The Hope Choice

Sunset

Miranda Beach, Pontevedra

Province of Negros Occidental, Philippines

January 24, 2014

photo by Lidia Arbolario

You number my wanderings;

Put my tears into Your bottle;

Are they not in Your book?

-Psalm 56:8

The hope choice.

It's will not always be the easy road to take.

But as an overcomer,  I take this road... I make this choice.

With hope we overcome the fear, the disappointment, the pain.

Hope is our shield of protection from the fiery darts of discouragement.

Hope is the fuel for our faith.

With hope:

... I can acknowledge that God is near.

...I can better understand His character. 

Abba Father knows... He cares... He can change me... He can turn my situation around.

He keeps a record of my tears!

His love is not based on my performance, but on His character.

With hope:

... I can accept His offer to help.

We need to be connected to His power.

True freedom comes from the willingness to take some risks. 

I can be honest.

I can mourn and grieve over my past wrong choices.

The Lord promises that I will not drown when I go through the waters.

Neither will I burn as I go through the fire.

I can take the things I have mourned over, and offer them to Jesus for redemption.

(Taken from my Sermon Notes journal - July 17, 2013)

Open Doors

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The new year 2014 is 5774 in the Hebrew calendar. According to this calendar, the earth turned 5774 years old on Rosh Hashana 2013.  

This is the year of the Open Door, or Ayin Dalet.

I quote from Chuch Pierce's prophetic word on this new year. I say a resounding "amen" to what Abba Father is saying:

The most difficult closed door is the one in your own closed mind. A closed mind is like a closed door to Me. 

In your thoughts, if you can't entertain the thoughts of Me, you've got a closed door in your mind. This block will make it very difficult for you to go through any open doors. 

Poverty and lack is connected with your thought processes. 

Those with a mind unwilling to receive the abundance in My mind, who choose to live in their own understanding, will always have a measure of lack! 

Your mind connects with My Spirit and creates a move in the earth dimension. If you are closed to My amazing heavenly resources, you will automatically connect to a structure of poverty and doubt linked to this world. 

For this world is an enemy of My heart. 

My resources are very abundant. Everything you need is all around you. I can open your eyes to see the abundance that is already all around you.

Words Are Not Good Enough... For Now

January Sunset

photo by Lidia Arbolario

taken on January 10, 2014

"Thank you: is the best prayer that anyone could say. 

I say that one a lot.

Thank you expresses extreme gratitude, humility, understanding.

- Alice Walker

My time here in America is drawing to a close.

And now, I find that there are no words good enough to express what is on my heart as this journey is about to end, and a new one is about to begin.

Abba Father is unfathomable in His ways. About six months ago, when this plan for me to come here was just being hatched, so to speak, I never would have known what to expect.

I even had so much reluctance in my heart to embark on this journey.

But today four months later, I feel so sad at having to say good-bye.

My heavenly Father gave me this amazing gift... spending a part of summer, then the fall, and a part of winter in this place.

A place of quiet and serenity and immense beauty.

What can I say... but thank you.

Thank you to my sister who was instrumental in my coming over.

Thank you to her family for welcoming me into their home and hearts, making me feel so much like a part of them.

Thank you to dear friends who helped make my entire stay here so meaningful.

Thank you to my family back home for taking good care of everything in my absence.

And above all, thank You to Abba Father... for everything.

Words are not good enough... for now.

Because in our earthly existence, words are only handles that we use to express the feelings and thoughts and experiences within our hearts.

As such, words will always be inadequate. The same way that a picture can never really do justice to the real thing.


But in eternity we will not be limited by words.

I believe that in eternity words will not even be needed to communicate with one another, although there will also be a form of verbal communication there.

Using my heavenly language to pray is a foretaste of this. In heaven there will be such openness, transparency, and honesty that it will not be a problem expressing what is on our hearts to one another, and especially to God.

There will be perfect understanding.

Yes, in heaven... we will know, and we will be known!

Sowing Seeds of Compassion

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A gentle response deflects fury,

but a harsh word makes tempers rise.

- Proverbs 15:1

(Complete Jewish Bible)

Still very much on my heart as this day ends for me

 is the word "compassion."

How easy it is to be unkind, 

maybe not outwardly,

but inwardly...

to be critical,

to find fault...

when the more noble choice would be

to withhold judgment,

and extend grace to another.

To be an agent of healing,

a channel of mercy.

Changing the atmosphere around us

with a kind thought,

a gentle word.

Showing appreciation instead of condemnation.

Because compassion unites,

but a critical spirit divides...

Appreciation promotes growth

but a stinging criticism breeds decay.

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace,
that we may obtain mercy
and find grace to help
in time of need.
-Hebrews 4:16

Please help me Abba Father make a difference by sowing seeds of compassion wherever You send me. 

May the words I speak heal, not wound, another person's heart. 

May they be life-giving words that nourish and sustain life causing the hearer's soul to flourish.

May my presence in another's life be an invitation... not an imposition, reflecting the tenderness of Your heart. Amen. 

Sing the over again to me
Wonderful words of life,
Let me more of their beauty see
Wonderful words of life
Words of life and beauty

Beautiful words, wonderful words 
Wonderful words of life
Beautiful words, wonderful words
Wonderful words of life.

Christ the blessed One gives to all
Wonderful words of life
Sinner list to the loving call
Wonderful words of life
All so freely given
Wooing us to heaven

Beautiful words, wonderful words 

Wonderful words of life

Beautiful words, wonderful words

Wonderful words of life.

Sweetly echo the Gospel call

Wonderful words of life

Offer pardon and peace to all

Wonderful words of life

Jesus only Savior

Sanctify us forever

Beautiful words, wonderful words 

Wonderful words of life

Beautiful words, wonderful words

Wonderful words of life.

Day 40 - Believe

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So Jesus answered and said to them:

"Have faith in God.

For assuredly, I say to you,

whoever says to this mountain,

'Be removed and be cast into the sea,'

and does not doubt in his heart,

but believe that those things he says will be done,

he will have whatever he says.

Therefore I say to you,

whatever things you ask when you pray,

believe that you receive them,

and you will have them."

- Mark 11:23, 24

Today, January 6, the Feast of the Epiphany, is the fortieth and last day of my journey to the heart of my Abba Father. I started this in Manila a week before I left for the US... and today I am here in the US, about to return to the Philippines.

It has been an amazing 40 day journey. For forty days out of the 4 months that I was here I have looked at specific Scripture, meditated on it, and allowed it to speak life to me. In this journey, it was my desire to draw closer to God, and receive specific instruction from Him for the year ahead of me.

Today the passage is another favorite of mine - it talks about having faith in asking God for anything. The promise is that I will have them.

This is like a blank check. Only believe, and what I ask, no matter how seemingly impossible, shall be done for me.

I believe Lord.

Thank You.

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Day 39 - Unless a Grain of Wheat...

Many verses come to my mind this early Sunday morning, the 39th day in my 40-day journey to the heart of the Father.

Unless a grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies,

it remains alone;

but if it dies, it produces much grain.

He who loves his life will lose it,

and he who hates his life in this world

will keep it for eternal life.

- John 12:24, 25

But the fruit of the Spirit is

love, joy, peace,

longsuffering, kindness, goodness,

faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

Against such there is no law...

-Galatians 5:22, 23

If we live in the Spirit,

let us also walk in the Spirit.

- Galatians 5:25

A favorite quote from Henri Nouwen about being vulnerable:

Fruits that Grow in Vulnerability
There is a great difference between successfulness and fruitfulness. Success comes from strength, control, and respectability. A successful person has the energy to create something, to keep control over its development, and to make it available in large quantities. Success brings many rewards and often fame. Fruits, however, come from weakness and vulnerability. And fruits are unique. A child is the fruit conceived in vulnerability, community is the fruit born through shared brokenness, and intimacy is the fruit that grows through touching one another's wounds. Let's remind one another that what brings us true joy is not successfulness but fruitfulness.

Gentleness and kindness are part of the fruit of the Spirit.

So are goodness and peace.

The Spirit is tending the ground of our hearts that His whole fruit will grow. Only one fruit, not nine. All the nine spiritual characteristics are in the fruit.

How beautiful to behold that fruit must be. How much more when the Spirit has grown it in our own hearts... others are drawn to us.


Our presence becomes an invitation... not an imposition.



The tender heart... how beautiful it is!

For that is how Abba Father created Adam and Eve...

Vulnerable, dependent on God their Maker.

Connected to Him as their Life Source.



But with the fall in the Garden came independence... Self-dependence.

And Self pride.

Above all Self-consciousness.

My rules. My programs. My agenda.

My way.



And with it came Self-protection.

"Don't disappointment Me."

"Don't break My rules."



Self became its own god. Worship Me.  Please Me.  Obey Me.



And the heart became trapped in a wall of its own making...

A wall built with brick after brick of Self-sufficiency and Self-striving.




How beautiful the hearts that are vulnerable.

Sharing one another's brokenness.

Touching one another's wounds.




Fill my heart Abba Father, with compassion...

may it be tender and kind...

willing to overlook a fault...

not easily offended...

choosing instead to forgive... just as I am, we... all of us... are, in constant need of being forgiven.

Let there be no more resentment,

no more anger or temper,

no more violent self-assertiveness,

no more slander and nor more malicious remarks.

Be kind to each other,

be understanding.

Be as ready to forgive others

as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you.

- Ephesians 4:32 J.B. Philips New Testament

And become useful and helpful and kind to one another,

tenderhearted

(compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted),

forgiving one another

(readily and freely),

as God in Christ forgave you.

-Ephesians 4:32 Amplified Bible

How beautiful the tender eyes
That chose to forgive and never despise...

How beautiful when humble hearts give...

This song touches my heart deeply this morning:

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Day 37 - Run to Finish

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Do you not know that those who run in a race all run,

but one receives the prize?

Run in such a way that you may obtain it.

- 1 Corinthians 9:24

I press toward the goal for the prize

of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

- Philippians 3:14

I am a firm believer in goals. 

Do-able and realistic goals - yes. But also God-sized ones that speak of kingdom assignments and calling and destiny.  

If people say New Year resolutions are doomed to failure, well... sadly they have failed before they have even begun. According to their faith it shall be done unto them.

As for me, I believe that goals we set for ourselves are indicators of God dreams that have been deposited in our hearts long before we came into this world.

So be encouraged! Ask God to reveal His dream for you this 2014, and aim for it!

A goal is like a vision. Habakkuk 2:3 has this to say:

Write the vision

and make it plain on tablets,

that he may run who reads it.

for the vision is yet for an appointed time;

but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.

Though it tarries, wait for it;

because it will surely come,

it will not tarry.

In my journal I have written down my personal vision statement. It gives me a general direction for my year, defines my choices and decisions, and inspires me to move forward and upward.

I pray that when this year ends 12 months from now, we will be able to say "I have reached my finish line, my goal for this year!"

Jesus is waiting for us there and we will hear Him say, "Well done... you did it! You have been faithful... you have done well!"