Do Not Worry

Let us define first what is the meaning of the word WORRY.

According to Merriam Webster:

a. mental distress or agitation resulting from concern usually for something impending or anticipated

b. an instance or occurrence of such distress or agitation

Cause of worry : 

1. trouble

2. difficulty

3. struggle

4. problem

Based on the meaning given above, we could conclude that worrying can bring negative feeling, and stress. We could also say that it can affect our health and our well being. 

All of us worries, since all of us are thinking about our future and experiencing difficulties.

Last Oct. 24 to 31, worrying really attack me big time. My daddy was rush in the hospital because of dizziness and low blood pressure. Then he needed to be confined in the ICU. And our bill in the hospital was increasing. 

Those instances makes me really worried. Especially when I think about the amount we should settle when daddy would be discharge in the hospital.

But what God had done during those days was to remind me this verses in the Bible. It was like He is telling me not to worry about the hospital bills and my dad's sickness because through this event he will show me His power and love for me. All I need is to trust Him completely. 

You see, the more we worry, the more we are not trusting our Heavenly Father. That is why I think this verses was spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ because He knows that in our lifetime, we would experience worrying about the things that are happening in our lives. And this verses are to guide and remind us the importance of trusting Him with our all. 

Isn't it amazing how Jesus knows the things that we need? 

Matthew 6:25-34
New International Version (NIV)
Do Not Worry

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[a]?
²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:33

My friend and I chatted last night, and as we talked about life and stuff, the Holy Spirit reminded me this verse.

Last youth summer camp, our camp speaker, told us that we people only see the promises in the Bible but haven't completely understand that before we have that promise, we need to seek God first with all of our heart, soul and mind. We need to love Him above anything else in this world. 

We were given a challenge to offer our lives, and dreams to Jesus. And aim to follow His example when He walked here on earth. 

It will be hard, and we will fail everyday, but the grace of God is always there to help us in our walk with Him. And the reward of following Jesus is far more greater than the sacrifices that we make.

Have a blessed day!

Luke 15

If you would read Luke 15, you will notice that it has 3 parables with the same message.

Ø  Parable of the Lost Sheep tells us of a shepherd who leaves 99 sheep to find the one sheep that was lost.

Ø  Parable of the Lost Coin tells us of a woman who search her house thoroughly to find the coin that she loses.

Ø  Parable of the Lost Son tells us of a father who welcomes a son who runs after his worldly desire.

Who is the shepherd, the woman, the father…?

Who is the lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost son…?

In the parable on Luke 15, the shepherd, the woman and the father is the Lord Jesus Christ, while the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son is the people who do not know or do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ.

What does these parables wants to imply to us…?

Jesus sends us a message in these parables. He wants us to reach out people who do not know Him, just as He did in His time. He wants us to draw people towards Him.

What character Jesus wants us to have when sharing the Gospel?

• Jesus wants us to show that we care to those people whom we are sharing the Gospel to, just like the shepherd takes good care of his sheep.

Like the care Jesus have for us.

• Jesus wants us to have patience, just like the woman who patiently search for the coin she loses.

Like Jesus who patiently waits for us to accept Him in our lives.

• Jesus wants us to love the people we are reaching out, just like the father’s love for his son after he goes astray in life.

Like Jesus who loves us so much that He took the cross just to save us.

What are we going to do now?

• Let us put those characters into practice. And go out and share the Gospel to those lost in this decaying world.

And let us always remember, “there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

Photos was search from google image.

Kythe

August 25, Ang aming department ay nagkaroon ng outreach program with Kythe Foundation. Nagpunta kami sa Philippine Orthopedic, Children's ward para magpasaya ng mga bata. Dapat hindi na ako sasama dahil nung papasok ako ng office(friday night) na-sprain ang left ankle ko. Mag-uuwian na nung nagdecide ako na sasama na talaga ako sa outreach. At hindi naman ako nagsisi na sumama ako dahil super akong na blessed sa batang nakilala ko.

Gusto ko sanang i-post dito yung photo ni Renz Jay para makita nyo yung nice na smile nya. Kaso hindi kasi pwede na i-post yung mga photo from orthopedic eh. I'll just share my experience.

We arrived at the hospital around 9:30am. We were welcomed by a Kythe staff. Dinala nya kami sa Kythe room for a brief reminder. After ng reminders, lumabas na kami ng room to meet yung mga kids. Ten of us were assigned sa Children Ward #2. Si Jenny Lyn yung pinakilala sa unang patient. Then, turn ko na, yung second patient may lagnat and ayaw daw nyang makipaglaro kaya lumipat kami sa tapat na bed. At ayun, nakilala ko na si Renz Jay. Nung una, super nahihiya sakin si Renz. Hindi sya nagsasalita pero nagsmile naman sya. Kasama ni Renz yung older sister nya. Sabi ng Ate nya, sya muna daw yung bantay kay Renz kasi wala naman daw siyang pasok. Tinanong ko sa ate nya kung anong nangyari kay Renz, sabi ni ate, nasagasaan daw si Renz ng motor na may tatlong sakay at lasing. Dahil dun, nabali yung bone nya sa thigh. One week pa lng si Renz sa hospital, kita pa nga yung iba nyang sugat. Yung bone nya, pinapantay pa lng.

Arts and craft yung unang activity namin ni Renz. Gumawa kami ng Dog na puppet. Si Renz yung nagdidikit ng mga part ng dog sa puppet nya. Nung tapos na niyang idikit lahat ng part ng puppet, time na para mag-color. Naloka ako sa favorite color ni Renz, usually blue ang favorite ng mga boys pero sya white. At yun yung gusto nyang i-color sa parts ng dog puppet, kaso hindi naman makikita kasi color white na yung bond paper(hehe). Habang nagco-color kami, nagiging makulit na si Renz, kaya kinuwentuhan ko sya ng story ni David. Nung natapos na akong magkwento, tinuloy namin yung pagcolor ni Renz dun sa puppet. Habang nagco-color,

Renz: Birthday ko kahapon!
Meeka: WOW! Happy Birthday! (sabay kanta ng happy birthday song)

Tapos tinanong ko sa Ate nya if birthday nya talaga kahapon,

Ate ni Renz: Hindi po, Kuya po namin may birthday kahapon. June 12 po yung birthday nya.

Naloka ako dun. Hindi pala nya birthday todo kanta ako ng Happy birthday (hehe)

Then pinakita ko din sa kanya yung coloring books na bigay namin. Nung nakita nya yung mga sticker na kasama nung coloring book, super siyang natuwa at idinikit nya yung mga stickers sa mukha, kamay, ulo, at damit nya. Tapos meron din syang idinikit sa thigh nya na may bali pang bones. 

Meeka: naku baka masaktan ka
Renz: hindi
Meeka: hindi ba sya nasasaktan?(tanong kay ate)
Ate ni Renz: dati lang, ngayon hindi na.

at ayun, halos puno na sya ng sticker (hehehe). Then, Sir Lee signals us na 10 mins na lng daw. Dahil bata pa si Renz hindi ko mapaliwag sa kanya na in ten minutes ay uuwi na ako.  

Meeka: Renz, konting oras na lang uuwi na kami
Renz: Pag-madilim na?
Meeka: Hindi, umaga pa lng aalis na kami.
Renz: Ah, pag-gabi na...

Hindi nya ako naintindihan (hehe). Anyway, nung time na para umalis, nagpicture kami together para may remembrance ako with him.

Balik kami sa Kythe room para sa debriefing. The Kythe staff asked us about our experience with the kids. After ng debriefing, nag-photo op kami then nag say goodbye na sa Philippine Orthopedic.

After ng event namin, I felt so blessed dahil nakilala ko si Renz. And the Holy Spirit reminded me this verse:

The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven

At that time the disciples came to Jesus

and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in

the kingdom of heaven?”

He called a little child, whom he placed

among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless

you change and become like little children,

you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Therefore, whoever takes a humble place—becoming

like this child—is the greatest in the kingdom

of heaven. And whoever welcomes one

such child in my name welcomes me.

                                                            Matthew 18:1-5

Jesus Calms the Storm

²³ Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. ²⁴ Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. ²⁵ The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

²⁶ He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

²⁷ The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

Questions we should ask ourselves:

• what kind of faith do we have on Jesus?
• how far can we trust Him?
• can we trust His way in the midst of the storm?

Let us follow Jesus example, He sleeps well  through  the storm not because He doesn't care, but because He trusted His Father of His life.

Recently, God puts me to a test. At first I do things my way even though I am asking God to teach me how I will handle the situation. God shows me the answer but I still insist on what my heart dictates me to do. I am really struggling whether I will follow my will or God's will. It is very hard because following God means I have to give up something that I think I want to hold. I have fears that if I let go of that thing there wouldn't be any chance for me to have it.

One night, as I have my quiet time, God shows me that even though I said i am trusting Him with my all, I am not doing it. Because of the fears that reside in my heart, it hinders me to trust Him completely and by not trusting Him completely I am bound to disobey Him. God also shows me the content of my heart. In my heart, my wants still prevail making me do selfish deeds. It breaks my heart to know this because I am breaking my Father's heart. Breaking His heart because I am not trusting Him completely and doubting about His power and His love for me.

That night, I made my decision. It was very hard but I know I am doing the right thing and that I am doing the will of my Heavenly Father. After I made the decision, I felt that a heavy load was lifted from my heart. I thought I am going to be sad but instead I am happy. Really, following God would not be easy, there would be a lot of sacrifices to make but the rewards are far greater than what we expect.

God also made me realized that I do not have to fear or be afraid. I just have to trust Him more. For He already have plans for my life.



Feel free to share how Jesus calms the storm in your life on the comment box below. Let's encourage one another by our experiences and by how God is working in our lives. :D