trust

i am face to face

with eyes that beam like first glimpse of light

in an otherwise dark night

i am cheek to cheek

with warmth that lingers

in an otherwise freezing midnight

i have almost bumped into my dream

that ends the endless imagining

i am gripped with sweetness that longs to believe

that this is already the answer to my prayer

but beyond the bend

in this solid and finite path

the light has yet to shine

and my eyes yet to blink thousands in pleasant disbelief

as they alight on whatever sight that side of the world holds

yes, my guide says whatever this is that touches my face

that warms my cheeks, or teases my longings

are only foretastes of what i simply cannot miss

Jesus Revolution Mindanao

http://bernicejoana.blogspot.com/2009/12/jesus-revolution-mindanao_26.html?spref=tw

servant to lover

what happens after "kilig" moments? the days or months when we couldn't agree with God more and we do love the things He is telling us? what happens after the morning dew has disappeared and we are left with ourselves, God's word and God Himself?

the servant in us would say, "i will still follow. i will still obey." but how far would sheer will take us? the answer is,  not very far. soon we realize that our flesh and soul are crying out for some kind of reward. on our own, we cannot really love and obey God could we? our most zealous moments, we come to realize, are actually fruits of the grace of God, manifestations of His love bubbling from inside us. it was not really "us" who were zealous, but God's Spirit that resides in us. but upon entering our valley, we come face to face with our selfish ambitions, our weakness, our stubbornness… yes, we still love God, but we must soon realize that we cannot really love God 'on our own.' we cannot really boast of our capacity to love Him! because even that capacity comes from him. so when the mountain peak begins to slope downward to lead us into the valley, we must remember to CLING to Him more tightly than ever.

rabbi

"Teacher! Teacher!" Do you remember the last time you shouted this word with excitement? You were pleading for attention wanting to be given a chance to recite, or needing to be coached in a project or academic ordeal. "Teacher..." Some of us may not have had good memories of him or her. I, for one, was never really the type of student who would develop a close relationship with my teacher. Whether in academics or sports, I was never the "querying type" who would ask for help or assistance. Why I am that way is a another story though. But I am grateful to God for the opportunities I had to be taught and encouraged by my figure skating coaches...

Setting aside the encouraging words (which are by the way very valuable as well), what God reminds me with sweetness and joy today are those moments when my coach had explained to me patiently and carefully how to do a jump, a particular spin, or dance step. I remember his clear and firm words describing and detailing technique and strategy in figure skating maneuvers. He would use analogies, physics, actual demonstrations, teaching aids like markings on the ice, the harness, a string, a dumbell, a paper illustration or what you have, just to be able to impart to me knowledge and the closest possible thing to experience... in order for me to learn and succeed in the sport. Oh yeah, if not for his patience and creativity, many things I can do not would not have been possible for me to do.

Peace (Only) in the Inconvenient

in some cases, one may call it impractical, or unwise, but in this particular case, i would call it DIS-obedience. and if this personal revelation would also be for most of my readers, then God must be calling you (as he has also called me) to recognize the fact that this is not the time to wait for CONVENIENT circumstances to come before we actually start doing the things he has impressed in our hearts.

i sense an intensified call to OBEDIENCE of a more radical kind, the one that makes people wonder why we're doing "this." and now that it occurred to me, isn't that that this is really the kind of obedience that CHANGES communities and nations? Acts of obedience that rock the boat, acts of sacrifice that make the world begin to question their level of commitment, ventures into the inconvenient that make even the fiery, question their passion. because if we do not allow our lives to be shaken, how can we shake the world?

Faith and Unsurpassed Intimacy

It was June 18 when I asked God for a word. A series of events led to it. My NBSB friend suddenly resigns from her post as NBSB club president, another close friend receives a prophetic vision about her friends (which includes me), and God seemed to be up to something that season. I had to pray. I did not wanna miss out on what God has. I prayed hard.

"What is your word for me God? Is this the season or not?" I knew in my heart that I want nothing less than what God wants. Even if it means laying down things dear to me at that time - not exactly a pleasant thought.

letter from mike bickle and lou engle

(i really wanna go. who wants to join?)

from http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=408033866&blogId=519818699

"Dear Friend,

http://www.ihop.org/Publisher/Article.aspx?ID=1000058463

We stand at a critical juncture in our nation's history. It is time to encounter God and to take action. The Holy Spirit is visiting His people with power. At the same time, the powers of darkness are raging against the moral fabric of our nation. The light is getting brighter as the darkness gets darker.

Many of you will have heard of the spiritual awakening at our Bible school. On Wednesday, November 11, the Spirit fell on a class for more than 15 hours. The word spread quickly and over 2,000 people spontaneously gathered in the auditorium from all over Kansas City, as deliverance and physical healings continued to increase. We canceled our classes for the next week so that each one of our 1,000 students and interns could receive from the Spirit in an extended way.

ALTAR

when dreams of waterfalls
turn into mountain slopes that crumble
it makes me ask again
why am i here in the first place?

speak

say it in words that i understand
not in codes, signals, or gestures
i know they mean much to you
but when they reach me
they leave me with nothing but questions

Nazirite Training USA Schedule(s)

an email from JREV USA
--------

You are invited to attend the next Nazirite Training in February 2010.

The last training in October was powerful, and many received breakthroughs, healing, and equipping to move in their destinies. You don't want to miss out!

Now more than ever, America needs to have Elijahs and John the Baptists rise up on behalf of the nation. We need a generation of Nazirites, who are consecrated and set apart for such a time as this. The Nazirite Vow outlined in Numbers 6 is paralled in 2 Chron. 7:14, and can be summed up in the following equation:

Humility + Hunger + Holiness = Hear + Forgive + Heal your land

www.jesusrevusa.com

Phase 1 will give you an in-depth understanding on HUMILITY. You will learn the different types of pride, true vs. false humility, meekness, the importance of spiritual covering, among others. The Bible states many times that "God exalts the humble." Humility is absolutely vital, as we take our stand in the gap and pray for our nation.

why today? (a plea to all my Christian contacts)

as i stepped into the 7-day countdown to the JREV Solemn Assembly, i realized that i have neglected the burden and responsibility to write even just a short note on what the Solemn Assembly is about. i have been so busy in "other" JREV tasks that i failed to at least inform my contacts WHAT i'm doing and WHY they should CHOOSE to be a part of it.

so what is the solemn assembly?
1 - It is a gathering of Christians
2 - to FAST and PRAY
3 - for their city or nation, and in this case, it's for our nation

why is there a need for a solemn assembly?

Relate-tionship

This is how it starts...

I can relate.

This is one of our most-liked experiences in our relate-tionships. It happens when something that had happened to us happens to another person. We watch that person respond, or talk about how it happened. He need not go down to the tiniest detail, we get it already, completely, with heart pounding, and emotions swelling, as we say the words, "I can relate!"



I can't relate.

This feels terrible at times. It happens when our close friends tell us about something we had never experienced. We watch his face shift from calm to ecstatic to melancholic to anxious and back to peace and calm. We stare at him and try to sense the 'vibes.' But nada. We just can't relate. Some things cannot be forced. After he has finished his monologue, we are still staring at him, our face blank.



I'm trying to relate.

The more we know the person, this 'trying to relate' becomes easier. Even things we had never experienced, we begin to experience through another person. Things we do not really care about, we begin to have a heart for, simply because the one we love cares about it. We begin to go out of our selfish little world and we discover that it does not revolve around us. And we realize, it does not really take two people who are the same in order to make them one.

Do you love the Philippines? (to all my contacts, online stores, and other networks who love our nation)

Dear Friends!
 
Here are sample pages from the book, "Ako ay Pilipino," the very first project of a movement that was recently (2 months ago) founded by a missionary couple who happened to be friends of mine.

The movement, Ako ay Pilipino Noon at Ngayon, is more than just another patriotic propaganda but it grounded on a belief that at the core a movement for transforming a nation, should be God and our divine destiny, and not just sheer humanistic zeal.

buckle up

let's keep our gear up. it's 16 days to the Solemn Assembly. yesterday til today, my cellphone's being plagued by prayer requests. i'm personally tied up with my deadlines. let's keep our eyes WIDE OPEN and our mouths continually declaring God's PRAISES. let's not dwell on what the enemy is doing but marvel at the HOLINESS of our God.

He is still holy, even if arrows are flying over your head from all directions. DECLARE that He IS.

It's time war gracefully into victory.

the Cost of the Cause (in Peso)

How much of us does God want? Remembering last night's exhortation, I ask the question, "how much have I consecrated my finances for Jesus?" You see, I have gone even as far as giving a month's pay to support missions. (This is not to boast but I am driving a point here so please bear with me.) Today as I meticulously try to make ends meet, I realize that I have not really sacrificed enough. I really cried at the pain I felt thinking of how little was left with me because I obeyed the Lord. But given the chance to do it again, I would give again, even more than a month's pay. But why am I in tears?

PROPHECIES FOR THE PHILIPPINES by Rev. Abu Bako, November 21-23, 2006

(note: I just copied this verbatim from the IFP's handout for the 17th National Prayer Gathering. Please forgive errors in syntax or grammar you might notice.)

I've got news from you, from the little that I know of God. This is a DIFFERENT TIME altogether in the seasons of God's dealings with the Philippines. This is a different season altogether. This is the time that there will be a REBIRTH of a NEW NATION.

And from this night I believe that God shall begin to express Himself in all the facets of society. For we are about to see so much of the manifestation of God in the family like we have never seen before. I see God changing this nation into a different type of nation which it shall become like an apostle and an evangelist. Listen to that again. I see God take this nation to a place that the nation itself has an apostolic mandate and a calling and a nature on her and then also an evangelistic mantle. Because this nation is going to begin to even reach out to so many nations, and I see that in 5 years time

so, who's following you (on twitter)?

i realized that i have not yet checked my list of twitter followers for quite some time now. people who i believe i am not following just suddenly mention me in their tweets so i thought i'd better update my following list...

i only have very few followers. just a bit over a hundred. allow me to categorize them.:
1. friends
2. causes and organizations
3. seo/mktg ppl who are there to promote services, websites and what you haves (so they follow me bec. they want me to follow them so their sites will get more hits.
4. uncategorized

it is the last category that interested me much. these are practically people i do not know, neither are they promoting anything, their tweets seem to be personal and not marketing inclined, and uhm their not exactly form nearby...

to those with twitter accounts, i guess you know what i mean. i am baffled why some of those people are following me. one of them has a korean name. errr. is a korean following me? why? one of them is from America and i can't even understand the slang words in his twitter posts. hahaha. but another one has really funny and interesting tweets so i followed him. hey, i guess they're not the only ones allowed to follow people they don't know right? even if you don't have any common interests, you just happened to thing their tweets are funny.

so, who's following you?

(and do their profiles make you ask, do i know you???)

dear God,

once again it's 11:52 pm and i simply have to tell you something. something i do not exactly know. i just know there is something. oh, i have asked you my questions... some of them are questions whether to ask you the question, and questions on what to ask you. it is cowardice to keep on asking you for such things?

i miss the newness of hearing things i've never heard. i miss the sweetness of amazement of discovering my capacity to believe. there is room for more. but how far am i willing to make room? there is much to fill before we finally reach the brim. emptiness is a daily undertaking i am committed to. i have had my yesterday's fill. where is my fresh cup of today's rain and sunshine?

what am i missing?

the eyes must blink, once, twice, thrice... and wonder if things in front of them will change. eyes must close for 3 long seconds before it opens again, hoping for a rainbow or some pillar of cloud to appear. the heart must yearn for things un-earthly. it must look for such things, lest if gets buried in boredom. i am waiting for something. say it will come. one, two, three...

i miss the freshness of newly broken walls of limitation and possibilities. i don't want boundaries around me. let me be totally free. even the country beyond that red line, i can make my own.

i want you fully. i want this completely. i want to have my share of mystery and thunderbolts and heaven's rumble. i don't want to stare right here. stare at this. or stare upward at nothing. i was not born to stare but to marvel.

i must see someone i have never seen. today is a new day. (it's 12:05 am.)

like bubbles

then it happened. the song no longer smell of or breathe the same sentiments. favorite scents were nostalgia and desire. and yeah, nothing wrong with longing and hope. but this is better than the sweetness of expectancy. this is careless joy. unripe but ready for the picking. it will ripen in your hands. as you smile at yourself.

this is the same song. yet it has a different air.

the deep sigh has been turned into sudden smiles. like bubbles are floating over your head. like when smoke's been blown far far away by a minty breeze. inhale-exhale. the song is light and at ease. in fact, all songs are like this, right now. even emo ones, they seem to giggle with a carefree spirit. unashamed. unconcerned. un-anything. just happy.

it should make me cry, but now it makes me beam. i... can't explain why just so suddenly all melodies are the same. they are all smiling, despite sorrow, they smile. another world has given me colored lenses. yes. and it is one where music is changed by the hearer's heart.

Ako ay Pilipino Devotional Book Launch

Watch out for the following tentative dates of Ako Ay Pilipino book launching:

Soft Launching:
November 14th Metro Manila Prophetic Conference
November 15th Christ the Risen Lord Anniversary, UP Diliman (10:00 am)
November 15th Christ the Living Stone Fellowship Anniversary (2:00 pm)

Major Launching:
November 18th National Prayer Gathering, Cebu
November 27th Tri-media and businessmen, Legend Villa, Manila
November 30th Jesus Revolution, Solemn Assembly, San Juan Arena, Manila

Never heard of Ako ay Pilipino? Check out the tentative website on multiply: http://akoaypilipino2010.multiply.com

Pre-orders are encouraged!

God-wrapped Sunday surprise

please allow me to exercise gratefulness. that's what lolo ralph told me this morning during the ministering time in church...

first blast. worship. God really spoke: whether that word you are holding on to comes to pass or not, I AM STILL GOD. i am still holy. i am still worthy, the only one worthy of your worship. then it really dawned on me, i've been playing closer and closer to the borders crossing towards obsession. uh-oh. what does it really matter if "it" happens or not? well, it definitely WILL happen because God said so but since when did "things happening" become more important that God himself? oh, the heck with the future. i will pray. i will trust. i will obey. and yeah, i will expect! but more than anything, I WILL WORSHIP with undivided focus. i am not focused on the future but on my GOD.

2nd blow. oh yes, the preaching hit all the right buttons. hahaha. glory!

3rd tickle. i missed breakfast and breakfast happened to be my favorite meal of the day. sunday service is at 1030am and it ends right at lunchtime. before lunchtime came, all i could dream of was breakfast and not lunch. i want breakfast! i'd rather skip lunch to have breakfast! hahaha. then came a sweet surprise, my aunt offered to treat me and guess what she wants to eat? tapsilog and longsilog. viola! breakfast nga! *clap clap*

4th surprise. after lunch, we tagged along to greenhills. shopping...! i didn't really have much money but i know i have some left to spare for necessities like jeans. oh yes, i badly need a new pair... i have been hoping to go back to greenhills with someone i can shop with and well, what can i say, God provides, even shopping amigas!

5th treat. seal the day with a kiss. some of my friends have heard me long for it. food at amici's. and guess what? oh yeah, we're in greenhills, one of the few places where they have a branch... off to amicci's after shopping and we had the best time with the yummy pasta and.... dandadadan... ICE CREAM CAKE (see mango sansrival photo above). how many times do i have to say i love ice cream? :)

oh well, that's all for a God-wrapped sunday surprise! isn't He just good?

lesson for the day: ASK. i did.

food, yogurt, pasta, and prayer

i love eating. i love ice cream and yogurt. i love food. and i'm a practical spender. in tagalog, "matipid ako." (i know it's not an accurate translation. haha)

well, can i just share four reasons why i was blessed last friday.

first. God moved mightily during the inter-church prayer meeting (4th friday in a row) i attended (at vcf ortigas) with my friend lyn. like one pastor said, he loves his church but he loves it more when he sees different churches come together like that. i love it too! and it's something worth missing lunch, missing sleep, and missing a whole lot of what you haves over there. haha... there was a sweep of humility, repentance, hope, and much faith and love for the nation. just awesome!

second. it's been a while since i had some bonding time w/ my friend. i remember the first time we went out and it was such a divine appointment as God moved in our hearts. well, this time, i was still blessed because:
~my updates to her were really updates! 1st time we had breakfast, i was telling her about my friends' dream about me and this time i told her how one of those dreams actually came to pass already! woah! how faithful is our God??!!
~she shared to me how she's been praying for her non-Christian officemate and how another friend of hers who is a Christian is praying for another officemate - God had given them burdens to pray for those people. well, her workplace also used to be my workplace! and i sowed prayers for that company! i really felt God saying, "see! i am doing something. i did see your tears and gathered your prayers to answer them at the right time riz!" how faithful and awesome is our God?!
~last, we ate a lot! and it was gorgeous eating with someone who also loves to eat and who also takes so much time to decide what meal to order. lolz. and she also likes ice cream, deserts and yogurt! and pareho kaming naghahanap palagi ng budget meal. i love it! i don't feel "matakaw" when i'm with this person. patas lang kami. hahaha!

Little Superhero Girl

(found a song that says exactly how I feel. oh yeah, including the part about Singapore! lolz)

I feel like a little girl
Trying to conquer the whole *wide* world
Everybody wants a piece of me
And I just don't know where to *turn*
I've got work piled up to my head
All I want to do is jump into bed
And wash away my troubles with lemonade
Play hide and seek with the boy next door
Take a trip to Singapore
And imagine how i'll make the world a better place

All I need is a good disguise
One where nobody can recognize
That I'm feeling so small
All I need is a secret weapon
I've gotta have faith
Zapping monsters into outer space
I'm gonna be a Superhero

Na-na-na-na...

If I were a little girl
Trying to clean up the whole wide world
I'd kick the bad boys back to school
Find More lyrics at www.sweetslyrics.com
Teach them fighting's just not cool
I'd give every kid a teddy bear
Turn starving people into millionaires
Break glass ceilings with dynamite
Sprinkle a little sugar and spice
Turn the bullies that terrorize
Into pink poodles that bark but don't bite

All I need is a good disguise
One where nobody can recognize
That I'm feeling so small
All I need is a secret weapon
I've gotta have faith
Zapping monsters into outer space
I'm gonna be a Superhero

Na-na-na-na...

Little Superhero Girl
Little Superhero Girl
Save me
Little Superhero Girl
Little Superhero Girl
Save me from myself

I feel like a little girl
Trying to conquer the whole wide world

today (God's version)

(errr... the first one titled 'today' was my constipated version. this one, God sang with me this morning. hehehe... it makes a lot of sense to me because i know what we're talking about but perhaps, it will make sense to you too. i hope! lolz.)

this is the day that i have made

open your eyes and see it

this is the day that i have made

open your heart and receive it

this is the day that i have made

open your arms and embrace it

this is the day that i have chosen

simplicity ends all the doubting

today, He comes

Heaven's Rescue

Psalm 57:2-3

I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills his purpose for me.

He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me; God sends his love and his faithfulness.

I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills his purpose for me.

I have a purpose and a call. YES, we (God and I) both know that. But days come when every assignment purposed to stop that purpose come running after me. Those days, I learn to CRY. Oh yes, we must cry out TO the God who fulfills his purpose for us. Or we end up crying out to idols which cannot rescue us. Even idols of laziness and lack or worship! We cry out to him and say, "God, the God who FULFILLS YOUR PURPOSE FOR ME," rescue me so that your words may be established in my life.

He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me; God sends his love and his faithfulness.

This part really blew my mind. I never thought of it this way... HE SENDS FROM HEAVEN. He sends from where? Where God? Heaven?

This was the picture I saw. Three wounded men were being attacked by an army of hundreds or even more - men with machine guns and fighter tanks. Who could survive from such an enemy?

They are hiding in the forrest among the bushes. Their enemy is closing in on them. They have tried to contact the nearby camp for reinforcement. They were waiting. It was a vast army that is pursuing them... The nearby camp does not have enough reinforcement to match this army.

Thus, it was the military's MAIN HEADQUARTERS that sent them help. They have the best fighter planes, the best trained men, the best choppers, the best men were put in charge of the rescue. This is HEAVEN's RESCUE. It is not a mediocre assault. It is God's military strategy from heaven.

They hear the fighter planes coming. At impulse they suddenly jerk their heads upward. (Where does my help come from?) They heard the chopper coming and machine guns cleared the ground from them to be able to come out and be rescued.

I heard the Holy Spirit saying, heaven's rescue, heaven's rescue, heaven's rescue! This is God rescuing us in his LOVE and FAITHFULNESS. Simply because we cried out. Why would God send his LOVE and FAITHFULNESS together with his rescue operation? It simply had to be cheesy right? Here we are, waiting for a the chopper and fighter planes to come, but God does not only send the fighters, he says, I'm sending you my a love song. In the midst of the WARFARE, we hear a LOVE SONG echo, being sung by our very own, Commander in Chief and Mighty Man of War, our Daddy God.

october 25

i just have to get this out before i sleep. it's 1 am and my heart is still jumping up and down (while beng and weena are out doing cartwheels somewhere).

as i was walking on one of araneta center's sidewalks this morning, i tried to hold back smiles bubbling from inside me. i wanted to laugh at myself but i had to hold on to some decency. (mashadong maraming tao sa kalsada.)

after sunday service, i greeted mitch, some other friends like doc lissa... i started jumping up and down as if i won the lottery. i stopped myself. it didn't look good on me and my heeled sandals. minutes later, i was on the phone with ryzl and i was jumping again. what can i say, i couldn't help it.

just yesterday morning, i sensed fear building in my heart. but before the day had ended, fear had melted into rivers of joy. i realized that the very source of my fear should be the source of my joy. it was God answering prayers down to specific details.

someone had a prophetic dream about me some 2 years ago. and just a few months ago, someone had another dream which seemed to be the continuation of the first dream. it was a desired continuation because the 1st dream had ended rather unpleasantly. the second dream promised hope. it spoke of a moment when the unpleasant ending of the first dream changes and shifts. the shift opens the door to a promise that i have long received from God, and i have prayed and wrestled for for so long.

the 2nd dream had this simple detail i could not forget... that when it happened, i was 100% aware that someone had dreamed of this before... but i didn't understand what what happening until after God swept away my fears. then he started speaking...

don't you see? i am in control. didn't i give that dream with those exact details and didn't i allow that moment for you to see that the God who gave the dream is able to (literally) bring it to pass right here where tangible people walk, laugh and cry?

then i realized, if God had allowed that dream to come true (and i mean dream or panaginip and not pangarap...) then the other dreams will also come to pass. and those 'other' dreams are just darn good! i couldn't even begin to imagine how it will happen. but i know it will. not because i have big faith. my goodness, i don't. but it will happen because God was the one who had given it, and he's the one who has purposed in his love for me to transpose it where ears and hands actually hear and feel.

i was browsing through old poems a while ago and i realized that God has honored my declarations...

yes, God is real. and so are his every word and promise. :)


----------
Miracle

i know waiting will not last forever
i know faith is a word that eventually substantiates
for those who know how to ask and receive
i know time was not meant to delay or prolong suffering
i know longing is meant to be met by an embrace

i know tears are wiped away in the end
i know promises will be fulfilled if they were given in love
i know hearts soften when watered with mercy tears
i see rain clouds smelling the earth's hunger for water

miracles are not far but are only waiting for the cue of the great Director
a miracle is real even before it happens
and when my heart is filled with faith to the brim,
you will be greater than everything that i know.
when my hand begins to feel,
then i will laugh and cry.

but now, fill me with more of your truth
let me taste the showers of hope purified
faith watering my insufficiency
turning belief into answers
for the God i spoke with, i know, is real

today

today is for those who have waited.

leave tomorrow for those on a journey.

do you see?

faith has laughed its way to miracles

doubters can learn to un-doubt

and shake off the dust of unbelief

eyes that see can turn into eyes that perceive

and hearts that had trusted

had trusted right

today, i can laugh at myself for the days i wept.

today, i weep again, not in sorrow but in joy.

today, the clouds almost kissed my valley

from where before i closed my eyes

they were but high up crowning mountain peaks.

today, tomorrow reached to me its hand

would not let go, would not let me run

i thought i had fought hard

but i have the sense that i am about to realize

that it was tomorrow which fought hard for me

it was grace that gipped and pulled me

to where i should be

we are here now

expectation

so it happened that when God witnessed this FAITH unshaken, he knew that it was as pure as that of a child's. have you ever seen a child believe? have you ever watched a toddler wait for a promise? i would go to great lengths just to reward a child's faith. but there is no length or width for God. now do you wonder how quickly he would come if he saw you beaming at the sight of him, trying to figure out where he hid the "pasalubong"? he'd probably whip up something, even if there was none.

expectation "f-ruited" in trust is a dangerous thing.

sing for Me :)

okay funny funny Daddy God... I sang to him this morning for like minutes and minutes and i was giving my all but i'm just not breaking through. then I realized He wanted to be the one to sing, so I let him. haha! oh i wish we could all hear Him sing over us! but i lost most of the song already. harhar. but i tried to get him to sing again and I was able to get parts of the message on here... in essence, this is what my God said. this goes for all of us:

are those the eyes

of my little girl

tightly shut

trying to find me in her mind

are those the lips

of my precious child

singing me love songs

are those her hands

strumming the guitar

are those melodies for me

are those melodies for her Daddy

wouldn't she know it

that i am watching

that i am tasting

every note of her voice

ever word from her lips

every tear that falls from her eyes

i'm catching

wouldn't she know it

that i am gazing

la la la la la la

sing for me baby

sing for me baby

sing for me

sing for me sing

sing for me

sing for me sing for me sing for me

sing for me baby...

la la la la la la la la la

wouldn't you know it

i am feeling as you sway your head

i am taking in

every turn of your eyes

every shift in your voice

every swing of your hand

every note in that melody

wouldn't you know it...

and more more more. He said so much more! But i guess i'll just write it down when i remember....hihihi

great day!

new glasses, eye bags, and cramming

i swear, i should have gotten my new pair of glasses months ago! so after torturing my eyes for a couple of months, finally had them made...!

oh... they're not as cute as my first pair, but they're more comfortable. the first pair is rimless, very fragile and thin, and has smaller lenses... keeps sliding down my nose... has lower grade on the left eye and accdg. to the optical shop, was already full of scratches, making it stressful for my eyes to use. uh-oh that's why... :(

now let's talk about eye bags. harhar. they're still there! and they're not getting cuter due to constant lack of sleep. they don't exactly match my glasses, yet i'm glad i can see better now (because of the glasses and not the eye bags).

and then cramming. this is an activity i have been trying to avoid. but it has relentlessly followed me like a lovesick lover. sometimes i'd be staring into the computer screen with eyes already painful from stress. (if only i could read with my eyes closed?) i know this is not exactly good regimen for my eye bags but work is work and it needs to be done! then again, i'm glad my eyeglasses are adjusted now. although a while ago, i was a bit concerned because the screen seemed blurry even though i had my glasses on... perhaps, it's because eye glasses aren't there to take away stress, they're just there to make your vision clearer.

now let's add a bonus paragraph. you can't see my brain in that picture - i'm glad. there comes hours in our lives when we don't know how to begin what we need to do and so we decide to take photos using using photo booth (if you're a mac user) hoping the flash will get your brain juices flowing... but i don't think it worked for me because after those shots, i fell asleep.

i guess that's all for now... good morning everyone. have a precious day. Jesus is crazy about you. :)

tomorrow

i know you do not understand poetry and yet i keep writing poems addressed to you. it's funny how i keep doing the same thing over and over even though it does not make any sense. this is how i sigh and breathe and live. this is how i speak, how i form words, and how i express. you are facing the other way. our gazes do not meet. our words would not find each other. our paths refuse to cross. our minds are far off. even when our eyes meet, our lives are distant, too distant to remember anything worth holding on to.

but this is now. this is now and i know what tomorrow brings.

i know you are not far off. i know that distance is too finite to be given much contemplation. i know something from someone who knows everything, always.

if God had remained silent, i should long be gone. you would have lost me. but here i am again writing prose and poetry. and where there used to be tears, life is birthing smiles and laughter. i don't know how it happened but yes our lives are distant, too distant to even find solace in encounter... but here i am again, i am writing. believing that by some miracle you'd ever understand. on.

korean skater, one of the best bets for 2010 ladies' figure skating

Admit it. This category has always been dominated by the US, Russia, China, and Japan. With the first two always being the most consistent in remaining competitive since decades back.

But this year, we hear of Korean Kim Yu Na as many's best bet. She has set records both in Korea and in international womens' figure skating. Kim is the first South Korean figure skater who medaled and won at a ISU Junior Grand Prix and at the Junior Grand Prix Final, at a ISU Grands Prix and at the Grand Prix Final, and at the World Championships. Kim is the record holder for ladies in the short program, [2] the free skating[3] and the combined total under the ISU Judging System. Kim is the first female skater to pass the 200-point mark and also the first female skater who received +2.00 grade of execution[4] for jumps under the ISU Judging System." (Wikipedia)

"Kim Yu-Na is the 2009 World Figure Skating Champion and the 2009 Four Continents champion. She may be the favorite. Others to watch include 2006 Olympic Silver Medalist, Sasha Cohen, (who has returned to competitive skating after a three year absence), 2008 World Figure Skating Champion Mao Asada, 2007 World Figure Skating Champion Miki Ando, and 2009 World Silver Medalist Joannie Rochette." (About.com)

IMAGINATION vs INSPIRATION

"The simplicity that is in Christ." 2 Corinthians 11:3

Simplicity is the secret of seeing things clearly. A saint does not think clearly for a long while, but a saint ought to see clearly without any difficulty. You cannot think a spiritual muddle clear, you have to obey it clear. In intellectual matters you can think things out, but in spiritual matters you will think yourself into cotton wool. If there is something upon which God has put His pressure, obey in that matter, bring your imagination into captivity to the obedience of Christ with regard to it and everything will become as clear as daylight. The reasoning capacity comes afterwards, but we never see along that line, we see like children; when we try to be wise we see nothing (Matthew 11:25).

The tiniest thing we allow in our lives that is not under the control of the Holy Spirit is quite sufficient to account for spiritual muddle, and all the thinking we like to spend on it will never make it clear. Spiritual muddle is only made plain by obedience. Immediately we obey, we discern. This is humiliating, because when we are muddled we know the reason is in the temper of our mind. When the natural power of vision is devoted to the Holy Spirit, it becomes the power of perceiving God's will and the whole life is kept in simplicity.

Oswald Chambers

Jabi

some 20+ years ago, while i was still a toddler, i attended a birthday party where Jollibee was a special guest. i didn't know yet then that he was famous so my parents and sister had to force me to have my picture taken with the huge orange bee carrying me.

no way. who is that chubby bee anyway? stranger...

the memory is still quite crisp and clear. my sister (who was 2 years older than i) just had to find a way to convince me. "Jollibee can fly sister... He'll take you high up in the sky...Don't you want that? High high up!" These words freaked me out. Is that safe? I'm not sure about flying... and falling? Errr, how can we make sure my lungs and little frame are equipped for the stratosphere? No no no.

Thinking that they've convinced me, they handed me over to Jollibee. I burst into tears.

Traumatic eh? Precisely why I could still remember it till now. I was around 3 years old then.

But yesterday I saw HIM again! Mr. Jabi! Boy I was no longer scared. And just to prove that I've grown already into a young lady who recognizes that Jabi can't carry her into the stratosphere, I had this photo taken. Evidence that the old is gone and the new has come. ;)

roller coaster day

i accidentally "advance-purchased" the wrong tickets - 8 of them - to a UAAP basketball game. i had to pay for them even though i couldn't use them... i've texted all the friends i could think of but... well... they don't want to buy the tickets. i've asked God to help out. but have not really listened well to what his suggestion is... so i did. haha. why didn't i think of that God?! so i posted an ad on our ateneo email group. hours later, people started to reply. weee!

well, let's just say i got a bit confused as to who to prioritize, the one who's buying more tickets or the one who first emailed. asking for God's wisdom and guidaaaance, yebah.. i finally ended up selling it to the most gracious bidder - the one who was quick to reply to my messages and at the same time was willing to get all the remaining tickets. she's heaven-sent.

so there i was grateful and so happy 'cause God made "pakitang gilas" to me again. how well he accomplishes our requests... when suddenly i end up stuck in marikina waiting for my parents to finish their errand. sigh.

see, i chose not to watch the game in araneta for 2 reasons: 1) financial - wanted to avoid expenses and since i intend to watch the cheering competition, i opted not to watch the game... 2) pressure from work - i have lots of deliverables pending and i'm so pressured to get them done so i'd rather work than watch basketball.

but there i was, waiting on the wind... sigh... yes God, i'm pissed, hurt, and irritated. what do i do?

see, God allowed it. he allowed me to get stuck there to ruin my plans and learn to do things his way. "Riza, what do you do if things don't turn out the way you want them to? Do you rebel or do you look for the silver lining on the otherwise gloomy dark clouds? Who will you choose to listen to, the voice of disappointment or the voice of wisdom?"

you see i was so pissed to the point that i didn't want to read my bible while waiting. but i didn't want to waste my time either, so i asked for the grace to do what's right. soon i was reading the bible, then praying.

and of course there were more delays because we had to pass by the grocery. when i got back home, i went back to my research thingie. i still could not finish it. somehow, i couldn't find the missing piece.

perhaps additional 3 or 4 hrs would have helped. but perhaps it wouldn't make any difference. but asking God does. so that's what i'm doing now. asking God how to finish this task.

i still don't know the answer.

and, i think, before it gets crazier, i'd rather sleep.

LOVE = DISCIPLINE

i realize more each day how much of a brat i am. (nobody react please. i know my family has been praying for me to come to this realization for a long time now.) my morning conversation with God was just, uhm, i don't know how to call it... if you were watching a movie, and my thoughts were being played using a voice over, you'd probably react this way: BRAAAAT!

well, what can i say? God, in his immenseness and immensity and immense capacity to love, does love a brat like me. but not without a patient and tough heart that is ready to raise the rod of disciple whenever the 'circumstance' calls him to do so.

so there i was about to be frantically disappointed again at the thought of having another one of my requests denied. but God, in his grandness and lovable-Daddyness gently but firmly rebuked me saying, "No, you cannot have what you want. Not now, not the way you want it! And not because I don't love you. In fact, the reason is because I LOVE you. And this IS love Riza. My love for you right now means discipline. I see character coming out. I am bringing it out. Now learn. Be strong and learn that this is me loving you. I am not far."

I have strayed quite nonchalantly. And yes i tried denying my part in getting myself into a mess that could have been avoided had i clung to God, remained in him. And funny how i accuse him of leaving me when it was i who left him. Funny how i resist his embrace when it was i who wronged him in the first place.

But what can i say? here i am, not getting what i deserve. as always...

where can i run from your love?

retardation

Holy Spirit, thank you for my computer chair. It feels good against my back.
Delayed thanks for the table and printer... this instant work corner i now have here at home.
Had it not been for the Holy Spirit's patience with me, these blinders would have not fallen off my eyes.
I know, i know, what does a computer chair have to do with blinders...

Well, weeks ago, i requested that our printer be transferred from my sister's house to my house. She does not really need it much because she already has a printer in her office. When the printer got here, my dad instantly fixed a corner in our house for me (without me asking), putting a computer table, setting up the printer, and at my request, my mom added a computer chair, something that we have lots of here at home. (They came from the office that we closed years back.)

Then tell you what... I realized how retarded i was. i have been complaining about backaches due to the absence of a desk and a chair. And my friend shina has been repeatedly telling me to get a chair. (Yup, i work either on the floor or on the sofa.) But i never really did something about it. i just assumed that there's not enough space in our small home. i used to look around and give up right after seeing that there's no available table and chair. apparently, there were, i just didn't notice or just did not look hard enough. and i realized that we could push for some space if we just chose to be intentional.

Then see the Holy Spirit made me realize how retarded i was. Something as simple as this, i could not do for myself. i had been asking God to help me but i never tried beyond just "looking around."

But yes yes, God should have spanked me but instead He made a way for me. I'm sorry God for being too slow and acting helpless when i should be exercising my faculties. a bit more patience... gentle rebukes... pls don't judge me guys for this. let's just learn. promise i'm trying to change.

night-time

i wonder about what Rizal was thinking during the last days of his life. he already knew that his execution awaits only a couple more days. There was of course the sadness that came from leaving behind the people he loved, especially his wife. He must have wished he had children, then again, who will take care of them without him...? But despite the 'end' that awaits him, he must have, he must be... still thinking of our 'fatherland' and its fair hope that he knew lies in our youth. "fair hope of our fatherland," words of Rizal that we have so repetitiously used until it finally lost its meaning. Words that we have reduced to a slogan or fancy quotable quote.

i wonder about Rizal's faith in his countrymen. Did he approach his death with a firm hope that if not in the next decade, it was sure that men's eyes will one day be opened to the true worthiness and cost of attaining freedom? Did he fear that this unblinding of our eyes might take longer that it should? That many a generation will choose the status quo over the best of what life has to give, that many a generation will choose to look after only their own interest rather that their fatherland and countrymen's? What if the vicious cycle remains to be such and the nation never finds its way out of it? What if many a good men hesitate to pay the price that he chose to pay and thus fail to fulfill his part in waking up a generation of slumberers... sweetly cradled in a lullaby of deception?

We are all pointing towards where Rizal had run towards throughout the course of his life. We have flipped through pages and pages of his propaganda and heart-sown pieces. We understand and see but are we STEPPING into the destiny that all heroes have literally fought for unto death?

I am uneasy. I am anxious. I am angry. I am restless. I am burning inside as i ponder about how we have reduced Rizal's writings into historical pieces that tell us about a past so relevant yet not relevant enough to influence our present actions. we have repeatedly and conveniently left the lessons inside our classrooms and discussion rooms. we say we understand Rizal. but our understanding never jumps from the realms of lip service into a realm that actually cuts through the very flesh and bones that we feed with pizza, chicken, burger and fries.

who are you Filipino? have you discovered yourself in studying your past? have you repented for your failures and blindness and are you walking now against the grain? it is not enough to walk peacefully just because the weather around you is calm. blindness is a tricky thing. and freedom is not something you gain by how loud you shout, how long you stay on the streets, or how much risk you take in defying rules and regulations.

freedom is that moment when you cease thinking about yourself and how right you are. it is that moment when the things that we consider right and just finally cuts through our apathy and comfort, then reforms us. the offspring of change can only be birthed by change. it is humble hunger for righteousness that changes complainers into doers. only when we ourselves bear the cost of self reformation, only then can we change a nation.

"I do not write for this generation. I am writing for other ages. If this could read me, they would burn my books, the work of my whole life. On the other hand, the generation which interprets these writings will be an educated generation; they will understand me and say: 'Not all were asleep in the night-time of our grandparents'."
---The Philosopher 'Tasio, in Noli Me Tangere

Are our eyes really open? If yes, then why is it that we still hear many crying out for freedom?

My Lover

*Purge me of MY shallow words, MY pledges of foolishness, passion unsubstantiated, flaky promises, and all forms of cowardice that make me run away rather than endure fire when it begins to rage.

but your bride said that you are
the most handsome of ALL men
and you have pursued me even before
there was any beauty in me
and you say to me,
"don't try to understand my love,
it is too much for you"

I must (get to) know you
If I don't, I might shut my door on you
Your appearance has been romanticized
but the prophet said
there was nothing beautiful about it
the men that came to you
were not lured by your complexion
who are you?

who are you?
the one who never ceased to wait
the one who never ceased to watch me
the one who never ceased...

the words of my youth
you cherished as much
as the words of my womanhood
who am i to know you?
yet you are running
after me

who are you when i am not looking?
and most of the time, i am not
who are you when i am attentive?
you pour out as much as i can hold

who are you? the man i do not know
the man who knows me well
the man i've never seen
the man, whose face i hope i'd recognize

i will run.


--------------------
Isaiah 53:2b
Psalm 130
Song of Songs

thank and you will receive

My instinct has always been to pray. I badly wanted our team (Ateneo Blue Eagles) to win. Watching the game from upper box seats in Araneta Coliseum made the desire even more intense. But what are the chances that God would grant me my request? Certainly, there are also La Sallians praying for the Green Archers to win. What makes my request more weighty than theirs? So I found myself asking God what it would take to get his favor just for today.

First quarter of the game, I was nervous. There certainly is no guarantee that God is on our side. The heck, it's a basketball game! Why would God take sides right? But I was praying for our players that they would find the grace and strength and perseverance to go all out - to give their best. I just prayed for the best. I couldn't pray for us to win. At most I can pray for a winning performance. But in my heart I kept on telling God, "if there's anything I can do, just let me know!"

But when we reached the second half, God started speaking. He said, "Thank me. Why are you so nervous and doubtful? If you have faith, you will start thanking me." Then came a surge of faith. I realized that my fear is doing me no good! I have to start thanking God for the best that is to come. From pleading with God I started thanking and my it feels right! Thank you God for the victory... It was then that I realized that God was teaching me how to war again. In the face of intimidation, it is not helpful to beg! Begging puts you in a position of defeat!! If you are to win, you have to see yourself winning and when you do, the only response will be to start thanking God. I began to thank God. The more I did, the more I my mind found the grace to see victory and vise versa.

By the end of the 4th quarter, I already feel God's joy - kahit na nagtie!!!

For those of you who watched the game tonight, you know that Ateneo Blue Eagles won. (ONE BIG FIGHT!!!) But it was not our team's "victory" that convinces me that my prayers worked. I mean, whether my thanksgiving brought the team to win today's match or not, I believe they were nonetheless, the right prayers - prayers that see God as worthy of thanksgiving and prayers that somehow ministered blessing.

About an hour after the game has ended, I found myself thinking (and thinking...) of the game and how Blue Eagle team player Eric Salamat played a big role in the team's victory. "Go Salamat!" I thought... "What a name," I said to myself. Then right after that thought I suddenly realized, "Hey! Salamat means Thanks!" Right then and there I knew God was sealing in his message for me for the day: Give thanks. It's your weapon for war. Thanksgiving will bring you into victory. =)

Thanks tita tes for the early tickets... Til championships!

ONE BIG FIGHT!

lost on a saturday

the caffeine has subsided... at least 90% of its effect has... i'm still feelin' a bit off. was not able to spend some time in quiet today. same old problem. "where do i do it" well, i could just throw my face into the pillow and plug in my earplugs. why i did not do that, i don't know.

my greatest accomplishment for the day so far is eating breakfast. because of this, i'm not having a headache right now. i'm still a bit sluggish though. has to be the late nights (or 'til mornings) i've been spending awake. but i've stopped doing that intentionally since last night. if not for the caffeine, i would have been gone by 11pm.

i'm working on a saturday. scurrying off to the rink. haven't had lunch and it's almost 2pm. i think i should marry a chef. but before that i have to fix my life and vow to never miss my quiet time despite the noise --- EVERYWHERE.

Perfectly Imperfect

To my covenant sisters Meech and April. thanks you for sticking with me through hard times. (charing. ang drama.) I'm trying my best to get back on track.

Also, to all my sisters who've held me up when I could hardly stand.

Perfectly Imperfect

You are perfect
just the way you are
We fail every now and then
But we never give up
We're stricken clueless often
But we won't stop asking questions, will we?
(Learning takes a lifetime)
We are embarrassed when our selfishness is exposed
it happens...
But we learn to say sorry

Watching you love breaks my fears
Your brokenness in trying, heals me
We are imperfect people
striving to love
perfectly
It is far from our grasp
but we never stop climbing
enduring

Change for the best
But not to be loved
You already are

You are perfectly imperfect
the way you are
I feel like I am failing, falling
But on me, you have not given up
I am stricken clueless
I feel embarrassed and exposed
It happens...
I am learning to accept
the fact that you've chosen to stay with me
Glued together through imperfect times
We've promised to be alright

I wanna cringe
as I watch you love... my imperfections
It's funny how
we look beautiful when we are weak
It's funny how
imperfect love does make us strong

---

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. - 2 Cor. 12:9

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. - 1 Pet. 4:8

voiceless

if you knew me
you know i find it hard to speak
i uttered syllables that pleaded rescue
but you were too occupied
to even hear

i set my cries aside
to find it taking its toll
the walls i built suddenly caved in
i needed you
but now i cannot run to you

i've set my cries aside
because you cannot hear
i needed you
but now how can i run to you?
the words that you shut off
have locked me in
alone

Ako ay Pilipino Movement (AAP) - What it's about

BACKGROUND

For many years the Lord has been preparing the Philippines for a great harvest that will pave the way for the fulfillment of the Great Commission in Asia and the world. The calling for the Philippines to be a “tiger economy”, “fruit basket of Asia” and a “missionary-sending nation” are waiting to be fulfilled. However, year after year the Philippines have been struggling from corrupt government, natural calamities and economic crisis. The results have been devastating.

God is doing something among the nations, like what He said to Habakkuk when he was complaining about the sickening situations in Judah. God told Habakkuk (1:5), “Look at the nations and watch—and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.” He is truly moving among the nations. He wants the Philippines to come back to Him and fulfill her calling. The calling is great, that is why the struggle is so evident. The enemy is effectively working among the government to thwart this plan. Corruption and lawlessness are so systemic that drag our country to suffering. Poverty is so rampant that the brightest young professionals and the geniuses’ are going out of the country in search for a better life. Many parents go outside the country for a better life for their children. Many families are broken. The fatherless are increasing in numbers. The gap between rich and poor is widening. The people are losing heart. Only those who believe in the promises of God loves our nation, the rest, are ashamed to be a Filipino.

It is the same as it was in the days of Habakkuk. His complaints to God are understandable. They are valid. The Lord heard them. And then He answered. Habakkuk responded by being the watchman for Judah. From the tower he could see the wickedness all around, and knew God was going to speak. Yes, the Babylonians were set to destroy Judah, similar to how the enemy is set to destroy the Philippines. But Habakkuk waited. He heard the Lord say:

Habakkuk 2 (NKJV)
1 I will stand my watch
And set myself on the rampart,
And watch to see what He will say to me,
And what I will answer when I am corrected.
2 Then the LORD answered me and said:
“ Write the vision
And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it.
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
Because it will surely come,
It will not tarry.

The Lord has set Intercessors For the Philippines and the rest of the Body of Christ participating in the two-year National Prayer and Fasting as the nation’s watchmen. The Lord has already given the vision and revelation for the Philippines. The destination and God’s plan is already set. Now we are waiting for its fulfillment. But like in the days of Judah, the Lord wanted Habakkuk to write down what he hears from the Lord. This means, the vision or revelation had to be made public. It had to be made known to Judah. It had to be read. The reason? As the people read the vision from the Lord, their hearts would be uplifted and encouraged. Instead of looking at the wicked happening all around them, they would see what the Lord had prepared for them. And uplifted, they would run with the vision, united in one heart and mind to fulfill all that God had spoken.

The same is true at present. The Philippines is waiting for the Body of Christ to be united. The vision is already revealed to them. But they all need to run with it. It has to be made known to everyone that despite the present turmoil, God has already made up His mind to change the Philippines. This vision and revelation should be made available not only to the believers, but to everyone.

How are we going to make this happen? As the leadership of the Body of Christ is working on the practical and spiritual terms, we should make use of all forms of media to make the vision public: written materials, books, Internet, TV & radio. The content should be from the time Philippines were discovered as a nation almost 490 years ago, from her birth until now, focusing on her purpose and destiny that was revealed throughout history. It will also trace back who we are as Filipinos during the pre-colonial era. This is in support to God’s prophetic word over the Philippines in accordance to Daniel 9:24, the fulfillment of all the prophecies that will be given in the 490th year of when Philippines was recognized as a nation.

After hearing from the Lord this direction, we therefore wanted to put it into action. We would like to come up with a material, which we will call: “Ako ay Pilipino”. This material will help establish in the hearts of the Filipinos who we are, why we are in this nation, and why we have been born in such a time as this. Once we understand our identity as a Filipino and as a nation, it will be easy for us to fulfill our destiny. Patriotism & passionate prayers will arise as each one realizes how especial Filipinos are in the eyes of the Lord and the world. The uplifting of the hearts will create the desire for change for righteousness in and out. It will be a material that will address not only born again Christians, but to all Bible believing people from different religion that believes in the Bible like the Catholics, Protestant, etc.

We are in the gateway of the fulfillment of the prophesies over our beloved nation. This will pave the way for the completion of the Great Commission throughout Asia and the world. It is a time for change. A time to unite. A time to set aside church background and denomination as a hindrance. People need to hear what the Lord has prepared for the Philippines. Only righteousness will exalt this nation. There is no way that wicked governance and disunited Body of Christ will do this. Let us boldly make known the vision and the revelation of the Lord for our beloved nation that all Filipinos, not just the Christians, in and outside the Philippines may run with it.


BASIS/FOUNDATION:

1.This is a step of faith in seizing our nation’s prophetic destiny. The prophetic direction and the vision God has given the watchmen of the Philippines through Bishop Dan Balais, IFP, Cindy Jacobs & other prophets & participating churches in Two-year National Prayer and Fasting. (Dan. 9:20-24) The 490 years of the Philippines is in 2010, the year of the fulfillment & jubilee.
2. We have to write down the given vision (make it public) for the Philippines, so the one who reads it may run with it (may join with it and take action) (Habakkuk 2: 1-4). This is a response to the call of God to make the vision public not only to the Body of Christ but also to all Filipinos.
3. Throughout history, the Lord has already been moving to change this nation, but the people are not seeing them. We need a way to let them see the move of God in this nation.
4. The hearts of the Filipinos have been so low because of the poverty, political turmoil, economic crisis and corruption. They are discouraged and frustrated. Making the Filipino’s self-esteem very low. It is about time to let them see who they are as Filipinos and their destiny in God’s eyes.
5. There are still part of the Body of Christ that are not convinced of God’s redemptive plans for the Philippines and its role in changing this nation. This is an opportune time to open their eyes to the reality of God and set aside denominations and personal interest, and be united.
6. There are millions of Filipinos who are living outside the country to make a living. Some of them have forsaken their motherland, others have hatred and ashamed to be Filipinos. It is about time to uplift the cause of the Philippines, know how God loves this nation. However, there are also Filipinos outside the country who are just waiting for a movement and a chance that they can support to change this nation.
7. Slowly, there is already a big mass of Filipinos who are becoming more patriotic. They just need some foundation and direction for their patriotism.
8. The Filipinos are ready for a change. There is a silent cry in the schools, offices, families, everywhere that should be given an avenue to pave the way for a change.

PURPOSE:

1. To write down and share the vision. This is to make the prophetic word of the Lord for the Philippines, public. It is our goal to share the vision God has given to the Body of Christ and to the Filipinos. As they are informed, through God’s work throughout the histories past & present, the Filipinos will understand their destiny as a person and as a nation.
2. To rally and challenge the people to chose righteousness, to pray and take action. This is the only way that God can exalt this nation.
3. To prepare the Filipinos for the coming election that is going to open the gate for the Philippines’ 490th year, which will usher in the new season of God for the Philippines.
4. To stir up the sprit of patriotism in the hearts of the Filipinos in and outside the country. To instill in the hearts of the Filipinos that one of our purposes in life is to love our nation.
5. To make the Filipinos realize and take action on their destiny as a nation and role in fulfilling the Great Commission in Asia and the world.

MATERIALS TO BE USED:

All forms of media if possible:
• Book (it will start from the book as the basis of all the materials that will be used)
• Website
• TV programs & Radio stations
• Billboards
• Newspapers/magazines
• Shirts, stickers, dog tags, etc.

BIBLICAL FOUNDATION:

Daniel 9:20-24 (New International Version)

The Seventy "Sevens" (490 years)
While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the LORD my God for his holy hill- while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. He instructed me and said to me, "Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed. Therefore, consider the message and understand the vision:

"Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy.

Habakkuk 2 (NLT)

I will climb up to my watchtower
and stand at my guardpost.
There I will wait to see what the Lord says
and how he[a] will answer my complaint.
The Lord’s Second Reply
Then the Lord said to me,
“Write my answer plainly on tablets,
so that a runner can carry the correct message to others.
(NASB) ["Record the vision, and inscribe it on tablets,
That the one who reads it may run.]
(NKJV) [“ Write the vision, and make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it.]
This vision is for a future time.
It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled.
If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently,
for it will surely take place.
It will not be delayed.

PROPHECY: (one of the many prophecies)
NATIONAL FAST FOR THE COMING ELECTIONS
Prophecy by Cindy Jacobs

You know, the Lord shows me, over the Philippines there is a PRINCIPALITY OF CORRUPTION, and this corruption has been so systemic, and so deep, and this principality thinks it controls the Philippines. But the Lord is showing me that there will be a NATIONAL FAST, praying -- everyone, the north, the south, the east and the west, the whole church, not part of the church, STANDING UP and FASTING and PRAYING. There should not be a day that there isn't fasting going on for the Philippines.

And I am calling you, wherever you are, whoever is hearing my voice, whatever pastor is hearing my voice, whatever youth movement, the Lord is saying, 'LOVE YOUR NATION.' This is a strategic nation. Fast for the elections coming up, cry out to God, that in the next election God is gonna move in a massive way, the spirit of corruption will be broken.

Listen, the last time I was in the Philippines, I prophesied that the fear of the Lord was going to come to the Philippines, and those who tried to participate in corruption I feared for their lives. After that, two of them died. God isn't just saying these things. He means them. You get your life right, and you have the fear of the Lord in your life. If you tried to corrupt, corrupt God's nation, it's gonna be Acts 5 days of Ananias and Sapphira.

GOD IS GETTING READY TO MOVE AND MARCH THROUGHOUT THE LAND

God is getting ready to move and march throughout the land. He's gonna pull down one and He's gonna set up the other. No longer will His words be delayed over the Philippines. If you stand and pray and you believe, God, the Lion of Judah, is going to arise and shake His mane over the nation, and He's going to roar out of Zion, and the darkness will be dispelled, says the Lord. Wow!


Prepared by:
Lorna Joannes
July 20, 2009

DO NOT GO GENTLE INTO THAT GOOD NIGHT (By Thomas Dylan)

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay, 
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light. 

a thought about Daddy God

Jon Schmidt during an interview about his musical arrangement, "Love story meets viva la vida" said: That's Sarah's favorite part... when i got to that part when I was arranging, I tried to extend that moment a little bit...

I could just imagine God saying, well i know that that will be riza's favorite part so i'm gonna extending it a bit so i can watch that smile get stuck on her face. *hearty DADDY GOD laughter*

yey! thanks DADDY!

God will save the day: reflections from under the broom tree

i remember Elijah sleeping under the broom tree, waking up to see beside him some bread baked from hot stones, beside it a jar of water. i imagined he was so weak and helpless that God had to send an angel to wake him up. i imagined God's concern over Elijah as he sent that angel - someone to tap him and bake some bread for him. i see the hot stones lying there like some miraculous oven of serendipity. (even ovens are not impossible to find in the wilderness God's eyes are on you. and they are!) i imagine God's eyes on Elijah. i see the angel as God's special "alalay" to take care of this exhausted son.

i know that God understands it when all my strength has run out, when all i can do is faint under a broom tree. that was what happened to Elijah right? he must not have looked at his watch before sleeping saying, "oh it's 10pm. it's past my bed time. i'm off to dreamland now..." he probably didn't even know what time it was. he just fell there all strength gone.

i know that God stoops over when our tiredness keeps us stuck in bed. he understands us when the alarm clock could not do a better job at waking us up. and so he sends us an angel.

i know that God has foreseen the journey he has ordained for us to take. he sees the futrue. he also knows it when there is nothing left in our pockets. he knows it when the nearest convenience store is too far for convenience especially for a body sapped out of energy. he has foreseen the moment when lifting a finger would become too tedious for a soul almost crushed by failure or disillusion.

and he has prepared a journey into the cave of intimacy. yes he has calculated the steps we need to take and the amount of food we need to get there. he has gathered up the provision to take us there: some hot stones, an angel, baked bread and a jar of water. and he stoops down to provide all these. provisions that are a little less than ordinary.

he knows it when we have nothing left. when we have given everything we've got and when our falling into sleep is not an act of disobedience but a cry to be rescued.

he will strengthen us with just enough for another journey that will take us into the cave of intimacy. where we can wait for our strength to be renewed for he is about to reveal that he has preserved 7,000 who are actually on our side of the battle. that warrior sons shall be anointed and they shall crush jezebel. victory is at hand. from the cave of intimacy, we will renew our sonship by anointing our sons. and we will realize that everything has been provided for all along. even if it takes miracles to get them. like the angel, the baked bread and jar of water under the broom tree, we cannot really finish the journey without miracles. and miracles do not really happen without a need for them.

from under the broom tree, i am learning to depend completely. and i am learning to admit that even intimacy is completely an act of God. i am wooed into it with a strength not mine. i am taken into it with a love that is not mine. i am Elijah under the broom tree. i am a bruised reed that he does not break. but i am rescued in his grace and mercy. between doubts and tears. between silence and songs. between clear words and confusion. between anger and forgiveness, humility and sin, obedience and hesitation, and all that remains to be cleansed...

amidst all... God steps in and pours out all it takes. even ovens made of hot stones.

(2 Kings 19:5)

friday

it's always nice when i get to be alone in a room while playing some powerful fun worship music. reminds me of how good it feels to dance like crazy.

friday morning, i remember asking God for greater things that day. encouragement... anything happy and more than the usual. sometimes i forget to ask like Jabez. that day, thank God i remembered.

God never fails. after God-time, i got ready to start off with my morning errand. it got postponed. i ended up coming early for work at the ice rink. wow. the rink was close to being empty. well... if you ain't got students and there ain't much going on the ice, might as well enjoy the exclusive space... i haven't tried jumping axels for like 7 years now... well, why not try now? suddenly, i just had the courage to jump (this rarely happens nowadays since i'm not exactly in good shape now). but God was up to something. for some reason i had the desire and excitement and faith to do it. must be the movie i watched last wednesday - facing the giants. hahaha. so a bit of warm up, preparation jumps and off i jumped the axel. tada...! i almost landed it. waaaaah. am i dreaming??? i was definitely nervous and a bit shaky. but i was fighting the tension off. i knew God was giving me faith for this. hahaha. i tried it again. i landed it. did i just... land... it...? i landed 3 or 4 more jumps. i also fell a couple of times. but God it feels good to jump again. and yes it even feels good to fall again. my first surprise for the day.

after that i got a bit dizzy. so i rested. then came the students... 4 assists in a row! not a single idle minute! my 2nd surprise for that day.

i was told that we'd be interviewed too for our application in MOA ice rink...since the megamall rink is closing on aug.31, most of us applied in MOA (another surprise yes bec. i only found out about the interview that day when i got to the rink.) well... the interview went really well. i was surprised because i didn't know that my boss thought highly of me. i learned that because he spoke well of me to my other interviewer during our interview. my other interviewer (there were 2 of them) was also very pleased. kulang nalang i-hire na niya ako. i swear i wanted to jump and clap my hands as i walked out of the office. but i didn't want to look crazy and too overjoyed. nakakahiya... toinx. it was the favor that i've been asking God for consistently. i've asked and asked and declared and declared. i realized it has always been there. it just took an interview in order for God to show me. 3rd surprise for the day.

it was almost 5pm and by that time i was starving. i didn't have lunch so i grabbed some food and went straight to my lifenet meeting with the teens. ages 12-14. di pa pala teen ung iba... i honestly think we had fun. they had a lot of questions. and they seemed very interested... wow. i wasn't expecting it because i was warned that some of them might be pasaway. hahaha... well, we'll see as time goes by. lol. in the mean time, surprise no. 4.

as i was commuting back to where i was staying that night... i felt a bit bored having to go home early. i haven't had dinner yet (although i had late lunch... pero goto lang po kc yon) so i kinda prayed to God where the heck am i going to have dinner and i wished i could hang out a bit. then came ryzl texting me if i wanna join their victory@25 celebration. i was walking inside gateway mall that time... on my way to the mrt station... i asked where it was. lo and behold, it was just a couple of strides away down at araneta coliseum. i said i'll be there in a jiffy. we had late dinner afterwards. answered prayer again. surprise no. 5.

and it all started with asking God that morning. and dancing like crazy. it works quite well in stirring up faith. i mean, dancing works well for me. i don't know maybe you should try it too. one lazy morning, try dancing for God. and asking for miracles... even small ones. or big ones. whichever you think suits your day. :) Jesus always makes a way!