Journey of Faith

Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.

Reflected from the verse taken from John 10:31-42

The first thing that came to my mind after hearing the gospel was little faith but more of doubt. We live in a world that questions our being, our race, our religion, our morals and our good deeds. We also experience being questioned when it comes to faith and how we practice our beliefs. Some people don’t understand even if we explain it to them. We are blessed to experience freedom and to be saved from the punishment of our sins. We are not here on earth for nothing because we have a purpose to fulfill and that we are destined for greatness.

Why is it difficult to believe even after seeing the works of God?

Why really is it hard? God already worked through us and still we continue to doubt His presence? Why? Hmmmmmm.. I guess we are looking for big things to happen like a major major miracle to take place in our life similar to the Jesus feeds the 5 thousand, healing leprosy, allowing the blind to see, letting the deaf to hear, the crippled to be able to walk or when He raised the dead. When we witness those kind of events in the world we live in today, I guess it just shows how little our faith is. Our faith is easily tested in what we see. We believe in the "to see is to believe principle and that hinder us from believing in God through His simple works. Through that doubt will always overpower the little faith that we have.

Another reason would be when we are controlled by our fears that held us captive to believe the reality which is the real truth that's already in front of us. We refuse to believe because we are following the standards of this world rather than of God's based on the teachings in the Bible. We choose to please others but in reality, we can never please anybody anyway and it's only God whom we can only please.

Doubt over weighs the little faith that we have. Although we have seen still we allow questions to disrupt our thinking. We are blinded and distracted by our thoughts, by social media, by false judgment and by the things we hear around us. We have heard the words of God yet we try harder to close our hearts from listening to Him. We harden our hearts and we still choose to do what we think is right (but to others it's already unjustly). We are highly influenced with the latest trends, the gadgets, the popular things and even the immoral doings. The world is changing and satan is taking advantage of our weaknesses and he keeps on tempting us for our visions and goals to be cloudy and it gives us more worries. He's giving us reasons to doubt even if we are already praying.

The only way to defeat doubt is through our strong faith and the belief that He will answer our prayers no matter how impossible they may be. We will be tested but we should place our complete trust and total surrender to God that He will take care of everything for us. We should be deeply rooted in Him knowing that apart from Him we are nothing. We should maintain a constant prayer life and relationship with Him because that's where we'll grow as a person and where we'll learn more from. We can be ready for anything because we know God is in us and believe that He has plans for us, a future full of hope. Let's live our life purposefully and meaningfully. Let's make God happy through the works of our hands by bringing back the glory that God alone deserves! Let’s conquer this victory with our faith by being faithful to the one who is faithful and who never failed us. This journey of faith is not going to be an easy task because obstacles of doubt will always be there to challenge us but in the end it will be worth it. We will win because God is in our side. 

AMEN! PRAISE GOD!

Princess diaries at Fujairah, UAE

A few days before the weekend, I was called to be the guitarist for the Princess diaries retreat. Praise God! I had enough time to prepare and rehearse the songs. I had my guitar fixed (bridge needs to be lowered since it's very high) so I used the Yamaha one which I swapped with Kuya Alex. It was very easy for me to play with less pain and more fun. I was able to play songs with minimal difficulty unlike with mine which was a struggle for me because my left wrist hurts upon pressing on to the strings for a good tune.

I was excited since it's a retreat for ladies. I came prepared and ready for the mission which was a bonus for me. I also had to increase my confidence, lessen the shyness and trusted God that I can do it without fail and if I may fail then it's ok as long as I am enjoying and loving what I do.

We sang truly home, great God, heart of worship, praiseworthy, grateful, whom shall I fear, heaven, have your way - most of the songs had a big impact in me and for the participants as well. The worship was powerful and the Spirit of God worked through each and everyone of us. It's amazing how the voices were music to the ears of God coming from His beloved princesses.

I had a great time since I myself was listening and reflecting to the talks being delivered. Although I struggled with being sleepy yet I managed and tried hard to stay awake. Being in a mission doesn't require you to be assigned in one task but being flexible to handle several assignments. I was a music min slash docu slash ice breaker slash participant and it feels good to fulfill the mission for God, for the team and for myself.

BLESSED. LOVED. FULFILLED. HAPPY.
God's beloved princesses

Tiring, painful, drowsy, struggling and long journey it may seem, God has fulfilled His purpose not only with me but with everybody. God is good and He works wonders in ways we don't see. We left the place by leaving a smile in everyone's face. May God continue to bless the desires of His beloved Princesses in Fujairah, UAE and all parts of the world.

Movie: Bride for Rent

Just finished watching Bride for Rent. The lesson learned from the movie is how love impacts a person to change in a great way and the importance of forgiveness. We are not perfect and we have a lot of flaws yet it takes real love to embrace those circumstances completely.

Love is a wonderful gift worth sharing and it matters more when you give instead of waiting to receive. Thank you for inspiring me to love patiently and to continue loving even if doesn't make sense or that it hurts. I am reminded by God to love and be loved for He has loved me first. He has assured me that I am God's beloved. I know in time the scars will heal and things will fall into their right places.

True love is worth the wait. Lord may your will be done. I know you have a great plan for me. Thank you Lord for a wonderful end to a stressful day. Finally I'm learning to understand what was clouding up my mind a few days back. Continue to reveal your knowledge and wisdom. As I let go of my worries I felt that my heart is burden free! Yay! Praise God! Peace of mind at last! Good night beloved!   #peace #hope #love #forgiveness #healing #blessed #wait #selfless #patient #tlw #ponder

(Posted via FB last January 2014)

God's musician someday

Frankly, I am ambitious, purposely driven, a day dreamer, mostly a trying hard gal who's aspiring to become God's musician someday.

My journey to loving and performing music for God started in YFC. I can still remember the time during a youth camp in Tapaz way back 2005 and as I woke up, I heard Kuya Lloyd singing the song praiseworthy as He plays the guitar. From that day on, I started loving and learning to play the guitar. I was so inspired by the former drug addict now renewed son of God who was worshipping the Lord early in the morning. That moment moved me and inspired me to do the same for God. I guess that it was one of the reasons I came to love playing "Praiseworthy and all other songs" for it is meant to bring back all the glory and praise to God alone (SOLI DEO GLORIA).

I got my own red guitar way back 2006. I struggled as I started to learn it while balancing my time for studies, church, service, family and simple joys. I was so blessed to have someone tutored me as I study the chords, strumming patterns and the song. I have learned several songs and at first it was a painful yet exciting beginning. No pain, no gain as they say it and I had to endure it. I had to go through ups and downs wherein I would sometimes lose my focus and interest in pursuing the music I wanted to give to God. Years passed and the same pattern keeps going - on and off even until now.

I started recording some covers and found myself starting to re-learn what I learned in the past. I felt like a drop out since I started this dream last 2006 and it's 2014 now, I'm still not graduating. Haha! I was practicing daily (trying). I tried new songs and new chords to play especially the ones that I tried to avoid - the complex chords. I was goal driven since I remember the reason why I started to play. I was going out of my comfort zone before. I went to different places in my province, bringing with me my guitar, my desire to proclaim God's greatness and trying my hardest to teach them the song as I play it myself. "Sariling sikap" or self supporting as they call it. Before it was a struggle to bring with me as I go on mission a guitarist so I managed to do it on my own then years passed I arrived in Dubai with a mission to fulfill.

Lately this year, I was called to become the music min for the Easter KFC activity last April since no one was free to do it. I couldn't say no but because I had the same passion in me who's half asleep, I said yes. Slowly the desire I had before was awakened. I find myself loving it again and I tried hard to practice for the activity. I was nervous and afraid since it's going to be my first time playing the music seriously by following the accurate strumming pattern in public and with the power chord attached to a power source. I felt not confident enough since I knew I might make a mistake in the middle of the song and lose focus. In the name of service and for God, I managed to play the song using the guitar while singing without mistake, able to remember the chords, able to serve as an emcee and deliver the talk to the Junior 2 kids all in one KFC activity. Superb grace and leading from the Holy Spirit. Thank you Lord.

We had a mission in Dibba last May and I was privileged to be there. During that week, I was practicing the songs since they needed a guitarist. I tried my hardest but the guitar which I was using was returned to the owner since he also needed it. Despite that I still learned the songs just in case. On that day, the guitarist didn't know the songs since he was from SOLD. Me, feeling ambitious tried to play it nervously. God's spirit works wonders and I was able to do it correctly (maybe because the guitar was Yamaha). I played "Have your way" and some songs which I knew. It was a nice feeling because I was singing, playing and praying simultaneously together with the group as one during the worship. God moves us mysteriously and for sure He has heard our cries and praises as the activity ended successfully.

May 16, 2014 as I shared and testified God's greatness through my struggle as I looked for a job in the Natcon at RAK, I was again affirmed by God to push my desire to play for Him. I was blessed by Ate Elma (Kim from AUH) in which she gave me her guitar to practice and do mission for God. She was with us during the mission in Dibba. She felt like I needed a guitar of my own to pursue the mission for God. I felt like winning that time and I was close to tears since I was affirmed by several people after my sharing and it was a great moment to cherish. From that day on, my journey to fulfill the dream/mission continued and is slowly blooming. I am a work in progress. I can be a trying hard when it comes to playing the guitar and especially in singing but I am doing it not for them but for God. I dunno where my confidence comes from but I didn't feel any shame when I recorded covers for God for I know out of millions, I can inspire one soul.

A month later, I was blessed by God to attend a music min workshop. For the first time, I felt honored to be a part of the music min. They had talks and workshops that made me realize the importance of the whole team to perform a good music. Each instrument/function is nothing without the presence of others. I realize that pride is the enemy and we have to battle it with humility that as we improve we should always remain on the ground and bring back the glory that God solely deserves. I am somewhat guilty (at times) but I am affirmed to keep going and to change it. I am thankful for the opportunity and the inspiration that I brought with me will help me in pursuing the dream. Thank you Lord for the assurance and the confidence despite my flaws and weakness. I went home happy and blessed with the eagerness to strive more as I become an alter Christ wherever I will be.

As the days, weeks and months pass, God is still affirming me to keep journeying even if it's difficult, sometimes frustrating, hurting and expectations are rising. I am a few big steps away from my dream and I know I can finally achieve it with God's grace.



"I will never stop when I am tired but only when I am done."