I Know You Love Me :)

This weekend is another affirmation of God's amazing, overwhelming love!

We started our Covenant Orientation Weekend Retreat yesterday. God knows what we've gone through just to make it happen. Honestly, I was tempted to cancel it but God said, "Go on, My child. Know that this is not your work but Mine. I will make it happen!"

Full of trust and confidence that the Lord will deliver what He promised, we pushed through with the weekend retreat even when there were still a lot of uncertainties. Will there be participants? Will there be enough budget for food and venue rental? And so on.

When almost everything was already settled (music min - check, worship leader - check, participants - check, speaker - on the way), I left to attend to my "daughter duties." As mentioned in my previous post, Papa has been sick and I got really worried when Ate Dimple spoke with me last Friday, telling me that I should convince Papa to see a cardiologist. She said the ECG results clearly show that there's something wrong, something which can progress. And so yesterday, we went to Dr. Rey Mariano, a specialist on heart diseases. He confirmed that Papa has clogged veins and described Papa's heart as "may tama na on all sides". X-ray results were not also good so Papa has to undergo ultrasound of the right lung. To summarize, I went clinic/hospital-hopping yesterday. The ending? Well, Papa has to go back to the doctor tomorrow but he has to take four medicines over the weekend.

Then I went back to the CO Weekend venue for my "service duties". I really praise and thank God for everything that He has provided us with - participants, speakers (Kuya Rod, Ate Martha, Kuya Don, Ace, Mike, Ate Gigi, Kuya Mito), priest (Fr. Mac), food (thanks to our sponsors: Tito Pollie & Tita Chit, Tito Roland & Tita Daisy, Kuya John & Ate Leah, Kuya Marlon, Ate Cindy), and all the love, prayers, and support of our brothers and sisters in East A! :)

It was indeed successful and I couldn't thank God enough. It was one proof that truly, He is in control. I went home full of inspiration and love, affirmed that whatever happens, the Lord will always be with me. I may be carrying a heavy load (and a heavy heart) but I know God's hand is helping me, giving me the strength that I need.

I have doubts, fears, and lots of anxieties, but I am certain of one thing: I AM GOD'S BELOVED.

Everything happens for a reason, a purpose which only God knows. I may not understand the things that I need to go through now, these emotions that I have to deal with, but in time, I know God will reveal everything to me. :)

For now I just have to wait and trust and allow the Lord's will to be done in my life.

As Fr. Mac mentioned in his homily, when we pray the Lord's Prayer, our hand gesture is not supposed to be that of asking, but that of surrendering because it is only when we surrender can we fully experience the power of God. We surrender because we believe that we are LOVED BY A GREAT GOD who wants nothing but the BEST for us. :)

I'll end the weekend and start the new week singing this song:

For every simple thing You gave me

For the special times we spent

For every smile You painted on my face

For understanding my limitations

For putting up with my frustrations

For always being there every step of the way

For sharing my little moments,

When I’m happy and I’m not

You never lost a single minute to spare

There are times a day could really turn out so bad

And there’s nothing I can do to get it back

You take it away with all Your lovin’

You take it away with just one touch

Whatever reason I may have to worry,

You take away from me

You never failed to say “I love you.”

When I needed it the most

Hearing these words make me feel so good

You don’t forget to tell me “goodnight”

And kiss me when the morning comes

Hold me tight when something is wrong

There are times a day could really turn out so bad

And there’s nothing I can do to get it back

You take it away with all Your lovin’

You take it away with just one touch

Whatever reason I may have to worry,

You take away from me

For everything, thank You and I love You too, Lord! ♥

Comments

Understanding Lupang Hinirang

Every Filipino knows Lupang Hinirang (though some know it better as " Bayang Magiliw "). How can you not know it when it is the national anthem of the Philippines? But do we really mean the lyrics that we sing? Do we understand it in the first place? Photo Credit: http://diazi.ism-online.org This video has gone viral weeks ago. This afternoon, I shared it to my teammates, and one commented, "Yun pala yun . Ngayon ko lang naintindihan." He immediately downloaded it and converted to MP3. So for those who have not seen it, once again, here is Joey Ayala's version of Lupang Hinirang. And I agree, you would never want to sing it in another way. (But that's just me. :D) This rendition is simply beautiful. Truly Filipino. :) Of course that doesn't mean we need to revise our national anthem but maybe we can consider about correcting the way we sing it (read: proper pronunciation). Read more about the Philippine National Anthem here . ...

Jesus Week 2015: A Time To HEAL ♥

I had the best, most meaningful HOLY WEEK ever, so far (the best is yet to come!). :) Thanks to Joy who shared the Jesus Week poster on Facebook. It was God's personal invitation, and I couldn't thank Him enough for the grace that He also gave me to respond. Everything is grace. It was not just my personal decision to join. It was God's grace that allowed me to. So how did it go? Well, as what I have told my friends, it was amazingly beautiful! The experience was priceless! On Holy Monday, I posted Fr. Jerry Orbos' acronym for HOLY WEEK . I experienced all of that and more! :) I won't be able to share everything as there is just a lot of personal, intimate encounters with the Lord. But if I were to summarize, it was a time for me to HEAL. :) H alt . Indeed, I was able to stop and just rest in the Lord. Before leaving Manila, I have already told myself that this retreat will be all about Jesus ( Jesus Week nga e :D ). No emails, no texts, no calls. I...

Thank You, Lord! :)

It has been a long and stressful day (the past three days have been lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng and stressssssssssssssssssssssssssssssful), but You are just so amazing, Lord that I couldn't sleep without telling You how grateful I am. :) Thank You, Lord for the miracle that You did yesterday. Break even and more. :) Thank You, Lord for the laughter and stories shared during the post-mission meeting with Team Thailand. :) Team Thailand - Princesses from SFC Metro Manila :) Thank You, Lord for Lawrence. He is just the (almost) perfect man. He has his flaws, but they are acceptable; he makes mistakes, but they are all forgivable. There are a lot of men but there can never be anyone else. He's really the one. And You know it very well. :) ♥ Nemo. Love. ♥ Thank You, Lord for giving me strength and endurance each day. :) Thank You, Lord for the short but restful sleeps. :) Thank You, Lord for every waking moment and every opportunity that You give ...

The Holy Spirit*

*Cluster 4 Household Topic Reflections from John 15:26-16:4 True friendship is strengthened in adversity. Jesus offers His disciples the best and truest of friends. Who is this promised friend? Jesus calls the Holy Spirit our Counselor and Advocate (also translated Paraclete or Helper). Counselor is a legal term for the one who will defend someone against an adversary and who guides that person during the ordeal of trial. The Holy Spirit is our Advocate and Helper who brings us safely through the challenges and adversities we must face in this life. As Jesus approaches the hour that He was to be glorified - through His death on the cross and His resurrection - He revealed more fully to His disciples the person and the role of the Holy Spirit. What does Jesus tell us about the Holy Spirit? First, the Holy Spirit is inseparably one with the Father and the Son. It is the Holy Spirit who gives life - the very life of God - and who kindles faith in hearts r...

Interesting Facts Courtesy of Celebrity Bluff :)

I was writing a different post, but Celebrity Bluff is just so fun and informative, I had to stop from blogging to list down the fun facts that I learn from each round. :) Thought it would be nice to share them here as well. For future reference. :D Q: In 2012, what kind of animal was named after Beyonce? A: Horse Fly Q: What rare job in China will pay you US$50,000 a year? A: Fart Smeller Q: What alcoholic drink literally means "water of life"? A: Whisky Q: In which part of the body can you find the tragus? A: Ear Q: According to Merriam-Webster, what is the female equivalent of dude? A: Dudine Q: What is longer in the male turtles than in the females? A: Nails And the final question is... Q: According to Box Office Mojo what are the top four (4) movies of 2013 according to global profit? A: (1) Iron Man 3, (2) Despicable Me 2, (3) Fast and the Furious 6 (4) The Hunger Games: Cat...

These Little Wonders

Search This Blog