Happy New Year!

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:18-19

Hello 2013!

The past month and a half has been crazy. But God is faithful, and I rejoice in difficulty (it's time I beat the devil in his game of discouragement!). December brought many "firsts" for this little family of mine, but I shall not go into detail here. Forgive the silence, but it is better this way. You will know soon enough, I hope.

I shall attempt to memorize and keep Isaiah 43:18-19 in mind and heart. It is a promise I need to be reminded about! Oftentimes, when life gets hard, and trials abound, we forget that God is God, and that He is in control. The size of your battle doesn't negate the fact that God is bigger than it. In fact, He is strongest at our weakest. Isn't that something to be thankful for? Imagine, the bigger your problem, the greater God is? WOW.

So this year, I pray I find my peace in knowing He holds my future. Nothing else for me to do but trust in My Maker. I pray the same for you.

Happy New Year!

A Lost Cause

I know I have not been blogging. And that you're probably wondering what's wrong. Aside from the fact that my daughter A has exams once again (I know, AGAIN!), but as I've said in previous posts, my life has come to a halt.

I still cannot explain exactly what that means, but maybe this will help you figure it out: I have had to deal with someone from the past. Yes, please go figure. And it hasn't been easy. Every single day is a battle of the wills - mine and God's. I've had to ask God over a thousand times for reason - for logic and purpose. For over a zillion doses of Grace (and yes, His mercies are new every morning!) just to get me through each day. My friend M has advised me to take each day one at a time, but it has been more like one minute at a time. Everyday, time just drags. At a pace that I sometimes can no longer stand. What is this, Lord? Why? Why now?

I must admit that I am not at peace with the situation I am currently in. Today, for example, when I spoke to this person, I couldn't help but feel pity. What a lost cause, I had thought to myself . It has been years since life threw lemons at this person - lemons as a result of bad choices. What day is it today? You could have turned your life around. But no, instead, you went on doing same old. And now, at your crossroads, what?

I wanted to say a million things today to drive this person away.

But the Holy Spirit made me see the situation in a different light. Nowhere to turn. This person has nowhere to go.

So today, I pray you find what it means to be loved by God. I may think you are a lost cause, but to God, you are a promise. He loves you more than anyone will ever do. And you are more important to him than you will ever be to me. He loves you. And His love should be enough.

Pearl

Of all the Katy Perry songs A is crazy about, this is my favorite. The other night, on the way to Edsa Shangri-la for an after-concert party, A decided to talk to me about this song.

"It reminds me of you, Ma."

Lyric Video Credit: MyUniverseMusic on Youtube

PEARL

She is a pyramid

But with him she's just a grain of sand 

This love's too strong like mice and men

Squeezing out the life that should be let in

 She was a hurricane-cane-cane-cane

But now she's just a gust of wind 

She used to set the sails of a thousand ships

 Was a force to be reckoned with

She could be a statue of liberty

She could be a Joan of Arc

But he's scared of the light that's inside of her

So he keeps her in the dark

Oh, she used to be a pearl...

Ohh Yeah, she used to rule the world...

Ohh Can't believe she's become a shell of herself 

'Cause she used to be a pearl 

She was unstoppable

Moved fast just like an avalanche

But now she's stuck deep in cement

Wishing that they'd never ever met

She could be a statue of liberty

She could be a Joan of Arc

But he's scared of the light that's inside of her

So he keeps her in the dark

Oh, she used to be a pearl...

Ohh Yeah, she used to rule the world...

Ohh Can't believe she's become a shell of herself 

'Cause she used to be a - 

Do you know that there's a way out, 

there's a way out

there's a way out 

there's a way out

You don't have to be held down, 

be held down

be held down

 be held down

'Cause I used to be a shell

Yeah, I let him rule my world

my world, ohh, yeah

But I woke up and grew strong

And I can still go on

And no one can take my pearl

You don't have to be shell,

No You're the one that rules your world, ohh 

You are strong

and you'll learn that you can still go on

And you'll always be a pearl

She is unstoppable

So yea, this is my anthem this week. I hope you find encouragement in Katy Perry's Pearl and find the strength to find yourself again.