Consume Me YFC Cover

Thank you Lord for the gift of talent that may I glorify you with the works of my hands! :)

Journey in the UAE (2011-2013)

Think about your story and thank God for bringing you this far. Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to His excellent greatness. - Psalms 150:2

Every experience is a memory worth remembering and a story worth sharing. Allow me to narrate my story on how I came to the UAE. It all started last June 2011. I was asked by my Father if I wanted to go abroad and He mentioned that there's YFC there. I thought about it and immediately I said Yes, not knowing what will happen next. I trusted God and I prepared myself because I said I'd go mission there.

I was working as a volunteer nurse that time and I was actively serving YFC in High School Based. God knows how much I loved serving YFC and I was dedicated to empower and equip the high school to become future leaders. I pushed them to go on mission while training and teaching them more about service. We had leadership training, fellowship, youth camp and household. I felt confident and calm because I know they will stand for the province and will become better leaders. God prepared my heart and strengthened me to leave without regrets knowing that I gave my all for the province and for the YFC community.

I arrived in Dubai, October 8, 2011 and I brought with me my birth certificate. Unknowing of what lies ahead I kept going on. I learned step by step on what I should do. I was guided even though I felt so lost in a foreign land. I then realized that I was prepared spiritually but not physically and mentally. I was blinded, insensitive, selfish, confused and eventually I almost gave up. I struggled and it was hard for me to overcome it. I made mistakes and have hurt a few people which then I regret doing. It was when I learned to trust and have faith in God more that I started to build myself again. I tried to stand up and motivate myself to keep going even though it means fighting over homesickness and selfish desires. God made his presence more felt and I was surrounded by love from a family who hosted my stay here. God blessed me with so much that I forgot to appreciate and be thankful for the blessings. God made me realize that I can change, I can make mistakes, I can repent, I can grow, I can be hurt and I can move on.

God has a right time and everything happened with a purpose. I had my CV ready, applied jobs online, tried walk-in and my authenticated documents arrived then I had a job at a nursery. God never left me when I needed Him the most. I wouldn't have a job without the help of my family and friends. I started working and it was where I experienced the ups and downs of life. I realized that it's hard to work with different people having unique attitudes. I felt pressured and stressed yet I was able to manage in the end. From then on, things started to change and I was getting better. God allowed me to learn through my experience that it resulted as a consequence of my actions. I then realized that I should think before I do something. I was able to adapt to the job I am in and it went well but then I felt incomplete. I searched for the community because I was spiritually dry. I was longing for the comfort of my family, brothers and sisters back home.

It was somewhere in January 2012, when I had my visa and just finished attending the Holy Eucharist that I received an invitation about an ongoing CLP for SFC. I then reflected that maybe God is calling me to go back to Him and that the CLP would be the answer. I decided to go and attend the CLP. I was welcomed and I felt at home. I made a decision to start the CLP again instead of being endorsed to a household because I wanted to refresh my memory and learn more about God through the talks. Everything was new to me and that's where I started journeying with God and with my newfound family. I finished the CLP with God's grace. 3 months later we had our covenant orientation and it was a go signal for me to start serving God.

After Covenant Orientation, I hungered for fellowship, service and worship. I started serving in Kids for Christ. It was in that ministry that I learned to be close to the children. I learned to speak, act, pray, play, learn and enjoy like a child. Now I realized that I am indeed close to the children for they have taught me to be expressive of my emotions through actions like hugging, etc. I continued serving them and eventually I grew matured and I knew I was getting better. For every service I had with them, it was an opportunity for me to learn and improve myself. All I can say was YES and I just kept going for I know the Lord will be glorified more through the service with the kids.

Finally it was nearly the end of the year. I got to complete my 1^st Simbang Gabi in the UAE, celebrated my 2^nd Christmas and New Year. Months flew like hours and before I knew it 2013 came in like a bang! Then my 24^th birthday came and I celebrated it with my SFC household! God is great! Then I became busy with a blog account and was able to manage it for 3 months but then became inactive due to demands with the schedule and lack of sources. I managed to update my blogspot for a while so I tried hard to write and post.

Activities come and go wherein you never knew that it was done. I attended the several KFC activities but the KFC desert camp was the most memorable and totally fun because the focus was with the family. Also I had the chance to attend a Mother-Daughter weekend before Mother's day. Of course the KFC monthly activity in Dubai and Jebel Ali was a great blessing to me and gave me chances to learn and improve myself.

Unexpectedly God blessed me the opportunity to go home this year. With second thoughts God pushed His will for me. I immediately planned my destination and budgeted my money. I was able to send a package with God's grace. I felt being alive and extremely happy knowing I can see my loved ones and be finally home. The feeling of going home really made me crazy and so expressive. And it was totally worth it! I felt so blessed and loved extremely that a lot of things happened according to God's plan for me.

My vacation flew like hours and now I'm back in Dubai. Said hello to new challenges and greater struggles. I felt homesick like it was the first time and I was able to get over it. I experienced the Eid holiday, Dhow Cruise and it was a time wherein I focused more on myself as I learned to stand up again. I realized my self worth, I gained confidence and I was up and ready to go out of my comfort zone to meet new friends instead of isolating myself.

Then CLP came. I was called to be a facilitator in which I doubted at first but then said yes. God moves in mysterious ways and I felt myself changing slowly. I really felt better than ever and my desire to serve Him grew stronger. I started loving and embracing the cross He entrusted to me. I know this is just the beginning and a lot of things will be happening and knowing He's with me is all I need to go on. My faith became my weapon and I felt it growing and improving to withstand any circumstances that come my way. And I know I have a great and amazing God that will never leave me at any cost.

I may have my own problems and issues yet I place my trust on God who will never gave up on me, who continuously trusts in me, who believes in my capability, who empowers me to go on, who blesses me beyond measure, who understands and hears the real me, who inspires me to serve others, who uses me as an instrument for His greater glory, who pushes me to the limits of my capacity and who loves me the most in spite and despite my flaws and imperfections.

MEC 2013 at Al Ain

Lord, thank you so much for being with me and for that I will continue to be faithful in finishing whatever you have started in me. Let your will be done. I lift up everything to You Lord knowing that you are God and I am not. I am excited for what lies ahead knowing that I am never alone for you are in me.

You are God's beloved! The Lord loves you so much no matter what you are going through! :)

.Blessed. Loved. Happy. Empowered

May God be praised!

Nov 2013   

GG: My Angels!

I feel so blessed for God has given me angels that I consider as gifts and blessings. At first I said no without thinking then eventually said yes. God reminded me to Obey and Witness. I started realizing that there are far greater things than what I thought it was. I experienced a lot last night and it's amazing how God works mysteriously. It is great to talk to them like we knew each other for a long time. Even if we just met I really felt we're close. I enjoyed how we introduced ourselves! It made me laugh and certainly I can't forget our new names: Sweetie Sarah, Crazy Cristina, Adorable Annie, Jolly Josephine, Awesome Ailene and Cutie Collete. God is good! There was no awkward moments (well maybe a little but we can work it out). It brought me happiness, love and peace. The joy we shared as we first discussed about God's love was amazing though we lack time! God made us feel His love through each other's presence. I feel that I belonged and that I couldn't fully express how grateful I am for them. The moment they called me "Mama Sarah" is priceless and memorable. I am humbled and inspired to bring them closer to God. They are my God's gift because they are angels sent from heaven. I will cherish and nourish them as the Lord entrusted them to me. With God's grace, I know I can do things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:12). I am excited and looking forward for more bonding with them! Well there's still next week so let's make the most of it. Thank you Angels! Thank you Lord! See you again soooon! God bless! 

Mwaaahhhugs! <3

Wala tayong family pic kaya eto na muna.. :))

Czammy & Me: From YFC to SFC!

We were both YFCs and aspiring to be future nurses. She was an online friend of my yfc friend. They were active in a YFC forum and that's where it all started. We were introduced via social media last 2009. We chatted via yahoo messenger and met through friendster. We were also friends in multiply. She was somewhere in Luzon while I was in Western Visayas. I met her because she registered for ILC but couldn’t come so I took her place to attend and paid the money to her friend. I decided to go even if it was 2.5 days before the event and it was a last minute decision. Attending the ILC is where my YFC journey started and it was there that I committed to serve God. I felt so excited to meet her because I wanted to thank her for the opportunity to attend. 

We were supposed to meet during International conferences (ILC) but due to busy schedules and lack of communication we failed to do so. Despite the hindrances, we continued our journey in YFC separately. After passing the board exam to having our own license and being blessed to work in a hospital, we just kept going. We lived our lives differently but there was one thing that was common to us, our desire to stay and serve in YFC. Then friendster was gone and YM was not frequently used. We lost contact and facebook became popular. She kept communicating with my friend who became my boyfriend that time. She mentioned how he would ask her advice about our relationship before and that He was discerning me to be his GG. We became leaders of our province and so was her in their area. Everything went well but God knew in our hearts that we had to meet personally.

I left Philippines last October 2011 to serve God and to find a job. I lost communication with my boyfriend, we argued, we broke up and he blocked me in his fb account. It was my fault but it was too late. I decided to temporarily forget about him. I felt like I lost much. I knew something was missing. God healed me of my brokenness, made me realized my faults and allowed me to see the good things through that experience. It was December when I was blessed to work in a nursery that's similar to nursing. I learned new things, I grew up, I became independent and I slowly changed.

It was July 6, 2013 when we decided to end things through a conversation. It was my first vacation and I really wanted to settle things between us. After our talk, we became friends again. We missed the old times and we started to reminisce our past memories and it was all during our YFC days. After a month I went back to Dubai feeling happy and free of guilt.

We kept talking and it was only last September 14, 2013 that He mentioned about Czammy. It was then I remember when it all started and I was delighted to meet her in person. He suggested to add her. I was happy that she came to Dubai last January 2012. I searched her fb account and viewed her timeline. She worked in a hospital. She even became an SFC member! I didn't remember how she looked like before but I can feel that it was her.

I then sent a message to her and we talked a little bit.She mentioned that she was looking for me and that I had a lot of friends. I had a second account and ever since after the break up, it became my active account. I then invited her to our CLP and she mentioned she had friends that wanted to join. I can feel the excitement from us and the eagerness to see each other in person. We then decided to meet on the day of our CLP, Sept. 20. I arrived at the mission house and I was nervous but excited. I was thinking what would our first meet up be? Is it going to be dramatic? Is there going to be hugs and tears? I just thought to myself. I called her and she was coming. I then shared our story to my friends and they said they had goosebumps.

I waited at the corridor and when she came in, I honestly didn't recognize her but it was her that called my name. I immediately knew and I left my things on the table and ran to hug her. I was a bit teary eyed and slightly emotional. I thanked her and we talked like we knew each other for so long. It was like a scene in a movie and that was the best moment that happened to me. I can't imagine that from YFC to SFC, God wrote our best story and He made His presence evident in our lives. It feels great that God used us as an instrument and everything had a purpose.  

I couldn't believe that we finally met. To my surprise we were not aware that we were in the same emirate. We attended Middle East conference last year, then Singolympics, UAE National Assembly and even the National conference this year. We were attending different events and we never had a chance to meet. God is great because His timing never fails. He knew that things needed to be settled first before allowing what we desired. I found out she became dry and searched for the community. She graduated and became a nurse. She came here to work and was blessed to practice nursing. She then attended the CLP and found her God's gift. I felt privileged to meet them both. She also shared our story with friends and they had goosebumps! God works in ways we can't see and that's worth sharing!

I then realized that the world is indeed small when you're in the CFC Family Ministry. She was not just a friend but sister to me. It was through her that opened my eyes to serving God. It was through that ILC slot that changed my life. It was through her kindness and I am forever grateful for that. I thought it was just a dream to finally meet her but God made it come true. It took us about 4 years before we actually met and a lot has happened. Though everything changed but one thing remained and still that was our desire to serve God not just in YFC but now in SFC. The commitment was there and it was the only thing that mattered most.

Czammy and Me! Praise God! Finally we met after 4 years!

I can't fully express how grateful and happy I am. God is so good and great! His plans are always amazing! Thank you Lord for allowing me to meet her and experience the fullness of life through your grace, providence and love! I am so blessed and thank you for making me realize and appreciate that! You truly are an awesome God!

And for that, may God be praised! Hallelujah! AMEN!

I am blessed and grateful....

To celebrate WORLD GRATITUDE DAY, here's something that I am blessed and grateful for…..

GOD – Thank you Lord for everything. For the life I am living, for the love that is the source of my being, for the things I am enjoying, for the sins that you keep forgiving, for the opportunities that you are opening, for the providence that you keep pouring, for the guidance that you are supporting, for the blessings that are unending and for the grace that's greatly amazing! Thank you for the answered and unanswered prayers. Thank you for the struggles and for the strength to keep on enduring! Thank you for the salvation and for the chances you keep offering. Lord, I have a lot to be thankful for and if I seem to forget to be grateful, please do remind me. Thank you for understanding my faults and failures. Thank you for always being there for me 24/7. Thank you for your assurance and for not failing me. I will try my best to follow your ways and may your will be done unto me. May all that I do will be for your great glory in Jesus' name, AMEN!     

FAMILY – Thank you for the family that you have blessed me, for the love they have showed and expressed to me, for the greatest gift that you ever given to me, for the support and guidance to me, for making me feel complete, for teaching me the good things, for establishing me childlike faith and commitment to you, for the joy that I have when I am with them, for the relationship between siblings and parents, for the happiness and victories shared among us, for the fights we used to have that didn't last long, for the trips we did together, for celebrating special events in our life, for giving importance to one another, for building our character and molding our personality and for allowing me to feel the belongingness that nobody can replace. Thank you to my Father and Mother who sacrificed a lot for me and my siblings. Thank you to my sisters and brothers that made me crazy and gave enjoyment to my childhood and growing up. I just want to thank you for your love and I am willing to love you more as you deserved! Thank you! I am so blessed to have you! <3

TEACHERS & MENTORS – Thank you for molding me to become the person I am now From preschool to elementary to high school and college and to becoming a nurse and it's all thanks to all of you. . Without your efforts, love and teaching then I wouldn't be successful, I wouldn't have finished my studies or achieved my bachelors degree. The hardship and the struggle became a stepping stone to wonderful opportunities that God has prepared for me. All that I am became complete because of your contribution to my life. I wouldn't be here and I am grateful for the part you shared that changed and transformed me to become better and to keep striving to be good and to do good. Thank you so much!

CFC AND FAMILY MINISTRIES – Being a part of this community opened doors of opportunity and chances for me to improve myself. From being shy to gaining confidence, from isolation to being surrounded with friends, from having weaknesses to enhancing my strength, from dependence to independence, from being a wimp to becoming a warrior, from inability to ability, from being a member to soon becoming a leader, from gaining experiences that teaches people about God, from inability of use my talents to enhancing them for God's greater glory, from being nothing to becoming something and from the person I used to know to the person who is now. God is good, great and amazing! I wouldn't be who I am without the community that look after me, that trained to make me witness and experience God's fullness, that molded and taught me things that is not learned in school, that inspired me of the mission that God entrusted, that captured my heart and instill to me how wonderful it is to be alive and to serve, that explained and made me feel how great it is to love and be loved, to establish relationship that's Christ centered, that made my faith grow deeper and my knowledge expanded. The community planted the seed in my heart, the people water and fertilized it but it was God who allowed that seed to grow and bear fruit. I witnessed the miracles in me because I obeyed and followed God. He led me to believe that all things are possible and He assured me to trust His plans. I am so grateful that I couldn't keep it within, that I need to share it and that I have to express it fully. Thank you Lord for using those people and I am so blessed to be a part of this family ministry that together we will renew the face of the earth and be transformed by God's love!

FRIENDS – Life is tough but when you have friend, it becomes easy. Thank you Lord for the gift of friendship that remains the same despite distance, argument, circumstances and personal concerns. Thank you for the relationship that you blessed me with. Thank you for they have become a part of me that I couldn't live without. Thank you to them because they inspired and motivated me to do better. Thank you to the sisterhood and brotherhood that the friendship has started. Thank you for the moments that I felt down and depressed and they were there to cheer me up. Thank you for their presence that surely made a difference. Thank you for the opportunity of knowing how blessed I am to have them. Thank you Lord! I am so blessed with true friends that will stay with until the end!

WORK/CAREER – Thank you for allowing me to maximize my potential, learn new things, develop my talents, start my career, boosted my confidence, gain new friends, earn money, improve my character and allowed me to grow, made me experienced the realities in life and opened my eyes to the opportunities that's in store for me. Thank you for the lessons and the new experiences that taught me well. Thank you for the salary and benefits you provide for me. Thank you for the chance to work in your company, with the colleagues and with the people I'm dealing with. Thank you and may you provide better opportunities to people who deserve to be highly paid, for benefits and insurances, for bonuses to the hardworking employees that aim to improve your company. (I hope and pray!)

BLESSINGS AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN – What more can I say? Thank you for being the best thing that happened to me. Without the struggles then life won't be challenging as it is. Without blessings then life won't be the same or exciting. Without everything in between then it's not life that you're living. Thank you Lord for everything in between and for all the blessings! I know I fail to appreciate the beauty of life and the things that surround me. May I learn to be grateful for the little and big things that come my way. I am excited and looking forward to what lies ahead! Yehey!

Prayer:

Lord, allow me to thank you and everyone for being a part of my life. Thank you for making me experience the life that's purposely lived for your great glory. Thank you for the learning, the struggle, the relationship, the blessing and for everything. Teach me to always be grateful, appreciative and faithful. Thank you for your unconditional love, providence, guidance, support and grace. May I be a reflection of your Son, Jesus, to others as I fulfill the mission that you have entrusted to me that is to proclaim the good news to the ends of the earth. Amen!  

How about you?

What are you blessed and grateful for? 

Share the blessings! Experience the love! 

:)))))))))))

God bless you! <3

~SarahKailyn~ 

Obey and Witness!

When life knocks you down,

Smile but do not frown.

Surrender to God and continue to love!

Just remember to be obedient,

understanding, loving and be patient.

For God is doing His best,

so that you can become His effective witness!

A simple realization as I was walking on my way home from a blessed meeting..

It was tiring but it's totally worth it! May God be praised! :))))))))))))))

By His Love.

I may have stumbled and fall. I may have made mistakes and things were out of my control. I ran away and isolated myself. I allowed myself to experience dryness and took advantage of my weakness. I avoided talking about my problems and I tried redirecting to other things. I denied my own feelings. I was distracted and find it hard to focus. I forgot my purpose. I was drowned in my emotions. I became lazy. I lost sight of God and His plans for me. I felt empty and longing for someone's presence. I was looking for love that I fail to realize what I had. I was broken and was unable to let go.

God will heal me of my brokenness and
He'll fill my emptiness by His LOVE.

It was then that I realized that the more I ran away from God, He would still find a way to comfort and make me feel loved. The more I avoided, the more He's leading me to it. The more I didn't want to voice out, the more He's giving chances for me to talk. The more I allowed myself to be lazy, the more He wants me to be busy. The more I dwell on my loss, the more He would assure me that greater things will come. The more that I want to isolate, the more He would find ways for me to be surrounded. The more that I wanted is the less that He would give. The more that I wanted to be alone, the more that He wanted to make me feel I'm home. The more stressed I was, the more He would make me realize how blessed I were. The wrong things I desired were the situations He purposely redirected for my greater good. Now I want to start again and I will slowly stand up. For I know that…. God will heal me of my brokenness and He'll fill my emptiness by His LOVE..

Through His love, He can make impossible things possible. He can change and renew me. He will forgive and give me a chance to grow and be better. He will allow me to witness His greatness and by His love, I will be made whole again till I'm ready to pray, love and serve Him to the best of my abilities. By His grace and in His time, I claim victory in Jesus' name, AMEN!

May God be praised! J

Say YES to GOD

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 12:24-26.

Jesus said to his disciples: “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The gospel today speaks about obeying God, serving His people and following Him to where He wants us to be. Being a servant of God is a difficult task because there will come a time that you have to deny yourself, you have to give up your desires for the greater good, to be tempted at times, to be judged or questioned, to carry the cross of Christ or maybe to suffer like He did, to be sent out for mission in different areas and even going out of your comfort zone just to be able to complete your task.

Obedience is difficult without the willingness of the heart. It's hard to obey if it's against your will or if you're being forced to do something. You have to willingly accept and embrace the mission that God calls you to do and that is to serve and follow Him. It all starts with acceptance, love and a commitment that you can obey and witness the fulfillment of God's promises and miracles.

The harvest is near but the laborers are few. God calls us to serve Him and evangelize the world and making everyone know of His immense love for us and also Jesus' salvation for mankind. Not everyone is aware of it and God doesn't want you to sit down and wait because He wants you to move and do your part. God loves you but He also loves them that is why He wants us to go out and spread the word. We can do something with our efforts and it doesn't matter if it's big or small.

 We are all called for a purpose and it's never a coincidence nor an accident. God brought you in this world for a reason and in order to live your life meaningfully, you should discover the purpose why you're here. God never stops in calling. He doesn't call the qualified yet He qualifies the called. Don't worry and don't be afraid because God will show and reveal to you His wonders, mercy, power and majesty as long as you choose to serve and follow Him. Are you ready and brave enough to answer Him with your Yes? Say Yes because God didn't promise that it will be easy but He assures you that it is worth it.

SAY YES TO GOD! AMEN!

God bless you!

Give all to love; obey your heart. -RWE

May God be praised!

Get Ready, Set, Witness!

The 12^th National Conference in the UAE will take place in a few days/hours at Sharjah! Everybody's excited and ready to experience the immense love and graces of the Lord. Good things and even greater things will happen and everybody just can't wait to experience it. So therefore we must get ready, get set and witness how God's mercy, outpouring of blessings, forgiveness and unfailing love that's constantly felt, experienced and meant to be shared.

GET READY.

We must get ready as the Lord has prepared surprises for us! The sessions and the activities are meant to teach and mold us to become effective witnesses and mouthpieces of the Lord. We must also be excited because it is going to be a day of worship and praise therefore it means a lot of singing songs, jumping for joy and unending thanksgiving to Him. For now as we prepare, let's feel the excitement as we are counting the remaining days to hours before the awaited event. Ready your pens and paper to take note of the wonderful messages He will reveal and also capture Jesus' moments that you can share with your friends around the globe. A lot of things are waiting for us and let's get ready to experience God's greatness, graces and goodness anywhere and everywhere.

GET SET.

Let us also lay down to God all the brokenness we feel, the struggles that we've been through, the unresolved problems and issues, the worries and all other concerns. Let's surrender everything to God and allow Him to take over. Learn to let go and let God's will be done. Let's set our hearts and minds so that we can place our focus on to God alone. Also, as we learn to pause for a while to think and reflect, let's remember to pray and ask God's leading so that our decisions and actions are well guided and are in accordance to His plans. May the Lord set our hearts ablaze because we want to go out and spread His love. Everything is all set, we just have to do our part, patiently wait for the go signal and pray.

WITNESS.

To become a witness is not an easy task but it can be fulfilling. Proclaiming God's word and becoming a witness is challenging especially in a world full of different cultures, religion, practices, race, experiences, beliefs, language and understanding. Testifying and being Christ like is what God wants us to be. Revealing to the world about Jesus Christ is a struggle and it is worth fighting for. God made it known to us that we should share whatever is in us. He emphasized the true meaning of love and it is manifested in giving, in sharing, in blessing and in forgiving. Let us not allow the hindrances that we experience to stop us from proclaiming God's word in evangelizing His people as we share the good news in transforming the world and renewing the face the earth.

So let's get ready, get set and witness!

Prayers up for the NatCon.

If God gave..

If God gave me a higher paying job than what I have now.. then I would not know how to save and spend money wisely. I would have decided to spend and spend on useless material things. I would have things that I just don't need but even what I want. I may have been selfish and keep it all to myself without the intent of sharing to others especially my family.….. but God gave me a job that's not that high but not that low. It is an average paying job that taught me to budget my money and even share it to my family. God made me realize that I should be thankful because some experience the worst cases regarding there job and even abuse. He entrusted me with little and I believe He will entrust and bless me much when I am capable of handling the responsibility. 

If God gave me a part time job.. every week or even twice a month then I would've earned hundreds to a thousand but He didn’t. He didn't give me that because He knows that if I was busy earning money then I would've forgotten about Him. I would not have any time to go to Church and attend the Holy Mass. I would not be able to serve Him completely because I'm too busy. I would also not be able to attend my household, trainings, fellowships, conferences, etc because I would rather choose to earn money than building my faith, strengthening my relationship and spending on fellowships and other things.

If God gave me expensive, latest, cool and hi-tech gadgets.. then I would be busy using those things rather than praying, writing my journals, create designs, etc.. I admit that I love having gadgets because I feel comfortable having them and they meet my needs. I feel "IN" especially if I have the most expensive ones. I even dreamed of having an IPHONE but then I realized that having those things will only give me temporary happiness and contentment. After acquiring these things I will keep on wanting more and more. One more thing is that I can't bring these gadgets with me when I die. It can't save me from anything. It can't replace any person who's important to me. It was made for a purpose and that purpose is to entertain.

If God gave us a chance to be together as a family.. then I or we wouldn't realize how important having a complete family  and how it influences each one of us. God made our family to be like this so that we can appreciate each others worth and presence. Being separated from each other, dealing with their differences, misunderstanding, selfishness, cat and dog fights, etc led to a gap that continuously grew as the years passed and became a major, major issue. It may be hard to express the suppressed and corny feelings but the power of love conquers all. Time and love changed and motivated us to value God's greatest and gorgeous gift which is the Family. When all else fail, it is the family whom we can always run to and with God.. I am blessed to have a complete family and I will never stop believing that one day we will be complete and we will never be separated again, with the grace of God and His blessing, AMEN! Reunited 2013!!!

If God gave me perfection.. then I wouldn't have realized my flaws and shortcomings. Only God, blessings and love are perfect. I always believe that I have to do things perfectly. I had the attitude of being a perfectionist. I was afraid to make mistakes. I was afraid being told and being embarrassed. I am concerned on what people will say to me. I am mindful of my actions and I follow the standards of the world. But then I realized that it was only I who is hurt. It was I who struggled with perfection. It was I who had to prove my worth, be accepted and be pleasing in the eyes of others. God assured me that it is only Him that I should please and that if I continued doing this then my identity will be lost and I will always be broken. God healed me and transformed me to be better. He allowed these things to happen to open my eyes to the reality that I was blinded to. He made me realize that I am not perfect, that it's ok to make mistakes, that I shouldn’t be affected on what people may say, that I should go out of my boundaries, that I should live life to the fullest and that I shouldn't be afraid. God used my imperfections to see, experience and reveal to me how beautiful life is with Him.

If God gave me a perfect love story… then I would have not experienced being heart broken. Then I wouldn't feel any pain and disappointment. We wouldn't have been hurt if it did. And if He did then we wouldn’t learn from it and we wouldn't correct our mistakes. He made me realize that people have to break up in order for them to grow up. When God closes a door, He would open a window. Sometimes people have to experience being broken for them to realize that God has better plans for them and maybe God is preparing them for someone better as long as we trust His will and timing. God allowed me to understand the true meaning of love and trust despite the brokenness in me. He is slowly healing me and mending the scars I have. For now I have to wait and do the things God wants me to do. I have to love God and my family more so that when it is time and when I'm ready then I can be able to accept and love someone again yet this time being wiser, better and more mature.

If God didn't give me pain, hurt, disappointment, rejections, struggle and difficulties… then my life would have been easy. If He didn't then I wouldn't have learn things the easy way. God used those struggles to mold me to become the person that I am now. He tested me by giving me those struggles to shape my character and to change me of my ways. He revealed to me that when things go wrong I should call His name always in prayer and most of the time. He made me hold on to Him because He knew that I need to grow, learn and move forward. He assured me that "Nothing just happens." And "All things have a purpose and that we have to discover that." He made known to me that there are no accidents and all of it is a part of His great plan for me and for everyone. .Things became clear after our eyes have been washed away with tears.

 Sometimes God doesn't give you what you think you want..not because you don't deserve it but because you deserve more. :)

 

If God gave me things that I want rather than what I need then I wouldn't have realize the importance of having less and be contented other than wanting to have more and more. God allowed these things to happen because He knows that it is for the better. Nothing just happens. Everything happens for a reason.  It may not be clear now but soon you will understand. As they say, there are no accidents. Indeed, God moves in mysterious way. His plans are way better than ours. He is in control and we need to be still and trust His will. God is so good and great! Thanks be to God. In Jesus' name, AMEN! :))

May God be praised!!