RAM

Rarely do you find a friend who clicks with you inspite of the differences in your personality and it's even difficult to keep them once you found them. Such is my friend Welmar who happens to be someone whom God blessed me with back in my baby years as a Christian. And even now that our beliefs have gone entirely opposite, it's not a forced effort to still crack on with our lives. :) He's someone who has "something to say" to warn me but won't push it on me because he/she trusts that I can decide on myself. And at the end when what was said proved to be right, we'd just laugh about it and move on. :) haha.

Thanks Welmar for a good laugh and short meaningful catching up talks tonight. I know you're gonna have a better year ahead because I know that someone up there never stops caring for you even if you don't believe it. If only you'd see and believe again. But anyway, no need to force you because that should be a personal decision for it to be genuine. :) I and the gang will just be here to enjoy our friendship with you. :)

P.S. It's an effort to write this I'm too sleepy but I really feel like expressing my appreciation for you in a more decent way than a facebook post. Haha. 

Better Living Subdivision Places Review

One of the things I don't like so much about Better Living Subdivision, aside from the heavyyyyy traffic each day and night, is its lack of good places to chill and relax. No Starbucks (thank God there's one under construction), all the less CBTL, no Chatime although there are very rare and unheard of milk tea houses that I'm starting to explore.

First in the list is Bon Appetea. Best seller is Nirvana Wintermelon Milk Tea at a cheap price of 85 (large) with a taste that is "Pwede Na". I like it here because they got couches, free internet and power outlets... Which are my main considerations in finding a place to work/chill/think. :) Plus there's not much people so I can really have my quiet time here and stay for an extended time :) It's along Dona Soledad Ave near Caltex Station. Oh there's a setback here. They play music too loud and irrelevant for chilling! Hmp! Too distracting.

Another place is Tea Farm which is also along Dona Soledad Ave almost in front of Paranaque Doctors Hospital. Best seller is also Wintermelon milk tea which tastes better than Bon Appetea's Nirvana but cost 100 (large). Nice quiet place with free wifi internet as well but seats are wooden and there's not even one pieceof a couch so it's not recommended if you plan to stay for hours :) 

If anyone knows more, share your experience by commenting! I haven't tried InfineTea because it's too small and no couches too, but i heard wifi internet is free also :)

Christmas Date

I decided to do something relatively new to celebrate Christmas day because I'm pretty bored of just staying at home (Disclaimer: not that I have anything against being with family on this day. In fact, i went home late this morning because we celebrated Buena Noche away from home). So I have gone out on a date with The Man not just of December 25s but of every day of my life to spend some sweet time with Him. I had very little idea of how it is on the malls and streets on Christmas day. I should have thought that just like any other holidays, malls and parks are jam packed! But I went out of the house anyway thinking of going to The Fort where I imagine it to be serene with only a few people. To my surprise, it's the opposite! So I walked for around 45 minutes trying to find a good dating place and finally got to spot a Starbucks (after 3 full branches) where it's just serene and lovely :) 

I'm just so excited to have some sweet quality quiet time and bask in the presence of the Birthday Boy (or Man). This is my little gift I could give him, which is called "time". Although theologically he has no use of that time because He's outside of time. Haha you know my heart Jesus! I love you! :) Merry Christmas everyone!!!

What Happened to You on December 18?

“Think about this 18th
day of December, the day when the foundation of the Lord ’s Temple was laid. Think carefully. I am giving you a promise now while the seed is still in the barn. You have not yet harvested your grain, and your grapevines, fig trees, pomegranates, and olive trees have not yet produced their crops. But from this day onward I will bless you.” (Haggai 2:18, 19 NLT)

Caught this verse from Haggai from Steven Furtick's post and it really interested me a lot that I pondered on it.
I wanted to makr every opportunity to note or post about God's promises not just so I can remind Him but so I could remind myself, too. Because between me and God, I'm a lot more forgetful!

Haggai speaks about December 18 year wayyyyy back then when God emphasized to remember the day and promised to bless His people.

To personalize this verse, I thought of what significant things happened to me on Dec 18 and I was amazed at how pivotal that day was. :)

First is the work related Proof of Concept that I was doing since December 16 actually came to completion on Dec 18! That's my 1st ever POC, I take note! I feel so fruitful that after months of studying in theory and practicing in demo environments, I finally got to configure successfully for an end user's network. Okay dont wanna get technical but the point is, just like what the verse says, after a long time of sowing and persistent waiting and hardwork, I will start to see the fruits! And I'm just claiming verse 19 which says that God will bless me from that day onwards!!! Bring it on Lord, You said it!

Another thing is Dec 18 evening, I got to meet with Harvie, Eizza and their brother Herald, just to hear wisdom on how to manage a business. Oh my word, can hardly believe I'm gonna manage a business soon! These guys just poured on me wisdom I wouldn't get from anybody else so personal! So aside from being blessed technically, I was blessed personally as the counsel I got doesn't just apply to career bit to dear life on general. And so I'm claiming too that God's blessing of wisdom will overflow from Dec 18 onwards.

Nah, I was emphasizing Dec 18 much because it was a KAIROS moment that a verse from the Bible described a day in my life. But the truth is I will and have always been blessed. God's so good all the time!

Five Distinctives of the The Jesus Way

While listening to Judah Smith of The City Church in Seattle, I was amazed by how he put into the words of his preaching "Jesus is my Provision" how God wants to encourage me not just with life in general but more specifically in big chunks of my precious life like my finances.

He goes to describe how Jesus works, and thus titles it The Jesus Way. The following list is not all encompassing of how God works but just some that we can grasp to understand and see when His hand is working.

John 6:1-14 (Jesus feeds the 5,000)

1. It's always STRETCHING

Have the people sit down (v.10)

Isn't sitting down the last thing we want to do when we are in lack? But Jesus wants us to sit down at a time when it's logical to move and do something! That's just one stretchmark. There are others I an attest to like at times when you think you have so little to stretch, that's when He tells you to GIVE, or SPEND TIME, or SAY SORRY, or STAY or maybe even LET GO. He can really get into your nerves if you wont submit to His stretching. Like sometimes when God wants me to do something illogical, I would tend to ask Him to explain first but my 8 years of Christian life tells me i don't always have to know.
But I get relief at the truth that God has always been in charged of providing throughout the entire history of the world and He has a good record :) So reject fear and doubt!

There has to be a profound peace for us believers of Jesus especially when it comes to our resources and finances because He is the provider.

2. You have to prepare for abundance where there's only lack.
Jesus made the people sit down even before they have the food! He gave the 5,00 men an expectation that they will be given food when there's really nothing except the 5 barley loaves and 2 pieces of fish that was available.
Realize what you have in Jesus because He is the God of more than enough. What you have as little as it may seem can be the key for God's miracle to meet your needs in abundance.

One of great way to prepare you for abundance is through your mouth

3. Develop a habit for using your mouth for generosity by giving away thanks!!! Thank God for everything and say it with your mouth! There's always something to be thankful for. It's hard to be grumpy and complaining if you're thankful.

Generosity has an ATTITUDE and it's called GRATITUDE

4. Join the distribution plan of God.
Distribution is a systematic way of sharing. The church is God's distribution plan on Earth and when you become part of his distribution plan, the miracle manifest in your hand just as how the miracle happened as the disciples started to hand out the bread and fish but it's not running out! Experience what it feels like to have the bread in your hand and give it away without it running. Instead of asking "how much should I give?" Ask "how much should i keep?". The more you give it out, the more you realize it's not running out! There's no lack in Jesus, you can have as much as you have!

5. Ultimately the passion for God's provision is so that no people are lost. Get your resources involved in God's rescue mission. You can use your meaningless paper to impact what's eternal.

Choose not the way of logic, safe, just enough, worry when it comes to your finances. Choose the Jesus way!

Just needs practical application now :)

2013 Inventory Season

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? (Luke 16:10-12 NIV)

December 1, 2013 marks a good start of the end of the year for me. :) I woke up this Sunday not having an idea of how much God will speak to me and do a tweaking process in my character. It can be a little discomforting when God corrects you, but when you realize that He does this out of love, there's no part of you that will not thank Him for refining you to be able to prepare you for the GREAT things that He has appointed you to do. :)

I love how God stuffed this day with His Word, with sincere talks with my accountable friends, with little princess surprises and a sweet quiet time to rap up the day :) And I'm taking this time to record 'em all as a Facebook post will not justify the experience! :p

The preaching for 11 am service was REALLY life changing for me as God spoke and reminded me of how I need to work on with my finances. For the past week, He has been pointing that area of my life and now He wants me to be FAITHFUL with what I have been entrusted. It was also bless one another Sunday and it just really paints a smile in my heart to practice generosity and be a blessing to others!

Then I had lunch with mt Tangled Girls Jen and Kat (without Lovely :/) which was so filled with encouragement, meaning and prayer. I'm just so glad and grateful to have friends who will speak life to you! I love you both!

Noel Bazaar was up next! It's my new favorite Bazaar hihi but it only happens once a year. So I guess I'd still stick with Super Sale Bazaar. Bought some gifts and items for myself. Merry Christmas to me!!! :p

The greatest part of my day is just my 2-hour date with God in Starbucks MOA Arena. It's the best Starbucks experience I had since I WAS THE ONLY ONE THERE! That's so rare! Guess everyone's inside the arena watching the PBA game. :p Joyfully I sat down and did some lists abd arranged some skeds, but most importantly, settled some issues in my heart and prayed some prayers.

I can just feel that God will do something really great through me and He's preparing right this very season! My desire is to know You more God as I walk this journey! :) I love you Lord!

Lord's Princess,
Jonai