Tag Archives: Bible

In His Steps

Taste and See

Psalm 34.

Whenever this Psalm comes up in my prayer time, I am always left in awe. I remember my parents used to sing one song that was based on this Psalm, but I never memorized it. It wasn’t until thesis time, when I was freaking out at the dorm, when a friend sent me this Psalm to encourage me.

The basic message of this Psalm is God is good. Taste and see God’s goodness. He is a good God, and He will not leave me, and because of that, I will praise Him. It’s such a simple and beautiful Psalm that it always takes my breath away and my heart brims with thanks with the affirmation that this Psalm brings.

I may not be able to go online again until tomorrow to blog, chat and look at apidexin reviews because I’ll be spending the night in Ortigas for our 10k run tomorrow, so I’m leaving you with this Psalm. :)

Psalm 34 (The Message version)

1 I bless God every chance I get; my lungs expand with his praise.

2 I live and breathe God;
if things aren’t going well, hear this and be happy:

3 Join me in spreading the news;
together let’s get the word out.

4 God met me more than halfway,
he freed me from my anxious fears.

5 Look at him; give him your warmest smile.
Never hide your feelings from him.

6 When I was desperate, I called out,
and God got me out of a tight spot.

7 God’s angel sets up a circle
of protection around us while we pray.

8 Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see—
how good God is.
Blessed are you who run to him.

9 Worship God if you want the best;
worship opens doors to all his goodness.

10 Young lions on the prowl get hungry,
but God-seekers are full of God.

11 Come, children, listen closely;
I’ll give you a lesson in God worship.

12 Who out there has a lust for life?
Can’t wait each day to come upon beauty?

13 Guard your tongue from profanity,
and no more lying through your teeth.

14 Turn your back on sin; do something good.
Embrace peace—don’t let it get away!

15 God keeps an eye on his friends,
his ears pick up every moan and groan.

16 God won’t put up with rebels;
he’ll cull them from the pack.

17 Is anyone crying for help? God is listening,
ready to rescue you.

18 If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there;
if you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath.

19 Disciples so often get into trouble;
still, God is there every time.

20 He’s your bodyguard, shielding every bone;
not even a finger gets broken.

21 The wicked commit slow suicide;
they waste their lives hating the good.

22 God pays for each slave’s freedom;
no one who runs to him loses out.

Have a great weekend everyone. Taste and see God’s goodness! :)

Booked, Dear Diary

The Fruits of Book Fair 2007

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So today I went to the Manila International Book Fair at the World Trade Center for some book loving. Some people I was supposed to go with backed out, but all’s good since nothing is going to stop me from going there. :P

Now come to think of it…it felt weird that I actually made it there on my own, without riding a cab. Wohoo!

Anyway, the moment I stepped inside the World Trade Center, I started to panic. Haha, book sales do that to me, seriously. I immediately headed to OMF Literature to get the Bible I’ve been wanting to have (it’s a purple pocket Bible from Zondervan), as well as some books I’ve been planning to buy and then after making my purchase (thank you Citibank), I went around again.

The only sad point of the day was when I got to this other booth selling Bibles. I saw the Bible I bought there which was P300 cheaper. I know that amount could not get me a portable oxygen concentrator but still, it’s P300. Three hundred Pesos. That’s already ONE book. Argh. And that’s still less 30%, so it would’ve been a steal for me! But I already bought the Bible, and it’s not like I could return it. Hay. I wish I could’ve looked around before buying the one from OMF.

LET IT GOOOOOO TINA! What’s done is done. Or in this case, what’s paid for is paid for.

After some more rounds, I bought some comics for my brother and another book, met up with Yam and finally went home. As much fun as it was for me buying books, it’s definitely more fun if I was with some close friends, like Tuesday or Happy or Bea. We’d all end up ogling at all the Bibles over there. Haha.

Admittedly, it feels like there are a lot of new stores in this year’s Book Fair. And I didn’t see Fully Booked or A Different Bookstore there. I wonder why?

Anyway, here’s today’s stash (not including my brother’s comics):

Book Fair 2007 Stash

  1. Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality by Donald Miller
  2. Chasing Daylight: Seize the Power of Every Moment by Erwin Raphael McManus
  3. Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
  4. TNIV Pocket Bible: Today’s New International Version
    .

See. This year’s stash is definitely fewer than last year’s. I didn’t have a list when I got in, and I think that’s influenced it. Plus the fact that I’m more mindful of the things I’m spending for. Last year I think I went home with 10? Or maybe it’s just because I know I still have about 10 books I have yet to read, plus my dad’s bringing home two more by next week. So I’m still a happy little bookworm.

What about you? Have you been to this year’s Book Fair? (It ends tomorrow, by the way!) What did you get? :)

In His Steps

Easter Sunday

Early in the morning on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone was moved away from the entrance. She ran at once to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, breathlessly panting, “They took the Master from the tomb. We don’t know where they’ve put him.”

Peter and the other disciple left immediately for the tomb. They ran, neck and neck. The other disciple got to the tomb first, outrunning Peter. Stooping to look in, he saw the pieces of linen cloth lying there, but he didn’t go in. Simon Peter arrived after him, entered the tomb, observed the linen cloths lying there, and the kerchief used to cover his head not lying with the linen cloths but separate, neatly folded by itself. Then the other disciple, the one who had gotten there first, went into the tomb, took one look at the evidence, and believed. No one yet knew from the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead. The disciples then went back home.

Continue reading Easter Sunday →

In His Steps, Quotable Quote, Randomnities

Thursday Thirteen # 6: The Word

I will be attending a Bible Study later at the office with (Ate) Jane during lunch time, and I am excited about it! I didn’t know there was something like that here. So in relation to that, this week’s Thursday Thirteen is thirteen of my favorite Bible verses. :)

Thursday Thirteen # 4: Cartoons
Thirteen Favorite Bible Verses:

  1. “I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13 NKJV)
    This verse was my anchor verse back in high school, especially when I was always faced with stress from schoolwork. I was an overachiever back then, and I always seem to carry big amounts of schoolwork and even if it doesn’t show back then, I get really worn out in the middle of it. This verse reminds me that Christ will always give me strength for whatever I have to do. I particularly like The Message’s translation of this verse: “Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.” :)
  2. “We bring nothing at birth, we take nothing with us at death. The Lord alone gives and takes. Praise the name of the Lord!” (Job 1:21 CEV)
    I’ve always admired the story of how Job was faithful to God even in the midst of all his troubles. This particular verse reminds me that everything I have is from God and none is mine. It reminds me to praise God whatever my circumstance is. :)
  3. “I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.” (Jeremiah 29:11 MSG)
    This verse used to be my banner verse for my love life. I can safely say I’ve grown up from that already, but still, this verse brings me hope, especially when I was kind of down on job hunting and post graduation woes. When things are just too blurry for me to see, it’s comforting to know that God has a plan that is for my good.
  4. “I paid a huge price for you: all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in! That’s how much you mean to me! That’s how much I love you! I’d sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you.” (Isaiah 43:4 MSG)
    ♥ ♥ ♥ :)
  5. “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.” (Proverbs 3:5 MSG)
    This is for control freaks like me. :) I know that trusting God fully is one of the hard things to do in life, and this verse is a reminder of what I must always do.
  6. “I shall keep silent and not open my mouth, for this is Your work.” (Psalm 39:10 Christian Community Bible)
    My mouth has gotten me in trouble for a lot of times. :P I was kind of sad about something and I badly needed enlightenment one night, so I was browsing through Psalms and I got this verse which just hit the bullseye. :D
  7. “God will fight the battle for you. And you? You keep your mouths shut!” (Exodus 14:14 MSG)
    I love this translation of this verse, and it’s related to verse # 6. :)
  8. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28 NAB)
    Sometimes when I get in the middle of something that I don’t understand or is difficult, I ask God why is it like that. And God simply answers me with this. I read somewhere that God reveals His will to us in bite-size pieces so we won’t be overwhelmed with how big His plan for us is. This verse also reminds me that whether it is good or bad, it will always work out for God’s purpose, which is one thing I know I can trust with my life. :)
  9. “I want you to live as free of complications as possible. When you’re unmarried, you’re free to concentrate on simply pleasing the Master. Marriage involves you in all the nuts and bolts of domestic life and in wanting to please your spouse, leading to so many more demands on your attention. The time and energy that married people spend on caring for and nurturing each other, the unmarried can spend in becoming whole and holy instruments of God. I’m trying to be helpful and make it as easy as possible for you, not make things harder. All I want is for you to be able to develop a way of life in which you can spend plenty of time together with the Master without a lot of distractions.” (1 Corinthians 7:32-35 MSG)
    Haha, enough said. :) This is a reminder for singletons like me who get lonely once in a while. :P
  10. “Let us not become weary in doing good for at proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9 NIV)
    There are times in my walk with God that I get tired of doing what I am doing and I wonder if all this YFC/SFC service and doing good is all worth it. We all get to that point (I believe it’s called burnout :p), and this verse saved me just in time from having another one of those.
  11. “Here’s what I want: Give me a God-listening heart…” (1 Kings 3:9 MSG)
    Simple, straightforward and something I pray for as well.
  12. “…and after you have suffered a little he will bring you to perfection…” (1 Peter 5:10 Christian Community Bible)
    The Thesis Verse! This verse has brought me through the hard times we all call thesis. :) Through all those consultations that made me squirm and those delayed defenses…this just got me through all the emotional and spiritual strain that thesis gave me. :)
  13. “Incline my heart to follow Your will and not my own selfish desire.” (Psalm 119:36)
    My anchor verse for almost four years now. :D As my friend told me once, there’s nothing worth praying for than God’s will in your life. :)

* The Bibles I have available with me are the Christian Community Bible and The Message Bible. Much thanks to Bible Gateway for other translations. :)

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Dear Diary, Say Cheese!

Of long days, kind strangers and reunions

Well I sure had a long day yesterday. I didn’t wake up on the right side of the bed, so I was kind of cranky that morning. My moodiness lasted until my mom and I left for Megamall around lunchtime to hear the mass. I was kind of in a hurry because I had to be at Assumption College in Makati before 2:00pm for their club meeting because I was supposed to give a talk. So right after the mass, I bought some food and started running to the MRT…but first a quick stop at Papemelroti! I needed to buy this box of Bible verses to give to the YFC members in AC, but the girl was being difficult because she told me she didn’t have change for my P500. I tried to look for an exact amount but I was short so I told her, and she said, “Eh wala pa rin eh.” I wanted to strangle her then — HELLO, it’s not my fault you don’t have change…you should find a way because it’s YOUR responsibility! I decided not to because I was in a hurry already.

So I went to Makati and walked to San Lorenzo Village. Of course, it was my first time there, so I followed an Assumptionista into the village so I’d know where to get in. I didn’t get lost and got there on time. I met up with Ms. Lea who led me to the YFC room and I met Louie, their president, who is such a sweet girl. They had a game, then my talk. The girls were kind of noisy but there were some who listened to me intently…I find them all kind of sweet and their noisiness didn’t really offend me because, well, they’re high school! Haha, after the talk, I got to talk to some of them who asked me some kind of difficult questions, and the other one, Shimmy, asked me about books. Haha. I’d like to go there again given the chance. :)

After the club meeting, I went to Glorietta again and browsed around bookstores while I waited for Gigie. When she arrived, she treated me some snacks and then I dropped her off at the MRT while I looked for a cab who will bring me to the Es-Twenty reunion. But it’s Friday night, and I’m at Makati, which means it’s hard to get a cab.

I went all around Glorietta and SM and Park Square to get a cab…until I ended up at North Park. I stood there waiting for a cab who will actually stop. There was a man a few feet away from me who was trying to hail a cab too. I stood near him and then he looked at me and asked, “Uunahan mo pa ba ako?” (Loose translation: “Will you steal a cab from me too?”) Of course, I said I won’t because I’m not like that. Then he asked me where I was going and it turns out we were going the same way and he told me we could ride together so it would be easier. I agreed reluctantly but of course I was kind of scared because I don’t know who that man is. We talked, and I found out he lives in the US but he was just visiting the Philippines and he was on his way to Batangas where he’s staying. He needed to catch the last trip of the bus from Jam transit and he was having a hard time catching a cab too. We stood there until we finally got a cab. We talked a bit more — he told me about his daughter’s college tuition fee, his divorce and how it is living in the US. Surprisingly, he wasn’t complaining that much about how the Philippines is compared to the US — so maybe there’s not much to complain? Anyway, when I got to my stop, I was about to pull out my wallet when he said he’ll take care of it. I accepted and he told me to have a good time and he and the cab went away.

That was really nice. :) It’s the second time that thing happened to me (the first time was during fourth year high school, a woman rode the tricycle with me and I helped her fasten her bracelet and she paid for half my fare), and I’d like to believe it’s God’s blessing for me. To be honest, I’m not comfortable riding cabs alone because I was always warned not to. I only do it in desperate cases like last night…and God is good. :D Amen.

I got to the reunion dinner on time…and it was fun being with my blockmates once again. There weren’t many of us though, and Jolai didn’t go down from Baguio which was what I was really looking for. But it was fun. It was fun reminiscing all our block days even if it was just for two terms. :D And because I love them so much, I’ll reserve all S20 memories in another post sometime soon. :)

Here’s one of the two pictures I have for the night…there’s a prof with us there…guess where he is. :P

Es-Twenty Reunion Dinner

Today I shall rest. And read. And watch TV. And fill out some forms for work. Haha that sounded so mature. :P

In His Steps

One day at a time on your manna, people

Before anything else, let me thank Mr. Gary of Agape Touch. You are a great blessing as well. :) God bless you!

One of the stories that has been told to me since I was a kid was the story of Moses. I’ve always loved his story because it was so majestic and all that. I mean, who would not be awed to see the Red Sea parting, or water coming from a rock and all that? Plus, I’ve always thought Moses’ story was easy to understand because it was just composed of people who Moses was leading through the desert — stubborn, hard-headed people, that is. Much like me. ;)

Anyway, one of the parts of Moses and the Israelites’ story was where God provided food for them: meat in the form of quails and bread in the form of manna (Exodus 16:11-17). I thought that was so good of God to do that, and I thought His follow up instructions of gathering enough manna for the day (Exodus 16:16, 19) was just His way of disciplining His people so that there would not be any leftovers or spillage, plus to get their obedience in check. And of course, being the hard-headed people they are, they did not listen to God and gathered more than what they needed for the day.

Just the same, I sort of had this mentality that those “Jesus experiences” I’ve been in would be enough to last me for a long time. It’s like what happened after my own YFC Youth Camp: I didn’t know why, but I was on a spiritual high for the next few days. The same feeling lingered everytime I attended and served in camps, conferences and praisefests. No matter how tired I was after that event, I was always so happy and peaceful afterwards and that lasted the next few days. And when the feeling is gone (*cue music*), everything suddenly loses its sheen and plunges back into the ordinary: the wind where you felt God’s presence so much the day before ends up smelling like vehicle smoke, you no longer find joy in the people you live with or work with and the smallest things annoy the heck out of you.

What happened to that “high on Jesus” thing then?

Continue reading One day at a time on your manna, people →