A Tale of faith, friendship & True Love

A tribute to the Love of my life, the man who loves me for better or worse, 
the friend & ally who's been there through thick & thin, 
who shared life's joy's & pains;
The guy who I grew up with in a small town, --You've been a mystery to me, none of it was revealed until the perfect time;
The perfect moment when God unfolded His will & plan before our very eyes.. We were once two separate lives & bound to be one, brought together by time, faith & destiny. 

This is our story.............



As a little girl, I dreamt of princes sweeping their fair maidens off their feet.. I've known every story to have a Princess & a Prince in them, that it wouldn't be complete without these main characters, there maybe "evil stepmothers or stepsisters" But I knew how every story would always end.. --with a "Happily ever after". 

Childhood tales become the thing of the past once you're all grown up & you begin to be the "main character" of your own story. 


And This is where it all began... 

I spent my childhood in a small town, 
& so did he.. We lived there most of our lives, but God's timing is always perfect. I would never forget that day, when this young man standing there right across the street, in a corner; A young man I never even knew or heard of.. How would someone expect a random stranger to be the "one". 
But God's ways is always unique, wonderful & surprising. 
(Good surprises bytheway)

I did not search for him, nor did he search for me.. Instead, we both waited. 
We journeyed together in Faith & grew more in love with the Lord.
We enjoyed every adventure, we sowed in tears & prayers, We learned to give Love just as we continually receive & experience such perfect, unfailing Love.

God prepared us both for what was about to take place in our lives. 
We were rid off of selfishness & pride, we have been "set apart" for a glorious purpose, Beyond our wildest dreams. God's plans for us is bigger, & always for the Best. He has been & always will be our compass in this journey. Leading us to the right direction & where we are called to be.

It's not always a bed of roses, not always an easy road.. But all the trials we are facing & all the other "road bumps" along the way, caused us to grow more in faith, allowing Christ to teach us & mold us to be the man & woman we ought to be. 

During hard times, we find shelter & refuge in His Word, in worship & in prayer. He has been our strong foundation holding our lives & our relationship together. 
Distance was never a hindrance, criticisms was never a wall to tough to tear down, we no longer lingered over past failures, instead we embraced each other imperfect as we are, having our own flaws & weaknesses.. Just as Christ sees us, being spotless, & radiant. 

As the day draws near that we both will come to an even deeper commitment, for Life.. 
we also rejoice in the Lord for how far He has brought us, for His sustaining grace & amazing Love that has been our support throughout this journey of Love & commitment. 

He is the writer of this Love story, WE are the main characters. 

This song has been special to me :) be blessed!

Sunday afternoon

MOTHER
- A kindred soul who seeks to Love, Care, Protect, Nurture & to look after the welfare of their children.  (My Personal definition).

-("Sunday Afternoon" is a Mother's day tribute)-

A Mother's Heartbeat
-is the 1st sound a child hears inside the womb, its the first lullaby & the first melody a child can be familiar with.

A Mother's Touch
- is the most therapeutic form of communication.
It gives greater pain relief than band aid's on bruised knees or chicken soup & cold medicine.
It goes beyond science, It connects one's soul to the other.
It's a bond that Never breaks.


A Mother's Wisdom
- is one that exceeds what education or a certain degree offers.
Her teachings are not enclosed in the four walls of classrooms & textbook pages.
It is limitless & genuine.
It's meant to be carried & passed on to generations.


A Mother's Faith
- is unshakeable & immovable.
It is trusting SOMEONE greater even when Life itself makes the journey long & hard.
Her faith keeps a HOME from falling apart. Faith like pillars is what I would call it.

A Mother's Legacy
- is a legacy that's meant to be passed on from one generation to the next.
They Live on & they're NEVER gone.



*Note from the Author:
I want to thank my MOM for inspiring me. These thoughts were special, cause if they're not, I wouldn't have written them in paper or even bother to publish them in my blog.
This is for All the Mothers out there, No matter what the situation, even if you feel like "Mother's day" is not worth celebrating, or there's nothing too special about it.. The whole world is saying "Thank you" & "I Love you" to our Heroes. I am one of them & I am extremely grateful that I have a Mother. God has special reasons for choosing these women to be Mothers. ;)

Happy Mother's Day!

the VOW

This is a story of a couple who did not just make a promise to each other on their wedding day but lived that Promise, everyday of their lives.
It's sort of weird for me to write something about people that I get to spend 3 days with, such a short time you may think.. but definitely a story, oops.. I mean a "real life love story" that is worth sharing. Believe me, every time I see them, what I see always touches my heart & I am thankful I have known them & of course its my pleasure serving them & taking good care of sweet Beth.

How we met is such a random event that happened in Beth's life that caused our paths to cross.
I met them, in the hospital.
It was quite a usual day for me, going with my routine.. & keeping up with the usual schedule, it was a busy night.

Beth was the sweetest, most fragile being in Bill's life.. she was always beautiful the way he looked at her, despite her wrinkled skin, frail shape, blurry vision, & grey hair due to old age.
Bill is a man who is not just brave to fight his battles when he was younger.. he is also known for the strength of his love & commitment toward her.
Over the years, he loved her more everyday, he stood by her, In fact, "he found his place, his home right beside her".
Beth & Bill had been married for 70 years, & they get to celebrate their 70th anniversary that night.
I couldn't help but be as happy & excited for them both.
Since the day Beth got very ill, Bill never left her side. Despite the tough battle against sickness, he stood by her & he held her hand everyday, he would fall asleep just watching her through the night.

What I see in him was a heart that beats only for the woman he dearly loves.
(Pause) I hate sad endings.. I really do.. & this part I really don't like at all..

the second night.. I saw how Bill held Beth's hand and how he looked at her even while she was struggling with her breathing. Her frail body trying to hold on to dear life.. :( It broke my heart & I hoped everything would be ok, that Beth will live a few more years & have a happy life. In my heart, I dont want her to give up, but sad to say things are out of my control.

Third night came & I saw a different scenario.. one I have not expected.. Beth's condition worsened.
Bill, their kids & grandkids where there to see her. They were there for her.
I dont know what Bill's prayer is, I dont know what he wished could have happened instead..
But in this time of trial.. He never failed to be there, even if Beth would close her eyes one day & never open them again, in her life time she knew that it was a life well lived & that she was always Loved deeply until her last breath.

We are like grass, here today, gone tomorrow.. Life is passing us by like the wind.. one moment its there, the next time, its no more.
We have our own story to tell, we only have one life time to live, how do we spend our time?
How do we live our lives? & after this life is over, what's next? :) (John 3:16)

The story has 3 main points: Love, Life & Legacy.

She is everything :)

She is patience when things get out of hand,

She is a pillar & a healing hand,

She is hope when there is none,

She is everything.

She is courage for the weak

She is Love when there is no love to give,

She is a friend, when no one can be found,

She is always around.

She is strength when giving up is on your list,

She is light, when darkness exists,

She is wonderful in every way,

She brightens everyone's day.

She is everything & more..

This page is not enough to keep score.

She is a treasure & always is,

The kind of woman I always wanted to be..

She is MOM to me :)

Your fears & anxieties dissipate in God's Presence

The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord..

--Psalm 97:5

No matter where you are, the Lord is with you. Even in the midst of your fears, while you are alone in your room, He is there with you. The moment you begin to be aware of His presence & cultivate His presence, all your fears, anxieties, & worries will melt like butter on a hot day, or as the psalmist David puts it, "the mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord.." 

You cannot psych yourself out of fear nor can you psych yourself out of worry. You can't just tell yourself, "Come on, stop worrying. There is nothing to worry about." It just doesn't work.

The debt will still be staring you in the face & your problems will still be as insurmountable as ever no matter how hard you try to psych yourself up. That is what the world is trying to do, but it does not work. It takes the presence of the Lord to keep you free from worry.

Jesus is not asking you to psych yourself up & live in a state of denial. No way! He is saying to you,

"In the midst of your affliction, I am your shield. I am your defender. I am your fortress. I am your refuge,.

I am your supply. I am your healing. I am your provider. I am your peace. I am your joy. I am your wisdom.

I am your strength. I am the glory & the lifter of your head!" (Psalm 3:3). Amen! 

He is not asking you to pretend that the facts are not there. He wants you to realize that HE IS THERE WITH YOU! 

When you know that He is with you & for you, & you put your problems in His mighty hands, you will begin to get a more accurate evaluation of just how "big" your problems are. When they were in your hands, the weight & burden of your problems may have crushed you. But when you involve Jesus, the once monumental problems become microscopic against the largeness of His love & goodness toward you!

Today, as you consider all that you need to do & the expectations placed on you, see Jesus there with you.

He is your supply, wisdom, peace, & strength.

Prayer:

Father, I acknowledge the fact that I cannot psych away my fears & worries. 

Therefore, I cast all my cares into Your hands, to the One who is my shield, my fortress, my healing, my provision, my peace, my wisdom, & my strength. Thank you for Your grace & for taking care of all my problems today.

Thought: 

Once you cast your monumental problems to Jesus, they become microscopic in His mighty hands.

Jesus- Our Perfect Hero

Scripture:

His mouth is most sweet , yes, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem! ---- Song of Solomon 5:16

Jesus is someone whom you can be completely real with. You can hang out with Him & be yourself, with no pretense & no play acting. Jesus is ever loving toward you & you can talk to Him about ANYTHING. He enjoys conversing with you about your dreams, aspiration, & hopes. 

He wants to heal you of things in your past that you may be struggling with.He is interested in your present challenges. 

He wants to weep with you when you are down, and rejoice with you in all your victories.

Jesus is LOVE & TENDERNESS personified. Be careful not to confuse His tenderness with the effeminate & weak images that you have seen depicted in some traditional paintings of Him. 

He is TENDERNESS & STRENGTH wrapped in One. He is MEEKNESS & MAJESTY, MANHOOD & DIETY,

VELVET & STEEL. You see, sometimes, when we attempt to be assertive & strong, we bulldoze over people's feelngs & end up hurting them with our words. When we attempt to be tender, we overdose on niceness & reduce ourselves to doormats to be taken advantage of by others.

Let's turn away from ourselves & look at Jesus. He could sternly force a pack of scheming Pharisees to back off in one instance, challenging them by saying, " He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first " (John 8:7).

In the very next moment, this same Jesus could look straight into the eye of a broken woman caught in adultery, & with compassion resonating deeply in His voice, ask her, 

"Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you? Neither do I condemn you;

go & sin no more" (John 8:10-11).

THIS IS OUR GOD!

In one moment, a tired Jesus could be fast asleep in a wind-swept fisherman's boat, oblivious to the rough Galilean waters crashing against the hapless vessel. 

But in the very next moment, you see Him staring unflinchingly at the lashing waves, His well-toned carpenter's arms raised to the sky. With His single declaration of absolute authority over heaven & earth, the waves submitted & calmed instantaneously into a placid mirror of stillness (Mark 4:37-39).

Jesus is 100 percent Man, & at the same time 100 percent God. 

As Man, He understands & identifies with ALL that you have gone through, are going through, & will ever go through in this life. 

But as a Loving God, all His power, authority, & resources are on your side.

Beloved, whatever you are facing today, let your heart rest easy in His perfect LOVE for you.

Prayer:

Father, help me to keep my eyes on JESUS, the One who is altogether lovely. For my sake, Lord Jesus, You become a Man so that today, You understand everything Im going through & every emotion I feel.

Thank you Jesus, for not condemning me, but loving me always & for reassuring me today that I have the Presence of the All-Loving & All-Powerful God-Man in my life to help & prosper me in every area of my life.

Thought:

JESUS understands & identifies with ALL that I have gone through, am going through,

& will ever go throughin this life.

My throughts:

As I read this chapter today, I have felt & experienced God's supernatural strength & unfailing Love embracing my entire being. I just felt immersed in God's ocean of Grace. We have a God, a Heavenly Father who knows us from the inside out, yet loves us unconditionaly. We don't have to fear rejection or condemnation. We can come boldly to Him because we are His Righteousness, we have been qualified by the Blood of Jesus. 

My prayer for you today is that, May the Holy Spirit give you a revelation from this truth that you may see more of Jesus & experience More of His grace & power at work in your life. 

Know that you are deeply Loved by Jesus, that He cares so much about you. Everything about you. 

He desires to bless you, to strengthen you in every area of your life. 

He has won it all for you & me at the cross. It's a done deal. 

I found the strength to hurdle all the obstacles I face in life because He gives me supernatural strength to be able to come out strong & immovable despite the challenges. That I will be able to rise above my circumstances, to reign in Life through Christ. 

Regardless of your circumstance, You have Victory in Jesus. You are Blessed, Favored, & Loved beyond measure.

(Taken from 100 days of Favor)

The price of my freedom -- PAID IN FULL!

It's the 4th July, today the United States celebrates independence day. The American flag can be seen almost everywhere, in vehicles, homes, shopping centers, restaurants, to name a few, & not to mention the beautiful fireworks display that's hard to miss. Homes, parks, stadiums, even the streets are filled with people who came to celebrate this momentous event. Its just one way of saying that the American people are grateful for the freedom that they have.
Looking back in history, a country's freedom is not just something that is given away like its free.
Its something that is won by virtue of sacrifice & selfless passion of fighting for it regardless of the cost/price. Many have given their lives fighting this great battle, & now the country & its people are enjoying the benefits of that which was paid for & won by those who passionately fought for that right to FREEDOM.

In John 3:16, a famous bible passage talks about FREEDOM too. Our Blood bought freedom, the great price that was paid so that we can enjoy the benefits of His finished work. It is for freedom He set us free. We no longer live under condemnation, under the curse of sin & death, but we have redemption, abundant life, wholeness, peace, healing, favor, success, & provisions through the One-Jesus Christ. Through Him & His finished work we have ALL things. We no longer live under the law but under GRACE.
When God looks upon us, He sees us as an object of His love & as the righteousness of God.

The cross is the symbol of Christ's finished work. Its also the symbol of our victory through His sacrifice.
Our Redemption & freedom. Just as the flag is a symbol of a country that is free, a country that stands upto this moment, One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty & justice for all.
May this country be blessed, may its people be blessed. Happy 4th of July U.S.A!