Taking Authority

Then the LORD said to Joshua,
“Hold out toward Ai the javelin that is in your hand,
for into your hand I will deliver the city.”
So Joshua held out toward the city the javelin that was in his hand.
- Joshua 8:18

photo source






Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions,
and over all the power of the enemy,
and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

- Luke 10:19




Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
You shall break them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.

- Psalm 2:8, 9

Then the LORD reached out his hand
and touched my mouth and said to me,
“I have put my words in your mouth.
See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms
to uproot and tear down,
to destroy and overthrow,
to build and to plant.”

- Jeremiah 1:9

As another month ends, I listen to my heart to find the appropriate name for it.

Giving each month a name helps me keep track of my spiritual progress... to own my experiences, admit where I have fallen short, and to face up to the challenges ahead of me.

Naming the month also gives me a perspective to view the lessons learned from the past weeks, as well as a platform from which to launch the strategy for the next stage of the journey.

Living as a kingdom person. This has been my goal and desire for this year.

In January I began meditating on the book of Joshua, one chapter at a time, where I have found many kingdom principles that can be applied in my spiritual pursuits.

This month I have looked closely at chapters 7 and 8.

Joshua 7 records the story of the defeat encountered by the Israelites at Ai. After their glorious Jericho experience, it was easy to be presumptuous, and forget to seek the Lord's counsel about His battle plans for the next city.

Ai represents many things.

It stands for presumptuousness and pride... misplaced confidence... complacency.

For Joshua, the distance between a glorious victory and a humbling defeat was way too short.

Instead of consulting the Lord regarding the next step to take, he listened to the voice of advisers who told him Ai was chicken feed:

"Not all the army will have to go up against Ai. Send two or three thousand men to take it and do not weary the whole army, for only a few people live there.”

Confident of victory, Joshua sent only about three thousand men to fight the battle at Ai.

... but they were routed by the men of Ai, who killed about thirty-six of them.

Joshua thought victory was sure; instead, he suffered shame.

A costly lesson, one Israel will never forget.

God was building His kingdom in their hearts, and when it comes to God's kingdom, righteousness is the top requirement.

Obedience is a must.

Achan had taken from the riches of Jericho after it was conquered, even though they were clearly instructed that the whole city, meaning all its people and their properties, was devoted to destruction.

The LORD said to Joshua, "... Israel has sinned;
they violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep.

They have taken some of the devoted things;

they have stolen,

they have lied,

they have put them with their own possessions.

That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies;
they turn their backs and run
because they have been made liable to destruction.

I will not be with you anymore
unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction.”

They have been made liable to destruction.

What a chilling rebuke from the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings.


Unconditional obedience to the Lord's commands is for our own protection.

I cannot compromise my kingdom status by exchanging it for a Babylonian robe and a few shekels of silver!

Obedience.

My life depends on it.


Purity... it's a prerequisite for victory.


Because of Achan's disobedience, the life of an entire nation was endangered. Achan had to be put to death, together with his whole family, a graphic and sobering reminder to everyone that God will not allow His kingdom to be tainted or defiled.

Then all Israel stoned him,
and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them.
Over Achan they heaped up a large pile of rocks,
which remains to this day.

Then the LORD turned from his fierce anger.
Therefore that place has been called the Valley of Achor ever since.

The amazing thing about God is that He does not remain angry forever.

The Valley of Achor was named as such because of the trouble that Achan brought upon Israel. But in another passage, God Himself promises restoration to Israel; the same valley becomes a door of hope.

Therefore I am now going to allure her;
I will lead her into the wilderness
and speak tenderly to her.
There I will give her back her vineyards,
and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.

- Hosea 2:14, 15

We all have our own places of Ai and Achor, but we need not remain there.

God's heart towards His people is always to redeem and to restore.

Once Achan's sin was dealt with, God once again revealed to Joshua the game plan for Ai.

From a place of former defeat, Ai becomes a place of victory.

Achor, a valley of trouble, is transformed into a doorway for hope to enter.


Having learned a valuable lesson, Joshua was careful to obey the Lord every step of the way.

“Hold out toward Ai the javelin that is in your hand,
for into your hand I will deliver the city.”

Joshua did so, and Ai was conquered.

Twelve thousand men and women fell that day—all the people of Ai. For Joshua did not draw back the hand that held out his javelin until he had destroyed all who lived in Ai. But Israel did carry off for themselves the livestock and plunder of this city, as the LORD had instructed Joshua.

- Joshua 8:25-27

As a result of Joshua's obedience, not only was Ai conquered, all the plunder of the city was theirs to keep.


May the spiritual lessons God has spoken to me these past weeks be forever embedded in my heart!

Therefore, I name this month Taking Authority.

By complacency... presumption... or disobedience, I could lose the fight, and allow the enemy to take over precious territory that rightfully belongs to me.

God had given Joshua authority, as represented in the spear, or the javelin, that he had in his hand.

The clear message of God to me for the month just ended is to take my stand, and use the God-given authority that I have.

It is easy to lose sight of this...

in a moment of weakness, it is easy to be carried away by the mundane...

to exchange my spiritual birthright for a bowl of stew...

to let my strength wane, to let my energies be dissipated by taking on assignments not meant for me to carry.

Yes, it is easy to be presumptuous... even in the way we interpret God's word, the way we think we understand.

Taking authority means something only when I recognize that I am under a Higher authority. When I humbly stand under God's authority, He opens doors of understanding for me to walk through.


These past weeks my eyes have been opened to my own spiritual needs, and that of my family.

But really, I know that my life is not for the needs of my family circle alone, though the needs are legitimate.

I lift up my church to God.

I lift up my city to God.

My province... my beloved homeland ... other nations that God lays on my heart.

Thailand.

America.

The Middle East.

Israel.


This month the truth was brought home to me. I must be about my Father's business.

And being about my Father's business means

... saying no to complacency and presumptuousness.

... saying no to self-focus.

... saying yes to obedience.

... saying yes to worship and intercession and a deeper intimacy with God.

... saying yes to a deeper understanding of kingdom authority.

I never presume to know all the answers... or the next move... but always willing to have my spiritual senses activated to understand what God is doing.


Ask of Me, the Lord says, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.


My friend Ruby and I were talking about our prayer concerns a few weeks ago. After sharing with her what was on my heart, she said something that stuck.

Do not stop praying until the breakthrough comes.

I pondered over those words. They were a timely reminder to me in the midst of the battles we all face everyday.


It is easy to be sidetracked by what is temporary, and to lose sight of our eternal priorities.

Am I building God's kingdom, or my own?

More often than not, I give a mental assent ... but my heart is not in it.


This month, I was given a ministry opportunity to be manager of the Intercessors for the Philippines (IFP) office in Bacolod City.

After seeking the Lord's heart about it, my initial reluctance gave way to obedience.

“I have put my words in your mouth.
See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms
to uproot and tear down,
to destroy and overthrow,
to build and to plant.”

- Jeremiah 1:9

Now I am looking forward to this new role.

As May comes to an end, I am grateful for the direction that God has given.

Juan and Helen Coromina
Intercessors for the Philippines Prayer Coordinators for the Visayas

It's another step of faith, another step of obedience. But a great opportunity to be mentored by a couple I look up to, Juan and Helen Coromina, Intercessors for the Philippines prayer coordinators for the Visayas Islands of this nation.

Above all, it is a move that takes me to the next level.


As the month was ending, I sensed God saying to me... "This is an invitation to partner with Me in the work I am doing."

What an honor... what a privilege!

Only a fool would say no to such an invitation.

I only ask God that as I stretch out my spear of authority over the places of former defeat in my life, victory and breakthrough will come.

And, I am looking forward to the plunder that God has said is mine as well!






Special family events for this month:

MAY 8 - Mother's Day

Mother's Day fresh flowers from second son, Worshiper. He went to the flower market downtown on the eve of the special day and bought many flowers for me. Yellow was my husband's favorite color. And I really love chrysanthemums and asters. Thank you, my dear son. Your thoughtfulness always touches my heart.

MAY 9 -First Born Son's birthday


This was First Born's 31st birthday. He and his wife work nights, and in this photo, both of them had just come from work. But they do not even look tired, or sleepy. We had a special breakfast at McDonalds, just the three of us.

First Born, God-given, and their son Forerunner (Matthew). The three of them, second son Worshiper, and I had a very special birthday lunch out of town, at a seaside place two cities away from Bacolod, called Balaring. We had a feast of sea food, including freshly caught oysters, and mouth watering grilled squid. Worshiper's wife, Chosen One, and their baby Full of Hope (Elijah) were in Manila at that time.

First-Born son will always have a special place in our family, because he is the son that opened my womb! When Ernie and I dedicated him to the Lord in church the second Sunday after he was born, through tear filled eyes, we sang a special song dedicating this son to God, "Jesus be the Lord of All."

Jesus be the Lord of all
Jesus be the Lord of all
Jesus be the Lord of all
The kingdoms of my heart

Jesus I surrender all
Jesus I surrender all
Jesus I surrender all
The kingdoms of my heart

Dearest First Born Son,
you were dedicated to God from the moment you were conceived.
Your Heavenly Father has a very special plan and purpose for you.
He holds you close to His heart,
He keeps you safe through all the seasons of your life.
I thank God for you!
You are very special.
The kindness of your heart shines through your eyes!
I love you, dearest son!

Other month-end posts for this year:

January 2011: Walking

February 2011: Yielding

March 2011: Beautiful

April 2011: Contending

Joshua 6: Walls

Carcassonne

by Sean Munson

photo source






And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho,
that he lifted his eyes and looked,
and behold, a Man stood opposite him
with His sword drawn in His hand.
And Joshua went to Him and said to Him,
"Are You for us or for our adversaries?"

So He said, "No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord
I have now come."

And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped,
and said to Him, "What does my Lord say to His servant?"

Then the Commander of the Lord's army said to Joshua,
"Take your sandal off your foot,
for the place where you stand is holy."

And Joshua did so.

...And the Lord said to Joshua:
"See! I have given Jericho into your hand,
its king, and the mighty men of valor.
You shall march around the city, all you men of war;
you shall go all around the city once.
This you shall do six days.

And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns
before the ark. But the seventh day
you shall march around the city seven times,
and the priests shall blow the trumpets.

...when you hear the sound of the trumpets...
all the people shall shout with a great shout;
then the wall of the city will fall down flat.
And the people shall go up every man straight before him."

- Joshua 5:13-15, 6:2-5

Jericho was a highly fortified city.

The first wall was twenty feet high and six feet thick.

There was a second wall - thirty feet high and twelve feet thick.

Formidable.

Impossible.

Insurmountable.

These must have been the thoughts going on in Joshua's mind as he stood before the walls of Jericho.

This is a familiar story to many of us. But I don't want it to be just another Biblical account that I remember well.

What is our response when we are facing walls that seem impossible to overcome?

The Jericho wall story taught me two important responses:

- the obedience of faith
- the obedience of silence


The Obedience of Faith

Lately God has been etching deep into my heart these words from Hebrews 4:2

For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them;
but the word which they heard did not profit them,
not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.

If I want the WORD that I hear to prove profitable or beneficial to me, there is a faith response required.

It cannot be emphasized enough: the words written in the Bible are spirit, truth, and life.

Truth is truth... whether we believe in it or not, truth does not change.

God is the Creator of the entire universe, and is Sovereign over all, whether we acknowledge Him as such, or not.


These thoughts are shared openly here, without any intention of sounding dogmatic or self-righteous.

As a record of my faith journey, this blog is written with the humble desire that in more ways than one, this woman's life may be a signpost that will help show the way and lead others closer to God.


The Word that I hear, the Word that I read and study, requires a response. God's WORD has to be met with a response of faith in my heart if I want them to feed and nourish my spirit.


For many years, I was unaware that I was receiving the Word of God mostly with my mind, as mere information.

There was intellectual assent, resulting in belief.

Somewhere along the way I realized that merely believing could not produce lasting change. If I wanted transformation, there had to be a response of faith as well.

A response of faith means that I am willing to receive the words not only in my mind but also in my heart, then act accordingly.

That is the only way that the words of the Bible become life-giving to anyone.




At Gilgal Joshua circumcised the Israelite men, and three days later, he led them in observing the Passover meal.

These two important acts of obedience clearly demonstrated that they had received the word of God and mixed it with a response of faith.

The Israelites were about to launch a major military campaign and were in great need of encouragement. They needed to be assured of God's provision, protection, and power.

The response of obedience was crucial.

God waits for the circumcision and the Passover to take place before revealing Himself to Joshua as the Commander of the Army of the Lord, the Lord of Hosts.

God reveals Himself to Joshua as Jehovah Sabaoth, the name God uses when He goes to war. It is His battle name.


There are things God requires of us, especially when we are about to enter enemy territory.

What is our protection and our assurance in the face of overwhelming odds?

I believe it is the response of faith, resulting in humility and obedience, that God is waiting for before He reveals the secret strategies that will help us win the battle.

In effect, God says to Joshua: I'm your Commander in Chief, I am ready to go to war, and I am about to reveal the battle strategies to you. Are you ready to do as I say?

Joshua had a choice - to respond with his head, or to respond with his heart.

Choosing the response of faith, he bows before the Lord, and obeys when the Lord tells him to take the sandals off his feet, for the ground on which he stands is holy.


Awe fills my heart as I read this story.

The sandals we wear touch the ground on which we walk and symbolizes the sphere of our authority and the extent of our territory.

There is something about taking off our shoes before the Lord.

It is an act of humility, a sign of submission, relinquishing what we think belongs to us... laying down our claims to what we have acquired, even by our hard work... our achievements... our accomplishments... the relationships we hold dear.


In my heart is this desire to do as Joshua did. To bow, and to take off my shoes.

To lay down my claims and turn everything over to God.

It is not that easy. To respond in faith is never easy.

But it is the only way to victory.


After Joshua took his sandals off, God revealed to Joshua that Jericho is already given into his hand.

Given into Joshua's hand. When I think of the concerns that are weighing my heart down these days, these words come as a much-needed encouragement.


We will always face walls in our lives. Walls that seem formidable and insurmountable.

But there are instructions to be followed, and a response of faith is required.

Will I believe? Will I obey? Am I willing?



The Obedience of Silence

The battle plans that Joshua received were quite unconventional. Go around the city once every day for six days without saying any word. The priests were to carry the ark, and seven priests with rams' horns were to go before the ark. All the people were to follow them.

These are strange plans indeed. But what I hear in my heart is important.

Am I willing to do as God says?

Often the defeat in our lives are brought about by the words we speak... or write.

This is a good and timely reminder for me. To choose carefully the words that come out of my mouth, or my hand.

Silence is a powerful weapon for spiritual warfare. We reveal and disclose too much to the enemy by what comes out of our mouths. When we talk too much, the enemy knows where we are weak, and targets those weak spots to defeat us and render us powerless before his evil schemes.

He is well able to recognize the men and women who are standing on God's authority in their lives.

We give ourselves away by our words.

Life and death is in the power of the tongue. And Joshua understood this as God gave him the battle strategy of maintaining silence before a formidable wall.


There is a time to speak, and a time to keep silent.


A few days ago, I wanted to call a loved one to tell her I was aware of what she was going through, and that I was praying for her. Suddenly, this thought came to my heart:

What is your motive in calling her? That plan is not from Me. There is no need to tell her what you know. Just pray.

These past days, every time I had the urge to share this important prayer request with a few close friends, I heard the same voice telling me: Keep that to yourself. I don't want anyone else to know what is happening. If you happened to know, it is only that you may begin to intercede, and in maintaining silence, you are preparing the ground for My victory to come.

Sometimes we need to share what is going on. There are times when we are required to keep our mouths shut.

I have been reading this Bible account the past weeks, and have been asking God to teach me how these words can be met with faith in my heart.


There is a time to speak, but there is a time to keep silent.


Over the years, I have seen myself fail in the area of my speech. Often unintentionally. But more out of habit... speaking out of turn...

being too quick with a witty reply... to speak my mind... to react in self-defense

At times, wanting to impress... to flaunt...

Or most of the time, just plain and simple disobedience - ignoring the gentle whisper in my heart.


These past months I have come to know better. Still there are many lessons to learn in this area.

To always let my words be guided by the Lord...

To be a woman who chooses not to react, but rather, to respond...


God told Joshua that there was a precise moment to shout - and then the walls will fall down, and the promised victory will come.


That is also what I desire... that I will know the moment to shout, and in doing so, pave the way for victory.

These Scripture passages nourished my spirit this morning:

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”

The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD.

- Lamentations 3:22-26



For God alone my soul waits in silence;
from him comes my salvation.

- Psalm 62:1

This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says:
“In repentance and rest is your salvation,
in quietness and trust is your strength...."

- Isaiah 30:15

Joshua 5: Rolling Away the Reproach

"Under Construction"

photo source

At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives for yourself, and circumcise the sons of Israel again the second time.”

So Joshua made flint knives for himself, and circumcised the sons of Israel at the hill of the foreskins.

And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: All the people who came out of Egypt who were males, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way, after they had come out of Egypt.

For all the people who came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness, on the way as they came out of Egypt, had not been circumcised.

For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people who were men of war, who came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they did not obey the voice of the LORD—to whom the LORD swore that He would not show them the land which the LORD had sworn to their fathers that He would give us, “a land flowing with milk and honey.”

Then Joshua circumcised their sons whom He raised up in their place; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way.

So it was, when they had finished circumcising all the people, that they stayed in their places in the camp till they were healed.

Then the LORD said to Joshua, “This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.”

Therefore the name of the place is called Gilgal to this day.

- Joshua 5:2-9

And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart
and the heart of your descendants,
to love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul,
that you may live.
- Deuteronomy 30:6



Break up your fallow ground,
and take away the foreskins of your heart...
- Jeremiah 4:3, 4




Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart,
and be stiff-necked no longer...
- Deuteronomy 10:16




But he is a Jew who is one inwardly;
and circumcision is that of the heart,
in the Spirit, not in the letter;
whose praise is not from men but from God.
- Romans 2:29

After crossing the Jordan River, the Israelites camped in a place called Gilgal. Here they placed the twelve stones that they picked from the river to serve as a memorial, just as the Lord had instructed.

Gilgal is very important. Not only is it the starting point of the conquest of the land, it is the place where the Israelites put up their very first memorial in Canaan.

I find it significant that God would instruct them to put the twelve stones here, at the outset of their journey. God is very particular about putting up memorials because He knows just how easy it is for us to forget.

The memorial was not just about the crossing over the waters of the mighty Jordan. It was also about the circumcision of all the Israelite males that God required before they entered the land of promise.

Before they could begin to conquer the territory ahead of them, circumcision was required.

Circumcision is an external process but it represented something deeper - the stripping away of the outer layers of our hearts, that we may become more sensitive to God.

This physical process was the symbol of the covenant that God made with Abraham years before. In Genesis 17:7-14 we read of the promise God gives:

And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant.... Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession....

This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you....

And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised..., that person shall be cut off from his people, he has broken My covenant.

Joshua may have forgotten all about this important symbol, but God has not. The covenant He established with Abraham was that Abraham would be given all the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession, and the symbol of this covenant was the circumcision of every male child in Israel.

God is a covenant keeper. He never breaks, nor does He forget, any of His promises. And I find it so significant that just as the people were about to enter this land of promise, God wants them to remember the covenant.

Circumcision is not painless. How important it was for them to go "under the knife", a symbol of their willingness to keep their end of the covenant.

Circumcision is not so much an external as it is an internal process. We understand that it refers to the circumcision of our hearts, the stripping away of that which hinders and obstructs. God wants us to be very sensitive to Him, that we may follow Him wholeheartedly, without anything blocking, or hindering us from doing so.

The standing stones in Gilgal are indeed a memorial to the purification process that happened there.

What further strikes me is the deeper significance of the place.

The word Gilgal literally means "rolling."

God says to them, "This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you."

Such tender, beautiful words.

All these years their fathers had lived as slaves in Egypt. This new generation of Israelites were born and raised in the wilderness. They have never known what it means to have a land, and be a people.

In their minds they were tent dwellers, runaway slaves, running away from the land of captivity where their fathers had suffered much under the hands of cruel taskmasters.

In Gilgal God declares that they are no longer slaves of a foreign power. He has removed the stigma and the shame... the reproach of Egypt has been rolled away.

No longer were they in bondage, living in fear of their past captivity. In the symbolic act of circumcision God was renewing His covenant with them - Fear not, you are mine.

In rolling away the reproach of Egypt from them, God was in effect reminding them of the words of the covenant that He had established with Abraham hundreds of years before:

And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant.... Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession....

The everlasting God... has established an everlasting covenant... and He is giving them a land as an everlasting possession...

God removed from them the victim mindset, the slave mentality.

They were a special people, and they were coming into the Promised Land, a land that will be to them an everlasting possession.

Jeremiah 31 comes to my mind at this time, and I can hear the Lord speaking words of comfort.

I have loved you with an everlasting love...

I have drawn you with cords of compassion...

Again I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt...

I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters, in a straight way in which they shall not stumble...

For I am a Father to Israel...

They shall come and sing in the height of Zion...

They shall be as a well watered garden...

They shall sorrow no more at all...

I will turn their mourning into joy...

My people shall be satisfied with My goodness...


Gilgal is such a special place, a memorial to their new beginnings as a people. The standing stones here bear witness to what happened on that day.

A reminder to them that as God's chosen people, they are to be set apart, consecrated.

Victory will surely follow, but the message at Gilgal is this: there is no victory without purity.


I need to go back often to Gilgal to remember what happened there. To look at the stone memorial. To remember that I have been bought with a price. No longer a slave.

The reproach has been rolled away. In many ways, Gilgal points to Calvary, where Jesus bore my sin and shame.


And I remember still another place in the Bible where the stone has been rolled away:

He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.
Come and see the place where he lay.
- Matthew 28:6

photo source

Help me Lord, to never forget.

Joshua 4: Walking

photo source





After the death of Moses... the LORD spoke to Joshua... saying: “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses."
- Joshua 1:1-3




Whether you turn to the right or to the left,
your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying,
“This is the way; walk in it.”
-Isaiah 30:21




Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

- Isaiah 40:30-31

For we walk by faith, not by sight.
- 2 Corinthians 5:7




He has shown you, O man,
what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
- Micah 6:8




And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.
- Genesis 5:24




See then that you walk circumspectly,
not as fools but as wise,
redeeming the time,
because the days are evil.
- Ephesians 5:15-16

It's hard to believe, but it's true... the first month of the new year has already gone by.

Today is the last day of January, and I name this month "WALKING."

God promised Moses that every place on which the sole of his foot treads upon is his, a promise that God repeated to Joshua, just as they were about to enter the promised land.

Although the promise was given to Joshua, it is a spiritual principle that works for everyone who takes God at His word. I take this promise to heart believing that before I can fully obtain my spiritual inheritance, there are battles to be fought and territories to be conquered.

Whether in the physical or spiritual realm, a battle can never be fought... or won... while one is sitting down.

It is really easy to waste time on things that have no eternal value or significance. The enemy is quite effective at distracting us, pulling us away from things that really matter to God... but a lot of times, the enemy is not always to be blamed.

Sadly, I must admit that I have allowed this to happen much too often in my own life. No one else is really to be blamed.

And so... this year I am making the promise to walk humbly with my God... to walk by faith and not by sight... to walk and not be faint... to walk as one who is wise, not unwise... to keep walking as He leads the way.


Walking with someone denotes walking in relationship with that person...

And for me, building a relationship means keeping my communication channels open to the one I want to relate to in a meaningful way.

It is easy to soar... and easy to run ... but sooner or later, the initial eagerness wanes... or tiredness sets in.

But walking gives such a beautiful picture of the life of faith... where one is not in a sprint or a hundred-meter dash but in a marathon, a contest of endurance.

Walking indicates consistency... regularity ... dependability ... loyalty.

Walking opens up such meaningful opportunities to take in the scenery, because when one walks, there is no pressure, no hurry... there is time for beauty, and there is room for interruptions.


Looking back on this month, I realize that I have covered so much ground just by walking!

Something I truly thank the Lord for!


Here are some pictures from my January 2011 photo diary:

JANUARY 1, 2011

After all the picture taking...
and the cleaning up of the dinner table...
after all the smoke from the firecrackers had cleared up,
and the noise of the revelry had died down
I sat down to look at our Christmas tree...

Christmas was Ernie's favorite season of all.

Quietly...gently...I thought of our past Christmases together
I looked at his favorite tree ornaments,
and a new one... an "E" with swarovski crystals
given by my sister...

I love you, Ernie... I always will.

I looked around our home...
to look at the tender memories
of this year's Christmas...
soon my grandchildren will grow up
the gifts will be used
and the holiday clutter will be swept away...
I just wanted to take a moment
and take it all in
for just one more time...



Only had a few hour's sleep

but something woke me up at around 5 a.m.
the sound of rain!

It had been very dry the past weeks...
and the rains fell right on New Year's day!
What a promise, what a message of hope!

JANUARY 5, 2011

My last day in Bacolod before I leave for Manila again...

cleaning up... last minute gardening...packing my suitcase
playing with my two dogs...

spending time with Matthew
gazing at sweet baby Elijah sound asleep in my arms...

sharing coffee and doughnuts at Starbucks with dear friends...

I took this picture of Trudi, Maggy, and me!

And this is Tofi, Maggy's 9 year old "ducksie"

JANUARY 6, 2011

Arrived in Manila...
Had lunch with friends Rosemarie and Tina...
such a wonderful time reconnecting...

Rosemarie gave me many gifts
this leather bracelet was one of them:

If somebody's gonna be blessed, might as well be me!

JANUARY 7 - 16, 2011

Wonderful, refreshing time in Thailand

Obedient One and I arrive in Chiang Mai - January 7

A quick shot taken on our way to departure gate at Suvarnabhumi Airport - January 16

to view some of our pictures from that trip click here

JANUARY 17 - 21, 2011

The very next day after I arrived from Thailand,
Elijah House School of Prayer Ministry began...

For the next ten weekdays...
Everyday...Trudi and I traveled a long way to reach the school...

I believe the walking, the getting on public transportation
going up stairs and escalators...
getting off and on trains...
these were all a part of what God was doing...
building strength... endurance... determination
in our hearts!



Walk down the street from my house to the corner


Board jeepney (mini bus) up to main highway





Get off here and walk to train station

Routine security check before boarding trains

On board crowded train (Thank God for "only females" cars on our train system!)


A glimpse of Metro Manila from the train

Get off from train, then another queue to go through the turnstile

Can't resist a doughnut on the way down


View of the EDS Avenue from train station...
I'd rather be on the train than there!



Walk from train station to another jeepney stop

Get off here and start walking again

Almost there..

Finally!



Warm welcoming smiles await us...

Meet our facilitators:

Char and Ed

Becky

Gloria Roberts teaching on video


walking to a nearby mall after lunch

pausing to listen to live jazz music after coffee at the mall before going back to the school...

a page from our school manual

As another schoolday comes to an end...

it's time to retrace the steps we took in the morning
before we can reach home...


No escalator at this station... going up is harder than going down!


Here's our train



View of setting sun from train...
it's been a full day

Get off...

walk some more...

take a taxi...

wait for a green light... only a few minutes to go... then we're back home!

JANUARY 22 - 23, 2011

Weekend treats...
a sumptuous eat-all-you-can buffet breakfast
with friends at Shangri-la Hotel...
Sunday worship service with Obedient One at Victory...
followed by lunch at a Vietnamese resto...

A delightful weekend before another school week begins!

Breakfast, part one

Worship service at Victory

Vietnamese iced coffee at Pho Hoa restaurant

JANUARY 24 - 28, 2011

Another amazing week at Elijah House...

Music is such a wonderful companion when traveling!

Graduation Day

JANUARY 29 and 31, 2011

I conducted a Family Foundations Training for Ministry
the very next day, Saturday... and Monday...
Trudi was with me...
a beautiful time for us to witness more of God's healing hand
at work in our lives!
Such lovely people to be with...
Seeing them moving on from pain and woundedness
Embracing life...

Lunch break on Saturday


Lunch break on Monday


Isabella, Diana's 14 year old Jack Russel, begging for food

Luigi with more of Diana's dogs in their new haircuts

walking to train station (again!) from Diana's condo unit in Makati

At the Ayala MRT station - waiting for our turn to go through the turnstile

This has been an incredible month for me, Lord.
Thank You for being with me... for walking with me.
Thank You for all that I experienced these past 31 days!