The other night, my sister Ava and I took our 7 year-old cousin Dane out for ice cream. It was about dinner time and we had to walk a little distance to get the convenience store. You wouldn’t mind ‘cause it’s summer and people would even go out at midnight just to get ice cream. ;)



It was my first time to take Dane for a short walk around the neighborhood. We always drew and played in my room but it was always my sister Ava who took her out. I was really excited and was feeling very protective at the same time. I held Dane’s hand tightly as I could as we walked to the store.

But after a little while, as we took our last turn towards “ice cream”, Dane began to ask some questions that were sweet but frightened me a bit. LOL

I saw this quote on Pastor Tim Dilena’s Facebook and I find it so funny!

When we were children we were grateful to those who filled our stockings with toys at Christmastime. Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs? —G. K. Chesterton

I really didn’t know Chesterton had this sense of humor. LOL But I was struck with the truth in this short word.

At Christmastime, we rejoice and celebrate. We delight in pretty lights and beautifully wrapped gifts. We are thankful to those who thought of us, those who remembered us to bake us a sweet treat or buy us a good toy. And sometimes we forget the God who has blessed us with the things we need the most, with what’s really essential.

It’s so sad because God fades in the background at Christmastime, when it’s supposed to be His day, when it’s suppose to be His celebration.

But we can change that, right? We can go back to basics of it all and rejoice because we have a God who loves us and takes care of us.

I may not have much on my Christmas stockings (well, I’m already 24 years old. lol) and it’s my tiurn to fill Christmas stockings for cousins, nephews and nieces but God has filled my life more than I have ever asked Him to. He has filled my life with love and hope and I am so, very grateful.

Merry Christmas!

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Since the day we started to move I’d been listening to Sara Groves’ new album ‘Invisible Empires’ in the evening when I’m alone upstairs and everyone has fallen asleep.

One song that I really love to play and repeat over and over is this song called ‘Eyes on The Prize’, which is a remake of the old civil rights version.

What struck me the most about the song is its message to keep pressing on and holding on no matter what we may be going through right now, and to keep our eyes on what’s ahead—on what really matters.

When The Road Gets Rocky

Sometimes, when things get really hard while we work for the Lord, we get so discouraged and we lose sight of the prize. We forget that  this is not “it” and there’s eternity waiting for us. We forget about His promise.

When I was younger, I thought that I really didn’t need any reward when I get to heaven because being with the Lord is enough and it is reward in itself. I mean, Jesus is really the reward of heaven and it’s true and He is my reward forever... But as I grew older, in fact, just now, I realized  the value of the ‘prize’ and ‘reward’ that the Lord will give to those who serve him.

It`s been a beautiful, beautiful day. I just came from a missions event in a nearby province with my sisters, the Intimacy band and Filipino Gospel Singers Arla Fontamillas and Me-An Antenor. I really couldn`t explain the joy in my heart right now. Serving and meeting such godly men and women was just amazing. I`m learning a lot from them!

This afternoon, Ate Arla and I were talking about love (girls, you should read my next post! I`m sharing what God taught me through Ate Arla about waiting on God and embracing your purpose as a woman! So cool! I`m a changed lady! lol)

To keep things short tonight (as I`m so tired and sleepy and there`s church tomorrow), I`m gonna share a short but powerful word from Ate Arla`s testimony.

She said that the proof that someone is a Christian is how well he loves his brothers. It was a convicting moment for me. If love is the proof that Christ is in my heart, then how much do I extend my heart to show compassion, forgive and embrace a person from head to toe and inside out? How much do I love? How much am I even willing to love after all?

The truth is, I still have so much to learn and so much love yet to give. While it`s easy for me to offer compassion and forgiveness to a Mary Magdalene, it`s not easy for me to forgive the Pharisees who would have stoned her. But I know it`s only by His grace and love that we also learn to love—even those who are unlovable. It`s only when we experience God`s love that has no boundaries that we also learn to love our neighbors without limit. 

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.

Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God."
1 John 4:7

Let`s never stop loving! Never stop forgiving! Never stop running to Him! We love because He first loved us!

Let`s love and live loved!

Happy Sunday!

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His love just overflows.

Lamentations 3:21-24 (NLT)

Sometimes, we`re tempted to think that wilderness days are pointless. That days of waiting or suffering amount to nothing. That our time has been wasted and is being wasted. But no. That`s not true.

So when we don`t understand, let`s just trust that God`s thoughts are always, always higher than our own and He knows where we`re going.

Every single day is a step closer to ultimate plan God has in store for us.

All things work together for good, to those who love the Lord and those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

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Edited by Periwinkle Confessions

Via Bluebirdandtree