The Power of One

It's amazing how one man's life can impact so many lives, including mine. A man that had a very intimate relationship with God just died this week. He was a man after God's heart. He was equipped by God with the brains, the humor, and the leadership--and he used it all for God's glory. He did it for the advancement of His kingdom. He left a great legacy behind when he left earth to step into eternity with his Creator.

Dr. Gavino Tica is like the apostle Paul of the Philippines. I consider him as the greatest missionary that ever lived in the Philippines. I remember growing up in the Philippines and remembering that name from time to time. I've heard the stories of how pastors like my dad, my godfather, my uncle, and their friends went through a seminary school (Bible) under the leadership of Dr. Tica. It was like military--the biggest challenge of my dad's life in the ministry, but he is very thankful for going through that.
My dad and mom went to International Baptist Theological College.
I would say that IBTC is like going through boot camp for the Navy Seal. I would say that anyone who made it through IBTC can make it through any problem in the ministry. Thanks to Dr. Tica, who gave his life fully for the glory of God, we have pastors all over the Philippines and even in different parts of the world who serve God faithfully. It was partly because of Dr. Gavino Tica that I am where I am today. He obviously has impacted the my parents' life. If they didn't meet in IBTC, I wouldn't be here--literally.
Thank you, Dr. Gavino Tica. You put faith into action when you decided to follow Christ. Because of you, many have surrendered their life to Christ and followed Him in their calling to the ministry.

I Trust You

It gives me relief knowing that there is Someone who is in control. I know that things can be beyond my control, even myself. I know that whatever happens in my life happens for a reason. Thank You God!

I Trust You by James Fortune

(verse)
even though i can't see
and i can't feel your touch
i will trust you lord
how i love you so much
though my nights my seem long
and i feel so alone
lord my trust is in you
i surrender to you

(bridge)
so many painful thoughts
travel through my mind
and i wonder how
i will make it through this time

(chorus)
but i trust you
lord it's not easy
sometimes the pain in my life
makes you seem far away
but i'll trust you
i need to know you're here
through the tears and the pain
through the heartache and rain

i'll trust you

(verse 2)
everything that i see
tells me not to believe
but i'll trust you lord
you have never failed me

my past still controls me
will this hurt ever leave?
i can only trust you
no one else like you do

pictures

No More Nights by David Phelps 

The timeless theme, earth and
heaven will pass away. It's not a
dream, God will make all things
new that day. Gone is the curse
from which I stumbled and fell.
Evil is banished to eternal hell.

No more night. No more pain.
No more tears. Never crying
again. And praises to the great "I
AM." We will live in the light of
the risen Lamb.

See all around, now the nations
bow down to sing. The only
sound is the praises to Christ,
our King. Slowly the names from
the book are read. I know the
King, so there's no need to dread.

No more night. No more pain.
No more tears. Never crying
again. And praises to the great "I
AM." We will live in the light of
the risen Lamb.

See over there, there's a mansion,
oh that's prepared just for me,
where I will live with my savior
eternally.

No more night. No more pain.
No more tears. Never crying
again. And praises to the great "I
AM." We will live in the light of
the risen Lamb.

All praises to the great "I AM."
We're gonna live in the light of
the risen Lamb.

 

Looking at an image of someone that means so much to you gives you memories. Sometimes it brings back emotions that you want to feel again. Sometimes it doesn't and what you feel is grief or pain because it seems that you've lost that person...or maybe you have if you've lost someone because of death. Emotions are only temporary compared to the fullness of eternity. It may hurt now, but what we have beyond this life is incomparable to what we will have for eternity. It gives me hope when we look forward to a life after death with Jesus. No more tears, no more pain.

Emannuel

We take worship for granted, especially in the United States. We are very blessed to be in a country where we can worship freely. Unfortunately, Christians have also taken their relationship with God for granted, including me. Sometimes, we limit our worship within the four walls of the church building and we don't take our worship past Sunday morning. Worship is everyday. Church should be everyday because we are the church. We are meant to worship God everyday. It's the very least that we can give to God because He deserves everything.

I was listening to a song by MercyMe entitled "God With Us." In the song it says:

Such a tiny offering, compared to Calvary. Nevertheless, we lay this at Your feet.

The very least that we can do for God is to sing songs with empty hands held high. God gave us more than that.  He gave us life. He gave us the beauty of creation for us to enjoy. He gave us family and friends. Most importantly, He is with us when we let Him in our lives.
 

In The Potter's Hands

Today in class, we learned about pain. Pain is not always a bad thing. Its a feeling or a sensation that lets us know that something can hurt us. I believe that the worst kind of pain is emotional pain. It hurts the more than physical pain because it cannot be treated with medicine. Having a severe emotional pain for a very long time an actually cause us to eventually feel numb and one way to feel something again would be to inflict physical pain on ourselves. I learned this from last semester, which helped me understand why cutters cut themselves. There are so many things in this life that can bring us down. We all  have problems and we go through stress. For some, it will take a major crisis for them to break down, including myself. That's why I honestly couldn't handle being in the psyche hospital. I felt like I could be in there any time if God let me. I just need to be reminded sometimes that pain is a good thing. God breaks us down sometimes, but He doesn't leave us broken. He takes us in His hands and forms something beautiful out of our dirt...

My Social Network

Sometimes, it's hard for me to admit that I'm hurt, especially in public. I'm surprised how many people would actually put up how they really feel on their statuses. Facebook is now a place of expressing yourself, no matter what it is. Facebook is the place to show everyone "What is on your mind?"

What is on my mind? To be honest, sometimes you don't want to know.

Unfortunately, our social networks have replaced our daily communication with God. Is it easier to show people what is really on your mind? Or run straight to God with your problems?

It's harder for me to say publicly that I've been hurt and betrayed. It's harder for me to say what I'm really struggling with. It's hard to trust people sometimes.....most of the times.

I do admit that sometimes I find it harder to run to God because I turned away from Him, betrayed Him, and hurt Him with my actions and thoughts. But He welcomes me with open hands and listening ears. He wants me to run to Him for my problems because He's been through it all. Even when we don't know it, the one thing that we need in our lives is God's presence. It cannot be explained, it has to be experienced. In God's presence is peace, joy, and unconditional love that our heart longs for.

"You know the depths of my heart yet You love me the same. You are amazing God!" -Chris Tomlin

My Friend "RaAaAaAandy!"

Let me tell you about my friend "RaAaAaAandy!". He is definitely not the brightest crayon in the box (I mean this in more ways than one). If you know me, you might know who I'm really talking about. Most of my friends including myself have made fun of this guy. We know that he has made a lot of dumb decisions in his life, and it seems that he is completely oblivious to them at times. Today, he found me at a mall and I decided to invite him for lunch during my study break. I found out that there are a lot of positive things about him.
Here's the list:

• He has a license, which is a big deal since he can drive himself anywhere...if he has a car.
• He graduated high school and attended AND passed some of his college courses...which my seem impossible. THIS IS A BIG DEAL. TRUST ME. 
• He is independent. He lives by himself in an apartment. He cooks for himself and does his own laundry. Until now, my mom still does my laundry because she doesn't want me too. She also cooks for me...or if I'm hungry, I just go out to eat. I still live with my parents.
• He gets whatever he wants. Recently, he owns a second blackberry after he just sold his iPhone. I own a "free" phone from sprint and I don't even pay the bills for it because I'm broke all the time. 
• He owns an Xbox 360 and Playstation 3....for a second time. I have a Playstation 2 at home which was bought secondhand. He probably owns a flat screen tv...I have a "tube style" Tv at home.
• He is not stressed about his job....because he doesn't have one. He doesn't worry about paying for the car insurance...because he just sold his car. Yet, he seems happy for the most part....and WORRY FREE. 
• He wears new clothes which he bought maybe two weeks/months ago...my shoes are new if it wasn't for my boss giving them to me last July. Half my clothes are stolen from by brother's closet. The rest of my clothes are from 2 years ago.

Here is my conclusion....if I could trade lives with my friend "RaAaAaAaAndy" for one day, I would. I wouldn't really care if people made fun of me because I can care less what people think about me. I think that some people make fun of  "RaAaAaAaAndy" because they're jealous of him. I happen to think that "RaAaAaAaAndy" is really blessed. Today, we compared our lives and found out that we have a lot to be grateful for. Thanks for the lesson, "RaAaAaAaAndy!"
³"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
      for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
 ⁴Blessed are those who mourn,
      for they will be comforted.
 ⁵Blessed are the meek,
      for they will inherit the earth.
 ⁶Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
      for they will be filled.
 ⁷Blessed are the merciful,
      for they will be shown mercy.
 ⁸Blessed are the pure in heart,
      for they will see God.
 ⁹Blessed are the peacemakers,
      for they will be called sons of God.
 ¹⁰Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
      for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  ¹¹"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 

good grief

Everything by Lifehouse

Find Me Here
Speak To Me
I want to feel you
I need to hear you
You are the light
That's leading me
To the place where I find peace again.

You are the strength, that keeps me walking.
You are the hope, that keeps me trusting.
You are the light to my soul.
You are my purpose...you're everything.

How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?

You calm the storms, and you give me rest.
You hold me in your hands, you won't let me fall.
You steal my heart, and you take my breath away.
Would you take me in? Take me deeper now?

How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?
And how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?

Cause you're all I want, You're all I need
You're everything,everything
You're all I want your all I need
You're everything, everything.
You're all I want you're all I need.
You're everything, everything
You're all I want you're all I need, you're everything, everything.

And How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?
How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?

When I say..."I am a Christian" by Maya Angelou

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin'."
I'm whispering "I was lost,
Now I'm found and forgiven."

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble
and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak
And need His strength to carry on.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed
And need God to clean my mess.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible
But, God believes I am worth it.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches
So I call upon His name.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner
Who received God's good grace, somehow!

Living In A Rat House

Colossians 3:12-17 (New International Version)

 ¹²Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
 ¹⁵Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. ¹⁷And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

We went on a mission trip to Belize and Guatemala on August 19-25, 2010. It was amazing experience of worship with the Guatemalan church. They worshiped God with their lives. They served us with humility. They were very poor. They lived in houses that were good for rats. When they I asked them where the garbage can was, one of the ladies took me their backyard--and there it was. Yet, when they cooked food for us, it was the best food we had during our whole stay there. No exaggeration. I felt that every bite of my food was made with love. There's so much more I want to say about that place, like for example the bathroom conditions and the bed bugs. But the way they worshiped God with their lives is more important than my so called "sufferings." They had so little and yet it was so much in the sight of God.
Going back to this passage, when I read over verse 16 and 17, it reminded me of their worship service. It went like this....first, the pastor goes to the keyboard and plays the reggaeton beat. Then plays the same riff and chord for 8 counts, and then heavens broke loose. Every song had the same beat, the same riff, and the same chord. I couldn't understand a word that they were saying because it was in Spanish, but every beat was accompanied with a clap and 40 Guatemalans singing from the bottom of their hearts to the top of their lungs with the same purpose, same mindset, and the same heart. It was a 3 hour service that felt like 15 minutes. It was 5 different cultures (American, Filipino, Belizean, Ecuadorian and Guatemalan) projecting one sound. It was a preview of heaven on earth. I hope to worship with them again one day..

I'm pretty strong!

Isaiah 40:31
 ³¹ but those who hope in the LORD
       will renew their strength.
       They will soar on wings like eagles;
       they will run and not grow weary,
       they will walk and not be faint.

 School. Work. Church. Ministry. Bills. Family. Relationship. Repeat. It can be pretty stressful sometimes! I found out just recently that working out is a good stress relief. It makes you feel good about yourself knowing that you're in shape. Plus, the endorphin high that you get from running is pretty awesome! But I must admit, working out to take stress out of my life is temporary. Pretty soon, I'm going to need something bigger than my muscles to carry my problems.
When I read this verse, it reminds me that God is my source of strength. It might be a cliche, but if you think about it, my Strength is BIG. IT'S GREAT. My Strength holds the universe. Because of my Strength, I am able to see the faithful sun every morning. Because of my Strength, I am held together, not breaking apart into 3 million pieces. Because of my Strength, I am able to breathe and enjoy life with my friends and family. My Strength is God. He is my source of strength. I'm pretty strong!

MI DAILY DEVOTION

 

time to listen. reflect. worship.

listen. reflect. worship.

Thank You by The Katinas

Just a little while longer I wanna pray
Can't get You off my mind so I came to say
Thank You Lord just for loving me
Many times as I do forget
Every need that You have met
Oh thank You Lord, I know You're showing me
You are there when I am down and out
You're holding me, Your love is so amazing
Oh it changed me
Chorus:
Here I am with all I am
Raise my hands to worship You
I wanna say thank you, oh thank you
For everything, for who You are
You cover me, You touch my heart
I wanna say thank you
I could have died in my sin but You saved me
Didn't have any hope at all
You gave me peace divine, strength to carry on
I should have been the one to pay
But instead You took my place
My Jesus, words cannot explain
Even though I don't deserve Your love for me
You look beyond my fault and You showed mercy
CHORUS
I wanna say thank you for the sun
I wanna say thank you for the rain
Everything You do is beautiful
I'm so grateful for Your love

too much to think about

^{Jeremiah 29:11-13
11} For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹² Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Hopelessness is the worst thing that you could go through in this lifetime. My Dad has been talking about Samson and Delilah these past 3 Sundays. It's a hard message. Samson lived a life that was worst death. He lived as if he had no cause. I encounter people who feel hopeless twice a week in my clinical rotation at psyche clinical. Some of them suffer through major depression disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, etc. Unfortunately, the disease takes over and some don't ever go back to normalcy. Some feel that the only solution is ending their life because they feel so hopeless and there is nothing to live for. They go through a cycle of going to the mental hospital, take medications and join therapy, go back to the real world, stay unemployed, run out of medications, go through a "crazy" episode and then go back in the hospital again. They are chained to their illness and I believe that the only answer is Jesus. Jesus dealt with the sick in His lifetime here on earth. He was able to command demons out of the possessed and healed them of their disease. But more than that, those who were healed by Him were healed spiritually--inside out. 

Right when you think that it's the end of everything, He kept me going with this verse. I found hope. It's just a matter of trusting Jesus in everything--your future, your present, and even your past. You can be dealing with personal issues in the past, present, and future, but just know that God has a plan for you.

He wants you to know Him personally. He created the universe and everything in it. He planned to give His Son, Jesus Christ to die for your sins and your mistakes. He is the Only One that can save you from yourself. He can save you from your own personal issues, whatever it may be.

something to think about

Right now, I'm in my psych rotation for the nursing program. It amazes me everyday that people go through what they go through. I can't really give any information about the clients that I've met cuz it would be a violation of HIPAA, but it's really interesting. Some days are funnier than others, especially when it comes to group therapy..it gets pretty crazy sometimes. Some days, I feel that I can't take it because there's just so much to think about. When you deal with a client, you empathize for them. It would break your heart when you hear their stories.  On the first day of my clinical, I saw a guy walking around in circles for about two minutes, drooling on himself. He was spinning around so fast. It wasn't funny at all. I was floored. Some break down to a mental illness because they're substance abusers. Some go through alternations in their brain chemistry. Some have nervous break downs and they literally go crazy because of the stress that's happening in their lives like death in the family, divorce, separation with their kids, unemployment, homelessness---you name it. It is a reality that people are not in touch with reality and they go crazy because they couldn't handle life. I feel like I can't blame them because we do have so much to deal with in this life. One can just take so much before they break down....

..to be continued..

something to think about

First blog--so why did I make this blog? First of all, it's because I think too much. I think that this would be a good place to just express my mind. Listen to music. Reflect.