Archive for February, 2006

“for all of u women out there…”

Monday, February 13th, 2006

Everyone Has to Wait
Linda Dillow & Lorraine Pintus
Authors

"I am shriveled like a wineskin in the smoke, exhausted with waiting. But I cling to your principles and obey them. How long must I wait?" (Psalm 119:83-84, NLT)

None of us like to wait, yet we all find ourselves in a waiting mode at some point in our lives. Some women wait to have a baby, others wait to see their husbands come to Christ, still others wait for their child to be healed or their marriage to be more intimate. Single women can fall into the trap of thinking they are the only ones who have to wait, but this isn’t true. Everyone waits … some wait for months, others for years. Waiting is a part of life, married or single.

The ways of God are a mystery, and often there are no satisfying answers to the whys of waiting. Still, waiting is never without purpose, and as we wait, God desires to work in our lives. If we let Him, God will:

  • strengthen our character (Romans 5:3-5)
  • teach us about His character (Isaiah 64:4)
  • show us something that can help someone else (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

If this is true, and if we trust that waiting is part of God’s sovereign plan for the prescribed moment, the question suddenly changes. We no longer ask should I wait, but how should I wait.

How Shall We Then Wait?

There are two types of "waiters" – passive and active.

A passive waiter lives in standby mode, putting her life on hold until she gets married. She thinks, "When I get married, I’ll do this." Or, "When I have a husband, I will be that." Her only action is to occasionally check her watch, wondering why Mr. Right is so late.

In her loneliness, the passive waiter becomes indiscriminant about the company she keeps. She lounges on the couch of her singleness, and before she can fluff her pillow, the Destructive D’s of Discontent, Discouragement, Despair, and Depression nestle beside her. They smother her as they scoot over to make room for their nasty cousins, the A’s – Anxiety and Anger. These companions so monopolize her time and space that her life has no room for God or for giving to others.

What a contrast to the active waiter. The active waiter finds purpose in every moment. She eagerly grabs hold of life and squeezes and possibility out of every situation. Through the waiting, she develops an enviable trust in God. Psalm 37:3-7 (NIV) describes the active waiter:

  • Trust in the LORD and do good [by reaching out to others];
  • Dwell in the land [make your home, settle down, be at peace where God puts you].
  • Delight yourself in the LORD [make the Lord your only joy], and he will give you the desires of your heart.
  • Commit your life [totally and unreservedly] to the LORD;
  • Trust in Him and he will do this. …
  • Be still before the LORD and
  • Wait patiently for him.1

Trust, dwell, delight, commit, be still, and wait are all imperatives – they are not suggestions but commands. But of all the commands in Psalm 37, "wait patiently" is the most difficult. We can do this only if we have knelt at the altar of God’s timetable with open hands and an open heart and prayed:

But as for me, I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God."

My times are in Your hand. (Psalm 31:14-15, NKJV)

Waiting is an offering and a sacrifice. We may lift up our very waiting to God, in a spirit of expectancy, asking only for His agenda. As Elisabeth Elliot observed, "Waiting on God in this way is true faith - no agenda of one’s own, no deadlines, no demands on what God must do. Simply as open heart and open hands ready to receive that which God shall choose, and a perfect confidence that what He chooses will be better than our best"2

And joy of joys – as we wait, bowing to God’s plan and purposes for our life, He promises to meet us in the agony of waiting. What does He promise?

  • To hear you. "I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. … He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God" (Psalm 40:1,3)
  • To work for you. "From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those who wait for him" (Isaiah 64:4, NRSV)
  • To renew your strength. "Those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary" (Isaiah 40:31)
  • To give you peace. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV)

We can imagine our loving heavenly Father saying to you:

My dear daughter /son , do not be anxious about anything.

All things are in my control.

Talk to Me about your concerns.

Do not look at the things that others have

or what I have given them.

Do not look at the things you want.

Instead, look to Me.

As you set your heart and your desires upon Me,

I will give you peace. I will satisfy your longings.

In Me you will find what you have been seeking.

1 Based on Elisabeth Elliot, Loneliness (Nashville: Nelson, 1988), 133.

2 Elliot, Loneliness, 140.

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on valentines day….

Monday, February 13th, 2006
Life’s Second Most Important Decision
Greg Laurie
A New Beginning

…….If you’re single and you’re a follower of Jesus Christ, then I can assure you, God is vitally interested in your choice of a marriage partner. He wants to reveal the person He has chosen for you, but it’s important to go slowly and carefully into that decision. Next to committing your life to Jesus Christ, it’s the most important decision you’ll ever make.

God’s first desire for everyone, married or single, is a total commitment to Jesus Christ. As followers of Christ, we must be willing to accept God’s will, even if it’s contrary to ours (Matthew 16:24). However, we need to realize an important truth about God’s will: His will is good because He is good (Psalm 34:8). Some people are afraid of God’s will. They fear that once they submit to God’s plans, He will force them to do something miserable. That’s a warped concept of God. He loves you. You are not a victim of chance, hoping you’ll be lucky enough to find a good mate. God has a plan and a purpose for you, and His plans are better than any you could imagine for yourself.

Just as important as God’s will is God’s timing. Until God reveals His choice for you, He wants you to find contentment in your unmarried state. Single people often envy those who are married, and married people often envy those who are single. But the Bible tells us, "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’ " (Hebrews 13:5 NKJV).

Many, in their desire to be married, have become desperate in their search for the right person. But the singles’ scene, from nightclubs to mindless TV programs that only emphasize sex, offers nothing but emptiness. Not only is it shallow, it’s also spiritually harmful. Don’t let this world tell you what to look for (Colossians 2:8).

I know it’s hard sometimes. It gets lonely. You might be thinking, "I’m tired of waiting. I’m just going to go out and find someone and hope I make the right decision." Please throw on the brakes. Slow down. Don’t make that mistake. Rushing into marriage without the proper timing is like building a house without the proper foundation.

Some people are called to be single their entire lives. This is rare, but it happens, and its a special calling from the Lord. However, this isn’t God’s calling for everyone. Just as surely as God has created you with a void in your life for Him, He also has created you with a void in your life for a companion, someone with whom to share your life (Genesis 2:18).

If you’re single and want to be married, then I believe that God has handpicked someone just for you. It might be someone you’ve never met. You might meet that person next week, next month, or next year. You might meet that person today. Or, perhaps it’s someone you’ve known for years. Whoever it may be, God will reveal that person in His timing.

Until then, it’s so important to follow God’s way and wait on His timing. Be faithful to Him and live the way He wants you to live. Seek to live a life that pleases Him (Matthew 6:33). He will bring that person into your life. Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.

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“rEaD tHiS!”

Thursday, February 9th, 2006

God created mankind primarily because He desired to have a
family. In order to truly fellowship with God, man had to have
freedom of choice. Unfortunately, man used his freedom to rebel
against God and fell from fellowship with God.

When man fell he came under the dominion of the devil, because
he followed the devil’s suggestion to disobey God. With this
came spiritual death and a new nature which was selfish. Man
became self-centered — actually worshiping himself by making
every decision based on what was best for him. The result of
this selfishness is evident all around us: horrible misery and
suffering.

God is just and obeys His own laws. Justice requires that
rebellion be punished. To be just, yet allow mankind to come
back into fellowship with Him, God Himself came to earth as the
man Jesus Christ. He suffered a horrible death as the
substitute for all mankind, taking the punishment we deserved
for our sins. Because of what Jesus did, God could justly
forgive all sin, and open a way for all people to come back
into fellowship with God.

Jesus Christ Himself is the only way to God. Only by receiving
Jesus can we enjoy the benefits of His sacrifice, which sets us
free from sin and its judgment.

Our life on earth now is testing and preparation for eternity,
to determine if we qualify to be in God’s family. This is not
determined by human beauty or achievement, but by our
willingness to submit to the lordship of Jesus Christ. When we
submit to Jesus, He begins changing us into what He wants us to
be.

When you come to Jesus, He changes you inwardly. As you
continue following Jesus and obeying His Word, your inward
change will continue manifesting outwardly, causing people and
circumstances around you to change also. God will continue
working in and through you until you become like Jesus Christ
in your thoughts and actions, as well as your nature.

"Thank you Lord for your great plan!" =)

(this is the purpose of life)

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Wednesday, February 8th, 2006

a message from Tristan:

That’s how men are!
Ungrateful and never satisfied.
When you don’t have them,
They hate you because you won’t.
And when you do have them,
They hate you again, for some reason.
Or for no reason at all,
Except that they are discontented children,
And can’t be satisfied whatever they get,
Let a woman do what she may.

D.H.Lawrence

waaaaaaaahhh.. i was 5 minutes late..hehehe.. mao na basta mu uli ug liloan. its quite far and im soo exhausted with a lot of things. i need to rest. well, i did have a good sleep ganina in nino’s room (again), but i wonder why i am still soo sleepy. all i wanna do right now is get lazy, sleep and rest. *sigh* i miss my baby. ;(

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eight.

Tuesday, February 7th, 2006

I just love the number 8 and today happens to be the 8th of February. =)

I am happy to know that things were being talked and fixed with him right away. We finally have decided to get things back to normal.. no more arguments and hurting words due to hatred. We dont need that. Anton needs both of us. He needs mature parents. He needs us.

There are things that we just cant stop from happening but no matter what it is, no matter who did it, it was good that we have always decided to be at peace with each other and live in harmony. ;)

I called him early morning to make sure that his day starts right before he goes to work. Making sure that he knows am not mad at him and am glad that he isnt mad at me for anything. Asking for forgiveness from each other and accepting it, that was just another noble thing which we both have done.. and I soo  thank God for it.

So far.. so good. And i should say this again, life is indeed beautiful! *wink*

**now heres somethin i wanna share to u.. somethin which i wanna remind myself of always:

HEBREWS 6:12 NKJ
12 that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who
through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Patience is not just putting up with things.

Patience means to continue, to persevere, to stay steady, to
maintain your course, to not grow weary in doing good and quit.

Patience is a fruit of the spirit, so to walk in Bible patience
you must keep your spiritual life strong, by feeding on the
Word and fellowshiping with God.

We receive from God by faith, but our faith has to be
undergirded by patience to possess and enjoy His promises.

It’s normal for there to be a time of waiting and testing when
we believe the promises of God. But hang on to your faith and
it will see you through.

JAMES 5:10-11 NIV
10 Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of
suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
11 As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered.
You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the
Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and
mercy.

God’s Word will come to pass in your life. Don’t quit
believing.

Hang in there Jeny!

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chill-out!

Tuesday, February 7th, 2006

chill-out kay kulang ko sa tulog… ;) spent the whole day at Nino’s house. I was so happy looking at Nino and our nino-gamai spending their time together. They were enjoying their time while i had to sleep at nino’s room.. formerly our lair. things are getting better now.. until somethin happened. well, some people cant just get their acts right. pero cge lang.. let them learn their lessons. I will let God deal with it. kapoi na. good thing is, things are still okay.. FOCUS lang gypun ko and persevere.. GOD IS IN CONTROL. I have HIM with me so who can be against me? lumalabay ra ni tanan.. and these people are just temporary.. they are spices to our lives.. so worry not, for in time, they will soon evaporate. =) the truth shall set us all free.. hehehe.. unsa naman ni ako gipang yawyaw oi.. bitaw, everything is okay although naa gyud gihapon na ang mga samok. ok lang. embrace it JEN! thats life and its part of growing up!basta, as for me..what happened in the past is already past. I dont care about what happened last November, last December, last Sinulog.. and even what happened a few hours ago.. what I care about is that I know that my future is already in God’s hands and it will be beautiful. I am being tested right now to make things even more beautiful in time. And I cant wait for that time to come. =) And for the most part, what matters now is that I have forgiven the man i truly care about for the things that shouldnt be done.. things will be alright, I know. I asked it from God so I know for sure it will happen. *wink*

work sa koww… para palit diapers and milk. ;)

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“storm is over now”

Monday, February 6th, 2006

=)

At last I now have the confidence, trust and the peace I’ve been long waited for. Im so happy that we are now all okay . A lot of lessons learned from the experience, even lessons from those passersby, those people who came to ruin. Anyway, a blessing was spoken to them.. and a prayer as well.  Right now things are goin well.. and tomorrow ( I mean Later) after work, I will be in Liloan. Its been quite sometime since Ive come back to the place we call home.

Alrytee then, the peace came from him and I trust him that things are well taken-cared of. Worries no more. =) Things are already planned and I believe it will always be favorable. We just have to undergo some sort of testing and challenges and I would be more than willing to embrace more of it. It doesnt end there I know, but the good thing is that I am now stronger to face anything.. my strength has been tested. I failed but Im now back to where I should be. I thank God for answering some of my prayers. Im holding on to his promises.

Right now I just have decided to give the pen of my life to the Author of True Love and Creator of Romance.. I am now letting God write my love story..letting HIM to be the center of my lovelife and I know and believe I will never be disappointed again. Things will all go well this time. No more tears, heartbreak, confusions, compromises over nonesense things. I know God has the best plans and that HIS ways are better than mine. So now Im allowing HIM to write each chapter of my life’s story.. to guide each conversation, paint each sunset and stand over us with a smile. *wink*

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learn the hard way? hmmmm….

Wednesday, February 1st, 2006

I DID LEARN THE HARD WAY… (i always do.)

and I’ve learned this:

Life is patient and kind. You will offer yourself as many opportunities as you can handle to learn your life lessons. If you choose not to learn the lessons, you will be given more opportunities. Yet each time you decide not to learn your lesson, the circumstances surrounding such opportunities will become more pronounced. This you do for your own good. This you do in order to listen and pay attention. Ultimately, you will pay attention and you will learn your lesson; it is simply up to you to decide how and when. It is up to you to decide when to start listening to what’s going on in your life. The longer you decide not to listen, the louder you will turn up the volume. You can choose to pay attention and listen before or after your ears start to hurt. It is your choice. You control the volume, and you control your attention and the station. You have turned to the station you want to hear. Once you hear what it is you are trying to tell yourself, and learn what you are trying to teach yourself, you no longer need to increase the volume or repeat the lesson.

and this:

"Life has cycles. Whatever goes up, comes down, and what falls can rise again. Progress can be slow: We remember, then we forget, then we remember; we take two steps forward, then one step back. No matter how enlightened we become, we still face the realities of daily life."

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