In Whom We Live and Have our Being

For in Him we live

and move

and have our being...

- Acts 18:28

Today marks a very special day for our family. Two months ago, my third grandson was born, under unexpected and unplanned circumstances.

Outwardly I was peaceful and calm, but God knows my heart was filled with anxiety.

I was afraid, but I never gave my fear a voice. 

There really was no other choice for me but to trust Him. I knew He was God all wise, and completely trustworthy, good, and all powerful.

The combination of those four facets of His innumerable characteristics - all wise, all powerful, completely trustworthy, and good - was what set my heart at rest.

Worry wasn't going to change anything... therefore, resting my case in the One who holds the whole world in His hands was the best option available to me.

From Day 1, we saw Him at work.

He led us to the right doctors, both for my dear daughter-in-law Chosen One, and the neonatal specialist for the baby who was born more than a month before his due date. 

Joyful One was the name God impressed on my heart. And indeed the joy of the Lord was this little one's strength.

Friends and family rallied to our support.


Father God did not fail me in my trust of Him.

But how does one get to the point of knowing Someone who is unseen and seemingly distant?

This is the great mystery that I still cannot fathom.

The day I turned the throne of my heart over to Him 41 years ago was the day my heart to heart relationship with Him began. His heart is not hidden in some dark church cubicle... He reaches out in love, wanting to be known, wanting to be discovered for who He really is.

Yesterday, my daughter and I celebrated her birthday in a very quiet, and simple way. We went to church earlier than usual, and returned home for a special mid-morning breakfast.

As I thought of my beloved child, my only daughter, many sweet chapters from her growing up years came back to mind:

the day she was born... her early years... the formation of her obedient heart, mostly from her own responses to the way her father and I brought her up.

I see the young woman she is becoming today, and my heart overflows with joy and thanksgiving.

One story from her childhood stood out among the ones I remembered. She was always asking me questions... profound questions, many of which I have forgotten by now. But a question she asked, when she was just about six years old struck me then, even as it does me now in my remembering.

She asked me one day, "Mama... what will we do in heaven forever?"

My answer to such a profound question was followed by another profound question from this little girl, whose heart was being stirred to know more about eternal things, too wonderful for her little heart to grasp.

And yet, in that God moment, heavenly Father met us both and supplied an answer He alone could have provided. (Read the full post here.)

Abba Father whispered, "It will take forever to get to know all of Me."

Remembering that day truly warms my heart.

I arrived in Manila two weeks ago, and my return flight was scheduled for this morning. Within that brief two-week stay here, I had two main items on my agenda: to spend time with my gradeschool best friend who lives in the US but was in town for the death of her father, and to be with my daughter Obedient One on her birthday.

Today would have been the perfect day to return to my home city. Tonight there is a special Christmas dinner for our Monday night Bible study group hosted by my sister in law Sue. I had also looked forward to being in three other events this week.

An unexpected situation comes up and messes with my well laid out plans. A tropical cyclone hit our islands Saturday, and is moving so slowly that it is forecast to exit our nation only by Thursday, four days from now. Right this very moment it is grinding over the Bicol region and will be making another landfall south of Manila sometime within today.

Understandably, flights to many cities are cancelled. So here I am still... 

The past days I have been pensive...  listening to worship music, to the Word of Promise audio Bible, and pleading with God to cause this powerful storm's path to re-curve, and for its strength and intensity to weaken and dissipate. He is the all powerful One, He could very easily command this storm to dissolve, and never hit our country.

We've had enough devastation from storms, and we certainly do not need another one at this point.

I recall some of the past events of my life when I had also knelt before God, asking Him to intervene... or to protect... or to provide a way out... or to heal.

Trusting in His promises... but even more than His promises... trusting in His very character.

Many thoughts have entered my heart these past days... mostly thoughts about God's character.

He is a multi-faceted God... a God of many names. 

In the 40 years that I have walked with Him, I still feel I do not know Him enough.

I want to know Him more.

In a time of utter dependence on Him, when my dear grandson was about to be born, I asked Him for mercy, compassion, and protection.

I have asked that of Him many times before. Praise God, that particular prayer was granted.

Emboldened, this weekend I have asked Him again... yes, for the protection of my family and our homes, but mostly for the sake of my land... and my fellowmen.

The super typhoon did not re-curve... but I am thankful that it did lessen in force and intensity. Nevertheless, it did, and is still doing, much damage to the areas lying in its path. But, it could have been so much worse...

So as I am praising Him, I am still praying... praying... pleading... pleading...

Now my prayer is, Please God, do not let the storm hit Metro Manila... just let it go through the bodies of water between our islands as it exits.

We feel so vulnerable and helpless in the midst of a storm... any kind of storm. Even as I write these words, there are already occasional gusts of wind blowing outside, indicating the storm is somewhere near.

The One who can calm the storm is also near, my mind knows that ... but my heart needs reassurance.

So thankful am I for Jessica King's beautiful song... the Father is speaking peace and truth to my heart: Sometimes it takes a storm, to calm the storm within.

Abba Father never leaves a prayer unanswered. Some requests are granted... and then again... there are some prayers that are not answered the way we want.

In His wisdom, He always knows what is best. In His goodness, He gives more than what is asked for. 

Again, it takes another layer of trust in God's wisdom, power, goodness. and trustworthiness.


In the events of the past days, I hear God saying,

I am Jehovah Shammah... the God who is near. You are never alone in what you are going through. You are not forgotten, you are not abandoned, you are not forsaken. I am with you... always!

I'm doing a blog series on the names of God for my third grandson, Joyful One. As he turns two months old today, I am ready to speak words of blessing to him. I call upon Jehovah Shammah, The God Who Is There... to touch this little one's life.

Joyful One, as you turn two months old this very day, my prayers for you are being offered to the God who is standing near. He is near... He is not distant. He is the God who reveals who He is to those who hunger and thirst and long to know Him more.

Below are excerpts of the conversation I had with Abba Father when I came to Him recently as my Jehovah Shammah... recorded here for your benefit, dear grandson... that someday you may read them for yourself, and know in your heart, that this heartfelt prayer for you to know God a little bit more with each passing day, has indeed become true in your own life.

Dear grandson, I pray that you will know God as your very own Jehovah Shammah.

My Abba Father,

You are Jehovah Shammah the God Who is standing near.

You are near, not distant.

You care... and your compassion is ever within my reach... 

Your comfort is real, not imagined.

You desire to be involved and included in the affairs, the events of my life.

Jehovah Shammah, You are God whose eyes are ever on me.

Your thoughts for me are always meant to promote my welfare...

You are not indifferent...

You are warm, not cold...

You want me to know that You are relevant...

You can relate to what I am going through.

You speak to my heart, not to my mind.

You feel, You hear, You see.

You stand near.

You guide, You lead, You show the way... 

the way in... the way out... the way through.

You sing to me Your songs in my night seasons,

Your love comforts and sets my heart at rest.

You reveal Yourself to me...

And the more I know You, the brighter the light that shines in the darkness.

You are multi-faceted God. 

Every attribute, every facet I know of You makes You shine brighter in my understanding

and pushes back the darkness of confusion, self-centeredness, and wrong assumptions.

You are indeed the God who's standing near.

In You I live... and have my being.

From my prayer journal, October 28, 2014, 3 a.m.

I love you, my dear Joyful One. May these words be your very own words someday.

Love always

Nana

Joyful One, at seven weeks

Where can I go from Your Spirit?

Or where can I flee from Your presence?

If I ascend into heaven, You are there.

If I take the wings of the morning,

And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

Even there Your hand shall lead me,

And Your right hand shall hold me.

If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me,"

Even the night shall be light about me;

Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You.

But the night shines as the day;

The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

- Psalm 139:7-12

A mini cake for Joyful One...

A mini cake for Joyful One, from his Aunt Obedient One...

And three special songs for Joyful One:

Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
by Walter Smith

Immortal, invisible, God only wise
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days
Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light
Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might
Thy justice like mountains high soaring above
Thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love

To all life Thou givest to both great and small
In all life Thou livest the true life of all
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree
And wither and perish, but naught changeth Thee

Great Father of Glory, pure Father of Light
Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight;
All laud we would render, O help us to see
'Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee.


Where Could I Go from Your Spirit
by Kelly Willard

Where could I go from Your Spirit
How could I hide from Your eyes
Why would I wander away from You
Knowing that You are so wise
If I take the wings of the morning
And dwell in the depths of the sea
Even the darkness hides nothing from You
And with Your hand You will lead me

For You did knit me together
Even before I was born
I will confess You and praise You
You are my wonderful Lord












First Month - If God Be For Us... Jehovah Sabaoth

In the Stillness

"In the stillness, You are there"

Taken on January 10, 2010 at The Nest

Chiang Dao, Chiang Mai, Thailand

But the LORD is in His holy temple

Let all the earth keep silence before Him.

- Habakkuk 2:20

You will not need to fight in this battle.

Position yourselves,

stand still

and see the salvation of the LORD,

who is with you,

O Judah and Jerusalem!

- 2 Chronicles 20:17

Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations;

I will be exalted in the earth!

- Psalm 46:10

As the year 2009 was coming to a close, I looked back at how the past twelve months had been.

There were many mountaintop and valley experiences, many lessons learned.

In January 2009, I was in Manila to spend the first weeks of the year seeking God's direction. His specific word to me was in Song of Songs 2:10-12

My beloved spoke, and said to me:
Rise up, my love, my fair one,
And come away.

For lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of singing has come,
And the voice of the turtledove
Is heard in our land.


The winter is past. The time of singing has come.


In December 2009, I went to Manila twice - on the first week, to be with Obedient One on her birthday, and on the last week, together with my whole family, for Worshiper's wedding.

On December 30, I boarded my dawn flight back to Bacolod. The rest of my family were booked on the late afternoon flight. I took advantage of this time to draw near to God and listen to what He wanted to speak to me.

God's clear word to me as the year ended was found in two passages:

While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. - Mark 14:3


But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. - Luke 2:19

There were things that God wanted me to offer up to Him as an act of worship. And as the year was coming to a close, I knew my life was to be as an alabaster jar, to be broken and spilled out at the feet of Jesus.

There were many opportunities for my soul to be out of peace.

But God kept pointing me back to the heart of Mary who chose to keep things to herself, and ponder them in her heart.

To draw close to Jesus, and allow Him to speak peace to my heart. Listen to Be Still My Soul by Selah


In God's scheme of things, He brought me back to northern Thailand as 2010 was just starting. This welcome and unexpected treat gave me the opportunity to be up on several mountains: Doi Suthep, Chiang Dao, Doi Ankhang, Doi Tung... God's way of bringing me up to a high spot to provide me a perspective from which to view the months ahead.


Be still, and know that I am God.


God is calling me to silence.

To discover Him in the gentle whisper, not in the earthquake, not in the storm.

But in the quiet.

And to hear His still, small voice.


He is not in the shallow and the superficial.

He is not in the spectacular, either.

I need to devote time for what has true worth and substance...to dig deeper and experience fullness.


Actually I almost missed it. As January ended, my heart was seeking God for answers.

But these past days, He did make it clear.

Cultivate a heart that is quiet before Me.

Spend time with Me often in the secret place.

Cast your net into the deep.




This was the missing piece that I was looking for!

Position yourself for the year of breakthrough. Take your position of faith.

Let your words be few. Speak My words, words of faith...redemptive words.

Expect the victory.

The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.

Such precious, re-assuring words! And God is speaking them to me at a time that I most needed to hear them!

It's all about readjusting my priorities, choosing the way of stillness, and obeying.

Not my will, but His.

I'm quite familiar with this route. I've been on this path many times before. There really are no shortcuts to a deeper faith.


Thank You, Father for the gentle reminder. I will move with confidence into the months ahead with these precious words tucked into my heart. How I am looking forward to dwell in the secret place of the Most High!



In the Secret
by Andy Park

In the secret, in the quiet place
In the stillness You are there.
In the secret, in the quiet hour I wait,
Only for You,'cause I want to know You more;

I want to know You,
I want to hear Your voice
I want to know You more.
I want to touch You,
I want to see Your face
I want to know You more.

I am reaching for the highest goal,
That I might receive the prize.
Pressing onward, pushing every hindrance aside,
Out of my way, 'cause I want to know you more

I want to know You,
I want to hear Your voice
I want to know You more.
I want to touch You,
I want to see Your face
I want to know You more.

I want to know You,
I want to hear Your voice
I want to know You more.
I want to touch You,
I want to see Your face
I want to know You more.

In the secret, in the quiet place
In the stillness You are there

Then Sings My Soul Saturday

"A turtledove"

Taken from my bedroom window at Ut and Oy's house
January 11, 2010, Chiang Mai, Thailand

The time of singing has come,
And the voice of the turtledove
Is heard in our land.

Like the Spring Rain...

Spring Rain

So let us know,
let us press on to know the LORD.
His going forth is as certain as the dawn;
And He will come to us like the rain,
Like the spring rain watering the earth.

- Hosea 6:3




Ask rain from the LORD
in the season of the spring rain,
from the LORD who makes the storm clouds,
and he will give them showers of rain,
to everyone the vegetation in the field.

- Zechariah 10:1




And it shall be said,
"Build up, build up, prepare the way,
remove every obstruction from my people’s way."

For thus says the One who is high and lifted up,
who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:

"I dwell in the high and holy place,
and also with him
who is of a contrite and lowly spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly,
and to revive the heart of the contrite..."

- Isaiah 57:14-15

You do not delight in sacrifice,
or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.

- Psalm 51:16-17

For I desire mercy and not sacrifice,
And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

- Hosea 6:6

It has been very dry here the past weeks. In the previous years, the months of December to February would be cool and misty, even slightly rainy. But these weeks, there has been no rain at all.

A water conservation alert is being circulated; we are being asked to use water wisely.

In the midst of this dry spell, thoughts of heaven and true worship have remained on my heart.

Last Sunday our guest speaker Ray-an Fuentes, a Filipino performing artist who ministers through music and anointed teaching, spoke words that cut through our hearts.

In May this year, we Filipinos will be choosing the next president of our republic. A nation of about 90 million, our country is plagued by corruption and poverty, among many other things.


Ray-an spoke on this passage from 2 Chronicles 7:13-14

When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain,

or command locusts to devour the land

or send a plague among my people;

if my people, who are called by My name,

will humble themselves

and pray

and seek My face

and turn from their wicked ways,

then will I hear from heaven

and will forgive their sin

and will heal their land.

The physical circumstances we find ourselves in often have a direct connection to our spiritual conditions.

First the natural, then the supernatural.

To us, the people called by His name, God's name, have been given the mandate to perform certain spiritual requirements before God hears from heaven, forgives our sin, and heals our land.

Much as we look to our government leaders to work towards the solution of our nation's ills, the Bible states it clearly: the healing of the land depends on the Christians, the people called by His name.




Not only are our regions facing the prospect of a literal drought in the coming months, I believe we are also in a season of spiritual dryness...

threatened by spiritual locusts...

and a spiritual plague of blindness, apathy, and wrong focus.

It has been said that any chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

The same might be said of society. Being made up of families, the society in which we live is only as strong as its weakest family.

I realize that the analogy can't be completely correct.

Nevertheless, lately I've been aware of my heart's deep desire to lead my own family in the paths of righteousness. To make sure that at least I do my homework in this department - standing guard so that my family will not suffer from spiritual dryness, that there will be no access points for spiritual locusts to enter and eat up our spiritual gains, and that no spiritual plague comes near our tent.

We truly are three families now - each of my two married sons now head one small family unit, leaving me and my daughter as the remaining members of the original nuclear family.

Understandably I could never impose my own spiritual standards on any of them! Much as I want them to have a heart like mine for worship, for intimacy, for intercession, for seeking kingdom secrets by drawing close to God, putting Him first on the list of their daily priorities, it is not my position to legislate any of these things in their lives.

When the children were growing up, many valuable seeds were already planted in them.

Today each one of them, together with their spouses, is in varying stages of spiritual maturity, with their own sets of experiences, spiritual perspectives, and personal goals.

The most I can do is to be a model, to be around when needed, providing encouragement, and faithfully praying for them. May each son and daughter desire to truly go deep, growing closer to God, and taking the corresponding action in that direction.


Tozer is right, "You are as holy as you want to be."


The end of year 2009 saw me pondering these things in my heart. A string of events as the year came to a close led me to seek God's face and draw very near to Him.

Indeed, the best thing I can do is to have a heart like Mary, observing, taking note, and treasuring in my heart all the things that my spiritual eyes can see.

There is a vigilance required of me these days. God has spoken this direct word to me before, "Contend for the destiny of your family."

It is in this sense that I believe any nation is as strong as its most faithful prayer warrior and intercessor.

The words of Jesus have to be held on to as being true and powerful: Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them.

The enemy would love to have us believe that our nation is going down the drain, and that our prayers are not availing much, or not powerful enough. But my faith never wavers in this area. God sees my heart and hears my prayers.

The enemy should never be given the opportunity to discourage or dishearten us.

This is the year of breakthrough...there are many answers to prayer coming our way! God would still have us view the past, current and future events of our lives from the perspective of heaven!

Yes, I desire to be vigilant. And yes, I know that as the doorkeeper, I must know how to contend for the eternal destiny of my loved ones.

But God reminds me that He desires mercy, not sacrifice. Whatever spiritual investments I make must never be done in a religious, self-righteous way. Done in the wrong spirit, they will only end up becoming a heavy burden to carry.

Jesus says, "My yoke is easy and my burden is light."


Yesterday in church I was misty-eyed as we sang the song that never fails to stir my heart each time I hear it...

You are forever in my heart...
You see me through the seasons...
Cover me with Your hand
And lead me in Your righteousness...
I look to You, I wait on You...

I'm carried in everlasting arms
You never let me go
Through it all


God has remained faithful to me through all the seasons of my life.

The weight of my family's, as well as the nation's, spiritual responsibilities on my shoulder would be too heavy for me to carry.

God has called me to be an intercessor, the one who will stand in the gap. He has not assigned me to be the redeemer!

Don't carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, Lidj. This is what my husband Ernie would often tell me when he was still here on earth. Ernie would always be my balancer, my neutralizer. He had such a joyful and light-hearted way of looking at life.

Sometimes I can be like Chicken Little.

But God reminds me of His faithfulness. Once again, He says, It's not about you...it's all about Me!

Hearing this takes a big load off my chest!

I have been turning to God's word more and more these days.

How refreshing His words have been...as I've been drinking them in like a thirsty wayfarer in the desert.

His words speak so clearly!

Just press on to know Me, and I will come to you as the spring rains.

Yes, ask Me for rain...and I will send it.

Humble yourself. Just admit your need of Me.

Pray.

Seek my face.

Turn from your wicked ways.

For I am an approachable God. I dwell in contrite hearts.

And I desire mercy, not sacrifice.

The sacrifice that is acceptable to Me is a humble heart. A broken and contrite heart I will not despise...

Francis Frangipane once said that humility starts when we admit our need before Him.

So, as this day ends, I gladly run to my Father and pour my heart out to Him, drawing near, lifting up to Him my family, and my nation...

Thankful for another opportunity to worship Him...in spirit and in truth.

Letting His word speak to me, even in the historical circumstances that my nation is in right now.

I cannot remove my self from the context of my nation's history, but God is fully capable of being God over my life, my family, my country!

And as I draw close to Him, I can hear the sound of rain!

Embracing worship as a lifestyle does bring us under the rain of His presence and favor...and these days I am re-discovering the joys of worship.

It is a progressive experience of learning, unlearning, re-learning.

It is not an escape mechanism as some think; I believe it is one real way of escape provided by the Father from the traps that the enemy puts before us.

Drawing near in worship opens our eyes to see things from the Father's point of view. There is always hope, there is always a sense of good things happening!



Lindell Cooley is one of my favorite singers. He has written many songs that are truly relevant to the times and the seasons that we find ourselves in. I share here one of his songs, It's Time.

Listen to it and be moved by his passion!

it's time
time for the dead and gone
time for the broken ones
to live again

it's time
time for the dead to rise
time for the wings to fly
to live again

Chorus
i can hear the calling
i can hear the sound of rain
over the mountains and over the valleys
i hear the calling, it's time

it's time
it's time for the dead to sing
it's time for the walls to ring
the songs of freedom

it's time
it's time for the numb to feel
it's time for the wounds to heal
with songs of freedom

it's time for the tide to turn
it's time for our hearts to burn
with the desperation

it's time
it's time for a sacrifice
it's time that we pay the price
for our generation

i can hear the calling
i can hear the sound of rain
over the mountains and over the valleys
i hear the calling, it's time



it's time for the dead to rise
it's time for the wings to fly...

it's time for the numb to feel
it's time for the wounds to heal...

it's time that we pay the price
it's time for the sacrifice...

over the cities and over the nations
i hear the calling, it's time

it's time for the children to return home
it's time for the prodigals to come back...

it's time to break down the walls
it's time to see them all fall down...

i hear the calling, it's time

In Christ Alone

Japanese tea plant about to burst into full bloom in my garden

Awake o north wind,
And come, O south!
Blow upon my garden,
That its spices may flow out.
Let my beloved come to his garden
And eat its pleasant fruits.

- Song of Solomon 4:16

This post is a tribute to the One who wrote the story of my life.

It's a lovely Saturday morning and all is quiet on the home front. I'm alone here with my two dogs.

I woke up this morning with intense feelings of love, appreciation, thankfulness to God, my Father.


Since I got back to my hometown last Monday, I've been busy looking after my garden.

Watering it well has been my main priority. It hasn't rained in months and the water pressure has been ridiculously low. Our electric water pump still has to be repaired.

The only way we get water these days is to wait for water to flow at 4 a.m. On good days, there is water in our faucets for at least an hour, on bad days, there is none at all.

Of course we can always use our good, ever reliable old-fashioned hand pump. Thanks to this 25-year old contraption, I have been able to water my garden, one bucket-ful of water at a time.

It is hard work, but I don't mind. The reward is well worth the effort!

Pruning the overgrown bushes have also kept me occupied for a while.

The other day I harvested a large amount of compost soil from all the yard waste, vegetables and fruits that I have kept in my compost bin these past months. I'm in the process of drying, and blending this with other organic materials to come up with a nutritious mix for my garden.

My heart is a garden.

How I continually desire to cultivate it, make the ground soft and ready for God to plant, transplant, re-plant whatever it is He thinks will make my heart more beautiful.


The truth is that He is the Gardener. He waters. He tills and cultivates. He prunes. He sends the right condition for the plants to grow.

What amazes me is the realization that all I can do is say Yes to what He wants to do. Not to resist, but just to go along, to "flow" with His plans for this garden.

These past days God has been speaking to me through two very special passages in the Bible.

One is from Psalm 46 - "Be still and know that I am God."

The other is from John 15 -

I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit,
while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes
so that it will be even more fruitful...

I am the vine; you are the branches.
If a man remains in me and I in him,
he will bear much fruit;
apart from me you can do nothing.

Of course, what God has been speaking to me doesn't come by chance, or coincidence.

My daily life is a two way conversation with God, and He speaks to me according to what He sees happening in my life. These verses bring so much comfort to me because they are so appropriate to the issues that I am dealing with these days!

To be still.

To abide, to remain connected to Him.

And when I woke up, my whole being wanted to burst into song, to praise Him for being a God that is so real. He never withholds His love.

The only reason that I sometimes do not feel Him near is because I have lost my focus,

or have been paying attention to the wrong things,

or grieved His heart by nurturing an offense in my heart. I have seen how nurturing an offended spirit really builds a wall around my heart, and keeps God away!


This morning as I awoke, the words of Paul in Philippians 3:7-9 were ringing in my ears.

But whatever was to my profit
I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.

What is more, I consider everything a loss
compared to the surpassing greatness
of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord,
for whose sake I have lost all things.
I consider them rubbish,
that I may gain Christ and be found in him,
not having a righteousness of my own
that comes from the law,
but that which is through faith in Christ—
the righteousness that comes from God
and is by faith.

I want to know Christ
and the power of his resurrection
and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings,
becoming like him in his death...

When my earthly life is over, this is what I want to be remembered by: I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

Yes, this is where I am now.

I consider all things, what I have accomplished, what I have reached, what I have become...things that are precious to me in this world... everything I am and have... I consider them nothing compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ my Lord.

He is my main priority.

My life is not about me. It is all about Him.

I am stating it here quite clearly: I am unashamedly Christian. I am not defensive or apologetic about being one.

And I certainly do not want to be a half-baked one... I want to be a Christian all the way down to the core. My daily aim and goal is to become more and more like Jesus with each passing day.

I desire to be a faithful ambassador for God's kingdom -- that through my life, my words, my daily choices, I will reflect the heart of my God, my King to this world that He has created and sent His Son Jesus to die for.


There is nothing like being on a beautiful journey of knowing God more and more, developing a deeper relationship with Him, growing in intimacy.

My garden, small as it is, gives me so much joy. After all the work that I have done, all the investment of myself into it, at evening time, as I sip my cup of tea or coffee, being in my garden gives me much joy.

Some people have great gardens -- manicured lawns, with exotic palm trees.

Mine is a simple garden, but because it is mine, and it represents my hard work, it gives me much pleasure.

The same is true of my Father, the Vinedresser, or the Husbandman, which is an Old English term for "gardener."

I want my heart, His garden, to give Him pleasure when He looks at it. I desire to be blooming, and giving off a lovely scent, being beautiful for Him.

In a blog post I read this morning, Debby of Heavenly Humor shared a Scripture verse that has been speaking to her lately: "For I desire mercy, not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings" (Hosea 6:6).

This amazes me, too, because these past days, God has been speaking to me powerfully through my blog friends!

That Hosea 6:6 passage has spoken to me many times in the past, and today it reminds me again that God is looking for obedience, not legalism.

It is the whole grace versus law thing...what Paul speaks of in the passage I quoted above - that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.



Two other blogs have spoken to me these days:

Katie of Hope Is Calling and Jackie of Fresh Oil Today.

Jackie has posted a lovely song entitled Be Still and Know. It is such a heart-stirring song, one I have never heard before. I listened to it many times this morning. Please do click on the title and listen to the song on YouTube. It is worth five minutes of your time.

Thank you Katie, and Jackie, and Debby. God has used you to speak to my heart these past days. I thank God for the divine connection from your hearts to mine!


Below are two other songs that my heart has been singing this morning. In Christ Alone is the testimony of my life put to music. When I'm With You speaks of how my heart truly feels...I was created to worship God!

I want to share them here, for the benefit of anyone whom God may want to touch through these songs today.

May God continually be honored in all that we think, say, and do. David the Psalmist was so right when he wrote these words:

May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
- Psalm 19:14

In Christ Alone
by Brian Littrell

In Christ alone will I glory
Though I could pride myself in battles won
For I've been blessed beyond measure
And by His strength alone I'll overcome
Oh I could stop and count successes
Like diamonds in my hands
But those trophies could not equal
To the grace by which I stand

In Christ alone
I place my trust
And find my glory in the power of the cross
In every victory
Let it be said of me
My source of strength
My source of hope
Is Christ alone

In Christ alone do I glory
For only by His grace I am redeemed
For only His tender mercy
Could reach beyond my weakness
To my need
And now I seek no greater honor
Than just to know Him more
And to count my gains but losses
To the glory of my Lord

In Christ alone
I place my trust
And find my glory in the power of the cross
In every victory
Let it be said of me
My source of strength
My source of hope
Is Christ alone

When I'm With You

by Klaus Kuehn

I was made for loving You
I was made to worship
I was made to give You praise
All of my days, oh Lord
My all is for You

Cause when I'm with You
My heart is satisfied
And when I'm with You
My spirit can fly
When I'm with You
All the cares of my life
They just fade away
'til all I want, 'til all I see
Is You

Related post, taken from my Chiang Mai Diary:

All I Want Is You

On Eagles' Wings

Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob,
and tell the children of Israel:
'You have seen what I did to the Egyptians,
and how I bore you on eagles' wings
and brought you to Myself.'

- Exodus 19:3

It was September 3, my second day in Baguio City. I woke up early, ready to meet with God in this beautiful place.

It was a chilly morning!

As eight of us gathered in the living room, we all felt the gentle presence of the Holy Spirit.

It was a presence so sweet, so unobtrusive, so quiet.

So freeing, so welcoming!

Somehow you feel warm inside, like being wrapped in the arms of Someone Who loves you unconditionally... just as you are...without any demands.

I felt I was loved for who I was...

This world's love isn't like that at all!

--0--

Macky started strumming his guitar, as he waited for the Lord to reveal the songs that were on His heart.

The Exodus 19 passage came up so gently on my heart...

What a beautiful morning of encountering the gentle presence of God!


This is what I sensed God saying to me as I meditated on the passage:

You have saddled yourself with many do's and don'ts.
You have been weighed down,
you feel you have not been good enough.
You feel you have not measured up.
You feel you have been rejected.
Listen closely. That's not My voice.
That's not My heart for you.
I have borne you on eagles' wings
and brought you to Myself.
Carefully...I have placed you on eagles' wings.
Gently...tenderly... so you won't fall.
I'm lifting off the many weights and burdens
you're thinking of.
You are on eagles' wings--above the earth.
I want you to see the perspective--from the heights.
From My perspective, see your life,
your circumstances.
Then you will see how the enemy has lied to you.
And you will see what I want you to see.
BELIEVE...and live accordingly.

The message spoke so much hope and freedom to my heart.

One of the songs that ministered to our hearts that morning was the song "Still."

Hide me now
Under Your wings
Cover me
Within Your mighty hand

When the oceans rise and thunders roar
I will soar with You above the storm
Father you are king over the flood
I will be still
Know You are God.

Find rest my soul
In Christ alone
Know His power
In quietness and trust

When the oceans rise and thunders roar
I will soar with You above the storm
Father you are king over the flood
I will be still
Know You are God.





Below are some pictures that I took on my second day in Baguio.

I went out for a walk early Thursday morning and took these shots.

Camp John Hay Clubhouse

When I got back inside the cottage, I noticed this wall decor near the fireplace

Finding a comfortable spot... just before we began our devotional time

About to eat breakfast!
Left to Right: Rosemarie, Mary, Karel, Tina, Macky, Merlyn and Donna

This is a favorite Filipino breakfast fare: Champorado, which is special "sticky" rice boiled with native chocolate

Shredded tuyo (dried salted fish, fried then shredded into flakes)

A bowl of champorado with fresh coconut milk (to make coconut milk, you grate the coconut, put the grated coconut in a clean cotton cloth, squeeze the cloth to extract the coconut milk). This is so yummy! Cow's or goat's milk can also be used instead of coconut milk.

A delicacy called patupat. This is sticky rice placed inside small baskets made of coconut palm fronds, then cooked in a pot of boiling sugar cane juice.

This is how a patupat looks inside, cut up in bite sized portions.

Fresh asters inside our cottage

Sharing time after breakfast - that's Rosemarie on the sofa. I loved the multicolored lamps!

In the afternoon, I went out for a walk again. Here are more pictures that I took.

Close up photo of a tiny weed

More flowers!

Dearest Father,

Truly You see my the circumstances of my life from Your perspective. You invite me to look at my life journey from the standpoint of heaven. You want me to see it through Your eyes of love.


Your love doesn't impose demands. Your grace abounds in my life!

You do not expect anything in return. You free me to be me, therefore I am not weighed down by guilt because You love without any strings attached. Your love woos me to love You back.

You willingly wait, like the prodigal father... waiting for his two lost sons to come home.

And when I do return, You welcome me with open arms, no conditions, no questions asked.

Thank you for drawing me close once again.
You want me to also look at the journey of my loved ones that way.

Loving them the way you love them. Believing in the work that You are doing in them, instead of focusing on their imperfections and weaknesses.

Waiting, believing, hoping...setting them free!

To everything there is a time, and a season!