|
[12 Mar 2006|06:39pm] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
 ecstatic |
] |
FOR A JUST AND FREE SOCIETY
Alyansang Tapat sa Lasallista
|
|
| book frenzy |
[29 Nov 2005|09:19pm] |
sheesh.
I'm in a book frenzy.
Just started Artemis Fowl last Saturday. I'm hooked.
And to prove it -- I'm already on Book Four.
The guy's a genius -- i'll give him that (the author i mean).
Rapid-prose that makes your heart skip a beat whilst cracking
you up almost every other minute.
I'd write a review in my multiply. But for the strangest
reason, pldt dsl won't let me access the multiply site.
It's been like that for 2 weeks. Weird.
Anyways, back to the Fowl story, it's a recommeded
read. I've never laughed so hard reading a book.
|
|
|
[20 Nov 2005|08:27pm] |
My daily dose of tech. Check out my latest posts in my multiply page!
Yahoo! Finally done it. Have a working newsblog that I update almost everyday. View my news subscriptions and handpicked articles at:
http://www.bloglines.com/blog/unsheathedsword
I'm such a nerd, hahaha.
|
|
| in wide-eyed wonder |
[13 Aug 2005|03:25pm] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
peaceful |
] |
It's been quite a while since my last cebu post.
well, it's been real interesting since that last post.
Been to CDO, Davao, Samar, Leyte and Iloilo so
far. And that's a whole lot of traveling and appreciating
the country (dude, it's better than you think. it's just
different when you see things from outside Manila).
Turns out that God never settles to give you small
things when he knows he has equipped you with more.
It's funny - I gave more to the missions offering, and
I felt like I'm being sent to "missions" around the Philippines
as part of my workplan. Hehehe, well, you can never outgive
God. The adventure never stops... (hahaha, i've been saying
this for 2 years now).
Living alone also gave me the one thing that i needed to
learn, but was unwilling to go through -- emotional
independence. I guess it's just different when you
always have your friends near you -- especially my
closest bros from spiritual family, in that there is a support
system that you can lean on.
But here where everything had to start from scratch, God
showed me his faithfulness as i began to build bridges with
officemates and even the church here. I've got some new
church buddies, and I even found someone that reminds
me so much of myself back in college (only that he's a better
version of me).
I haven't been home here in Cebu (yup, feels like home to me)
for the past 3 weekends, and I really miss the quiet time.
But it's good that i finally got it today, although i still have to
work for the rest of the day.
Well, the highlights of my travel:
1. Seeing the San Juanico Bridge
That was beautiful!Too good to be true, but hey, it's there.
Looking forward to seeing it again next month.
2. White Water rafting at CDO
This is absolutely fantastic. Need to do this again with friends! crossing
14 rapids and seeing an untouched part of nature feels like i'm in
lonely planet doing a show for discover channel, hahaha
3. Davao Airport
Oh man! Ang ganda pala ng Davao airport. If you think about it,
lotsa placesto visit that makes you forget the problems in Manila. Actually,
I'm tempted to agree with the proposal to have a separate republic for
Vismin, away from the self-centered interests of Imperial Manila, hahaha.
4. And of course, the thinking time i get during flights, floats (boat) and bus trips.
Well, that's about all the time i have to share. Gotta get back.
Looking forward to my trip to Manila this Wednesday :)
|
|
|
[04 Jul 2005|08:52am] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
 energetic |
] |
Another week has passed.
monday.tuesday. we had our quarter planning in
mactan. the place was all right, but the people
were great. good getting to know / teambuilding
session happenin there. i realized that the group
dynamic is just different when a bunch of people
living alone come together - there's an instant
feeling of family, understanding that this
isn't just about work, it's about looking to
each other for company and friendship is not
as available as back home. The team becomes a
family. To think that the group is composed
of people below thirty, half of which is under
25. It's like one big barkada - a group of
passionate, excellent young people driving Unilever's
success in Visayas.
wednesday.thursday. tiring - that defines the typical
day of the people who drive Unilever sales. I got to
work with these people for two days, and it grounds me
on the effort, skill and talent each salesman puts
in to meet quota each week. Went around public markets
for two days, traveling far north and far south from
the city. i loved the public market up north -- beside the
meat section is the sea, adding artistic value to the
entire scene. I wish i had my camera. It's makes for
a good LIFE photo.
thursday night. Trip to paradise. It's aptly named
Shangri-La, coz man...it's just beyond words. Shangrila Mactan
is situated right in front of this majestic beach. We hung
out in this fabulous bar called Cowrie Cove, situated at a
top of a cliff with a full view of the hotel and the sea.
It's both relaxing and romantic (No wonder rooms cost
7K a night, 20K if your room is facing the beach).
Then there's this awesome looking hut mounted on a rock by
the beach. It's a very private, romantic spot that you can rent ou
for parties or ummm... very special occasions. Well let's just
say that there have been a number of people who have proposed
there, with string quartet and candle lit dinner, hahaha.
They're even building a chapel right beside the sea, just in case
couples want the wedding and honeymoon in one place.
friday. Finally met the management of the customer I'll be working
with. Looks like it's gonna be another logistical nightm... oh sorry,
challenge. Unilever has this way of using nice words like challenging
or exciting or stretching in place of extremely difficult, bloody
and impossible. But really, I'm excited to see it materialize :)
Oh yeah, please don't watch War of the Worlds...the ending did not
justify the emotional drain (and i mean drain). I was at the edge of
my seat for like a good 80% of the film than...boom! it ends just like
that -- no justification, no reasonable explanation, no nothing. Then
Morgan Freeman does a voice over to somehow make sense of the entire
situation... right.
Man, i wish my friends were here. *hint*hint* --- punta na kayo,
everyone needs a vacation ;)
|
|
| CEBU STINT |
[29 Jun 2005|05:58pm] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
optimistic |
] |
Cebu in one word is this, perfect. It's got the
right mix of everything - a simple and laid back
atmosphere enought to be relaxing, but advanced
enough to live comfortably (in manila standards).
with not much traffic, everything's near and accessible --
enough malls (ayala rocks) to satisfy my shopping and
urban entertainment must-haves, and only 30 minutes away
from the mountain or the beach to fill in for my
nature cravings and introvert needs. Oh yeah, plus there's
vcf to keep me in check :) only one thing in my mind right
now -- I want to live here, hahaha.
ok, here's the setup. it's somewhat surreal...
i'm "living" at marriott hotel at the heart of
the ayala business district, walking distance
from the mall, the bank and most importantly,
starbucks :p The perks of living in a hotel,
ummm... buffet breakfast (yumyum) :)
It's been really a blessing to be assigned here. The
people are really warm and friendly, I'm trying
to learn Cebuano as much as I can -- I even got an english
cebuano conversation guide. I'm looking forward to open
doors here, and I'm bracing myself for the big challenge
ahead -- my assignment covers Samar and Leyte, a Visayas-wide
monitoring project and an activity to cover Vismin. That's
gonna be a lot of traveling. Really excited and expectant
with what God is about to do in the next 4 months.
So far, I haven't done much exploring outside the Ayala area
except when I checked out the VCF center last friday to attend
the yo jam. But i guess the highlight of last week was when
we went to this place called Tops, situated at the top of a
mountain to give a 360 degree view of Cebu. Breathtaking. Better
than the Antipolo view at night, you can see three cities and the
two bridges that connect Lapu-Lapu to the rest of Cebu. I would
have taken pictures but my camera phone couldn't handle it. Very
romantic/peaceful place -- good for relaxing, doing quiet time,
fellowshiping with close friends, and even discipleship. Given
the chance, I'd take Mik, Jay and the LG here.
So anyways, i got to find a place i could rent before my two
weeks is up. Hope Chris can reco a place soon. Will try to
post pictures soon :)
|
|
| Resting up...enjoyably :) |
[10 Jun 2005|08:38am] |
|
Don't be like me. Don't join the bandwagon.... of Flu victims.
It's the fourth day of my flu marathon. Sometimes my gut wrenches at the thought of leaving so much work undone days before I fly to Cebu (and to think I need to wrap everything up already). But then, it does feel good to haVe been able to enjoy at least a fragment of the resftful days that I've missed from the past 7 months of marketing (except when my fever, flu and asthma hits me simultaneously). The doctor's recommendation: no stressful, energy-draining activities first to prevent relapse.
Things to do while recovering:
1. PS2
Hmmm... To a great extent, I feel relieved with the advice. At least I get to use my PS2 again. It's been months since I last played. All thanks to Ramy who slept over last Saturday, I got myself to play again -- I do have some of the best ranking games: There's LOTR-Third Age (absolutely fantabulous for LOTR/FFX lovers), Tekken 5 and what, IMHO, is the best adventure game for the PS2 ever created - God of War. I'm still thinking about whether or not to start with GT4. Maybe after Third Age. ..... On a side note, I really think it's a must to take my PS2 along with me to Cebu. It's gonna be good fellowship equipment to the new Victory people I'll be meeting. Will probably be handy too if I decide to stay at home on weekends (I don't think I'll be able to always go to the beach -- it's rainy season already)
2. DVD Tripping
This seems to make the most sense, but I can't get myself to do something non-interactive for a very long time. I ended watching Finding Neverland, and only that. Pretty good. Johnny Depp is arguable the best male actor in his generation. Too bad I don't have those season sets of 24 or Alias or CSI. I think it's high time to invest on those as well, hahaha.
3. Downloads
This option makes sense as well. Of all things to download though, I got curious with the buzz brought about by One Tree Hill. So I decided to download the first episode, just to check it out. Hahaha... bad move. I think I'm hooked. I really like the way it's created - the story is believable, the issues are real. Just by watching a couple of episodes (well, 5 to be exact) gives me insight already on what the characters are going through. Well like all things, there's a lot of preachable things you can draw from it, hahaha. Just one comment though (I know there's a scientific explanation for this): How can Dan Scott and Moira Kelly produce a blond kid like Lucas? ---- I have a feeling though that the rest of the season and next season will explain that.
I can't really do much of reading. Too much eye movement causes this searing pain in my brain... Well, that makes up for the Sabbaths I failed to take. God has a way of making me rest... I used to remind myself, but i guess i got lost in all the work. Well, I'll get back to the game... I just finished defeating the Balrog of Moria, gotta progress some more :)
|
|
| Built to Last. |
[18 May 2005|02:44am] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
 sleepy |
] |
many things are built out of whim and out of an outburst of inspiration.
very few actually last.
the ones that do, are usually led by two things:
(1) an inspiring vision to guide and,
(2) unwaivering faith and commitment of the leadership to deliver and sustain.
it's a privilege that God equipped Tapat with both during our
trying times. Looking back, I can't help but stand in awe of
how God puts everything in order - that in the big things,
bibilical principles stand the test.
2002. We had lost the battle - twice. First during frosh
elections, then consequently the General Elections. After such a
monumental crash, everyone felt there was no more hope at
the end of the road. We have lost our legacy.
2003. The big task of analyzing the crash, finding
that big vision, and getting the right team to establish the turnaround.
It was a year of destroying, creating, growing and sowing:
Destroying.
- old foundations that hinder growth, and building new ones. It meant
introducing big changes. And Big changes meant great opposition. It
also meant a big learning curve. Well we encountered both.
We lost the Frosh Elections. We suffered big casualties too during GE.
And of course, the criticism and opposition that never sleep.
Creating.
- a new culture that had a firm stand on integrity. History was
made when Tapat decided to uphold the election code that was agreed
upon by all. Why should there be negotiations and compromises when the
rules are in black and white? Not everything is negotiable. For the first time,
the provisions did not remain as meaningless words on paper.
- a new understanding that how we communicate is equally important
as what we communicate. That truly the message and the medium
form the double-edged sword meant to pierce through the walls of preoccupied minds
and student nonchalance. It meant relaunching with a new proposition of progressiveness
that is fresh, vibrant and dynamic.
Growing.
- Birthpains. The precursor of a future victory was a series of
painful events. Changes and mistakes. Learning curves and difficult
decisions. It meant bearing criticism while staying the course. It meant
whole-hearted efforts toreconcile divisions and factions. It meant
smiling through losses and urging everyone to press on despite the
fresh wounds. it meant friction between leaders and convictions,
balancing the new with the old. and making the hard calls. It meant sacrificing
to raise people up, ridiculously adding another ball, whilst juggling
the other facets of one's life.
Sowing.
- it meant not despising the humble beginnings, and starting a new
system of things. the structure. the website. the newsletters. the
new training system. the communication. the professionalism and the rigor
by which things are done. Questioning traditions. Efforts in (re)discovering
our new identity. values and non-negotiables. the many instances of
learning about leadership. yes, even through the losses. especially through
the losses we suffered. A time when standards were raised higher, although
not without a lot of mistakes. it meant re-evaluating what drives us - that it's
not the numbers but the purpose.
2004. We begin to reap the benefits.
There is a time to sow, and there is a time to reap. You can't expect to reap
a harvest in the same season you sowed. For everything happens in its own time.
Taking the time to build the right foundations and passing the baton
of leadership & vision does bear fruit. From a tragic crash, the turnaround concludes
with an unexpected and whoppng coup d' grace. Leaders have risen up, the communication
medium has been further enhanced, drive was at an all time high. After going through
pains of growth, it is now time to fly. Majority in Frosh Elections. A surreal EB Sweep,
Execom takeover and SC dominance. The season of sowing has past, the
season of reaping has come. The principle proves true.
2005. Now the baton is in the hands of
the next generation. The Student Council is now expected to deliver at a level greater
than the past five years combined. Tapat is now faced with the task of sustaining
its dominance and raising the bar of leadership. Now that a monumental milestone has
been built, the question is, will it last? Well, as long as we have leaders who have
clear purpose and passion, then the legacy will continue.
|
|
| ATTN: Faculty Members |
[08 May 2005|12:21am] |
changing the campus. changing the world.
If you're a faculty or administrator and your heart is to reach out to young people and get them walkin in God's direction with passion and purpose, then YOU ARE INVITED. Read on:
|
|
| what do you see? |
[02 May 2005|09:51am] |
People can only see what they are prepared to see.
They can only hear what they are prepared to hear.
|
|
| weirdos @ taki and meng's wedding: umm, kami yon. |
[02 May 2005|04:32am] |
Amidst the celebration of purity and holiness during Taki and Meng's wedding, we were celebrating two other things: first, the weird ability to distort our faces and second, the convenient technology of a camera phone to capture these stupid moments. hahaha. But it was really romantic. In two years, I've seen two people close to me get married and celebrate their first kiss during their wedding. It's possible. And I'm sure you can relate to our faces in disbelief. Well.... believe it. It just happened.
And since we're heppily single and passionate for God until we become the right one for THE right one, we might as well enjoy it. Check out this picture. I have no idea what got into us, posing lke that. Unbelievable. After looking long enough, I realized these kinds of pictures should be off-limits in blogs. Hahaha... too much embarrassment for one entry.
|
|
| Weekend Thoughts & Tradeoffs |
[01 May 2005|11:30pm] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
relaxed |
] |
Tradeoffs. Oh well. Just as Mik had his last minute hey-come-here-to-LA trip scheduled last Friday during our dinner at Pasto, i too had my share of the spontaneity fever. My parents wanted to suddenly go to Batangas. Honestly, i felt like it was a forced Sabbath... but hey, i really was drained since last week. I needed something to spark my creativity - as Stephen Covey would put it, I needed to "sharpen the saw."
Nothing fancy. Twas a pretty ok place.What really made my day was this kid i saw playing in the sand. Innocent little girl lost in reverie, undisturbed in her own little world. As added bonus, I got to work on the Taftonline prototype by the beach - i think that was the significant win for the day. Oh wait... just to add, i also enjoyed that conversation with Nixon while i laid on the sand, fortunate to witness two shooting stars in a span of 45 minutes. Gee, I wish my camera could handle night photos.
I guess it's a welcome break after some physical and emotional beating - the tension of excitement mixed with a tinge of dread has hung heavily in my spirit because the person who brought me into the music team and taught me how to worship is now...well, free from her pain. What hit me real hard was the heart of persistent worship Ate Lor showed in the midst of indescribable pain. Reading through her daily conversations with God felt like I was going through Abraham's diary, counting 365 days x 25 years, each day opening and closing with faith and a heart of thanksgiving, and, from time to time, a spirit of brokeness. What amazed me most was her last entry - still believing for healing, and still thanking God for every single thing she can thank God for..... Worship truly is a lifestyle, and I must say a lifestyle lived out by Ate Lor -- as immortalized in those pages and in the minds of those who have seen her bow to the ground, singing heartfelt love songs to her Savior with all her might .
God giveth, God taketh away. But learning from Tuesdays with Morrie, I won't have to wait till I'm gone to hear what people want to say. It's sobering and at the same time reassuring that my priorities and values are grounded and directed to things that matter and things that last. My only desire is that my life would continue to speak a strong message long after I'm gone.
|
|
| sunsets. |
[19 Apr 2005|01:23am] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
relaxed |
] |
I love sunsets. ever since i can remember, i've always loved watching the sun move across the sea. the simplicity of the setting reminds me of two things: first, that there is a Master artist that designd everything with extravagant beauty. second, that as I take time to walk with God, all things that surround me become shadows in the light of Him. During the time i spent in Ilocos, i felt all the tension drift away into the open water. It was a time of uninterrupted intimacy as i walked along those shores.
then of course, to somehow capture the majesty that saturated my senses, i took some photos.
(i love the way my sister holds the sun in her hand)
Truly, I can say, "God has made all things beautiful in its time." - Ecc 3:11
|
|
| One Perfect Morning. |
[17 Apr 2005|12:20am] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
peaceful |
] |
i want to live by the beach. where the sun caresses my face as it rises, its rays
piercing through big glass windows, through the white linen curtains of my bedroom.
and i arise from a refreshing sleep as i was cradled by the soft sea breeze the
previous evening.
i feel fresh energy coursing into my steadily waking veins, the coolness of the
morning and saline air inducing a calmness in my nerves. God is good. His grace
and blessing new every morning.
I finally muster the excitement to get on my toes, finding my glasses and my bible
right next to me - as if beckoning me to a blissful morning conversation with God. I
put on a fresh clean white shirt over my khaki shorts, jump into my sandals and ride
my jeep. It was a perfect morning.
As i rode through the sand, i finally come to my favorite spot - my secret
garden, my altar before God, where i have cried and danced and worshiped on my
knees - just me and God in our favorite talk place. I read. I go through Psalms. David
could not help himself but praise God, his Lord and best friend - even though many
enemies rush and mock and pray for his ruin. such faith. such a far cry from my
perfect morning conversation with Jesus.
 i close my bible, take a deep breath and allow the cool morning breeze to fill my chest. then suddenly, i could feel tears welling up in my eyes. "help me to worship you like david," i prayed. "help me to willfully throw everything that hinders me from being a kid Lord... i want to be like david. i want to see you. i want to hold you and look into your eyes and say, 'i love you dad. you're the best. even in this perfect summer morning, i long for you.'"
then i walk towards the water, allowing the waves to touch my feet. i remember the morning when Jesus was walking along the beach. he called out to two men getting ready for a catch, saying, "come. follow me." one said to his brother, "as absurd as it may sound, my heart is drawn to his voice. it is as if i want to trust this man who calls us, his eyes speak silent words of peace and love i've never known. i feel drawn to him as if i've always known him." before any of them could speak another word, they throw off their nets and walk towards this man they have never met.
"i want to follow you," i suddenly blurted out, half praying, like i was talking to someone right next to me. "teach me." The sun was steadily rising, i walk back to my jeep, with the words i uttered repeating in my head, "i want to follow you... teach me." As i drive back to my house, a clear voice reverberated in my spirit. My lips formed a smile when i heard it. It was sweet and wonderful like this perfect morning. I could feel joy welling up from deep within like a geyser about to shoot out steam from the earth.
i reached home. I thanked God. Truly his love and grace is new every morning.
|
|
| Verses from a Broken Spirit |
[22 Mar 2005|02:30am] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
 contemplative |
] |
[fragments of a song]
In moments when I just want to let go
When weariness consumes all of me
And even though I know, that you will hold me close
I run away to places I can't see
....
Then I find myself all empty and alone
Despising the rebellious part of me
As I cry and recall, the greatest love I've ever known
And hear a voice that speaks inside of me..
...
[then God speaks... can you hear? are you listening?]
One way or another, we've all gone through that point
when our spirits are battered and weary, and we have barely
anything to hold on to, when everything in us tells us to
run to God, and yet... we don't. After countless times of hearing
and reading the Word, and at the end of all the promises
we've heard, we're still running away...
In foolish pride, we run in all directions, desperately seeking
solace even though at the back of our minds we know nothing
will suffice. Blindly running about in pride and rebellion, we see
our options dissipating, one after another... to the point when
there is no other recourse... but to get down on our knees...
acknowledging surrender. It should have been the first thing
on our list..
well... it's about time. no more running. you can stop trying to
hold it together now. you don't have to. you know you don't
want to anymore. well that's all right. you're home.
.........
"Find your rest in me my child
Let go of all you're holding
Look up to me my child
I'm running with outstretched arms to you,
For you are most precious, most beautiful my child,
Rest in Me"
|
|
| Christmas Realizations |
[27 Dec 2004|10:00pm] |
SLOW IS FAST.
For me, I will always learn this lesson the hard way. It's never easy to wait and hang on in blind faith, trusting that the events that are happening are orchestrated by a divine hand with a timing that is flawlessly precise. Yes I believe, but it takes my whole heart and will to keep it up, especially when everything around me says otherwise... For the past few months, different emotions have challenged what I decided to be certain of...
...when everything in my heart says I miss the campus life and the people and all the talk time that used to be available....
...when passion begins to fade and I begin seeking for something of eternal value in my workplace...
...when I feel like full-time seems right, but God says, "Not yet"....
...when minstry doesn't seem to take off because of different complications...
...when I get frustrated because I'm not discipling people...
...when I'm called to go separate ways with people I'm close to...
...when there seems to be endless tasks that I have to deal with while feeling the pains of separation...
...when I miss being in reckless abandon because I'm called to pay attention to details...
But then, God reaffrims, Slow is Fast. That in the past 6 months of my life, He was more concerned with my character rather than the results I produced. He was looking more into what's in my heart more than the number of people who attended cell. He was waiting on our intimate time together more than just me delivering results on time to "glorify His Name." He was desiring my trust despite the uncertainty that I feel more than my output in the ministry. "Slow is Fast," God says. And today I'm beginning to really understand.
That all this time, God was building my testimony, refining my faith, disciplining my emotions and growing me. I honestly think I've made so much mess ever since I started working, but it's most comforting to know, that it's really part of growing up. There's no clean way to it. That the good news is, it does not depend on me, it never did. But the more important message is understanding, "What does God want me to do today?"
Looking back in college, Bette said that there can be 21 things I need to do for today. But even if I did the 20, and missed out on the 1 that God wanted me to do, all i did won't matter. Coz it's better to just obey and do the one thing, and see God's hand make the 20 work out, than miss out on seeing God's hand simply because I failed to obey.
As I start a new year, that's gonna be my faith goal - to zero in on what God wants me to do, trusting that everything else will follow as I seek Him first. Once again, faith will be the central message of my life. And I'm just gonna be sure of what I hope for and certain of what I do not see.
# # # # #
Foundations. That's what matters in every structure ever built. That's the differentiator between strong buildings and weak ones. It's all about foundations.
Every builder knows that the higher his monument goes, the deeper the foundation should go. Same goes for our lives. We are called to be builders, taking charge of the moments given to us. The question now is, how grounded are we in our beliefs? What are we standing on in the first place? How stable is it?
As the year comes to a close, I realized that as my heart grows more expectant in the coming year, for what God is about to do and build in my life, the deeper I should dig and establish foundation - both in the Word and God's presence. So that as skills and anointing and blessing are being added on top of what I have, my heart does not stumble and swerve.
# # # # #
The Spiritual Reality. Most people see things as they unfold before their eyes - just as they are. But tonight I'm beginning to re-learn in a new light that the real reality is not what the eyes can perceive, but what is happening in the spirit. That as battles are waged everyday and spiritual dynamics govern the events of my everyday, I begin to cry out for God and the Word, putting on the full armor that allows me to live in victory and to take hold of my inheritance. Sounds spooky, but really it isn't... In hindsight, everything makes sense why things happened like they did. Truly, knowing the truth sets us free from things we don't understand and puts me in a position to believe for God's power to penetrate these once unknown areas in my heart and mind. What am I talking about? That's a long story. I'll save that for another entry.
|
|
| The Realities of Separation and Obedience |
[12 Dec 2004|09:45am] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
hopeful |
] |
Obedience is a tough call. Although understanding who calls the shots
makes it easier to say yes, and knowing that He knows the best path
for you makes it easier to trust in his ways, there's always these
moments when you just have to bear the pain of it.
Ezekiel experienced the same thing. And God knows how much I want
to respond the way he did. Well, grace has been available to do so, and
I'm thankful for it. In Ezekiel 24:
15 The word of the LORD came to me: 16 "Son of man, with one blow I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes. Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears. 17 Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Keep your turban fastened and your sandals on your feet; do not cover the lower part of your face or eat the customary food of mourners."
18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded.
Though God took away someone precious to him, he obeyed - he did not
mourn, well, maybe during his quiet time, he cried like crazy. And as something
similar has crossed my path, I just know that God's ways are higher than my ways,
and I will choose to respond as David did:
Psalm 57:2 I cry out to God Most High,
to God, who fulfills his purpose for me.
Knowing that it is God who fulfills his purpose for me, I will continue to
submit. Honestly, I think i'm beginning to understand how Abraham
felt - not really knowing where I'm headed, but trusting enough to
keep on walking, still holding on to what was spoken that God is
my very great reward. I remember Caedmon's call's lyrics:
So keep'em coming these lines on the road
And keep me responsible be it a light or heavy load
And keep me guessing with these blessings in disguise
And I'll walk with grace my feet and faith my eyes
Right, so I'll just walk with grace my feet and faith my eyes.
|
|
| navigation |
| [ |
viewing |
| |
most recent entries |
] |
| [ |
go |
| |
earlier |
] |
|
|
|
|
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=92.1){kind=small}
blueacid's journal
