Cambodia

Two more weeks to go and I'm off to Cambodia. It will be my first time to visit the place and I am so excited to see new places, different culture, listen to different languages, and most of all, meeting fellow Christians from other Asian countries. I have been receiving emails from the organizers reminding us of what to bring, our schedules, and the do's and don't in their country. It surprised me that touching other people's head and showing the bottom of the foot are considered unethical for them. So, as a person who loves to touch and is unconscious whether the bottom of my feet is showing or not, I have to practice doing it as early as now so that I will not have to adjust so much when I get there. There should also be no touching of the opposite sex. Coming from a country who has been influenced so much by the western culture, I also have to adjust to that. I am comfortable shaking hands with the opposite sex. Sometimes, I also hug Christian brothers when greeting them. It is really interesting knowing the cultures of other countries. That is why I love to travel because it opens our minds to other ways. It helps us not to judge other countries. Each culture has its own beliefs and it is valuable that we respect and honor their practices especially if we are there just to visit. So, before visiting another country, make sure that you research their culture to make your visit more memorable.

Dead Sea

The dead sea is five times saltier than the ocean. Bathers can actually sit and read a book because of its high salt concentration. Though the dead sea is rich in minerals such as potassium and chloride, no living creature resides in it. Why? Because it has no outlet. When water gets in, it cannot get out leaving its minerals baking in the sun. We can say that the dead sea is a selfish body of water because it does not give out what it receives.

We can relate it to our own lives. We cannot really grow when we do not give back what has been given us. We will end up having unfruitful and empty lives. There is a time for everything. There is time for receiving and a time for giving.

I think the dead sea exists for us to know what happens if we do not share our blessings. I hope all of us will have the opportunity to visit the dead sea and see for ourselves that what we read in our books is really true.

pig out and look out

Burp! I am still sooooo full after eating Grub's Mexicali Pork Chops and their Burger 98. I always eat heartily when I am in good company. After dinner, we went to a night spot to check out men. Well, men for me and boys for my gay friend. He likes younger ones. Ending a relationship when you're 30 is a bit depressing especially for women. Guys in their thirties are mostly married, those who are still single are questionable, and those in their twenties are not yet looking for a serious relationship. So, imagine my horror that everywhere I looked, I saw guys younger than me and I started to lose hope of finding a romantic relationship. But this is only one night. Who knows! Maybe I will meet someone tomorrow, or the day after, and the day after. The possibilities are endless. And most of the time, our fate is unexpected. Yes, I will make an effort to meet new friends (girls, women, boys, men, grandparents, parents, etc) and just enjoy life. And of course food.
After the crucial men watching and men bashing, we decided to eat ice cream at McDonald's. Yikes! their sundae is not yet available so we went to a convenience store. There we bought ice cream, chocolates, and chips. Yummy! Though we kind of felt guilty after because of all those calories. From eating pork to junk food. And we do not exercise. We decided that we will not eat out tomorrow and resume to our usual diet which would be vegetables and rice. After all, summer is close and we would want to look our best in our swimsuits.

Interruptions

Proverbs 19:21 "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails''.

All of us have experienced unscheduled interruptions in our lives. We all have laid up time frames for our plans. Most of the time (at least in my case), our expected outcome does not push through. Sometimes things do not always turn out the way we expect.

I always go back to this verse whenever there are interruptions in my life. God has a purpose and I trust that I will be much happier in his will. Instead of praying for God to help us in our plans, maybe we should ask our Father what he wants us to do for this day. If we really think about it, life is fairly simple. We just do the things that we are supposed to do in accordance with God's purpose. Live life one day at time. The bible taught us not to worry about tomorrow because each day has enough troubles. And worrying will not add a single hour to our lives.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Acknowledge him in all your ways and he will make your path straight.

Have a worry free day!

Dare to be different

Galatians 1:10 Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ

All of us are social cowards. We all have the need to belong. Conformity is one of our greatest pressures. Our desire to be accepted may cause us to abandon some of our values, principles, and spiritual conviction. Yet the people who have made an impact in our history are the odd ones. Our Bible heroes stood out from the crowd. We have Daniel who was not afraid and kept his faith amidst the trouble that he might run into for praying. Abraham trusted in God and left his good life in the city of Ur to go to the promised land. Little did Abraham know that he will be called the father of all nations.
There was no indication in the Bible that Jesus Christ was physically different from the people in his time. The life that Jesus lead was different. He was not afraid to tell people the truth about him and his father. He knew the outcome of his life here on earth. He easily could have backed out from his mission. While on earth, Jesus was also human. He has experienced the pain humans are experiencing. That is why Jesus understands us because he became human for us, to save us. How did Christ do it? Jesus' strength came from above. He was constantly in touch with his Father in heaven.
Whenever we are with friends, schoolmates, office mates, we have to choose whom to please. Will it be God or men?
If we earnestly want to please God, let us always be in constant communication with God. We cannot be different if we do not have the strength to stand up to our convictions. Being different for God gives us fulfillment. Let us dare to be different.

clutter free

I have just finished cleaning my room and disposing unnecessary items in my drawers. It feels good being free of all those clutter. Well, not all because I have only finished one portion of my drawer. I have more de-cluttering to do. I suggest that if you want to relieve yourself from stress, cleaning is a very good idea. Aside from accomplishing something, you will feel better after. It's like every unnecessary item that you throw away, you are also throwing away negative feelings. Try it sometime. It really works.

Weakness

Each of us have our own struggles in life. Temptations are different for all. For some, their temptation could be gossiping, drinking, smoking, cursing, promiscuity, etc. All of us have our weakness that seem uncontrollable. Some of our weaknesses can be external or internal. In my case, it has been internal. I am struggling to change my thoughts to a more positive tone. Amidst the trials and failures, God has promised us hope that we can conquer our sins. God's strength can fill our weaknesses. Every day that we wake up is another chance to glorify God with our thoughts and actions. It is important to always say a prayer of strength before doing our activities for the day. Try it and feel the difference prayer can do in our lives.

meeting

There is an activity held in Cambodia every year which they call Angkor of Faith. This is my first time to participate in this activity. We are there to mingle with Cambodia's street children and of course to fellowship with other members of the church in Asia. I am very excited because it will be a new experience for me. Our team leader met with us and gave us an overview of what to expect. We also discussed the financial aspect of the trip. Most of us have limited budget so we really have to consider everything. We thought of making a fund raising activity for additional funds. We are thinking of holding a garage sale or selling baked cookies. Lord willing, we can be able to raise enough funds for us to at least be able to spend a little bit more on food and maybe join some of the tours being offered in the city. Majority of us are first timers in Cambodia. The organizers of the activity have set aside one day for city tours but we have to pay extra to be able to join. We are very excited and are continuously praying for the success of our trip.

Burger 98

I love hamburgers. There are only few burgers that I like in my city. They're not really to die for but I crave for them once in a while. I went out with my friends tonight and I came home super satisfied. We ate in a small and simple diner. They have this burger which they call "burger 98". It is the best burger I have ever tasted. The meat is tender and juicy. I suggest that you eat something else if you're on a first date:) Because of its juiciness, eating the burger can be quite messy. It is sooooooo good. I am recommending it to friends and I will be back to that diner very soon.

blessings

Psalm 145:21 My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever

Worship and blessing are two different things. Blessing is a gift. We do not have to do anything. Worship on the other hand needs action on our part. Worship is the response we give to God and the blessing of God which enriches our lives is the result of giving the almighty God all the glory. Worship is not limited to Sunday services. Worship is actually a way of life. I have read somewhere that the old English word for worship is "worthship". The life we lead must be worthy of what God has given us. Every day, all our actions must be done always for God's glory. The blessing of God is so abundant. Our Father in heaven is just waiting for us to come to Him. May all of you have blessed day.

facing your fear

Two of my greatest fears are speaking in public and attending a social event without knowing anyone. Tonight, I have conquered both of those fears. It was a liberating experience and I went home happy with my heart still beating fast because of nervousness. I have always wanted to join Toastmasters Club to improve my speaking ability. I always chickened out because of fear and not knowing anyone. I enjoyed the speeches and learned a lot. And the theme was so timely. It was about laughter. Most of the members are way older than me and all of them speak very well. I was asked to say a few words at the end of the session. I was caught off guard and honestly, I do not remember anymore what I said. I'm pretty sure I was not coherent. Nevertheless, they were very receptive when I told them of my intention to join the organization. I am looking forward next week for another adrenalin rush.

Trust in God

Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make our path straight."

The Bible says that many are the plans of man but it is the Lord's will that prevail. While it is good to plan for the future, let us be aware that sometimes our plans do not push through. We may already have a road map for our life but more often than not, we are met by various roadblocks which forces us to take detours. Frustrations, pain and all kinds of negative feelings creeps in.

There is one road map though that is always accurate. It is the Bible. Rest assured that in times of these uncertainties, God is there to give us his comfort, His guidance, and His love. It may sometimes feel that God has abandoned us. It is not so. It only feels like it. Most of the times, what we feel is not the reality. God is being a "father"and wants us to learn and grow. When we trust Him, we will be surprised that the painful things that we have experienced allowed us to become happier. Let us offer our life to God and trust in His will. God's promises are real and are always fulfilled. Have a worry free day:)

true friends

True friends are hard to find. It is a blessing that I have real friends who drop everything to give me comfort. I am assured that they love me for who and what I am. No pretenses. Most people pay a lot of money just for someone to listen to them. If I have a problem and have to pay for someone to listen, I think I would be more depressed. Moving forward is a lot easier with supportive friends and family. I have the support of both. How lucky am I? It's a good thing that I have different sets of friends. I can't really expect my friends to be always with me physically. They also have their own lives. Having different sets of friends allows you to go out more often. It allows you to schedule dates with different friends and they won't get tired of you. Friends are there to make our lives more meaningful.

Everyday

Another day is here. Another chance to heal. It sure takes a while for a broken heart to mend. It's always good to live one day at a time. Everyday, we tell ourselves that things will be better. And every single day, we try to act happy hoping that one day, we already are. It takes a lot of effort to divert replaying the painful things that has happened. In time, it will be easier. Painful things happen for us to grow up. We all have to go through this for us to appreciate life. Life is really ironic sometimes. It also surprises us in so many ways. Life is also unfair at times. Yet, in funny ways, life is also fair. The important thing is that we learn what we can in this life. We only have one lifetime and we have to make the most out of it. Let us focus our minds on all the positives in this world. Have a great day everyone.

THe Lord is my shepherd

Psalm 23:1 - "The Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything i need."

I do have everything I need. God never promised us a worry free life. In fact, he warned us that the life of a believer is not going to be easy. He sent Jesus to save us not just from hell but also from this life. I have seen so many misery in this world. People go about their lives doing what they want and yet still end up feeling empty. Yes, there are so many things we can do for our enjoyment. But it is only through Christ that we can finally be fulfilled. Knowing that we are just passing through this world. What is life on earth compared to eternity. I am looking forward to spend eternity with God. In the meantime, we have work to do in this world. Praying that more people will truly believe the holy bible as the true authority.