Oct 13, 2009
autumn has come!
It's my favorite time of the year, my best liked season, fall/autumn. Hanoi is now heading towards this cool weather and I thank God for it. Gone are the hot and humid days of summer, well, not until next year. The leaves have started coming off from trees and is slowly covering the narrow streets of Hanoi which turns it into yellowish/brownish hue. Now it's cool, no sun but it ain't raining. A very pleasant time for me and hubby to roam around the place without extra protective clothing. As I was pondering upon this, it reminded me that there are also different seasons in our lives as well. Seasons where God deals with us in victory and sometimes in defeat and loss. But praise God because one thing is for sure, these are just "seasons" meaning they come and go. If we yield to God for a specific season that He's dealing us with, surely we'll get over it triumphantly, but if not then He's gonna bring us back to that same issue until we bend to what He wants us to learn from it. The truth that holds me whole is He deals with us according to His grace and mercy and His hands are never full when it comes to His children.
Sep 28, 2009
all about shoes!
One of the things that I am fond of is shoes. It's just pleasant to know that God nourishes us even with our little wants. Recently, a lady friend from Singapore who's here with her whole family gave me two pairs of very comfy shoes. The first one is made in Japan and the other one is named "Ferragamo". This sweet friend has three children, two girls and a boy. I was so ecstatic when she handed me a bag with two pairs of shoes in it, a genuine Crocs and a Birkenstcok for Thea from her younger daughter who is as big as my girl. This is not the first time that we received stuff from this very generous family. Just weeks ago she also gave autumn and winter clothes for Alythea to use and most of it holds popular and pricey brand. I took the chance of sharing to my child, that when we give, we shall receive remembering that before we left the Philippines, she gave most of her footwears to her cousins and to Granny. She nodded in agreement as I explained to her God's principle of giving.
God is good!!
It's been a month now since we came back from our short holiday in the Philippines. We had a good one but then things started to turn a bit of a pain when suddenly we learned that my mom-in-law is confined in the hospital just hours after we landed in Cebu for transit to Singapore. God is good because He was the One who brought us comfort and confidence that our Nanay is being taken cared of by the One who made the heavens and the earth. Now, my family is glad to see Granny well and active again, that's because of His grace alone.
Another testimony that I want to share is that I am super delighted that finally my second semester as an offshore student is over. Admittedly, it wasn't a first rated performance for me as a student this time and it's because the stress level was up to my neck and I should say, if not for Jesus, I could have not done it. Thanks be to God who gives us G-R-A-C-E to overcome.
Thank God also for providing for our needs, financially. Our lease was due September 27th, and we were still short to cover the whole amount until God provided through one person who willingly offered to lend us that amount as a loan. We were able to hand in the money yesterday. PTL!
Our needs can sometimes be overwhelming but until we realize and practice the truth of thanksgiving and praise, we delay His answers. His hands are never short to save us. (Isaiah 50:2)
Another testimony that I want to share is that I am super delighted that finally my second semester as an offshore student is over. Admittedly, it wasn't a first rated performance for me as a student this time and it's because the stress level was up to my neck and I should say, if not for Jesus, I could have not done it. Thanks be to God who gives us G-R-A-C-E to overcome.
Thank God also for providing for our needs, financially. Our lease was due September 27th, and we were still short to cover the whole amount until God provided through one person who willingly offered to lend us that amount as a loan. We were able to hand in the money yesterday. PTL!
Our needs can sometimes be overwhelming but until we realize and practice the truth of thanksgiving and praise, we delay His answers. His hands are never short to save us. (Isaiah 50:2)
Sep 18, 2009
Create a new marriage…with your same spouse!
You and your spouse annoy each other more than enjoy each other. There's very little romance left in your marriage, but plenty of conflicts. All attempts so far to improve your relationship have failed. You don't want to continue living like this, but you don't want the trauma of divorce, either.
What to do? You can walk away from your old marriage and create a new and better one with your same spouse. Here's how:
Face your problems.
Admit that your marriage has become so broken that it isn't working. Don't waste any more time and energy wallowing in misery. Instead, think of all the joy and satisfaction that you both and your children are missing with your marriage in its current state. Let that motivate you to make changes.
Tear down your old marriage and start rebuilding.
Think of your old marriage as an unsafe building that must be torn down so a new building can be built in its place. Set a solid foundation in place for your new marriage by constructing three pillars: growing closer to God through spiritual disciplines like regular prayer, Bible reading, and church attendance; both you and your spouse meeting with your own accountability partner weekly, and scheduling four times to talk as a couple each week for 20 to 30 minutes each time.
Repent.
Rather than blaming your spouse for the problems in your marriage, acknowledge that both of you have contributed to its breakdown. Take responsibility for your own mistakes that have harmed the marriage. Accept that you can't change your spouse, but you can change your own attitudes and actions, so focus on how God wants you to change. Confess and repent of your sins in specific ways, and tell God how sorry you are about the impact your sins have had on your relationships with Him and others, such as your spouse. Ask God to forgive you. Commit to turning away from your sins and walking in the opposite direction - toward God - from now on.
Discuss your mistakes and work to correct them.
Write a letter to your spouse describing your mistakes from the day you met to today and expressing your repentance. Ask your spouse to do the same. Then read your letters out loud to one another, while you each take turns listening and making positive - not negative - comments about each other's letters. Identify each of your top two mistakes and come up with a plan to correct those mistakes in your marriage.
Choose to be positive.
Even while your feelings toward your spouse are negative, you can decide to interact in positive ways that will eventually improve your feelings toward each other. Figure out what specific behaviors you can do that will demonstrate that you care about your spouse; then follow through by doing them regularly. Ask God to help you notice qualities you can appreciate about your spouse and make a habit of complimenting him or her often. Make time to share conversations about topics you both enjoy.
Bring back some physical affection.
Force yourselves to reach out and touch each other affectionately again. Hold hands. Give each other massages. Share kisses and hugs. Even when you're not ready for sexual intimacy, you can still express your love in physical ways to thaw the ice between you.
Resolve conflicts successfully.
When you and your spouse discuss your disagreements, take turns speaking and listening in 10-minute blocks and clarifying each other's message until you both feel understood. Be willing to compromise to make decisions that both of you can live with on a trial basis, and be willing to renegotiate if necessary. Take breaks whenever your conversations get off track and restart when both of you have calmed down and are ready to focus.
Heal from your past pain.
Pursue healing for emotional pain from your past that is affecting your marriage right now. Write letters to the people from your past who have had a dramatic, lasting impact on how you operate in opposite-sex relationships (such as your parents and ex-boyfriends or ex-girlfriends). Ask your spouse to do the same. Identify how you're repeating unhealthy behaviors you learned from your relationships with them in your current marriage. Join your spouse to read each other's letters and discuss how best to stop the transfer of past pain to your marriage.
Forgive.
Write a letter to your spouse describing specific events or behaviors for which you're choosing to forgive him or her. Ask your spouse to do the same. Then read your letters to each other and discuss them.
Work to meet each other's needs.
Talk openly and honestly together about what specific needs you hope the other will try to meet, and how and when to accomplish that. Discuss both daily needs (like splitting errands and household chores) and your ongoing top emotional needs (such as for enriching conversations, sexual intimacy, and spiritual growth).
Use tough love to help motivate your spouse to change.
If your spouse is stuck in a serious sin (like an addiction to alcohol or pornography, or a pattern of verbally abusing you), stop tolerating the status quo and go to war against the sin that's harming your marriage. Stand up to your spouse and clearly state that either he or she chooses to change, or you'll separate. Gain the strength you need for this process through prayer, a support team of people you can trust, and a professional therapist and financial and legal advisors, if necessary. Write a letter to present to your spouse during your initial confrontation and invite him or her to discuss it with you at a later date, on which your spouse should also begin intensive work on your marriage if he or she wants to save it. If your spouse doesn't choose to work on your marriage, bring several people on your support team with you to confront your spouse. If that doesn't work, get your pastor and other church leaders involved. If even that doesn't work, shun your spouse and separate. Don't pursue a divorce. Instead, keep praying while you're separated and God will strengthen you.
Citation: crosswalk.com
What to do? You can walk away from your old marriage and create a new and better one with your same spouse. Here's how:
Face your problems.
Admit that your marriage has become so broken that it isn't working. Don't waste any more time and energy wallowing in misery. Instead, think of all the joy and satisfaction that you both and your children are missing with your marriage in its current state. Let that motivate you to make changes.
Tear down your old marriage and start rebuilding.
Think of your old marriage as an unsafe building that must be torn down so a new building can be built in its place. Set a solid foundation in place for your new marriage by constructing three pillars: growing closer to God through spiritual disciplines like regular prayer, Bible reading, and church attendance; both you and your spouse meeting with your own accountability partner weekly, and scheduling four times to talk as a couple each week for 20 to 30 minutes each time.
Repent.
Rather than blaming your spouse for the problems in your marriage, acknowledge that both of you have contributed to its breakdown. Take responsibility for your own mistakes that have harmed the marriage. Accept that you can't change your spouse, but you can change your own attitudes and actions, so focus on how God wants you to change. Confess and repent of your sins in specific ways, and tell God how sorry you are about the impact your sins have had on your relationships with Him and others, such as your spouse. Ask God to forgive you. Commit to turning away from your sins and walking in the opposite direction - toward God - from now on.
Discuss your mistakes and work to correct them.
Write a letter to your spouse describing your mistakes from the day you met to today and expressing your repentance. Ask your spouse to do the same. Then read your letters out loud to one another, while you each take turns listening and making positive - not negative - comments about each other's letters. Identify each of your top two mistakes and come up with a plan to correct those mistakes in your marriage.
Choose to be positive.
Even while your feelings toward your spouse are negative, you can decide to interact in positive ways that will eventually improve your feelings toward each other. Figure out what specific behaviors you can do that will demonstrate that you care about your spouse; then follow through by doing them regularly. Ask God to help you notice qualities you can appreciate about your spouse and make a habit of complimenting him or her often. Make time to share conversations about topics you both enjoy.
Bring back some physical affection.
Force yourselves to reach out and touch each other affectionately again. Hold hands. Give each other massages. Share kisses and hugs. Even when you're not ready for sexual intimacy, you can still express your love in physical ways to thaw the ice between you.
Resolve conflicts successfully.
When you and your spouse discuss your disagreements, take turns speaking and listening in 10-minute blocks and clarifying each other's message until you both feel understood. Be willing to compromise to make decisions that both of you can live with on a trial basis, and be willing to renegotiate if necessary. Take breaks whenever your conversations get off track and restart when both of you have calmed down and are ready to focus.
Heal from your past pain.
Pursue healing for emotional pain from your past that is affecting your marriage right now. Write letters to the people from your past who have had a dramatic, lasting impact on how you operate in opposite-sex relationships (such as your parents and ex-boyfriends or ex-girlfriends). Ask your spouse to do the same. Identify how you're repeating unhealthy behaviors you learned from your relationships with them in your current marriage. Join your spouse to read each other's letters and discuss how best to stop the transfer of past pain to your marriage.
Forgive.
Write a letter to your spouse describing specific events or behaviors for which you're choosing to forgive him or her. Ask your spouse to do the same. Then read your letters to each other and discuss them.
Work to meet each other's needs.
Talk openly and honestly together about what specific needs you hope the other will try to meet, and how and when to accomplish that. Discuss both daily needs (like splitting errands and household chores) and your ongoing top emotional needs (such as for enriching conversations, sexual intimacy, and spiritual growth).
Use tough love to help motivate your spouse to change.
If your spouse is stuck in a serious sin (like an addiction to alcohol or pornography, or a pattern of verbally abusing you), stop tolerating the status quo and go to war against the sin that's harming your marriage. Stand up to your spouse and clearly state that either he or she chooses to change, or you'll separate. Gain the strength you need for this process through prayer, a support team of people you can trust, and a professional therapist and financial and legal advisors, if necessary. Write a letter to present to your spouse during your initial confrontation and invite him or her to discuss it with you at a later date, on which your spouse should also begin intensive work on your marriage if he or she wants to save it. If your spouse doesn't choose to work on your marriage, bring several people on your support team with you to confront your spouse. If that doesn't work, get your pastor and other church leaders involved. If even that doesn't work, shun your spouse and separate. Don't pursue a divorce. Instead, keep praying while you're separated and God will strengthen you.
Citation: crosswalk.com
Aug 31, 2009
Thy Word...
Divine, Ever-Living, Unchanging
"BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ABIDES FOREVER." And this is the word which was preached to you" (1 Peter 1:25).
All human teaching and, indeed, all human beings shall pass away as the grass of the meadow; but we are here assured that the Word of the LORD is of a very different character, for it shall endure forever. We have here a divine gospel; for what word can endure forever but that which is spoken by the eternal God? We have here an ever-living gospel, as full of vitality as when it first came from the lips of God; as strong to convince and convert, to regenerate and console, to sustain and sanctify as ever it was in its first days of wonder-working. We have an unchanging gospel which is not today green grass and tomorrow dry hay but always the abiding truth of the immutable Jehovah. Opinions alter, but truth certified by God can no more change than the God who uttered it. Here, then, we have a gospel to rejoice in, a word of the LORD upon which we may lean all our weight. "For ever" includes life, death, judgment, and eternity. Glory be to God in Christ Jesus for everlasting consolation. Feed on the word today and all the days of thy life.
"BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ABIDES FOREVER." And this is the word which was preached to you" (1 Peter 1:25).
All human teaching and, indeed, all human beings shall pass away as the grass of the meadow; but we are here assured that the Word of the LORD is of a very different character, for it shall endure forever. We have here a divine gospel; for what word can endure forever but that which is spoken by the eternal God? We have here an ever-living gospel, as full of vitality as when it first came from the lips of God; as strong to convince and convert, to regenerate and console, to sustain and sanctify as ever it was in its first days of wonder-working. We have an unchanging gospel which is not today green grass and tomorrow dry hay but always the abiding truth of the immutable Jehovah. Opinions alter, but truth certified by God can no more change than the God who uttered it. Here, then, we have a gospel to rejoice in, a word of the LORD upon which we may lean all our weight. "For ever" includes life, death, judgment, and eternity. Glory be to God in Christ Jesus for everlasting consolation. Feed on the word today and all the days of thy life.
Jul 31, 2009
Crook Smart!
What is wrong with our telecommunication system here in the Philippines??? Just recently I'm pissed off with their style of robbing from their clients because I myself is one of their victims. Few days ago, I loaded up 100 pesos worth of prepaid card, the calls I've made didn't even mount up to three minutes and 33 pesos was all left in my account. This is sooo disgusting!!Kawat nga harap-harapan man ni ila oi!! And yesterday I loaded 60 pesos again, didn't make any calls, didn't make any sms but they've deducted 20 pesos! This is such a foolish move! I hope and pray that they will come to resolve all this issues at the moment because they won't stop making a dupe out of millions of people when this is not dealt with.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
