like her to open it in front of everybody..and i can just simply say that it's a book of life.. and that's it..
but.. there it was.. she opened.. and all she said was.. "wow..ngayon lang may nagregalo sakin ng bible".. then.. when i look back to the people.. the guests.. they began to keep quiet.. get serious.. really.. i can't keep an eye from any of those who can hear me explaining my gift..
inspite of the unusual silence.. i still felt the spirit of proudness.. that i gave that kind of gift to her.. of course it's for God's glory.. it's just that.. i felt that God really moved.. that time.. although i didn't say a lot of explanations.. and just say that "ayoko na balang araw sisihin mo ko na hindi ko shinare yan sayo.."-- that's all i remembered i say and i really can't help be shock by every face i see while i'm saying those words..-- i know that was worth it.. though i forgot something that is really included on my speech.. i hope she'll know it.. and i'm really glad she likes it..
i didn't explain the conviction i felt when i first thought of giving a bible to her because i don't want to be like i'm preaching or something.. but maybe i could tell her some other time..
whew! its a breakthrough for me.. that i made a thing that I know made God smile..
i really wanted that my friends may know God.. not just what they used to know about Him.. but eventually having a relationship with Him.. i know not everyone may understand the importance of being close with God.. but no matter what they say.. I know.. it's a must.. and it's a privilege.. to know God.. more than we usually do..

well.. i don't feel like to be a pastor or something someday.. because i don't really want big responsibilities.. maybe i'm just a coward just name it.. but now.. i'm not ready.. its just.. eventhough i'm still young.. i want to fulfill my Christian responsibilities.. kahit yun lang magawa ko now.. and then.. i'm looking forward for more breakthroughs in my life..

•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•

i really have alot things in my mind.. i realize that i'm really so imperfect. really..

i'm so maldita.. suplada.. spoiled-brat?-kinda-

hays..
plus.. i'm so stubborn.. i'm so moody.. i get irrated easily. lalo na kay papa..ugh!

hays.. so i don't know now.. I felt like loser.. the reason why i don't end up good with any man is because i can't handle people... that's it! that's really it.. that's why i really feel i'm such a loser.. maybe if i'm not like this.. if i don't have those imperfections.. maybe i can a better person.. better at handling people.. better at handling a relationship.. ugh!.. it really makes me feel i'm a loser..

i don't know.. maybe because i know some who are very good at handling everything.. -people..things..studies..her own life..everything- hays!..

i don't know why i'm being like this now.. i some kind of envy that person.. but i know i shouldn't have.. because i'm a Christian.. and I should have known its a sin.. hays..

all i can say is.. at some point of our lives - we Christians.. also come to the point that's like this..

maybe not all Christian do.. but I know i'm still imperfect.. i mean.. I'm not even close to that truest Christians ever.. but i'm trying.. it's really a battle everyday.. it's tyring.. most of the times.. but I know God will sustain me.. sustain everybody who believes in Him..

hays..

well.. there it is.. those alarming things that keep buggling me.. almost a week.. huu!..

•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•

well.. because i've been.. or my mind and my heart maybe are not in good terms.. this past few days.. i didn't had the time to continue reading John and Jeremiah.. and i'm planning to continue it.. maybe afer this.. or tomorrow.. whew!..
maybe its one of the reasons why i'm like this now.. actually i didn't attend our thanksgiving anniversary last Sunday.. hays.. its worse than ever.. just afternoon of that day i cried because of so much burden of my family's situation.. hays.. that's the time i begin to be like this.. like what i've written just above this.. well.. i'm becoming good.. but there's something that really confuses me..

chokz.. and i.. have been txting for 2 days now.. well.. it actually ended just 5 or 6 hours ago..
hays.. i have this feeling that i want him back.. but i can't.. so i just discussed him alot things.. that i don't like.. and those that i want.. i told him everything.. that i was planning to visit him which i started planning since the start of the second sem.. but didn't make it.. and i also told him that i made a house plan.. supposedly for us.. i told him it's a surprise suppossedly.. at siya naman..isend ko nalang daw sa email niya..ugh! idon't know what to think then.. because.. i don't know why am i doing those things.. saying those.. and i'm quite don't know what are we now.. night before i've said.. we've aggreed to be friends.. for the min time.. i don't want to discourage him from loving me.. now that i'm quite sure he's not been lying all along-ako lang 'tong paranoid-.. so i added.. 'for the min time'.. but he keeps on saying.. "..sinuko mo na ko.."
and everytime he says that.. i just say that not this time chokz.. maybe someday..
hays..
i got his address.. atlast.. at first i became so pessimistic about it because i searched it first in yahoo and didn't find the right address he told me.. then after sometime.. i realize i have to search it in google.ph. to double check.. then there it is!.. i found it..
nakipagtalo pa ko saknya.. that its not cabatian.. haha!.. whew! then altast.. mejo napa2nayan ko na he's really there.. ewan ko.. i really feel he's there.. suddenly i felt sad for him.. and bad for myself.. because if ever he's really there.. all this time i've been making his image-to my friends and his- not good.. really.. i realize that the annoyance that my friends and his has for him is majorly the cause of my paranoism.. ugh!.. ako ang nagre2port lage.. not even sure if it's true or not.. hays..
nalilito ako.. we also talked about his plans- bago ko siya napilit!whew!- and because of that.. ayun..nahati utak ko.. from the desire that wants him back eventually.. and the resistance of eventhough i knew everything, that won't change and erase the pain i've experienced because of him..
hays.. of course.. i still didn't forget the fact that he's maybe for a revenge.. that's why he's that sweet and almost convincing me to go back to him again.. whew!
but.. naawa ako saknya.. ayan.. i really mean it.. though i quite felt excited when i knew his plans.. hays..
and nga pala.. i also told him. my conditions.. if ever.. i decided to want him back..again..after zillions of times..haha!

and so.. that how my week goes..

whew!

i really miss him but i have to stick with the decision.. really have to.. otherwise.. i might end up crying again..hays..

but we can still friends.. friends until we both meet the right person for us..

♥

May 13•evening•

it's really hard for me.. now.. that we've been talking again.. after long days of silent communications..

well.. i can't deny that i really miss that creature.. especially the first time we talk again.. in the phone.. although its purely texting.. it's our first time to talk..to text again..for about 24 hours..since last month..

whew!.. I can hardly concentrate on this.. so i just have to continue this tomorrow.. as soon as my thoughts are ready again to share..

until 6th or 7th chapter of JEREMIAH

I'm sorry if I had not post anything the other day and yesterday.. so i make sure that I can make it up to you this day..

well yesterday I was able to read until the 6th or 7th chapter of Jeremiah.. but i didn't have the chance to continue reading in John.. because last night we went to our mother church in calamba. We had a festival of praise.. an advance victory proclamation for the upcoming thanksgiving anniversary.. It was a very good experience to worship God that time.. thanking Him for everything.. for the 23 years he's been there for the JIL-Calamba family.. for the blessings and anointing..

let's go the journal part now..

Well.. i've read until the 6th chapter of Jeremiah.. I've felt God's extraordinary wrath to Israel..
I've been very afraid of it.. I once said to myself when I'm reading it that I won't be like those who turned away kay God.. God has been always reasonable.. hays..

I will just inform you about the next chapters i'll be reading..=)

•-•-•-•

i had a hard time choosing what will I wear in tomorrow's event.. uhm.. and thank God for the wisdom-i just consider it wisdom-and finally I got one.. I just have to be in a good poise and everything will be alright..

well.. that's all for now..

God.. you're my God forevermore! =)

3rd chapter of JOHN and JEREMIAH

Dear Diary,

haha!..it seems that i can consider this as my new diary from now on..haha!

well.. today.. i did not do lot of things really.. just this afternoon.. I, together with my kapit-neighbor who also happens to be a close friend of mine, went to montage to avail a massage.
whew!.. it's my first time to have a whole body massage so i get surprised on it at first. When they're finally done with massaging us they made us hot tea together with the tip envelope pa talaga.. very..uhmm don't know what word is suitable for it.. but.. it's like they are really after a big tip from every customer they have.. ugh.. uhmm.. After a while I sudden realize that it seems like we just had a stretching.. like what we used to do when we we're preparing for the cheering competition.. haha! so funny.. "parang walang nangyari"..commented rochelle..
But it's actually nice.. I can't say anything because it's my first time to have a massage so I don't know how to compare and contrast what had just happened..

haha!..

•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•

Last night I read the 3rd chapter of the two books I am reading, the book of John and Jeremiah.

In the 3rd chapter.. John wrote about the conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus. Its in this chapter that what so called the heart of the bible can be read which is in verse 16. This chapter reminded me of God's great love for the humanity even though we're not worthy of that. I have read several times there that it's only through believing to the Son of Man.. that a human being can be saved.. It mades me really question.. why is it others are so innocent about heavenly things.. and still ignoring the fact the Jesus is the only way.. they have been so stubborn following their own selves.. I don't know if they just don't know anything about it.. maybe that's why God wants His word to be spread. I hope God will give me enough courage on this thing.. spreading His Word.. the good news.. salvation that He's offering..

Jeremiah's book is far different from John.. though it's narrating everything that happened long time ago.. the way he narrates it is so different the way John has.. it's some kind of a song.. a poem..
It's 3rd chapter tells about Israel.. her acceptance that she has sinned.. but then again.. although she knew that she had sinned.. she still didn't go back to Him.. and as a result.. God have to destroy everyone there.. to cleanse His sinful chosen nation..God is a merciful god.. but He also knows how to get angry when it is needed..and He's being reasonable for it.. so no matter sin we make.. accidentally or intentionally.. we must learn to admit that we're wrong and ask for His forgiveness..

Everyday is a battle that we have to face so we must be always ready to fight evil forces that will take us away from our Creator's hands.. Godbless!

first TWO chapters of JOHN and JEREMIAH

Last night I read the first two chapters of John and Jeremiah. Before reading it I pray to God about everything I felt that moment. And as the conversation between us went on I can't help but to cry like a child to Him. Although I usually been emotional whenever I do it. Its just an extraordinary feeling that you talk to God like a child feeling that He's so attentive listening to every word that comes from your mouth.

And then I went on reading His word afterward.

I first read the gospel of John. I have a contemporary english version of bible and its very easy for me to catch up on every detail I read because it was made very easy, made intentionally for the youths. I appreciate every single verse I read because I can easily understand it even though I am not yet able to understand its deeper and deepest meanings I know God will teach me in His time.

After I finish its first two chapters I went abruptly to Jeremiah. And once again I read it. I once read few of its chapters few months ago when I was still making a journal. And after 30 minutes I finished reading it.
I don't feel sleepy anymore the time I finish reading it. I don't know why. But I just lay my head on my pillow trying to rest now.

Everything I read in John reminds me of how wonderful God is. How He is so powerful and that increases my faith in Him and my knowing towards Him.

Jeremiah reminds me of the sinful nature of man and I felt how God badly felt when His chosen nation has turn her back against Him. I know God is not worthy of that deed. In the first chapter, God sends Jeremiah to Israel to warn them, it reminded me of God's promise that He will never leave us..in anywhere He will want us to go.. He will surely be with us..

God is full of abundant grace that is addressed to us who is not deserving for anything.

I know in God's time everything will be perfect.. =)