15. (suffering for doing good (1Peter3:8-22)

(not sure ~ have to check again who owns this pic) 

be sympathetic, love one another
be compassionate and humble
do not repay evil with evil, or insult with insult
repay evil with blessing, to blessings they will result

turn from evil and do good
seek peace and pursue it,
the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
to their prayers His ears are attentive

who is going to harm you
if you are eager to do good?
do not fear threats, do not be frightened
in your hearts revere the Lord

it is better, if it's God's will
to suffer for doing good than for doing evil,
He was put to death to bring you to God
Christ also sufferred once for sins.

when asked for the reason for the hope that you have
this answer you should be prepared to give:
in the body He was put to death
but made alive in the Spirit.

14. no other God

(photo by SpinC)

He is no salad-bar religion
that you can choose attributes from
He is complete and sovereign
no need for criteria for selection

a far cry from Hinduism
from Islam or Buddhism
the promises of all religions in the world
are surpassed far more than a thousandfold

He works all things together for good
even if you get raw deal after raw deal
be reminded of Joseph's story
great things happened even after he was sold into slavery

what men meant for evil
God can turn around to be meant for good
refuse to worry about the evil done to you
you will be justified, as a child of God should

seek Him continually, discover Him more
convictions come with the hunger in your heart
receive strong faith in your heart and mind
that from Him you'd never grow apart

dig in His words, study the Scriptures
God will reveal to you who He is
read, look up, ponder~
experience how your Faith increase

turn away from your self-rule
turn to Him instead that's what he wants
all that you are, all that you have
Ask in prayer and understand

13. the seventh day

(another one of my cross-stitched work~slightly beat up and shot at a not-so-good angle; pardon the light reflection) 

oftentimes we notice
how quickly the days pass by
Mondays seem to jump to Wednesdays
before you know it, Friday's nigh

the repetitive daily tasks
make us feel nothing's different
day in, day out we might ask
our days, are they wisely spent?

did we perform our jobs well?
did we only stop at the sound of the bell?
did we go back to work after coffee breaks
and did our best whatever it takes?

"six days thou shalt labor
but the seventh day is for the Lord"
let's give Him what's due Him

before another week begins

12. Seek God's Face

(photo by SpinC)

How do you picture God in your head?
is it based on what other people have said
Seek Him on your own, discover His face
Learn more about Him, be filled with grace

He is not a cosmic policeman in a blue suit and a badge
arms crossed, toe-tapping, and carrying a club
He is not waiting to whack people for doing wrong
His goodness is what supplies our faith to be strong

People question why God desires our thankfulness
Doesn't that show that He has a big ego?
But look again, for it is not so
In thankfulness, the good seeds we sow

God doesn't give to get
He gives not because you have been good
Realize this and don't forget
Good or evil, man gets shelter and food

Are you hoping to see God in a burning bush?
Don't hold your breath on that
If any man sees His face, he would be toast
That is what is said in 33:20 of Exodus

when you're down and blue
write down what God has done for you
Ask God to make you a thankful person
It is a powerful antiddote to depression

11. everyday miracles!

(photo by SpinC)

T was told 10-12 is not a good number
She has to get it lower
She did a repeat, 35-40, even much higher :((
get it down to <10 in 24 hours
isn't that a tall order?
trust and obey, hold on to His Power
in less than 24 hours she did it all over
1-2 on the paper, definitely lower!

a therapy of water and ardent prayers
Praise God for the every day miracles!!!

10. A Lesson in Obedience

(photo by SpinC)

(warning: a long read)

I am walking with Him
and everyday I pray and ask for guidance
there's this desire I have
for daughter T to get that "chance"

the initial test, she passed
we started claiming victory
the second test, a difficult hurdle
as we waited for word, we started to worry

we didn't lose hope, we kept on praying
deep in our hearts, we could feel His blessing
after a few days, we heard the announcement
It's a YES, the tears we cried came like a torrent

we thought that was it, the trial was over
yet there's another session of questions and answers
on the appointed day, T forgot the endorsement letter
I told her: "what better endorsement than one from the Father?"

She made it and was told to proceed to the last hurdle
get physical exams, medical and dental
she submitted to the doctors, in her heart there was worry
in the end she was told, she needs to get an odontectomy

Expensive procedure, mentally we calculated
With very little time to have the results re-submitted
My heart sank, I know this time it would be crucial
from the start we had known we would falter with things financial

I talked to God and asked why it was so
She passed all the hurdles, in this one, is it a NO?
Doubt reared its ugly head, but in my heart, I heard Him say
Search and see what you can do, you will get your answer the next day

around 2am, I read Ann Voskamp's blog about Thanksgiving
It was about thanking God, for good or bad, for everything.
it hit me right there, giving me the conviction
to accept God's will and obey the instructions

Ann Voskamp's daughter, her innocent heart was questioning
“If God really works in everything, why don’t we thank Him for everything?
Should I only thank God for T's passing the hurdles?
And skip to thank him for what I thought was a blunder?

I accepted God's will with no more hesitation
I told myself, maybe T would need this for regimentation
I am thankful I didn't give up when I thought this was God's  "NO"
He wasted no time, a message in the blog, He needed to show

The next day we asked around for quotes for the dental service
one said 11k, another 17k, I was disheartened
Money was raised, finances put together
Needless to say, my hopes went up, no longer saddened.

Finally I made some calls and in my last inquiry
T showed up in a clinic and had the doctor check and see
He evaluated and assessed and then quoted a fee
He said 6500! Can you imagine how happy that made me?

A lesson in obedience, i can clearly see from this story
I realized God's reason for directing things to be
"Trust and Obey, for there's no other way...
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey"

There is no final word yet, on the outcome of the recruitment process
But whatever the verdict, We will give Thanks, nonetheless
It is up to Him if He will allow T to get this job
If not this, maybe something else, but we are assured of His Love.

9. God Reveals His Goodness

(photo by SpinC)

God reveals His goodness
in natural blessings every day
the sunset, the birth of a child
the air we breathe, the food He provides

God blesses everyone equally
never selective in who He chooses
The good, the evil, the wicked, the Godly
Not because of what they are but who HE is.

Through our deliverance He shows His Goodness
"Give thanks to the Lord for He is good"
even when we are disobedient
We still get saved and rescued

God reveals his goodness through Jesus
The life of Jesus Christ is proof
The world will end and even then

Only God is GOOD.

8. prayerful mornings

(photo by SpinC)

prayerful mornings
are what I aim for
seek God, talk to him
learn more, grow more

a worry in my heart
is not a good place to start
begin with a prayer and a smile
the whole day will be worthwhile

I notice on days
when a time for prayer is missed
something doesn't seem right
and my mind is not at ease

in my faith walk I clearly see
that praying is the key
to learn and understand
in this life, where do I stand?

Praise Him, my God is GRAND!

7. A Thanksgiving Nine Years Overdue

(the blogger's cross-stitched thanksgiving picture)

in the hustle and bustle of every day
I tend to forget something
that once upon a time in my life
I was afflicted with something crippling


my struggle with a slipped disc
had been long and physically draining
the hurts, the pains, the sorrow
spirits low, I felt I was dying.


The hospital visits became more often
the days of infirmity lengthened
my work was affected, I was deeply saddened
for I knew then, if I stop, everything ends


God was watching, He knew of my affliction
He knew I lacked the money for the operation
He touched some hearts, He pulled some strings,
And in no time, things were set in motion

After the operation, it was like magic
The pain was gone, the ordeal didn't end tragic
With a thankful heart, I told my story
How I was picked up from my misery by God's mercy


Human as I am, the healing I have forgotten
Went on with my life like nothing happened
I was lost in my concerns of everyday living
My spiritual life stopped growing


Nine years ago today, I was given new life
though I forgot, God picked me up again
Given a repentant, contrite and grateful heart
I'll give thanks through the verses I now write

6. A Thousand Verses

(photo by PhilC)

The path going back
is not all too rosy
'been here before
feeling broken and lonely

the walk is long
i don't see the end of the road
inner peace and eternal life
is what's to find there, I was told.

armed with the Holy Book
I walk along the path
sermons, scriptures, prayers
I read and listen as i sat

in my walk, I meet questions and trials
this does not surprise me
oftentimes I am in awe
at how HIS love protects me

the prayers I prayed asking for wisdom
His answers are always timely
one by one, the barriers are gone
I feel blessed and very happy.

The road is long and narrow
I am sure there are more hurdles ahead
More tears to shed, more prayers to be said
More battles to fight kneeling by my bed

To keep walking along this path
is the desire of my repentant heart
in the everyday journey of my life
a thousand verses I will write

5. My God Is Sovereign, Yes, He Is!!!!!

(photo by SpinC)

to be sovereign is to have power,
authority and control
it is to rule above everything
and over each and every soul

it is to be able to tell the future
with 100% accuracy all the time
prophecies revealed totally
all in the fullness of time

my God is sovereign over his creation
everything created for him and by him
He is Alpha and Omega, King of Kings
He is God from everlasting to everlasting

Romans 8:28 is a big promise
that all things work together for good
for one to stand behind such promise
have unlimited power, he should

people argue about God's sovereignty
when they should be comforted, instead
My God is sovereign, yes, HE IS
Salvation is for those who loved and trusted.

4. three hearts ♥♥♥ (dedicated to T,J and me)

(photo from DeviantArt ~blueeye)

♥♥♥


where do we begin
looking back in time?

do you remember the first day?
it all seems so far away

hazy images of youth
when we all used to be cute

a bunch of years and a bunch of pounds later
today I sure wish I was slimmer

three hearts that bonded together in 1981
listen, do you realize 30 years have gone?

college was part hardship, part fun
to be given a chance to go back, I'll want one.

how super it would have been
if back then, God's truths  these hearts  had seen?

His love brought three hearts back together

what God hath put together, let no trials put asunder...

3. God's Justice.

(photo owned by Jose Maria P. Alcasid)

Life is not fair, no, it never is, never was
but GOD is fair, is it even clear to us?

God created Life, yet sometimes it isn’t JUST
to know God’s sense of justice, is indeed a must!

Bad things happen to good people, that is true
Despite obedience, misfortunes make them blue

Good things happen to bad people; Yes, unfair!
They live a sinful life, yet they succeed and prosper.

It is because this world, is no longer what it was
The Evil One defiled it, turned a big part into trash

This is a FALLEN world, people do bad things to other people
Man’s freedom to choose was abused, hence, caused The Good to tumble.

God’s justice is like fire~~it purifies gold, precious stones and silver
but fire on wood, hay or stubble, they will vanish, disappear.

God is a Just God, All-knowing, God Almighty
Good or bad, we’ll all get what we deserve, we will be judged accordingly.

2. Is Your God Too Small?

(photo from crossridge church, ca)

Who is GOD,
in your heart, who is HE?

a self-help genie
in times of emergency?

a vendo machine
that dispenses soda and coffee?

drop in a coin
push buttons, get some tea?

left to ourselves,
we tend to SHRINK him

instead of magnifying
and hold in high esteem

search our hearts
are we at all cognizant?

Between Him and US
who should be the servant?

We seek God for things
things that would make us happy

seeking only our own happiness
dear Brethren, is IDOLATRY

Maximize God
draw near, come to him

begin entrusting, please stop controlling
the one who CAN CONTROL everything

1. I Know God is Going to Bring Nanny Home

( A poem based on a blog post,  "When You Desperately Want God To Hear Your Prayers in  A Holy Experience by Ann Voskamp, an accomplished Christian blogger and author of New York Times Bestseller, One Thousand Gifts ~~ from which book title this new blog took inspiration from)



Two pygmy goats for the birthday girl
one white and the other dark
the dark is the shadow of the white
the nicknames Nanny and Ninny sparked

“Mama,do goats make good dinner for coyotes?”
in a broken voice, Shalom asked
In less than a day, Nanny ran away
Off for the hunt, everyone was tasked

“Shome”, Kai makes her name sound like home
“Remember, Nanny’s wearing a collar”
Comforting, giving hope to Shalom
“it’s got our phone number, someone will call later”

After the lights are out. Shalom prays
“God I cried a lot today, please hear,
in that bottle of yours, catch all our tears
Bring my Nanny home, the coyotes, I fear

“Mama, God does love us, doesn’t he?”
her words piercing through the heart
God is always good and we are always loved
I know that without a doubt.

The second night Shalom prayed hard
the next day, our hopes are fading, it’s sad
The third night, staring into the unknown
still her voice said, “I know God is going to bring Nanny home”

What if he doesn’t? the seed of doubt has spoken
What if he doesn’t do what we pray, what we plea?
What if he doesn’t, and it leaves us heartbroken
What if things don’t turn out how we want it to be?

Even if he doesn’t, He does still love us
Even if He doesn’t do what we will
His will is still right, His heart, still good
Hush those doubts, your heart, keep still

Maybe Nanny is out there somewhere–or not
Keep looking out the window
That which we fear might happen to us
is the same thing to produce deep faith, don’t you know?

On the fourth night without Nanny
with a trickle of hope remaining
with heavy hearts, still all kept looking
it was raining, then all of a sudden, the phone rings.

The voice crackling from three miles north
we heard “rain”, “collar”, “phone number” and “heavy sheeting”
in the end the words: “we’ve got your goat”
Shome’s smile, all white lightning and happiest thunder clapping

Pure love branded on Nanny’s pygmy forehead-
A clear reminder of what God is,
“I know God is going to bring Nanny home”
and he IS still God, even if he doesn’t….