Bananasarethebest

Pag mabigat na ang lahat, pag magulo ang isipan, pag maraming kailangan gawin, pag nag-papanic na ang puso, at pag gusto mo na mag-give up:

REMEMBER JESUS. Remember how He has sustained you in the past. Remember how His grace is sufficient. Remember your assured victory in Him. Remember what He has done for you in the Cross. Remember how His love is able.

“I, yes I, am the one who comforts you.

    So why are you afraid of mere humans,

    who wither like the grass and disappear?

Yet you have forgotten the Lord, your Creator,

    the one who stretched out the sky like a canopy

    and laid the foundations of the earth.

Will you remain in constant dread of human oppressors?

    Will you continue to fear the anger of your enemies?

Where is their fury and anger now?

    It is gone!

Soon all you captives will be released!

    Imprisonment, starvation, and death will not be your fate!

For I am the Lord your God,

    who stirs up the sea, causing its waves to roar.

    My name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

And I have put my words in your mouth

    and hidden you safely in my hand.

I stretched out the sky like a canopy

    and laid the foundations of the earth.

I am the one who says to Israel,

    ‘You are my people!’”

Isaiah 51: 12-16 NLT

Thank You, Jesus! Thank you that OUR VICTORY is assured in You. :)

TIWALA. LABAN! 

I’ve been handling a small group for atleast 2 years now. It’s been quite a journey especially since there were many bumps along the road. I’ve made so many mistakes, but thankfully God was able to redeem every mistake I’ve made.

But today I just wanted to talk about something I’ve most certainly encountered more than once in my walk as a counselor/victory group leader/discipler. It’s about being frustrated when the discipling process doesn’t go our way. 

Have you had times when the people you were discipling were doing stuff that were obviously against the teachings of the bible and/or is doing stuff that are lacking in wisdom? Cause honestly, I’ve handled a lot of cases like that. Inside of my heart, I wanted to instantly correct and rebuke them. I want to quote scriptures just so they would see that what they were doing wasn’t right. I wanted them to.. see how I saw things. 

I’ll be honest, I’ve rebuked the ladies in my small group for their actions in many occasions. I succumbed to the thought that I would be able to change their ideas and perception just by my mere speech and counsel. I reasoned to myself, what I’m doing is for their betterment. I just want them to grow more in their walk with God and on their relationship with others. I just want them to start being more responsible. If only they would listen to me! 

I kept repeating those sentences in my head whenever I am frustrated with the people I’m discipling. The more that i invest my time and love to them, the more that they go on paths that I did not imagine them to be in. It frustrates me so much!!! 

But reading The Lego Principle by Joey Bonifacio made me realize that all the frustrations that I had were a result of a wrong mindset that I have. I treated and acted on discipleship as a “duty” that I had to perform. It was frustrating because I expect that as I do all the necessary things that was expected of me as a leader, the people I am discipling would automatically do their parts as well. Discipling was work, work, work, sacrifice, sacrifice, and sacrifice for me. Yet even though there was dedication and love, the relationship I had with the women I discipling were lacking. I kept treating my small group as a task that I need to perform, instead of a relationship that I want to celebrate and treasure. 

What a beautiful truth set before my eyes~ Discipleship is first and foremost a relationship.. with God and then with man. I can disciple others because God lets me see that people are worth it, that they are a treasure, and valuable to Him.  

I don’t need to change the people I’m discipling. That’s not my job. My job is to keep my relationship with God and with them. My security comes from the fact that it will not be me who will grow them, but it will be God who will. 

I need to say this over and over again: I cannot change people. Only God can change people.

That’s why when I invite people to go to the services, but they reject the invitation, it’s okay. When I ask them to go to the small group, yet they don’t show up, it’s okay. When I tell them the Gospel but they shut it down, it’s okay. I don’t have to push my belief in them because I know that I did my part in sowing the seeds, and God will be the one to make it grow. 

I just need to wait on God, obey, and keep enjoying my relationship with God and others. :)

I leave you with this scripture:

Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who ACTS on behalf of those who WAIT for him. -Isaiah 64:4

If anyone here wants to know more about Jesus, please do message me! Let me help you know Jesus more. :) Message me here.

Aminan na!

I like being pursued. I enjoy the specific and exclusive attention given to me when someone pursues me. I feel.. special. Out of all the women that can be pursued, ako ang napili? Wow, there must be something I have that no other has! 

Pero based from my past experiences, the pursuit of a woman is a temporary phase for ALL men. Lahat ng lalakeng nanligaw sakin, ultimately ay sumuko rin at naghanap ng iba. Yung mga sinagot ko naman nuon, after kong sagutin ay naging kampante at tumigil sa panunuyo saakin. 

Ang masakit pa, minsan nalalaman ko na they just pursued me dahil lang sa physical qualities ko. Once nalaman nila ang aking character, naiirita na sila sa mga weaknesses ko!  All the more na nanghihina ang luob ko kasi feeling ko hindi ako worthy to be pursued kasi yung physical qualities ko naman pwede mag fade. Paano pag tumanda na ako? Paano pag pumangit at tumaba na ako? Hindi na ako pwede pursued? 

Pero yan ang same reason kung bakit SOBRANG thankful ako kay Jesus. Dahil alam kong kung ano man ang ganda ko ngayon, bukas pwedeng mawala, pero mahal niya parin ako. I think of the past 21 years of my life, and I realize that God was there for me ALL the time. In those 21 years, I became an agnostic, an atheist, a rebel to God, and I did a lot of things that the bible says as sin. But you know what? All through those years, God was with me. Even if I did not believe in Him, He was there to comfort me in the painful consequences of my rebellion. 

Now I realize, I’ve been pursued and loved by God ever since I was born. In fact, iniisip niya na ako kahit nung hindi pa ako pinanganak. Sabi nga sa Romans 5:8,

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

Two thousand years ago, He died for me already. Alam niya na I will grow up a rebel. He knew I will disobey Him numerous times in my life. Alam na niya yun, pero namatay parin siya para saakin. Ang mas matindi pa, kahit alam niyang sasaktan ko siya, araw araw niya parin akong iniinvite na bumalik at makilala siya. 

My mind is going to explode, just trying to reason out why an Almighty God would constantly pursue and love me, even if I have rejected Him so many times! But now I am thankful, because He never gave up on me. Even if I am an empty soul, he deemed me deserving to be saved. When He set His eyes on me, He gave me my worth. 

His love for me is personal. His attention for me is on 24/7. He will never reject me. He pursues me everyday, not because of any good I’ve done but because of what He is. He pursues and loves me! I will never be empty. My cup will always be overflowing, because when God gives, laging SOBRA!!! 

If you want that kind of love and security, then call unto God. He is never busy for you. 

Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. -Jeremiah 33:3

I’ve been talking to you all my life. Most of the time, I think I only talked to you because I had no other choice. Sometimes, I talk to you out of fear or desperation. I think I was that bitchy girl that turned to you whenever she ran out of bad choices to choose from. But even from that perspective, you were the only good choice I had ever gone to. 

Thinking back, whenever I did turn to you for help, you never failed to help me. Though my motives were selfish, you always proved yourself to be faithful to your people. I know I said I love you before, but I think it was all lip service. Now I see that I was a foolish, naive, and young girl who only wanted to be the center of attention. 

But look where we are right now, Lord! I talk to you, not just because I am in a desperate position, but because I want to talk to you about life and everything else in it. We’ve come so far, my love. This year’s Christmas would be our 3rd Christmas together. I feel like it was just yesterday when I was wasting away my life on temporary things here on earth. But now, I have you. The only eternal and lasting component in my life. 

I know we’ve come a long way, more than I thought I’d ever be in this life. But I am hoping for so much more. A more wonderful relationship with you everyday would be something I’d always want and need. To have a genuine and deeper relationship with you is all I could ever ask this Christmas. Everything else is relative.

Thank you, my love, for loving me and your people. Thank you for coming down here on earth as a humble babe, so that you could fulfill the greatest sacrifice that man would ever know. I will celebrate this season with joy knowing that I am celebrating a great love story that happened 2000 years ago–one that is between me and you. 

I love you.  

Was encouraged to post in a groups in FB, so I wrote this down again. Now, focused on my relationship with my dad and the other people I met. 

“My earlier life was a mess. 

I wasn’t really close to my dad. He’s very moody, proud, fickle, and maybe I just don’t really understand him the way I understand my mom. He’s very strict with me, and I lived a legalistic childhood of forced obedience without understanding why I was doing what I was doing. I often times fail him, so I felt unaccepted into the family. Parang lagi nalang akong MALI. I have three brothers, but they also don’t talk to me unless it’s about an argument. So when my mom left for work in manila, I felt very lonely(we were living in davao that time). At dahil hindi ko mahanap ang acceptance na hinahanap ko sa bahay, I looked for it at school. Sa school ko, I was very very active! I was in the dance troupe, I worked hard for good grades, I tried hanging out with the coolest people, etc. Pero kahit na sikat ako sa school namin, I didn’t make lots of friends. Actually, ang pangit ng reputation ko sa school ko. I realized na sa sobrang galit ko sa tatay ko, na-transform na ako into the same person that I didn’t want to be—proud, fickle, and moody. Sobrang maldita ko lang, to the point na takot ang mga tao na kausapin ako. I made a lot of enemies. I felt unaccepted sa bahay at sa school. Parang kahit saan nalang walang may gustong maging parte ako ng buhay nila. Kaya napunta ako sa “barkada”(with quotations kasi pa bago bago ang sinasamahan kong barkada. Para akong social butterfly na walang permanent place). Sa barkada, natuto ako ng mga bagay na sana hindi ko natutunan. Nagpatuloy yun hanggang college. I learned to smoke, to drink, and I did that EVERYDAY. Sa umaga, late ako sa class. Sa gabi, pupunta sa party, iinom, at mag-good time. But even though I did all that, I felt so lonely and empty inside. I had a barkada, but they were just there pag iinom na. Wala akong masabihan ng mga tunay kong saluobin ng hindi nag-woworry na I will be judged and looked at with disgust. 

Then I met ate Ysa. I was a loner(remember, masungit at moody at pangit ugali ko nuon kaya walang lumalapit saakin), but she approached me. After nun, kahit na masungit ako, she treated me with love and patience. Tapos siya pa yung nagsasabi sakin kung pwede ba daw niya akong makasama kasi she likes my company. Iniinvite niya ako mag-dinner dates, mag-kwentuhan, etc. Nagulat ako, syempre! First time ko kasi magkaruon ng taong gusto akong makita at gusto ang aking presence sa buhay niya. Then one Friday night, sabi niya kain at kwentuhan daw kami sa isang lugar malapit sa school. Umokey naman ako, pero sabi nya may dadaanan daw muna kami. Habang naglalakad papunta sa place na “dadaanan lang” naming, nakarinig ako ng loud music! Sabi ko, wow, baka party! Tas pagdating ko sa luob, ang energetic ng mga tao! May mga sumasayaw, may mga kumakanta. Then I looked sa lyrics. SHOCKS NASA ISANG YOUTH SERVICE PALA AKO! I don’t like being invited to “religious” gatherings kaya talagang sobrang nabigla ako nun. I wanted to go out, I was panicking, pero I just froze there looking at the lyrics of the songs. But then came the preaching. At the end of it, I was crying buckets of tears. Nung na-realize at na-understand ko fully kung anong nagawa ni Lord sa buhay ko, I felt so liberated. Pinakita ni Lord saakin na yung ACCEPTANCE at LOVE niya, hindi ko kailangan i-earn by doing “good stuff”. Hindi rin yun nababawasan tuwing hindi ko siya nasusunod or pag na-fail ko siya. Yung love niya para sakin, complete and free, because of Jesus. If I ask of Him, He is willing and able to fill every area of my life that I think is empty or lacking. With Him, my joy can be complete. 

That truth led the start of the revolution of my life. I was a changed person. But ofcourse, si God, laging may little surprises para satin. One of the first few things that He told me to do was to ask for forgiveness from my dad. Ano daw, ansaveh? I will ask for forgiveness from a man that hurt me? It wasn’t easy and I was struggling. But God taught me how to forgive, just as he has towards me. So, I called up my dad and asked for his forgiveness. I said sorry for hurting him, for disobeying him, for disrespecting him, for doing things that made his life harder.. and many more. With a heartful cry, he replied with a “hay salamat anak. Ok na yun. I love you no matter what.” After that conversation, I felt like a lot of baggage on my back was lifted and everything was so light. Si God lang talaga nakakagawa niyan. 

Now, I am a 5th year student, graduating next year(YAY!). God changed me, little by little, ever so patient. God also taught me how to be a friend to others, and how to keep friends and your relationships healthy. I now enjoy biblically sound friendships, and I enjoy sharing this joy with others. I now have this great mission to share this joy and freedom with others, so that they may also taste and see the goodness of our Lord. :) 

“

It’s so hard to be faithful sometimes. Good thing that even faithfulness is something given by Him. Everything comes from Him. 

Ahh, what a reminder to depend on Him and not on myself! Thank you Lord! My weaknesses are strategically placed in my life so that I can witness your perfect grace working through my insecurities and situations. 

So blessed to have an awesome and cool God like Him. :)

Yung tipong nasa bus ka lang or MRT tapos biglang magpaparamdam si Lord?

Grabe, nasa MRT lang ako tapos pag-upo ko, boom! Ang kapal lang ng presence ni Lord sa place na yun. In His presence, sobrang magiging stunned ka. Everything else is arbitrary. Whatever I was thinking or wherever I am, when His presence manifests, all burden and thought is abandoned! In His perfect presence, I am moved in tears at how holy, perfect, and merciful He is. My heart naturally turns into worship in great awe and wonder of who He is. 

Truth be told, gusto ko sana pumunta sa gitna ng MRT at kumanta at sumayaw para kay Lord, pero buti nalang binigyan niya rin ako ng wisdom para hindi ako maging reason bakit magsstumble ang mga nakatingin saakin. HAHAHA.

Experiences like these make me extremely joyful and glad! Kasi alam kong totoo yung sinabi ni Lord na whether I live or die, I am with Him! Level up ang understanding ko ng omnipresence ni Lord! Bongga! :)