Sunday, October 25, 2015

A love that endures

“What is family?”
We pondered and ask ourselves what family meant for us. We mentioned words that relate to “family” and we agreed that the word itself has a lot of meaning. We concluded that family means God’s gift, belongingness, happiness, blessing, comfort, love, faith, trust, peace, purpose, guidance, strength, unity, forgiveness, home, church, marriage, providence, sacrifice, relationship, communication, time, treasure, community, work, effort, distance, responsibility, blood related, sweat, rivalry, hurts, under progress, third party, mistress, abortion, emotional baggage, selfishness, separation, brokenness, defense mechanism, pain, misunderstanding and the list goes on. We realized that family can be defined simply as love.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things.
-1 Corinthians 13:7

How wonderful and powerful true and genuine love can be? For it is by love that God sent his Son to save the world. It is by love that he has called us and even blessed us with a family we can call our own. It is also by love from our parents that we are here enjoying life by living on earth. We don’t choose our parents and neither do they choose their children. The family is a manifestation of God’s great plan and love for mankind.

A family is not referred to as blood related only. Any person can be a part of a family no matter what their circumstances may be. Belonging to a community, to a workplace, to the Church, to friends or even housemates is already considered as a family because we are building a relationship with them. Being migrant workers in a foreign country, I believe God provided a second family for us to share and enjoy our life even if our biological family is away from us.

The fruit of a family is a blessing of a relationship and a love that is shared between them. It is the love that binds and unites them like a rope tied by connecting each member together. The love continues to grow stronger and blazes like fire burning with passion and desire that nothing can stop it. The relationship built flows deeply more than blood, sweat and water as time passes by. We all have good and bad sides and when there is love and acceptance, the heart is freed of any guilt or bad emotions and the desire to change to become better is there.

The family nowadays is being attacked and we should always remember that no matter how hard and difficult the situations may be, as long as there is love, relationship and a commitment to hold on to then definitely it will withstand all the storms that life may bring. The vibrant colors symbolize the ups and downs of family life. It shows that family will always be the reason for us to love and they will always be our home when there’s no place that we can run to for comfort. Love endures and therefore our family should endure because they are God’s gift to us. Our family and our love to them is always worth fighting and enduring for!

This entry is dedicated to all our family and friends who are gifts from God and we praise the Lord for they are our treasures! They are a God's masterpiece in our life. "Thank you and We love you!"

Dubai Chapter 3B3: Thank you Girl power!
Sarah Lauren Lim, Karla Mae Gabion, Vaneflor Olesco, Leah Joy Lingat, Madonna Cabalona and also thank you for the support from members of Chapter 3B3



Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Funny convo of Me and God


A funny convo with God that's a bit melodramatic yet somehow was an eye opener for me and hit me with a big realization. I was praying for something to happen and I was doubting if it was really meant for me. Truly He answers us in ways we couldn't see but in circumstances we can really feel. He hears our every cry and no silence escapes Him. You are indeed a great God. Thank you for your confrontation and for making me see the blindness I refuse to unveil and discover the lies that held me captive. Allow me to break free and to stand up slowly but surely. In your name, I trust. May your will be done. AMEN.
(written last year when I was discerning to go for RECON but failed to do so)

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AKO: Ano bang gusto mong gawin ko?

SIYA: Ano ba ang kaya mong gawin para sa akin?

AKO: Aaaahhh…. Ummm **isip** Hindi ko alam? Marami?!? **duda mode**

SIYA: Bakit naman? Pinagdududahan mo ba ako o ang sarili mo?

AKO: Nagdududa ako kasi alam ko capasidad ko. Basta ang gulo kasi!

SIYA: Isa lang naman ang pipiliin mo at ako na bahala sa ano pang kailangan mo. Manalig ka sa akin!

AKO: Paano eto……. Kasi may ganito……. Tapos ayun….. Haaaay buhay napaka complikado…. Puro na lang problema. Nakaka stress na!

SIYA: Ikaw lang naman nagpapa complikado ng usapang ito. Oo o hindi lang ang isasagot mo pero nagdadahilan ka pa ng kung ano ano. Oh kay tigas nga naman ng ulo mo.

AKO: Kasi naman takot ako… tsaka maraming duda sa kung ano ano.. hmmm maraming iniisip na d naman kelangan.. haay napaka advance pa ng utak ko… kasi maraming dinadala at kinakarga....tsaka maraming inaalala at alam kong nakaka abala na talaga.. Haaay napaka worry freak lang ng peg ko.. Grrrrr kainisssssss!

SIYA: Sumasakit na nga tenga ko sa kakapakinig sa lahat ng litanya mo kahit na paulit ulit na lang ganyan. Wala ka bang tiwala man lang? Nasaan na ba ang dating “ikaw” na walang takot hinaharap ang mga bagay bagay, ung dating “ikaw” na di basta basta sumusuko kahit lubog na lubog na, ung dating “ikaw” na malakas ang loob at may tiwala sa akin, ung dating “ikaw” na hindi ng aalala sa mangyayari bukas, ung dating “ikaw” na wagas ang ngiti kahit may pinoproblema, ung dating “ikaw” na kung makapagsabi ng OO/YES ay papanindigan kahit gaano kahirap, ung dating “ikaw” na may disiplina at hindi pabaya tsaka ung dating “ikaw” na kilalang kilala ko mula noon. Anyare at bigla kang nagbago at lumayo???

AKO: .......................................................... Alam ko..

SIYA: Anyare?

AKO: Nagpadala kasi ako sa kahinaan ko, sa pagiging makasarili ko, sa kalungkutan ko, sa pangungulila ko, sa kakaibang emosyon ko, sa sari saring iniisip ko at sa kung ano pang nararamdaman ng puso ko. Akala ko tama ung ginagawa ko pero nakakalimutan ko na at sa mga yun dun nagsimula ang unti unti kong paglayo. Hinanap ko ang mga bagay na mgpapacompleto sa akin and magbibigay saya sa akin. Kaya nakalimot ako at dun nawala na ang lahat. Kaya eto ako ngayon, hirap na hirap bumangon ulit. Ung mahinang ako na nauubusan na ng lakas ng loob at laging takot. Ung ako na d ko inaasahan na bibigat at lalapad ng ganito. Ung ako na mahina, mapagduda, makasarili at ngpadala sa temptasyon. Nagsisisi ako at ngayon gusto ko ng itama ang mga mali ko. Gusto ko ng bumalik sa dati kaso ang hiraaaaaaaaaaap pala.

SIYA: Magiging maayos rin ang lahat Anak. Tandaan mo na ang mga nangyayaring ito ay may rason. Kapit ka lang. Pagdaanan mo lang kasi ito ang magtuturo sayo ng tama kesa sa mali. Matututo ka Anak. Wag kang matakot. Tumayo kang muli. Mag-umpisa ka sa sarili mo, sa dasal, sa tiwala at isipin na makakayanan mo rin ito. Kasama mo ko at d magtatagal ay magtatagumpay ka din.

AKO: Panginoon, turuan mo akong maniwala sa di kapanipaniwalang bagay. Alam kong walang imposible sa iyo at alam kong malalampasan ko rin ito. Itinataas ko na ang lahat sa inyo. Oh Diyos, kayo na po ang bahala sa akin. Kailangan kita at maraming salamat sa lahat. In Jesus' name, Amen.

SIYA: AMEN!

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God speaks in different ways. Are we listening when he speaks?
Or are we busy talking the whole time in prayer?
Reflect and listen well.
Are you?