Full of Years

I was reading this book in the bible and this passage caught my attention. It says in Genesis 25:7-8. Altogether, Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years. Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years and he was gathered to his people. That is something interesting, because I know life has full of ups and down, some are good surprises and some are challenging. But here in this passage Abraham died at a good old age, an old man full of years. Meaning his life was with the most satisfying years while he was living.

I am always amaze of what kind of heart does Abraham have for God. He was a man with a great fear and respect for his God ( Genesis 22). A man lived with honor and full of obedience. (Genesis 12). A man who loves deeply and with compassion. It was like Abraham graduated with the highest distinction or with the highest praise like a Summa Cum Laude award in God’s honor.

Was Abraham like an ordinary man like us? Yes. He was an ordinary human being like us, but with an extra ordinary heart. He choose to be extra ordinary, with him has strength to love, to care enough for people because his heart was drawn to it.(Genesis 18:16-33) Can we still see Abraham in our generation? The faith like Abraham has for God is a matter of our choice. Ask and believe with your unceasing faith to God. Dare to live your life to the fullest (John 10:10). I think the best years of our life is yet to come. Have a full life, full of years to all :-)

Faith Lift

Mathew 1:18-25

Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son

18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about [a]: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, [b] because he will save his people from their sins."
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" [c] (which means "God with us").
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

(Please read continuously the whole Chapter 2, book of Mathew)

The birth of Jesus Christ was never been easy. Even from what Joseph and Mary his parents had gone through to fulfill the calling of God. Imagine the time before Christ, the Holy Spirit intercede with the man and the angels of the Lord speaks to dreams to deliver their message to a normal people. In the life of Joseph and Mary who has both great fear in God, you will see in the scriptures the deliverance and the work of God in their lives. That’s incredible!

I was trying to meditate the story of Joseph and Mary based from the bible. And I realize how much the faith they need to have that time to gone through their marriage and for Mary being a virgin to carry the plan of God to become the mother of Jesus Christ. Was it difficult? Yes.

Do we have difficult times too? The year 2009 was also never been good for me I confess, even in the very beginning. I still remember the dilemma, the first week of the month of January. It was a situation that everyone will never wish to happen as you were being deceived. Because the big amount of money I carried that day on my bag was stolen unknowingly. I was really crying on my way to office coming from the bank that I supposed to deposit the money. In the office, I called right away my close friend and I felt I'm really in grieve and shared my hurt to her. It's really painful? You have trusted that every people you will encounter were safe but not, for me it’s a traumatic experience. Really that broke my heart and makes me cry whenever that thing pops up on my mind. Maybe that whole month I was in a mess spiritually and emotionally. I was like in a restless battle inside me. Little did I know, I had come up with a lot of questions on my mind towards God and with my faith, same with my family and my personal a lot of things were happening. I continually search for an answer from God on my prayers despite of all. But it was already September 2009 that I was still receiving a message from above. It was the time when a great storm hit the whole Manila. I never thought I will be facing other difficult situations, when I was caught with almost 4 feet flood in the street going home. I was so afraid that I thought I would die anytime. God was so good that he send someone to help me get through the flood. When I finally got home, I went in my room at once and burst into tears and really struggled emotionally that I couldn’t even pray.

Alright, I will stop from there because I finally got an answer from all those lingering questions on my mind. God made me gone through those sufferings and challenges for only one reason, to help me build my faith on Him. As I was writing this as my last article this year 2009, I can say and feel that God gave me a different spirit. He had blessed me a lot of things this year that fades my disappointments and replace it with a lot of appreciation of His love and peace. God is great.

Sometimes we never know that sufferings is an avenue to have faith that simply trusting God. We all want to transform our faith. Isn't it? I think only through unceasing prayers and complete reliance on God that we will experience "Faith Lift".

Allison Davis Photography Inspired by Love

Lately, I have thought about looking a web page about weddings and photography. To my surprise, I came across Allison Davis Photography Inspired by Love. I am truly appreciative of photos and designs, when I browse this blog page, they are awesome! Take time to look on the link above and get inspired. It’s wonderful and I love it!

Meet Allison…

Quote:

Love is never static. It doesn’t sit there like a pretty picture on the shelf. It isn’t an either-or matter. Neither is love an absolute.

Love needs to move ahead at it’s own pace. It must find its own way. Love can be quietly exciting as it moves from one stage to the other. As it becomes more secure, more sure of it self, love takes on new characteristics, new features that early love can never have. – bob garon

Love Timing

I am fond of reading book those talk about friendships and relationships. Well, because it gives me positive emotions and valuable learning whenever I finish reading these kind of books. I think it shape me up to become a better person and gave me ideas of other people opinions, beliefs characters and personalities. I would also like to read articles in the magazines or even blogs that share about love stories. I felt somehow entertained and thrill about their stories on how love can move in a mysterious way in a relationships. The movies I’ve watched so far and really my are favorites, “Nothing Hills”, “A Walk to Remember”, “Titanic, “ A Beautiful Mind” and “Twilight". These are movies with admirable and touching love stories with lessons in life. I am talking about this, because I would like to share this relevant principle, the truth behind a lasting love and romance. Read the story as follows:

The Kite & The String by Eugene Peterson

Wisdom is simply the ownership of insight. Peterson says wisdom is the “art of living skillfully in whatever actual conditions we find ourselves.” When we guide romance with wisdom, we have skillful romance – romance that is directed by what is true about God and about the world He has made.

I like to think that the relationship between wisdom and romance is like the one between a string and a kite. Romantic love is the kite that catches the wind and tenaciously heads for the sky, wisdom is the string that tugs downward holding it back. The tension is real, but healthy.

I suppose there are times when a kite feels tied down by the string. “If this bothersome string would just let go of me, I could fly really high” the kite might think. But that isn’t true is it? Without the string holding it in the face of the wind, the kite would quickly come crashing to the ground.

In the same way, romance without wisdom will soon take a nosedive. It becomes selfish, indulgent and even idolatrous. Have you been in a relationship like this? Have you witnessed such a relationship in the life of a friend? What was it missing? The answer is wisdom.

It’s not enough to simply have romantic feelings, anyone can do that. Long lasting romance needs practical, common sense wisdom that knows when to let the wind of feelings carry us higher and when to pull back. When to express our emotions and when to keep quiet. When to open our hearts and when to rein them in.

Perhaps we have our own worries and questions; someway we’ll discover and be secure that all along God, had the right thing at the right time for us. Perhaps his plan is more wonderful than anything we could imagine or create by ourselves. Perhaps what we can do is to learn to entrust our questions, our doubts and worries into our God's tender loving care. For we knew God knows how to give good gifts.

James 1:17

“ Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. “

What matter most in Love?

For the entire lovely woman, I dedicate this song to you all. I like this song because it reminds me of my ideal kind of love. I accept the fact 'ideal love' doesn't always happen in a real life story, but I will say you are very fortunate, if these kind of love happened to you. Well, if you are one like me, obviously we have all our love wishes in relationships, in friendships. There is a saying, the highest form of love is friendships. Is that true? Correct me if I’m wrong because I am only one step far to be reach out by your comments left on my post.

I have one question for women who consider herself lovely. What do you look for a man to marry? Is it his personality or his character? Which one is more important? In Proverbs 31:10 “The Wife of Noble Character” It says that a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised and is worth far more than rubies. God says that virtue and character matter most.

See my other posting in God’s gift.

Kirk Cameron from being a celebrity to real life's Faith

Kirk Cameron who played Caleb in Fireproof movie, was happily married with six kids by now. I want to share with you guys this you tube video. See the link here. Kirk highlight interview on CBN cable network. In his young age, he was a famous hollywood teen celebrity for hit sitcom series Growing Pains in America and have a very successful career.

What struck me in this video, is how Kirk boldly shared his life to the public. How God moved his life in a powerful way and in the way how his heart was changed by God, when he heard the good news about the gospel of Christ. From being an atheist to becoming a believer for Christ, he shared the incomparable joy that he was experiencing right now by knowing God.

I decided to write this short post for this interview because from the man like Kirk, who has everything in this world, like fame, material things, money, good career, he knew he still needs God to lead his life. What a spiritual human being. I salute you Kirk!

FIREPROOF is still generating heat

Highlight news from CNN.com Entertainment Cable News network’s Website, the film “Fireproof” was also an unexpected hit, since it was the church third movie for Sherwood Church Baptist in Albany Georgia also the maker of “Facing the Giants”.

“In September it debuted at No. 4 at the box office, eventually bringing in $33.5 million and spawning two books: a novelization, also called “Fireproof" which is the The New York Times’ best seller list’s Top 20; and companion to the movie, “The Love Dare,” which has sold more than 2 million copies.”

As I was reading this article, I was really amazed and dazzled of the success of the movie. What does faith and prayer can do in the life of people who believed. According to one of the pastors behind the film Alex Kendrick, they didn’t expect that Fireproof will be a big blast, but he said it was even two years ago before they come up with the film, the Sherwood pastors gathered together prayed and asked God to give them idea for the next movie it came out “Fireproof” was the answer. See full article here.

FIREPROOF

Its Valentines Day once again, flowers, red ballons are around the corner and trully love is in the air especially for lovers and married couples who stayed inlove. But one good thing in this special event, wether your single, committed or not everyone remembers this day religiously, because this is such a great time to show their gestures of love to a special someone.

Just this week, my group friends and I had watched this DVD movie entitled “FIREPROOF” with theme song “While I’m Waiting” by John Waller. It was really a great and wonderful movie. This is highly recommended for the married couple. Now FIREPROOF DVD was officially arrived and is out on DVD stores – have your copy as your best gift for yourself. People from around the globe most especially couples have high remarks on this movie and they said this film made a great impact on their marriage.

Caleb who was the main character was upset to Catherine her wife because of unmet expectations. After seven years of their marriage, their relationships became sour and cold. Each day they see at home, they're always nag and find faults. Until the time comes that everything they do was a burden anymore.

When this happened to a relationships the tendencies were to slack off the love and respect for your spouse, eventually lose the trust and end up with divorce. The truth is, it's not overnight process to just vanish your affection to someone whom you vow to love for the rest of your life. But only because of each pride and resentment, marriage culture when there was already conflicts usually resolve in separation or what we call painful divorce. Reality bites, but this was really happening nowadays. I assume this is a traumatic life moment for the person who experience these.

Catherine because of so much pain she felt towards their marraige, she decided to be out in the relationship and file a divorce. Caleb who was almost giving up was contemplating to accept it. But his father asked him a very significant question. If he has anything he can do to save his marriage. So his father sent him a diary book written there was a forty days challenge to save his relationship with his wife. Doing each challenge is not easy for Caleb because of constant rejection from his wife. The hardest thing for him now, is winning back again the heart of her wife and her trust.

Each day he reads the diary book, in print there are all encouragement from his father and reminders from God’s word. In this course of challenge, his father showed Caleb the unconditional love of God for him. That despite of all his weaknesses and offenses, God accepted him and still loved him so much. Until Caleb learned God’s unconditional love, he began to understand what true love means (Romans 5:6). He knew what it really means to honor and to love his wife. It's amazing of what God can do in our relationships. When Catherine got sick, Caleb took the opportunity to humble up and ask deepest apologize from her wife. Teary eye with tender care, in front of Catherine’s face he said: “God has given me a love for you that I have never had before… ” – the most dramatic, and my favorite part of the movie.

We really enjoyed the movie and everyone was laughing and clapping their hands after they saw it. Happy hearts day!

Secret of Success

According to Dr. Ed Becker co-founder of Econotech Ltd. providing technical support for pulp and paper companies, the key to a successful business and personal life is setting a proper foundation, a foundation which is dependable, fervent and secure. “Our foundation is the basis for the priorities in our lives both at home and at work.” If our life is center on us, our drive for success is focalize only for our own accomplishment and or most, to satisfy our ego and needs. This footing is weak and can result us of being drained or sooner be exhausted, but when we set God as our guild in life we are confident and better equipped.

In my own point of view, I unanimously agreed to pattern God in making our life success. In this way, our acquired happiness from our relationships, possessions and endeavor to something is lasting and will turn to joy. The truth is: it’s sweeter to taste the road of prosperity when you know you’re in the right track both physical and spiritual.

Waiting

Generally speaking, we don't want to be in the position to wait. Whatever we do, weather we are next in line in the ATM machine to withdraw some money from our bank account or waiting for our turn to the cashier to pay our groceries bought in the supermarket, we naturally don't like waiting. As for me, I have the same reactions. But to share this inspiring story from the bible about Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 21:2 waiting became a blessing.

“Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him.”

Here's the best story ever about waiting: Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age at the appointed time God had told him. In this case, God is on the other side of our waiting. He wants us to grow in our faith and he will help us grow by asking you to wait the appointed time. Nothing to do but to wait.

Sometimes when we are asking something in our prayer and don't receive an answer for a long time, we became angry, frustrated, depressed and several times we've tried to push the door to open it in our own strength rather to be dependent on him.

Sarah waited and waited for God to provide their first descendant, but the baby didn't come. She waited week after week hoping that God would answer her prayers. Waiting is really hard. But God is not surprise when we're honest about our frustrations and fears. Often, he requires us to wait because he's trying to show us the end of our faith, stretching it and not condemning us for the lack of it. God's interest is that you master the lessons of faith. He wants you to succeed in your lesson, able to walk farther in faith each day. So failure is not a defeat. He will continue to teach you, stretch you until walking by faith is your natural breathing.