Being a counselor is both rewarding and tiring. The last time I was a counselor in a Youth Conference was way back in 2009. My family and I were in a different city and different church where my husband served as a pastor. Back in 2009, instead of gaining the trust of my group mates, I have made enemies. It was a sad experience and I have carried that moment in my heart for years to come. I guess that is the reason why I've opted to stay away from counseling until last week.
As the 35th FCCF Youth Conference was announced sometime in 2012, my husband had decided that I will be one of the counselors. I gave him reasons after reasons just to prove to him that it will be difficult for me to take part in the Youth Conferences, but he insisted and he won. I've struggled and prayed and hoped that God will make a difference this time, both in the lives of my group mates and mine.
Four wonderful things had happened in that youth conference (in my perspective):
1. The Speaker for our theme messages. The Lord has been merciful and gracious upon the life of our speaker through out the conference. Two days before the conference started, he fell ill with fever and a slight cough, but on the day of the conference, his illness got worse. According to the FCCF Chairman, when he visited our speaker, he was shaking from chills and yet when he stands in front of God's people, he stood firmly and without any hint that he's sick except of slight coughing. Our speaker is truly a man of God and he uses the Word to encourage, not just the youth, but more so the leaders.
2. My Children. They were the reasons that I gave to my husband so that I can "escape". But God had proven me wrong. Yes, I believe my children had fought and shouted at each other while they were "locked" up in the hotel room, but they've proven themselves able to take care of each other. I said "locked" up, well, they were not really locked in, they can leave the room whenever they wanted to, but I believe we've instill in them the capability to obey. If I were to check the hotel's CCTV, I might see my kids poking their heads out once in a while, or even walk down the hallway, but nevertheless, whenever I go the room and give a surprise check, they're always there, inside, and playing =)
3. My Group Mates. When I first realized who my group mates were, I quickly asked the Lord "why this age group?" From our city, we've got ages 14-26, but God had given to me those who are 14-16. I could have handled the older ones, but no, God said. And as the days of the conference draws to the end, I now realize why. It's never easy to deal with other people's problems, hey, its never easy to DEAL WITH OUR OWN PROBLEMS, how much more other's, right? It's not that I'm more able or more matured in dealing with these younger people's problems; it's not that I'm more able to relate to them since I'm a mom; it's not that I'm good and know a lot of things...it's just simply God wanted me to care for them. I hope I've gained their trust, instead of gaining more enemies. But one thing will always stay the same, God will send me wherever the need is.
4. My Old Friends in the other city. Remember the enemies I mentioned at the start of this blog? Well, the Lord has been good and gracious, we still have good friends back there and meeting them on this conference was truly a good and rewarding experience! One particularly whom I used to perceive as grumpy and always negative is now a beautiful and matured lady! The Lord had changed her heart and is now in the process of maturity! If you are able to read this blog, I just wanna let you know that we'll continue to pray for you. I've also talked to my disciple whose heart is so into the ministry! Praise God for you life, my dear disciple! Keep up the good work!
With all these things that God had allowed me to experience and see, there's only one response I can give...PRAISE BE TO HIM FOREVER AND EVER!
Will I do this again? If the Lord wants me to, why not =)
Will I give up? Whenever I get betrayed, I always complain to God. So my answer is this, whenever God sees it right to put me down and be betrayed, so be it. May God have mercy on me when I complain and wallow in the pit of misery.
In everything, SOLI DEO GLORIA!
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Friday, September 14, 2012
Life as It Is...
There are times when feeling of boredom and dissatisfaction comes to one's mind...how do you deal with that?
One of the greatest struggle of a housewife is the feeling of boredom and the sense of uselessness. As one goes through the mundane of daily chores, and taking care of the family, a housewife tends to loose her connection to the world of technology, business and to the world itself. She only gets to connect through the television or the gossips that goes around her. But she does not have the opportunity to "feel" life anymore.
With what had mentioned above, a housewife tends to take her value for granted. And once she does this, the family members will start doing it as well. The family will think that "ah, she will always be there" and the words "thank you" & "I love you" flies out the door.
Have I felt this way? Oh Yes! But by God's mercies, my family has not reached the point yet where they have taken me for granted. Once in a while, the Lord will show them my worth and they give importance to whatever I do for them.
One of the greatest key in battling boredom is not television nor radio nor gossips. It's the Word of God. Whenever these feelings attacks me, I would pick up my Bible and reflect on God's grace. Do I have a specific passage or book that I turn to? No, I don't. I find solace in the whole Counsel of God. Wherever I turn, whatever book I read, whichever Testament it might be, I always find my place in God. That's the beauty of being a housewife...you'll find your true value not in money that you earn, nor in the praises and rewards of man, but in God!
One of the greatest struggle of a housewife is the feeling of boredom and the sense of uselessness. As one goes through the mundane of daily chores, and taking care of the family, a housewife tends to loose her connection to the world of technology, business and to the world itself. She only gets to connect through the television or the gossips that goes around her. But she does not have the opportunity to "feel" life anymore.
With what had mentioned above, a housewife tends to take her value for granted. And once she does this, the family members will start doing it as well. The family will think that "ah, she will always be there" and the words "thank you" & "I love you" flies out the door.
Have I felt this way? Oh Yes! But by God's mercies, my family has not reached the point yet where they have taken me for granted. Once in a while, the Lord will show them my worth and they give importance to whatever I do for them.
One of the greatest key in battling boredom is not television nor radio nor gossips. It's the Word of God. Whenever these feelings attacks me, I would pick up my Bible and reflect on God's grace. Do I have a specific passage or book that I turn to? No, I don't. I find solace in the whole Counsel of God. Wherever I turn, whatever book I read, whichever Testament it might be, I always find my place in God. That's the beauty of being a housewife...you'll find your true value not in money that you earn, nor in the praises and rewards of man, but in God!
Friday, October 1, 2010
On Receving God's Graciousness and Generosity
Motherhood posts a great challenge to every single woman in this world. From the time of Eve up until now, women were never spared from the difficulties and pains of pregnancy down to giving birth. This is one of the major punishment of God for Eve when she disobeyed.
Most people say that children are gifts from God. And yet, most people take these gifts for granted. For people who practices pre-marital sex and got pregnant, they will simply go through abortion in order to "take-away" the shame of being pregnant outside of marriage. While others try to get these blessings through artificial insemination.
In my case, however, the Lord has been extra generous and gracious. Gracious because He allowed me to be pregnant (in both cases) at the right moment. Generous because He has not withheld the joy of having a son and a daughter.
One of the things that most couple aspire to have when they get married is to have children. But sadly, in most cases, those who are not capable of becoming parents received more while those who are able receives either less or none at all. Which one am I? I don't know...but...
The graciousness of the Lord has been bestowed upon me and my family. On the 1st month of our marriage, I found out that I was pregnant with our son. I was not able to work due to my delicate pregnancy and was even hospitalized. But God was gracious in meeting all of our needs. After giving birth, I was not able to go back to work, because it was too difficult to look for a nanny... and yet, God was gracious to meet all of our needs.
A few months before my son's 1st birthday, the Lord has called us to leave our place of ministry and to transfer to a provincial church...again, the graciousness of God. When His ministers are no longer bearing fruit in a certain place, He shall call him out and put him in another place where he will bear fruit. And that's what has happened to us. We were no longer bearing fruit in that place, so God has called us out and put us in another location.
We served in this place for 4years until the Lord asked us to move again. And throughout these 4 years we've witnessed and experienced God's grace and generous giving through the people we're serving. And the biggest gift came when I became pregnant for our 2nd child. Everything was in God's timing. Everything was in God's control.
When I realized I was pregnant, my son was only 2years and 7months old. He witnessed the growth of my tummy and felt the movements of the baby. Although we've been praying for a girl, we're also praying that God gives us what He knows is best for the family. And God has answered our prayers...we have a daughter.
The usual problem with a new baby is rivalry between siblings. And that's what I've been afraid of ever since i knew I was pregnant. At first, my son had a hard time coping with his sister's incessant demand for my attention. But slowly, as he gets to share in the responsibility of taking care of his sister did he finally realized the difficulty I was in. He started having more patience and tolerance. And he also has become more protective of his sister. But of course, the jealousy is still there. And I think in order for him to get some attention for himself, he has started copying his sister's actions.
It was a trying 2 years before I was able to get some sense into my son's head. He's almost 6year old now and he's getting better to being an older brother. In his actions and words, it's evident that he loves his sister dearly. We're truly blessed by God! And we'r continually experiencing His goodness and grace as we go through the rough roads of this life.
May you experience Him as we have and still having! To God be the glory forever and ever...AMEN!
Most people say that children are gifts from God. And yet, most people take these gifts for granted. For people who practices pre-marital sex and got pregnant, they will simply go through abortion in order to "take-away" the shame of being pregnant outside of marriage. While others try to get these blessings through artificial insemination.
In my case, however, the Lord has been extra generous and gracious. Gracious because He allowed me to be pregnant (in both cases) at the right moment. Generous because He has not withheld the joy of having a son and a daughter.
One of the things that most couple aspire to have when they get married is to have children. But sadly, in most cases, those who are not capable of becoming parents received more while those who are able receives either less or none at all. Which one am I? I don't know...but...
The graciousness of the Lord has been bestowed upon me and my family. On the 1st month of our marriage, I found out that I was pregnant with our son. I was not able to work due to my delicate pregnancy and was even hospitalized. But God was gracious in meeting all of our needs. After giving birth, I was not able to go back to work, because it was too difficult to look for a nanny... and yet, God was gracious to meet all of our needs.
A few months before my son's 1st birthday, the Lord has called us to leave our place of ministry and to transfer to a provincial church...again, the graciousness of God. When His ministers are no longer bearing fruit in a certain place, He shall call him out and put him in another place where he will bear fruit. And that's what has happened to us. We were no longer bearing fruit in that place, so God has called us out and put us in another location.
We served in this place for 4years until the Lord asked us to move again. And throughout these 4 years we've witnessed and experienced God's grace and generous giving through the people we're serving. And the biggest gift came when I became pregnant for our 2nd child. Everything was in God's timing. Everything was in God's control.
When I realized I was pregnant, my son was only 2years and 7months old. He witnessed the growth of my tummy and felt the movements of the baby. Although we've been praying for a girl, we're also praying that God gives us what He knows is best for the family. And God has answered our prayers...we have a daughter.
The usual problem with a new baby is rivalry between siblings. And that's what I've been afraid of ever since i knew I was pregnant. At first, my son had a hard time coping with his sister's incessant demand for my attention. But slowly, as he gets to share in the responsibility of taking care of his sister did he finally realized the difficulty I was in. He started having more patience and tolerance. And he also has become more protective of his sister. But of course, the jealousy is still there. And I think in order for him to get some attention for himself, he has started copying his sister's actions.
It was a trying 2 years before I was able to get some sense into my son's head. He's almost 6year old now and he's getting better to being an older brother. In his actions and words, it's evident that he loves his sister dearly. We're truly blessed by God! And we'r continually experiencing His goodness and grace as we go through the rough roads of this life.
May you experience Him as we have and still having! To God be the glory forever and ever...AMEN!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Why Is It So Hard?
Why is it so hard to be a pastor? Well, first and foremost, I have been a pastor for only 6 years. And just recently, I have decided to resign from that post to concentrate on my new mission field, which is raising my children God's way.
But for these 6 years, I've seen that the difficulty of being a servant of God in our time did not differ much from those in the Bible time. When Israel had finally settled in the land of Canaan, they were surrounded by idolatry and was enticed to worship their gods. When Isaiah was called to preach the Word of God, the people he was to preached to were hardhearted people and their hearts were not towards God. At the end of Paul's life, he was still fighting against heresy in the church and had to face false teachers inside. Sounds like our time, right?
The Church Age is not different from the days of the Old and New Testament. If I may say so, I believe the Bible IS and ALWAYS will be the manual for God's servants...for in It, we find that we're not alone in fighting this tragic battle and how we must fight it.
As far as I can see, there are actually 4 areas in this battle. The 1st one will be the religious group that are growing faster as each day passes by. They are not only growing in worshipers but the cultic groups are popping out faster than popcorn themselves! And yet, these groups are not new. They may change their names but their teachings were the ones that Paul and the church fathers had been fighting against during their time.
The 2nd one will be the pastors who are no longer afraid of God but instead they choose to fear men. Pastors nowadays are afraid to lose their jobs, because once that happens, the business world can and will not welcome them back because they know nothing about that world. Therefore, out of fear of not having anything to eat, they no longer preach what they're suppose to preach! They water-down their messages so that the church-goers will not be offended. Sin is no longer confronted and instead it is being flaunted for all to see. These pastors are afraid to correct them especially if they are the biggest giver. They no longer preach nor teach, instead, they give stories for their listeners to be entertained with. They make a clown of themselves just so that their listeners will not boot them out of the church. Some of them would even twist the passages of the Bible just to suit whatever they wanted to say. The holiness of the Bible is no longer put into perspective, nor the holiness of their Master put in mind.
The 3rd one will be the listeners. If you notice I don't call them Christians because unless they see errors in what their preachers are doing, then they are not truly born of Christ. The listeners allow their preachers to preach whatever they can as long as they will not be offended by it and their sins are not brought into scrutiny. They choose whom they wanted to listen to and they don't care if it's for the sake of their spiritual growth or not. The listeners had just simply decided to listen rather to think and grow.
The 4th one will be the "rare few" (as some of them call themselves). It is rare indeed to have pastors preach doctrines and correct sin. It is rare indeed to have people who dares to collide with trend and what people want. It is rare indeed to have people who upholds the truth of the Bible and always preach the holiness of their Master. And I see this as the 4th front of the battle because as rare as these people are, the first 3 fronts are trying to crush these rare few. Just like how Martin Luther was crushed during his time, so are the pastors who are serving their God, rather than their stomach, are being crushed.
Yes, it's hard to preach to hardhearted people. It's easier to see money than points earned in heaven. It's easier to feel hunger pangs rather than hear the angels rejoicing. It's easier to feel fear of the unknown than see our Father's smile. Therefore, to the rare few out there who can read this message...Don't lose heart! Our Father in Heaven knows our dilemma. He has been caring for people with the same burden from the beginning of time and He's still taking care of these same people (though of different race, gender and intensity of difficulty) in our time. As we have read in the Bible, we're not experiencing something new. Let us praise our God for giving the Bible to us to remind us that wherever we are, there will always be 4-fronts in a battle. The question will be, which front will you be. Hope you will ally with us so that we will no longer be the rare-few!
But for these 6 years, I've seen that the difficulty of being a servant of God in our time did not differ much from those in the Bible time. When Israel had finally settled in the land of Canaan, they were surrounded by idolatry and was enticed to worship their gods. When Isaiah was called to preach the Word of God, the people he was to preached to were hardhearted people and their hearts were not towards God. At the end of Paul's life, he was still fighting against heresy in the church and had to face false teachers inside. Sounds like our time, right?
The Church Age is not different from the days of the Old and New Testament. If I may say so, I believe the Bible IS and ALWAYS will be the manual for God's servants...for in It, we find that we're not alone in fighting this tragic battle and how we must fight it.
As far as I can see, there are actually 4 areas in this battle. The 1st one will be the religious group that are growing faster as each day passes by. They are not only growing in worshipers but the cultic groups are popping out faster than popcorn themselves! And yet, these groups are not new. They may change their names but their teachings were the ones that Paul and the church fathers had been fighting against during their time.
The 2nd one will be the pastors who are no longer afraid of God but instead they choose to fear men. Pastors nowadays are afraid to lose their jobs, because once that happens, the business world can and will not welcome them back because they know nothing about that world. Therefore, out of fear of not having anything to eat, they no longer preach what they're suppose to preach! They water-down their messages so that the church-goers will not be offended. Sin is no longer confronted and instead it is being flaunted for all to see. These pastors are afraid to correct them especially if they are the biggest giver. They no longer preach nor teach, instead, they give stories for their listeners to be entertained with. They make a clown of themselves just so that their listeners will not boot them out of the church. Some of them would even twist the passages of the Bible just to suit whatever they wanted to say. The holiness of the Bible is no longer put into perspective, nor the holiness of their Master put in mind.
The 3rd one will be the listeners. If you notice I don't call them Christians because unless they see errors in what their preachers are doing, then they are not truly born of Christ. The listeners allow their preachers to preach whatever they can as long as they will not be offended by it and their sins are not brought into scrutiny. They choose whom they wanted to listen to and they don't care if it's for the sake of their spiritual growth or not. The listeners had just simply decided to listen rather to think and grow.
The 4th one will be the "rare few" (as some of them call themselves). It is rare indeed to have pastors preach doctrines and correct sin. It is rare indeed to have people who dares to collide with trend and what people want. It is rare indeed to have people who upholds the truth of the Bible and always preach the holiness of their Master. And I see this as the 4th front of the battle because as rare as these people are, the first 3 fronts are trying to crush these rare few. Just like how Martin Luther was crushed during his time, so are the pastors who are serving their God, rather than their stomach, are being crushed.
Yes, it's hard to preach to hardhearted people. It's easier to see money than points earned in heaven. It's easier to feel hunger pangs rather than hear the angels rejoicing. It's easier to feel fear of the unknown than see our Father's smile. Therefore, to the rare few out there who can read this message...Don't lose heart! Our Father in Heaven knows our dilemma. He has been caring for people with the same burden from the beginning of time and He's still taking care of these same people (though of different race, gender and intensity of difficulty) in our time. As we have read in the Bible, we're not experiencing something new. Let us praise our God for giving the Bible to us to remind us that wherever we are, there will always be 4-fronts in a battle. The question will be, which front will you be. Hope you will ally with us so that we will no longer be the rare-few!
Friday, May 9, 2008
On Being a Christian
The difficulty of being a Christian does not lie with the demands to meet, or commands to be followed. But because we cannot, or shall i say, will not, fully surrender our all to God. Being humans, we know we need other people. And in our way of understanding life and people, we categorized them. We have people in our lives who serves as our Best and Well-trusted friends (people whom we can confide with, tell our deepest secrets and desires), Loyal friends (people whom we can turn to when we're in need or share laughters with, but not with pains and problems), Acquaintances (people we've just met, and are not comfortable to show who we really are), Family and Relatives (people who knows us to well and can predict our actions and words...people whom sometime we feel we can't trust). And how we categorize people, is the same way how we categorize our God. When it comes to spiritual matters, we turn to Him. When it comes to difficult problems to solve, we turn to Him. But when it comes to love, we do it on our own. When it comes to excelling in school or work, we do it on our own. When schedules started getting more hectic as each day passes by, its not the TV that goes out of the window, it's not texting,nor friendster, nor shopping...but God. When a relationship goes from bad to worse, we don't blame ourselves for disobeying God, but we blame Him for causing us to have such pain, then we would start to question if God has indeed loved us.
Deuteronomy 6:5 says "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." This passage is not a request or a suggestion, but a command. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus was asked by a Pharisee as to "which is the greatest commandment in the law". and Jesus quoted this passage in the book of Deuteronomy.
In this passage, there is no such thing as compartmentalizing things. It says that we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart. The heart here does not refer to the organ which pumps blood. Instead it refers to our emotions...when we're happily doing something, we are to love God. when we're down coz of problem or heartache, we are to love God. when we're filled with unending happiness, we are to love God. when we're falling in love with someone, we are to love God. when our business is growing and it seems that blessings are never-ending, we are to love God. In all of our emotional surges and downfall, we are to love God, for He is involve in every aspect of our lives.
Secondly, it says that we are to love the Lord our God with all our soul. This has to do with who we are. Do you enjoy fishing? Love God whenever you're in the lake. Do you enjoy surfing the net? Love God. Do you love to eat? What is your personality? Are you ill-tempered? Remember the loving God. Do you always fall into sin? Remember that our God is just. Do foul words often comes out of your mouth? Remember that God can hear you. Whoever we are, however we look at things in life, we are to love God, for He is involve in every aspect of our lives.
Thirdly, it says that we are to love the Lord our God with all our strength. When you love someone, it is but natural for us to give them our best. We study hard to show our parents our love for them. We work hard for our children to get the best education the world can ever give, to show our love for them. For those who knows how to cook, we'll cook the best, most aromatic, most delightful food we can come up with to show our love. In the same manner, we are to show our love to God with what we do. Whenever exams come, do we study hard so that we'll never cheat? In choosing the girl/boy of your dream, do you pray so that you'll never settle for less of what God commands? When you sing in a choir, do you give your best so that when people compliments us we can give all glory and honor to God who gave you that voice? When you read the Word of God, do you read it in passing or do you devote your whole attention and time in reading and understanding It? When you pray, do you fall asleep while praying? No matter how difficult or easy doing our best for the Lord is, we are to do it for our love for God, for He is involve in every aspect of our lives.
Our God is not a god who leaves His creatures behind and never cares for what they do with themselves. Instead, the God of Abraham, Jacob and Isaac, is the God who loves, disciplines, blesses, justifies and more.
When we're able to stop compartmentalizing our lives for God, then loving Him will start bringing relief instead of fear. When we start loving God with all our heart, soul and strength, then obeying Him will no longer be a struggle, but will be welcomed and embraced.
Shorter Catechism Question # 1 "What is the chief end of man?"
Shorter Catechism Answer # 1 "Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever."
Love God. Enjoy His company. Read His Word and meditate upon it. Talk to Him thru prayer and allow Him to talk to you thru His Word.
Life on Earth, Fleeting, Yet Uncertain
We know our lives here on Earth are short...but can we say it's sweet? We were born without our consent...but we were born anyway. We grew up knowing that we need education to work, we need to work to earn, we need to earn so that we can learn..and the cycle goes on and on and on. But why? Why are we here on Earth in the first place? If we work so that we can live, and live so that we can work...what kind of life will we be living?
Working and living are part of the task that we have to fulfill. However, if these two takes control of our motive in living, then we'll never fully understand the purpose of being created.
Matt 6:19 says: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal."
Is it wrong to have the latest gadgets? Is it wrong to dream of a big house with a pool? Is it wrong put my children thru college? Is it wrong to have lots of money so that i can help my parents?
The answer if no...but....having the latest gadgets?..when will u have the latest? After buying that, it's old news for the companies who made them 'coz they've just finished building THE 'latest'! Having a big house with a pool..not bad...and yet will u feel safe living in it? Calamities and tragedies will happen...the bigger your house is, the bigger the insurance...the bigger the insurance, the harder you'll have to work...will you be able to enjoy it when you spend most of your time in your office?
Having money is needed in our time..esp with inflation and economical disturbances and all. However, pouring your life, time, and energy into it will not be beneficial.
While you're alive you get security in knowing that you'll have money to buy groceries and stuffs, but what about when you die? Will you be able to buy your entrance to heaven?
That's why Jesus says "20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
and He continues: 24"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."
We can only be slaves of one, we can never be slaves of both. If you love money, then you will surely despise God. But if you love God, then with or without money, you'll be content. If you love money, you'll think of all the things that you can have. If you love God, you'll look at the things you have and be grateful. Money is our legal tender...without it, we won't survive. I'm not suggesting that you leave your work and just die. But its more on if you're investing on your future, you have to start investing for your next life also. We don't know when we'll leave this earth, but the surest thing is, all of us will.
When the time comes will Jesus say "throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."(Matt 22) or will He say "Well done, good and faithful servant! Come and share your master's happiness!" (Matt 25)
Take care, y'all! If you have any comments or questions, feel free to post it
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