You are a great God.
Your character is holy.
Your truth is absolute.
Your strength is unending.
Your discipline is fair....
Your provisions are abundant for our needs.
Your light is adequate for our path.
Your grace is sufficient for our sins....
You are never early, never late....
You sent your son in the fullness of time and
will return at the consummation of time.
Your plan is perfect.
Bewildering. Puzzling. Troubling.
But perfect.
~Max Lucado - Safe in the Shepherd's Arms - Hope & Encouragement from Psalm 23
blanc-papillon
My french teacher in high school, Mademoiselle Rooney, used to remind me of a white-butterfly (blanc-papillon). She was simple, gentle, and a woman of discipline...WHAT AN EXEMPLARY TEACHER! Merci beaucoup, Mademoiselle! {When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness~ Proverbs 31:26}
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
JESUS * 1 cross + 3 nails = 4given *
There were two men that came by at our desk at work tonight to ask for directions and one of them had a baseball cap that had an embroidered writing on the fabric that said:
JESUS
1 cross + 3 nails = 4given
that message caught my full attention while i was listening to him asked me for assistance. I get so excited when i see things as such. My normal tendency is to boldly say it out loud so the surrounding people could hear it. It's definitely one of those precious JESUS moments. When prompted by the Holy Spirit, do you best to plant seeds and leave the results to God.
Soli Deo Gloria!:)
JESUS
1 cross + 3 nails = 4given
that message caught my full attention while i was listening to him asked me for assistance. I get so excited when i see things as such. My normal tendency is to boldly say it out loud so the surrounding people could hear it. It's definitely one of those precious JESUS moments. When prompted by the Holy Spirit, do you best to plant seeds and leave the results to God.
Soli Deo Gloria!:)
Taming the Tongue
James 3:1-3 (NIV)
1 Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.
2 We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.
3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.
1 Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.
2 We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.
3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.
The Bondage Breaker- Neil Anderson & Dave Park
Through years of learning and ministering, we have a better understanding of how the truth sets us free and of the need to resist the devil as well as submit to God (James 4:7).
Friday, June 4, 2010
LOOK straight in the HORIZON
"Look straight in the horizon"!...those were the instructions that were given to me by my pilot friend. Hmmm... it's been so many years ago when a co-worker/manager friend of mine took us flying with her one fine afternoon- this was in the late 80's. I could vividly remember... there were four of us that went on this flight-on a private jet plane-parked in Addison airport, Tx., owned by my friend's dad. Her father was a pilot for Delta airlines and my friend wanted to be a pilot just like her dad. She told us she had to earn more flying miles so she wanted to treat us by flying us to waco, tx with some stopovers along the way. It's kind of funny because we did not expect we were going flying that one afternoon right we had finished our semi annual inventory at Dillard's Valley View. Our friend just asked us if we would like to go flying with her that day and three of us were so excited to go not realizing what we were in for.
Anyways... that was quite an adventurous afternoon and evening! The adventure began with this... when we arrived at the airport we were all excited to get in the small private plane. But as soon as we knew we were about to board the plane, our pilot friend asked us who amongst the three of us wanted to be the co-pilot. Everybody got so quiet... and i thought to myself... one of us had to do it. I still remember me asking the two ladies if they wanted to do it... i said to them that it would be "fun" to experience that on our first take off. Well, i ended up doing it since they both flat out refused to go through it. So, okay... we were ready to take off! My friend had a take off checklist on a clipboard. I was so confident that everything was going to go smoothly. We were all excited about our first take off that we kept on talking as i carefully observed our friend skillfully performed her take off maneuver. I was so curious why i did not hear her go down the check off list before the plane took off. We were already up in the air when i started asking her about the door that was left ajar on the co-pilot side. As soon as i brought it to her attention, she immediately said, "Oh-uh, we left the door open but we can not turn around to the airport where we took our from (Addison airport) because of some aviation rules and regulation". I said, "oh, boy... i'm way too close to this danger on the right hand side of my body". My friend had asked me to try to shut the door, for a minute there i thought what she just asked me to do is something that i would see in a movie stunt. I thought she was kidding of what she had instructed for me to do. Soon afterwards, i realized that she was serious. And that she really was instructing me to follow her instructions to solve the problem. The next thing i knew i was trying to pull my mighthiest to close that airplane door but it just would not budge. I knew i was pulling against the air pressure and it was impossible for me to close it. Then came the next obstacle... our pilot friend said to the co-pilot, which happened to be me! :( , here, let me try to pull the door shut while you hold the stick, and i said what??? what do you mean hold the stick? i never ever held this stick before!!! the next thing i did was... i unconsciously pushed the stick down and the plane went up abruptly:)... after our pilot friend struggled to close the door herself to no avail she plainly told us that the door just needed to be left like that-ajar- until we land the plane in Mesquite, which is the closest airport from the current location of the plane.
During this precious "once in a lifetime" short flying air time experience that i had i learned to carefully follow all of the instructions of someone at these crucial moment because of the danger that was involved. Our pilot friend kept telling me to "look at the horizon" so you won't be distracted. I have known that what i had seen that afternoon was soo beautiful... to actually see the clouds straight from the cockpit- head on! Like you could almost touch it... Also, to add an excitement to the event the biggest challenge we had that night was to point out the planes in sight that would be coming at us. All of us- my friends and i had our eyes wide open to watch out for those planes, although our pilot friend was communicating with aviation traffic controllers. Her added instuction was to be on the look out for those unexpected planes that would just show up from any direction. Oh boy, we did not know that any surprises like that could happen from up there.
I am so glad i am still remembering and learning from that experience that i had from that one GOD Anointed Day. I PRAISE GOD for letting me see the UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL beauty of HIS WORKS.
***********************************************************************************
“Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.”- 1 Chronicles 29:11
Anyways... that was quite an adventurous afternoon and evening! The adventure began with this... when we arrived at the airport we were all excited to get in the small private plane. But as soon as we knew we were about to board the plane, our pilot friend asked us who amongst the three of us wanted to be the co-pilot. Everybody got so quiet... and i thought to myself... one of us had to do it. I still remember me asking the two ladies if they wanted to do it... i said to them that it would be "fun" to experience that on our first take off. Well, i ended up doing it since they both flat out refused to go through it. So, okay... we were ready to take off! My friend had a take off checklist on a clipboard. I was so confident that everything was going to go smoothly. We were all excited about our first take off that we kept on talking as i carefully observed our friend skillfully performed her take off maneuver. I was so curious why i did not hear her go down the check off list before the plane took off. We were already up in the air when i started asking her about the door that was left ajar on the co-pilot side. As soon as i brought it to her attention, she immediately said, "Oh-uh, we left the door open but we can not turn around to the airport where we took our from (Addison airport) because of some aviation rules and regulation". I said, "oh, boy... i'm way too close to this danger on the right hand side of my body". My friend had asked me to try to shut the door, for a minute there i thought what she just asked me to do is something that i would see in a movie stunt. I thought she was kidding of what she had instructed for me to do. Soon afterwards, i realized that she was serious. And that she really was instructing me to follow her instructions to solve the problem. The next thing i knew i was trying to pull my mighthiest to close that airplane door but it just would not budge. I knew i was pulling against the air pressure and it was impossible for me to close it. Then came the next obstacle... our pilot friend said to the co-pilot, which happened to be me! :( , here, let me try to pull the door shut while you hold the stick, and i said what??? what do you mean hold the stick? i never ever held this stick before!!! the next thing i did was... i unconsciously pushed the stick down and the plane went up abruptly:)... after our pilot friend struggled to close the door herself to no avail she plainly told us that the door just needed to be left like that-ajar- until we land the plane in Mesquite, which is the closest airport from the current location of the plane.
During this precious "once in a lifetime" short flying air time experience that i had i learned to carefully follow all of the instructions of someone at these crucial moment because of the danger that was involved. Our pilot friend kept telling me to "look at the horizon" so you won't be distracted. I have known that what i had seen that afternoon was soo beautiful... to actually see the clouds straight from the cockpit- head on! Like you could almost touch it... Also, to add an excitement to the event the biggest challenge we had that night was to point out the planes in sight that would be coming at us. All of us- my friends and i had our eyes wide open to watch out for those planes, although our pilot friend was communicating with aviation traffic controllers. Her added instuction was to be on the look out for those unexpected planes that would just show up from any direction. Oh boy, we did not know that any surprises like that could happen from up there.
I am so glad i am still remembering and learning from that experience that i had from that one GOD Anointed Day. I PRAISE GOD for letting me see the UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL beauty of HIS WORKS.
***********************************************************************************
“Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.”- 1 Chronicles 29:11
Friday, May 21, 2010
WAITING FOR GOD'S PERFECT TIMING...
Psalm 40
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the LORD.
4 Blessed is the man
who makes the LORD his trust,
who does not look to the proud,
to those who turn aside to false gods.
~ These verses were shared to me by a friend (in the ER at the hospital) yesterday. PRAISE THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY! SDG!
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the LORD.
4 Blessed is the man
who makes the LORD his trust,
who does not look to the proud,
to those who turn aside to false gods.
~ These verses were shared to me by a friend (in the ER at the hospital) yesterday. PRAISE THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY! SDG!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Listen to Him
Life is a walk. Each day we take steps. Our tomorrow is determined by the steps we take today. When both of my children learned to walk, our goal was always to prepare them for the day when they would no longer need our help. And we were thrilled when we saw them experience that joy of freedom for the first time. Learning to walk with our Heavenly Father is somewhat different. He wants us reach up and take His hand, but He doesn't want us to ever let go. In fact, His desire is that we become more and more dependent upon Him for every step. That's because He wants to take us to places we've never been. To heights we can't even imagine...
But it's up to us to take the first step. If we don't, we will never learn to walk with Him. We can be so afraid of taking a wrong step that we fail to take any step at all. God didn't part the waters of the Jordan River for the Israelites until they first put their feet in the water (Joshua 3:15-16). That's because God always requires the first step to be ours. In order to take that first step, we must look into the face of God, reach up and take His hand, and say, "Lead me in the path you have for me, Lord. From this day on I want to walk with You. I take this step of faith and I trust You to meet me here. Align my heart with Yours." Once you've taken
that first step, God will show you other steps to take. He will teach you how to walk in the light of His truth, revelation, and love.
~ Stormie Omartian
But it's up to us to take the first step. If we don't, we will never learn to walk with Him. We can be so afraid of taking a wrong step that we fail to take any step at all. God didn't part the waters of the Jordan River for the Israelites until they first put their feet in the water (Joshua 3:15-16). That's because God always requires the first step to be ours. In order to take that first step, we must look into the face of God, reach up and take His hand, and say, "Lead me in the path you have for me, Lord. From this day on I want to walk with You. I take this step of faith and I trust You to meet me here. Align my heart with Yours." Once you've taken
that first step, God will show you other steps to take. He will teach you how to walk in the light of His truth, revelation, and love.
~ Stormie Omartian
tidbits of wisdom that are imbedded in my soul from charles swindoll
God's plans are beyond our understanding, they are too deep for us to explain...
It's only through GOD'S instruction are we able to humble ourselves and rest in HIS will...
It's only through GOD'S instruction are we able to humble ourselves and rest in HIS will...
Divine "Appointment"
hahaha... the LORD never cease to amaze me... i had this redness in my left eye since yesterday and when i woke up this morning it still had not gone away despite of the eyedrops that i had applied on my eye. oh well, i thought to myself... am i going to work today with my eye like this? okay... i said to myself, "let's just do it and we'll know what will happen when i get to work". i arrived at work, told my boss about my eye and he recommended for me to go to the occupational health clinic for them to advise me what to do. the occupational health clinic nurse told me to see a doctor for my eye... i said to myself, "oh no, it will be hard for me to get a doctor's appointment right away at the employee physician office. i tried to schedule an appointment last week and the earliest date that i could get with the physician of my preference is still on the 1st of March". anyways, i called the EPO to see if they could manage to squeeze me in today to see any doctor for my eye. and "lo and behold", the LORD made way for me to see a doctor and the best part about this is that the doctor that was available to see me is the doctor that i preferred to see. And here's a bonus... this doctor that i'm talking about is a new doctor at the office... my former doctor had stopped working there because she got very ill. okay so when i finally met this doc i found out that she's from the same country as i am and she's super nice. i heard so many good things from my coworkers about this new doctor and i even told her (doc) about this today. thank you LORD for this "surprise". what's also interesting is that prior to me entering the doctor's office i was talking to my pastor to ask for prayers for another doctor that is a good friend of my family. Bottomline... it was indeed a divine "appointment" (doctors day) for me today! i just love the way the LORD shows us how HE does things HIS ways...:) PRAISE THE LORD!!!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Waiting Peacefully by Elisabeth Elliot
Waiting requires patience -- a willingness to calmly accept what we have or have not, where we are or where we wish we were, whomever we live or work with.
To want what we don't have is impatience, for one thing, and it is to mistrust God. Is He not in complete control of all circumstances, events, and conditions? If some are beyond His control, He is not God.
A spirit if resistance cannot wait on God. I believe it is this spirit which is the reason for some of our greatest sufferings. Opposing the workings of the Lord in and through our "problems" only exacerbates them. It is here and now that we must win our victories or suffer defeats. Spiritual victories are won in the quiet acceptance of ordinary events, which are God's "bright servants," standing all around us.
Restlessness and impatience change nothing but our peace and joy. Peace does not dwell in outward things but in the heart prepared to wait trustfully and quietly on Him who has all things safely in His hands....Jesus had perfect trust in His Father; whose will He had come to accomplish. Nothing touched Him without His Father's permission. Nothing touches me without my Father's permission. Can I not then wait patiently? He will show the way.
To want what we don't have is impatience, for one thing, and it is to mistrust God. Is He not in complete control of all circumstances, events, and conditions? If some are beyond His control, He is not God.
A spirit if resistance cannot wait on God. I believe it is this spirit which is the reason for some of our greatest sufferings. Opposing the workings of the Lord in and through our "problems" only exacerbates them. It is here and now that we must win our victories or suffer defeats. Spiritual victories are won in the quiet acceptance of ordinary events, which are God's "bright servants," standing all around us.
Restlessness and impatience change nothing but our peace and joy. Peace does not dwell in outward things but in the heart prepared to wait trustfully and quietly on Him who has all things safely in His hands....Jesus had perfect trust in His Father; whose will He had come to accomplish. Nothing touched Him without His Father's permission. Nothing touches me without my Father's permission. Can I not then wait patiently? He will show the way.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
The Bride of Christ - His Church
It brings me great joy to see how the LORD moves in the lives of HIS people. There's one thing i know for sure. The church is the only foundation that would last forever. It's eternal. It is the Bride of Christ. Therefore, i have learned that in whatever i pursue in my life it has to do something with building up the BODY OF CHRIST... i know it's difficult... there are lots of humps and bumps along the way but ... it is absolute that it is the will of GOD. The only focus i should put my eyes on is for the LORD to get all the glory. There will be lots and lots of personal studying in the process but i can always turn to the parakletos (helper) to direct me and of course there are teachers, disciplers, and mentors that are there to teach, encourage, rebuke you (Godly rebuke!:), etc.
It's been delightful to learn from so many Godly people. And i'm unceasingly praising the LORD for them. There have been plenty of tears that have been shed all these years - they are tears of joy and tears of sadness as well but each tear represents something in the perfect plan of God for my life. It's so marvelous to just cry out to the LORD when you feel like you're in the bottom of the pit, i wonder how Joseph the dreamer felt like when his brothers mistreated him and left him in that pit? I'll ask him when i meet him sometime when THAT DAY comes...Bottom line of the victory story...Genesis 50:20 ~ You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. Kudos to Joseph!!!
Time to rest my fingers... got to get ready for yet another joyful day to be with my fellow builders of the BODY OF CHRIST. All praise, glory, and honor to HIM!!!
It's been delightful to learn from so many Godly people. And i'm unceasingly praising the LORD for them. There have been plenty of tears that have been shed all these years - they are tears of joy and tears of sadness as well but each tear represents something in the perfect plan of God for my life. It's so marvelous to just cry out to the LORD when you feel like you're in the bottom of the pit, i wonder how Joseph the dreamer felt like when his brothers mistreated him and left him in that pit? I'll ask him when i meet him sometime when THAT DAY comes...Bottom line of the victory story...Genesis 50:20 ~ You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. Kudos to Joseph!!!
Time to rest my fingers... got to get ready for yet another joyful day to be with my fellow builders of the BODY OF CHRIST. All praise, glory, and honor to HIM!!!
Dr. Hunter's Lifetime Encouragement!
It's been a while... Spring 2003 at Criswell College... my first counseling class... my first professor at the college... Dr. Hunter is his name! My, my, my... how time flies... and recently, the LORD has, once again, shown his faithfulness to me by providing people like Dr. Hunter -a mentor in my spiritual journey- in my path. It's so wonderful to know that God knows what's best for us at any given time. In my current daily walk with God i have learned that the LORD is showing me that HIS love never fades. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever! God's love is like a healthy human heart that is beating normally and does what it is supposed to do in the body. I praised the LORD for his steadfast love because i don't know where and what i would be doing right now if i'm not covered with the unfathomable love of GOD. As each of my day passes by the LORD has always reminded me that i can always count on him as my friend, my encourager, my teacher, and my all. It reminds me of Jesus spending time with his disciples during his early life. It's so real seeing all of this happen in the "Gospel of John" movie. I felt like i was there with Jesus and his disciples. Imagine that... those disciples walked with GOD in a human form- JESUS!!! Wow!!!
I am writing all of this because i need to remind myself that it's that time again to know that GOD is LOVE. And as what Dr. Hunter had written to me in my bible at the end of the semester in the Spring of 2003..."Do not ever lose your passion for the LORD..." ~Matthew 22:37, S. Hunter, The Criswell College.
Thank you, Dr. Hunter! GOD bless you for the many lives that you have touched with the Godly teachings that you impart and are embedded in people's hearts. I'm praying for your ministry at the Hope for the Heart. To God be all the glory!
I am writing all of this because i need to remind myself that it's that time again to know that GOD is LOVE. And as what Dr. Hunter had written to me in my bible at the end of the semester in the Spring of 2003..."Do not ever lose your passion for the LORD..." ~Matthew 22:37, S. Hunter, The Criswell College.
Thank you, Dr. Hunter! GOD bless you for the many lives that you have touched with the Godly teachings that you impart and are embedded in people's hearts. I'm praying for your ministry at the Hope for the Heart. To God be all the glory!
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