Whatever Things You Ask...

Photo taken during my morning walk on the last day of 2013

Have faith in God.

For assuredly I say to you,

whoever says to this mountain,

"Be removed and be cast into the sea,"

and does not doubt in his heart,

but believes that those things he says will be done,

he will have whatever he says.

Therefore I say to you,

whatever things you ask when you pray,

believe that you receive them,

and you will have them.

- Mark 11:23, 24

On the last week of August, a week before my departure from Manila, I began a 40-day spiritual journey of drawing near Abba Father's heart. I wanted this journey to be part of my trip to the US, that I might receive specific instructions as the year was about to end.

I did not want to do it out of duty, but rather out of delight.

There are times when we embark on a spiritual program like this one, and somewhere along the way it becomes burdensome because there will be days when we will not be able to keep it up. That is why I told myself I will enjoy this journey, and receive the hidden treasure waiting for me at the end of it.

The 40 days of drawing near took me four months to finish. 

I posted some of my entries for this journey in my devotional blog, My Rehoboth.

The first entry in my journal was on August 25, 2013, and yesterday, January 6, 2014 was the fortieth day.

That it ended on the same day we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany has a spiritual significance!

Epiphany means "manifestation" or "revelation" and is a Christian feast associated with the coming of the wise men from the East to present their gifts to Jesus.

I could not have chosen such a beautiful ending to my 40 day adventure, but again, I consider the timing as a favor from above.

The spiritual theme for the journey was abiding. Out of this journey I was asking God to let me bear spiritual fruit along the way - fruit of character, and fruit of influence.

What priceless gems I have gleaned along the way! I am also thankful for the fruit that God has undoubtedly brought forth from this worthy endeavor.

Indeed, any time invested in God's life-giving word is never wasted.

Yesterday, the 40th day, the portion of Scripture that I meditated on was from Mark 11:23 and 24.

When we allow faith to be both our anchor and rudder as we navigate the turbulent waters of our life, the promise is that we can ask whatever we want, and we will have them.

Once again, faith is the starting point.

As I sat in Abba Father's presence yesterday, I was just so overwhelmed with the simplicity of this promise.

Assuredly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, "Be removed and be cast into the sea," and does not doubt in his heart, but believe that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

I've always known this passage, and yet, it seemed like I was hearing Jesus say those words to me for the first time.

So reassuring was His voice, although it was with spiritual ears that I was hearing. 

My time here is coming to an end. I will be returning to my homeland soon.

It has been an amazing four months in this beautiful place. Honestly, I feel very sad at having to leave. The bond of love between me and my sister and her family has grown deep during the months that we have been together. My spirit, soul, and body have been so well fed while I was here.

There are many ways by which our spirit gets feeding. We are deeply nourished by beauty, stillness, kindness, love... among other things.

The times of extended worship and prayer in the little sanctuary where I have built an altar of devotion in my bedroom have surely brought spiritual nourishment to me.

It has been lovely, this time of renewal and refreshing. But as I prepare to go I will need fresh provisions for the journey ahead. I was asking God for spiritual bread to take along with me.

Have faith in Me. 

The words actually took me by surprise because of the simplicity of Jesus' assertion. Assuredly I say to you...

Whoever says to this mountain, "Be removed..." and does not doubt in his heart... but believes... he will have whatever he says.

Whoever... does not doubt... but believes... will have whatever he says.

It was a blank check, signed by Jesus, and the account was fully funded.

...whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Well, I did not want to waste time analyzing the passage.

Instead, I received and embraced the timely message wholeheartedly, reminding Abba Father of all the things I had asked Him the past year. Wrote them down again in my journal. And thanked Him in advance. Simply because He said whoever does not doubt but believes will have whatever he says.

Faith.

It is the spiritual bread I needed to sustain and strengthen me for the next leg of my sacred journey.

And I am truly grateful.

I will surely miss this place, and everyone who has come to mean so much to me.

There are many beautiful memories in my heart, and hundreds of photos in my files. As the days go by I will be posting more photos. But here below are some of them to start with.

This will probably be my last blog entry while I am here in the USA. My next  post will be done when I am back home in the Philippines.

But before I end, let me put this post within the context of what is happening historically.

Today we are experiencing an extremely cold spell over most of the country. It is what they call the "polar vortex" - a whirlwind of extremely cold and extremely dense air that forms near the poles. It is blowing across much of the US mainland, particularly the Midwest and Northeast.

Temps are in the -30s F (or -35 C) which could go down as low as -50 up to -70 F (-45 up to -57 C) in those areas, with wind chill.

This is literally "deep freeze" temperature, and any exposed skin could get frostbitten within five minutes. That really is life-threatening.

For us here in Central Virginia, the temperature this morning was 2 F (-17 C). 

This kind of cold snap hasn't been experienced here for decades.

It is not accidental, this kind of freezing weather. God has a message for anyone who has ears to hear what the Spirit is saying.

What areas of our lives have grown cold and frozen over?

As I realize this, I am all the more grateful to Abba Father for the warmth and comfort, not only in a physical sense, but also in a spiritual sense.

Last night I began reading Jim Goll's book entitled Wasted on Jesus. I came across it yesterday while browsing through a second hand bookstore. It surely was a treasure for me and my heart jumped with delight when I saw it. It is a book about walking on the road to true intimacy with God and keeping the fire burning brightly on the altar of your heart.

How amazing is that? In my last blog post for 2013, I wrote these very words:

I want to be a sanctuary where God can dwell, 

a house of prayer where the fire on the altar never stops burning.

What a confirmation this book is!

Father God is giving me the bread of faith for the next part of my journey. It will help me keep the fire burning!

Thank You Abba Father for such a meaningful journey. You were with me every minute, every moment. Speaking comfort, giving encouragement.

It was indeed a journey of grace.

You have touched my life with your kindness. Thank you for loved ones who have graced my heart with their generous hospitality and love!

And now as I prepare to leave and embark on a new journey, thank You for giving me spiritual bread to take with me. Thank You for feeding my spirit! I look forward to the days and months ahead of me...

Be glorified in my life, Father... in my thoughts, words, and deeds. 

Thank you for Your protection, for Your provision. I am eagerly expecting more meaningful encounters with You along the way.

Sharing some photos that I took this past week:

Beautiful Virginia...
postcard-perfect scenery...
where everything has a touch of class!
Part of the lovely neighborhood where I spent
my past four months in the USA

a fireside photo taken right after our special midnight dinner
to welcome 2014

a photo taken by my nephew yesterday, January 6, 2014, 

a really cold Virginia morning

with Dr. Kyle Wheeler, my dentist... and Marsha, his hygienist.

They will always be a special part of my journey this past four months!

a time of meditation taken last Sunday January 5, 

at the Rivermont Evangelical Presbyterian Church (REPC)

Pastor Cox preaching on Jesus as the light of the world

a lovely message for Epiphany Sunday

the REPC Sanctuary Choir

partaking of the Lord's Supper

the REPC Christmas tree in the reception hall

the Rivermont Evangelical Presbyterian Church

 on a very cold Sunday morning...

coming here every Sunday was such a wonderful experience for me!

A beautiful sunset, taken yesterday January 6, on our way to Lynchburg

While everyone else was still fast asleep this morning, I took these shots...

the cozy kitchen dining area where we ate our delicious meals day after day

the window over the kitchen sink where I stood often 

to help wash the dishes, 

taken just at the break of dawn this morning...

with a lovely view of the deck and the trees in the backyard

another view of the sunrise,

taken from the living room window

the spacious living area...

this solar dancing butterfly on my window sill 

has cheered me up every morning...

it starts to move once the sun's rays touch it!

Today's sumptuous lunch:

vegetable biryani with couscous

chicken afritada

baked lobster