langit

For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so great are His mercy and loving-kindness
toward those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him.

- Psalm 103:11

The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament shows and proclaims His handiwork.
- Psalm 19:1

the rainy season is here

TULAD NG ULAN
Maghari Ka, O Aming Ama album

Tulad ng ulan
Pagpapala Niya'y bubuhos
Itaas ang kamay ating tanggapin
Tulad ng ulan
kapangyarin Niya'y kikilos
Masaganang ani ang matatamo
Tulad ng ulan

Masdan mo ang mga halaman
ang mga ibon, di pinababayaan
Alalahanin mo'y limutin na
Siya's sapat para sa lahat!

UULAN NG PAGPAPALA
Uulan ng Pagpapala Album

Kung kami ay luluhod
at sa Iyo ay sasamba
Kami ay ng diringgin
At ang bayang itoy' Iyong pagagalingin

Uulan ng pagpapala
Uulan ng pagpapala
Sa bayang ito o Diyos, o Diyos

probinSHAWIna

This is why i love the province so much.

higher salary, circle of friends, cosmo life-- all that i gave up cannot compare to the slow, laid-back life we have up here.

and oh, did i mention about the view?

i have come to love my being a probinsyana.

it will not return to Me void

during a bible study, Michelle emotionally shared how she came to know Jesus. in her college years (sometime during the Gulf War), she had a professor who kept on lecturing about the signs of the end times, the second coming of the Messiah, the rapture. and the importance of having a relationship with Christ. she thought the concept was bizarre!

after graduating, she went about her own way, exploring the world as she knows it.

little did she know that the Words she heard from her prof has been deeply ingrained in her soul and spirit that she literally lost appetite for the things of this world in search for something more meaningful.

there was a God-shaped hole in her heart that needed to be filled.

finally, she found Him. after ten long years of wandering aimlessly.

so shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. -isaiah 55:11

God brought to my mind our office staff. for almost a decade now, Pastor Eugene has been leading them in bible study; but it breaks my heart to see little has chagned. their lives are still the same. they still walk in their old ways under darkness. it's as if his efforts are... futile.

but hey, who am i to judge?

if God says so, it'll come to pass.

The Lord does not delay and is not slow about what He promises according to some people's conception of slowness, but He is lolong-suffering, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should turn to repentance. - 2 peter 3:9

through Sara's eyes

Sara forwarded our Thai-Burma pics from her digicam. i am amused to see myself in it. :D i guess simply because "photographers" normally don't want themselves to be taken. here they are:

the team posing with the KNU (karen national union) president [center in blue longsleeves and white sneakers!]


leading the congregation through singing songs of worship


with Shane at the back of Ptr Winai's trusty ol' truck. we had to brave the fierce winds everytime we travel.


enjoying a sumptuous karen lunch at Umphiem village.


"i am sharon". here, we introduced ourselves before the locals. that's Ptr Winai looking and interpreting for us.


onboard a boat transporting us to the hills of Myanmar.


that's us travelling across Salween River.

fireworks

in one of our visits to Baguio, i awed at the beauty of this tree. blended well with the sky and the clouds.

disquieted

simplify your life.

i wish.

life is complicated. a seminar i attended recently labeled me as a thinker. someone who uses her head over her emotions. facts, not feelings. the downside though is a symptom called "analysis paralysis". i tend to think too much that i spend the entire day reflecting, until it paralyses me, and i end up doing nothing.

argh. what am i supposed to do? i'm created that way. i can't just force myself to stop. and just stare. God wired me that way for a purpose.

but now i feel it is taking its toll on me. instead of enjoying my "here and now", i worry about how and why things happen. what if? if only. and all the more i think of such things, the more i get depressed. the more i cry out to God for peace. peace that passes all understanding.

understanding. maybe that's why i'm confused. i want to understand everything. i wanna know the purpose behind. i wanna see the end result. and while i waste my time trying to figure it all out, i am missing on a lot of things that really matter-- things that are true, worthy of reverence, just, pure, lovely, kind, and winsome and gracious, and worthy of praise (Philippinans 4:8).

Lord, i cast my anxious thoughts on You, knowing that worry will not bring me any good. help me focus on You.

don't try to understand everything.