sumbong

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one of the most humbling experience for me is when i make "sumbong" to the Lord. in this way, i always imagined myself as a daughter telling her dad that some big guys bullied her. i am reminded how a father would protect his daughter because she is so precious and fragile. and that is true!
I am the apple of His eyes.
I am His princess.
I am that cute, adorable and bratty little girl He really, really love.

it just makes me smile to imagine this. not only because the Lord will do something about my "pagsusumbong" (of course, if I am the underdog here, He will protect me. if i am the bully, He will discipline me) but also because i know that I am dependent and humble at that moment.

i think it doesn't matter if we are the ones who are bullied, offended and humiliated as long as we know that we have Someone whom we can turn to when we need a good cry. and He is not there just for a shoulder to cry on, but He is our knight in shining armor.

what the Dream Master told me

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just as when i always question my dreams and plans about going to Japan, (like, "is this the Lord's plan for me or am i just trying to push my own will to get into this dream?") something in my prayer and devotion life happened. there are lots and lots of things that the Lord is telling me for the past few months or year about this dream. 

May 25, 2014Proverbs 3:5-6

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

June 12, 2014Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.

June 23, 2014Exodus 33:19; 21-23

And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and you shall stand on a rock: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passes by, that I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and will cover you with my hand while I pass by And I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

July 8, 20142 Cor 9:8

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

July 19, 2014Ephesians 4:1

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation with which you are called

July 19, 2014Deuteronomy 1:20-21

"I said to you, 'You have come to the hill country of the Amorites which the LORD our God is about to give us. 'See, the LORD your God has placed the land before you; go up, take possession, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has spoken to you. Do not fear or be dismayed.'…

October 23, 20141 Thes 5;17-18

pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

January 10, 2015Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 

January 13, 2015Psalm 42:5

Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence.

January 15, 2015Isaiah 41:10

'Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'

March 29, 2015Deuteronomy 1:21

Behold, the Lord thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the Lord God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged. 

This Japan thing made my heart smile, frown, break, laugh, cry then laugh again. there are too many emotions invested in this dream but EVERY SINGLE TIME I read the Scripture about this dream, i can' t help it but cry and cry and cry and feel happy about it! there is hope! and that is all that matters in our dreams. we keep pushing  and pushing our dreams if there is hope. AND this is not just hope from the people i talked to, but hope from the GIVER OF DREAMS! :)

let go vs. surrender

I thought I should LET GO.

but He told me to SURRENDER.

love never fails

love never fails

QUIET TIME: what's your motive?

just a reminder...

"A fine line divides the motives of the heart between selfish and selfless; and we must always make sure we understand which side of the line we are standing on." -joyce meyer

At the end of the day, we should ask ourselves, "what is my motive?"

watashi wa mishiru desu. I am your new GT. :)

for the past few days I was so stressed and worried about someone. i wasn't worried about myself but for someone else. those moments brought back memories from my GT days. GT or graduate team is also known as counselor/mother/friend rolled into one. it is a very unique job that I always have a hard time explaining what I really do in my job.

fast forward, I went back to my university and visited my friends. spent the entire weekend talking to them and catching up about thesis, academics, new jobs and even LOVE LIFE! so sad, I still don't have one. :( I'm happy to see them again, with fresh perspectives, new insights and crazy ideas.
life is meant to be shared.
we shared the same smiles and tears since we were in the university.
we shared the same passions in life even if we chose different careers.
we shared the same love for people even if we have different ways to show them.

we also cried.
we cried for the things that aches our hearts.
we cried for the people whom we really love.
we cried out to God for all the frustrations we had in our lives.

we prayed for the people we love.
even for our students who really don't know us.
we prayed for ambitions that we want to achieve.

I thought my GT days are finally over. I don't live in Laguna now and we already have a new GT. that was what I thought. But God showed me a different place to conquer. he wanted me to be a GT to my new set of students. they are not university students. they are different from the students we have in the university. their lives are more complicated and stressful. I still don't know what to do with them. I can only listen to them and help them in any way I can. I don't know if they think of me as a friend or as a teacher or just a stranger who they talk to because they are bored and sad.
I don't know. I really don't know.
I don't know... but my heart to serve them and love them is there. I just hope that they would recognize that.