Hong Kong

I was thinking about how my summer went and just when I was about to fuss over the things that I wasn't able to do, my disposition quickly changed when I REMEMBERED that I got to travel twice. So, what's going on!? Should I complain about forgetting these blessings in my life or should I complain about how I didn't get to check-off some goals on my To-Do List?

Hmmm.

My family and I went to Hong Kong last month. We stayed in Kowloon City, which quite frankly, made me feel outdated. The people in Hong Kong are mad stylish! From cars to bags to shoes, people have their swag on. Just to make you know how people take fashion seriously, some would wear nerdy glasses without lenses! It looks absolutely silly, but from afar, it completes their look! The women, even sales clerks, look polished from head to toe. Sleek and stylish! Their hair, their make up, their style... Who cares if their bags are fake, they look good!

Overall, I enjoyed my stay. I enjoyed eating, walking, the cool breeze, the shopping, and yes, people-watching. The city also reminded me of New York. Times Square and 5^th Avenue to be specific. 

2013

One Word

Priorities.

What should you value the most but have not prioritized?

Sacrilege

Malachi 1:7, 13 (7) “You placed defiled food on my altar. (13) And you say, ‘What a burden!’ and you sniff at it contemptuously,” says the Lord Almighty.

I pondered upon what would constitute as "defiled food" at my Lord's altar and I can count so many things that I've offered to be found guilty of sacrificing mediocre gifts. A surge of conviction came upon me when I read this verse. I imagined myself face to face with God as he tells me how I have forgotten how it is to truly worship Him and how I have reduced His value to a level that suggests that He is not One to be taken seriously. I have given God my time, but the portion of it was the leftover hours of my day. I have given God my wealth, but I prioritized the bills ahead of honoring him with it. Sometimes, things are done, just for the sake of it being done. 

Today at the GDC (Global Discipleship Congress), Ravi Zacharias quoted G. Campbell Morgan in his definition of SACRILEGE. Sacrilege "is at its worse not when taking something that belongs to God and using it profanely,  but when you take something and give it to God when it means absolutely nothing to you."

This gripped the core of my heart. *uuuuugh* 

Has it come to a point when God’s presence doesn’t move me any longer? Has it come to a point when worshipping Him has become a burden to me? Oh dear, be it far from me.

Our time

Our wealth

Our heart

Our passion

Our intellect

Our will

Our strength… God deserves the BEST. Not “defiled” or leftovers, but our BEST.

Worrywart

I get it. We worry. Our limited nature is inclined to be anxious over things that we have no control over.  We cannot see the future, therefore we worry. We cannot see what others think, so we worry. But worries are linked to lies. More often than not, these things that we worry about are untrue. When we worry about what others would say, typically, it was a lie all along when we thought that that person disliked us. As a child of God, it's not just a sin to put our worries at the pedastal over God's Word, but it also serves as an unhealthy mindset. As a child of God, we should listen to Faith more than logic.

Worry in Old English means wrygan or “to strangle, to choke”

In Greek, it means merimnao or “divided mind”

We all know that when we worry, our hearts follow our minds to an unreal place. It separates us from the Truth and we become captives of our own imagination. Dwelling makes us forget who we are and whose we are.

My colleague shared a devotional on this topic and she suggested to apply the PEACE therapy.

P – pray to God Philippians 4:6 (NIV) Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

E – encourage yourself with God’s Word

A – acknowledge God’s presence in your life Numbers 23:19 (NLT) God is not a man, so He does not lie. He is not human, so He does not change His mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has He ever promised and not carried it through.

C – claim the promises of God Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

E – exercise the ways of faith and trust

I think this is a really great way to keep in step with the Spirit. Let not our nature become an excuse to slip into a habit of being a worrywart. Let’s apply the PEACE therapy together.

Cebu

It’s been YEARSSSS since my first trip to Cebu. We stayed at Alegre Resort and Spa which is about 2 hours away from Cebu City. The resort is by private beach coves which makes it perfect for the objective of our trip. I came with my ICS (International Christian School) colleagues for a three-day retreat and it was definitely a much-needed break from the city heat, pollution, and all the mayhem that’s been going on in school. At night, all Bible Study groups gathered to pray and discuss their learnings and in the morning, we had our individual prayer times.

Despite forgetting my sunblock and lotion, I took much pleasure in gazing upon the pristine colors of nature and taking a nap under a shade (which didn’t really help cause those rays can still penetrate your skin! Ha!).

Shades of blue, shades of green, white, and beige… Took it all in. Breathed it, embraced it.

Thank you, Lord for this blessing.