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Always & Again

She is versed on the idea that he may forget her eventually. Over and over she decides to be on hold though many a time she is left hanging. Again, and again she decides to stay though she feels her worth is not much of anything. She agrees to be always there for him, to be always there in almost each thing.

God Fills the Blanks

When God commanded Moses to return to Egypt, rescue the enslaved Israelites, He told Moses that He will be with him. Moses pressed further, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”.

Here we learn that the divine name “I AM WHO I AM” strongly advocates the truth and existence of God. It meant that God exists, He is alive, He never changes, He is power, He is energy, and the everlasting absolute reality. He is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. He is the God of promises, of blessings, and of better life. He’s the God of the called and faithful, of our extraordinary and ordinary lives. He is the God of our good side and the God of the side which we don’t want everybody else to see. In every season, God is still God. He can fill any forms of blank in your life. Let Him. Let God.

READINGS: EXODUS 3:14-15

The Story of Stephen

Stephen, known as the first Christian martyr, was one of the seven men chosen by the apostles to help serve the body of Christ. He was described as a man full of wisdom and of the Spirit. Stephen took full pleasure in looking after the needy. Aside from this, he decided to preach the gospel. Standing before the Sanhedrin, he shared God’s Truth and the Good News about Jesus. Instead of receiving a positive response, the people got angry with God’s message, dragged Stephen outside the walls of the city and began throwing stones at him. The stones were like heavy raindrops ready to kill him at any moment.

Stephen got on his knees and prayed “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit! Lay not this sin up against them”. We learn from the life of Stephen what Christian commitment really is. Though hated and underestimated by the scores of the other side, may we be Christians who rise above it. The name Stephen means “victor’s crown”. Stephen actually won that in his martyrdom. His story taught us that the world may reject us but we choose to endure knowing that heaven will heartily accept us.

READINGS: ACTS 7:54-60

A Life that Proves God Can

Have you ever asked yourself how powerful is the God we serve? We read about His power in the Bible. We hear about His power from different testimonies. We even sing about His power during praise and worship. The Bible tells us that nothing is too hard for the God of all mankind. Here are seven reasons why we should rely upon God’s power.

1. Because God carries our burdens (Matthew 11:28-30)

2. Because God is working in our lives to save us (1 Corinthians 1:18)

3. Because with God, life is an exciting adventure (Psalm 5:3)

4. Because we are safe from the spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:10-12)

5. Because God always meets out needs (Philippians 4:19)

6. Because we can do everything through God (Philippians 4:13)

When the world gives you something to accomplish and you feel like you cannot do it,
remember, you are never alone. You can always call on the name of God. With Him, nothing is too difficult. And when God gives you a task which sounds impossible, just know that the God who is with us is the God who made the heavens and the earth. Believe that He loves you and will always help you. With His great power, all things are possible. Are you living a life that proves God can do the impossible?

Dry Bones No More

God is present and we can serve Him anywhere. When we worship Him, He breathes air of inner peace into our hearts. When we pray to Him, He breathes air of assurance into our minds. When we step up in faith, He breathes the “nothing is impossible” air into our souls. When we pour out our praises, He breathes air of comfort into our lungs.

God is breathing on your dry bones!

Dry bones contributed by bad situations, health problems, internal and external conflicts, feelings of loneliness, meaningless days, stressful work and obligations, and our heavy and tired souls. We learn from the account of Ezekiel that God can do the impossible and make breath enter into our dry bones to restore us physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

READINGS: EZEKIEL 37:1-14

Exchange

One thing in return for another

could that be the conventional design of your heart

or the remembrance, the memory before we part

Try to deal liniently with the exchanging

by that you’d be able to be conscious of the damage you’ve made

by that I’d be able to have a vague impression of the feelings you fake

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Stuck

He knew he needs to leave one station
but the change requires
the current to flow swiftly

He felt apprehensive
said sorry to himself
for feeling afraid

Between different conditions
he knew deep inside he was inconstant
but fear blinded the brave,
one step forward was extremely hard
for him to take

Pamilya

We are like branches on a tree growing and going in different directions but one thing is for sure in our family, our roots will always remain as one. My grandfather used to say that one of God’s greatest gifts is having a family. We consider each member of our family as a blessing from above. We serve God together, we worship together, we feel the need of each other, we forgive one another, we pray for each other and together.

We do fun, we share laughter, we do hugs and kisses, we emphasize second chances, we put accent on ‘please’, ‘sorry’, and ‘thank you’, we dwell on commitment and loyalty, and we make much of love.

We belong in a country that is almost always called as the family-centered nation. We consider family as an important core of our identity and a genuine source of experiences, lessons and values. For us, family is not just an important thing. It is more than that. In our aspirations and goals, we always include our family. In our every flight of fancy, we always include our family.

We hold family gathering and reunion for keeps. Our commitment and loyalty in our family keeps our bond stronger than mighty bond. We depend on each other. We stand for each other. Our loyalty for our lineage outlines the strength of our family.

At a very young age, I have been oriented about close family ties. I witnessed how my parents took care of my grandparents. This taught me that when my parents get older, I will wholeheartedly take care of them like how they are taking good care of my grandparents.

Also, our family tirelessly practice the value of hospitality. We exhibit generosity to our visitors and even strangers. When our friends are in need of a place to sleep, we do not hesitate on offering them our haven. When our relatives ventured away from their homes, we ask them to temporarily stay in our homes. We sometimes give up the comfort of our own bedrooms for our guests to let them feel that they are accepted and that they feel comfortable.

For us, our simple act of hospitality is a very good opportunity to show kindness. It is a love in action where we do not only open our hands but our hearts as well for others. The Bible encourages in Hebrews 13:1-2 “Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” (NIV)

Hope is an upper hand value in our family too. We believe that even a single thread of this value sufficiently reminds us of the many reasons why we should never give up on life. It gives us the courage to keep on keeping on. We approach life in a more optimistic way. We take our sense of humor and joy wherever we go. One of the reasons why our family remains hopeful despite small and big trials is God’s promises. For us, even one step accompanied with high hope is enough because God will surely help us in the next steps. Second book of Corinthians 5:7 recounts this as ‘living by faith, not by sight’. We remain hopeful because we choose to remain faithful.

We consider our church mates as our family too. Belonging in a church helps me understand more the great value of selfless service and compassion. Each year, our church holds crusade, feeding program, and community service projects. It made me realized how wonderful and fulfilling it is when we are able to assist and help others. Nothing compares to the satisfaction we feel at the end of a day knowing we touched many lives and made a difference.

Our faith is like our fuel enabling us to want to do good always to others and to always uphold the values our family has taught us. Because of my grandparents, I learned the importance of prayer and worship. Because of my parents, I learned the importance of being independent while being dependent to God. My family wake the care and love within me that I can give to others. Because of God and my family, I am more convinced that there is a love that will not fade away, that will always stay.