Defying Gravity

Photo taken on board my January 12 flight back to Manila






Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free
from the law of sin and death.
- Romans 8:2




...being confident of this,
that he who began a good work in you
will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
- Philippians 1:6




See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.
- Isaiah 43:19

Already the first month of the new year is over.

Much as I wanted to document the many incredible things that have taken place in my little corner this past month, it just has been impossible to do that.

The least I can do is write an overview, summarize the main lesson God has taught me these past four weeks, and give January a name as it ends.

In 2011, giving each month a name as it ended enabled me to look back over the past twelve months and clearly see the pattern of how God has been at work in my life.

This year He is bringing me to a much higher level.



I was on an airplane four times this month. This isn't really anything new to me. Those who have an idea of my history already know that riding airplanes has been a part of my life this past decade.

But this time I realized that God was speaking to me not just about physical take offs and touch downs... He was showing me something of greater spiritual significance, something that is to have a deep impact on my life this year.

There are jubilee blessings about to be poured out over me and my family.

This year also promises to be a year of fulfillment and completion. He who has started a good work in me will complete it.

It will be a year of restoration.

The verse written on my heart as God's promise for me this year is one quoted above, taken from Isaiah 43:19.

See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.

The year 2012 will be year of new things for me. God has spoken: Keep your eyes on me... be sure you are following my lead... for you have not passed this way before.

I sense a different law at work in me these days. I became aware of it in early December when God set me free from the prison of an offended spirit. (Forgiveness Frees!)

God has been waiting to do a deeper work... but the right conditions had to be met.

God intervened at the right time, and activated a new law in motion in my life.

Gravity is a universal law, a downward pull needed to keep us from floating all over the place. However, to enable us to move up higher, and to allow us to travel to distant places, this law has to be superseded by another law... the law of aerodynamics.

This law enables airplanes to take off and travel above the clouds. The law of gravity still operates, but because of the law of lift, the downward pull of gravity is rendered inoperative through the operation of a higher law.

This whole month God has been shifting my perspective, and showing me just how the law of lift is also true in a spiritual sense.

The law of gravity still works, but the law of lift can supersede it. Speed, thrust, flow... these are some of the elements of Newton's law of motion that enable the law of aerodynamics to function.

In my own spiritual life, there are elements that enable the law of lift to work as well. I have discovered that obedience, forgiveness, humility, going back to my First Love... being unencumbered by the things of this world, choosing to let go, descending into heavenly greatness... these are some important ingredients that allow me to soar and not be pulled down to an earthly existence.

We can choose to look at our relationships and life circumstances from the lower law - or we can choose to view them from a higher level.

How easy it is to be legalistic and demand our just dues in any personal transaction we make. Unfortunately this kind of mindset never works to our advantage. No matter how hard we have tried to make everything right in our life, things will still not always go as we expect them to. Some of our best laid out plans are still bound to miscarry.

Grace and mercy... this is the way of the cross. This is the path Christ took.


This month I have become aware of a compassion in my heart that has replaced a subtle demand that people, and even God himself, treat me according to how I want my life to go.

This has been a lesson deeply ingrained into my heart the past many decades of my life, but if I want to move up higher, the lesson has to be re-learned at another level.

Go through life with open hands.

It does not mean that I become a doormat for other people to step on.

Meekness... gentleness... these character traits of the Lord Jesus Christ did not mean He allowed Himself to be trampled on by others.

For me, it means to go through my present circumstances without a heavy demand for others to meet my need, or placing an expectation on them to do things my way.

Meekness is being able to wait for God to act, and trusting that He has the situation in His hands.

Operating under the spiritual law of lift has required me to release people from promises they have made to me and my family.

Looking to human beings to keep their word created in me a dependence on them, an expectation, that was pulling me downward.

I wanted to be free.


Earlier this month, during the personal retreat at Tagaytay, I approached God's heavenly court and released these persons from promises that have remained unfulfilled to this day. By doing so, I sent a clear message to the enemy that I am now looking to God, not man, for the provisions of the promise.

Although it was just a simple declaration, done without fuss or fanfare, doing so brought such an awesome release for me.

The spiritual law of lift enables us to look at others not with judgment but with compassion.

The law of compassion is a higher law, one so powerful that it breaks hearts of stone. Many years ago I read this quote in a book I was reading: Treat any human heart as if it were breaking.

I have never forgotten it. Oswald Chambers himself reinforced this when he said,

Stop having a measuring stick for other people.

There is always at least one more fact, which we know nothing about, in every person’s situation.

The first thing God does is to give us a thorough spiritual cleaning. After that, there is no possibility of pride remaining in us.

My Utmost for His Highest, June 17

On January 17, my daughter's domestic helper Irene left us to get married. She had served us well for nearly three years. On the morning of her departure, I could not help but shed tears of sadness. She was a good maid to my daughter and me and has made things a lot easier for us. She would be up at dawn each morning to prepare breakfast and Obedient One's packed lunch. Irene had become so good at preparing a variety of salads, sauces, pastas, stews, and my daughter always enjoyed the delicious meals that her maid had lovingly prepared for her. She kept the house clean, and did the laundry every day. In the evening, supper would be waiting for my daughter when she got home. Even George, my daughter's mini schnauzer was well taken care of.

Irene was a picture of servitude. The heart of her master trusted in her.

As I was thinking of this, I heard God speaking to my heart. She is a picture of the delight that you bring Me when you come to me with a heart of glad surrender and willing submission.


Several times this month, I also had the chance to meet with my friends Rosemarie, Alberto, Gina, Tina, and others for a time of listening to the prophetic messages God has spoken over our nation, and responding in a time of intercession. God is doing a new thing in me, in my family, in our nation. He is looking for those who will respond in obedience, not be hampered or hindered by self-focus or personal goals.

After a time of intercession with dear friends in Manila

God is looking for those who are willing to set aside personal goals to accomplish the higher goals of His kingdom. While it is important to be a good steward of our homes and family responsibilities, God is showing me that these things can be done without making them the priority and without sacrificing the greater plans He has for the advancement of His eternal reign right where I find myself.


On January 29, I returned to Bacolod to be part of the ministry team for a two day seminar that we conducted with the junior high school students of Trinity Christian School. For two days at the end of this month, we did The Question for Young Women at this school. Right before our eyes, we again saw how God set many young people free from their wrong perceptions. God allowed shaky foundations to be dismantled and lovingly brought many of them to a place of building their hope on the solid rock that is Jesus Christ.

Posing with my small group
Front: Christine, Krystel, me, Ruth, Shanice
Back: Rovimel, Kyra, and Trisha

With the junior high school students of Trinity Christian School
after the two day seminar, The Question

So many beautiful lessons...

God wants me to be aware of His moves...

He is calling me to live the examined life... to live my life in the light of His presence!



In the days to come I will take time to post pictures I have taken to go with this end of the month entry.

Indeed, what a wonderful way to start this new year. I name this month Taking Off.

Yes, I am taking off... I am entering my Jeremiah 33:3 season...

Call to me and I will answer,
and show you great and mighty things you do now know.

And yes... in this season, the Holy Spirit is pouring the overcomer's anointing into me!

I received this book as a Christmas present all the way from VA, USA, from my best friend Melanie.