http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1iVcueFIUo
"Children are a blessing and a gift from the Lord." - Psalm 125:7
Being blessed with a child is the greatest thing I can ever think of. Having a tiny baby in my arms, cuddling and comforting my little one until she falls asleep, these are some of the great joys a parent can feel. The feel of my baby's grip, her little hand holding my fingers, her smile as her eyes focuses on mine, I know that even though she could not understand the words I say, she feels the love that I have for her. My children are my treasure. They are my rewards from my Lord, my God, and my Father.
But how to raise my children the right way?
I go back to my guidebook, the Bible. I have yet a lot to teach my children about life, about love, but most of all about my Father in Heaven. It would be really nice if we, my family, my children, my partner and I, would still be together in our glorified bodies. How painful it would be to see any loved one, either a family or a friend, in the burning sulfur of hell. Now that I have the time, I will share the good news that we CAN BE together in eternity, with our Creator, our Father. I would tell them the Father's ultimate sacrifice which is the giving of His only Son, so that we could be with our Father in Heaven through Christ Jesus. Even though I am unworthy, even though I am a sinner, even though I feel unimportant, I know that I AM IMPORTANT to my Father. And that's all I need to know.
Repent. Believe. Accept.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Answered Prayer: Reaching Out
I went at my mom's house this morning. We were supposed to check this place out to see if we can do my Baby Anaiah's dedication and my Ate Sakura's birthday party there. While trying to finish dressing up, my mom told me that she talked with Tita Anrym, my dad's other partner, and asked her if I would be offended, since they would be considered hand-me-downs, if she would send me baby clothes of my half sister's daughter who is turning four this year. My mom told me that she told Tita Anrym that, on the contrary, I would actually be delighted.
I'm sharing this with you because I feel so blessed that after all these years, I am able to reach out to my "other family" in the States. My sisters and I, together with my half siblings in the US, are God's blessings to our parents. We are rewards from the Lord, as I believe it. Whatever happened in the past, we cannot do anything about. What matters is what we plan to do with what we have in our hands at present. We are a big family. But we all love one another regardless of our unusual set up. I thank and praise God that after all my prayers, this prayer of being able to reach out to my family in the US is finally granted. I know that this is the start of a better relationship for us all. God is a God who fixes relationships. God is a God of love. And regardless of the decisions our father made, I always remember that God IS my father, my real father. And this is why I don't and I shouldn't feel different or abandoned or pitiful. Because God the Father looks after me and stays with me wherever I go. And despite what other people think of my family's atypical set up, it is only His opinion that really matters to me.
"With God, all things are possible."
-Matthew 19:26
I'm sharing this with you because I feel so blessed that after all these years, I am able to reach out to my "other family" in the States. My sisters and I, together with my half siblings in the US, are God's blessings to our parents. We are rewards from the Lord, as I believe it. Whatever happened in the past, we cannot do anything about. What matters is what we plan to do with what we have in our hands at present. We are a big family. But we all love one another regardless of our unusual set up. I thank and praise God that after all my prayers, this prayer of being able to reach out to my family in the US is finally granted. I know that this is the start of a better relationship for us all. God is a God who fixes relationships. God is a God of love. And regardless of the decisions our father made, I always remember that God IS my father, my real father. And this is why I don't and I shouldn't feel different or abandoned or pitiful. Because God the Father looks after me and stays with me wherever I go. And despite what other people think of my family's atypical set up, it is only His opinion that really matters to me.
"With God, all things are possible."
-Matthew 19:26
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Frustrations: Part 2 - Vices
One of the reasons why my husband and I have disagreements is his drinking problem. Don't get me wrong, I have been there myself. I used to go out clubbing every night, drinking like there's no tomorrow, and trying things I never thought I would in my life. I used to be a chain smoker. I used to think that cigarettes calm me down and are the only ones who stick with me and stay by my side when everybody else leaves me. All these I did before I fully surrendered to my Savior.
I almost gave up on my husband because I could not bear the thought that something else, aside from us - his family, makes him feel good - calm and happy. At first, I tried doing things my way. I used to be a nag. (And to be honest, I'm still working on it, making sure I just shut my mouth whenever I feel like "attacking" my family especially my husband.) I tried persuading my husband, through my constant bickering, to stop his uncontrolled drinking and taking in of things he knows have a very bad long term effect on his health. In his case, after a number of shots or bottles of alcoholic drinks, a part of his brain malfunctions, therefore, not allowing him to remember a thing during his episode of drunkenness. This is a very scary situation especially for us, because he might snap out of his good self one day, God forbid, and do terrible things to his family.
With this case, frustration is inevitable. Questions and doubts start to cloud my mind. How will I make him realize that these things are unhealthy, not to mention dangerous, to the family? That relationships are put at risk? I alone could not do it. Believe me, I have tried my everything. However, frustration does not necessarily imply a negative reaction. It's all about attitude. It's about how we choose to react when we get frustrated. Only then did I realize that only God can touch my husband's heart. The Bible is here to guide, instruct, assure, and comfort us during our temporal stay on this earth. It is the Lord's manual and how-to book for us on how to live our lives not to mention to live it to the full, as He promised.
According to 1 Peter 3:1-2 (New International Version or NIV), "Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives". In the English Standard Version, the conduct of the wife that is indicated on verse two is interpreted as "respectful and pure".
We all want change for the betterment of our family. But how do we know we're in the right track and that we're doing what we're supposed to do as regards the roles assigned to us? Let's go back to the basic - the Bible. It may sound unusual to some but reading the Bible, understanding God's word, doing the Lord's instructions, and knowing His great promises actually lessen our feeling of frustration and aloneness, knowing and believing that God has something much, much better in store for us and our family. All these is a part of God's divine set-up so that we may enjoy His promise of abundant life.
Let us always remember Philippians 4:6-7, "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".
Let's keep the faith.
I almost gave up on my husband because I could not bear the thought that something else, aside from us - his family, makes him feel good - calm and happy. At first, I tried doing things my way. I used to be a nag. (And to be honest, I'm still working on it, making sure I just shut my mouth whenever I feel like "attacking" my family especially my husband.) I tried persuading my husband, through my constant bickering, to stop his uncontrolled drinking and taking in of things he knows have a very bad long term effect on his health. In his case, after a number of shots or bottles of alcoholic drinks, a part of his brain malfunctions, therefore, not allowing him to remember a thing during his episode of drunkenness. This is a very scary situation especially for us, because he might snap out of his good self one day, God forbid, and do terrible things to his family.
With this case, frustration is inevitable. Questions and doubts start to cloud my mind. How will I make him realize that these things are unhealthy, not to mention dangerous, to the family? That relationships are put at risk? I alone could not do it. Believe me, I have tried my everything. However, frustration does not necessarily imply a negative reaction. It's all about attitude. It's about how we choose to react when we get frustrated. Only then did I realize that only God can touch my husband's heart. The Bible is here to guide, instruct, assure, and comfort us during our temporal stay on this earth. It is the Lord's manual and how-to book for us on how to live our lives not to mention to live it to the full, as He promised.
According to 1 Peter 3:1-2 (New International Version or NIV), "Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives". In the English Standard Version, the conduct of the wife that is indicated on verse two is interpreted as "respectful and pure".
We all want change for the betterment of our family. But how do we know we're in the right track and that we're doing what we're supposed to do as regards the roles assigned to us? Let's go back to the basic - the Bible. It may sound unusual to some but reading the Bible, understanding God's word, doing the Lord's instructions, and knowing His great promises actually lessen our feeling of frustration and aloneness, knowing and believing that God has something much, much better in store for us and our family. All these is a part of God's divine set-up so that we may enjoy His promise of abundant life.
Let us always remember Philippians 4:6-7, "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".
Let's keep the faith.
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