Weathering An Emotional Storm

Taken from the latest weather bulletin (6:00 a.m. today) released by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Administration, the satellite picture above shows the tropical depression Isang, already moving away from our country.

I'm back in Manila.

My daughter called me last weekend. She's going through an emotional storm.

While praying for her, I got a strong sense in my spirit that God wants to minister joy and hope to her... through me!

After having been away from my home for three months, there were a lot of things lined up for me to do.

The front door of our house has been repaired, and all it needs now is a fresh coat of paint on the concrete portions around the new door jambs, and a new layer of oil stain on the door and newly installed door frame.

That's just the beginning.

There are other portions of the house that have been partially damaged by termites. These will also be repaired in the near future.

I also planned to oversee the granite work on my husband's grave, and have a special marble tombstone made, one that will have his life verse engraved on it.

But since July 10, there has been non stop rains in our city. We have entered the rainy season, the season when we can expect typhoons and tropical depressions to visit our country one after the other.

So the work has been further delayed.

Nevertheless, I was all set to go to Manila and had already planned to leave on the Tuesday evening flight. But on Monday night, I developed a really bad sinus problem, which worsened on Tuesday, as I began experiencing body aches and chills.

By Wednesday, just as the tropical depression was leaving, another one followed close behind, dumping even more rains on the northern islands of our country.

Not to be deterred, I purchased my plane ticket for Thursday's evening flight to Manila.

It was an act of faith and obedience.

Somehow, I had the feeling that the sudden illness that I experienced was a ploy of the enemy to prevent me from going back to Manila to minister to my daughter.

On Thursday lunch, the ladies' group of our church, the Women of Purpose, met for our weekly devotional studies and prayer time. I shared with them one of the messages that God has been repeatedly speaking to my heart, about the sons of Issachar (1 Chronicles 12:32), the ones in David's army who understood the times and knew what Israel ought to do, and how we, as women need to be like them in this day and hour.

Due to the strong rains, there were only six of us who met that day, but my heart was so encouraged by the fervor of every single woman present. All of us had the desire and the commitment to be the pivot that will become the turning point for our families, our church and our city. Although I was still groggy and had not yet fully recovered from my illness when we started the lunch meeting, by the time that we ended, I felt a strong sense of healing come upon me.

Worshiper, my second son, brought me to the airport. Worshiper is a good and trustworthy son. My heart is at peace knowing our home, and my pet dogs, are being looked after by him.


Because of the new tropical depression that was entering Northern Luzon (Manila is located in Southern Luzon), my evening flight to Manila experienced heavy turbulence. I found myself praying in tongues all the way, and turning up the volume of my iPod, as I listened to Jessie Rogers sing "When I Find Him," one of the songs on her really anointed album Out of the Fire.

Despite the turbulence, the landing was remarkably smooth! And I was glad to have a very polite taxi driver who knew how to avoid passing through the flooded areas of Manila to reach my Metro Manila home.


Before too long, I finally arrived at my destination. My daughter was waiting for me at the gate with a big umbrella. She and I hugged each other, both overjoyed at this unplanned meeting, being together again after saying goodbye to each other just ten days ago!

Well, this mother's got a job to do again. And I'm only too happy to be willing and available.

Though I will only be here for five days, I am praying that it will be enough time for me to help Obedient One weather an emotional storm that she is going through. Already I am praying for God's wisdom and discernment to be upon me. And I am believing and looking forward to the time of breakthrough!



One of the reasons that my heart is deeply angered by policies that promote abortion, even the ghastly late term abortion which is tantamount to killing a nearly fully formed baby in its last trimester. is the fact that mothering is one of the relationships closest to the heart of God. The heavenly Father loves to describe His love for us by using the picture of the mother hen with her baby chicks. How protective God is of His children!

One extremely inhumane method of late term abortion called saline abortion burns the helpless baby in a salt solution and enables the mother to deliver a dead baby within twenty four hours. The sad thing is that some babies are delivered not dead but still alive, and I cannot, for the life of me, understand how some government administrations want to promote policies which say that such babies are not to be aided, but rather to be left alone in a closet to die.

How the enemy has effectively poisoned the hearts and minds of people by the religion of self -- whatever is convenient for me, whatever will work to my benefit, that will I pursue. I can have a few hours of pleasure and if a baby results in the process, it is an interruption to my selfish goals, so in the name of my religion, it is acceptable for me to get rid of it, like I would swat a pesky fly out of my way.

This is the depths of depravity to which this generation has sunk... and it just angers me...because as a mother, I know how many extra miles I will be willing to walk (or fly!) to be of help to my own children.

However, I dare offer no negative judgments to people and governments who believe in abortion; I know that such kind of judgment is not in my department.


Well, I just wanted to share the latest about me... I guess a mother's job is never really done, as my dear sister-in-love Sue says, "We're mothers for all seasons." How true indeed.

And just today, the latest weather report says that the tropical depression is moving farther away from the country.

As I look out from where I am sitting, here in our second floor family room overlooking our living room, the sky is clear, another promise of good weather and blue skies. The garden is rejoicing, after that fresh boost of nitrogen and all that rain water, and there is a sweet fragrance in the air after the rains!

I declare that all evil schemes and demonic assignments over my family are exposed, broken, and thwarted, in the name of Jesus and by the power of His authority.

Matukad Island, Camarines Sur, Philippines