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Image source.
BOOKS
Since I got converted, I've developed the caution on reading books already. So the selection I have was trimmed down to safer genres and those that I can use for God's Kingdom Advancement.
Friday, January 28, 2011
TAHO: ON A METAPHORICAL SENSE (?)
Image source.
EPHESIANS 6:12-13 (NIV, 2010)
FOR OUR STRUGGLE IS NOT AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD, BUT AGAINST THE RULERS, AGAINST THE AUTHORITIES, AGAINST THE POWERS OF THIS DARK WORLD AND AGAINST THE SPIRITUAL FORCES OF EVIL IN THE HEAVENLY REALMS. THEREFORE PUT ON THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD, SO THAT WHEN THE DAY OF EVIL COMES, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO STAND YOUR GROUND, AND AFTER YOU HAVE DONE EVERYTHING, TO STAND.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Prayer List Item #1 (2011)
I'm starting a Prayer List. These will be anything from physical to spiritual ones. Anything goes. Anything that I want/desire and Godly and are never impossible to achieve through prayer. I'll be posting its fulfillment as well. Praise God.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
On Bombings and Natural Disasters
How come that every time something awful happens, it’s the only time people take precautions? And then give it a couple of weeks and the precaution is once again forgotten.
MRT Blues
For the first time in my life, I actually felt that people are naturally nice. In the aftermath of yesterday’s bus bombing, everyone who felt like travelling, including the workforce, kind of decided to take the usually-snubbed MRT in lieu of the lovable EDSA buses. And so, almost half of the population was at the Taft station, trying to squeeze in the very very narrow hallways of the MRT station. The guards were useless. I felt like a small vehicle trying to overtake other cars without trying to scratch my body. Guys squeezed against women, and I was surprised with the fact that unlike my horrific experience yesyerday morning in the Ladies’ Section of the MRT, people were not killing each other to get in. All in all, though I felt a guy’s body against my behind, the experience was a bit interesting.
Photo credits: http://www2.pids.gov.ph/seminars/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/mrt.jpg
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Fear
Everyone's fearing commuting through buses already. Well, not all, but a great number of people are commenting on how they become so paranoid about riding the bus already. I don’t know if it’s just me but not a light feathery touch of fear went through my body. I guess it’s all about this:
“For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways…” (Psalms 91:11).
God is way bigger than any bomb don’t you think?
Related link
Reasons, Reasons, Reasons
I made this blog, but I never really got the chance to write on it that much. Maybe because it’s a bit complicated to use. Blogspot is my second ever blog host, then I left it. I actually forgot its url already. I just wrote condo stuff there. Blogspot is a bit complicated to maintain. I was enticed by it because it was what was being used by many Pinoy writers.
My first one was in Tabulas. It contained my entire college life and reading through it made me realize just how wicked my life was back then. Then I tried blogging in Multiply because of its photo hosting features plus the myriad of people using it and its privacy settings. It contained my last years in college plus my transition to the Apostolic church so it was interesting. Then I just stopped blogging for a year.
Entered the best micro blogging site, Tumblr. The name itself is enough to excite the senses. I did make an account there out of my need to express my feelings then. It contained my spiritual highs and lows in 2010. But it was too private. It contained far too much private thoughts that I decided to create a public blog to contain teachings and revelations to inspire and create a new atmosphere here in the web. Then I privatised most of my entries in Tumblr and started sharing the link to people, including my officemates.
Hopefully, I really get to be serious about this blog. I really love writing and studying the Word of God that I don’t see any reason for me to not do this. The prime mission of this blog is to house all my spiritual whatnots and make sure that all the wisdom the Lord is giving to me has a virtual container of some sort. Time should never be an issue. The revelations are always there. I just have to grab them and start to write.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Buddy Wanted
I finally found my new adventure buddy. Having decided that I want to be a serious hiker and photographer at the same time (blame that to my desire to become one of Nat Geo’s female videographer/photographer), I started scheduling myself for serious hikes (blame it to my reading of A Walk in the Woods). My best friend wanted to accompany me. She’s more serious when it comes to hiking than me. But since we both desired to travel to different shores, we decided to travel more this year.
Here’s the dilemma. My best friend’s an adventure-seeker (we both aren’t afraid of anything), but she’s not into photography.
Enters by old pal, Geert. He’s almost a digital geek like me: loves photography, editing, tech stuff and whatnots. But the only problem with Geert is that, well, he’s a guy. I can’t just go out checking in hotels and resorts and climbing mountains with him and him only. Also, I don’t think he’s adventurous enough to try crazy stuff. He’s a reckless home buddy and a boring one at that.
Steng is another option. Having had such crazy past with him, he and I became super great friends, a status which I never imagined we’d be into now. I respect him and he respects me. I love him and we love our relationship as is. But he’s not always available. And he’s too complicated to drive with sometimes.
Enters Langerhans. I call her that because of her real name. What’s cool about her is this: she loves photography and she loves adventure. Wee. Perfect.
Now I find myself planning week-end hikes with her and day-long road trips just so we could get photos. Great ones. For Nat Geo or something.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Awaiting Confirmation
I'm enrolling myself to an online Hebrew study community. I've just sent my interest in getting one word per day. Hope it doesn't fill my inbox much,
Kwentuhan Blues
KWENTONG HOLDAP
Bago ang lahat, I declare and establish that this (holdap) will not happen to me. Ever. I declare na lahat ng sasakyan ko, macoconvict ang mga bad people at macoconvert to Apostolic. Amen.
Ito ay mga narinig-rinig ko sa mga tao sa opisina (hello sa inyo). Hindi ko gusto nakawin. Winner lang talaga at ang saya ng mga kwentuhan.
KWENTO 1:
Estudyante pa si Opismate #1. Sumakay siya somewhere at naholdap ang kanilang sasakyan. Kinuha ang cellphone niya.
“Mama.”
“Ano?”
“Pwede magrequest?”
“Go lang.”
“Pwede ko kunin yung sim?”
“Sige.”
At ibinigay yung sim.
Tama nga naman. Pwede naman kasi makiusap nang matino nang hindi nagaaway, hindi ba?
KWENTO 2:
Sa isang sasakyan, isang sosyalerang tao ang napasakay. Naholdap ang sasakyan.
“Akin na cellphone mo.”
Binuksan ang bag. Naglabas ng wallet.
“Ay, cellphone? Naku, importante yan. Heto’ng sampung libo. Ito na lang.”
At nag-abot ng sampung libo sa holdaper. Tinanggap.
Oo nga naman. Pwede naman kasi makipag exchange at negotiate.
KWENTO 3:
Isang simpleng mamamayan ang napasakay sa isang sasakyang biglang hinoldap.
“Akin na bag mo.”
“Uh, kuya, sure ka?”
“Akin na sabi e!”
Iniabot ang maliit na bag. Maya-maya, ibinalik ang bag. Tinanggap muli ng may-ari. Alam niyang mangyayari ito. Nahinuha na niya. Kulang nalang sabihin niyang “Kuya, I warned you.”
Nasa loob ng bag: isang napkin.
Get Rid of the Frogs: Why the Plague of the Gnats Came
Get rid of the frogs.
Last Sunday’s preaching had its clear application in my life this entire week. I was overwhelmed by its significance that by the end of the week, during our groupings, Ate M and I filled the group’s chat with revelations that were so exciting, we almost never let Ptr. N talk.
When Pharaoh experienced the 2nd plague, he was so discomforted that he begged Moses to clear Egypt of them in exchange to the Israelites’ freedom.
The frogs, according to the book of Revelation, signified evil spirits. During the preaching, it also meant our recurring problems that we seem to not be able to solve because of different reasons. They may also mean sins, those that we cannot simply let go of because, either they’re hard to break off or we just enjoy their filthy presence. Whatever the reasons are, frogs simple are grimy insertions in our everyday lives that we just have to get rid off.
Moses asked the pharaoh when did he want for Moses to pray so the plague would stop. The remarkable part of the story was when Pharaoh replied, “Tomorrow.” (v. 9-10)
And this is very similar to most people’s situations. They want to get rid of the frogs, to let go of their sins, to put a solution to their problems, but when presented by God a choice to end it, they’d put a 24-hour thinking period to say yes.
And the hours that stand between your freedom and pain will be room for temptation once again.
That’s why the next plague came, the plague of gnats, because Pharaoh had time to think and re-think and destroy his word by not letting the Israelites go.
Our moments of thoughts, especially when we’re alone, are the most turbulent moments of our decision-making processes. The movie director, Mel Gibson, understood this clearly when he interpreted the Garden of Gethsemane scene. Each time we’re alone, the devil’s voice becomes louder in our heads. So it’s always important for us to learn how to block the devil’s voice and make God’s voice the loudest, eventually, the only voice we’ll listen to in our every day lives.
Friday, January 7, 2011
On Patience
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Pet. 3:9 NIV)
Waiting has become something special for me now. Like I'm waiting for something written and spoken thousands of years ago. I know I'm waiting for Jesus. But there's something else the Lord wants me to wait for. I don't know what...yet.
Waiting has become something special for me now. Like I'm waiting for something written and spoken thousands of years ago. I know I'm waiting for Jesus. But there's something else the Lord wants me to wait for. I don't know what...yet.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Girl Ezekiel
God is writing something in me. Like He decided to write an essay, a storybook, a screenplay or a novel and suddenly thought of me as His notepad. And I do submit to the process. His every stroke means another way for me to get closer to Him. I told Ate M about this last night. The story controls two characters and I admitted I thought the woman character is based on her. And each time God shows me a scene, I feel the same emotion that character - the girl - feels. And I feel like I'm a girl Ezekiel now.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Stars by David Crowder
I first heard this music December last year (just a couple of days ago) and immediately fell in love with its lyrics and melody. Although that one I first heard was the studio version, this one, a live acoustice version, has some pretty nice solemn guitar effect. I just love the violin.
"It'll be alright..."
Going back to the Hebrew roots
I said it once in my FB account: I want to learn Aramaic, Latin, Greek and Hebrew. Add to that my imagination of having the time to learn and practice French, Spanish and German.
Well, I hope it's not too late to learn them all. I read at once in my ex's sister's book that a child's brain, in the developing years, is the best room for learning language.
And, 24 years after that, I do hope my neurons are still on fire to absorb more words than those I've learned in both of the languages I currently use (Filipino and English).
Then I met someone who's actually into Hebraic studies of the Bible a few weeks ago. Now, the fire in me has been stirred up, I'm currently looking for more ops to learn the language and the other ancient ones just to learn more about the Scriptures
Well, I hope it's not too late to learn them all. I read at once in my ex's sister's book that a child's brain, in the developing years, is the best room for learning language.
And, 24 years after that, I do hope my neurons are still on fire to absorb more words than those I've learned in both of the languages I currently use (Filipino and English).
Then I met someone who's actually into Hebraic studies of the Bible a few weeks ago. Now, the fire in me has been stirred up, I'm currently looking for more ops to learn the language and the other ancient ones just to learn more about the Scriptures
This Year of Identity
Since I've quit using my name "Ike" for an establishment of my real, single, identity, I kind of killed iketaks as a username as well. Well, except for the email add, I am now eliminating ike.
Hmm. I recently found out last night that my Hebrew name is Daphna. It means victory. Hooray! I am to use it from now on.
Hmm. I recently found out last night that my Hebrew name is Daphna. It means victory. Hooray! I am to use it from now on.
