Love Someone

"Naked" Wedding Cake

(There was hardly any icing or frosting on it.)

Love is a funny thing

Whenever I give it

It comes back to me

And it's wonderful to be

Giving with my whole heart

As my heart receives your love

- Jason Mraz

(Love Someone)

A wedding is always special.

And a bride is always beautiful.

That's because a wedding is God's picture of His deep love for His creation, and in heaven, the first thing that will be waiting for everyone who goes there is a wedding banquet -- the marriage supper of the Lamb and His Bride, the Church. 

It will be an extravagant, magnificent love feast celebrating the love between The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel and His covenant people.

And heaven is truly the Land of Forevermore, because there, the Bride and the Groom will really live happily ever after.

This is not to be interpreted in human, romantic terms, or we will fail to understand the pure,  eternal, and beautiful implications behind it. Rather, it is a deeply spiritual truth... and of course, something not easily grasped or understood by the finite mind, because spiritual things are spiritually discerned.

And in these last days, many Kingdom Truths are being revealed, as there is a deepening spiritual hunger for heavenly realities. Abba Father is pouring wisdom into hearts that are seeking to truly know Him.

He who has ears to hear let him hear what the Spirit is saying...

(Read more: The Marriage Supper of the Lamb)

Joey and Sitti were wed in Baguio City yesterday.

Oh, there is so much more that I could say about this wedding. 

But I won't.

Instead I will just let the photos speak for themselves. Because it was raining, I wasn't able to take as many pictures as I wanted... but that is not really a problem. I am sure there will be tons of photos of this wedding on the internet as the weeks go by.

All I want to say is that it was... well, beautiful!

The sunrise I woke up to at 5:30 a.m. just spoke a deep message to my heart. I offered a prayer for my friend Jing, and her whole family, for the ceremony, for Sitti and her family, that God will touch their lives with His loving presence.

And I asked for God to favor us with the kind of weather we had all been asking for -- no rain.

And indeed, there was no rain, up to 2:59 p.m.

At 3 o'clock in the afternoon, just when the guests and the bridal entourage, all elegantly dressed in relaxed formals, were heading toward the golf course, in a lovely corner of the Baguio Country Club grounds surrounded by majestic pine trees, it began to drizzle.

The nice thing about it was that Jing had prepared 200 white umbrellas... "just in case."

The gentle drizzle fell... let up a few times... then fell some more.

But the rains did not get in the way of the wedding. 

No, the rain drops could not dampen everyone's spirits who had gathered in this mountain city for this very purpose: to witness the wedding of Joey and Sitti.

Sitti arrived on the golf course riding a golf car... and she walked toward her waiting groom, oblivious to the gently falling rain... while Gary Valenciano sang the song Love Someone by Jason Mraz.

It was a truly fitting song, though this is my first time to hear it.

(Posted below is the official music video for this song, as well as the lyrics.)

I have to be honest... I have been to many weddings but this is the first wedding I attended that had everyone cheering, clapping, and just being an interactive part of everything that was going on.

There was so much love in the air.

It was star-studded, and Sitti is herself a celebrity, being the Bossa Nova Queen of the Philippines, and the music was provided by her company's jazz band... but the wedding was not a show or a performance.

We all loved Sitti for being so humble, and human, and down-to-earth real.

The evening mountain air was chilly, but I can say that we all felt warm and comfortable, enjoying every moment.

I could almost picture God smiling... and also enjoying Himself. He once again delighted His children with His unexpected surprise gifts... way beyond what we had asked for or imagined.

Everything turned out to be picture perfect, despite the rains. The white umbrellas made everything look so beautiful.

Without the white umbrellas, it would have been just another Baguio Country Club golf course wedding. But more than that, the umbrellas over our heads also became so symbolic of the protective covering of the Holy Spirit over this wedding.

And the naked cake, which as its name implies, had almost no icing on it, has a beautiful meaning as well: This wedding, no matter how grand everything may have begun... is a no-frills marriage. This is a marriage dependent on the provision and protection of God to keep it going.

We all know very well that the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

In the same way, the proof of the marriage is in how it grows, deepens, and eventually ends.

Joey and Sitti... 

I am praying for you and your love - 

that it will give joy and healing to your hearts, 

and glory to our Father in heaven... 

In good times and bad times, may it always be a shining testimony of God's redemptive love... 

Well, after that prayer, I won't say anything more.

Here are the photos. I did "grab" a few from Facebook, but most of these photos were taken by my camera. Some of them are really special shots. I'm so amazed at how they turned out!

For a more dramatic effect, click on Forevermore video then
slowly scroll down to view the pics while music plays:

Joey and Sitti's Wedding... In Photos

Dateline: BAGUIO CITY, May 29, 2015

Sunrise over Baguio City
May 29, 2015, 5:35 a.m.
taken from my balcony, Baguio Country Club

photo courtesy of Atoy Yulo

Gary Valenciano sings Love Someone

Photo courtesy of Jonas Sason

soothing music by harp and violin ensemble

Martin Nievera sings Forevermore

First Dance for the newlyweds while Martin sings

A group hug after Martin's song, as guests cheer and clap

Love Someone

- Jason Mraz

Love is a funny thing

Whenever I give it

It comes back to me

And it's wonderful to be

Giving with my whole heart

As my heart receives your love

Oh, ain't it nice tonight we've got each other

And I am right beside you

More than just a partner or a lover

I'm your friend

When you love someone

Your heartbeat beats so loud

When you love someone

Your feet can't feel the ground

Shining stars all seem

To congregate around your face

When you love someone

It comes back to you

And love is a funny thing

It's making my blood flow with energy

And it's like an awakened dream

As what I've been wishing for is happening

And it's right on time

Oh, ain't it nice tonight we've got each other

And I am right beside you

More than just a partner or a lover

I'm your friend

When you love someone

Your heartbeat beats so loud

When you love someone

Your feet can't feel the ground

Shining stars all seem

To congregate around your face

When you love someone

When you love someone

We're gonna give ourselves to love tonight

Lifting up to touch the starlight

And we will savor every second

We suspend together

You and I will

You and I will

You and I will

When you love someone

Your heartbeat beats so loud

When you love someone

Your feet can't feel the ground

Shining stars all seem

To congregate around your face

When you love someone

It comes back to you

Sitti and Joey Sing at Their Wedding

by Jason Magbanua

Chiang Mai on My Mind

I took this photo of a lovely pink chrysanthemum on Doi Suthep,

a very memorable place in Chiang Mai for me.
May 19, 2015

In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me

there lay an invincible summer.

- Albert Camus

Seven years ago, I had absolutely no idea that there was such a place as Chiang Mai. If anyone mentioned Thailand to me, I knew next to nothing about it, except that its capital was Bangkok, and that Phuket was one of its tourist destinations.

In 2007, my husband Ernie was given a special assignment by the West Negros University, and that was to go to Chiang Mai for a year to do the groundwork for Maejo University's International MBA program, upon the invitation of President Dr. Thep Phongparnich.

Ernie accepted the assignment and arrived in Chiang Mai, Thailand in August of that year; I followed him a month later.

It was a new place, with people of a different culture and language, and we didn't really know what to expect. All we were sure of was that it was an assignment from heaven. Our hearts were open and ready for anything.

Within the first few months we had somehow adjusted to the new environment. English was not widely spoken, but because we were in an academic community, we managed fairly well.

Chiang Mai, called "the rose of the North," certainly deserved its name. We considered being there a privilege, a unique learning experience for both of us, and we were grateful for the many realizations. (Read more about this in my March 9, 2008 blog entry entitled Homesick.)

Thirteen months later, in September 2008, Ernie's work contract came to an end. Dr. Thep invited him to continue on for another year, but feeling the need for us to return to our homeland, Ernie declined the offer. 

I, however, left Chiang Mai with mixed emotions, for the truth is that in just twelve months, I had so fallen in love with the place, and the people.

Especially the people.

Read Farewell, Chiang Mai September 28, 2008

So, what do I love about Chiang Mai?

I love the beauty...

the sense of abundance...

the generosity, the kindness, and the gentleness of the Thai friends we have made in the short period that Ernie and I lived there.

But there is another reason why I so love Chiang Mai.

Six weeks after Ernie and I arrived back in the Philippines, I woke up early one morning, rushed Ernie to the Emergency Room, and two hours later, I had become a widow.

No words suffice to describe the pain and the loneliness, a wound so deep no human being could medicate...

the deafening silence...

For months, there was nothing but numbness in my heart.

This was not part of our plans. Ernie would retire. We would enjoy our grandchildren. We would spend the rest of our lives together.

And I certainly wasn't prepared for this. After all, how does one prepare for widowhood?


But over time, healing did come. Gradually, I got used to my new normal.

And today, seven years later, I must wholeheartedly agree that God's ways are not our ways, God's thoughts are not our thoughts.

He alone knows best.

He is indeed too wise to be mistaken... too good to be unkind.

Back then, I could not see His plan... so what choice did I have but to trust His hand?

Nevertheless, I did not turn my back on the grief.  Nor did it become the center of my focus.

Rather, I faced it head on and carried it with dignity and grace.

Shall I receive only joy, and not sorrow?

Here was yet another opportunity to trust God... and to find hope.


One morning I realized... the song was back.

Photo taken by Ut

Truth is, all this time I never walked alone.

God's heart is unfathomable, and until we see Him face to face, we can only see or understand in part. Yet I am grateful for the glimpse I have been given of His beautiful plan.

One of the reasons Chiang Mai is so special to me is that it was the place where Ernie and I spent the last year of his life together.

Little did I know, when we were packing up our things and preparing to leave the comforts of our own home to live in another country, that it would be our last twelve months together. 

But God knew.

And He wanted it to be a special year, in a special place, with special people.

God gave me the best gift, that's for sure.

That is the reason I love Chiang Mai so much: it was a special part of a beautiful plan. 

In January 2010, I received an invitation from my Thai friends Teerapong and Angkab to visit Chiang Mai. At first I was reluctant to go. My heart had not yet healed from the deep wound of losing a loved one. I didn't think I was ready to visit the place that held so many precious memories about Ernie.

On the other hand, a part of me wanted to go back, and to bring things to a closure. 

I decided to be brave.

On January 2010, I went back to Chiang Mai, calling it my Sentimental Journey.

We all have stories to tell. Sometimes, a kind soul is willing to listen to our stories. But eventually, they will get tired. Maybe they will listen, but only up to a certain point.

But there is Someone who is genuinely interested in listening to our stories... that Someone is the One writing the story.

I realized that during the year Ernie and I spent in Chiang Mai from 2007 to 2008, God was writing a very beautiful ending to Ernie's life story.

What touches me deeply as I look back, is that in His compassion and wisdom, God chose Chiang Mai as the setting for the final chapters of Ernie's life.

Isn't that such an awesome thing?

During my flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai on January 7, 2010, I was busy writing in my journal my memories of Ernie's final year. What a precious time it was, to let my thoughts come rushing in, like cleansing waters washing over my soul.

Read Sentimental Journey, January 7, 2010

That journey back to Chiang Mai had a crucial part to play in my grieving process. I re-traced the steps I had taken, visiting the places that meant so much to Ernie and me.

Seeing those places again brought back beautiful memories with a tinge of pain.

But in doing so, a layer of healing took place.

Rebecca King, a dear blog friend, wrote me these beautiful words:

"Sometimes the journey back carries with it the journey out as well. Our willingness to face our past - both its joy and sorrow - becomes our freedom, wings to the new day."

Rebecca called it my double-edged adventure.

Rebecca's words were so true. That journey back did become my journey out... and gave me my wings back to the new day of freedom.

God gave me an amazing dream during that first journey back to Chiang Mai. I vaguely recall the details of the dream, but when I re-read the account as recorded on my blog, even I am amazed at how much my heavenly Father loved me to speak so tenderly to me through that dream.

Read Jewels On My Crown, January 9, 2010

It was not only a sentimental journey, it was also very much a healing journey for me.

The following year, 2011, in January, my friends invited me to visit Chiang Mai again. My daughter Obedient One came with me. 

It was a beautiful time with beautiful friends. Again, another layer of God's healing balm was applied to my soul. God is certainly wise in choosing the right time, the right people, and the right place, to accomplish His purposes.

Read The Inadequacy of Words, January 16, 2011


Chiang Mai was not only the setting for the final chapter of Ernie's life. It is also the place God chose to bring about my healing.

Four years have passed since I last visited Chiang Mai. Ut and Oy would have wanted for me to visit them every year, but it was not possible.

In January this year our family was awaiting the birth of my fourth grandchild. It was not the right time for me to go to Thailand.

But a few months later God opened a window of opportunity to visit my friends again. What an unexpected surprise it was for me when our plans materialized, and I found myself traveling back to Chiang Mai just over a week ago.

I believe God has a timely message for me when He allowed me to visit Chiang Mai this year, not in winter, but in the summer.

Photo taken by Ut

The past months I have been experiencing a kind of spiritual dryness. Maybe lethargy is the better word.

Hungering for the sweetness of God's presence, thirsting for the rains of heaven to fall on me.

A deep longing in my heart for more of God.

I know Abba Father hears my unspoken prayers. 

The visit to Chiang Mai has once again convinced me of my Father's love and care. My friends Ut and Oy went out of their way to be gracious to me and my daughter... Their kindness to us has filled my heart with gladness and appreciation...

I was in Chiang Mai for a full 8 days. What I realized during this trip is that there was no more sadness in my heart. 

In my heart is a special place reserved for Ernie alone, and I will always miss my husband. But I have come to terms with my loss, and I am just looking forward to living the rest of my days in full anticipation of what lies ahead.

It felt so good to be given another opportunity to look back at the past... and be at peace.

My heart overflows with hope!

Photo taken by Ut

I just love this quote above from Albert Camus: In the depth of winter I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.

The next line of that quote explains it beautifully: ... no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me there is something stronger--something better, pushing right back.

The idea of having an invincible summer inside of me pushing right back at whatever this world throws at me is such a powerful picture of God's enabling grace.

Grace is often thought of as gentle... but I also think of the grace of God as having great strength and power.

I want to be all that God wants me to be... and many times, that requires of me a willingness to fight back against mediocrity, against worldliness.

While the rest of the world buys the devil's lies to settle for something way below the greatness they were created for, I choose to go against the flow. No, I do not want to live my life that way.

This year's trip to Chiang Mai has indeed convinced me of many things: 

That life can be simple, yet profound and beautiful and meaningful.

That kindness can be given without expecting anything in return.

That generosity can be its own reward.

That there are people who can accept me as I am, without the cover up of make up, or fancy clothes.

That I can let my raw inner beauty, together with my imperfections, shine through, and still be appreciated.

That sometimes, we need to be willing to receive love from others, in the way they are best able to express it.


Many more thoughts come rushing to the surface even as I write these words.

Father God is showing me the beauty of a life that is uncluttered and unfettered.

I hear Him whisper, Daughter, watch how I do it... learn the unforced rhythms of grace.

And how right He is! My heart rebels against materialism of any form.

For many years now, living as a widow, I have learned that money in my bank account is not the main consideration for my choices.

Fear of lack is not a factor I contend with.

In the autumn of my life, at 62, I have learned the difference between spending and investing.

Many times the money I spend for something is not really an expense, but an investment.

The same is true for time... or the giving of oneself.

My decision to go to Thailand was made for one main reason... I wanted to invest in time with my dear friends. To re-connect with them. To give of myself to deepen the friendship.

My friends also gave much of themselves. 

We are on the same page... we understand that our friendship is worth investing in.


Money is not the currency of heaven, but love... joy... peace.

Of course, I learned this lesson first hand from my own earthly father, the first person I know who gave of himself without expecting in return.

He did not allow his wallet to dictate what he could do, or not do, for others.

My father had such a refreshing, gracious air of freedom about him.

And in God's act of goodness to me, He gave me another man who had the same philosophy in life as my own father. My husband Ernie gave of himself without expecting to be praised, appreciated, or paid back.

My heart bleeds and breaks when people do kind things for me, and then they make sure I never forget. 

Not God.

God demonstrates His own love for us in that while we were yet sinners His own Son Jesus Christ died for us.

I am so grateful to Abba Father that He continually gives my heart refreshing waters to keep it soft and vulnerable. Reminding me that I was designed to live my life as a free man... not as a slave.


Indeed, this month of May has been such a beautiful one for me. And it's not even over yet. Beautiful things are in store.

There are many wonderful photos of my recent trip to Thailand and I will be posting them in another entry.

For now, I just want to use words to paint a beautiful picture of what God is doing deep inside of me.

Blessed are those who mourn

for they will be comforted.

- Matthew 5:4

... a Defender of widows

is God in His holy habitation.

- Psalm 68:5

Aside from what I have written, the song below probably best expresses it.

The Shield of Favor

And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing;

and I will cause the shower to come down in his season;

there shall be showers of blessing.

And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit,

and the earth shall yield her increase,

and they shall be safe in their land,

and shall know that I am the Lord,

when I have broken the bands of their yoke,

and delivered them out of the hand of those

that served themselves of them.

- Ezekiel 34:26,27


Ask the Lord for rain in the spring,
for He makes the storm clouds.
And He will send showers of rain
so every field becomes a lush pasture.
- Zechariah 10:1




For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield.
- Psalm 5:12

In my end of April blog post entitled In A Dry and Weary Land, I wrote of how dry and hot the past weeks had been. In fact, on the very last day of the month, the temps registered a sweltering 39 degrees on the Celsius scale. 

Lying very close to the equator, our country doesn't experience the four seasons of winter, spring, summer, and fall. What we have is like a perpetual summer, with some rainy months thrown in, and a cooler, pleasant season from December to February, the season of the trade winds, when gentle breezes blow in from the northeast.

On the very first day of May, shortly after lunch, a heavy downpour fell over our city for nearly two hours. I could almost hear the ground sizzling with the first few drops of rain. But as the rain continued, there was the sound of laughter from children in the streets, dancing under the pouring rain. 

The heat had been so oppressive, but with that heavy downpour, I felt the heaviness in the atmosphere lifting.

The rain showers couldn't have come at a better time. Farmers in our province had been praying for rain to save their crops. Just a two-hour downpour immediately changed the spiritual climate all around us.

I thanked God for the spiritual rains that drenched the dry ground of my heart that day, a physical manifestation of divine favor.

Graham Cooke, one of my favorite prophetic teachers, talks about favor as a lifestyle. It is living with a consciousness of divine advantage. God's favor is intended to make His children experience the reality of His goodness.

Living favor minded. That is how I want to live - living with an awareness of good things coming my way.

Not in a demanding way... but knowing in my heart of hearts that my God is on my side... He is for me, not against me.

It is so easy to fall back into the rut of self focus. A subtle, unspoken demand that people, and life, in general, live up to my expectations. Or that I be always on the receiving end of so-called "favor."

But for the favor cycle to work, favor has to first be given away. 

It is so easy to lose sight of this; because of the fall, there is a natural bent in us to be self-centered.

One has to constantly make the choice to die to self, and put others first.

That evening, a cool gentle breeze wafted in through the windows, and I went down on my knees, thanking God for the refreshing rains that fell over our city.

 Falling on the very first day of the month, the rains were a harbinger of good things to come.

Father God always begins the favor cycle. The greatest favor God did is to give His son Jesus to us, to redeem us and set us free from the horrible prison of self-centeredness and self-focus, by giving Himself in the greatest act of self-sacrifice.

Praying quietly in my prayer room that night, I sensed that this month was going to be a special month for me in more ways than one.

On the second, third, and fourth days of this month, it also rained every evening and early morning.

One very special event that I want put on record is the conversation I had with my grandson Forerunner while we were having breakfast on May 6, a conversation about heaven. He mentioned what his dad told him, that when people go to heaven, they will stay there forever. He wanted to know more.

I then told him that those who go to heaven love Jesus very much.

To which he replied, "But Nana... I LOVE Jesus very much!"

This was a perfect time to ask him if he wanted to ask Jesus to come into his heart, as I explained to him what it meant to have a true relationship with God.

My grandson was born again that very day... a day of rejoicing!

On May 7, my friends William and Ruby, their daughter Stef, and I flew to Manila to do an Ancient Paths seminar for roughly 100 doctors and medical students. Our ministry teams from Iloilo, Davao, and Manila were all going to be a part of this endeavor.

The venue was a beautiful resort in Lipa City, in the heart of Batangas province.

There were breakthroughs, release from bondage, healing of inner wounds, in the hearts of many.

It rained every evening in Lipa City, a reminder to me of God's favor.

It was truly such an encouraging time of refreshing for all of us. 

Upon reaching our home in Metro Manila on Saturday evening, the first thing I saw was the myrtle tree in our front yard, full of buds and ready to fully bloom!

How glad this made me... for just a month ago, I had been praying over this particular tree as I watered it every morning and evening, speaking life to it, and thanking God in advance for new life to flow through it. 

The next day, daughter Obedient One and I celebrated Mother's Day at my favorite Greek restaurant.

At this time tomorrow, I will have arrived in Chiang Mai, Thailand... reunited with my dear Thai friends Oy and Ut, the beginning of my "sentimental journey" back to the place where Ernie and I spent the last year of his earthly life.

Chiang Mai reminds me of God's special favor working in my life when I had no idea it was going to be our last year together in this side of eternity.

I will go back to Chiang Mai to re-live some beautiful memories... but also to create some new ones!

Indeed, favor surrounds me like a shield.

God's favor covers and... protects me.

God's favor sustains ... nourishes ... re-invigorates!

I am actually speechless... as I think of what God's favor really means.

This is truly going to be one, beautiful, refreshing, favor-filled month!

Below are some photos I have taken the past two weeks:

With family during First Born Son's early celebration of his birthday 

A lovely sunset photo I took during dinner with a friend
taken at the rooftop of a nearby hotel

At the wedding of Edward and Janice
me with friends Eileen and Melanie

Edward and Janice, first dance

beautiful wedding reception

Ancient Paths ministry team after the ministry sessions

our last morning in Batangas City, unwinding with friends

Daughter and me, Mother's Day lunch 2015

The Way to Eternity

"I am the way

and the truth

and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through Me."

- John 14:6




For by grace you have been saved through faith,
and that not of yourselves;
it is the gift of God, not of works,
lest anyone should boast.

- Ephesians 2:8-9

Today my third grandson Joyful One turns seven months old.

The name of God I have chosen for my blessing is shown in the photo above.

It has often been said that it doesn't matter what one believes, as long as one is sincere in his belief.

Such a statement indicates that there is no absolute truth to believe in, only subjective truth. Everything is relative. The act of believing is more important than the "object" of one's belief.

But what the world fails to understand is that what we believe in is very important.

When Jesus called Himself as The Way, The Truth, and The Life, He was making a crucial point.

No one comes to the Father except through Me.

He is the only Way to Heaven ... 

He is the absolute Truth... 

He alone is the Life.

And what's more, absolute truth does not require that I believe it in order for it to be established as truth.

He alone is the way to eternal life, whether we believe in it or not.

Today as Joyful One celebrates his seventh month of life, I pray that he will grow up knowing Jesus as the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

As the day of Christ's return draws near, how my heart longs for many of my friends to know Him as their true Lord and Master. Indeed, I must be more bold in telling them about this truth. 

For fear of offending others, I prefer to leave this topic out of our conversations.

But it really is a matter of supreme importance, for what one believes will determine his eternal destiny,

There is one song I always sing, Were It Not For Grace, that makes me so grateful that Jesus my Lord has revealed Himself to me, and has led me to Himself as the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

As I think of my dear grandson on this special day, I pray fervently that early enough in his young life, God will give him the grace to turn the reins of his heart over to Jesus as his Lord.

Were It Not For Grace

Time measured out my days, life carried me along

In my soul I yearned to follow God 

But knew I'd never be so strong

I looked hard at this world 

To learn how Heaven could be gained

Just to end where I began, where human effort is all in vain

Were it not for grace, I can tell you where I'd be

Wandering down some pointless road to nowhere

With my salvation up to me

I know how that would go, the battles I would face

Forever running, but losing the race

Were it not for grace

So here is all my praise, expressed with all my heart

Offered to the Friend who took my place

And ran a course I could not start

And when He saw in full just how much His love would cost

He still went the final mile between me and Heaven

So I would not be lost

Were it not for grace, I can tell you where I'd be
Wandering down some pointless road to nowhere
With my salvation up to me
I know how that would go, the battles I would face
Forever running, but losing the race
Were it not for grace

Possess Your Souls

But the fruit of the Spirit is 

love, joy, peace,

longsuffering, kindness, goodness,

faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

Against such there is no law.

- Galatians 5:22-23

Luke 21:19 is one of my favorite Scripture passages. It says, "By your patience possess your souls."

It is right smack in the middle of Jesus' discourse about the signs of the end of the age:

"Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and, 'The time has drawn near.' Therefore do not go after them. But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately."

Then He said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven. But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name's sake. But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony. Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But not a hair of your head shall be lost. 

By your patience possess your souls.

But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men''s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 

Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.


There can be no doubt about it, we are already in the end of the age that Jesus talks about in this passage.

There are wars, and rumors of wars...

earthquakes, famines, and pestilences...

signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars...

These are neither easy nor comfortable times for us to live in.

Nevertheless, we are powerless to change the course of events. All Jesus is asking of us is to remain steadfast, and to endure.

And to trust the words that He will put in our mouths when the time comes for us to speak up.

By your patience possess your souls.


My fourth grandchild Peaceful One turns three months old today, too young to understand what is going on in the world around her.

She belongs to Generation Z, the generation of children born after 2000.

As her grandmother, I belong to the Baby Boomers Generation, the generation born during the post WWII "Baby Boom" - from 1946 to 1964, when the world was naturally making up for all the people lost during the last world war, and there was a so-called "baby boom." Born in postwar hardship  this generation eventually recovered and experienced prosperity through hard work, creativity, educational advancement and technological discovery.

The Generation X children, those born from mid 1960s to early 1980, are shaped by global events such as the Vietnam War, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the end of the Cold War, and are more open to diversity. They are better equipped to tolerate religious-cultural differences.

My own children belong to Generation Y, those born in the early 1980s to the year 2000. This generation is aptly called The Millenials. A generation largely shaped by the technological revolution, they are a powerful group of young people who has technology built into their DNA, so to speak. This is a generation of iPhones, laptops, and tablets - social network connection is the language they speak and the milieu in which they operate.

Generation Z babies are born to Generation X and Y parents, so we can just imagine the kind of spiritual potential these children have.

Joel's army spoken of in the book of Joel will be comprised of Generation X, Y, and Z children.

This is also definitely the generation that will see the return of Jesus Christ.

So, the Biblical admonition By your patience possess your souls very much applies to this generation of young people.

Understandably, Generation X, Y, and Z children are impatient.

They have no patience for slow movement. They live in the age of fast food, space travel, and microwaves. Instant gratification. They do not understand the value of delayed gratification, which was what their grandparents, the Baby Boomers, knew very much about.

But not this generation. They think they know what they want, and that they can have it at the click of a mouse, or by simply pressing a button.

Internet banking.

Online shopping.

Everything within reach.

They live in today's cyberworld of increased knowledge.

But increased knowledge doesn't necessarily mean increased understanding.

Understanding only comes with patient endurance.

Longsuffering  or "long-tempered" is the Old English word for patience. It connotes the idea of being willing to suffer long.

That is how spiritual understanding comes, and that is also how inner character is built.

By the willingness to endure, to hold fast, and to wait patiently.

That is the only way by which we will save our lives, or win our souls, as some translations put it.

By patient endurance gain your life.

My dearest granddaughter,

You may be too young to understand what patience is, but today as you turn three months old, I speak to your spirit...

that you will be a child who will grow up with patience, willingness to wait, and ability to endure.

I decree and declare that a rich spiritual deposit of steadfastness will be a part of your DNA.

You live in an environment when it is so easy to lose your soul, so easy to allow the world's ungodly standards define you.

The world says, "It's okay to be intolerant."

The name of the game is "I can have what I want right now."

To be impulsive is normal.

But I pray that contrary to the ways of the generation to which you belong, you will be a young person willing to go against the tide of compromise and self-centeredness.

Your heart will be protected by patience.

By patience you will gain spiritual insight, understanding, and wisdom.

By patience your heart will be prepared for the tribulation and lawlessness against which you need to stand in these last days.

By patience you will be safe against the deceptive schemes of the evil one, and you will be ready to welcome the imminent return of Jesus Christ and bow before Him as your King, Lord and Savior.

This is my deep desire, and fervent prayer for you, my dearest Peaceful One, on this your third month of life.

Love,
Nana

Here's a song that my children used to sing when they were little:

Patience (Fruit of the Spirit, The Music Machine)

There was a snail called Herbert
Who was so very slow
He caused a lot of traffic jams
Wherever he would go
The ants were always getting mad
And the beetles they would fume
But Herb would always poke along
And sing this little tune

Have patience, have patience
Don't be in such a hurry
When you get impatient
You only start to worry
Remember, remember
That God is patient too
And think of all the times
When others have to wait for you

When Herbert was much younger
He often got in trouble
Forgetting that he was a snail
He did things on the double
He'd crash through every spider web
And with crickets he'd collide
'til one day Herbert's father
Took his speeding son aside

Have patience, have patience
Don't be in such a hurry
When you get impatient
You only start to worry
Remember, remember
That God is patient too
And think of all the times
When others have to wait for you

As you can well imagine
There's a moral to this tale
Some of you may find yourselves

Behind a creeping snail

So if you get impatient

And you're easily disturbed

Think about this little song
And take a tip from Herb

Have patience, have patience
Don't be in such a hurry
When you get impatient
You only start to worry
Remember, remember
That God is patient too
And think of all the times
When others have to wait for you