Saturday, August 9, 2008

Five Faith-Building Steps To A Powerful Prayer Life

1. Endure: Don't lose heart. Keep praising God for His goodness. (James 1:1-4)

James encourages us to "consider it all joy" when we encounter trials that test our faith. That may sound difficult. But as we endure these trials, pressing on in faith and believing God has our best interests at heart, we will emerge from the experience "perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." Often, God allows us to go through difficult challenges because those very experiences shape us to receive the answer He has already prepared. Even in the midst of pain, if we can press on -- praying, standing on His Word, believing His promises -- we will see His goodness bring us to a better place.

2. Stop worrying: Ask God for wisdom concerning your situation. (James 1:5)

God gives wisdom to everyone who asks Him. He gives it generously. He doesn't think any less of us for asking. In fact, He loves it when we come to Him with our concerns. But the catch is, we have to ask for wisdom to get it. Too many of us reason out problems and come up with solutions on our own -- coming to God only as a last resort. God tells us in Jeremiah 33:3, "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know." If we come to Him as soon as we encounter difficulties, He promises to give us His perspective on our situation. He can show us ways to deal with our trials that may never have occurred to us.

3. Deal with doubt: Come to God in faith -- and expect an answer! (James 1:6-8)

When you ask God for help, remember that He is faithful. When Jesus invited Peter to walk with Him on the water, Peter was able to do it -- as long as he kept his eyes on Jesus and focused on his circumstances -- looking at the waves around him and the water beneath him, he sank. When you ask God for help, focus on His Word and what He is speaking to your heart to believe for, rather than letting your faith be determined by your situation.

4 Remember: God is not limited by your circumstances. (James 1:9-11)

By the world's standards, wealthy people have the greatest range of opportunities because they have the resources to make their dreams come true. They can afford the best the world has to offer, and can gain power and influence through their wealth. In contrast, God is not impressed by a person's wealth, but rather by our willingness to believe Him and by obedience in what He has told us to do. If we are rich in faith, there are no limits to what God can accomplish through us!

5 Persevere: Keep your eyes on God, and thank Him for the victory! (James 1:12)

Through persevering in prayer in each trying situation, praising God and believing in His goodness, we will build the character we need in order to receive all that God has for us without being overwhelmed. And each situation we emerge from in triumph is a small picture of the victory that awaits all believers someday when we receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Life is ....

I am always so excited everytime I will go to my homeland. And I'll be home soon! :=) I remember, the last time I went home to Philippines, I was so happy to see all the buildings, roads, malls, 'in-process highways' and even those 'kalat' that I see along my way from NAIA to Cainta. Ahhh, whatever 'they' say, I'm proud to be Pinoy. Unlike before, when I was still based in the Phils, I ignored them... Now, I do appreciate and miss all those things esp. the noisy jeepneys...eeennnnnggg...beeeeep.....Indeed, I would say : 'Manila, Manila, I keep coming back to Manila...simply no place like Manila...My Home" Oh! I'ts really an unexplainable feeling of excitement!

I remember this quote, "Life goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone. AND IT SEEMS.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

I'm Curlee

So, so busy for a couple of days... We have visitors from Australia whom we had our photo sessions yesterday. They called themselves as MOTIV. They were hired by Unilab to update our Corporate Business Profile. Good thing, Regional Offices like Thailand was included. We were the 'Stars' of the show. So hard pala to be like actors/actresses. Many shots were done. And several pauses as well (group shots, solo, standing, sitting etc etc)... as in we need to hold our smile in order to have the best shot!

I did prepare for this day...as early as 6:40am, I went to the beauty shop (or parlor as we say) located in the ground floor of our office builing. And I like their service--hair shampoo and blower. Three times they applied shampoo & conditioner to me with a matching massage all over my scalp. Ahhh... I feel good! My hair was so straight (para talagang nagpa-salon! sabi ni Ricky Reyes). When I entered the office at 7:45am, everbody looked at me and say "ooohhhh" coz, my hair was so straight and shiny....kasi they used to see me have the usual 'curly' hair...hehehe

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Why Worry?

Just want to share about what I've read this morning....

The future can be a scary place. The unknown can be overwhelming, especially when the known has so many struggles. No matter what the situation our future will bring, we can depend on God's promise of help--regardless of what trouble the world will be in. God said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Heb 13:5). And Jesus said, "I am with you always, even to the end of age" (Matt28:20) These are great promises to depend on when we start to worry about the future, whether it's ours or the next generation.

We may not know what the future holds, but we know we can trust the ONE who holds the future.

AMEN!!!

Sunday, June 8, 2008

2 Thumbs Up!

It's nice to see good people like full time filipino missionaries whom I know. I visted them yesterday and we had a small chat: God is faithful, His ways are not our ways. Actually, I just delivered some small token and cd of "Maging Sino Ka Man--Bea & John Lloyd B1-B2. I will bring more cds next time: tagalog movies and telenovelas (Caregiver & Bahay Kubo were their special requests).

During the weekend, I watched 2 good movies: The Notebook (Saturday) and Double Jeopardy (Sunday). So much tears I spent in watching 'The Notebook', it's all about Love...an everlasting love. How I wish I could find a man like that...Here's the synopsis: The Notebook is an epic love story centered around an older man who reads aloud to an older, invalid woman whom he regularly visits. From a faded notebook, the old man's words bring to life the story about a couple who is separated by World War II, and is then passionately reunited, seven years later, after they have taken different paths. Though her memory has faded, his words give her the chance to relive her turbulent youth and the unforgettable love they shared.

On the other hand, there's a short background why I was able to watch "Double Jeopardy." After church & malling, I was supposed to iron my clothes, but coz of migraine, I watched tv instead, while having my foot massage then plan to sleep afterwards. My attention was stucked with HBO movie--'Double Jeopardy' (it's not my hobby to watch suspense movies, but there's no TFC and tagalog movies in Thailand, so I have no choice... to be happy with what's available...). Here's the synopsis: An innocent woman is falsely charged and convicted for murdering her husband who plotted his own 'death' to escape his debt. When she gets out of jail after six years and gets paroled into a halfway house, she begins to plot her revenge, taking advantage of a legal rule of double jeopardy, which states that a person cannot be convicted for the same crime twice.

Two thumbs up for these movies!!!

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Baby Face

It has never been my interest to have a facial treatment coz am afraid of 'pain' and possible allergies. But yesterday, it came to my mind of 'why not try it, just for once...' So, after lunch, I canvassed for it: facial and eye treatment (for my black eyes...hehehe) its 2,700baht, plus 20%off. I tried to negotiate more, and they gave me a 30%off. I Told them that I will call when I'm ready. When I get home at 7pm, I really had the urge to try it, but it's expensive eh (paeng! in thai)... Kaya, I ignored it. When I was inside the elevator, I saw a promotion: 'Shine Bandara_Buy1-Take1,50%off & more'. Hmmmm...to make it short, I availed of their 'promo'. I had my facial treatment last night, and I'll have a body scrub tonight, for FREE! I paid a total of 1,885baht only. Perhaps, before the promo ends in 30June, I'll avail of their membership for only 1,000baht with special offer: FREE body scrub-60min+foot massage-30min; 50%off for the 1st 3sessions of any service, and 20%off thereafter. Good Deal!

Earthquake Tips

Just want to share this Info....

F.Y.I. Where to be During an Earthquake
Boy! Is this ever an eye opener. Directly opposite of what we've been taught over the years! I can remember in school being told to, 'duck and cover' or stand in a doorway during an earthquake. This guy's findings is absolutely amazing. I hope we all remember his survival method if we are ever in an earthquake!!!

Please read this and pass the info along to your family members; it could save their lives someday!EXTRACT FROM DOUG COPP'S ARTICLE ON THE: 'TRIANGLE OF LIFE'My name is Doug Copp. I am the Rescue Chief and Disaster Manager of theAmerican Rescue Team International (ARTI), the world's most experiencedrescue team. The information in this article will save lives in an earthquake.I have crawled inside 875 collapsed buildings, worked with rescue teamsfrom 60 countries, founded rescue teams in several countries, and I am amember of many rescue teams from many countries.. I was the United Nations expert in Disaster Mitigation for two years. Ihave worked at every major disaster in the world since 1985, except forsimultaneous disasters.The first building I ever crawled inside of was a school in Mexico Cityduring the 1985 earthquake. Every child was under its desk. Every childwas crushed to the thickness of their bones. They could have survived bylying down next to their desks in the aisles. It was obscene, unnecessary andI wondered why the children were not in the aisles. I didn't at the timeknow that the children were told to hide under something.Simply stated, when buildings collapse, the weight of the ceilingsfalling upon the objects or furniture inside crushes these objects, leaving aspace or void next to them. This space is what I call the 'triangle of life'.The larger the object, the stronger, the less it will compact. The less theobject compacts, the larger the void, the greater the probability thatthe person who is using this void for safety will not be injured. The nexttime you watch collapsed buildings, on television, count the 'triangles' yousee formed. They are everywhere. It is the most common shape, you will see,in a collapsed building.TIPS FOR EARTHQUAKE SAFETY1) Most everyone who simply 'ducks and covers' WHEN BUILDINGS COLLAPSE are crushed to death. People who get under objects, like desks or cars, are crushed.2) Cats, dogs and babies often naturally curl up in the fetal position.You should too in an earthquake.. It is a natural safety/survival instinct. You can survive in a smaller void. Get next to an object, next to a sofa, next to a large bulky object that will compress slightly but leave a void next to it.3) Wooden buildings are the safest type of construction to be in duringan earthquake. Wood is flexible and moves with the force of the earthquake.If the wooden building does collapse, large survival voids are created.Also, the wooden building has less concentrated, crushing weight. Brickbuildings will break into individual bricks. Bricks will cause many injuries butless squashed bodies than concrete slabs.4) If you are in bed during the night and an earthquake occurs, simplyroll off the bed. A safe void will exist around the bed. Hotels can achieve amuch greater survival rate in earthquakes, simply by posting a sign on The back of the door of every room telling occupants to lie down on the floor, next to the bottom of the bed during an earthquake.5) If an earthquake happens and you cannot easily escape by getting outthe door or window, then lie down and curl up in the fetal position next toa sofa, or large chair.6) Most everyone who gets under a doorway when buildings collapse iskilled. How? If you stand under a doorway and the doorjamb falls forward orbackward you will be crushed by the ceiling above. If the door jam falls sideways you will be cut in half by the doorway. In either case, you will be killed!7) Never go to the stairs. The stairs have a different 'moment offrequency' (they swing separately from the main part of the building).The stairs and remainder of the building continuously bump into eachother until structural failure of the stairs takes place. The people who geton stairs before they fail are chopped up by the stair treads - horriblymutilated. Even if the building doesn't collapse, stay away from thestairs. The stairs are a likely part of the building to be damaged. Even if thestairs are not collapsed by the earthquake, they may collapse later whenoverloaded by fleeing people. They should always be checked for safety,even when the rest of the building is not damaged.8) Get Near the Outer Walls Of Buildings Or Outside Of Them If Possible- It is much better to be near the outside of the building rather thanthe interior. The farther inside you are from the outside perimeter of thebuilding the greater the probability that your escape route will beblocked.9) People inside of their vehicles are crushed when the road above fallsin an earthquake and crushes their vehicles; which is exactly what happenedwith the slabs between the decks of the Nimitz Freeway.. The victims ofthe San Francisco earthquake all stayed inside of their vehicles. They wereall killed. They could have easily survived by getting out and sitting orlying next to their vehicles. Everyone killed would have survived if they hadbeen able to get out of their cars and sit or lie next to them. All thecrushed cars had voids 3 feet high next to them, except for the cars that hadcolumns fall directly across them.10) I discovered, while crawling inside of collapsed newspaper officesand other offices with a lot of paper, that paper does not compact.Large voids are found surrounding stacks of paper.Spread the word and save someone's life... The Entire world isexperiencing natural calamities so be prepared!'We are but angels with one wing, it takes two to fly'In 1996 we made a film, which proved my survival methodology to becorrect. The Turkish Federal Government, City of Istanbul , University ofIstanbul Case Productions and ARTI cooperated to film this practical, scientifictest. We collapsed a school and a home with 20 mannequins inside. Tenmannequins did 'duck and cover,' and ten mannequins I used in my'triangle of life' survival method. After the simulated earthquake collapse wecrawled through the rubble and entered the building to film and document theresults. The film, in which I practiced my survival techniques underdirectly observable, scientific conditions , relevant to building collapse, showed there would have been zero percent survival for those doing duckand cover.There would likely have been 100 percent survivability for people usingmy method of the 'triangle of life.' This film has been seen by millionsof viewers on television in Turkey and the rest of Europe , and it was seenin the USA , Canada and Latin America on the TV program Real TV