YOU AREN'T CHANGING!! YOU ARE BECOMING!

 

Me: Hey God.

God: Hello.....

Me: I'm falling apart. Can you put me back together?

God: I would rather not.

Me: Why?

God: Because you aren't a puzzle.

Me: What about all of the pieces of my life that are falling down onto the ground?

God: Let them stay there for a while. They fell off for a reason. Take some time and decide if you need any of those pieces back.

Me: You don't understand! I'm breaking down!

God: No - you don't understand. You are breaking through. What you are feeling are just growing pains. You are shedding the things and the people in your life that are holding you back. You aren't falling apart. You are falling into place. Relax. Take some deep breaths and allow those things you don't need anymore to fall off of you. Quit holding onto the pieces that don't fit you anymore. Let them fall off. Let them go.

Me: Once I start doing that, what will be left of me?

God: Only the very best pieces of you.

Me: I'm scared of changing.

God: I keep telling you - YOU AREN'T CHANGING!! YOU ARE BECOMING!

Me: Becoming who?

God: Becoming who I created you to be! A person of light and love and charity and hope and courage and joy and mercy and grace and compassion. I made you for more than the shallow pieces you have decided to adorn yourself with that you cling to with such greed and fear. Let those things fall off of you. I love you! Don't change! ... Become! Become! Become who I made you to be. I'm going to keep telling you this until you remember it.

Me: There goes another piece.

God: Yep. Let it be.

Me: So ... I'm not broken?

God: Of course Not! - but you are breaking like the dawn. It's a new day

John Roedel

Don't Give Up My Son

When the course of life.

Seems hard to take.

When you think that the sun is not in the sky.

When the earth seems shaking and

when you feel you are alone.

Just remember. I Am on on your side, I Am on your side and

take my word.

Don't give up my Son.

You have come along way

There is no need to back out.

All you have to do is go on.

Don't Give up my Son.

Continue to fight the good fight of faith.

Don't give up my Son cause someday,

all my promises will come true.

When your life seems no hope and light.

When you feel you want to quit.

When your life is in such a suffering.

And you think you can't take it anymore, and..

When you feel that I abandoned you.

Just remember. I love you and your name

is inscribed in my hand, your name is inscribed in my hand forever.

When the Answer is Wait.

Prayer is the utterance of once weakness and nothingness to the all powerful and able God.
Every prayer is answered by the Almighty God in three ways, YES, NO and WAIT.
Its of great joy when our prayers are answered by YES and we feel so disappointed when NO is the response to our request.
But what about if the reply is WAIT?
In our prayers for our career, our broken relationship, plans of God and His will to our lives, what if the response is WAIT?

Waiting does not mean NO, but rather bear with me.
This does not mean God is indifferent to us, he just wants to teach us.
Waiting does not mean you don't deserve what you are asking for, but it do mean... Jesus Christ loves us so much that He even took time in giving what we ask, just for the sake of seeing us growing and learning and maturing.
Waiting is never a denial, it means God fulfilling His plan and purpose in His most wonderful time.
God is never in a hurry, so why do you?

-RALM (10/19/98)

The Covenant

I will be strong, I will be tough.
To hold on and never give up.
Life is full of challenges so I want to be filled by the Holy Spirit.
Tough road is ahead? Who cares?
As long as God is with me, I will not fear.
Got to go, got to move, never doubt.

My faith is in God Almighty,
The creator of heaven and earth.
He holds in his hand the whole universe,
I know he holds my soul.
The great I am, he loves me so much.
God promised me,  I will never leave you
nor forsake you.

To God Almighty, I lift my spirit and soul.
In Christ alone I commit my whole.
In richer and in poorer. In sickness and in health.
In loneliness and in happiness. In mourning
and in rejoicing. In bad times as well as in good times.
FOR BETTER OR FOR WORST
EVEN DEATH WILL NOT US PART.

- RALM

How Great Thou Art!

This made me cry!

Songs that made me cry,
God's unfailing love and presence, so great and awesome!

1st Day of 2011, Thanking God for All His Wonderful Gifts!

1st day of 2011. God tested my faith and bring my thoughts back to what is important, to what truly matters.

This afternoon, my wife, my daughter and my Mother-in-Law left our house and went to their relatives for their yearly family reunion. As usual, I send sms message to my wife every hour and until before dinner inquiring them of their whereabouts, but I didn't got any reply. 7pm comes and I send another sms message but still no reply. Then I called them and no one was answering. I called by phone my mother-in-law to confirm if they already in there but still, no one was answering the phone. Then, I began to worry, to think negatively of the situation. I think of the Rizal Day Bombing, the Luneta grandstand hostage incident and many many unwelcome thoughts.

By 8pm, I called her Aunt in her mobile phone and still no answer, her cousin and also no answer. With desperation, I also send an sms message to my father and to my Sister-in-Law asking help to contact my family and they told me that also no answer. My anxiety and care augment even more! Then I began to pray, seek God, singing worship songs and asking His great favor be upon me. Telling Him that all the material things in this world are but nothing, that I'd rather be completely penniless but be with my wife and daughter.

I called once again her mom and aunt, and thank God! I heard an answer. All the bad thoughts then suddenly subside. I asked about my wife and daughter if they are okay and they answered me and informed that there is nothing to worry, they are just busy watching a new years day presentation in our nearby church.

For me, it was an hour of faith. An hour where God suddenly knock my thoughts and brought to my mind the most important thing in this world, the most important gift he gave to us. Life.
As I face 2011, I have all the gifts that I should be thankful for! More than the treasures of this world, more than the things I could ever asked for. To God be the Glory forever and ever.

You Are So Faithful

Time flies so fast. It was on the eve of Christmas day year 1997 when my mother invited me to attend a bible study in our neighborhood. I will never forget that day, the smile and joy of the people around was so mysterious. At the end, the pastor gave a challenge to everyone to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord. With two hands raised up high, I let Jesus come into my life, and from then on, God had showed His faithfulness and unconditional love unfathomable. I'm sure I'm not the only one who love this wonderful song proclaiming God's Nature. That at all times, our Good and Mighty God, is so faithful, even if all things around us fail, even if we ourselves fail Him.

You Are So Faithful

by Lenny LeBlanc, Greg Gulley - Copyright © 1989 Doulos Publishing

VERSE 1:
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


PRE-CHORUS:
I see the cross and the price You had to pay
I see the blood that washed my sins away


CHORUS:
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


VERSE 2:
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

In God's Presence

Indeed, the more I get to know Christ, the more I fall in love with Him.
The more I long for His presence.
How sweet is the relationship I have with Christ.
Surely, His presence is incomparable.
Only God can fill the void and emptiness in my heart.
God and God alone can quench the thirst within my soul.

Being far with Him had been experienced many times.
But, nothing in this world can ever replace the joy
of being with my Savior. The presence of God is irresistible, that
once you've tasted it, you'll ask for more.

An overflowing peace and inexpressible happiness are the
things that God's presence can give to a tired and weary
soul. To be in God's presence is the most wonderful place
in this world and the most wonderful experience I could have.

Sermon on the Net

Its fascinating to live in this era. One will appreciate the power of technology, and for those OFW Christian's like me, one will experience God's power even through technology.

My lovely wife and daughter started attending Victory Christian Church early this year. We use to attend in a Caloocan Full Gospel Church but we moved now in Cavite and though an hour of travel, Alabang is the place to be specially when Sunday comes. In Festival Mall, a regular Christian service is being held, with my Mother-in-Law and Aunt, they attend the 2pm service with Ptr. Sonny Oaman.

 

Living far from your family is not an easy thing.  Day and night, missing your family is killing you. One must learn to befriend solitude to cope and be actively normal. Added to the already desolate soul is the fact that there are no Christian church in my place. But God is everywhere. He is an Omnipresent God.
He uses a raven to feed Elijah and opened a rock for Israelite to drink water. Now, dare think what else can He use?

Few months ago, my wife told me about Victory Podcast. At first, I was reluctant about it as there are already thousands of voices that can be heard on the internet. But I started listening anyway, to connect with my wife specially when we chat and discuss daily activities. Then from connecting with my wife, it began to connect between me and my Creator. I never thought I was already this far from God. And every time I listen to them, I wanted to listen more, from Ptr. Chinkee Tan, to Ptr, Paolo Punzalan to Ptr. Joey Bonifacio and to other as well. I've never seen this Pastors before and never heard them when I was still in Manila but God is using this Podcast to do His sermon, this time, not on mountains and Churches but on the net.


I want to share this link to everyone most especially to my fellow OFW living abroad, far from your friends, church and family.

http://victory.org.ph/resources/podcast.html

God Bless us All!

When God Speaks

It was a fair day, everyone seems to be excited. As I sat on my office and received emails and phone calls, then again, this is the usual fair day. Haven't finish yet my cup of coffee got to go here and there, solving problems, helping staff and answering questions.

I'm used to everyday stress and pressure not until its time for our lunch. I thought the food will lift and ease my mood...but gosh! its the same old everyday soak in oil tasteless dish! How I wish I can eat my favorite menu, sinigang na baboy or tortang talong or any pinoy food but not this one in my front!

"I hate it."
I thought to my self. It doesn't matter how stressful a day maybe but at least, give me some break. Everyday, this is the usual menu by our cook, how I wish I can fire him out! tasteless semi-cooked food bathing in oil.....and everyday I hate it.......not until God speaks! and His word was so loud that made me repent and be thankful.

I'm living in China and all CATV programs are aired in Chinese language...but not this day. No need to work overtime and so I opened the TV which I seldom do. As I switch the channels, I was stuck in this english program, its a war movie. Since its an english movie and I'm not busy, I continued watching.

As I watched, I know God is silently speaking to me. It was silent but very loud and clear. God is teaching me something, on all my complains and arguments. I never thought a life can be lived by the character in the movie and his life was far beyond than what I have now.

God spoke to me through the movie "The Pianist"

And his word will resound forever. To be thankful at all times, whatever the circumstances maybe, whatever problem we are facing, and whatever kind of food will be on our table.

A Town Called Gonghe

Gonghe is a little town in Heshan, honestly,I'm not exactly sure if its Heshan or Jiangmen as Heshan seems not an official city yet of Guangdong. 30 to 45 mins ride from the city proper of Jiangmen, your first stop is the market place. A very typical simple life is here. No big movie theater, no big shopping center and for me, no good place to hang out. Every thing is simple. By the way, bus trip here starts at 7am and the last trip going to the capital at 7pm.

Single motorcycle are the main means of public transpo. When i go to the proper which is about 20mins walking distance from my place of work. I often eat in this resto offering a steamed food. Other treats are the rice rolls, mienchao, chao mien, etc.

This place is totally different from the place i grew up with. You see lots of family eating together outside with their children playing beside. Girls, both young and old are seen on bicycles. Different kinds of fruits are everywhere in the marketplace,so fresh and so delightful.
And guess what, lots of people here likes fresh sugarcane being sold in pieces, they will bite the stem and chew which for me is the last fruits ill gonna try, could it be because of my ????? lol!

I'll never forget this place,it brought in me a new perspective in life. My journey in this town is worth it. The people I smiled with, the people i've pretended I'm a chinese, the people who understand me.

Ralm's journey pick up a thousand and one lesson here. Simple life, simple desire, simple dreams.

the 2006 (pain and sorrow in the journey)

only about less than 2 hrs, we are welcoming again
another year!!!! …. full of guesses and surprises. Looking back on this year,
no big highlight really happen except on its last quarter, whaaa, it was the
worst sms message I received. I couldn’t believe she is gone. The most
important woman in my life is gone. I can still clearly picture on my mind
the way my mother smile, how she laugh, the way she sing, how she comforts us
when we have problems. After a year of surviving from cancer, God finally called
her to go home. It was painfully hard to accept, but God knows best more than
we do.

ralm’s journey continues…..in the coming
year……. with faith in God the Almighty.