Expecting a Surprise

The year 2014 went by so quickly.

Suddenly she's gone... and all I have to hold on to are the memories of the events...

And the lessons.

So thankful am I for the lessons that each year leaves behind.

If I learn my lessons well, each year leaves me a little bit wiser than before.

And for this day's post, the first day of the new year, I have borrowed a line from Henri Nouwen's Bread for the Journey as my title.

It was years ago, when I was still the principal of our church school, that an intercessor walked into my office asking to pray for me. She was a foreigner, and I no longer remember her name. But one line in her prayer stayed with me: "Father, may she always have an expectation of good things coming into her life."

Really, that prayer changed the spiritual climate in my life.

That prayer has never left my heart.

And today, as another new year starts, I must be honest that I am not quite ready for another year. Things happened so fast, faster than my heart had time to process what was going on. And a part of me feels like I haven't left 2014.

Nevertheless, one has to face reality. The old year has gone... the new has come.

And that prayer is really just all that I have to hold on to for the moment.

Father, this year, may I always have an expectation of good things coming into my life.

Here is what Nouwen has to say about expecting good things to happen:

Each day holds a surprise. But only if we expect it can we see, hear, or feel it when it comes to us. Let's not be afraid to receive each day's surprise, whether it comes to us as sorrow or as joy. It will open a new place in our hearts, a place where we can welcome new friends and celebrate more fully our shared humanity. (Bread for the Journey, January 1)

Faithful God

Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!

- Psalm 46:10

A catastrophic storm is being forecast to hit our islands within the next 48 hours. 

The fury of Yolanda (international name Haiyan) which devastated many parts of our nation only a year ago is still very fresh in our minds. And so, with another impending tropical depression (international name Hagupit) which is said to be taking the same path Haiyan did, and with nearly the same intensity and force, we are driven to our knees, pleading with Almighty God to protect us.

Years ago, one week after typhoon Ondoy caused severe flooding and untold damage to Metro Manila Pastor Edgar of Victory QC said something that I will never forget. 

He said, "The floods in our lives serve one purpose, to drive us to seek Higher Ground."

How very true indeed.

Two months ago, I was down on my knees crying out to Abba Father for His protective hand to be upon my daughter in law and her baby who was about to be born one month premature. 

It is in times like those, when the circumstances we are facing are beyond our control, that we truly realize how helpless we are, and how utterly dependent we are on a Power and Force much greater than ourselves.

In sickness... in the face of natural calamities... and many other such situations, we come to the end of ourselves.

We can only bow before our Heavenly Father, the Faithful One, the God of the How Much More, and call out to Him for a way out of the storm.

You are So Faithful (Bob Fitts)

Like the sun that rises everyday,

You are so faithful, Lord You are faithful

Like the rain that You send,

And every breath that I breathe,

You are so faithful, Lord.

Like the rose that comes alive every spring,

You are so faithful, Lord, You are faithful,

Like the life that You give

To every beat of my heart

You are so faithful, Lord.

I see the cross and the price You had to pay

I see the blood that washed my sins away

In the midst of the storm

Through the wind and the waves

You'll still be faithful, You'll still be faithful

When the stars refuse to shine and time is no more

You'll still be faithful

You'll still be faithful, Lord.

Welcome, Year of Advance!

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For the Lord God is a sun and shield;

the Lord bestows favor and honor;

no good thing does he withhold

from those whose walk is blameless.

- Psalm 84:11

Rosh HaShanah this year will begin tonight, at sundown.

According to the Hebrew calendar, this is the year 5775, ayin he. The fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is written this way:

It stands for grace.

As I meditate on the significance of this day, I want to focus on  a few simple thoughts.

Abba Father, in this new year, is ready to pour out His grace upon our lives. But an emptying is required.

Just as Abram was at the end of his hopes for the promised son to become a reality, God meets him, and inserts he at the middle of his name. And Abram receives a new name, Abraham.

With the change of name, he is given a change of identity, and calling.

This year, I say to Abba Father, I am ready to advance and to move forward. Another level of emptying is required for this to happen.

Dying to self... my own goals and dreams for self-fulfillment... that God's kingdom purposes for me may be given room.

I embrace Psalm 84... as a pilgrim going through the Valley of Baca, with a heart that is hungry for more of God, I will transform it into a place of nourishment and fertility.

My Abba Father is a sun and shield... 

He bestows favor and honor...

No good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

These two quotes speak powerfully to me this morning:

We too are called to withdraw at certain intervals

into deeper silence and aloneness with God...

to be alone with Him--

not with our books, thoughts, and memories,

but completely stripped ove everything--

to dwell lovingly in His presence,

silent, empty, expectant, and motionless.

We cannot find God in noise or agitation.

-Teresa of  Calcutta

If you're brave enough to leave behind everything familiar and comforting,

which can be anything from your house to bitter, old resentments,

and set out on a truth-seeking journey,

either externally or internally,

and if you are willing to regard everything that happens to you

on that journey as a clue,

and if you can accept everyone you meet along the way

as a teacher,

and if you are prepared, most of all,

to face and forgive some very difficult realities about yourself,

then the truth will not be withheld from you.

-Elizabeth Gilbert

The Comforter

But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things, And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you.

- John 14:26 Amplified Bible



The past two days Abba Father has been speaking to my heart about the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

The fruit of the Spirit is 

Love... Joy... Peace...

Patience... Kindness... Goodness...

Faithfulness... Gentleness... Self-Control...


Only one fruit, but nine facets.

I've been soaking myself in these two verses found in Galatians 5:22-23.


Against such there is no law.

Nothing and no one will ever be able to stand or work against this fruit.


Cultivating this fruit in our lives is God's answer to the environment of death in which we live.

The fruit of the spirit has powerful, healing qualities.

But the most awesome thing about it is that the nine facets of the fruit are all found in God's heart. This fruit speaks of the very nature of God.

And it is available to you and me freely... abundantly... without measure.


Each part of the fruit is God's antidote to the toxic negative situations we find ourselves in.

A specific example is in the area of offense. There are people who are still easily offended even though they have been Christians a long time. Offended with life situations... offended with political decisions... offended even with harmless Facebook comments...

Then the on-line teaching I was listening to this morning mentioned this one simple statement, and I paused to let his words sink in:

If you're easily offended, it only shows one thing -

you do not have a relationship with the Holy Spirit as Comforter.

Wow... that's so simple, yet so deep.

Carrying an offense has a lot to do with feeling like you have to fight a battle, not necessarily your own. And it is a heavy burden to carry. Because, it also has a lot to do with self-righteousness.

And, I think that self-righteousness makes you want to protect your own interests and your rights, including your own treasured opinions, beliefs, and doctrines.

But, when we know the Holy Spirit as Comforter, we can let Him fight our battles for us, and let His comfort surround us like a "comforter" to keep us warm on a cold winter night.

The enemy lies to us, making us think we have a right to be offended.

But the truth is... we have no right to be offended! Not, if we are God's children.

For if God is our Father, then we have every right to be comforted and shielded from fighting battles that are not intended for us.

Beloved friend, if you are carrying a heavy burden of offense, put it down right now. Let our Comforter embrace you and cleanse you.

We have every right to be healed from the wounds that hold us back and weigh us down!

Healing is our birthright.


I love You my Abba Father...

I love You Jesus, my Savior, Redeemer, Lord...

I love You Holy Spirit, my Comforter, my Healer, my Guiding Light...

With the Breath of Kindness

Two Women Having Tea

by Frank H. Desch

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But oh! the blessing it is to have a friend to whom one can speak fearlessly on any subject; with whom one's deepest as well as one's most foolish thoughts come out simply and safely.  Oh, the comfort - the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person - having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all right out, just as they are, chaff and grain together; certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then with the breath of kindness blow the rest away."

 - Dinah Maria Mulock Craik

This quote from Dinah Craik is undoubtedly my top favorite of all. What a beautiful picture it paints of kindness and gentleness. 

There are times when I say, without intending to, wrong and inappropriate things. What a blessing to have a friend with whom I can feel safe and accepted, "a faithful hand" who will take and sift my words, "keep what is worth keeping, and then with the breath of kindness blow the rest away."

Lack of tact, and lack of wisdom is definitely not condoned here. But there are times in our life when we need to pour our heart out to someone with skin on... and how liberating it feels to have someone like that who will not judge you or jump all over you, dig up all your past sins to hit you on the head with, and leave you feeling like you're outside the door, standing in the rain, with your broken heart in your hands.

Purple Flowers

by RoseAnn Hayes

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The job of the artist is to offer a sanctuary of beauty to an ugly world.

- Jeff Goins

Gentleness - Life with Margins

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Of all the character traits mentioned in the nine-faceted fruit of the Spirit, gentleness is the one that catches my attention.

I have often shared in my writings how my father was the most important influence in my life. He was a gentleman... a gentle person with a tender touch.

We never heard him speak a harsh word in his life. To his dying breath, he was a picture of contentment and gentleness.

There is a Hebrew word for that, yafeh nefesh.  Literally,  "beautiful soul" or "bleeding heart."

When I was a little girl, while Mama prepared breakfast and packed our lunch boxes for school, Papa would fix my hair. It was a bit long, and he would take time to fix it a different style each morning. Sometimes he would loosely braid it, and put a ribbon at the end. Then he would say, "Look at yourself in the mirror, you're beautiful..." and I would see his eyes beaming with pride.

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Many years later, I met a man like that - more rugged, I should say. But still, a "beautiful soul." He would often look into my eyes and say, "You're so beautiful." So kind, so caring. He was my husband.

Gentleness.

It also means meekness. 

Meekness can be defined as "Living life with margins."

I first heard that definition from Craig Hill, the founder and senior leader of Family Foundations International, and I've never forgotten it.

Living life with margins means we do not live life to the max. We leave margins... we surround our life with enough spaces, or pauses.

We do not use up all our energy in pursuit of something. 

Meekness can apply to almost everything we do.

We do not always have to state our opinion. It's okay to keep it to yourself.

Giving the other person the benefit of the doubt.

Saving some money for the rainy day.

Using time wisely by having margins on your day, so there is enough of it to share with others.

Spending time in quiet meditation at sundown, to welcome the new day... 

Reading or listening to soft music at bedtime, to wind down after a long day...

Greeting the morning at daybreak...

Being willing to be misunderstood, or not appreciated.

Giving part of my lunch to a beggar, standing by the restaurant door. Quietly, without anyone noticing it.

Gentleness is one of the character traits of Jesus - He said, "Learn from Me, for I am gentle..."

Eugene Peterson translates it so beautifully, Learn the unforced rhythms of life.

I really love the idea of gentleness... 

We all know how it feels to be in the presence of a complainer and a grumbler.

One who doesn't easily see what is beautiful in difficult or painful situations. One who walks into a situation and sees only the wrong things. One who always has a "better plan."

There was a time in my life when I was that kind of person. In my quest for excellence and perfection as a young wife, I was a fault-finder. And I was self-righteous.

Towards the end of the 1980s, and up to 2000, my husband and I went through a difficult season in our life.

I call it my pruning season, my season of hiddenness and obscurity, like stew simmering in a back burner, unseen, unnoticed. 

It was at that time that I learned to embrace adversity as my friend... when God taught me the value of having margins around my life.

The start of my journey toward becoming a gentle soul.

Gradually the spiritual equation in my life changed... thank God!

Now, in the autumn season of my life, I am finally learning what it means to be gentle.

The wise woman builds her house, 

but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down. 

Proverbs 14:1

It is okay to be good enough.

I don't always have to be right.

There is always room for the other person to change. Give hope.

Tomorrow is another day.

Quote from Max Lucado

And, here's a tender quote, about the touch of kindness and gentleness coming from a yafeh nefesh kind of friend:

But oh! the blessing it is to have a friend to whom one can speak fearlessly on any subject: with whom one's deepest as well as one's most foolish thoughts come out simply and safely. Oh, the comfort - the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person - having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all right out, just as they are, chaff and grain together; certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then with the breath of kindness blow the rest away."

- Dinah Maria Mulock Craik, in A Life for a Life

May I be this kind of friend in the life of another.

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Also published in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Scarf: Gentleness - Life with Margins

When Less is More

Widow gives all she has

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I grew up in a home where love was abundant. My parents were both government employees, and we lived in the city. For the first 11 years of my life, we lived in a duplex -- twin houses that were joined in the middle by one wall. It was owned by my maternal grandfather, and my mother's brother and his family lived next to us. Very happy memorable years of close bonding with my four cousins.

When I was 12 years old, we moved to a brand new house, our very own. It was in another city, with rolling hills and wide open spaces, compared to the noisy and congested neighborhood where the duplex bungalow was located.

I remember the excitement of having a huge and beautiful home to finally call our own. My dad had hired an architect to draw up the plan, and it was built in about four months or so.

The beauty of this home was in its simple elegance. My parents had bought many brand new furniture, but we had also taken with us most of our old things. With his innate creativity, artistic flair, and touch of class, my dad was able to blend the old with the new. The house soon became a warm home, and the garden around it tended by my father also blossomed through the years.

I know now that we were not among the very rich in Philippine society. But as young girls, my sister and I didn't know that. I found out only much later that the school my sister and I attended was a very expensive exclusive school for girls in Manila. My classmates were children of ambassadors, and top politicians in our country. We never felt that we were different from them.

What was the secret? It was the joy of contentment. Papa and Mama made us feel that we always had more than enough, and there was no lack. We didn't have an abundance of things, like toys, dresses, and things around the house. But everything we had was what we needed, and maybe just a little bit more.

Mama bought us only three new dresses a year - for our birthdays, for Easter, and for Christmas. Sometimes more, when there was extra. She also bought us brand new school books and beautiful things to use in the classroom. Therefore, school was something we were always excited about. I found out only later how Mama and Papa endeavored to save from their monthly salary to be able to give us the life we had.

To be honest, it was not a perfect childhood. But there was lots of love. And laughter. And song. That's what I remember the most.

Papa believed in beauty. Beauty that was not ornate or excessive, but simple, and elegant. 

I have no doubt that for me, everything was beautiful because there was contentment. 

Another secret was this: we were not over-indulged. Mama and Papa taught us the value of delayed gratification at an early age. If we wanted something, we knew that we could always save up for it, and eventually we could have it. There was joy in the waiting, joy in the eager expectation, and joy in finally receiving what we wanted.

Some financial principles our parents taught us:

Buy only what you need.

Spend less than what you earn.

Live a debt-free life.

Save for the rainy day.

Be generous to those in need.

Charles Ringma writes that 

the Christian experience is not simply one of green pastures and flowing streams,

it is also the place of emptiness.

We live today in a world that tells us we need so much to be happy, but actually the opposite is true.

A lot of times, it is in experiencing emptiness that true joy comes. There is joy in having, but there is also joy in not having.

Because in the end, it is when our cups are empty, when we are not too full of ourselves, that God can fill our hearts to overflowing.

I end this day's post by a quote from Henri Nouwen, one of my favorite authors.

Less is more when there is contentment and joy.

Less is more when there is a willingness to let go.

As I look back at the legacy my parents left behind, I thank God for what they have taught us. May I, like them, pass these principles on to the generations after me.

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Also published in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Scarf: When Less Is More