Showing posts with label story. Show all posts
Showing posts with label story. Show all posts
The lady in a pink t-shirt and knee-length maong skirt asked the lady cashier if F. Sionil Jose's books were all on sale. Her fascination with Jose's book urged her to buy his other works to complete The Rosales Saga novel series where The Pretenders belong to. So she went back to the bookshelf in one of the parallel bookshelves. As she returned to the counter to check the discounted price of F. Sionil Jose's book, she decided to double-check the official receipt from the lady cashier, and upon careful scrutiny, she noticed that one of the books she already paid for was scanned at its regular price of 475 pesos, that got the shock out of her. She thought she had the advantage, but it turned out that she was at the disadvantage.
She was cool about the mistake and thought that she still had a change. The lady cashier was a little panicky and apologetic as she tried to come with a solution for overcharging her customer. The lady in a pink t-shirt and knee-length maong skirt was looking forward to the change, but it turned out that payment through debit or credit card was difficult to retrieve for some accounting reason, the accountant would be able to explain. Surprisingly, she was still calmed about the predicament of not getting back her excess payment.
The lady in a pink t-shirt and knee-length maong skirt waited for some moments for her concern to be resolved. She observed patiently as the lady cashier called for a back-up. Help came from another lady who appeared to be a store manager. She suggested that additional purchase could fix the problem, that the lady in a pink t-shirt would have to add books or other items from the book store to compensate her excess payment, and supposedly her change to be.
She did not want to cause trouble or inconvenience on the part of the lady cashier and store manager. Willingly, she accepted the suggested solution. She went back and forth from the counter to the shelves and vice versa in search of a book or books that would be equal to the change she was supposed to get. In finality, she went for 2 books from F. Sionil Jose and 2 refills of Dong-A color green sign pen for NBS to compensate for her unreturnable excess payment.
It was not a pleasant experience, more so the lady in a pink t-shirt and a knee-length maong skirt was surprised at herself for not losing her temper even though it took her long and 4 trips of back and forth from counter to bookshelves and bookshelves to counter just to find the right items to remunerate her overcharge payment. It was also getting late and she badly wanted to go home, but she was not overcome by annoyance or impatience toward the cashier or the situation and circumstance she was under.
When she was asked to fill out a small paper survey form, she gladly answered the needed information. It was a return and exchange survey form, she was not sure of some of the details needed in the form and for the assistance of the lady cashier. She got a response from the staff that they would be the ones to take care of it and submitted the form right away.
Everything did not go smoothly at NBS, yet she was satisfied with how the inconvenience turned into satisfaction. All by God's grace. The lesson learned is always to double-check your receipt before leaving the store, ask the cashier if the books you want to buy for so long are on sale because sometimes they miss putting a new price or sale tag, if possible be patient with everyone, and lastly, always be ready for the surprises in your life.
She was cool about the mistake and thought that she still had a change. The lady cashier was a little panicky and apologetic as she tried to come with a solution for overcharging her customer. The lady in a pink t-shirt and knee-length maong skirt was looking forward to the change, but it turned out that payment through debit or credit card was difficult to retrieve for some accounting reason, the accountant would be able to explain. Surprisingly, she was still calmed about the predicament of not getting back her excess payment.
The lady in a pink t-shirt and knee-length maong skirt waited for some moments for her concern to be resolved. She observed patiently as the lady cashier called for a back-up. Help came from another lady who appeared to be a store manager. She suggested that additional purchase could fix the problem, that the lady in a pink t-shirt would have to add books or other items from the book store to compensate her excess payment, and supposedly her change to be.
She did not want to cause trouble or inconvenience on the part of the lady cashier and store manager. Willingly, she accepted the suggested solution. She went back and forth from the counter to the shelves and vice versa in search of a book or books that would be equal to the change she was supposed to get. In finality, she went for 2 books from F. Sionil Jose and 2 refills of Dong-A color green sign pen for NBS to compensate for her unreturnable excess payment.
It was not a pleasant experience, more so the lady in a pink t-shirt and a knee-length maong skirt was surprised at herself for not losing her temper even though it took her long and 4 trips of back and forth from counter to bookshelves and bookshelves to counter just to find the right items to remunerate her overcharge payment. It was also getting late and she badly wanted to go home, but she was not overcome by annoyance or impatience toward the cashier or the situation and circumstance she was under.
When she was asked to fill out a small paper survey form, she gladly answered the needed information. It was a return and exchange survey form, she was not sure of some of the details needed in the form and for the assistance of the lady cashier. She got a response from the staff that they would be the ones to take care of it and submitted the form right away.
Everything did not go smoothly at NBS, yet she was satisfied with how the inconvenience turned into satisfaction. All by God's grace. The lesson learned is always to double-check your receipt before leaving the store, ask the cashier if the books you want to buy for so long are on sale because sometimes they miss putting a new price or sale tag, if possible be patient with everyone, and lastly, always be ready for the surprises in your life.
This past week I participated in a week-long prayer and fasting. It is the third time I joined this prayer and fasting in the church I am attending since November 2019. This week-long event is held twice a year among the church members. For the first two times I participated in prayer and fasting with the church, I fasted with my social media and online browsing, but this time I chose partial fasting where I fasted one meal, originally I intended to two meals and I was successful on the first day, but for the days that allowed I decided to have it as one meal since work and other activities demanded that I ate at least two meals a day. I felt like a failure, so I prayed to God for forgiveness and understanding of my iniquities.
When I was young the only knowledge I had about fasting was people do this during Holy Week. In my young and ignorant mind, I tried to participate with the intention of pleasing God in my own little ways. I remembered that I even tried not to eat meat or any food that has meat during those days even though it was the only viand I would like to eat with rice back then, I did not want to eat fish and vegetables. I guess you could that I always failed. There was an idea implanted in me that meat is dirty and it pollutes and corrupts our body if eaten during Holy Week. I was young and with limited and confusing knowledge about faith and God. And It thought prayer was just a one-way communication with God, so I could tell Him my wants and needs.
Prayer and Fasting are spiritual disciplines we need and must practice in developing a personal and intimate relationship with God. That's how I see them.
Prayer has been my constant means of talking to God since I have come to know and experience Him on a personal level. There are moments that I cry while remembering His mercy and grace in my life, how His redemptive power gives hope and joy in my once bitter and angry life. God also answers in our prayer, though they are not verbal and some are not given right away, still, there is something miraculous in the way God responds in our prayer and sometimes it is really hard to explain, that it seems like it is beyond human comprehension. Christians coined it as Spirit-filled prayer for us to live a Spirit-filled life.
Here are definite answers I got from the booklet provided by the church about prayer and fasting:
This is the suggested pattern of prayer found in the booklet:
Every day there is an assigned Scripture for what we prayed for and I got to journal my thoughts on the soft copy of the booklet through the Write on PDF app on my android phone.
All by God's grace, I was able to attend and participate in the Prayer and Fasting week. We were reminded that prayer and fasting as a church or as an individual were not just one or two times event in a year, it could be a once-in-a-week routine, depending on your chosen day, and it was also suggested that it could be on Friday. I still have a long way to go and a lot to improve in the areas of spiritual disciplines of prayer and fasting, and I praise God for guiding me and providing opportunities to be closer to Him, and as He always does, staying close to me. By His grace, may we always turn to Him in prayer, whether in joy or in pain. God bless our brave hearts!
After pondering for quite some time which book to get, she finally picked two hard bounds and one soft bound of contemporary fiction and hid them at the bottom shelf. She noted to buy them if her budget would permit them to be bought.
Only a few steps from that unpopulated corner, she made her way to the more exposed bookshelves which held more of the popular book category. It catered a bit more pricey books compared to what could be found in the corner where she just left off. There were paralleled shelves with a little space in between enough for just one person. Regardless of the book price in that area, she browsed with expectancy hoping to find books with sufficient discounts that would allow her to buy the books. A book by F. Sionil Jose always got her attention whenever she went to that area of the book store. She had an unusual fascination with classic Filipino authors ever since she came to realize that reading Filipino books was not a bad choice for her next reading escapade. That books written by classic Filipino authors were worth reading for.
She chose The Pretenders by F. Sionil Jose as her first book from his works. The title intrigued her and she wanted to know the pretenders in the story. But, that would take some time for her to discover the answers to her curiosity, and not too soon. She still had others waiting to be read on her bookshelves at home, and the first come first read policy was strictly implemented.
Upon entering the book store, there were tables with books on them in the middle aisle straight from the entrance, some with big discounts. They were huge discounts like from 365 pesos price of the book down to 25 pesos, and that was like 93% off. Wasn't that amazing for a thrift reader like her? She got two books about the healing powers of honey and vinegar, which were more on the category of an organic and healthy lifestyle.
The lady in a pink t-shirt and knee-length maong skirt made a mental note that she had enough. She reached the limit of her budget for book buying. She returned to the unpopulated corner and brought out the three books she hid at the bottom shelf. In total, she had six books, two hard bounds, and four soft bounds.
Her cash was not sufficient for the total amount of the books, but it was a relief that the lady cashier accepted the debit card mode of payment. As she waited for the cue, she had doubts and uncertainties if it was wise and practical to spend money on those 6 books. She stood there in the line feeling conflicted. She was next in line before a couple who bought a lot of office supplies with lots of long bond paper. The agony was taking a toll on her and she just needed a step to get away from the line and return the books on their respective shelves or stay on the line and let the cashier punch her purchase.
The lady in a pink t-shirt and knee-length maong skirt finally had her moment with the cashier. Carefully, she placed all her skeptically chosen six books on the counter. The lady cashier was nice as she joyfully scanned the books and announced to her that there were more discounts than she expected like those two books with a price tag of 50 pesos were actually 25 pesos from 365 pesos or 195 pesos was actually 156 pesos from 475 pesos. She thought the prices were already the final discounted price, but there was more. She felt giddy every time the lady cashier made an announcement of bigger discounts she could get. That genuine smile would never leave her face as she heard the good news.
to be continued...
The lady in a pink t-shirt partnered with her knee-length maong skirt strut her way as she walked across the paralleled department in one of the biggest malls in their town. She cat-walked as if no one was around her in that public place that was always populated with different people on any given day.
While carrying a paper bag full of wooden key chains she bought from a Christian book store, her next stop was the most reputable bookstore chain in the Philippines. She glanced at the sale signboard as she slowly passed by the floor to ceiling window panels. Salivating over those discount sales was an overstatement, but nevertheless, it was a sight to see a bookstore with 50% off signs.
The lady in a pink t-shirt and knee-length maong skirt was feeling giddy as she browsed a few selections of books on sale. Hardbound and softbound. Fiction and non-fiction. Local and international authors and publishers. There were a quite few selections of printed books in an industry that was dying little by little due to the emergence of the digital age in the publishing world.
Spectators said that e-book or electronic books would soon replace the existence of the printed books and people would no longer want and need to buy printed books in a physical book store. But the lady in a pink t-shirt and knee-length maong skirt begged to disagree.
Dropping by to an NBS branch was a routine for her whenever she went to a department store and always looked forward to discounted or bargained books. That day at NBS was like any ordinary day for her, except for health protocols due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After filling out the contact tracing form, she swiftly entered the haven of any book lover. She browsed books like she normally would, reading the title and the author of the book, turning the book and glancing the price at the back, and pondering whether the book worth the price or wishing when it would go on sale. After some time of wishful thinking, she would return the to its original place, properly.
At one corner of the book store where no one seemed to notice that place, the lady in a pink t-shirt and knee-length maong skirt took an interest in surveying the corner. It had books she wanted to buy not so long ago.
to be continued...
It was morning and I was not feeling well. I felt cold and warm so I took a nap hoping the feeling would fade away. I prayed as I tried to get a little sleep to ease the cold and warmth I was feeling. It sounded ironic the way I put it, but if you are a normal human being this is exactly how you feel when you are about to get sick, you feel cold and hot. As I experienced this irony in my body, anxiety began to take over me about my plans for the first few days of 2021. I might put it behind and lose some finances due to my sickness.
Episodes just like this in my life remind me of my humanity, that there is a weakness in me, that I am limited in different aspects, yet I know that I am enough for the purpose He has entrusted me. God has supplied and will supply whatever I need. This is also a loving nudge from God that I must learn to let go of the things I can't control and fully trusting Him that all things will work together for good for those who love Him (Romans 8:28).
The year 2021 is not an exemption to the war that has been occurring even before I existed here on earth. A spiritual war has been going on since Satan rebelled against God. And the battleground for this war is our mind, thus we should fill our minds with good thoughts and ideas that edify us towards the kingdom of God.
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ, ~2 Corinthians 10:3-5 ESV
Living a victorious life is never easy, surely there are times of failure and losses, but He is faithful and Christ is enough. He will bring comfort in our troubled times. He will be with us when we face tribulation in our life. He will not forsake us. The LORD is always with us.
I am in the process of knowing God more and seeking Him to have that personal and intimate relationship. There are times that I waver and neglect my time with Him so I tried to improve some of my habits that will help me in my journey to know and experience Him more. I listed down below some of the materials that help me with this spiritual journey with God:
1. Journal Notebook
Ever since I decided to become a writer I always tend or prefer to pen down my thoughts and feelings in a notebook, but I was never consistent. Most of the time I just brush off the chances of penning down those thoughts and feelings. But the year 2020 made the difference, I was more determined to utilize my journal notebook in talking my thoughts and feelings with God. Hopefully, 2021 will bring the same determination as I continue to seek more of God.
2. 365-Day / Everyday Devotional
Recently, I began reading the Bible from the beginning, the book of Genesis. I was having trust issues with what the church was telling about Jesus. This was a struggle I opened to my Discipleship Group leader and other members. They prayed for me and gave references for me to watch, read, and meditate upon. Aside from reading the Bible, I thought it would be nice to have this everyday devotional book by Max Lucado.
3. Pens and Highlighters
I use Dong-A Fine Tech, they are more affordable than its other competitor. I get the quality I want at a much lower price. It is also refillable. For highlighters, I have ones from Stabilo Boss and Schneider Job collections. I just need the basics for penning down my thoughts and feelings, and sometimes my conversations with God. I also tried writing stories and poems on notebooks, but it appears to me that I am not making any progress right now.
The Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Happy new year! God bless everyone!
Through little ways... in Jesus's name!
It has been almost four months since the Community Quarantine was first imposed in the Philippines because of the pandemic COVID-19, and CQ has been called a lot of names during this period: lockdown, ECQ, MECQ, GCQ, MGCQ, and a lot more.
In this new normal, everyone is facing struggles on adjusting to the present setting of their lives. WFH or Work From Home is the new normal set up among some of the companies. Skeletal force is required to report physical in their workplace. All these adjustments are thanks to the blessing of technology. Before COVID-19, I thought advanced technology like wifi, smartphones, and others are doomed to destroy the lives of every human being because of the proliferation of pornography through these devices. Yet, during this time I realized that God has allowed the invention of these technologies to prepare us for what we have right now and also that good things can come out from the things God has allowed to happen.
Education has received a blow because of this pandemic. Due to viruses, we are limited to move and do what we normally do during enrolment and classes. Face to face classes with the students is still prohibited since the learners are considered vulnerable to COVID-19. The Philippine educational system did not even consider the option of canceling the school year 2020-2021 due to COVID-19. But instead, they devised plans and programs to make sure the education of every young Filipino continues under the program LCP or Learning Continuity Plan of the Department of Education.
The higher up have been exerting every effort to make education possible for every young Filipino in this time of pandemic and it goes the same way with the teachers. In little ways, teachers are doing their part to make sure they follow the direction of DepEd despite the uncertainties and anxieties brought by COVID-19. Teachers attend webinars, learn new strategies, techniques, and methods on how to deliver the teaching-learning process with the learners, while simultaneously complying with the paperwork and reports required by the school, division, region, or even from the national.
It is overwhelming and one may not be excused to experience quarantine fatigue. I thought staying at home or working from home will be a smooth sailing ship, and guess what I was wrong. Definitely wrong.
Paperworks and submission of reports arrive without a warning. They come on Saturday, Sunday, on weekends, at night, at midnight, and even during the dawn. It was a bit difficult at first, but DepEd is trying its best to prepare their teachers for the new normal by conducting webinars about mental health, psychosocial, and psychological support. I am glad that finally the department finally made this issue a priority not only for the learners but also for its personnel.
As one of the public teachers, I still struggle with this new normal. It was hard to imagine at first how the school year 2020-2021 will sail. Right now, at least I have a little glimpse of what could happen this school year during the teaching-learning process without the face to face learning modality. Our school head conducted a survey about the teachers' preferred mode of teaching in consideration of the learners' preferred learning delivery. I chose modular since my internet is not reliable (Ahem, Globe, baka naman), as of this moment I am waiting for a better internet connection through Converge. So, I'll see which is better, I want to remain with Globe, yet the need for a faster and better internet connection is a must to have an effective WFH arrangement.
Just today, I tried to create a digital presentation of a sample lessons for the LCP campaign of our school and also as a preparation for the new school year. I also made this because I had no choice but to choose to comply (hehe and because of Romans 13:1 NIV: "Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.", to God be all the glory).
I am happy with the results of my journey in creating digital content. I was excited after seeing the finished product, because of my excitement I posted the video on my Youtube channel. I am content with my work, and accept that there is still room for improvement. I hope that through this kind of digital content school yeat 2020-2021 will come to pass, in Jesus's name!
Are you a teacher?
What is a teacher?
Hello! I am Teacher Arlene.
Always, I had an eerie feeling before whenever someone calls me Teacher Arlene outside school. I didn't like it because of the system and the duties and responsibilities entangled with it, they're huge, overwhelming, and some should be done by a different set of personnel most of the times. Thus, I wanted to get away from it. I have tried many times but God is not yet done with me being a teacher. He has put me for a reason and a season. I don't know until when I am going to be a teacher in the system I am in right now, only Him knows.
In the present setting, the new normal is very challenging for everyone else including teachers, learners, and parents. That's why my prayer is that may we all find the endurance, strength, and wisdom to thrive in these trying times through Him and in Him.
Let's go back to my question, so what really is a teacher?
It isn't someone who teaches something, but someone who inspires students to give of her best in order to discover what she already knows. ~Edda, The Witch of Portabello by Paulo Coelho
I pray that you will be able to find you're true calling in these trying times. Pray for me too. 😄🙌🙏
Who is God?
I did not know who God is.
Do I know Him?
I did not know the real Him.
Do I have that intimate relationship with Him?
I thought He hated me because I kept on sinning--and I still do. I thought He did not want anything to do with a sinner like me.
But I was wrong.
I am weak in the human flesh. So weak... But that did not and never cause Him to love me less, instead, He loves me more, more than I can imagine.
You might be thinking how do I know that He loves me no matter what. How do I know that He will never love me less? How can I be sure that despite my weakness or in its plural form I am loved and protected?
In any human relationship, we must have an intimate relationship with a person to know them better and the truths about him or her. We spend time with that person and talk to them on a regular basis. And just like in human relationships, to have an intimate relationship with God, we also need to spend time with Him like attending Sunday worship, having quiet time with Him, being part of a small group or Bible study, talking and listening to Him through prayers.
By spending time with Him through my quiet time, I am knowing more about Him and putting my trust in Him as a grow and live my life with Him. His promises to you and me, I hold them, dear, to my heart because I know Him, I know His truest character and He never fails.
Psalm 62 CEV is the Scripture during my quiet time with Him last Sunday, June 14. It is only now that God is allowing me to post this blog entry. This chapter says:
God Is Powerful and Kind
1 Only God can save me,
and I calmly wait for[a] him.
2 God alone is the mighty rock[b]
that keeps me safe
and the fortress
where I am secure.
3 I feel like a shaky fence
or a sagging wall.
How long will all of you
attack and assault me?
4 You want to bring me down
from my place of honor.
You love to tell lies,
and when your words are kind,
hatred hides in your heart.
5 Only God gives inward peace,
and I depend on him.
6 God alone is the mighty rock
that keeps me safe,
and he is the fortress
where I feel secure.
7 God saves me and honors me.
He is that mighty rock
where I find safety.
8 Trust God, my friends,
and always tell him
each one of your concerns.
God is our place of safety.
9 We humans are only a breath;
none of us are truly great.
All of us together weigh less
than a puff of air.
10 Don’t trust in violence
or depend on dishonesty
or rely on great wealth.
11 I heard God say two things:
“I am powerful,
12 and I am very kind.”
The Lord rewards each of us
according to what we do.
I am not an expert in Bible verses but these are the truths about God that are revealed through His word on Psalm 62:
1. He is the only one who can save me no one else (Psalm 62:1).
1 John 5:11-12 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. The one who has the Son has this eternal life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have this eternal life.
2. He, alone, keeps me safe (Psalm 62:2).
Psalm 18:2 The Lord is my protector; he is my strong fortress. My God is my protection, and with him I am safe. He protects me like a shield; he defends me and keeps me safe.
3. Only He can give me inward peace (Psalm 62:5).
Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
4. God honors me because He loves me (Psalm 62:7).
Isaiah 41:10 ESV Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
5. God is a trusted friend, my confidant (Psalm 62:8).
John 15:15 ESV No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
6. God is powerful and very kind (Psalm 62:11-12).
Psalm 147:5 ESV Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.
7. He is a rewarder (Psalm 62:12).
Hebrews 11:6 KJV But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Reboot your life and start your journey with Him now!
Know God more! Be intimate with Him! Have that intimate relationship with Him!
Need someone to talk to? In need of prayers? Message me, I'm willing to listen and pray for you. May God bless us all!☺
I'm coming out! I'm coming out. I want the world to know. I've got to let it show!
Selfie was taken circa 2015 |
I am beginning to open up myself to others. Slowly, gradually, I am stepping out to make another debut in the world of society. But this time I am not doing it alone. I have someone greater than anyone has ever lived. I have someone who is all-powerful. I have someone who never runs out of love for me. He never fails me. But I did many times, I failed Him. But He forgives me always. He even sacrificed himself to save me from death. He is my salvation, my redeemer. His name is Jesus. The Son of God.
Last 2019, things got messy in my life. I was broken. Crushed. I was seeing death as something trivial yet scary. All my possessions, what I had achieved were temporary things I could lose any time. I realized there were things I could not control or even change, more so death.
I had this thought that the pain and grief I felt would be easily gone if I just die, and that was an easy way out. I gave up fighting. Because I always only got hurt. People did not like me or what I do. They rejected me, the real me. I was not good enough and all of us would just die anyway, so why even try to live? If you live, you will just die. Life was meaningless, pointless, even hopeless.
I was withdrawing from physical reality.
I was living to die. I was...
But, then...
Someone pulled me back to life. He sent angels through people who might know me or not. A divinely orchestrated plan led me back to The One who loved me first. To Him who always chased me. To Him who never let me down.
To my LORD.
I lost to surrender my life to Him and learned a lot and still learning and re-learning a lot about Him. I love Him, yet I know that He loves more and more, deeper than the depth of the sea. My brokenness works just like what Romans 8:28 says: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose."
I was no longer a slave to my pain, grief, guilt, and shame. I am free. I no longer carry a heavy burden, because Jesus said in Matthew 11:30, "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." And He brings me genuine peace, the kind of peace Paul said in Philippians 4:7, "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Now, that I know the lengths, the heights, and the depths of God's love for me I no longer have the idea of wrong love, the kind of love this world projects and humans unconsciously acquire.
Matthew 22:39 says "And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself," --love others as you love yourself, see? You must love yourself the right way first, God's way, before you express the right kind of love to others. Knowing God and having an intimate relationship with Him will give us more opportunities to learn more about the kind of love He wants us to have and to share with others. How to do that? Own a Bible. Read His words. Talk to Him. Pray to Him.
Some of my Learn to's to better love yourself the right way.
1. Learn to say no
We have that tendency to always yes, even though we want to say no. I think we have that innate mechanism wherein we often do things to please other people. We take pride in saying yes all the time. We do not want to let down other people because they have some expectations, if not too much. As I became an adult, I thought I have to please every single person around me. I was so afraid to disappoint them, though I acted like I did not care I was so scared to be hated by people.
I always wanted to make a facade that I was capable of doing anything assigned to me. I was trying to act like I was a jack of all trades due to the fact that I was so afraid that others might say I was useless. That's why I had a habit of saying yes if someone was asking me for a favor.
So, next time someone asks you for something let's say a favor, it would not be so bad if you take your time and think about it before giving a response. Instead of pressuring yourself and letting others down might as well consider it first. It will be hard in the beginning, you may feel guilty and think of yourself as a bad person. But you'll get through it, pray for it.
2. Learn to take it slow
Do not rush yourself. If something needs to be done, let's say a task from work, give yourself time to think. Give yourself space. Breathe in, breathe out, before you start anything, whether it is work or personal task, much better if you even pray for it. Don't rush. Take it slow. You can pause and rest if things are tiring you down.
3. Learn to give not only take
I came from a poor family, so I tended to get stingy sometimes. I had this idea that I should keep more to myself since I did not have much. I did not hate giving, but I took more of what I could and what I should.
I thought if I kept more I would have more. Yet, in God's economy, this belief is so wrong. It is more like the more you give, the more you will be blessed. It will return to you ten folds, you will live abundantly. Spiritual and physical. You will not be lacking. He will supply all your needs. Needs, not want, alright?
So share what God has blessed you with, and always ask for discernment. We are born in this world with nothing, we will leave taking nothing. We are the stewards of all His creations. We should take care of them and never abuse them. Be more giving.
4. Learn to forgive yourself and others
Don't be hard on yourself. Lower your expectations. People make mistakes. People will disappoint me and you. You and I will disappoint others as well. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Be more forgiving to yourself and others. If God can forgive us, who are we to deny ourselves and others of forgiveness.
I have to learn and re-learn all of these because they take practice and discipline to make them a habit. The truth is we are still in our sinful nature, our own flesh reeks of sin. It is hard for a naturally bad-nature human to be good without learning and discipline. It takes habits to form a character, a good one. Despite the messy parts of our lives, God did not forsake us. He sent someone to save us so we can return to our original form. God loves me. Period. So be sure to love yourself, the way God does.
So, again, who else will love you? None other than, but Jesus, certainly, eternally. Accept Him in your life and you will never be the same.
Where do you get that extra cash during this lockdown?
A lot of Filipinos lost their source of income due to the CoViD pandemic. I know that most of us are looking for a job to have an extra income to support our family's basic needs, and the online world posts a lot of potentials where people can earn money.
Right now, I have two sources of extra income where I earn not much, but just enough for what my family and I need. I sell online and write reviews.
1. Online selling
I have an account on Shopee which sells brand new and pre-loved books. It also has a small physical store near our house. I started my independent book store last August 2018. The physical book store is not frequent by people, since only a few know it, probably it is just me and the rest of the family. I get my sales more on Shopee, sometimes through Facebook or Carousell. Last time, I checked the sales I already earned and spent 33,000 pesos something in a span of a year (excluding the sales thru FB and Carousell) which do not really cash on hand thing, the digits are more of a system-generated sales report from Shopee. In short, I do not have the 33,000 pesos on my hand in case you are thinking that I have cold cash in my pocket. I have spent most of them, and keep the capital cycling as it serves its purpose.
Reading books is one of my hobbies, so I enjoy selling books. You may also find things around you which you can sell online. Some of my friends are also selling online through Facebook and Instagram. They sell make-up and pre-loved clothes, bags, and footwear. Maybe now is perfect for you to clean and organize your stuff and declutter while earning a few pesos at the same time.
2. Review writing
I came across a post in one of the bookish group I am affiliated with on Facebook. The post advertised about a writing job with average earnings of 5,000 to 10,000 pesos. I am usually skeptical of this kind of post online, they appear fraud to me. Clicking the message button, I still had doubts in me. I sent interest and I got a reply right away. I was tasked to write a short review of 120 words of the latest book I read which was The Alchemist at that time.
Thank God, I got the job and earned almost 7,000 since April 20. And again I do not have the cash on hand. I already spent it on our basic needs. The job requires me to read books and write my impression of the story I read.
You may also find ways on how to earn online just like me. If you are good at drawing, someone may commission you. Or if you are also good at writing, you may find a job just like mine.
I am blessed that I earn from the things I love to do: reading and writing. You may never know as you scroll down on your Facebook or Instagram feeds with your smartphone or laptop, you might find a part-time just like how I did. Now is the time to start utilizing those gadgets for something profitable and helpful. I refer to the decent ways of using the internet to earn money, alright? Are we clear on that? And I pray that this post somehow helps you with what you are going through right now. Keep safe! God bless!
A gentle reminder: For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. ~1 Timothy 6:10
I continued attending the Sunday service. Aside from the usual Sunday worship service, there were other Church activities during weekdays. Other activities were announced during the Sunday service, we were encouraged to attend our respective group designation. There was a group for women, youth, and also prayer meetings during Fridays. I once attended a prayer meeting. I didn't have the slightest idea of what would happen, but one thing I was sure of, we were going to pray, and that was because it was called a prayer meeting. Wasn't it obvious?
I attended a prayer meeting. I was nervous. I arrived on time thinking that I didn't want to have any conversation with other people. I just wanted to reserve my seat and listen or pray or whatever I must do during the meeting. I didn't intend to meet and greet others, it was never easy for me to do that. It always felt like all hell break loose in my mind when I met strangers.
The prayer meeting started late. While I was waiting, there were only three of us, and a woman whom I knew during my childhood days and tried her best to engage me in a conversation. Mostly, she was the one who did the talking. She tried to show me thru her stories how blessed she was, how wonderful her family was. I listened to her patiently while I tried to put on the appropriate expression on my face on everything that she said.
I arrived at 7:30 in the evening, but the prayer meeting started at 8 or 8:30 the most. There was a lecture about a story from the New Testament. I remember something about Bethpage from the discussion of the Bishop, I am not even sure. At the end of the lecture, we prayed by a partner and some solo. I was with a partner and I was nervous, as always. She was kind enough to pray for me, and I didn't pray for her. Why? Because I didn't know how to or more like I was afraid that others would hear my prayer and discover how ugly the way I pray. After she prayed for me, I told her I would go home though I knew that the prayer meeting had not yet reached its conclusion. Others were still praying, but I was determined to leave. I felt insecure. That was the first and last time I attended the prayer meeting.
After that incident in the prayer meeting, I still continue attending the church. There were times that I missed the Sunday service because of my graduate studies. I listened to the message every Sunday and felt blessed every day. I knew I was on the right track. God wanted me to be where I was during those times.
During those times when I felt satisfied with my faith in and relationship with Him, there was a friend of mine who kept on insisting that I attend their D-group. Discipleship group or D-group is like a Bible study meeting. I rejected him a few times but eventually gave in because he was so persistent. I also started to seek more. More of Him.
It was a couples' D-group. A group composed of less and not more than ten, they were welcoming and accommodating, but I felt a little out of place since I was the only single in the group. I learned a lot from the discussion and looked forward to attending a D-group. I attended twice if I remember correctly. But eventually, I stopped attending the D-group session. I was not comfortable that I was the only single in the group.
Few months had passed and that same friend of mine nagged me about attending just one service of the church he and his wife was attending to. Again, he kept on bugging me, but this time I didn't give in. I was busy with my graduate studies and already attending a church why I would bother going to other churches.
One day, at the end of my last semester in my graduate studies and that, was November 2019, I just decided to grant my friend's request, I attended one service on a Sunday morning. After listening to a live-stream service from the main church, I was blessed. I was convicted. Since then, everything was never the same. I was never the same.
While I was getting acquainted with my new local church, adoration and praises would not cease coming out of my mind and heart. They just overflowed. I was able to compile them in a book that I just recently released on my birthday this year. I feel blessed. God never left me. In my trying times, He was there with me, always. He provided kind human beings to support and understand me. I am forever thankful and grateful. I am saved. I am redeemed.
And good news! I belong now to an all-girls D-group for singles.
This is the book I mentioned.
Click the photo if you want a copy.
~the end~
My mother had invited me many times to attend a Sunday service at the church she had been attending, and I always declined her offer thinking I was busy and it would just get in the way of my plans. I was satisfied with my relationship with God. I believed in Him. I read the Bible from time to time. I bought Christian-based books. I was a self-proclaimed Christian though He was never my priority. He was just on the sideline of my life. I was at liberty to include Him in my day to day life at my own convenience. I thought that was enough.
When everything fell apart, I realized how I was a jerk with that kind of mindset. I was ashamed and guilty of what I had done, of what I had been doing in my life. I lived my life as if it's my own as if I didn't owe Him my life, as if I had made everything possible with my own strength and will alone. I was the center of my world. When my mother invited me again to attend a Sunday service during my trying times, I accepted it. I was taking chances. If it was only Him who could heal me, take away the pain, the guilt, and the shame that I felt, then I was willing to take chances and I had nothing to lose anyway. I was lost anyway.
I started going to every Sunday service and I desired to have a complete attendance even though I was attending classes of my post-graduate studies every Saturday and Sunday. I was determined to always write notes about the message. Most of the time, I always cried during worship. I couldn't help it. Tears were just there, and after I cried I just felt a little better. I was regularly attending the Sunday service, and I came to like the new routine in my life. I decided to get baptized knowing that if I do it means that I would surrender my life to Jesus and He'll be the center of my life. It means that everything I do, I do it for Him, for His glory. I thought attending a church would be a burden, but it was not.
It was April when I was also volunteered in the Sunday school during one summer vacation. I was not sure if teaching in a Sunday school was the same as teaching in an academic school and I was afraid that I might not be able to teach the true message of Christ. But with God's grace, I was able to finish that week. Surprisingly, I enjoyed teaching the kids even it was tiring, I still got joy from it.
~end of part 4~
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