The last time we talked about modesty, I shared a link to C.J. Mahaney`s preaching entitled The Soul of Modesty. One of those which really struck me the most was when he said that after listening to the preaching, he hopes that the ladies would try their best to apply what they heard and learned.

I know many of us girls, upon learning about modesty really want in our hearts to become modest women in the way we dress up. But it`s the application part that`s a bit hard and confusing.

Which clothes are modest? Which are not?
Is my dress showing too much skin?
Is this skirt just right, or too short?

Are there guidelines to follow about dressing up modestly?

Here are three easy steps we can do to check if our clothes are just alright.

1. The Hallelujah Test

This is basically raising your both of your hands (like how you do when on a rollercoaster). If your tee moves up and shows a bit of your stomach, then that means it`s too short or your pants are too low. The same thing goes for your skirt or dress.

2. Check your skirt, dress, and neckline if they are “revealing” when you move, sit or bend.

The most frustrating part  is to get out of the house thinking our dress is just alright until we sit down and or move to pick up something, esp. when riding public transport. (I’ve seen a lot of girls with that problematic look on their faces in public transport and old guys begin staring at them). It’s really helpful to check before we even go out the door. If your dress is long enough when you are walking but gets too short when you sit or wear your heels, you can wear leggings.

3. Ask you Dad, brother or a trusted friend about what your wear.

I find it really cool that my guy friends in church and in my previous church are too gentlemen to remind the girls around about what they wear. I have this Kuya (older brother) from Cornerstone who’s so kind to tell his girl friends when something is too short or too revealing.

The godly men around you…and your Dad! They know which clothes command respect or attract undue attention. And they care about you. So go ask them before leaving the house.

As I end, I would like to share with you these text messages left by Christian teen guys in TheRebelution’s Modesty survey.

I really like what one of these young men said, that modesty shouldn’t be legalistic. It’s really an affair of the heart and being right with the Lord.

We girls are so deeply loved and cherished by Lord and I pray that we would know that love in even more deeper ways that we have experienced before.

Have a great day!


If you (guys)  could say one thing to your sisters in Christ about modesty, what would it be


Age 18 | First, don't be legalistic about clothing. Modesty isn't a list of dos and don'ts but a matter of the heart. Be sure you are in the right place with God and that you aren't trying to make guys stumble and you'll be fine 99% of the time. Secondly, PLEASE, talk with your parents, especially your fathers, about modest dress. Seek advice from older women in your church, your mother, older sisters who can guide you, or experienced friends.

Age 24 | Sisters in Christ, you really have no concept of the struggles that guys face on a daily basis. Please, please, please take a higher standard in the ways you dress. True, we men are responsible for our thoughts and actions before the Lord, but it is such a blessing when we know that we can spend time with our sisters in Christ, enjoying their fellowship without having to constantly be on guard against ungodly thoughts brought about by the inappropriate ways they sometimes dress.

I`m wearing Ava`s tiara around the house today. Actually…{Oh, this is embarrassing} I`ve tried it on a few times since she brought home the crown last week. The girl left her crown on a shelf above the computer and it looks so pretty to just lie there. So I pick it up to wear it for a while, and take a little peek at the mirror. haha Excuses!

 

Seriously, you should get your Mom a tiara and let her wear it while doing her chores. I don`t know but it just works reminding a lady that she is a princess {a valuable daughter of the King} even while doing mundane house chores. I feel like one today. {I was about to take it off when my Mom saw me and told me not to. So, I wore it while doing my chores, over lunch, and even until now. It`s funny but it feels so cute! And don`t laugh at me, okay. But I do feel a bit like a princess.}

 

Have you ever that? When you`re wearing something princess-like, you also act like a princess…When you wear something lady-like, you walk and talk like a lady. When you wear baggy jeans and a huge t-shirt, you sit on the couch and feed on a tub of popcorn like a baseball guy wearing the same baggy jeans and shirt. How we dress sometimes influence the way we act, and talk and walk!

 

Maybe this could be a short follow up to last week`s topic about dressing up and modesty. When you dress modestly you also begin act modestly. I`ve never seen a lady in a sweet, flowing skirt scream and jump like a guy! Girls naturally act girly when they wear something girly, and act like a guy when they wear something a guy would wear.

 

But of course, modesty in always affair of the heart. You can choose what you wear but it ultimately is about what goes on inside your heart. Choose to be godly and humble and follow Jesus everyday…

 

So, are you wearing modesty today?

I was cleaning my dresser the other night and I can’t help but adore that cute little piggy of mine. She really looks good beside that bag of pearls. And I can`t hide my amazement because even though it may sound silly, pigs really do look good in pearls, don`t they?

 

And for a while I wondered why Jesus told us not to give pearls to our cute little barnyard friends…even though though they would actually look good with them.

 

“…Don't throw pearls down in front of pigs. They will trample all over them.” Matthew 7:6

This morning I read a devotional about this particular topic and yeah, I have to give up. We may all agree that pearls look good on pigs because we are people and we appreciate beauty. But pigs don`t appreciate it. They don`t even know beauty. They trample on pearls. Even if they`re wearing the most valuable of all pearls in the world, what is that to them? They would still roll over in mud and sooner than you can imagine, those pearls will be gone. Pigs find them useless.

 

The same thing with real people I guess. Jesus gives us many valuable presents, many responsibilities…He gives us His Word…He gives us His holiness… and all that should be cherished and well taken care of like pearls. But there are some of us who don’t value that. What a tragedy!

 

And truthfully, I think I act like a pig sometimes. I do roll over on mud with the pearls He gave me. Yikes!

 

I don`t want to be like a pig who may be wearing something beautiful but is still so unaware. I don`t want to be like a pig who wastes don’t give value to precious treasure.  More so, I don`t want to be like a pig because the Master loves to give pearls to those who would treasure them.

 

Lord, help me and change me to be holy through and through. Teach me to value your love, your Word, and your salvation like how I should. I desire to be worthy of carrying those pearls for you.

 

We just got home from Ava`s talent night. And if there`s one word to describe it, it would be JAW-DROPPING. Ok, three words. Jaw-dropping. Hilarious. Crazy.

 

There were girls who were tossed in the air like stuntmen. Fairies who wore mosquito-net-thin dresses. A lot of sensual dancing. Murder scenes. Acrobatic stunts. Some even bordered on child abuse. Some blew fire. Others were morbid, complete with blood on her mouth for the finale. It was mind blowing!

 

But more than the jaw-dropping performances, what really struck me the most was how far girls would go just to win the crown. And it`s crazy how girls are ready to show even what should be well covered in clothes just to be the fairest of them all. It was heartbreaking. Honestly. I wonder if these girls knew that their beauty is not in how much skin they show but is in their hearts and in how they choose to live their lives.

 

The Essence of A Woman

In beauty pageants, they often ask what is the essence of a woman. Since I would probably not join one in my entire lifetime, let me answer the question now (I practiced this in front of the mirror sometime ago. Please don`t laugh at me. haha).

 

Host: So Cathy, this is your question…

Cathy smiles and takes a deep breath.

Host: What is the essence of a woman?

Cathy: That`s a beautiful question. Thank you. (haha)

Cathy: The essence of woman is in her PURPOSE.

 

Hmmm… On her purpose? Why?

 

A woman is valuable because her life is meant for a special purpose.

 

Stasi Eldredge explains it profoundly in her book Captivating.

When God creates Eve, he calls her an ezer kenegdo. 'It is not good for the man to be alone, I shall make him [an ezer kenegdo]' (Gen. 2:18 Alter). Hebrew scholar Robert Alter, who has spent years translating the book of Genesis, says that this phrase is 'notoriously difficult to translate.' The various attempts we have in English are "helper" or "companion" or the notorious "help meet." Why are these translations so incredibly wimpy, boring, flat...disappointing? What is a help meet, anyway? What little girl dances through the house singing "One day I shall be a help meet?" Companion? A dog can be a companion. Helper? Sounds like Hamburger Helper. Alter is getting close when he translates it "sustainer beside him".

The word ezer is used only twenty other places in the entire Old Testament. And in every other instance the person being described is God himself, when you need him to come through for you desperately."

You are a woman. An image bearer of God. The Crown of Creation. You were chosen before time and space, and you are wholly and deeply loved. You are sought after, pursued, and romanced, the passionate desire of your Fiance, Jesus. You are dangerous in your beauty and your life-giving power. And you are needed.

And that is crucial, dear heart. Whatever your particular calling, you are meant to grace the world with your dance, to follow the lead of Jesus wherever he leads you. He will lead you first to himself; and then, with him, he will lead you into the world that he loves and needs you to love.

 

Do Not Sell Your Beauty

 

My favorite story about beauty was a real-life testimony of an Armani model who was beautiful and popular—a top model. She went from one country to another modeling for top designers, living a wealthy and popular life until one day, Armani put his hands around her waist, noticed  she put on a little weight and told her she couldn`t model anymore.

 

She was devastated. She resorted to drugs and alcohol and tried to commit suicide. Later on, she decided to just move on and stay in Milan to look for someone who would take her as a model.

 

She took her portfolio and on her way  met an old man. She didn`t know what he said would change her life.

 

“Are you here to model, young lady? Don`t you know you cannot sell beauty. Go back home, my dear.”

 

You Cannot Sell Beauty.

The model said it was her first time to hear those words, that you cannot sell beauty. All her life, she was trained to model, to use her beauty to gain a living and achieve. How didn`t she know it long ago.

 

She went back home to America and later on knew the Lord. She`s now an inspirational speaker to girls and young ladies, teaching what real beauty is.

 

 

We may all be far away from the limelight Hollywood and the beauty industry but we may be “selling” our beauty in a different way.

 

We may be using our bodies, our faces,  our God-given beauty to gain the confidence, the admiration, the praises that our heart secretly desires.

 

I feel so strongly, my dear young lady friends, that beauty should not be used for the purpose of getting the admiration and praises of men.  Beauty should used to glorify the King and use it for the purpose why He created it—for Him and your husband and not just any other man or any other person.

 

Your beauty is not on how well you look outside, but on who you are inside. Not on your long, slender legs  or your slim figure but real beauty is in the strength of your heart, the length of your patience, the greatness of your love.

 

Do not waste your beauty. Do not use your physical beauty for the purpose other than what it was created for. Instead, develop the beauty of your heart and know you`re worth in the King who created you and says you`re beautiful!

 

You are beautiful! You are!

As a woman who has been ransomed and redeemed, you can be strong and tender. You speak to the world of God’s mercy, mystery, beauty, and his desire for intimate relationship. You are inviting; You can risk being vulnerable, offering the weight of your life as well as your need for more because you are safe in God’s love. You labor with God to bring forth life–in creativity, in work, in others. Your aching, awakened heart leads you to the feet of Jesus, where you wait on him and wait for him. The eyes of his heart are ever upon you. The King is captivated by your beauty.

Let`s live our lives to please the King, beautiful ladies! ;)

We need you. We need you to awaken to God more fully and to awaken to the desires of the heart that he placed within you so that you will come alive to him and to the role that is yours to play. Perhaps you are meant to be a concert musician or a teacher. Perhaps you are meant to be a neurologist or horse trainer. Perhaps you are to be an activist for ecology or the poor or the aged or the ill. You are certainly called to be a woman, wherever else he leads you.

My sister Viola used to tell me that her boyfriend Carlo`s mother used to tell Carlo that he should be careful when saying I Love You. She told him those three words should be said only if he means it, and that he should only speak them to the person he really loves and he really would love with all his heart.

I was so fascinated with that story. Reminds me of Elisabeth Elliot and his brothers being taught by their parents the same way, that I Love You is never to be given away just to anyone, without actually understanding the weight of those words.

 

When someone tells you he/she loves you, don`t you expect that those words mean the person who said it will always stand by you and just love you no matter what? Didn`t you feel that with those words comes a promise of never letting go and keeping you close to that person`s heart?

 

You may never have heard this, but we all know, our hearts know that

I Love You is a promise. When you tell a person that you love him, you are actually making a covenant, because love means commitment. Love means you would never ever leave. When you love somebody and you tell that person that you love him, he is expecting that you will always be there and you will never ever break his heart.

 

Of course there are times when we have to sow “I Love You” unsparingly—to your family, your friends, you spouse. But for the single people out there, hear this out: There are times when you have to really be careful when saying those words romantically—esp. when you`re just starting to feel that you like somebody…

 

I Love You comes with responsibility and if we don`t mean it or if we don`t have the same definition as the dictionary and biblical definition of love, we better not say it and let it come out of our mouth. I Love You isn`t supposed to be sentimental gush alone, but comes with commitment and a promise of real love. Love equals action. Love always should be put into action. And if you`re not ready and willing to do that then don`t say it. Don`t play with people`s hearts...and with your own heart as well.

 

¹¹So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover's life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9-11

 

When God said He loved His bride, He died for her. When He said He loved us, He gave Himself up to die on the cross. He was so filled with emotion and compassion—and love—that He was willing to sacrifice and give up His own life just to save us.

 

So as godly men and women of the Lord, we should be careful in saying “I Love You”.  For the guys, you have the responsibility to protect you sisters` hearts and be careful in not breaking their precious hearts into pieces. Remember, they are God`s lovely daughters and they mean a lot to God. And it`s the same way for girls, of course. To protect our brothers` hearts is also a responsibility we should keep. We shouldn`t hurt others the same way we don`t want to be hurt. They are, like us, God`s beloved!

 

Remember, guys and girls, say love only when it mean it and when you would really keep the promise forever! Okay?

 

Photos via {Tumblr} 

My college algebra professor once told me that I don`t trust people easily. That time, I found his statement so hard to believe. I was convinced that I trust people far too easily, but then went on admitting that once that trust is broken, I find it very hard to trust again.

 

Hearts can get really fragile, don`t they? I felt like mine was made of thin glass—easily picked up but also easily broken. Vulnerability came easy for me when I was younger, until the thin glass started to break little by little.

 

Best friends who replaced me. Confidants who betrayed me. Leaders who rejected me. They were like thumbprints in the heart that wouldn`t go away. They haunt me whenever I am about to open my heart to somebody, threatening I would get hurt the same way it happened before.

 

Terrified, I`ve learned to shut the door in my heart. I still make friends

but I don`t let them in to the farthest, deepest rooms of my heart.

I`ve learned to keep people at “reasonable” distance. I was so afraid

to trust, afraid of being hurt, left alone and rejected. I really didn`t want to hand over my heart again to anyone anymore.

 

 

Until I learned that in all these, in times like these… I should forgive. Until I let forgiveness flow in my heart, I would never be able to freely love again. I would never learn to trust anybody. I would never open up myself  to be loved and be held close in the someone`s heart.

 

The pain and hurt of the past…they would go only if I would pardon those who have wronged me and resolve that they do not owe me anything anymore.

 

No matter how deep the pain… I can forgive. I will forgive. We can forgive. We must forgive.

 

The God who always held us close is Someone whom we have hurt so much the same way like those who have hurt and wounded us deeply. And yet, He chose to open His heart to us—still—no matter how utterly wrong and stubborn we`ve been. He has always and will always leave Himself vulnerable to love and love again…even after we fail and fail.

 

How can I not extend that same love and forgiveness to others?

 

I, even I, am he who blots out
your transgressions, for my own sake,
and remembers your sins no more.

                                      Isaiah 43:25

 

“…And I will be kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.” –Max Lucado

 

 

I always loved Jon Abel`s story. I always come back to this video whenever I feel like I need to find God`s purpose in the things I`m doing or in the circumstances I`m in.

 

This is night, however, is different. I think about it and listen to his story because I feel like I need to be adequate in order to be loved by people around me. And I just need to be reminded that it`s not how well I`m doing things that merits my Father`s love. In fact, there`s nothing I can do to merit His love. He just freely gives it to me. Just as I am. Whether I succeed or fail.

 

When I was younger,  I really worked hard to gain the approval of people around me. I thought that if I do well in school or in my craft, people would like me and they would not leave. At some point in my life, I felt that people are around me only because I am useful, but if I weren`t, I wouldn`t even be called a friend.

 

I was so afraid to fail God, too. I really never wanted Him to leave. I thought that if I mess up or fail to reach the standard, He wouldn`t look at me the same way He used to.

 

But I was wrong.

 

God loves us just as we are. He delights in us and He just does.

 

I always tried to understand the measure of God`s love for me. But the more  I do that, the more I think how impossible it is for someone to love me with that kind of love that never runs out. What I`ve learned was that we need not understand that kind of love at all. We don`t need to grasp that kind of love with our finite, human minds. We just open our hearts to God and allow ourselves to be loved ever so deeply by our loving Heavenly Father who formed us in His hands.

 

“The instrument He is most concerned about is my heart.”

That`s my favorite line from Jon Abel`s story. God really doesn`t care if I become the greatest, most talented, most useful person who has ever lived. He is concerned about the status of my heart, if my heart is in sync with His, if I am secure and if I`m trusting what He says about how he loves me and if I am completely surrendered and obedient to Him.

 

Yes, He is most concerned about my heart. And that is a big relief. ;)

 

Nothing can separate
Even if I ran away
Your love never fails
I know I still make mistakes
But You have new mercies for me everyday
Your love never fails

You stay the same through the ages
Your love never changes
There maybe pain in the night but joy comes in the morning
And when the oceans rage
I don't have to be afraid
Because I know that You love me
Your love never fails

I really think it`s already summer in Manila. I left this morning to submit a video edit and you wouldn`t believe how hot it is outside! It actually feels like April, to think that February had just started!

 

Since there isn`t anything we could do about that… I might as well enjoy. Summer is beautiful gift from God, isn`t it? I know many of you are looking forward to summer because it is really cold in countries with winter.  But for the past few years, it hadn`t gone really cold here in Manila even when it`s supposed to be cool months. Except this year, of course. So I was just wishing it would last a little longer. Oh how I love sleeping with blankets! It feels bad that I would have to put away cold-weather clothes before I even got to wear most of them.

 

Now enough of my frustrations with the weather. I really wanted to share what I saw on my way home for Kuya Noy`s Production House this afternoon. 

From the prod house, I rode a jeep (the common public transport in the PI) and the route passes by a public elementary school and high school. Since it`s lunch time, kids are already going home and so the almost-empty jeep I was riding instantly got filled.

 

That little girl who sat beside me really touched my heart. She was small and cute and had black hair which curls at the ends. I overheard her discreetly calling her two sisters who were sitting beside the driver. The little girl was so excited about the little frosties that were in her sister`s bag, which are sold on sidewalks for a peso or $0.025. The older girl was quite funny since she chose which was biggest before handing the smaller ones to her sisters. I watched them as they happily enjoyed the sweet treat. And you could see in their eyes and on the way they ate it, that they`re actually wishing for more, but that`s just what they can afford. And it really broke my heart.

 

Almost everyday, I think only about myself. How to earn more. How to fulfill my dreams. How to do well in the things that I do. How to be faithful in my ministry. I`m living a really sheltered life, actually…and I  do forget about other people.

 

I do forget about kids who don`t have enough. I forget that “the world” I am living now is just a part of a big reality, that there are people who needs to be helped, to be hugged, to be loved.

 

And I remember that the world does not revolve around me. My dreams and life isn`t the only thing that matters. The truth is, they appear selfish when brought beside the smiles of the little girls on the jeep this afternoon.

 

And I remember

what it means

to really love and obey Christ.

 

 

²⁰The young man said, "I've done all that. What's left?"

²¹"If you want to give it all you've got," Jesus replied, "go sell your possessions; give everything to the poor. All your wealth will then be in heaven. Then come follow me."

Matthew 19:20-21

 

365 DAYS OF LOVE: Today, I regret not being able to help the girls in any way… But I pray for them that they would know about Jesus` love and that they will have a good life. And I hope I`m gonna meet them again sometime.

Until then, I will open my heart and my hands to other little girls and boys and will not be afraid to show love. Perhaps, I will carry with me treats so when I get to meet them (and others) again.

I was reading on Reader`s Digest and saw this contest for an upcoming movie, asking if you would have super power, what would it be. I was thinking of a good answer, something people would not have thought of. Sadly, I couldn`t think of anything other than being invisible so I could watch Suju in Manila on Feb for free. :p (Oh, dear! How can someone in his right mind afford such expensive tickets!) Or maybe I could teleport in a snap of a finger so that by the time you`re reading this, I`m already in Paris or Milan watching some cute Armani fashion show.

 

Seriously, I guess I don`t need those kinds of super powers action heroes have. And come to think of it, if I could fly on my way to school like Superman or crawl in buildings like Spiderman, wouldn`t I need some extra sunscreen to keep my skin from burning? Or if I could have what every girl could possibly dream of—flight, super speed, x-ray vision, and pretty dresses, like the Powerpuff girls—wouldn`t I have to live a less than normal life than the other girls in town? Oh how I love riding the bus on my way to school, eating in fastfood without crunching my fork, watching TV without x-ray vision… There are a lot of things to enjoy in life without super powers!

 

 

But I`ll answer the question anyway—with a sweety pie answer, of course, and with something I think would be needed these days.  If there`s a super power that I`d like to have, without sacrificing my status as normal human being, I`d like to have a laser beam, perhaps, that melts anger and frustration in people's hearts! ;) Oh how good the world will be if people would forget about their hatred forever! But I don`t know what costume would go well with that kind of super power. Scares me to think about it. I hope it doesn`t look like Sailor Moon or something. Aaah! Let`s forget about that!

 

But I guess, we don`t need that kind of super power. Jesus is just that. Doesn`t He melt anger and frustration in people`s hearts? If only people would let Him do it…

 

Anyway, speaking of super powers, I remember the first time my Dad asked me to read this verse in Luke and understood the weight of those words!

“…I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. ²⁰ However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10:16-20

Jesus has given us an authority, almost similar to the super powers superheroes have! A better one, actually! Who has ever trampled on snakes and scorpions and defeated his enemy even before they have started the fight? Jesus has given us all the “super power” we need to overcome and to never become a slave of the enemy of our souls ever again! He has given us Himself!

 

But one the of the greatest things here is that in the end, Jesus doesn`t want us to take pride over all these “super powers” that we have access to. He wants us to rejoice of the life that we have in Him, that we had been saved and that we are going to heaven not because of what we have done or what we have, but because of what He has done. It`s only by His grace that we have been saved! And all these we have on earth are nothing compared to the greatest gift that we have Him. We have Jesus! It`s the best thing we could ever have in this life… and in eternity!

 

Have a great weekend, friends!

I was chatting with a friend last night on Facebook and we were talking about God`s grace. How we both needed  God`s grace and forgiveness badly.

 

As I grow older and time passes by, I look at myself and realize that I am really nothing if not for Christ. I knew that for a long time, but I guess I`m starting to learn and understand it in a much deeper level than before.

 

I have never become that perfect, good person. I, like Paul, can consider myself “chief sinner”. Nothing to boast about. I may be leading a group of young people, but that doesn`t mean I am holier than anyone. I look at myself and see who I really am before God—an imperfect, broken vessel—full of imperfections and weaknesses, only able to serve because of His grace.

 

But I thank  the Lord because He choses imperfect people. He calls broken people. He calls leaders who limp.

 

It comforts me to know that I don`t have to try to become perfect to gain His love, or lose His love when I fall and make mistakes. He loves me as I am and desires to change me into the image of His Son. And I wanna be like Him, to be changed from glory to glory until I look like Jesus.

 

Thank you, Lord for your patience and your grace..even if I am a stubborn child. Thank you for always pulling me up and strengthening me. I want to be like You…

Sometimes, we face huge giants along the way. Giants that we are so afraid to face. Giants we would want to run away from by any means.

 

But most of the time, we don`t run away from them. We don`t want to look like a coward. We go to battle. The commander calls our name. We stand up from the bleachers. Move forward to the battlefield. And then fear creeps in. We swallow hard. With trembling knees, we turn towards our commander  to ask “And now what?What am I gonna do next. What am I doing here?!!!”

 

Many times I have felt the same way. I wouldn`t have made the phone call if my sister didn`t insist. Wouldn`t have gone to work for a design project if my Mom didn`t push me. The truth is, I really wanted to fight and win the battle. I even go to the battle field (Yeah, even with much pushing needed). Once there, I would not back off. But the problem comes when I would have to fight the giant head on. Giants are too big for me. Too scary. Too strong. There`s no way I could win even if I give all the strength I`ve got.

 

But the thing is, the real problem is with my perspective, with our perspective. Giants may look huge and sturdy from our vantage point. But from God`s? They`re nothing but little microscopic organisms that can`t even be seen with the naked eye. He could strike them out in any moment, right in front of our eyes.

 

Ok. So if He`s so much bigger and powerful, why does He allow giants in the first place?

 

God allows giants to come our way so we could bring glory to His name. And so we would know that the God we serve is a God who protects, saves, loves, and stands for us.

 

In Bruce Wilkinson`s The Dream Giver, he listed verses which has the same recurring themes. Take notice of what`s common in all these:

 

“Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brings you out.”¹

“That you may know that there is none like me in all the earth.”²

“That my Name will be declared in all the earth.”³

“That you may tell in the hearing of your son`s son the mighty things I have done in Egypt…that you may know that I am the Lord.”⁴

“That all the peoples of the Lord may know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty.”⁵

 

God uses our giants to display His glory.

He uses our giants in life to show us that He will never leave us alone.

He will always pull us through.

He will never desert us.

He will never leave us broken and beaten.

 

But He will rescue us.

He will fight for us.

He will raise a standard.

His glory will be raised.

His Name will be praised.

 

So don`t be afraid of your giants.

Get up. Go to the battle field and reach for your stone.

 

¹ Exodus 6:7  

² Exodus 9:14

³ Exodus 9:16

⁴ Exodus 10:2

⁵ Joshua 4:24

I was laughing at 3 o` clock in the morning, thanks to the podcast on Boundless that really kept me awake.

 

If you haven`t heard about Dr. Henry Cloud, well, you should start listening to the podcasts on Boundless where he was a guest or grab a book of his in your local bookstore. He is a Christian psychologist who have written numerous books about leadership, and of course about relationships.

 

It`s so funny `cause last night, he was talking about biblical dating and courtship and the topic arose about girl friends hoping that their guy buddies would also fall in love with them. And they began talking about ladies who would even do the laundry of their guy friends.

 

Yeah, I know. Doing laundry for a guy friend is way over the top. I wouldn`t do that for a guy friend either. But would that change if ever you like that guy friend of yours? Hmmm. Tough question, isn`t it?

 

I don`t have a guy friend with me while writing this, or a brother, so I have no one to ask what`s going on inside the head of guy who would ask his friend to do his laundry for him. But anyway, ladies, I hope that you get the point right here.

 

Investing too much in guy friend whom you think would probably become a boyfriend soon after is something that we have to be really careful about. Giving your heart away, your attention, your emotions to a guy who haven`t professed his intentions to you is something that should—okay, I`ll say this straight—not be done.

 

There`s nothing wrong to pray about this close guy friend of yours whom you like. Relationships, preferably, should start in strong friendships, right? But if you are investing your feelings on this guy and giving your whole heart to him before you formally  get into a relationship, or even before he makes a move, is something that could quite, well, hurt you in the future.

 

Nothing wrong with being in love, don`t get me wrong. But if you are giving so much to this guy friend, even things that should only be shared in relationships, then that wouldn`t be helpful to you.

 

We know that commitment should come first before intimacy. And we also know that there are a list of things that should only be shared by married couples.  But not only relationships before marriage have boundaries. Even friendships, before formally going into a relationship has boundaries.

You can’t give him everything just yet. And yes, you can’t wash his clothes either!

 

Come to think of it. Is that the kind of guy you would want to spend the rest of your life with? A guy who can`t even do his own homework or laundry? Like what Dr. Cloud said, the guy doesn`t want a girfriend. He wants a Mom! So flee and save yourself, deary! hehe

This was written like a couple of months ago but didn`t get to publish it. Just so you would now. The podcast wasn`t *yesterday* but was a couple of months ago. Will post the link once I find it.

Letting Go When Little Things Annoy Us

I installed my OS update tonight and realized I shouldn`t have allowed it to update Live Writer at the same time because my OS is in Japanese and it would automatically change my Live Writer into Jap as well.

So now, even though I`m loving the 2011 version of Live Writer, would have to reinstall it again and try to figure out how to use it in Japanese for the mean time.  It`s a very trivial matter to make my head hurt and frustrate me, actually. ;p Well, I`m convincing myself. hehe

 

Sometimes, we allow little things to get to us and annoy us instead of just letting it go. But we don`t realize  that when we allow ourselves to get angry over them, we`re getting angry over everything easily—even in times when it doesn`t make sense to be angry.

 

I guess we should practice forgiveness starting with the details that distract and annoy us. When your sister wore your favorite shirt or when the dog peed just when you came home from a long tiring day at work, let`s try breathe deep and think about nice things.  If we cannot forgive the guy who accidentally tripped us on the bus, or the helper who burned our toast for breakfast, how are we going to deal with it when people offend us big time? If we cannot get over with the coffee that spilled on the counter or the neighbors` noise at bedtime, I wonder how can we let go when challenging things (or people) come to test us?

 

So I won`t be annoyed with my Japanese Live Writer anymore. Anyway, it doesn`t hurt `cause I`m using it now and it`s not as bad as I thought.

His answer to the question you always wanted to ask.

What`s your favorite beauty product commercial? Mine are those where the models look fabulously flawless. No eye bags. No zits. Perfect skin. Fab hair.  Sure you have your own picks too.

 

Now let me ask you a more personal question. Don`t you sometimes

wish that you look like them? With all the nice curves? The doll-like features? For the boys: Those abs girls swoon about?

 

We sometimes do, right? We want to be like the girls on the print ads. The guys wants to be like those on fitness center posters. We want to be like them. We want to look perfect.

 

Unfortunately, most of the time, we get frustrated. We can buy the most expensive skin care products but when we lack sleep for a few days, the zits just break out. We can pay hundreds of dollars in hair treatment, bask under the sun and get it all dried up. Or we can put on every single kind of whitening cream yet still don`t get as flawless as the girls on TV.

 

Our self-worth shouldn`t be based on how well we look like these guys and girls in media who often don`t look like their real selves anyway. We all know about news coming out that model photos had been drastically edited to slim them down or perfect their look. And if we anchor our self-worth on that, we are only fooling ourselves into achieving something that isn`t real.

 

Our self-worth should be based on who we are to God and what He says about us.

 

Have you seen these majestic views?

O`Brien`s Tower, Ireland

Eagle Island, Ireland

Niagara Falls

Glacial Valley

Lake Louise, Alberta

Grand Canyon

Crystal Shower Falls, Dorrigo National Park

Australia

A Beach in Argentina

Seychelles, Africa

Mariana Trench

 

Whitsunday Islands National Park

Australia

 

Jellyfishes

Valencia, Spain

   Corals

 

Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis), Norway

Perseid

Milky Way Galaxy

 

T otally blown away?

 

You know, God has created you far more valuable than all these beautiful things.

 

In Genesis 1:26-27, 31 God said

 

“Let us make people in our image, to be like ourselves. They will be masters over all of life—the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the livestock, wild animals, and small animals.”

So God created people in his own image; God patterned them after himself; male and female he created them.

Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was excellent in every way.

 

God created you in His own image. If all these mountains and creatures and stars look beautiful, how much more valuable and beautiful are you knowing that God created you in His likeness, above all of these things He has made?

 

The next time you look in the mirror and ask yourself if you are beautiful, think about all the beautiful things God has created and remember that you are far more valuable than all of them because we are the only ones created in His own image. He even sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for your sins and save you. ;)  Stop basing your self-worth on what media says about you. Believe on the God who created You and loves you. ;)

 

Photo credits: National Geographic