Tuesday, October 21, 2008

All the Small Things

It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise, God handling all the details. – Ephesians 3:7 (The Message)

When I graduated from college, I had absolutely no idea where I wanted to go in life. All I knew was that I’d do whatever God told me to do. What was it? I told myself I’d figure it out.
Different companies called me a few months after graduation and because I didn’t know exactly where to start with my career, I just went to all interviews. There were some that kind of scared me because of the job description, some that made me dread working because of the possible workload and some that seemed just like the perfect job.
There was one particular job I liked but the promised call didn’t come. I felt lost again and decided to apply to other companies and forget about the one that got away. Just as I was losing hope, the company called and informed me that they had a job offer for me. Before I knew it, everything was fixed and I was working!
It’s true that when we do what God asks us to do, He takes in all the little details and makes everything work out for our best. (By Tina Matanguihan)

REFLECTION:
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

Surprise me, Lord.

(This is a very lovely story...)

Monday, October 20, 2008

God is Like the Sun

God is like the sun, you cannot look at it but without it you cannot see anything else.
May God give you the best of everything in this world.

(Sent by Bro. Dondon. May God bless your for continuously sending text messages.)

God is the Great Composer

God is like great composer of life and He made great music for us... but we are still the musicians . and we should perform our lives according to His compositions.

(Sent By Bro. Dondon)

Friday, October 17, 2008

Put God on Top

Put God on top of everything tonight and
let Him take charge of all your plans.
Then you will see how beautiful His ways are,
and His unending love...

(sent by Bro. Dondon.)

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Beyond Prison Walls

For His merciful kindness is great towards us. And the truth of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord. – Psalm 117: 2

There have been many stories about convicts who lived a life of debauchery and sin outside the prison walls, but after sometime of being behind bars and serving their sentence, they slowly notice God’s presence, embrace His teachings and live a new life — whether inside the prison walls, or outside.
Many transformations have occurred while being with the lowest of the pit, mixing with the scums of the earths. It seems that the environment they have been transported in gives them a better view of God and His magnificence.
Butch Belgica, Eddie Mesa, Vincent Crisologo — these are men who defied reason, were wild and wanton, who were incarcerated for their misdeeds. But when they were released, they began to preach about God and His goodness.
There are others who are still there, languishing, serving for life, but, now mouthing a different language, spreading and sharing God’s love to anyone who would listen. The walls and bars were not a hindrance to their mission, as they praised God for His mercy and kindness. (By Chelle Crisanto)

REFLECTION:
Never under- estimate the mercy of God.

Lord, thank You for Your mercy that endures forever!

Friday, October 3, 2008

God is the Reason





God is the reason why even in pain, we SMILE;
Even in confusion, we UNDERSTAND;
Even in betrayal, we TRUST; and
Even in fear, we continue to FIGHT in life.




(This photo is from FLICKER. This is very nice. To the owner of this picture, thank you for sharing your jar. Indeed, God is everywhere)

(Sent to me by my good friend Kerwin.Thank you for rememebering me. God bless you always. I especially uploaded this for you. Hope this makes you smile. This comes with a prayer. ^^)

Savior


“I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.” – Luke 10:17

My friend Nette and her toddler were looking at a Children’s Bible one night. The child read several more stories, until he got to the part where Jesus died on the Cross. He almost always skips this because the images and descriptions of Jesus dying and suffering made him sad and upset. He read on.
“See here, Nanay. Jesus is wearing a crown of thorns, it’s not a real crown, and it’s painful.... It says here, ‘Jesus wants to help us live with God in heaven. When we sin, we can’t go there. But Jesus died to take away our sin. He wants to be our Savior. He will if we ask. Will you ask Him?’”
He stopped and appeared to be considering the question. And Nette felt the Spirit telling her to give her son a gentle nudge.
“Do you want to ask Jesus to be your Savior?” asked the mother “Yes,” answered the boy and immediately prayed, “Jesus, will You please be my Savior?” Then he paused a bit, looking up at the ceiling. “Thank You, Jesus. Amen.”
Simply amazing! All of us should take our cue from the faith of children. (By Jun Asis)

REFLECTION:
Has our faith succumbed to the complexity of adult life? Can our faith be as simple as that of a child?

Lord, grant that we may be childlike in faith. May we learn to pray like a child, in all simplicity and sincerity.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

God's Perfect Time


“There is an appointed time for everything.”– Ecclesiastes 3:1

He wanted to buy a car. But he could only afford a second-hand. On his first attempt to search for a used vehicle, he received news from a friend. “Have you heard that the car of one of the residents living a few blocks from your home was stolen?”
“Is the Lord telling me something?” he wondered. So he postponed his search. After sometime, he looked again for a car. Just then, he heard that another vehicle was stolen near his area.
After a few months, he resumed his search. And for the third time, another vehicle was stolen … and it was his neighbor’s.
He gave up the idea of buying a car. Instead, he decided to wait for the Lord’s signal.
One day, he dropped by the office of a colleague. He was handed an envelope. It was his Christmas and birthday gift rolled into one. When he opened it, it was a check, the amount of which is good enough for a down payment for a brand new car.
It pays well to wait on the Lord. God’s timing is always perfect. We just need to be patient and trust His heart. (By Judith Concepcion)

REFLECTION:
God is neither too late nor too early. He makes all things beautiful in His time.

I choose to wait on You Lord no matter how long it takes for I know You have prepared only the best for me.

Who He Really Is

Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?”– John 1:48

I once interviewed this man who can sometimes see into the future. One time, he told a friend planning to go to Dos Palmas in Palawan, “If you don’t want to be in the wrong place, with the wrong set of people, in an event so big that it will be covered by the international media, don’t go there.” That weekend, Dos Palmas was raided by the Abu Sayyaf.
I thought that was an amazing story but can you imagine how awestruck Nathanael was in our story today? It must have been really amazing to hear Jesus tell Nathanael who he is because he ended up declaring, “You are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” When we are tempted to fret and get annoyed at our circumstances, let us be reminded that Jesus knows us through and through. Let the gift of wonder coupled with humility accompany us as we walk with Jesus.
It is in realizing who He really is that we can say with Nathanael, “You are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” Then we can bow down on our knees in worship and acknowledge that He is indeed God. (By Joy Sosoban)

REFLECTION:
They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:5)

I have treated You so familiarly, Lord. Forgive me. Let me always be amazed at who You are.