Thank you for 2020

Dear Jesus,

Thank you for 2020. 

Thank you that despite the many challenges this year and the despair all around, you remain the same then, now and forevermore.

And I can only look up and praise you for your kindness and faithfulness, Lord.

Thank you that you remain true to your promise that you are the true bearer of hope and light.

May my family and I, Lord Jesus, continue to walk under the brightness and glory that your light brings to our lives.

Lord, thank you for your provisions this year and the years that came to pass. Looking back, Lord, you have been very generous to us. 

Looking back, I now realize that your “hand” was in all aspects in my life. You were always there, Lord Jesus. I just didn’t know it then.

Lord, thank you for opening the “eyes” of my heart to this realization — that, really, it is because of your mercy that I am still around and well-provided for.

Lord, may I never forget this truth. That may this truth encourage me to be a blessing as well to the people I love, the people I work with, to strangers and most especially, to the brothers and sisters in community.

Lord Jesus, thank you for your love for me and for all humanity. Thank you for becoming flesh and bones because as baffling as that is, it was the only way for you to defeat sin and death.

Thank you, Lord, for being born in a manger — a symbol of your humility and a foreshadowing of how you were going to “rule”. 

You came to the world in such an unexpected manner. As the King of Kings, you did not make it a point to be born inside a palace or to wealthy or “palatial” parents.

Again, you were born in a manger and to a carpenter-father. Yet, this was all meant to be. This was how Our Father designed your birth to be. 

Silent. Simple. Spectacular.

Thank you, Jesus. Thank you that your birth led the way to mankind’s salvation. Oh, what hope! What amazing grace! What a hopeful promise!

Thank you, Jesus for 2020. Thank you for the good and the not-so good that happened and came this year!

Thank you for my family. Thank you for my community. They made me strong and hopeful this 2020.

Thank you for my friends. Thank you for my co-workers. They encouraged me to move forward this 2020.

Thank you for our courageous government leaders, frontliners, healthcare workers, doctors and nurses, and men in uniform. They kept us safe, grounded and protected this 2020. And “extra brave”, too!

Really, the only difference this 2020 and the years that came to pass is the COVID-19 pandemic. But you, Lord Jesus, you remain constant — unchanging.

How could I not love you, Lord! All that I am and all that I have come from you.

Thank you, Lord. I love you Lord Jesus. Happy Birthday, Jesus!

“O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel
 
“O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o’er the grave
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, o Israel
 
“O come, Thou Day-Spring
Come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death’s dark shadows put to flight
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, o Israel
 
“O come, Thou Key of David, come
And open wide our heavenly home
Make safe the way that leads on high
And close the path to misery
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, o Israel
 
“O come, O come, Thou Lord of might
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai’s height
In ancient times did’st give the Law
In cloud, and majesty and awe
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, o Israel”

Proverbs 22:6

They say there is no perfect formula, management system or steps in raising a child.

With my children, it has always been a trial-and-error method. At times, my methods would work. 

Sometimes, it wouldn’t and even make things worse.

Then, I found Scriptures and I realized that everything we need to know how to run our lives — even raising our children — is there. It’s all there!

I thank my SLG community for reinforcing the love for The Word. I read. I muse. I meditate.

And I learned. I am confident that my children will not be growing up the “perfect people” society wants them to be, they will be growing up under God’s leading.

Because I planted the “seeds” in their heart. And whether these “seeds” bloom early or late, I know God will continously be pursuing them.

It is in His plan to gain them — eventually. I know. It happened to me. 

#SLGPhotoVerseChallenge

#WordMadeFresh

#AngelsOnEarth

Proverbs 22:15

Phoebe Dawn.

When I got pregnant with you, Papa and I chose carefully the names we were about to give you. We wanted you to have a beautiful name, one that you can be proud of, one that you can use to change the world – or at least make it a better place to live in.

Phoebe is a name found in the Bible, a woman who fervently served God through Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Romans, verses 16:1-2. It means, “bright and shining”. Of course, we paired it with Dawn, which means “Aurora, the first appearance of daylight or daybreak”.

Phoebe Dawn.

You are our “bright and shining Aurora”, and may you bring that sunshine to others as well. Serve others. Pray “that God may plant in your heart His purpose for you”.

Well, as of the moment, at 10 years old, goals and life’s purpose are far off your mind, and we understand. 

We also know that you are “more folly” and foolishness now as you are still a child. Our hope is that as you grow up, you become more and more disciplined — and, always, under God’s leading.

#ServantsOfTheLivingGod

#SLGPhotoVerseChallenge

#WordMadeFresh

#AngelsOnEarth

Proverbs 2:6

Dearest Kuya Paul Daniel,

We named you after your Papa’s second first name and after my “favorite Bible character” — Daniel.

And you did not disappoint Kuya Paul. You lived up — and tries to live up — to your “names”.

You are like Daniel: faithful to our Almighty God and brave. 

You are like Paul: faithful to our Almighty God and brave.

We are proud of the young man you are today and will be tomorrow. Our hope is that you continue to walk on the path of righteousness.

May God’s word lead you to a special, loving and living relationship with our Almighty God, for the Lord “gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding”. 

#ServantsOfTheLivingGod

#SLGPhotoVerseChallenge

#WordMadeFresh

#AngelsOnEarth

Galatians 5:22-23

You are now my favorite “plant-baby” because you remind me of my journey with our Almighty God and with my SLG family.

You had to shed almost all of your leaves but with tender-care and loving-kindness from me, you “bloomed” again. All dead leaves replaced with fresh, new ones. 

You make me so happy little plant. 

Like the Christian life I committed to take, the “old self” had to die for the “new self” to “sprout” — for the gifts of the Holy Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and self-control) to manifest and witness to the world.

It is no easy journey this path I chose to take. But God’s mercy is new every morning and that is all I really need — really.

(Posted on August 21, 2020 over personal Facebook account)

#ServantsOfTheLivingGod
#SLGPhotoVerseChallenge
#WordMadeFresh
#HolyHomemaker

John 13:34-35

One of my favorite pictures of us — together. We all look great here. Must be the natural lighting of the sunset, or the reflection of the seas and the skies — beside and above us.

Could also be because we have the Isabel, Leyte mountains for a background.

Whatever it is, it always is a wonderful time when we get-together, dearest sisters.

I look forward to our next fellowship — in person, face to face; but for now, I will have to content myself with looking at our pictures and reminiscing our “Love Language” sharing.

(Posted on August 19, 2020 over personal Facebook account)

#ServantsOfTheLivingGod
#SLGPhotoVerseChallenge
#WordMadeFresh
#HolyHomemaker

Proverbs 16:3

My plant heart is happy; so are my plants!

Thank you my love for putting your heart and hands to the test (and your engineering skills) when you made for me these plant stands / plant racks / plant holders.

Took you a few days to do so — rain or shine.

You remind me my love of our good God’s teaching on how we approach the “works of our hands” in Proverbs 16:3 — ”Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”

Ehem, plans not “plants”... but dool2x na rin!

Thank you again my love Emar Paul. You always “level-up” and will always will be our everyday hero.

(Posted on August 16, 2020 over personal Facebook account)

#ServantsoftheLivingGod
#SLGPhotoVerseChallenge
#WordMadeFresh
#EverydayHeroes