Real Time Blog

Sooner Than I Thought

noreply@blogger.com (ate joy) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 06:17:00 +0000

As was declared in faith by a beloved kuya, the lost cellphone was indeed replaced. And God didn't make me wait too long. Three days after I announced my loss, someone approached me to say that I will be given one. Three days later, it was so. Even as I write this, I still want to pinch myself to make sure it wasn't a dream!

I knew the Lord would provide. But I didn't think it would come this soon! So this is what they meant by an honest-to-goodness timely provision! A friend called me by landline while waiting for his flight to place an order for books and he wanted to know how soon I could text him to confirm. I answered that I would have a cellphone before the week ended. A day later I sent him the much awaited text message using the new cellphone.

It feels great when God's timing is sooner than you think.

"A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul..." Proverbs 13:19

And Replaceth in His Time

noreply@blogger.com (ate joy) — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:33:00 +0000

When I lost my cellphone two days ago, I automatically entered the world of cellphone theft victims. I listened to officemates and friends relate their own stories of loss. A good part of each morning was spent before the computer answering email in response to my official announcement about deleting my number from their directories. Suddenly, the pocket directory notebook a friend gave me became useful!

One of the best replies I received was from a beloved kuya who repeated my quote of Job 1:20 KJV ("The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away...") with his own additional phrase in big-point size font: And Replaceth in His Time! That truly made my day!

For someone whose childhood didn't include computers, I didn't feel that bad. I knew I'd go through the hassle of reconstructing a directory and informing everyone again about my new number. But I'm in no hurry. I haven't even thought about the kind of unit I'd buy this time. But I'd definitely go modest in tune with the hard times. I've lived without one for more than half my life, a few days of silence and privacy won't do me harm.

Yes, the Lord will provide. That was my pat reply way back when everyone (except me) was buying a cellphone and enjoying the thrill of texting during its debut in the every man's world. And then my first cellphone came by means of a raffle prize. I upgraded it by selling the unit I won and adding a bit more to buy a more recent model.

I literally wore that unit out. When it fell apart, my boss accompanied me to a cellphone store and bought me a more high-tech one on company expense. He couldn't afford to have me cut off from precious contacts at that time. For almost six months (five months and 16 days to be exact), I reveled in its use.

It's reality check time. So far, so good. Lord, take Your time.

Joy is come with shouts of praise

noreply@blogger.com (Rhea Paredes) — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 21:26:00 +0000

It's been a while, huh? Here's some verses I wrote one night reflecting on God's work in my life.

Death before me laid sublime,
Its path I followed blindly.
Excruciating regret with no reprieve,
The wrath of God awaited me.

Until my Savior stopped my tracks!
Oh what undeserved mercy!
That He instead walked death's path
To make a sinner holy.

Lifted up for helpless man,
The Christ took a stead so lowly.
Indignation that was surely mine
He bore on the Cross of Calv'ry.

My soul, let tears flow
And bottle them up tightly.
May the majestic vision consume pride,
See that it never be taken lightly.

Yet sing, O heart! No longer be faint
For love shed so broadly,
The blood of the Perfect One
Atones for sins of many.

Yes, my Savior is alive,
Over death He comes in vict'ry!
My grave cannot keep him down,
Oh sorrow has made sweet symphony.

And joy is come with shouts of praise
For the Christ's tomb is empty.
Accepted! Oh, His sacrifice
He finished His work completely!

Boundless bliss in God's glory is mine,
I will wake to heaven's reveille.
Can it be that I am now a child?
Treasures in Christ now abound me.

Let the nations be quickened here and now!
Turn from sin-slavery!
The Just and Justifier has come
And dispenses grace so freely.

- July 9, 2007

In the nick of time

noreply@blogger.com (Joy Solina) — Fri, 04 May 2007 07:05:00 +0000

My first short-term exposure trip almost turned out to be my first mountain accident. My team mate could have suffered with me, too, and not preached his first sermon. Now I know what missionaries mean by divine protection in the field. That's the only explanation I have for escaping a near-fatal fall.

We were supposed to have arrived in the missionary pastor's place with the team's food supplies before noon. But the bus to Kibungan had arrived two hours behind schedule. So we had to cook and serve supper right away upon arrival. The orientation for the entire team of 23 was to be held in the church building down, down the steep hill after supper. The house where we stayed was atop a hill overlooking the community. Night had already set in by the time we left the house to go to the orientation.

Mikko, our tallest team member, and I boldly felt our way in the dark with his pen flashlight. The church's pastor, Ptr Jun, had already gone ahead and we wanted to catch up with him. All we knew at that time was that we would be descending some rocky steps after trekking a foot path past another house. I was the more aggressive partner as I gently pulled Mikko faster towards the end of what I thought was where the incline towards the road began.

Just in the distance, headlights of an oncoming truck revealed our otherwise costly mistake! The fence that indicated where the steps began was farther to our left. No fence blocked the 10-foot deep cliff. When we realized where we should turn, the truck was gone. Our faulty sense of direction almost caused us to fall over the sudden drop of earth that would have led to, at least, some broken bones!

Jokingly, I said out loud to my other teammates trailing after us that if ever I died during our trip,I would have wanted it to be due to my faith and not due to my stupidity! It was also too soon to get hurt! Our feet had barely acquainted themselves with Kibungan soil!

As we cautiously walked down the sloping terrain with our flashlights for the next 10 minutes, I began to seriously evaluate what just happened to us. Vehicles in Kibungan were scarce, much more at night. Where had that truck come from? For it to pass at that very moment when Mikko and I were about to reach the edge of the cliff was an act of salvation as far as I'm concerned! That truck was God's angel sent to warn us of danger up ahead. Praise God who daily saves us!

"For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone" (Psalm 91:11-12).

Kibungan on my mind

noreply@blogger.com (Joy Solina) — Thu, 03 May 2007 08:52:00 +0000

Shaken awake from bathing with ice cold water, I towel dried myself to prepare for the day's scheduled activities at Kibungan, Benguet. Looking out the screenless window with the morning sun shining on my face and the cool mountain wind alerting my soul to my brief time of quiet before the Lord, I opened my Bible:

"To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ" (Colossians 1:27-28).

Ah, Lord, You got me there. I remembered the youth group back in my home church for whom I will make an account before the Lord. Faces of specific young people flashed in my mind that made me say a short prayer for each of them. But how would I apply this awesome truth to my class that day?

I had traveled to different parts of the country before but usually to serve in youth camps, church outreach and work-related conferences. This time, our team of 23 people ranging from ages 14 to over 50 and coming from different churches and professions visited a Kankanaey church to train the believers in evangelism, leadership and worship. The missionary pastor and his wife beamed with delight over the deluge of momentary help we offered for four days.

That afternoon, I would teach a class of adult Kankanaey church members about leadership. Being the most senior in our core team, I was the sole choice to do this. But what do you say to a group of adults you will be meeting for the first time? I had not learned a single Kankanaey phrase so I spoke alternately in English and Tagalog. They looked up the verses in their Kankanaey Bibles. I did not need an interpreter who stood beside me and translate phrase by phrase. The class knew enough English and Tagalog to understand me. But was I admonishing and teaching them enough to stir them up to become "perfect in Christ"?

The next morning during the testimony time at worship service, the first person who came to the front to praise the Lord was one of the women in my class. She spoke in good English how blessed she was to have learned what I taught in class. She didn't say what exactly, maybe due to her inability to express herself well in English, but I could tell she was genuinely moved. When she sat beside me during the potluck lunch fellowship after worship service, she thanked me again for coming.

The Gentiles that Paul referred to in his letters were just like the Kankanaey--in need of people who will travel great distances to tell them the gospel. I, too, am a Gentile to whom God has chosen to reveal the "mystery" of Christ. He then sent me on this short-term trip to see that He has gone ahead of me and brought salvation to peoples in the mountains of Benguet. To my Kankanaey brothers and sisters, He is no longer a mystery but the Lord who deserves to be proclaimed and served. May God call workers from their midst to go to other Gentiles who have yet to hear.

Easter Breakthrough

noreply@blogger.com (Joy Solina) — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 05:23:00 +0000

Staying at home for five straight days was tough. That is how I would describe this year's Holy Week and Fall of Bataan day. I had spent a lot of money last month for a couple of special occasions and I will be spending a couple more later this month. I decided to put a hold on spending for five days and observe the Lenten season in utmost simplicity and quiet.

Everyone else was on vacation (including the printer with the rush project), so I looked forward to enjoying the temporary peace of the household and the neighborhood. I thought it would also be the perfect time to meditate on the Lord's Passion and Resurrection but I discovered to my dismay that I didn't know how to deal with unhurried time. I felt terrible! This was no way to appreciate the precious time God gave me to dwell on His goodness and mercy.

But hallelujah, the breakthrough came! I knew the Lord would show up sooner or later! I spotted the cassette tape of Handel's The Messiah among my things and played it. The Hallelujah Chorus filled me with awe. I adored this piece even before I became a Christian. Now that I am one, I listen to it in reverence. The composer's rendition of Revelation 11:15 gave me a glimpse of that glorious day in heaven when "loud voices" will sing: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever."

Less popular but equally powerful is the majestic "Worthy is the Lamb" chorus. Its main lyrics were lifted from Revelation 5:12 and 13 that said ten thousand times ten thousand angels sang in a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!...To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, forever and ever!" I imagined how the most excellent choir on earth would pale in comparison to this massive angelic choir on that great and awesome day.

I choked as tears welled up in my eyes and I bowed down as the concluding piece, "Amen," completed my Easter morning worship.

Sow then the precious seeds of hope

noreply@blogger.com (Rhea Paredes) — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 23:19:00 +0000

Seems like I'm on a posting trend...here's another poem excerpt I really like by one of the fathers at my local church, Mr. Hartnett. I've been so blessed by his skill in writing.

Sow then the precious seeds of hope,
And water them with tears;
You soon will come rejoicing when
His faithfulness appears.

He notes that these four lines quoted here are a paraphrase from Psalm 126:5,6. Read "Sow then the precious seeds of hope" in its entirety on his blog:

http://khartnettpoetry.typepad.com/kevin_hartnett_poetry/2006/09/sow_then_the_pr.html

The average's excellency

noreply@blogger.com (Rhea Paredes) — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 22:41:00 +0000

From time to time, I attempt to write...uh...poetry. Here's my recent shot at it. You could say they are reflections on Psalm 84:10:

Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

---------------

The Average's Excellency

Can't compose music like Dylan's buckets
Or paint empyrean skies on paper packets.
Words to me have no Shakespearean flow;
My feet usually dance too fast, too slow.

Don't hold your breath for Galilean theories;
I can give you a fix of childish stories.
No Platonic arguments from my cognition;
My profile doesn't hold newsworthy recognition.

Is it a failure to be so average?
What if I told you I have some courage?
I want to be where I am meant to be
Even with no worldly greatness, I will not flee.

One's life doesn't consist in the abundance of his possessions
Instead, what does he live for? What is his passion?
Let me respond to one particular call
To make Christ my excellency, my life, my all.

Mike & Ethel's gift from heaven

noreply@blogger.com (Joy Solina) — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 08:52:00 +0000

i am getting heavy and growing everyday...

i am now 7 kilos and 60 cms long...

i thank God for keeping me healthy and strong...

i thank God because my parents love me very much....

i thank God for all your prayers...

salamat po.

JOSIAH CARIÑO

The God of deadlines

noreply@blogger.com (Joy Solina) — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 09:40:00 +0000

I didn't think I'd wish there weren't a Holy Week to observe. Not at this particular time, at least. I have a book to launch a week after Good Friday (Friday the 13th, in fact) and holidays mean less days for the printer to work on it. Because I know that Holy Week WILL happen, I suffer my own kind of Lenten stress. The kind of stress you go through before a miracle happens.

I've handled miracle book projects before. The most recent one happened just this past Christmas. Only God could have done it. The book, "God's Foot Soldiers" is truly GOD's (will find a way to post its video in this blog, watch for it...) But I think I will never get used to the nerve-wracking anxiety of anticipation. And this is probably where my problem lies.

Yesterday, I led a Bible study on John 6 in the home of a young mother with a baby. The miracles of the feeding of the 5,000 and Jesus walking on the water are recorded in that chapter. There I was, telling the group of young believers how Jesus' disciples didn't seem to "get it" despite the miracles they saw and the teachings they heard from Jesus. It might as well have been ME listening to myself.

It's now my turn in the boat with the disciples straining at the oars against a mighty wind at 3 in the morning. You know the rest of the story. Jesus would show up sooner or later and I would be scared out of my wits upon hearing Him say,"Hi, it's Me!" Then, I would say over and over again, "Oo nga po, oo nga po, Kayo'y Diyos, Kayo'y Diyos..."

stress tabs

noreply@blogger.com (the midnight muser) — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 19:12:00 +0000

T-I-R-E-D. Today, I came home feeling soooo tired. Today. There was supposedly nothing extraordinary about this day. No, it's not my birthday, though, to me it seemed like it. It was my much-awaited comeback after my month-long absence. I waited for this day. Ordinary as it was for everyone else, TODAY was a red-letter day in my calendar.
But I least expected this day to end with such a sad note. I had every reason to smile about today. Thousands of them! But at the end of the day, I found myself slumped on my bed, feeling exhausted... I FELT... OLD. I would have cried if I wasn't too tired.
This morning, I remembered whispering a prayer. "Please sustain my strength for the whole day." I knew I wasn't strong enough. Not yet. It's only been a month. I knew that. I felt that. I guess, I wanted to believe that if I think it, I'd be it. STRONG. Guess again.
It's a phase. Yes. It's part of the whole recovery thing. I know. So why do I feel like crying? Because. Feeling weak is not my thing. It has never been. And now I feel it. And I hate it. WEAK.
My grace is sufficient for you... for my power is made perfect in weakness...
Tears wet my face. Those words have never been so real to me... until now. I imagined the Apostle Paul with his "thorn". It must have been a struggle for him. That thorn drew a line, a limit, to what he can do. I pictured an over zealous apostle ready to take the ministry of Christ to all places. But then there was the thorn. He would have given in to bouts of depression, if it weren't for God's abounding grace.
...I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me... For when I am weak, then I am strong.
So I am. WEAK. I cry, not of shame but of awe. In my eyes, I see my weakness as a flaw. In His, it's a spectacle of His power waiting to happen.

~@~

And if you're wondering about the title... think of the commercial. ;p

Pagiging Tatay ni Mike

noreply@blogger.com (Joy Solina) — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 07:57:00 +0000

masarap pala maging tatay...

kapag ngumiti na ang anak ko

grabe... nakakatuwa.. totoo pala

yung sinasabi nila na nakakawala

ng pagod... haay sarap.

pero mahirap din pala... puyat,

pagod, gatas, diaper, iyak, gamot,

... haay, pero ok lang... sulit din..

ipanalangin mo ako ha... na maging

mabuting tatay ako sa tulong

ng Diyos...

salamat po Panginoon

tatay na din ako...

Saving My Right Ovary

noreply@blogger.com (the midnight muser) — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 13:52:00 +0000

Two letters... my "real time" moments with God...

Ai wrote on February 16, 2007...

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."
Proverbs 19:21

Last February 14, I was rushed to the ER for a severe pain in my lower right abdomen. I suffered almost two hours of twisting pain, but the doctors refused to give me pain reliever suspecting that I might have appendicitis. After some initial blood & urine tests, appendicitis was ruled out. I was finally administered pain reliever. The doctor initially advised me to have a Kidney/Urinary Bladder ultrasound, to know if I have UTI or kidney stones, that may be causing me pain. I went home that night and came midnight I again had the same pain attacks. The pain reliever prescribed to me gave temporary relief. The next day, I had my ultrasound. There were no kidney stones and my urinary bladder appeared normal. But they incidentally found a large cyst (almost as big as my bladder) somewhere near my right ovary.

Today, February 16, I came to see my ob-gynecologist/surgeon, and she strongly advised that I have it removed the soonest possible time. She said, that the reason why I experienced that severe pain is that the cyst may be twisting itself around the ovary. If we wait longer, the cyst may have twisted itself in such a way that my right ovary may "die", and they would have to remove it with the cyst. So tomorrow... February 17 at around 5pm... I will be going under the knife.

One of my disciples asked me if I was scared... I really haven't decided what to feel about everything.. It all happened suddenly... I'm still letting it sink in...

Of course, I am... scared... of the uncertainty of my situation... But for the most part... I am asking what is God teaching me through this? What do I need to learn about Him in this trying time?

But I have peace... I did not plan to be in this situation... but God has a purpose.. and His purpose always prevails. I am praying that my right ovary be saved. But if it is His will for me to lose it, I am just grateful that I still have one left. :)

Through the lens of this circumstance, God allowed me to see many things I need to be thankful for. I am thankful that I did not have this while we were in Singapore/Malaysia. I am perfectly convinced that God willed for me to attend Sonlife, when this could have happened even before our trip. God indeed has His perfect timing. I am thankful for the financial provision for my untimely operation. I am thankful for the presence of my family, especially my dad, who is scheduled to leave for work abroad in two-weeks' time. I am thankful for all the wonderful people who are backing me with prayers since I had my first pain attack.

I choose to rest in God's goodness and love... please pray with me... as I continue to experience His faithfulness in my life.

I'll talk to you soon... with good news about my recovery. Do remember me in your prayers...

~@~

Ai wrote on February 27, 2007...

"... You're blessed when you've been stripped of that which is most precious to you. Because only then can you be tenderly embraced by the One most precious to you."
Matthew 5:3-5 (paraphrase)

It's been ten days since my operation (cystectomy in medical terms). February 17, 2007 at around 6 p.m., a 10cm x 7cm x 6cm cyst was surgically removed from my right ovary. Yes, it was just the cyst. The Lord allowed me to keep my right ovary. :)

It was my first major operation. I was trying to be strong... but I was scared... deep inside I was scared. On the day of my operation, I prayed to God to strengthen my faith... so that others' faith, especially that of my family, may be built up.

The first time I was found with that cyst, my initial reaction was, "Lord, will I ever bear children?" I'm not married and I'm far from being one. But, I guess it's everyone's dream to someday have kids of his own.. a family. Thoughts of dying came after. I am only 25 years old... and although I know I'll be spending eternity in heaven, I wasn't sure if I'm ready to leave this earthly life just yet... It seems tragedy brings into clear view what is most precious to us. I wanted to cry... but the skies shed the tears for me that day.

In spite of my quiet fear, I decided to go through the whole experience with expectant eyes, determined to see how God's hands would unravel His mighty work through my circumstance.

My first major operation experience was like a foretaste of me giving birth. According to my doctor, it was like I underwent CS (Caesarian Section), except I've given birth to a big, egg-like, cyst (according to my mom & older sister, who saw it, it even had hair follicles on it... maybe given a few more months it would have been a full-grown baby! ;p) I was even prepared for operation in the labor room of the hospital, me, being the only unpregnant woman inside. When I was discharged from the hospital three days after, I even got freebies! To my surprise it was a whole pack of baby care needs (complete with mommy guide book, baby wipes and all!) The nurse aide must have mistaken me as one of the new-mommy patients the hospital usually have. :) The hilarity of it all, my dad & I (in spite of the pain of my stitches), burst into laughter. I wondered if I can get away walking out of the hospital with an actual baby in my arms... haha! Well, that will have to wait. :)

I slept through the whole operation... the thing I feared most... passed me by almost unnoticed. The operation lasted an hour. I was in the recovery room longer than expected... almost six hours. I vaguely remember waking up with a nauseous feeling every now and then. Came 12:30 a.m., I was brought to my room, where my whole family awaits. I slept the whole night and woke up at 6 a.m., with fever and with a numb feeling on my lower body. My mom, who camped on my hospital room floor, woke up as soon as she sensed movement from my bed. Groggy from the anesthesia, I could barely talk. But I managed to ask in fragmented statements... How was... operation? My ovary... At the time, I was preparing myself to hear the sad news... but I heard otherwise. They successfully removed the cyst. Just the cyst. :) I smiled... as I held tightly to my mom's hand. And before I knew it, my two sisters and my dad awoke... greeting me with big smiles on their faces... there was no need for words. And I thought they all went home last night. From my bed, and with me unable to move just yet, I didn't see that they were all there. It was Sunday. :)

Contrary to what I thought, it was my recovery, not the operation, that was the biggest challenge to hurdle. I knew God was dealing with me... all the more asking me to wait... to trust... to endure...

The morning after my operation, I was with fever. I remember the nurses closely monitoring me, going in & out of my room every hour. I was dehydrated. Although I had IV (dextrose), it just wasn't enough. They were forcing me to drink lots of water, which at that time I was having difficulty doing. My fever wasn't getting any better.

I even had an accident that Sunday night. I've had a number of visitors that day. After the last batch left, I asked my mom to assist me to go to the toilet. Prior to that, I've made several trips to the comfort room that day without any difficulty. Just me & mom. I didn't want to use the bed pan... Maybe it was because of lying in bed for too long and suddenly getting up, I passed out for a few seconds and I awoke at the sound of my mom screaming for help. I opened my eyes, and had the slightest idea where I was and what happened. It came back to me slowly that I was in the hospital and realized that I was on the floor. Apparently I fell after passing out. My mom was unable to prevent me from falling because she was also holding my IV (which was in a bottle which fell and broke on the floor). I think at least five nurses came to my aid and assisted me back to my bed, while my mom was shaking in shock with what just happened. She immediately called Ate Jot (who was one of my last visitors, with Kuya Do & Jean) and asked them to come back and assist her. My dad, coming from home, came soon after. They were all asking if I felt any pain. I wasn't. Save for a small lump at the back of my head, a little scratch on my elbow, and some pieces of broken glasses on my hair, I was fine. God's protection was indeed with me. But just to be safe... the bedpan was my new bestfriend.

Sadly, my family & I decided to bar all visits the next morning for fear that I might get stressed. Besides, I needed my full rest, so I willingly agreed. I remember waking up that morning, thinking about my accident. I still had fever, which was not the greatest feeling. I could barely move, sit, stand, or even eat without anybody's assistance. I was starting to hate my IV because it was restraining the little movement that I could manage to do. I WAS TOTALLY HELPLESS. AND I HATED IT. But I really cannot do anything about it. But go to my Father in prayer. I prayed that morning. God reminded me that He's in control, not me. That I am weak, and He is strong. In humility, I asked God not to take away my suffering... but to give me strength to endure it. I had my full rest that day and was ready to be discharged the following day. My IV was removed. And my fever was gone. At the end of the day, I was going back and forth the toilet again. Goodbye bedpan. :)

Ten days after, I went to see my doctor for my post-operation check up and for my biospy results. Aside from learning that I gained three pounds over the past week, I am glad to share with you the good news that it was found to be a benign cyst. My wound is slowly healing although my doctor said that I would be needing one or two months more for my full recovery. Even then, it will leave a scar. And it will be a constant reminder of God's faithfulness in my life. Until then, I know I need to take things slowly... and this early I know that it will be a struggle on my part. But, I am determined to learn to walk again like a child learning his steps.

The past days have been opportune time for me to reflect. One day I asked Him: "What else do you want from me? Haven't I given enough? The past year You have taught me lessons on FAITH... what else do I still need to learn? What else do I still need to give?" ALL. Until I know that He's the only ONE most precious to me.... He will strip me of everything that I hold dear --- my family, my health, my dreams... Emptying me until I'm ready to take Him all in.

And I have felt My Father's embrace through your prayers. More than anything, I am thankful to know that I am blessed with a family, who is willing to suffer with me and give everything out of their great love for me, my heart swells with love for them. Also, I am blessed to know that I have a much bigger family who is praying for me and thinking of me. You have all touched my heart in unimaginable ways. The notes, the gifts, and the visits... they all made me feel loved. I could never thank you enough.

The Lord allowed me to keep my right ovary.... He is my God... and my "children" will fear Him and serve Him.... :)

Much Love,

Ai

Fresh (..err, Groggy?) from OR (... and I can't believe I'm actually posting this! Haha!)

While I was sleeping... (my family)

Me... with my "freebies!" :)

Preparing for the New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Rhea Paredes) — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 23:07:00 +0000

Get higher grades
Save money
Work out or go to the gym
Organize my room

Does this look familiar? Some of you may have already started this list in your minds...your list of new year's resolutions.

As much as we all need to plan for practical things like finances, our health, our work or school responsibilities, it will benefit us to plan for our spiritual needs. Where do you see your personal ministry (involvement in church, building relationships with friends, sharing the gospel to others) a year from now? What do have in mind for your own spiritual growth (growing in humility, desire for God, and love for His Word, etc.)?

Take some time at the end of this year to reflect and seek God's guidance. Ask Him to help you set priorities and goals for the new year. Then, offer up these plans to God.

The heart of man plans his way,
but the LORD establishes his steps.
Proverbs 16:9 (ESV)

Here are some tools to get you started:

Train Yourself to be Godly
by CJ Mahaney
(Chapter 2 of "Disciplines for Life")
Download PDF>>

A New Year's Plea: Plan!
by John Piper
Read Sermon Transcript>>

Enjoy!

Morning and Evening

noreply@blogger.com (Rhea Paredes) — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 16:30:00 +0000

Are you looking for a devotional book to go with your quiet times? I highly recommend CH Spurgeon's Morning and Evening. You can access it online too!

Morning Reading
Evening Reading

If the English is too "old school" you can also try Alistair Begg's edited version using the ESV Bible which his ministry, Truth for Life, makes available on their website. (You can sign up for a free email subscription too!)

Enjoy!

Learning from the Puritans

noreply@blogger.com (Rhea Paredes) — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 15:15:00 +0000

The Puritans have a way with words that I have not encountered in any other group of people in Church history. It's not just the beauty of the images they paint for us to help us understand their message, or their uncanny ability to peer into our thoughts and the goings-on in our hearts that is admirable. It is their unmistakable love for Christ and their desire and determination to live their lives for Him.

Just read their prayers - you can almost see the tears wash down the pages as they lay their hearts bare before their Savior or hear their sighs of amazement because of the grace that they experience from knowing the Lord.

Here's an excerpt from the "Valley of Vision", a collection of Puritan prayers edited by Arthur G. Bennet

Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly,

Thou has brought me to the valley of vision,
where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights;
hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold
thy glory.

Let me learn by paradox
that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive,
that the valley is the place of vision.

What does it look like?

noreply@blogger.com (Rhea Paredes) — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 05:43:00 +0000

I am always excited to hear about the different styles of "personal Bible study" people use because it helps me in my pursuit of the spiritual disciplines and helps me get to know my Savior more. God used these people to show me tools already available to me - like praying through Scripture, using a Bible reading plan, and books to read among others.

One such group of people is Carolyn Mahaney and her daughters. They have been doing an excellent job writing about the topic of Biblical Femininity in their blog called "Girl Talk". One of the topics they post about is on spiritual disciplines. You can read about how they do their devotions here:

http://girltalk.blogs.com/girltalk/spiritual_disciplines/index.html

I also highly recommend this post on the spiritual disciplines:
http://girltalk.blogs.com/girltalk/2006/01/planting_a_seed.html

Enjoy!

Why miss a photo op?

noreply@blogger.com (Rhea Paredes) — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 06:05:00 +0000

Okay, so I felt really bad that I couldn't make it to the book launch...

But I was really impressed by the great work CSM and my co-authors did for the book launch. Kudos to DJ Jordan and the Crossover band!

At the end of the day, it was really God's grace that put the whole event together. Thank you so much to everybody who came to support the book launch, to those who bought copies of the book, and to everyone who have communicated much encouragement. We hope that the book serves you in your quiet times. Let us know how your read of the Real Time Devotional goes!

Malapit na magpasko!

P.S. Dami nilang litrato nung book launch, kaya habol din ako ng tatlong pictures mula sa aming mumunting apartment.

noreply@blogger.com (Joy Solina) — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 02:27:00 +0000

DJ of Against the Flow and Perfect Rhythm Jordan Escusa hosted the REAL TIME book launch last Oct 13 at the Book & Bean Fair, SM Megatrade Hall.
A view of the audience at the start of the book launch. Seated at far right are writers Mike Cariño and John Callanta.
REAL TIME writers (seated from left to right) Mike, Grace, Ai (with microphone), John during the launch. Standing with a copy of the book is Host Jordan Escusa.

Technology and faith

noreply@blogger.com (Rhea Paredes) — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 17:14:00 +0000

Joshua Harris writes his thoughts on the way technology is affecting the way we view our faith. Read his post on his blog about "The Double-Edged Sword of Technology" where he references David Wells:

[Because of advances in technology] everything in life is then evaluated by this same standard: what is done better and faster must be right.

P.S. What did you think of the book launch? :)

Snapshots of Real Time Book Launch

noreply@blogger.com (the midnight muser) — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 07:42:00 +0000

4 out of 5 REAL TIME Authors

(From L to R) Mike Cariño, Ai Tolentino, Grace Gaston-Dousel, and John Callanta

(missing the 5th author, Rhea Paredes, who is in the U.S. right now)

On-the-spot with launch host Jordan Escusa

With beloved editor, Ms. Joy Solina

Here's for the Filipino youth! Above all, for the glory of God!

Thank you for sharing in our joy. This is just the beginning of our journey together.

It's time to get real with God!

For more pictures, please feel free to visit http://midnightmuser.multiply.com

Brownout

noreply@blogger.com (Joy Solina) — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 09:04:00 +0000

It's been more than a week since Typhoon Milenyo hit Metromanila but we're still experiencing power shortages. Today is another workday gone to waste because the power went off at a little past 10 am. What a great way to start a day, right?

Hmm, let's see what I can do about this. I thought of all the people I owed a text message and sent each of them one. I also opened a window to get enough light to manually write down a draft of the first report on my to-do list. After an hour or so, that was it. I could do nothing else. Files I needed to refer to were all in the computer.

When I'm thinking about a zillion things I want to do but WON'T be able to, I marvel about how people did things before electricity was discovered. Then I snap back to reality and tell myself not to panic! After all, this situation is beyond my control. I'm not the only one worrying about delays and unmet deadlines.

Brownouts remind me that life has lots of interruptions. Some are divine (acts of God we call them, such as typhoons), others are caused by man (like the despicable thieves of wire cables and transformers). Interruptions and unscheduled pauses make me think about the "Be still and know that I am God" passage in Psalm 46. [Didn't that psalm describe a natural disaster in the first verses?] Then I wait for the power to return.

Where did we go?

noreply@blogger.com (Rhea Paredes) — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 13:52:00 +0000

Hello peeps!

Wow, it's been a while since we posted! We've been busy putting together the book launch and we're in the final stages! It's going to be at the SM Megatrade Hall on Oct 13 (Friday), 7 pm. The authors will be reading from the book with Jordan Escusa as host and the Crossover band providing us with great music.

Hope to see you there!

Help! My Church is Boring!

noreply@blogger.com (Joy Solina) — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 06:40:00 +0000

The first time I saw a real, live deer was when I toured a wildlife park in Colorado. Its back was momentarily in front of me before it dashed off in a flash. I was a human intruder. But I thought of the verse in Psalms 42 that we now sing in worship, "As the deer gets thirsty for streams of water, I truly am thirsty for you, my God."

During our staff devotions at work, I read aloud Mike Cariño's article, "Help! My Church is Boring!" that had Psalms 42:1-2 as its Bible passage. It's also one of my favorites from REAL TIME devotions for Filipino youth. Let me share portions of it with you:

"He walked out of the church in deep thought after the worship service. Danny felt so spiritually dry and empty in spite of the church's dynamic Sunday activities.

" 'It doesn't make sense,' thought Danny. 'If God's Word is preached, why do I still feel so hungry? Why do I drag my feet every time I go to church? How come I find it still routine, predictable and boring?' He felt confused, guilty and frustrated as he feebly waved farewell to his church friends...

"So how can a committed young Christian like Danny ever become bored with church?

"Many times, the problem does not lie in the church we attend. It is in our own hearts. When we are exhausted, numb, or resentful, we tend to lose our passion for God. With our spiritual appetite gone, no amount of program or preaching can reignite our enthusiasm...

"When our hearts are on fire for God, no church can really bore us."

For once, my devotional message (with scripted comments before and after the reading) was short enough to give us more time to pray. Afterwards, two officemates told me separately that their own worship experience concurred with my talk. One of them even asked for my notes, perhaps to use it with her own small group. That made my day.

Getting Sick

noreply@blogger.com (Joy Solina) — Sun, 03 Sep 2006 09:09:00 +0000

I have a confession to make. I didn't desire God that much the last few weeks. I got sick. It's the season, you know. Coughs and colds, I mean. I simply stared at the wall clock when it was time for me to get out of bed for my Bible reading. How I wished I could say my spirit was willing and it's only my flesh that was weak. But that wasn't the case. My body and spirit agreed to stay put--in bed!

Guess what, too? My Bible reading is now in the Book of Job! Honestly, that dampened my spirit further. Instead of switching to another less depressing Bible book, I just timed out and wallowed in my own misery. I knew God wanted to tell me something through that book, but I didn't have the spiritual guts to find out. (Coward!) But my journaling lost its vigor and my prayers felt limp and dry. My spirit ached for God and I knew what I had to do.

Now that I'm better (thanks to the mystery of the common cold called recovery), I'm reading my Bible again. I discovered something about myself during my spiritual leave of absence. It takes just a little physical discomfort to lose my desire for God's Word. This is not just about missing a morning routine and getting upset over it. I didn't really love God enough to think of Him and listen to Him during those physically weak times. Ouch! My spiritual pride!

Although reading Job won't be a pleasure trip, I want to learn from it just the same. After all, it IS God's Word. I would be insulting God if I read only the "easy" and "soothing" Bible passages. If I want to know Him more deeply, I will search for Him in every page of His Word. I want my devotion to Him to be constant "in sickness and in health."