Let Me Take Care

"LET ME TAKE CARE."

This was the last message that resonated so strongly in my heart this past weekend. In less than 12 hours of being back home (on a more permanent basis), the Lord blessed me with an offer for a Full time job. Not only will this job enhance my experience in the program I actually graduated in, it will also allow me to serve fully for my service area here in CFC Youth GTA.

In the past 8 months, I have traveled to 15+ cities in the Philippines, to 4 different states in the U.S. and 3 provinces here in Canada. Within that time I have also attended 4 conferences, 3 which were on a national scale. I served in 2 and participated in 2. This journey began on January 9 with zero plans and a very dried up bank account.

The one line that kept me going: Trust in Me.
The one verse that gave me hope: Jeremiah 29:11.

It was always on the back of my mind that my mission trip would come to an end eventually and that I would have to face reality. After speaking to many of my colleagues in ECE, I knew that the field was saturated. I knew that there may be a possibility that I would be unemployed for a while, or that I may have to settle for a retail job.

But 2.5hrs ago, I was just offered a full time position at a daycare for the sr. preschool classroom at a bilingual centre. I will only be working Mon-Fri which means I will never have to miss out on my household meetings, any assemblies or mission trips during the weekend.

A friend of mine messaged me literally right after the Singles for Christ Conference on Sunday. The position opened up and they needed someone to fill it in ASAP. I start on Tuesday.

WOW.

Our Yes is our personal treasure. It may seem insignificant but it's one of our most powerful possessions, because our yes stems from our choice. No one can force us to give it away, especially not our God.  It is our yes that opens up the door to his infinite amount of blessings. We think WE know best what our needs are, but these standards are based only on what we have seen in our life. Allow the Lord to widen that range of view by giving Him permission to conquer Your life.

It is in your trust that the Lord will reveal not only good things, but GREATER things. I am not lucky. I am BLESSED, because my God has chosen to use me as a beacon of hope to others. Believe that if you give yourself fully to the Lord and surrender your own plans, that He will NOT abandon you. I am no one special- I am not any more loved by the Lord than you are. So do not think that you are exempt from his Promises.

Discovering the Lord is an adventure, and probably the only one that guarantees a happy ending. So give Jesus the wheel, and like me...you may find yourself reaching destinations that you would have never thought possible.

Claim His will and claim His victory in your life.

Read up, write down.

Stay organized. 
Be responsible. 
Take control of your life. 

There is nothing wrong with writing down your thoughts and ideas down on paper. There is nothing wrong with using an actual agenda to write down your plans. If your life seems to be spiralling down the drain because too much is happening, then try writing down what you need to do. Sometimes the best way to unload our minds is to transfer all the things floating inside our noggin to a piece of paper. When we see our thoughts written down, it may be easier for us to make connections and to plan for action.

What good is it to be inspired and not remember that self-professed profound "aha!" moment days, months, years later? The best way for realizations to become a reality is to reflect. But what good are reflections if you can't have a physically tangible source to make comparisons with- between the old you and the you you are today?

Mother knows best

NOTHING can ever surpass the love a mother has for her Son.

..which is why we should always seek out Mama Mary in the things we pray for/about. What better guide to have than the woman who bore the Almighty? Human as she was, she was still able to carry out the life that God wanted for her. At only fourteen years old she already allowed the Lord to take over her life. She gave up her own life so that her desires would only reflect what His desires were. She never complained. A gentle woman with faith that literally moved heaven & earth. How profound her love for us is, that she will definitely see us through everything we do.

Think about your own mothers right now.

How many ways has she provided you with the things you not only needed but also wanted? How many sleepless nights this woman has spent in her WHOLE enitre life just so that she could cater to me! And by that I don't just mean my childhood days. In my older age I have thrown tantrums and shed an ocean worth of tears and she still knows how to soothe me, to calm me down. You know those days when you just feel really crappy and nothing absolutely nothing else in the world can "cure" you but a homemade dish or a nice big hug. Mothers are such a beautiful gift. We all came from one and we all lived inside their bellies. It warms my heart to know just how careful my mom was when she was pregnant with me. Their job doesn't end when we're out and about! It's a 24/7 thing even when we ourselves reach our 30's, 40's, 50's etc. No one knows us better than our own mothers, because we will always share an indescribable link with them. For the first 9 months of our lives, we were literally a PART of them.

Full of grace. Blessed are you amongst women, and blessed is the FRUIT of your womb, Jesus. 

So if our human mothers can provide us with nothing but the best, how much more for our Mother Mary who was the purest of the pure! Golden that lady was. Crowned in perfection.

She is the prime example that it IS indeed possible to proclaim the greatness of the Lord with nothing but kindness and humility. The Lord was the stronghold of her life.

So as we continue to live out our daily lives, let us allow her to journey with us through our discernment. Let us ask her to intercede for us.

She really does know best.

Hearts ablaze: How to relive that post-Conference high over & over again

"And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,

giving thanks through Him to God the Father."

-Colossians 3:17

He is all powerful. He is all knowing.

He is the ALMIGHTY. 

Can you say those three statements above with conviction if you had to? If someone were to interview you right now could you give him/her a succinct answer? How has God been powerful in your life? How can you be so sure that He is all knowing? In what way(s) has He been Almighty to you? 

I know most of us are riding that post-conference high, but as we enter back into our everyday activities let us be mindful of these questions. If there's anything I've learned since coming back from the Philippines, it's this- that reflection time is just as important as prayer time. We must continuously remain reflective of the important moments that touch our lives because these will get us through the rough times.

We need to stop relying on conferences, youth camps and other major events to be on fire. These only happen every few months. Should we burn out when we go back to our homes? Conference only happens once a year, so should we limit our almighty experiences to just once a year as well? We need to stop relying solely on our leaders and speakers as well. Will we stop burning when they stop speaking or are no longer present in our lives? Instead let us look to Christ Jesus as our one and only source of light. If we look to Him as our main source of fire, we will never burn out. It is only with God that our embers can be reignited- He will breathe in us a new life and this is how we will continually be ablaze! 

I've learned to stop grounding my faith in emotions. We can not just rely on emotions because emotions can change quickly. Instead I am grounding my faith in the truth, because GOD IS TRUTH- and the truth never changes.

TRUTH*: that God loves us with an everlasting love.
TRUTH*: that His faithfulness to us is unmatched.
TRUTH*: that the Lord will always forgive us and show us mercy regardless of how sinful we were/are- we just need hearts that are ready to ask.

*click for bible verses

Yes the Lord is powerful. He is indeed all knowing. But he can ONLY be ALMIGHTY in our lives if we allow him to be. Believe that whatever desires are in our heart, he can give it to us. If he doesn't give it to you, it is only because there is something greater out there for you. Think of it this way:

If you ask him for bread, he will give you a whole bakery.

If you ask him for a glass of water, he'll give you a gallon.

If you ask him for crayons, he will give you the 64 pack with the built-in sharpener.

THAT IS HOW THE LORD PROVIDES FOR HIS CHILDREN.

So whether I reside under the heat of the southeast asian sun or walk with the winds of the true North behind me, I shall continue to proclaim the greatness of the Lord with courage. For he did not give me a spirit of timidity but of power, love and discipline (2 Timothy 1:7). 

I'm still amazed at how I'm managing to attend these conferences /events despite having nothing (literally) in my bank account. I haven't worked since December 2011 yet I have attended ILC in Boracay/Aklan,   Provincial Youth Con. in Cebu, ANCOP-Cornerstone training in Manila, and later this month the National SFC Con. in Ottawa.


The Lord simply provides. 

I allow him to show me just how powerful He is. I allow him to show me that he is all knowing. I allow him to be the greater force, the biggest influence, the best gift-giver in my life. I simply allow him to be the ALMIGHTY.

And look at how far He has taken me because of this.
Will you let Him do the same for you?

FAMILY

What is the fastest way to isolate and break down a person? Break up their family.

WHY? 

Because it is the one place on this earth where TRUE love should exist.

You know what bothers me a lot? Knowing that I live in a country where the divorce rate is ONE out of TWO marriages (Department of Justice, Child Support Initiative, Evaluation Report, 1997). That means that when you get married in Canada, you only have a 50% chance of staying with your partner. WHAT. THE. HECK.


Which means I'm going to fight against it by getting married in another country! Hahaha.


But all jokes aside, here are more disturbing facts about the divorce rates in Canada:

• almost 75% of Canadian divorces are being initiated by women
• one yr after separation or divorce, 50% of children of divorced or separated families never see their fathers again
• risk of divorce increases greatly after each successive marriage (75% for 2nd, and about 85% for 3rd marriages)
• 75% of divorced men remarry while 65% of divorced women remarry

What is happening to this world? The importance of exchanging vows and making promises til death do they part have obviously deteriorated. Is that why a lot of people walk around so empty? Breaking the sanctity of marriage can really suck the life out of a family that was once so rooted in faith, love and hope. No wonder people have ridiculous commitment issues here in North America. No wonder less couples want to bother getting married.

For the youth of today:

It's not always about Y-O-U

"I don't know if I can go because I don't have the money..."

is a phrase that I've been hearing so much of lately in regards to events and/or conferences. It's a question that spurs on a mini investigation. A lot of questions run through my head such as:

• How badly do you really wanna go?
• Did you know about this event beforehand?
• How long ago were you informed about the event?
• If so, did you financially prepare yourself for it?
• Did you bother trying to save?
• Have you gone on any other trips lately? Where? How much did you pay for it?
• Do you think you prioritized that more than this?

I do keep in mind that sometimes there are things that happen which are beyond our control. But even then, something can always be done. The most important question that comes to mind really is: HAVE YOU PRAYED ABOUT IT?


Sometimes, well actually all the time, it's never about whether or not YOU can provide for yourself. Faith is knowing that you have a God who can do wonders for you. Faith is knowing that He is of divine providence. It was never about you to begin with! So the next time you consider whether or not you can go, take your question to God first, and don't let it just die with you.

I keep repeating this over and over again, but honestly CLAIM YOUR PRAYERS. CLAIM THAT HE IS THE ALMIGHTY. Know that no matter what your situation is, He will provide. Let Him. Because doubting our Lord's ability to do so is like shutting the door in His face when he knocks.

I can attest to all these things because the Lord provided for me in the Philippines for 6 months despite the fact that I was unemployed. Not only that, he is allowing for me to go on a States-Winnipeg roadtrip in two days. I am able to attend the Canadian YFC national conference not just by myself but with my family. Monday was the last day to reg for the SFC nat'l con in Ottawa (in August). I really didn't want to push it but I just kept it in my prayers everyday and you know what? He's allowing me to attend that too! ALL WITHOUT A JOB.

How is this possible?
Because my God makes it very much possible.

That's the beauty about our relationship with the Lord. Sometimes we don't even do anything yet he still showers us with abundant blessings. He still wants to keep capturing our hearts. He still wants to reach out to us. This is an everyday occurrence.

But first you have to allow yourself to see the ways in which he tries to reach out to you. All he needs is your Yes. Let Him romance you.  He will never force something on you. Seriously He's just waiting for you to open yourself up. Only then will He begin to do wonders for you.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding."

-Proverbs 3:5

Baby, welcome home.

Airplanes suddenly became so interesting to me during this trip. Since I've never stayed more than 3wks in one place for a 6 month period, I just had to learn to love em. My flight yesterday was 23hrs, 10mins in total. I usually get so antsy/panicky that I only use up 6hrs in total for sleeping, but this time it was different. I felt at peace and so calm. I slept through more than half of it and the hours that I spent awake I enjoyed (yum Korean air food and a very lovely old Korean woman seat mate).

A lot of people have seen me cry within the past 72 hrs. Most of the time it's not because I'll miss them (I know I'll be back sooner than later). It's because I've been fearing my return to Canada; how will I integrate the new me into an old life? Yes I left behind a lot of baggage in the Phils. but I also had more to come back to in Toronto. But God is so good that he made sure I would get all the affirmations I needed to believe that as challenging as it will be to be back, I am more than capable of dealing with my skeletons in the closet.

Now the picture above isn't the greatest quality nor is it an artsy-fartsy shot, but it served as the answer to my question.

Moments of profound grace.


The wing of that plane and where it appears in the picture is where God fits into my life. There is the me that hid in darkness, confusion, fear and doubt, but with the Lord now in the centre of my life rest assured I can sigh a big breathe of relief- MORNING IS COMING. No matter how dark I feel my past was and how much ugliness was left behind there is hope that YES, he has purified and cleansed me during this trip. Just as the day is breaking in the sky one day all of it will be filled with light.The plane's wings didn't completely separate the contrasting night/day sky- see how on the far left side, some of the morning is spilling into the night? Beautiful.


There is nothing for me to fear. I always repeat in my blogs and in person that whenever we pray or light up our petitions we shouldn't just ask for it. Instead we should CLAIM that indeed those prayers are already answered. In this way, we show our Lord how great our faith is in Him that even though we don't see the answers yet, they are already there. This world is full of truths that are rooted in faith, love and hope. Do not be blinded by the small lies that cover these truths like dust settling on a dark wooden table. Take a cloth and wipe it away. Use your faith in him and uncover the victories you are meant to discover.


A truth that he allowed me to discover upon arriving back home:
You are precious. You are divine. You are MINE.


Claim what He has already won right?
Me.
I am claiming me.