This is Cheston. He came to visit town for a few months to continue his studies in Bible College. He’s an awesome guy, and a BIG one at that! Don’t worry, he’s a gentle giant. We got tight, and he’s one awesome guy to be with.

 But time came when he had to leave, so the day before he departed, he and I made plans to have lunch and just hang out. Tell you, it was sweet fellowship we had. The Lord is certainly working on his life.

 After lunch, he went to get a haircut and I tagged along. I was a bit baffled by the fact that the salon he went to was run by (forgive me) gay people and cross dressers. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no gay-Nazi, I was honestly just caught off guard.

 So we settled down and Cheston started to get his haircut. It was pretty fun, I admit, because even though he was on his seat getting his last haircut here, he had a LOT to share to the guy doing the cutting. I eventually joined in the conversation too. My friend had a lot to share, and he didn’t stop talking about God. That convicted me, because even though he wasn’t necessarily preaching, you can tell how Cheston asked about his life, how he encouraged the guy and how he kept going back to God’s goodness and sovereignty left the barber blessed. Made me think about my own witness as a believer. The conversation went well and before we knew it, the haircut was done. He was ready to show off his new look to his family. Before he left, he asked the guy for his facebook account, and gave him some extra money as a goodbye gift to get something nice.

 When we walked out of the salon, he told me the story about how he asked his classmate for a place to get a good haircut, but ended up in the wrong salon. When he entered, he almost left immediately until God started to convict him, and that it’s not only Christians he needs to hang out with, but also be a light to the nonbelievers, even the gay people. He knew I would be caught off guard, he didn’t expect much of my reaction, but I’m glad I went.

 The day continued, and we hung out a bit more before we said our goodbyes as he was leaving the next morning. Out of all that, I got a time to reflect on my own witness as well. Christians are, in fact, called to be lights, and we must be obedient. If you’re a believer, someone took the time to share Jesus with you too. Why not do the same for those who need Him? Whoever it is, wherever they came from, bottom line is that they still need Jesus.

I miss my big buddy.

To the woman of my life, one day is not enough to honor you. I should honor you every day of my life. Thank you so much mommy! I love you!

Happy Mother’s Day

Four very important words, yet so many can’t seem to explain them. I mean, seriously, try explaining these words to your friend, or ask them for the meaning, and I’m sure more often than not, the results are (regrettably) vague. I’m not implying anything regarding the human intellect, I’m just noting my observation.

Anyway, let’s start with the word TRUTH.

I’d like to imagine truth as the big guy. Not someone you can push over easily and firm on his feet.

Now TRUTH is anything that agrees with reality.

Because, reality check,

if it doesn’t agree with reality, then it’s not the truth.

Next word is BELIEF.

The semi-scary, should be guarded, but altogether adorable one.

Now BELIEF is accepting something to be true, genuine or real. When you believe, it only happens in the mind, and you only agree to it and accept it.

FAITH, on the other hand is an entirely different character.

I’ve always said that the only thing scarier than something big enough to take you down is something so small, it has the ability to go about unnoticed that it feeds off you and controls your pattern of thinking and way of life.

Sadly, people have a similar view on FAITH. Some think it causes you to act on things without good reason.

No, it isn’t a leap, it isn’t blind, and it certainly isn’t crazy. Everyone practices it everyday!

The active fuzzy one. It’s a step ahead of believing. It’s actively trusting in the thing which you believe in. It always results to action, and it’s always based on evidence. It’s based on knowledge, and not opposed to it.

The last one is TRUST.

The hammock. Now although Biblically, FAITH is the same as TRUST,

the best word to define TRUST is to “recline.” In other words, to collapse and put your whole weight on something (hence, the hammock).

You shouldn’t be scared of these four words. They’re simple enough, and Jesus Himself wants you to put them to practice!

Truth is, we’re all sinners, and all sinners deserve death and hell. But God sent Jesus Christ to live a sinless, perfect life so that He could replace us in that death, and defeat hell and Satan when He [Jesus] rose from the dead on the third day. If you believe in that, put your faith in Jesus, repent and turn from all sin and trust Him with your life, you pass from death to life, and God writes your name in His book of life. Read your Bible and obey what you read, and get in to fellowship with a Bible-teaching church.

Four simple words that mean so much.

Here I am, spending some idle time, minding my own business just using facebook. 

When suddenly, a wild chat message appears,

and I begin a state of paranoia.

Thousands of possibilities enter my mind as to what sin I’ve committed against my friend. Then I do the inevitable: reply.

My whole life suddenly flashes before my eyes as I am about to lose a dear friend.

But then,

I realize

I’m innocent after all. I did nothing wrong.

Every single time. XD~

foodiefied:

mango ice cream

(Source: heyrainbows)

1Thessalonians2:8&17-18

 It seems that the more I’m graced by God to be able to teach people what I’m learning from Him, the more I learn as well. It’s been three months since I started my IBS sessions with kuya Noel, and ever since my second lesson with him, he’s already been encouraging me and prodding me to pray and look for someone to teach. Kuya Noel’s been my discipler since I got saved, and it’s been awesome learning under him, but I didn’t know teaching proved to be such a great [shall I say indirect] teaching tool for him to use on me so I can learn better. By God’s grace alone, I’m handling Oliver, Clyve and Bien.

 As I’m reading through 1Thessalonians, chapter 2 took a toll on my heart this past week, and verses 8 and 17-18 really jumped out to me.

 When I read v8, I’m constantly reminded by my relationship with the three guys I’m handling, and it encourages me to do better. You see, in this verse, Paul made it clear that the message of the Gospel was important. What Paul also implied here is that discipleship goes much, much deeper than the teacher-student relationship. It isn’t only about sharing lessons on what you learned, or what God revealed to you, but it goes as deep as sharing one’s life with the disciple. One doesn’t simply close the book once the lesson is over. In the same way Jesus shared His personal life with His disciples, we’re also called to involve ourselves in other people’s lives as well.

 How wasted would it be if one’s life is as closed as the door of an empty classroom?

 When I read v17-18, it spoke in my heart in a way that reminded me of what’s really important in discipleship. If you read the verse, although Paul said that Satan had stopped them from visiting the church, he made one thing clear: they were a priority. In the midst of a busy schedule, one often makes the mistake of putting patient matters ahead of those in need. What I mean is if a matter can wait, even if it is related to ministry, you never turn a soul down when it is in need. Of course, the inevitable emergencies and high priorities must not be ignored. However, we must never make the ministry more important than the people it’s supposed to be blessing. We’re called to serve, and sometimes that means putting our lives on hold.

 No one might ever be as perfect a teacher as Jesus is, but we should learn from Him. He certainly made Himself the lowest of the low, coming to serve and not be served, the King who left His throne for us. The influence we have on the people around us isn’t something we should take lightly. There’s no clocking out of it, and there are certainly times when breaks aren’t called for. Jesus made us His priority when He came, taught, preached, healed, died and rose again. Discipleship is following Him in obedience.

Not everyone in Jesus’ world gave Him a warm welcome. Not everyone received Him with grace. And many didn’t just ignore Him; they rejected Him.

Isaiah prophesied His reception like this: “He was despised and rejected by men,” (Isaiah53:3 NIV).

John summarized the rejection of Jesus with these words: “He was in the world, and thought the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him,” (John1:10-11 NIV).

How did Christ endure treatment like that? At any point He could have said, “I quit. I’ve had enough.” why didn’t He? What kept Him from giving up?

I wonder if Lee Ielpi understands the answer? He is a retired firefighter, a New York City firefighter. He gave twenty-six years to the city. But on September 11, 2011, he gave much more. He gave his son. Jonathan Ielpi was a fireman as well. When the Twin towers fell, he was there.

Firefighters are a loyal clan. when one perishes in the line of duty, the body is left where it is until a firefighter who knows the person can come and quite literally pick it up. Lee made the discovery of his son’s body his personal mission. He dug daily with dozens of others at the sixteen-acre graveyard. One Tuesday, December 11, three months after the disaster, his son was found. And lee was there to carry him out.

He didn’t give up. The father didn’t quit. He refused to turn and leave. Why? Because his love for his son was greater than the pain of the search. Can’t the same be said about Christ? Why didn’t He quit? Because the love for His children was greater than the pain of the journey. He came to pull you out. Your world had collapsed. That’s why He came. You were dead, dead to sin. That’s why He came. He loves you. That’s why He came.

That’s why He endured the distance between us. “Love… endures all things.”

That’s why He endured the resistance from us. “Love… endures all things.”

That’s why He endured the final step of incarnation: “God made Him who had not sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God,” (2Corinthians5:21 NIV).

Why did Jesus do that? there is only one answer. and that answer has one word. Love. And that love of Christ “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1Corinthians13:7 NKJV).

Think about that for a moment. Drink from that a moment. Drink deeply. Don’t just sip or nip. It’s time to gulp. It’s time to let His love cover all things in your life. All secrets. All hurts. All hours of evil, minutes of worry.

The mornings you awoke in the bed of a stranger? His love will cover that. The years you peddled prejudice and pride? His love with cover that. Ever promise broken, drug taken, penny stolen. Every cross word, cuss word and harsh word. His love covers all things.

Let it. Discover along with the Psalmnist. “He… loads me with love and mercy” (Psalm103:4). Picture a giant dump truck full of love. there you are behind it. God lifts the bed until the love starts to slide. Slowly at first, then down, down, down until you are hidden, buried, covered in His love.

“Hey, were are you?” someone asks.

“In here, covered in love.”

Let His love cover all things.

Do it for His sake. To the glory of His Name.

Do it for your sake. For the peace of your heart.

And do it for their sake. For the people in your life. Let His love fall on you so yours can fall on them.

-Max Lucado