Our Source of Strength

Our Source of Strength
By:Marilyn Ehle
www.thelife.com

Is it easier for you to be busy than quiet?

“…in quietness and trust shall be your strength…the Lord longs to be gracious to you…Blessed are all who wait for Him” (Isaiah 30:15, 18)!

We all want strength to face both the small and greater issues facing us daily. Whether it is stretching diminishing resources, dealing the newly independent two-year-old, facing (and loving!) a tempestuous teenager or ironing out relational difficulties in the workplace, we find ourselves in need of physical, emotional and spiritual strength. The problem is that we too often look for the strength in places that simply do not have the sufficiency to supply.

Four young men were taken captive by a powerful enemy king. They resolved to remain faithful to their God in spite of living in a culture totally foreign to their deepest beliefs. The king saw their commitment as defiance and a danger to his authority so he ordered they be “bound and thrown into the blazing furnace.”

As we read with imagination about the testing of Daniel and his friends in the blazing furnace, we shudder to think of the searing heat and licking flames. We read nothing of resistance or screams, only the absolute amazement of the king when he sees them “unbound and unharmed.” He shouts for them to come out and ultimately acknowledges that the God of these young men has power far beyond anything he imagined.

Isaiah, the prophet, reminds us that strength is found in quietness and trust. In his book The Way of the Heart, Henri Nouwen writes, “Solitude is the furnace of transformation.” Daniel and his friends walked in quietness and trust long before they faced the furnace. No doubt they experienced solitude when taken far from their own family and culture and from that solitude learned to trust in the one true God.

While no one wants a furnace experience, we would do well to prepare daily—in solitude—for whatever challenges may lie ahead.

MY THOUGHTS AND MY HEART's RESPONSE:

I know I have been so emotionally weak, or shall I say, in truth, I know I'm emotionally weak in nature?

I easily get hurt these days, just last night my husband were saying something like "cheer up, say it enthusiastically" I felt like he doesn't understand my feelings, I just can't do that.

Or sometimes, my voice is too low tone.

I was suggesting solutions or ways to come up with finances that our Daddy needs.

Daddy has been hospitalized many times for the past few months, and a million has been spent with the expenses. Lately, he had 3 injections everyday for 10 days two weeks ago, just this Wednesday dawn he was rushed to the hospital again due to kidney infections.

I just realized, my husband was trying to cheer me up. I just want to trust his heart.

He always have good intentions.

It also made me think how emotionally weak I am, seeing the brighter side it made me feel how it feels to be weak within. For the past few years in my walk with God, I don't really feel too weak like this.

But I admit though, I am weak in nature. That's why I need God, I need Jesus, because he is the source of all strength.

In HIS word it says: But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.(2 Cor. 12:9, NIV)

Am relearning this, indeed I have to keep in heart all over again that HIS POWER is made perfect in my weakness. All the more that I should boast in my weakness because HIS POWER is in me.

Praises to God. It is my utmost privilege to lavish HIS altar with my thanksgiving and adoration to HIM.

My graciousmoments for a rainy Friday!!

In His Grace,

Life Lessons I learned on my 26th Birthday

"Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own.Listen for God's voice in everything you do,everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track." Proverbs 3:5

As am trying to start this blog entry, I can't recall what made my emotions down morning of my birthday, though I remember what made me sad early afternoon.

I'm very sensitive to words, for me speaking something towards others, as much as possible it should uplift them or give them hope, or inspires them more. Or if it's something difficult, "there's always a way to say things in a nice way", quoting one of the executives in the office in one of our marketing events.

I agree with him,for me when words are spoken, you can never say "rewind, I'll say something else instead".

I was a little bit down hearing a word from my husband, it just hurt me, see? I'm sensitive. I value words.

Though there were emotional downtime on my birthday, I realized and learned many things on that day.

In the morning I remember, I want to do some stuff that I wasn't able to do so.

I would like to do my morning exercise after I watered the plants, it seemed I really want to do some stuff in the morning but failed to do so due to some reasons that unknowingly made me a little mad and sad.

Later, I appreciate my husband and learned may things from him, and many good things I learned spiritually.

Upon reconciling, and making amend or peace of the situation he shared: (as far as I remember)

1.Everyday is special but of course birthday is even more special

2.He says: " I want you to be happy on your birthday and prepared and planned a lot
of things, but seems you don't trust.
Lesson learned: TRUST COMPLETELY EVEN IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THE CIRCUMSTANCES!!

3. As my husband was sharing his supposed plan, I was so shy within, that I told
myself " I should have trusted him instead of complaining"
Lesson learned: Stop complaining and be willing to wait.

4. In my "little sadness" (I looked like a child with tantrums, that I wasn't able to
do what I'd like to, petty things...really , it's like a child, I realized, his
good purposes even with little things are still the same.

His good purposes, I believe are still for my own good.

5. Even if I felt a little down (I felt but not too long though, because I also
realized my flosses too), I still believe that "A day deserves a chance to be
better,loving and kind"

6. My husband further shared " the best way to spend a birthday is to serve others
not only in doing something but also by extending understanding or patience
towards others' flosses." (hmmm, awesome!)
I remember last year how I long to spend my special day with the Kids at Hope
Worldwide Philippines!

I still praise God for helping me and my husband get through with that "little challenge" on my birthday.

We super enjoyed the day!

We stroll a lot, he started the treat at our fave " Ice Cream House", with my super love avocado ice cream and french fries!!

We continued our happy journey to the ever fun filled " World of Fun in Sta Lucia, but before hitting the games, my husband decided we'll have our late lunch at Bacolod
Chicken Barbecue"

The last time we visited World of fun, that was June this year. we accumulated some points last April and June, and we're so happy to claim our "cake holder" and my beautiful hair clamp and 8 pieces of Chubby nuts chocolates.

Yahoo, just like KIDS!!

The fun never stops when we headed to SM Marikina!!

At last, nakapasok na rin!

For me, I learned it's better to feel sad and learned valuable things, priceless and something I can share to my future kids.....than to simply life live comfortably without learning at all.

In His Grace,

THE GOD WHO WON’ T GIVE UP

Not everyone in Jesus’ world gave him a warm welcome. Not everyone received him with grace. And many didn’t just ignore him, they rejected him.

Isaiah prophesied his reception like this: “He was despised and rejected by men” (Isa. 53:3 NIV).

John summarized the rejection of Jesus with these words: “He was in the world, and though the world
was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his
own did not receive him” (John 1:10-11 NIV).

How did Christ endure treatment like that? At any point he could have said, “I quit. I’ve had enough.”Why didn’t he? What kept him from giving up?

I wonder if Lee Ielpi understands the answer? He is a retired firefighter, a New York City firefighter.He gave twenty-six years to the city. But on September 11, 2001, he gave much more. He gave his son.Jonathan Ielpi was a fireman as well. When the Twin Towers fell, he was there.

Firefighters are a loyal clan. When one perishes in the line of duty, the body is left where it is until a firefighter who knows the person can come and quite literally pick it up. Le made the discovery of his son’s body his personal mission. He dug daily with dozens of others at the sixteen-acre graveyard. One Tuesday, December 11, three months after the disaster, his son was found. And Lee was there to carry him out.

He didn’t give up. The father didn’t quit. He refused to turn and leave. Why? Because his love for his son was greater than the pain of the search. Can’t the same be said about Christ? Why didn’t he quit? Because the love for his children was greater than the pain of the journey. He came to pull you out. Your world had collapsed. That’s why he came. You were dead, dead to sin. That’s why he came. He loves you. That’s why he came.

That’s why he endured the distance between us. “Love…endures all things.”

That’s why he endured the resistance from us. “Love…endures all things.”
That’s why he went the final step of the incarnation: “God made him who had not sin to be sin for us,so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21 NIV).

Why did Jesus do that? There is only one answer. And that answer has one word. Love. And that love of Christ “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Cor. 13:7 NKJV).

Think about that for a moment. Drink from that for a moment. Drink deeply. Don’t just sip or nip.It’s time to gulp. It’s time to let his love cover all things in your life. All secrets. All hurts. All hours of evil, minutes of worry.

The mornings you awoke in the bed of a stranger? His love will cover that. The years you peddled prejudice and pride? His love will cover that. Every promise broken, drug taken, penny stolen. Every cross word, cuss word, and harsh word. His love covers all things.

Let it. Discover along with the psalmist. “He…loads me with love and mercy” (Ps. 103:4). Picture a giant dump truck full of love. There you are behind it. God lifts the bed until the love starts to slide. Slowly at first, then down, down, down until you are hidden, buried, covered in his love.

“Hey, where are you?” someone asks.

“In here, covered in love.”

Let his love cover all things.

Do it for his sake. To the glory of his name.

Do it for your sake. For the peace of your heart.

And do it for their sake. For the people in your life. Let his love fall on you so yours can fall on them.

Excerpted from:
A Love Worth Giving
By: Max Lucado


MY THOUGHTS:

I got the chance to read and reflect late this afternoon. My husband Jeff and I got busy with household chores particularly doing the laundry, cooking, and washing dishes.

We did so by dividing works! So got a good team work then.

At the end of the tasks, I knew my heart longs and always seeks to hear HIS WORD, HIS INSPIRATION,HIS DECLARATION OF LOVE AND HOPE.

Indeed, God's love covers the iniquities and painful treatment of my parents and sister. HIS love covers my flosses towards my husband.

HIS Love covers my husband's painful childhood memories
HIS Love covers the anger in heart that we shouldn't be bearing.

HIS Love covers all the pain the past and brings us to a beautiful day everyday, that enriches HIS amazing and endless LOVE.

Very truthful, inspiring!!

HIS LOVE gives HOPE.

Our God bears his great love for us!

He believes on us even at times that we don't believe in ourselves.

HIS Love can rescue us from the deepest struggles or temporary tribulations.

I appreciate HIS heart, I'm still in awe, how HIS majesty and greatness love a weak and sinful specie like me.

HIS LOVE inspires and motivates me to repent from my character flosses and calls me to cling on HIS affection and strength.

I want to celebrate HIS LOVE today by being loving and serving towards my husband.

In His Grace,



THOUGHTS OF JEPOY~HUSBAND
I always appreciate my wifeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!

It's not because she's good looking or kind or sexy nyaaaaaahhhh or loving or what else?Hmmmmmmmnnnnnnnn...................

It's because....... God gave her to me...And I consider it as a GIFT...

Angal kayo? (in tagalog)

Well of course, my wife possesses all the qualities I've written here...

And simply because I LOVE HER period.

I LOVE HER.....................................

Bow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:)