Ugly Feathers

One of the lessons I conducted tonight for my English classes is the Story of the Peacock and the Crane. This caught my attention and impressed a good moral lesson to me so I decided to write something about it. To start with, the name "Peacock" is commonly used as the name for a peafowl bird of the pheasant family. But in fact "peacock" is the name for the colorfully plumaged male peafowl only. The females are called peahens, they are smaller and grey or brown in color. Nevertheless, whenever we hear the word PEACOCK, we think of nothing but this majestic bird with vibrant plumage. The physical attributes of this bird can be summed up in one word: fabulous!

The way a peacock (male peahowl) moves show confidence and pride.

If only a peacock can talk, he would say: Look at me, I'm so beautiful.

A peacock walks graciously and proudly flaunting it's fringe of colorful feathers.

In this picture, a peacock ( how I wish this is for female peahowls) looks like a queen, with its long flowing gown.

So the story goes like this:

There was once a peacock living near the lake. He likes to look at himself's reflections in the water and say " I am the most beautiful bird.". The peacock has also a habit of looking down at other birds and telling them, "You are so ugly." One day, a crane came to the lake. The peacock said "Your feathers are so ugly." The crane answered, "I can use my ugly feathers to fly for a long time. Can you use your beautiful feathers to fly like me." The peacock said nothing.

While it may be true that the feathers of the crane may be nothing compared to that of the peacock, these feathers are use to fly for a long time.
Some species of cranes can travel for approximately 500 miles in a day while searching for food!

The average lifespan of the crane in the wild is 20-30 years. The oldest crane which survived for the longest span was a Siberian crane named Wolf. It lived for 83 years in captivity!
History indicates that cranes spend their entire life with the same mate, but a recent scientific study found out that they change their mate in their lifetime.

So what is the moral of the story? You don't look down and make tactless comments on others  whose anatomy doesn't look the same as yours. You may be blessed with a good physique but others possess unique traits which you don't have. It's not all about the physical appearance, most of the time it's all about ability and robustness, flexibility and genuine character.  Peacocks may have amazing plumage but they can't fly very far or very high in one go. I would suppose that their size and tail and small wings (relative to body) hinders them from flying too much. While the crane, though it may not be that attractive but it can fly for miles. Cranes have been clocked flying 72 kilometers (45 miles) per hour. See?!

The highest-flying are Eurasian cranes, flying over the Himalayas at altitudes up to 10,000 meters (32,800 feet) — that’s cruising altitude for jetliners!

The Crane sleeps on one leg with its head under its wing and its other leg drawn up to its body.These remarkable birds have a vast vocal communication system. Each species has its own tone and volume, from the soft honks of crowned cranes to the flutelike call of Siberian cranes. Cranes also use body language for communication.

Cranes are opportunistic feeders that change their diet according to the season and their own nutrient requirements. They eat a range of items from suitably sized small rodents, fish, amphibians, and insects to grain, berries, and plants.

We’ve all heard it countless times: Certain species of birds mate for life, including geese, swans, cranes, and eagles. It’s a true statement, for the most part, but it’s only part of the story. Lots of monogamous bird species cheat, and some “divorce”—but at rates much lower than humans.

About 90 percent of bird species are monogamous, which means a male and a female form a pair bond. But monogamy isn’t the same as mating for life. A pair bond may last for just one nesting, such as with house wrens; one breeding season, common with most songbird species; several seasons, or life.

This story also teach us how to appreciate others for who they are and learn from them on how they do things with art and beauty. Humility is a priceless virtue. 

Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less. 

-Rick Warren

God's little pokes in life

It's been a while since I wrote my last blog. And now, I have another lesson learned to tell. I wanted to share with you what I realized recently in my life and what the good Lord is doing. So "God's little pokes in life", what do you mean by this? Well for starters, a poke means to jab or prod (someone or something), especially with one's finger. In Facebook, to poke means to get the attention of the account holder.  Does God poke us? Yes, probably. To get out attention. Coz, what has been happening lately, I consider it as little pokes from my Father in heaven.

Sure, I have been blessed with a job that moves a lot from one place to another. I'm physically active when I'm doing field work, but completely sedentary when I'm just in the office. But overall, it's good. Not much of a drama, stress, and problems that the grace of God can't let me get through with it. But recently, there were two to three idols that sprung up in my life. It's been going on for months and these idols took so much of my time and devotion that is supposed to be for my Maker. And God doesn't like it. He doesn't like when His daughter loves another more than she loves Him. He doesn't like when His daughter looks at materials things and money as sources of her happiness and self-fulfillment. God is a jealous God and He wants commitment and obedience from His children.

So these two idols were taken away from me dramatically. In an unlikely turn of events, the idols have vanished in my life like they are running away from me. And I was too late to catch 'em. Before I get a hold of them, they're gone. And God can cause this. Because He saw how these idols have taken His place in my life. And it's not right to let other things and people take the place of God in your life. Things will be messed up when you trade your relationship with God for others. This made me lonely and anxious. Nightmares bother me in my sleep causing me to wake up several times at night or too early, thus, I'm not getting enough sleep which affects my mood the following day. Causing me to be burdened and of low energy level. At this lowly moment of realization, the good Lord has opened my eyes and whisper in my head "Come to me." This leads me to a Bible verse, which Jesus himself has spoken, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28).

The idols' demands caused me so much stress and wasted both my resources and time. It's like I'm putting water on a broken glass and it's never full. I was tired, disoriented and lack focus. I became lazy and a loner. In my mind, I'm battling these idols with boiling mix emotions of anger, disappointments, bitterness. God in His amazing grace and loving nature was to the rescue. He didn't let me get to a point of having a nervous breakdown or an anxiety attack. He gave me these little pokes on time. Just in time for me to realize I have been walking away from the Lord because I was too embarrassed to face him with all those habitual sins I keep on doing. When you are sinning comfortably against God, you will feel too embarrassed even to call him Father. Satan and his lies will make you feel unworthy to be even at the doorstep of God's kingdom. Satan will make you feel bad about yourself that you'd think God won't like you anymore because you are way too messed up for Him to acknowledge you as His child. When Satan succeeded on you because you believe you are what he says, that's the time you will totally fall into his dark trap making you a slave of flesh and sinful nature. But Satan is a liar. God can forgive your sins when you ask forgiveness and with a humble heart of repentance. Only God can restore our brokenness and fill up the void emptiness in our lives.

It takes the grace of God to realize that when you are down, the best thing to do is to go ↑ up, where God is seated and lovingly waiting for you to realize that He's been there with you in all walks of life. It's the same grace that enables me to wake up each day with a thought "Go back to God. Go back to God" There's always that still small voice who whispers in my ear "Go back to God." Then I would find myself kneeling and crying my pains at the feet of Jesus. And my Lord and Savior wipe away all my tears, giving me a feeling of comfort and relief. A good friend of mine, always tell me the same words whenever I vent out to her:

1. Have you prayed about it?
2. Anong sabi ni God? (What is God telling you?)

To answer her first question, I would say "yes" if I actually prayed about a particular thing before telling it to her. If not, I would take a pause, pray about it, quiet myself for a couple of hours. Then when she asks me the second question, my answer varies. I would say eto sabi ni God:
 "Quiet your life down a bit" "Let it go" "Be tough and know your worth" "Focus on me" "Come back to me" "Restart your life with me" and sometimes "Parang walang sagot si Lord eh"
When I say "wala naman sinabi /sagot si God" she would say, pray again and listen. And yes, I actually get an answer from God when I pray. It could be a sudden peace that will calm my heart and mind, a positive statement from another person that seems like a confirmation, a word to live by on that day. Or it could be a rebuke from someone else about my wrongdoings, a loving correction from a friend who cares. God has beautiful ways of getting back to you whenever you have queries about Him, what He is up with your life or your queries about what's going to happen in your life in the future. Or how can you completely put the past where it belongs so your present and future won't be a affected anymore.

As I come to end this blog, a new hope has just sprung in my heart. Something to look forward to in the days to come. It makes me excited to get a good sleep at night and wake up each morning as I'm one day closer to that big day in life. To God be the glory!

God is not like that

I'm writing a quick blog at this very moment in between my preparation for my accomplishment report for June 2017 (which is for submission tomorrow)...

So I went out at 8:00pm tonight to do a little unwinding walk around Ortigas CBD. The air that kissed my face and touched my hair is so cool and relaxing I wanted to float in slumber. So while walking, I felt some strange feeling that some not so good news would reached me anytime now. That kind of feeling that when i get back home I will know what is it all about. Walking, sight seeing (on the well-lit giant buildings surrounding me, observing people who passed me by and whom I passed by like I'm invisible and like they are invisible ( in my eyes). I sit for like an hour in Ortigas Park, I enjoyed my freedom, the free cool air that embraces me, the chill ambiance. Sitting, thinking (of everything and practically nothing),observing, thinking. Then I got bored and suddenly craved for some sugar. I ended up hitting McDonald's Hot Fudge haha.😄

So anyway, my more or less two-hour walk outside somehow ease out the humid feels I've been feeling the whole day (due to the weather I guess). I got inside my place and then the not so good news came. I wouldn't tell what it is but it's just a "U-turn" to where I thought I'm going. An unexpected "about face" of what I was trying to accomplish for months. I'm not disappointed or super discouraged. I was just sad because I thought this door of opportunity would open up for me. But it seems like it isn't the right door for me to enter.

It's weird but honestly the first thought that entered my mind after i got the news was this "you sinned and God is punishing you that's why you didn't make it" and I was like "what was that?' Then i took time remembering all the recent sins I have committed and I felt guilty and at some point agreed to that devilish voice inside my head saying I'm being punished. I prayed silently asking for forgiveness from the Lord. I always do that whenever I feel guilty because I know/thought I did something wrong whether I'm aware of it or not. "Father, please forgive me" was my prayer.

Then I talked to a trusted friend about how I felt at the moment. I shared to her my weird thoughts. And she said "GOD IS NOT LIKE THAT" ---that made me paused for a minute and contemplate. "Oo nga noh?" Yeah, right! God is not actually like that, that the moment you sin or did something wrong he will automatically punish you or reprimand you. Then God by His grace sends me an immediate comfort, a saving truth from that devilish convincing voice through the verse PSALM 103:10:

 

He  (God) does not treat us as our sins deserve

    or repay us according to our iniquities.

It's like I'm having an astral projection moment and suddenly my spirit was slammed back to my earthly body. The verse comforted me and enabled me to remember the bygones of God's grace and faithfulness inspite of my being a terrible sinner. Yes, it's true, God doesn't treat us on how much we sinned against Him and how we messed up with Him. Because if God  based His decision from our iniquities, we were all dead a long time ago. I whispered another prayer, "God please forgive me for I have doubted you." 

I'm comforted tonight. And I'm pretty sure that when the morning comes, I'm a happy bird as always. I would get up from my nest and flap my wings and fly out for the day's call.💋. Tonight will just be any other normal night of my life wherein I give it all to God and go to sleep.

Thanks to my friend Bea who lead me to that beautiful truth of who God is ( which I know for years but its good to be freshen up with the firmity of God's Word)  and to Allen who gave gentle "pat in a back" like reminder "Don't let that discouraged you. This door may not have opened but God has another door for you. God's will for your life will be fulfilled." And with that, I say, AMEN.

Goodnight loves and thank you for reading this quick unplanned blog. Hope God's story in my day to day life and experiences inspires you and gets you closer to Him. Ya'll are blessed!👆👍 

Obedience vs. Your Heart's Desire

It's been a long time since I posted a new entry to my blog page. I've been preoccupied with many things---at work basically, that even when my brain and my hands would tell me to grab my laptop and start typing my thoughts, I simply ignored the urges. But now, after I was encouraged by my dear friend Bea to go back to writing articles and songs, I'm motivated again :)

Anyway, I just to wanna share with you guys, what the Lord has done in my life recently. Though the struggle has been going on for like two years, it was just recently that finally God by His grace enable me to fully surrender the biggest baggage of my life to Him.

Obedience vs. your heart's desire is the topic that I want to share to you as this is so related to my current  situation. The talk with Bea is indeed a meaningful and sensible one.This friend of mine, shared to me the wisdom God has given to her for me to realize that I've been walking in the dark alley of my life, refusing to go out where there is light. Refusing to acknowledge the real struggle---the heart of the matter and pretending everything is going to be alright.

Last January 2016, during the prayer and fasting week in our church, I talked to our Pastor and shared to him my biggest struggle. I'm pretty sure that this was a struggle because it's going against God's commandments. But since I'm the kind of person who would want to take a risk and do things my way, hoping fate would favor me, I didn't stopped. I continued. The longer I allow myself to swim along the current of this messed up life, the more broken and hurt and sad I become. By the grace of God, I didn't explode nor had a serious depression problem. Praying, reading the Bible and talking to trusted Christian friends helped me stay on track.

My heart would tell me, "don't stop". "Fight for what you love. Don't be afraid to take the risk." But my mind would contradict my heart: "Don't fool yourself. Sin, no matter how big or small, no matter your intentions are-good or bad is still a sin. You wouldn't be living a happy life knowing that you are fighting God's will in your life. You are being disobedient here, Dove" So i was confuse. I prayed and prayed, read the Bible, seek godly advice but none of these ease the suffocating feeling boiling deep inside me. I'm so fed up. I'm so exhausted. My situation and the cause of my struggle zapped the energy and joy out of me. It took me some time before I realize that when you are nurturing "respectable sins" in your life, peace of mind and happiness became elusive. So i look back to the cross, and remember why did Jesus died for me? What did He saw in me, that He decided I'm worth dying for? Then I was taken back, in the old times, I saw myself fearfully and wonderfully made by my Creator. Holding me precious in His sight. A bunch of promises from my Maker, flashed in my memory. I recall them one by one. I started to regain my strength. It awakened my slumbering faith. I was recharged spiritually.

My heart's desire would want to keep this source of struggle, to stay in my life. At some point, it made me happy at another point it made me sad. I invested so much and I felt entitled so loosing my grip seemed to be impossible for me that time. But I was also convicted by the Holy Spirit as to what is the right thing to do. Would you grant the desire of your heart and continue living in sin and disobedience or would you be willing to give up, surrender him to the Lord and choose to obey God. Obedience to God brings blessings. Blessings you can never imagine how good it is.Obedience to God is an act of faith, a big step of trust, boldly saying, "God, you know who I am and what I want. I surrender my struggle to you. And i trust you that your will is still the perfect one for me."

We actually don't need to take matters in our own hands. The Bible says,

God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger." (Romans 2:6-8) Surrender your baggage of heartaches and disappointments , your bitterness and hatred, your failures and fears. Not all battles in life are worth fighting for. Not all people in your life are worth keeping. People who doesn't add up to your life, rather subtracts and divides your life into pieces.God's will won't let you exerted so much effort just to have it. It will come at your most, relaxed and convenient time. You don't need to chase after it, maintain it with financial expenses and feel like you are oblige to do your best just to keep it. God's will, once you have it, can never be taken by anyone else away from you. God's will is nothing but the best.

So choose obedience over your heart's desire. "The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?" (Jeremiah 17:9) Our hearts can deceive us into something good but apparently bad. When you obey God over your human nature desires, it brings  blessings to your life.

“Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”(Luke 11:28) Still, we are given the free will to choose. You can choose the desires of your heart and take the risk or you can choose to obey God and let Him do the rest.

Some thoughts way back...

I love this verse in the Bible, in Psalms 37:7 it says, " Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry our their wicked schemes." This is so true, sometimes we (I personally) become impatient in waiting when we want to do something instantly. We like to climb the ladder of success from bottom to top in just a short period of time. We expedite things because it's crazy to wait for how long, you don't know. There are times that we feel bit envious when we see others succeeded in just a short period of time.  God spoke to me, telling me to be still and to trust Him because He knows what's going on in my life. And even my future, He is sure that I am well taken care of.

I'm kind of bothered the past few days. I struggled because I'm over thinking things and concurring events in my life. My mind is restless. This is not good, health wise. To ease my burden, I started talking to my Christian friends and some trusted friends on what's going on with me. One friend lovingly,reminded me that what I gave to others, is not mine but God's. I'm only a steward of what God gave me. And if people outwit me or steal from me, they are stealing from God. The devil put this lie in my heart that helping (financially) the person I hardly know is plain stupidity. The devil destroyed my peace, feeding me negative thoughts and a number of  "what ifs." The devil sowed seeds of doubt in my heart making me ask myself, "did i do the right thing?" But  I know I did the right thing because the moment I decided to help the person, the burdened I carried the whole night (thinking and praying how can I help) faded away. I really felt the urgency to do something to help this person. And so I did. God knew what's in my heart. Why I do that. I know the feeling of wanting to achieve something important or wanting to make something happen but you can't because you don't have the resources? I know the feeling of having nothing but some good people unexpectedly helped me. When I was confined in the hospital few years ago, I don't have a single penny to pay the hospital bills so I can be discharged. Where did the P45,000 cash came from? It's God's provision through various people He prompted to help me financially. It was an answered prayer. And it only proved that in my nothingness God showed His greatness. Where did my healing came from? It's from the Great Healer of all times. Where did my provision came from? It's from the Great Provider who is always on time---Jesus.

The Kind of Woman You Can Be

I took an hour walk outside  after I had a home-made dinner I prepared for myself. I remember what a good friend told me that walking can help clear your mind off. Well that wasn't really my intention why I went out for a walk, rather it's more of burning some calories and giving my knees, legs and feet an exercise. As an office girl from Monday to Friday (except when I'm out of town for official business trips), the almost 8-hour working time is spent  mostly on sitting and working with computer. So having a walking exercise is somehow a good move to keep me fit.

While walking, I played "Blank Space" on my cellphone. This was a song performed by Taylor Swift in collaboration with other artists/composers Max Martin and Shellback. As I was listening to the song, this unrelated thought (to the song) flashed on my mind, " I should not be the kind of woman who doesn't need a man just to be happy and be filling whole and fulfilled. Instead, I should be the kind of woman, a man would need and asked to spent the rest of my life with him." Then a new thought came in. It's a thought about Taylor Swift, "Look at Taylor Swift, she doesn't care whether a man would leave her. When a man does that to her, she  moves on, keeps going and continue to shine in the area in which she is most passionate about, the music industry and show business. Taylor seemed not to be in need of a man just to make her happy and complete. She is fine by herself with or without a boyfriend." Of course, I don't idolized Taylor or make her my role model in relationship, but she is indeed a tough girl who doesn't get disoriented and morosed each time her relationship fails.

Photo from thetab.com

I was just inspired by how strong she is, like she isn't needy of a man's attention and affection (that's my assumption about her, I may be wrong). Last night, I watched Seducing Mr. Perfect on You Tube. It's a Korean, comedy-romance film, dubbed in Tagalog. It's the story of a sweet and cute lady who is always dedicated in love and relationship but was always being left out by her boyfriends. When she got along just fine with her boss, who is a handsome yet cold-hearted and tough man, she seeks his advice on how to redeem herself back from the last relationship she had. The boss told her that love and relationship is a game of power, a manipulation of emotions. If I remember it right, Robin Heiden (the boss) said something like, ""It's actually a game that requires even greater precision and planning. A game of power. Manipulations of emotions to control the mind... That's the game." "It's the game where the one who displays affection first, gives up total control and goes around like a dog on a collar". His last statement hit me. Because I found it out to be true somehow. Sa isang relasyon, especially kung ligawan portion palang, kung sino ang naunang magpakita ng emosyon and affection, siya yung talo. I mean, the guy/girl can have a hold on you because he already knew you're so into him/her. That's why some guys who doesn't view relationships as a serious thing, enjoys playing with girls who showed so much affection and attention to them. Eventually these guys become emotional manipulators. And girls who falls head over heels with them becomes their prey. I'll be writing a separate blog on how to spot an emotional manipulator before you go deeper in a relationship.

So back to the thought of being the kind of woman who doesn't need a man just to be a happy and be feeling complete and fulfilled. Honestly, it takes the grace of God before I finally realized and live by that truth, that I don't need a man just to be happy and be feeling secure. Of course, I'll be needing a man if I want to have a kid, but that's another story. My past relationships didn't worked out well. I was like Min-June in that movie, Seducing Mr. Perfect. I'm always dedicated, expressive and affectionate in every relationship that I had. I'm always the giver, the one who understands, the one who let go of the shortcomings and flaws, the one got blamed why the relationship didn't worked out. I was like "what's wrong with me?" My friends would tell me, "nothing's wrong with you. they are not just the right ones for you." They spoke the truth and that truth hurts me even more. Why? Because I failed in choosing the guy that I thought was right for me. Only to find out, I was totally wrong. It can be that I was deceived because these guys pretended to be the kind of person they were not or I was simply like Min-June who doesn't know how to play that game of power and manipulation of feelings that Robin Heiden had told her. I don't want to pretend I like someone when I don't and vice versa. I don't want to manipulate a man's feelings or emotions (even other people) just to get what I want or made them do what I want. I don't want to control other people just like I don't want anyone else to control me or manipulate me.

Later on, I came to understand that relationship would actually fail if it's not mean to be (the most shallow reason I can give, but it isn't always like that). But actually, relationship will fail if the couple don't have common relationship goals and without concurrence with one another. It's like they just go with the flow, aimlessly, mindlessly. And before they knew it, they already wasted so much time for nothing. Relationship will fail if one person is aiming or looking forward for marriage (because that's how it's supposed to be diba? Why be in a relationship giving your time and effort to make it work, if you only want to just f**** around?) while the other person is not yet done with his/her crap and is heading to an exactly different direction. What can you expect from that? Nothing, just frustration, suffering and pain. So better find the courage to stop, the moment you see the first sign of a pointless, crappy relationship with the person you're dating.

You can be the kind of woman who doesn't need a man just to make you feel complete. The kind of woman who needs the presence of a man in her life just to show other people she has a love life. Practically speaking, most men don't like needy, dramatic and emotionally immature women who builds their world around men and relationship. I've read alot of articles, surveys and interviews about the various opinion  of men on these issues. You can be a woman of worth and significance that you'll be doing just fine with or without a man.Look for a man who adds value to your life, not the one who who devalues you. Look for a man who respects you and your convictions in life and not laugh at it just because he is liberated and has a liberal views and way of thinking. But most importantly, look for a man who fears God and loves God more that anyone else. Because if a man fears God and loves God, I'm pretty sure he knows how to treat a woman well.

God Is Greater Than Our Feelings

        Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.

                                                       1 John 3:20

 

      This a testimony of what God has done in my life lately. As a chronic thinker, my mind goes endlessly thinking of the most possible dramatic and exaggerated scenarios that could happen. I overthink things too to the point that I think two steps ahead from the simple and ordinary. You can call me a pessimist because the moment I turn on the invisible button in my brain and start thinking negatively, some unlikely bad feeling started to boil up inside of me which will result to unlikely response towards others and even to myself.

      I’ve been feeling burdened lately as if there’s a dagger in my heart and some grayish cloud above my head. It started when I discovered something unpleasant. No need to  elaborate it anymore because this has been settled. And I have lifted it up in prayer. I am confident God is at work now. I wasn’t ready to hear and see something bad I guess, because when it came last week, I was caught off guard and started to worry about it. My mind would think hurtful and stressing thoughts to the point that I’m feeling the hurt physically. My heart would beat faster each time I think of that unlikely scenario. Pastor Charles Stanley was right, all the bad memories we have in the past is just there, lingering in our mind. In a snap of a finger, these memories flashes back in our minds and we are not fully healed, we will always get hurt resulting to a downcast response towards things and people.  We cannot remove it overnight. Only Jesus can deliver us from these destructive, enslaving, condemning thoughts. Only Jesus can erase those bad memories that haunt us every night.

       Just this morning, I listened to Pastor Charles Stanley’s sermon in Podcast entitled “Control Your Thoughts” Pastor Stanley emphasized the power of our minds. The mind is the control tower of our lives. Our thoughts control us and we respond to the way we think. Looking back, I realized that a sudden change in my attitude (I became irritable, fearful, doubtful and “praning”) was the result of the negative thoughts wandering in my mind. I let these negative thoughts control my actions. This bothered me so much that the first thing I did is bend my knees on prayer asking for God’s grace and mercy to deliver me from the burden and pain I’ve been experiencing for a week. I cannot let this situation last for another week, I told the Lord. I don’t want to be anxious or stress by the bad thoughts I’ve seeing in my head because this is not good for my health. God saw my burden. Once again, He let his grace reign over me. Each day, I feel that the Holy Spirit is at work in my heart, mind and body. I can feel the healing, the relief and the peace that little by little out shadowed the darkness caused by sin and negative thoughts. I asked my friend to pray for me, especially that I’m feeling sick at the same time. The prayer of a righteous man and woman is powerful. And I’m blessed to have friends who are made right in the eyes of God, not by their deeds but by the grace of God. I soaked myself in prayer, many times a day. I rebuke the bad feelings and thoughts each time it crept up inside me. These negativities are the works of the devil to bring me down and side tracked me. Especially now, because the Lord has granted me a big break on my career wherein excellence and success is a sure thing. And Satan is not happy about this so he commanded a legion of evil spirits to do their best to bring me down. But I am victorious in Christ Jesus. When Jesus died on the cross to pay the price of my sins and when I believe and accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior putting all my trust, hope and faith in Him---that’s when I gain my victory in Christ. The power of the cross and what Jesus has done are something else that I could brag about in my life. 

       Moving on, the burden in my heart is fading away like a snow melting under the heat of the sun. This the part where I can confirm over and over again that prayer works anytime, anywhere. God listens to our prayers. He doesn’t need an eloquent speech type of a prayer. Just say what you want to say and how you feel about it to the God who created the universe and you. Believe me He is powerful enough to change your heart & character, another person’s heart and character and the very situation you are into. God wants you to give all your cares to Him for He cares for you. Don’t think of yourself as anyone of a lesser value because Christ died for you. God said in Isaiah 43:4, “You are precious to me. You are honored and I love you.” What a comfort! That the Maker of this world and all that we see around us, would say “I love you” to you. This is grace. This is unmerited favor. We cannot gain God’s love and favor, He willingly give it to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. The choice is yours to accept Jesus or reject Him in your life.

      Now I’m free. I am healed and I am feeling better than the day before. Praise be to God who fix my heart and renew my mind. I learn to lay it all down at the feet of Jesus all that concerns me from my work, family, relationship, finances and health to the people around me and the community I belong to. I learned that God is greater than our feelings. He is greater than my anxieties. He is greater than the fear of the unknown. He is greater even on the pangs of death and crucial suffering. To God be the glory and honor and power forever and ever!