By God’s grace, last night and this morning were quality quiet time. I embrace His clear reminders on prayer and KEEPING CALM. Anger may not always come out but whatever cracks we have in the heart will eventually show. His reminders for me to fight the inner pride-driven will is so clear that even today’s Love Dare is against anger. Praise God for 2 Samuel 7 and Proverbs 14:29 and His presence that leads and enlightens in prayer :) This devo in the picture is a part of the iPhone free app Life Lessons by Ptr. Max Lucado. A beautiful Thursday by God’s grace ❤
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By God’s grace, last night and this morning were quality quiet time. I embrace His clear reminders on prayer and KEEPING CALM. Anger may not always come out but whatever cracks we have in the heart will eventually show. His reminders for me to fight the inner pride-driven will is so clear that even today’s Love Dare is against anger. Praise God for 2 Samuel 7 and Proverbs 14:29 and His presence that leads and enlightens in prayer :)

This devo in the picture is a part of the iPhone free app Life Lessons by Ptr. Max Lucado. A beautiful Thursday by God’s grace ❤

a beautiful capture: Words

allheartmindsoul:

“Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.”
-Proverbs 16:24

“But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.”
-Colossians 3:8

“Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips…

My Sunday will be busy so I’ve started greeting moms today! Dear loves, I hope you like the pics I picked, just grabbed them this morning. And all your pics are pretty to me :) HAPPY MOTHERS’ DAY to ALL of my Tumblr sisters, friends, and followers —  to your grandmother and mom, too :) These women in the collage thingy are just some of the many I’ve been blessed to know and share my life with. They’re wonder Tumblr moms ❤ It’s my joy to share and also to learn from what other mothers share. I’ve been blessed by so many of your stories and expressed lessons. My prayer is for each of us; may we continue to grow as our children do and may what we write be more than feelings and be an enlightening encouragement to other bloggers and readers. We have more readers than we think and it’s an awesome honor ;) For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (Ephesians 2:10 NLT) Being a biological parent or a parent by heart is something God allowed to happen out of His best hope for us and the children we’ve been given. It was God Himself who allowed the child in your family to be in your care. May you see parenthood as a privilege to serve the Lord Jesus, living and leaving a legacy of God’s goodness through selfless love :) Thank you to everyone here who God used and uses to help me grow, focus, and keep walking. It’s always a delight to write for all of you and it’s consistently exciting to see your posts, too! For this coming Mothers’ Day prepare something for the moms around you. Make it something that will not only give them temporary appreciation. Let know how valuable and wonderful they truly are. Share with them God’s Word + an extra treat like a greeting card, an old picture, flowers, a list of how they’ve helped you, and more :) But don’t forget the Creator, Savior, and Redeemer. Without the Lord Jesus, the joy in this life and even in parenthood will not exist in a woman’s heart. It takes amazing grace. Have a lovely weekend & make it count for God :D Enjoy!
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My Sunday will be busy so I’ve started greeting moms today! Dear loves, I hope you like the pics I picked, just grabbed them this morning. And all your pics are pretty to me :)

HAPPY MOTHERS’ DAY to ALL of my Tumblr sisters, friends, and followers —  to your grandmother and mom, too :) These women in the collage thingy are just some of the many I’ve been blessed to know and share my life with. They’re wonder Tumblr moms ❤

It’s my joy to share and also to learn from what other mothers share. I’ve been blessed by so many of your stories and expressed lessons. My prayer is for each of us; may we continue to grow as our children do and may what we write be more than feelings and be an enlightening encouragement to other bloggers and readers. We have more readers than we think and it’s an awesome honor ;)

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (Ephesians 2:10 NLT)

Being a biological parent or a parent by heart is something God allowed to happen out of His best hope for us and the children we’ve been given. It was God Himself who allowed the child in your family to be in your care. May you see parenthood as a privilege to serve the Lord Jesus, living and leaving a legacy of God’s goodness through selfless love :)

Thank you to everyone here who God used and uses to help me grow, focus, and keep walking. It’s always a delight to write for all of you and it’s consistently exciting to see your posts, too!

For this coming Mothers’ Day prepare something for the moms around you. Make it something that will not only give them temporary appreciation. Let know how valuable and wonderful they truly are. Share with them God’s Word + an extra treat like a greeting card, an old picture, flowers, a list of how they’ve helped you, and more :) But don’t forget the Creator, Savior, and Redeemer. Without the Lord Jesus, the joy in this life and even in parenthood will not exist in a woman’s heart. It takes amazing grace.

Have a lovely weekend & make it count for God :D Enjoy!

Done with a TAKE 2 on the Book of 1 John :)

We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them. (1 John 5:18)

We have to thank the Lord Jesus for each and every day we make it by faith! It’s our obedience but more than that, it is His powerful love ❤ Our Redeemer lives. Sweet Saturday in God’s presence :)

TBT from 2011. Taken and edited by Jomarc :) It’s from one of our large group classes and one of my roles for that Sunday’s Lady Gaga. She really didn’t say much, she just sang and danced a little. I don’t really remember my lines anymore but I do have it clear in my memory how still and silent the kids were. Those kids were from 7 to 9 years old and none of them made comments of any kind as I was there. They only words we heard were: That’s Lady Gaga. Lady Gaga is famous for many reasons and one of them is her excellence with music. We’ve never mentioned her to the kids and I was stunned to see them all quiet in the entire (but short) time they had to watch her. I’m sure it had something to do with the image she has been putting up and showing off. I’m blessed to see the 3 large group classes respond with maturity. None said anything bad and they respected the character by behaving well. This picture also brings back memories when I had to wear the blonde wig and pink hat to be Miley Cyrus. That was different from this particular day. The kids remember her well as Hanna Montana of Disney. The boys were in “ugh” because their age don’t really like girly stuff but the girls were all smiling with sparkles listening to my lip-synch of the Best of Both Worlds. God really is amazing with His grace that leads us - even at a young age :) There really are times we need to just observe, be quiet, and pray. There is no doubt that Lady Gaga’s got beauty and talent. Our Creator did make her that way — beautiful and talented — like the rest of us. My prayer for her and other well-appreciated celebrities is for them to enjoy life for what it really is: a walk with the Lord Jesus ❤ It was an honor taking this role. I can’t imagine the effort and heart she applies in her performances. I hope that as she and other celebrities express their love for God, they continue to step up in faith: share God’s Word on the Good News of Jesus Christ and disciple, lead others to the Lord through every opportunity that can glorify God :) Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. (1 John 3:19) A terrific Thursday by God’s grace ❤
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TBT from 2011. Taken and edited by Jomarc :)

It’s from one of our large group classes and one of my roles for that Sunday’s Lady Gaga. She really didn’t say much, she just sang and danced a little. I don’t really remember my lines anymore but I do have it clear in my memory how still and silent the kids were. Those kids were from 7 to 9 years old and none of them made comments of any kind as I was there. They only words we heard were: That’s Lady Gaga.

Lady Gaga is famous for many reasons and one of them is her excellence with music. We’ve never mentioned her to the kids and I was stunned to see them all quiet in the entire (but short) time they had to watch her. I’m sure it had something to do with the image she has been putting up and showing off. I’m blessed to see the 3 large group classes respond with maturity. None said anything bad and they respected the character by behaving well.

This picture also brings back memories when I had to wear the blonde wig and pink hat to be Miley Cyrus. That was different from this particular day. The kids remember her well as Hanna Montana of Disney. The boys were in “ugh” because their age don’t really like girly stuff but the girls were all smiling with sparkles listening to my lip-synch of the Best of Both Worlds.

God really is amazing with His grace that leads us - even at a young age :) There really are times we need to just observe, be quiet, and pray. There is no doubt that Lady Gaga’s got beauty and talent. Our Creator did make her that way — beautiful and talented — like the rest of us. My prayer for her and other well-appreciated celebrities is for them to enjoy life for what it really is: a walk with the Lord Jesus ❤

It was an honor taking this role. I can’t imagine the effort and heart she applies in her performances. I hope that as she and other celebrities express their love for God, they continue to step up in faith: share God’s Word on the Good News of Jesus Christ and disciple, lead others to the Lord through every opportunity that can glorify God :)

Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. (1 John 3:19)

A terrific Thursday by God’s grace ❤

I was putting my iPhone in its case and viola! LCD SHUT DOWN. Yes, my only phone is broken (again) and repair is mighty expensive. I was excited to get it fixed soon but then I have this realization that it’s better not be in touch with other people right now. But no, it’s just me reacting to the inconsiderate, selfish people I have to deal with :(

By God’s grace, grief is not constant and His grace always leads to worship :’) I’ll be praying about my phone and the decisions I’ll be making. Tonight’s song is Shackles - Mandisa’s version. My feelings right now.

So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. (James 1:4 NLT)

Here’s the 1st ever wedding I consciously watched, observed & documented: Lawrence and Jen Wedding ❤

I’ve been to several weddings but all of them were way back then when I was still a kid. A lot of close friends got married from 2010 until this year but for reasons…

Jen’s wedding is the only wedding I got to go to! :))

Jen asked us to arrive early for preparation time and pictures. One of our friends, Camille, is the “candle sponsor” and the rest of us are free to enjoy the day as guests :D This gave me a lot of time to just relax, look around, see details, and also help out when needed. A calm, productive day by God’s goodness. No stress and with a lot of love.

It started very early and I had to make sure my friends will wake up and be on the way on time. This means going to Oliver’s house with breakfast. Hahahaha. It helped me, too. Breakfast and coffee is a good start for a long day. By God’s grace, the travel time was quick and safe. The hotel they used for guests is a pretty one ;)

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We haven’t seen Jen is yearsss because she studied college way out of town so last Saturday was really heart-melting. She was still as sweet, pretty, and CALM. We’re the ones cheesy for her! Hahaha

Camille didn’t like her dress and she’ll be wearing groovy shoes with it so she wanted something done for the two. With team work, viola! The inner skirt was folded and that (below) is the stylish result.

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It’s common for brides and their families to excuse themselves from being on time because of the preparations… BUT NOT JEN :) Jen and her family were on time for everything! I was blessed to enjoy watching them get ready calmly and joyfully. We all had more than enough time for pictures and laughter!! Amazing order of time. God is good ❤

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Jenivie showed overflowing joy with focus :’) She was thoughtful, selfless, and prompt all at the same time. We all got to spend time with her and she was aware of everything that needs to be done even with interruption. Her smile was consistent and radiant all throughout the day. She was really, really lovely to watch.

We all made it to church before 3pm and we all had to wait for the previous wedding to finish and pack up. We enjoyed the waiting time :) There’s no need to worry and Jen’s turn will come in God’s perfect time — and it did. God made sure the sun wasn’t too warm and He sent us cool breeze for the entire afternoon.

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The entourage was a long one. When it was close to Jen’s turn, I made sure I get to watch it real close. I greeted her from the car and took pictures of how beautiful it was right before my eyes :’)

Her makeup artists and event workers were all focused and kind the whole day and night. It was a stress-free event because of their job well done and happy faces :D It’s no wonder the bride’s smiling and having the time of her life!

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The wedding ceremony was traditional and simply beautiful. Family and friends summed up to more than 300. The church was big enough for all of us, very spacious. The interior design was pretty, too. Classic Roman Catholic design — simple but detailed :)

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We got the honor of throwing pretty and pink petals for the newly weds :D I don’t have a pic of it because I needed both hands. Lol

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The celebration was over dinner and drinks and was awesome. Traditional at first and spontaneous right after. I was called first to give my speech and it turned out that we were all called to play a game. Boys vs girls. The last two girls standing were Camille and I. She won and I thought I was already out of that predicament until I was told to stay (O_O) The garter the groom took off Jen was placed only on my leg by the winning dude — only till the lower left leg. Not at all cool but fun because Jen was LOL-ing the whole time. Lesson here: I should have done better to win, winning is the top option. Hahahaha

The place was classy, the food and servers were great, the live band was TOO COOL (and we’re all thinking about hiring them one day haha), the drinks were unlimited but all I had was flavored vodka :) As expected, those who drank the night away really got drunk enough to lose the night. Lol. It was then I got to enjoy Jen more :D Also made new friends!

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I’m waiting for the photographers and my friends to upload pics from the dinner celebration because my phone’s batt was less than 20%. I didn’t take much pics to make sure I still was reachable! Jen’s wedding is far, far away from home. Haha

Another highlight: The groom’s family. We know how awesome Jen’s bloodline is. Haha. They’re all kind and cool! Meeting the guy for the 1st time was a relief because he’s a responsible, intentional man. He showed leadership with love towards Jen and I am so blessed to see that. His parents are also very expressive. They’ve talked to us and shared with us their excitement to meet Jen’s high school friends. The mother even invited us to make time and visit their home with my son. The groom’s siblings were also very warm with all of us there. Both sides also get along really well :D

19 “I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. 20 For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.” — from Matthew 18 (NLT)

Praise God for giving me this wonderful 1st wedding experience (same for Camille). It was a personal event that my heart will never forget. I saw so much of the Lord’s grace in different forms and I’m humbled by His faithfulness to love us and to allow us to love as well.

May 4, 2013 is BIG BLESSING by God’s grace alone, none like Jesus :’)

Thank You, Lord God, for who You are in all creation and to each of us. Thank You for giving me eyes that now see, Lord. Your work is beautiful!

This Is Who I Am: Just Like Jesus Did It

thepaulzone:

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I hear it every day: “You are such a patient man”. Not really a sentence I would have used to describe me. I used to be a short tempered man when I was young. My anger came from my self-centeredness. Sure, I cared about people and loved doing nice things for them but I had yet to mature spiritually. I did not yet understand how to see people with the eyes and heart of Jesus.

When we consider Jesus we see that he taught with patience. He was not concerned with being honoured and gladly took on the role of a servant. Being in the place of a servant he did nothing for himself and concentrated on what he could do for others. Although he came to “cast out demons and preach the good news”, his heart of compassion also moved him to heal the sick, bring sight to the blind and cause the lame to walk. Even in his deepest distress he placed others before his own wants, needs and desires. A person like this does not have anger issues.

Leadership in the Church is based on Jesus’ teaching of servant-leader. Leaders can have no personal vested interest in anything, must be empty of self and see themselves as servants of God, to the Church. If a leader has any self-centeredness it is going to show in the way he or she deals with the “sheep”. Paul wrote to Timothy:

You must correct people and point out their sins. But also cheer them up, and when you instruct them, always be patient. (2 Timothy 4:2)

Leaders have been called to lead. They lead by example and in instruction but leadership also means correction. However, when a leader takes a person’s sin as a personal insult they will end up dealing with it in anger. But sin is not an offense against a leader; sin is an offense against God and all God wants is it to be confessed and forgiven. Leaders must be patient in instruction and gentle in restoration. You can’t cheer them up if you have taken the offense personally.

It is unfortunately that too much of leadership training these days is based on man’s model instead of God’s. It is too bad we chase after seminars based on business teaching instead of biblical teaching. It is too bad that pastors are too busy building a corporation instead of the Kingdom. It is too bad because we are missing the mark and “sheep” are being slaughtered in the process.

Personally, the Spirit is taking me through a re-processing as he strips away ideologies that I have allowed to be built in my life. Much of it has to do with man’s thinking of the Church and leadership. As the Spirit does this I realize how easy it is to take on man’s thinking instead of God’s thinking. It is so easy to fall into that trap, just as easy as it is to fall into the trap of financial dependency on this world. Servant-leadership takes as much faith as trusting the provision of God. We have to trust that the Spirit is working on the hearts of those we must correct so that when we speak, our gentle word is a confirmation of what God is already doing.

I grew out of my anger issues the day I realized it wasn’t about me. The day I realized it was about Jesus and my neighbour, all that anger drained from my heart. The reason I am a patient man is because I serve a patient God. The reason I don’t take offense is because I realize I am not the one being offended. The reason I can correct is because I know it is about that person’s good and not about my wound. Leadership in the Church is a cool thing because it is all about serving Jesus by serving others, and I mean really serving where all the benefit is for them and none for yourself. Just like Jesus did it.

It Takes A Man, A Woman, AND LOVE ❤

Is it just me, my age, or is it really a long season of weddings & babies?

Since months ago, friends have been getting married and making babies! Just as of this year, 2013, 4 friends got married and I have one to go to this weekend! Still also just this year, I have 5 friends expecting plus 4 friends here from Tumblr! MY GOODNESS, LOVE!

I rejoice with all of you, having that certain kind of opportunity to represent and share God’s love is a life-long walk for two :) Marriage is so distinctly wonderful by God’s design for a man, a woman, and His love. Look into it through the Bible. The Book of Genesis is a good start.

With all of this romantic love going around, I can’t help but celebrate and it’s an awesome thing we can just fall in love through music. I’ve been enjoying slow dancing with Gabe to Jane Monheit! He’s the cutest dance partner ever :D This morning, Train’s playing along with some from Christina Aguilera and Lady Antebellum. God is good to allow us to hear lovely music.

If and when God’s Best arrives, I’d love to have Laura Story at the wedding — or have her songs playing at the very least. Worship songs over any other music :’) I’m fascinated by how anointed she is when she sings for God and how His love radiates through her music. My top favorite by Laura Story is Indescribable. If and when God’s Best arrives, I hope to be ready, qualified for a lifetime of union in God’s presence, for God’s glory.

Of course, we’re ready for being single, too ;) God is more than enough and there are also limitless blessings in being single according to God’s Will. The best thing in life is not marriage, it is knowing who the Lord Jesus Christ is, how much He loves us, and that He is all we need.

*This post is really just to share my joy and excitement for everyone who are married, will be married soon, and will marry in the future :D May it be a Jesus-centered relationship, protected from selfishness, and in favor with God’s presence.

YOU, for you who needs God’s Word and love, let me share with you what I was reminded of last night… Again…

So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need right now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that He has promised. (Hebrews 10:35-36)

There’s no need to panic either way. GOD LOVES AND LOVE BELIEVES THE BEST ;)

Align your heart with God’s!