How long has this been?

You wouldn’t want to be the one to hurt others just so you can prove your point, right? Or that’s how much you need to do to look strong? These are questions. I don’t know the answers. I’m just taking all that in until I give up or grow kind.

I serve a God who loved and loves me through it all. May I do the same for each and every person I encounter. May I never get tired through the years. And may those who purposely hurt experience God’s love more and more that they will end up sharing it to others — even when they are hurt by others, too. May it be all about God since it’s His love that’s been getting us through it all.

Sleep sweet from this side :)

Tony’s Testimony: In Spite of Me

I am Tony Dela Paz, a former drug addict but now a follower of Jesus.

I first dabbled with marijuana, drugs and alcohol at age 12. Drugs and alcohol took away my shyness and insecurities, making me bold, self-confident and popular. I enjoyed my newfound image. I was unmindful of the dangerous consequences brought about by my misdeeds. I started all sorts of trouble – pushing marijuana, organizing a fraternity, getting into gang wars and fist fights. Violence gave me a sense of thrill. I relished the power, acceptance and respect I received from my peers. …

Read his entire testimony :)

 For nothing is impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37)

Teach with Joy: A Romantic Proposition

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Edric has always been such a romantic. He doesn’t forget an occasion, be it our anniversary, valentines, Mother’s Day, my birthday, etc. Despite his busy schedule, he will find time to surprise me. It’s not always a costly gift, monetarily speaking, but it is something thoughtful and personal. He knows I don’t like generic gestures like flowers and chocolates, so he makes the effort to be creative.

Last year, he collected encouraging letters from friends and family for my birthday. On one occasion, he and the boys did a music video. Another time he got a bunch of artists together to do a portrait of me. Some years ago he cooked me a full course meal and even bought a chef’s hat to wear (he does not cook at all!). After I gave birth to Tiana, he booked a room for us at Shang-rila and we went to the spa at the hotel so I could relax. He thought I needed a break….

Read the whole post @ teachwithjoy.com :)

Look oh look, married friends :)

God bless your marriage!

togetbackhomeward: We’ve got five days left until we close on donations for our fundraiser. The outpouring of love and support we’ve received from friends, strangers, and businesses in the community has been amazing. In case you’ve missed any of my past posts about it, these are my friends Erika, Travis, and their beautiful two year old Easton. Erika had a very traumatic birth, but when they took Easton home, they thought he was totally healthy. After six weeks of crying, difficulty nursing, and a lot of weird flailing, it was discovered that he was having infantile seizures as the result of Microcephaly, which means that his head is small. Every time he has a seizure, it chips away at a little more of his brain. Fast forward two years- he can’t walk or talk. He can’t sit on his own, and has a feeding tube. But he is a gift. He smiles and laughs, and loves warm weather, and being around a lot of people. My friends and I are holding a fundraiser to try and offset some of their medical costs. As you can imagine, therapies, countless ambulance rides, long stays in the hospital, tests, and special medications all add up. If you can, please take a look at the page we’ve set up in their honor, and consider making a donation if you can. I appreciate greatly. Thank you! Something I hope we can help with :) Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. (1 John 4:11 NLT) Prayers, donation, and awareness. Here we go, friends. Pray, care, and share. God bless this family.
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togetbackhomeward:

We’ve got five days left until we close on donations for our fundraiser. The outpouring of love and support we’ve received from friends, strangers, and businesses in the community has been amazing.

In case you’ve missed any of my past posts about it, these are my friends Erika, Travis, and their beautiful two year old Easton. Erika had a very traumatic birth, but when they took Easton home, they thought he was totally healthy. After six weeks of crying, difficulty nursing, and a lot of weird flailing, it was discovered that he was having infantile seizures as the result of Microcephaly, which means that his head is small. Every time he has a seizure, it chips away at a little more of his brain. Fast forward two years- he can’t walk or talk. He can’t sit on his own, and has a feeding tube. But he is a gift. He smiles and laughs, and loves warm weather, and being around a lot of people.

My friends and I are holding a fundraiser to try and offset some of their medical costs. As you can imagine, therapies, countless ambulance rides, long stays in the hospital, tests, and special medications all add up. If you can, please take a look at the page we’ve set up in their honor, and consider making a donation if you can. I appreciate greatly. Thank you!

Something I hope we can help with :)

Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. (1 John 4:11 NLT)

Prayers, donation, and awareness. Here we go, friends. Pray, care, and share. God bless this family.

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 ❤

A reminder of His arrival :)

Last night, it didn’t rain that long but from our area it was really dark, the sky was black with thick clouds. It was cold and very, very dark outside. It reminded me of the LORD Jesus’ 2nd coming but it’ll be quite or far more different.

There will be ruined structures, literally divided lands, places on fire, and more. Battle between good and evil will be visible, making it a glorious victory out of love in the power of God’s grace. It will be an epic battle all creation ever waited for and it will be the last. The question for me is: am I ready? And you, are you ready when that time comes?

PRAISE GOD because His plans have purpose and His purpose is always love. When the Lord Jesus comes, His people can rejoice ❤ Our Redeemer lives!

God loves YOU and your family. It is written in His Word, it is expressed in the mercy of every day, it is extended with the life you still have ;) God is good.

None like Jesus. Look into John 3:16-17 ❤

By God’s grace, I’ve learned the definition and standard of the word BEST through God’s love alone. Today, I learned how powerful God’s love is again and this time, I learned it is MOST. Most loving of all :) The explanation of love being most when God is first is very helpful. Praise God for never getting tired of showing us who He is and how much He wants us to experience life in His plans :) A beautiful Friday ❤ *From the Love Dare app for married couples :) Married friends, it’s a free app. It enlightens by God’s grace. Use this app with your husbands along with the Bible and prayer time together. Enjoy!
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By God’s grace, I’ve learned the definition and standard of the word BEST through God’s love alone.

Today, I learned how powerful God’s love is again and this time, I learned it is MOST. Most loving of all :) The explanation of love being most when God is first is very helpful. Praise God for never getting tired of showing us who He is and how much He wants us to experience life in His plans :)

A beautiful Friday ❤

*From the Love Dare app for married couples :) Married friends, it’s a free app. It enlightens by God’s grace. Use this app with your husbands along with the Bible and prayer time together. Enjoy!

God knows BEST and He is love :) Without Him, our own effort can give us moments of delight but our own effort, too, will take away the little strength and time we have.

“Women are strong, intelligent, determined, insightful, compassionate and very capable of doing anything they put their mind to. It has been that way since the beginning. Personally, considering that God made women last and gave her the ability to incubate life, I think she is his crowning glory in all of creation. But he did not intend for her to lead. It has nothing to do with being second class in the Kingdom because she is a compliment to her husband as her husband is to her.” — Ptr. Paul Van Buren

Ladies and gentlemen, read the Old Testament and be fascinated by God’s design and how beautiful His works grow when in obedience :)

Good morning from this side ❤

SHOUT OUT TO … RACHEL :)

Dear, your You Tube setting only accepts messages from your contacts so I had to put the message below as one of the comments on your video :) You also have naturally beautiful hair! Thanks for sharing that video, too.

Thank you again :’) I’ll be making an email so I can stay connected and updated with online friends like you and the ones from Tumblr. Thanks for the message, Rachel. Please keep going back to my Tumblr account as it is where I am publicly updating. I’ll post my new email there, too :) Thank you! God bless your heart for encouraging. All glory to God, as it is His love that moves His people. In Christ alone :’) Thank you!

ONLINE FRIENDS and FOLLOWERS,

My email address for messages is now open and it’s servantdaughter@gmail.com :) I’ll be checking this one every time I use my desktop. You’re free to ask questions and/or share stories through this email. I opened an email for you guys so you can send longer messages if you need to and if you also feel like sending images or sharing videos, it can be done :) As always, your messages are kept in respect of your privacy. I’d also love to pray for you - prayer requests are accepted.

I use my iPhone for Tumblr so you can also be sure I can get back to you quickly :) You can still message me or ask me here on Tumblr ❤

THANK YOU EVERYONE. Your questions help me grow and your messages remind me of God’s goodness with each our lives — no matter where we are. God is God and He is good.

For ANY need esp. GREAT ONES contact the LORD Jesus :) Pray. Read the Bible. Write what God is teaching you and praise the Lord Jesus for preparing the way for us. God bless our almost weekend, friends.

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The deepest need that you and I have in weakness and adversity is not quick relief, but the well-grounded confidence that what is happening to us is part of the greatest purpose of God in the universe – the glorification of the grace and power of his Son - the grace and power that bore Him to the cross and kept him there until the work of love was done.
John Piper (via allheartmindsoul)

(via allheartmindsoul)