Precious Daughter!

"Rejoice, O highly favored daughter!" Luke 1:28

Although this was told to Mary by an angel, I imagine God saying this to us. I like the saying, "Always remember to wear your invisible crown." Indeed, if we really knew who we are, we would know that we really have invisible crowns. We are sons and daughters of the King of earth and sky, of the myriads of universes, of the seas and mountains, of everything created and every seen and unseen power. This King, our Father, values us so much, He sent His Son to die for us. Can we imagine being so valuable and precious, that someone would give their life for us? 

Regardless of what we think of ourselves, the world's biggest failure, unlovable, worthless, or a loser, the truth is we are unimaginably loved. No matter how many times we sin, even if we fail at all our subjects in school, even if we are the worst parent, nothing, absolutely nothing can separate us from God's love (Romans 8:38). We are His children, heirs to all the promises in the Bible. If we do not realize that we are the apple of God's eye, we should delve into Scripture, write down all what our Father thinks of us, like Isaiah 43:4- "You are precious and glorious in my sight, and I love you!" Let us not waste a minute, a second, thinking otherwise! 

When we know we are loved, we are free to love and bless others. We will be more generous and giving. The enemy knows this and that is why he wants to destroy our self image. He wants us to always think of ourselves first. 

Lord, may I know who I am in Your eyes. May I not be so busy building up myself in other people's eyes, but instead may I know the truth that I am valuable and loved by You! 

Faith to Move Mountains!

"But now you will be mute, unable to speak- because you have not trusted my words." Luke 1:20

Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, and his wife Elizabeth, had been praying for a child for a long time. But when an angel told Zechariah that his prayers had been answered, he did not believe  and gave the angel excuses why it could not happen. Many times we are like Zechariah. We pray and pray but a little voice tells us, no it's not going to happen. And we give reasons why it's not going to happen! We pray for healing but in the next breath, say to ourselves that the doctor said we need this operation or this expensive medicine. In Romans 10:17, Saint Paul says that faith comes by hearing the Word of God, and in Hebrews we learn that without faith it is impossible to please God. If we want to grow in faith, we need to dig deep into God's Word. Maybe that's why Zechariah was struck dumb, so he could spend some quiet time meditating on the books of the law. If we read what Jesus said and did, we will expect the impossible to happen. Jesus is the same today as He was when He walked on the earth and made great and wonderful things happen. But we first need to spend time with Him, so that we see ourselves in the midst of all the happening things. Each of us are given a mustard seed of faith, and we need to take care of it and learn how to grow it. It should be one of the priorities of our life. But if we spend most of our time watching TV, or going through social media or shopping, then obviously, the fruit of that isn't going to be faith.

Lord, may I look to You and study Your words. I want to do things Your way. Help me to grow my mustard seed faith and see miracles happening around me and through me! 

God With Us!

"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14

What folly is this? Immanuel? God with us, born amongst us? Born as a mere mortal, helpless in his mother's arms? Dependent upon an immature young virgin who had no recourse but to depend on God for everything, even her reputation? 

Pope Francis in his spiritual reflection writes, "Think well on this: God is with us and God still trusts us. God the Father is generous. He comes to abide with mankind; He chooses earth as His dwelling place, to remain with people and to be found where man passes his days in joy or in sorrow. Therefore, earth is no longer only a 'valley of tears'; rather, it is the place where God has pitched His tent, it is the meeting place of God with man, of God's solidarity with men....

 

He chose to live in our history as it is, with all the weight of its limitations and tragedies. In doing so, He demonstrated in an unequalled manner His merciful and truly loving disposition toward the human creature."

In meditating on this mystery of God with us, let us put ourselves in His place, and strive to see the world we live in as He does. As Jesus said in Matthew 25, "Whatever you did for one of the least of my brothers and sisters, you did for me." He is beside us, He walks with us, as the Aetas congregating on the streets at Christmas, the prisoners who do not have space enough to sleep, even the old man sleeping beside us at the 4 am Novena mass. 

Lord, may we see the signs of Your presence among us. May we never take for granted that You chose to be One with us! 

 

The Same Family!

I do not like throwing my 

daily Bible readings and so 

I brush it over with either gesso 

or the cheaper alternative, wall putty. 

 Then I play with my acrylic paints, rubber stamps, and other mark makers. 

Then I either draw or pick a picture 

to transfer to the page with carbon paper. 

I usually draw on a separate sheet

of paper so I can easily erase

and redraw lines. 

Plus I can reuse my drawing! 

Then I paint with acrylic paint.

When it is time to paint shadows

I use two brushes.

One to apply the darker flesh paint,

the second one to water it down 

to make the shading gradual. 

Next I use a pencil to outline and shade.
 

And then I use a thin permanent pen to put the Bible verse. 

"It was of Mary that Jesus who is called the Messiah was born." Matthew 1:16

Going through the first part of Matthew can be tedious, and I tend to skip all the begats and son ofs. I am sure I can go through all of them and find some nugget of wisdom. That's what the Bible is, after all- a treasure chest of gems, precious jewels and pearls. 

I skip all that and reach Matthew 1:16, and find that instead of the son of the father, we see that Jesus is the son of the WIFE of Joseph. That is unusual in a genealogy. Women were not usually mentioned in Jewish genealogies. Nowhere in the Bible is the name of King David's poor mother mentioned! But all that changes with Jesus! 

Matthew lists Jesus' genealogy all the way from Abraham, showing His roots and His family. But He becomes part of that family through the Holy Spirit because Mary conceived by the power of the Spirit. Do we realize that we are part of that same family by the power of the same Spirit? 

From Anawim, I read, "We cannot choose our ancestors. As much as we might prefer to descend from a line of great and powerful kings, there is nothing we can do about it. But now, because of Jesus Christ, we can choose to be part of a greater and more powerful family that far surpasses our natural background. By faith, we are children of Abraham, we are children of David- we are children of God!" Now that is something to rejoice about! 

 
 
 
 
 

Fruit of the Earth!

"The earth has yielded its fruits." Psalm 67:6

 

Even in farming, God has plenty to say in the Bible. There is a foundation, "Farming God's Way" that seeks to promote Biblical principles of farming to farmers across Africa. These farmers cannot even provide enough for their families to eat. Even if billions of dollars are poured into Africa every year, the poor get poorer, and this rich land is turned into a begging bowl. But when they are taught to follow God's ways instead of worshipping other gods and following witch doctors, they are able to harvest more from their land. 

 

In the beginning of Israel's statehood,  David ben Gurion, its first Prime Minister said, "These lands apparently abandoned and hopeless may in a not so distant future become alive and pulsing with willpower, and unknown resources will yield great blessings if we only can delve into their secrets." 

Israel is 60% desert but because of several religious kibbutz' founded in the 1930s, they were able to study the land, and make the desert bloom with crops even if the water was brackish. 

Whatever we do, we should always spend time with God so that we will be fruitful. George Washington Carver was a farmer and he would pray every morning and ask God what he should do. He was so successful he discovered how to make 300 different products from his  peanut produce. He was single handedly responsible for saving the South in the 1900s when the boll weevil destroyed almost all of their cotton crops. 

When asked about his success, George Washington Carver explained: "It is not we little men who do the work, but it is our blessed Creator working through us...Everyone can have this power, if they only believe. The secret lies," and he touched his Bible, "right here in the promises of God. They are real, but so few people believe them to be real." 

Expand Your Tent!

"Enlarge the space for your tent..." Isaiah 54:2

Yesterday, we had a surprise visitor at the office. My sisters and I hadn't seen him for years, and he entertained us with his stories. He was with his 8th wife, and had 9 children that he knew of, scattered who knows where. He only stopped taking drugs after his family spent thereabouts of 15 million pesos for his 6 years spent in and out of rehab, and after realizing he was a grandfather and should stop his foolishness. While I was listening to him, I got excited. Although he told us that his mother told him never to talk about politics or religion, my sister said that if he was with us, we almost talked of nothing but religion! 

When we meet someone, do we have the mindset that maybe, just maybe, here was an opportunity to enlarge our tents? To lengthen our ropes, to make firm our stakes? Enlarging our tents means growing, blooming, spreading our sphere of influence. For God. If we believe that living in God's light is living life in all its fullness, we will want that for others as well. And we will want to introduce others to that way of living, and a relationship with Jesus. Everywhere in the world, even in countries where people are being killed for being Christians, people are meeting Jesus, and Jesus is changing lives. Lord, I want to be a part of Your great big plan to bring Your message that can change the world, to every part of the globe! Let me not limit You by my fears or my expectations, but let me see You work as I take steps in faith. 

WOYWW: Saint John of the Cross

Here on my desk today

is my planner and some water brushes

and ink I am trying out. 
 

Usually I just write and draw on

my planner with my fine pen. 

But when I have time

I take out my rubber stamps,

washi tape, stickers, etc. 

and embellish the pages.

I really like going through my planner

and adding bits and pieces to it! 

"Turn to me and be safe, all you ends of the earth, for I am God." 

Isaiah 45:22

 

Today is the feast day of Saint John of the Cross, a priest and Doctor of the Church. If there ever was a man who could teach one how to find joy in the midst of total darkness, this man could. He lived in poverty since birth, and after he became a priest, his troubles did not cease. Some of the other brothers did not accept the reforms he wanted to bring to the Carmelite Order, like bringing it back to a life of prayer, and they actually imprisoned him for 9 months in a small, dark, and cold cell! But this desolation gave seed to the great mystical works he left the Church. He knew from this experience that joy comes only from God, and one did not need anything but God! 

"What more do you want, o soul!" He wrote. "And what else do you search for outside, when within yourself you possess your riches, delights, satisfaction, and kingdom- your beloved whom you desire and seek? Desire Him there, adore Him there. Do not go in pursuit of Him outside yourself."

In every life, there is some darkness. We should find the light in Him whose light will never go out. Yes, Lord, when we turn to You, we shall be safe. 

 
 

 
 

The Remnant

"I will leave as a remnant in your midst a people humble and lowly..." Zephaniah 3:12

God always calls His people to humility and lowliness. He knows that is the only time He can speak to us, and we will listen and obey. He cannot reach us when we think we know it all, when we feel we are doing everything right, when we set ourselves apart from the "sinners" who deserve all the bad things that happen to them. 

But there is always a remnant God preserves. In Zephaniah's prophecy, God is angry because His people were rebellious, and did not trust Him. The prophets He called were treacherous and reckless. The priests profaned His sanctuaries. The people knew no shame. Injustice ruled the land. Sound familiar? And yet God, always the Father, preserved a remnant who took refuge in the Lord. 

Even within us, no matter how far we go from the right way, how distant we stray from God's path, there will be a "remnant" within us. God will always continue to call us to be His own. He will never give up! He will always persist. In the Gospel reading for today, Jesus admonishes the righteous chief priests and elders, "Let me make it clear that tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you!" (Matthew 21:31) Like God, we too must never lose hope that no matter how bad a person seems, be he an evil drug lord, a corrupt politician or petty thief, there is always room for him in God's Kingdom. Just as there is always room for us! 

Who am I?

"But who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" Luke 1:43

 

After Mary's encounter with angel Gabriel, she set out in haste to the hill country to visit her cousin Elizabeth. What could Mary have been thinking? 

Was she sure of her welcome? If she was remotely like me, her thoughts would be like a wild dog that needed reining in right away or they would lead who knows where! 

But when Mary arrived in Elizabeth's house, what greeted her but a confirmation: "Who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" Not incredulity, not skepticism, not ridicule, not a look of 'Is she crazy?'. But full, all out support. We need friends, brothers and sisters who will be there for us when we go out on the limb for God. Do we have people around us who love us, whom we can depend on? If something of great import happens, do we have someone to run to? More importantly, are we that person? A person who can discern what things come from God, and what things are clearly from the enemy? In times of great confusion, when the world seeks to make the wrong things right, when the popular mandate is against God's values, we need more than ever to stand with strong people. Men and women with conviction and faith who will fight with us, break bread with us, walk the pilgrim journey with us until we reach our real home. Yes Lord, surround me with Your people! 

Waiting!

"See how the farmer awaits the precious yield of the soil." James 5:7

Advent is a special time of waiting and it is especially fitting that we visit a farmer's work in the field. In one of my favorite verses, Saint Paul says we are God's field, God's garden (1 Cor. 3:9). He breathed the seed of life into us and put us lovingly in our milieu, knowing that each of us would bloom and grow "for such a time and place as this" (Esther 4:14). 

We look at the majestic trees and we know it took years before it reached its height. Each tree had to survive storms, heat, floods, drought, rot, sometimes even fire to get stronger and plant its roots deeper and deeper into the soil. But each tree started from a tiny seed that broke through to the sunshine and drank thirstily of the water and nutrients in the soil. Only when it goes through all the seasons of growth and regrowth can it bear fruit to bless others. 

During this time of waiting on the Lord, let us look at our life, and be patient with ourselves. We too go through different seasons of growing. We encounter different challenges and testing that expose our neediness, our weaknesses, like the seeds, but we just have to trust our 'farmer'. He chose our soil, He waters us, He tends us. He also prunes us at the right time, with the precise tool, into fruitfulness and abundance. One day, we too, will become a majestic tree, or something entirely unexpected. We just have to be patient, and wait, and be excited with the "precious yield" God has in store for us! 

Revive us!

"Revive us so we can call on Your name once more." Psalm 80:18

There is nothing I want more than a cool refreshing bath after a whole day in Divisoria, jostling crowds of people, dodging carts, haggling with shop vendors, being touched and prodded by the old and young begging for money. The dust mixed with perspiration and the heat make it unbearable sometimes. But what a treat to scrape off all the grime! It makes you feel like a new person! 

Spiritually we can accumulate filth too. If only we could physically feel the dirt that piles up in our hearts when we are envious, impatient, unloving, stingy, angry, uncharitable or merciless. If only we couldn't sleep at night when we have anything in our spirit that does not please our Heavenly Father! 

Lord, this Advent, may we look deep within our hearts and minds and see ourselves as You see us. It may dismay and disgust us, but only You Lord, can refresh us, revive us, make us new creatures with a new heart! Nothing is impossible with You! 

Pray and Obey!

"I, the Lord, teach you what is for your good, and lead you on the way you should go." Isaiah 48:17

Many people pray. Many people meditate. But what many do not realize is prayer and obedience needs to go hand in hand. The following verse in Isaiah 48 goes like this: "If you would listen to my commands, your prosperity would be like a river..."

How many of us would like to be prosperous? This is what God promises us if we listen to Him and heed His counsels. God prospers men and women who turn to Him daily and seek to follow His ways. Prosperity is the state of flourishing, of fruitfulness, not only financially, but more importantly, spiritually. It is when we see our family, our work, our relationships, thriving and growing. We are, after all, connected to the Vine, the giver of life, the giver of every good thing when we pray and obey! 

Lord, may I seek You daily. May I read Your Word, listen to Your still, small voice and step by step, follow where You lead! 

Let it be Done!

"Let it be done to me according to Your Word." Luke 1:38

 

Your Word. When Mary proclaimed in faith that she wanted all that the angel said, she opened up a portal of blessing. At first she was deeply troubled as anyone would be with the visit of an angel, not an ordinary angel at that! It was no less than Angel Gabriel, one of the Archangels, special emissary of God, who was also sent to Daniel in the Old Testament to explain his visions. Gabriel told Mary that she found favor with God, and she had a very important mission. Gabriel also told her that nothing is impossible with God. 

What was Mary's response? "Yes. Let it be done to me!" I believe if we listen long and hard enough, staying silent before God, we will hear His still, small voice. He wants to speak to us, and I do believe we all have an important mission. But sometimes we can't keep still. Yes, we come before God in prayer, but our mind is filled with a cacophony of voices. I have to do this today. I have to buy this. I have to tell so and so this and that. I have to be at this place at this time. Where is the space for God to speak to us? But all is not lost. We can go to God's written word, the Bible. We do not need to strain to hear Him. He speaks loud and clear. His story of His love for us is written for all who want a portal of blessing to open up. 

Yes, Lord! Let it be done to me! Let me experience all the spiritual blessings You bestow upon me in Christ! You chose me to be full of love. Your will and pleasure is that I be Your beloved adopted daughter! (Ephesians 1:3-12)

Come to Me!

"Come to me, all you are weary and find life burdensome, 

and I will refresh you. 

Take my yoke upon your shoulders and learn from me. 

Your souls will find rest." 

Matthew 11:28-30

This is a welcome passage this morning. I look at my December calendar and it is far from restful. I've attended two parties already, a mountain of gifts to wrap waiting in our family room, a Board Meeting today, a workshop to lead, a community gathering, a musical to watch, a family party to attend, all within this week. My sister and I bought 300 bags of groceries for QC Jail inmates yesterday, and plan to do the same for the gift giving of the Vice-President. That is on top of all the usual work at the office, AND I have a sore throat and a frog of a cough starting! 

If my body can't get rest, my soul certainly demands it. That's why I absolutely need to start my day with setting aside time with the Lord. Most people don't know it, but time with God is as essential as sleep, and food. That's how we plug in to the eternal, to our very life force. In Proverbs 4:20-22 says, "My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh." 

Lord, at this time, may I make more of an effort to turn to You. May I make a space in the inn of my heart for Your coming. May I turn off the hustle and bustle and busyness of the world, and spend time contemplating the beauty of Your presence. That is how I will find my rest. More of You, Lord, that is what I need! 

The Grass Withers!

"Though the grass withers and the flower wilts, the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8

When I turned 60 last week, it was not only a time to look forward excitedly to all the privileges I would receive with my Senior Citizen status, but also a time to look back at my life. I read all the happy birthday messages in Facebook, Messenger, and on my phone, email, and thanked God for all my loved ones, friends, and brothers and sisters in community. I blew out candles on cakes. No one put 60 candles on any of the cakes! Too many! Why do we blow out the candles? Is it to symbolize all the years that have passed, never to come back? Some say the smoke from the candles wafts our prayers up to heaven. 

I find that as I get older, the years seem to race by faster and faster. When I was young, it seemed as if waiting a whole week for the weekend was interminable! Now a whole year is almost over! No one, absolutely no one, can stop the march of time. No one can stop flowers from wilting, or grass from withering. No one can stop wrinkles and age spots from appearing on our skin, not even the most expert skin specialist or plastic surgeon! We are all inexorably moving on. What can we hold on to? What can stand in the midst of the shifting and shaking around us? Political turmoil!  Health crisis! Family upheavals! Financial downturns! 

Only the Word of God. May I always turn to You O Lord, read Your Word, and learn at Your feet. Like Simon Peter, I proclaim, Lord, to whom should we go? You hold the Words to eternal life!  

I will Heal your Friend!

"Some men came along carrying a paralytic on a mat." Luke 5:18

 

I like putting myself in a Bible story and gleaning some truth by being a part of what is happening. In the story of the paralyzed man being carried by his friends to Jesus, I have imagined myself to be the paralytic in need of Jesus. Indeed, we are all paralyzed in some way, by our circumstances, by our past, by our health, even by the way we think.

 

But today I am putting myself in the place of one of the paralytic's friends. They don't give up. Even if the crowd around Jesus doesn't make a way for them to pass through the door, they make their own way. They went up through the roof. They burrowed through the tiles of the roof, and lowered their friend! Can you imagine the hardship they went through? Not only the climbing up to the roof, but carrying their friend through the streets in a mat! It could not have been easy balancing the stretcher through cobblestones, and weaving their way through people and other carts and horses. Because they cared, because of their love and compassion for their friend. 

How many people have I carried through the streets, up to the roof, and broken tiles for? Has my faith and love brought someone to the notice of Jesus, enough for Him to say, "I see your faith. I will heal your friend!" Sometimes we give up because of the "crowds", the busyness, the hopelessness. But if we want to see "incredible things", like the people near Jesus, we should persevere and push through the crowds, and whatever obstacles are put in our way! And we should remember, that even if we put down the mat, we can always take it up again, and continue the journey. 

Lord, there are so many in need of our prayers and our help. May I always make time to bring my friends, my neighbors, my hurting country, to Your notice. May You see our tiny, mustard seed faith, and answer our prayers! 

Brood of Vipers!

"You brood of vipers!" Matthew 3:7

 

   John the Baptist was certainly a character! He was the same age as Jesus, but was more fiery, more radical in his lifestyle. He wore camel's hair and ate grasshoppers and wild honey. The amazing thing is that hordes of people would go out into the wilderness to listen to him, to confess their sins, and to be baptized in the Jordan River. They thought he was the Messiah! It says that Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region around the Jordan would trek to the desert. That was not an easy walk. They would have to plan for it, bring food and drink. 

When John saw that even the Sadducees and Pharisees were lining up to be baptized, he called out, "You brood of vipers! Who told you to flee from the wrath to come? Give some evidence that you mean to reform!" Were they lining up for show? John, in contrast to Jesus, could not see their hearts. I think that they should have confessed their sins first before going for their baptism in the Jordan. I think before we think of decorating our houses for Christmas, before we wrap our gifts and give them, before we light our Advent wreaths, we should come before God and ask forgiveness for our many sins. Advent is a time when we should prepare for the coming of Jesus and what better gift can we give Him but a clean heart and pure hands? 

Lord, please forgive me for my sins against You, and against my brothers and sisters. Please do not hold against me all the times I failed to love like You. Please bathe me in Your forgiveness O Lord as I acknowledge my many failings. Cleanse me and wash me clean O Lord. 

This is the Way!

"This is the way; walk in it." Isaiah 30:21

Wouldn't it be wonderful if some very wise person, who knew the future, who knew what was best for us, who knew what we were capable of, would take charge and say, "This is the way, this is what you should do"? But we would only be able to trust that person if we knew him, and we were certain he knew us, and that he loved us so much! 

There is one person we can trust, who knows us because He made us. Psalm 139:13 says that God created our inmost being and knit us together in our mother's womb. God also has the best in mind for our future. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11). But we should also know Him so we can trust Him. We have to have a relationship with Him, so we can hear His voice.

Just as someone I know who was discerning about his state of life. He was in the shower and he heard, "Only Meldy will make you happy." He is now married to my sister Meldy, and he is happy. Just as Dodong Cacanando heard God say in an audible voice while he was taking a morning run, "Leave!" in answer to his question if he should quit his job. Just as I heard when I was in front of the Blessed Sacrament, "I will give you Luigi as a husband if you are willing to be pruned." 

Yes, I do believe God is very willing to lead and guide us if we are willing to listen and be lead! 

13 

The Three Trees

"One thing I ask of the Lord, this I seek..." Psalm 27:4

 

Is there only one thing we seek from the Lord? Usually we seek many things from Him. Yesterday, we had our Bible Study Christmas party in the office, and my group was assigned to perform a play. We chose to dramatize the favorite children's story, The Three Trees. When the trees were small, they were dreaming of what they would become when they grew older. One wanted to be a treasure box, the second wanted to be a strong ship for mighty kings, and the third wanted to be the tallest tree in the world pointing to God. Well, one day they were all cut down. One was made into a feeding trough, the other a small boat, and the third was left in a heap of planks. They were all very disappointed. 

One night when a star shone over a small shed for animals, a young woman put her baby in the feeding trough, and the little tree realized that it was holding the greatest treasure in the world! 

 

On a sunny afternoon, a man and some fishermen got into the little boat. The man was so tired, he fell asleep. Then a storm brewed, rain fell and the wind rattled the tiny boat. But when the man awoke, he said, "Peace!" and the storm stopped. The second tree realized he had the King of heaven and earth riding with Him! 

As for the third tree, one Friday, he was yanked out of the pile of planks and carried along streets through angry, jeering crowds. Then a cross was formed, and a man nailed on him. The tree felt ugly and cruel and so sad. What was happening? All his dreams shattered to nothing. 

But on Sunday, the world trembled with joy, and the third tree realized that forever after, when people looked at him, they would remember God! Yes!

Like the three trees, we may be disappointed with how things are turning out in our life, but we should always remember that God always has a better plan for us. 

One thing I ask for, this I seek, to live my life according to God's plans and purposes for me! 

The Wise Man!

"Anyone who hears my words and puts them into practice is like the wise man who built his house on rock." Matthew 7:24

I like building sandcastles on the beach. I remember when Josh was a toddler we made a complicated sandcastle but it was too close to the water. When the waves crashed on it, nothing was left of our hard work! The same is true with what we do with our life. We may work hard without realizing we are building sand castles easily destroyed by the waves of adversity. One of my favorite verses is Psalm 127:1, "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it." We have to make sure we are building our life, our family, our business on rock, the Word of God. 

I am reading Dodong Cacanando's book "Breaking Through". He left a high paying job in HP because He heard God telling him to leave. In spite of the uncertainty, he and his family obeyed. Because of this, he saw miracle after miracle, showing him God walked before him. It wasn't easy. Dodong always experienced what he called, "crisis of faith" moments, but like Moses, when he stepped out in faith, God parted the Red Sea for him. One of them was when he was looking for a business in Bukidnon. God showed him that He already planned the business, prepared the land, permits, the capital he needed way in advance. Dodong also felt like Abraham who left all that he was familiar with to go to a far place where everything was new! 

Lord, life is filled with uncertainties. But You have a plan for us, a wonderful future prepared for us. May we read Your Word, listen to Your still small voice, and obey You. May we walk with You, trusting that where You lead, is the best place we can be!