In Awe of God's Creation

 

At dawn’s quiet edge, I stand in awe,

The sky a canvas without flaw.

Darkness lingers, yet light takes its place,

A gentle promise of boundless grace.

The night retreats as colors bloom,

Hope awakening in the gloom.

Each ray of light, a whispered call:

God’s love sustains and conquers all.

In every shadow, His hand is near,

Through darkest times, His light is clear.

The heavens proclaim, in beauty profound,

His glory eternal, His mercies unbound.

⚖️⚖️⚖️

This morning, I stood still, marveling at the breathtaking beauty of God’s creation. The sky at dawn was a canvas of quiet wonder—a deep, tranquil darkness that still held the promise of light. It was as if the first rays of day were gently pushing against the night, reminding me that no matter how heavy the darkness may seem, it cannot hold back the light.

In that moment, I felt a deep peace, knowing that just as the dawn breaks, so too does God’s faithfulness. His mercies are new every morning, His light is ever constant, and His hand is always at work—even in the shadows.

How majestic is our Creator, who paints the heavens with such purpose! It’s a reminder that, even in our darkest times, His light is ready to break through, bringing hope, renewal, and grace.

Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” And this morning, they surely did. ☀️

A pocketful of sunshine and 

The Champ's "Little" Secret

"Just trust me,

I will not leave you,
I will not abandon you."

A news article in the front page of the Philippine Daily Inquirer caught my eye today. It surely made me smile and warmed my heart.

Everyone knows who Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao is. He is the WORLD's pound-for-pound boxing king and has been recently named as "Boxer of the Decade" by Reuters News Agency (easily easing out Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s name from the title).

For the first time, he revealed the secret of his success -- he had a conversation with God who promised him "strength and power." He said that God once told him: "Just trust me, I will not leave you, I will not abandon you."

That promise was made to him long before he became a world champion. Yet he trusted, he believed, he held on to his faith.

A world champion attesting to God's goodness is something that is not common. Normally, a man of his stature would force on our throats his own greatness and the power that he wields. But this man of humble beginnings continue to acknowledge where all his blessings come from. Since the first time I saw him fight until the last title he won, he always offered to God his own little corner on the ring where he knelt before and after each bout to pray and thank Him.

People laughed at him when he was just starting, finding his behavior odd or too fanatical. Now people see it as a symbol of his unwavering faith- a reminder to everyone that God should be first in everything.

This is one man who has never forgotten where his success came from.... a man who continues to count his abundant blessings and not allowing them to get in his head... a man who acknowledges a greater power over and above his... a man whose unwavering faith should be emulated...

It all starts with gratitude... a grateful heart that counts every little positive thing that comes our way instead of dwelling on our frustrations.

Think of what we have and NOT of what we don't have...

Have a Great Christmas!

The Promise: Revisited

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess
for HE who promised is faithful."

On April 10, I wrote A Divine Promise :

"Truth is nowhere to be found,
and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.
The Lord looked and was displeased
that there was no justice.

He saw that there was no one,
He was appalled that there was no one to intervene;
so His own arm worked salvation for Him,
and His own righteousness sustained Him.

He put on righteousness as His breastplate,
and the helmet of salvation on His head;
He put on the garments of vengeance
and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.

According to what they have done,
so will He repay wrath to His enemies
and retribution to His foes;
He will repay the islands their due."

Isaiah 59:15-18

This was an unequivocal promise that God gave to me a few years ago. It was reiterated to me on April 10 (some sort of a reminder, I guess) so I decided to write about it. Little did I know then that His words would soon take form before my eyes.

Yesterday, I got another validation.

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess for HE who promised is faithful." (Hebrews 10:23)

By an ironic twist of fate, the hunters have become the hunted. A bittersweet near-end (or is it just a bend) to a tragic and melodramatic quest. Poetic justice, maybe.

This much is quite clear to me now: I am just to sit back and relax.. and enjoy His show.

Everything happens for a reason. All for God's glory!

a pocketful of sunshine to everyone!!!

Blessings to all,

Sunshine In My Heart

Despite the little setbacks and heartaches here and there, I wake up each day feeling refreshed and happy knowing that there are more people out there who love me than those who show callous indifference.

Each morning, I wake up to the sound of my kids' busy banters as they prepare for another day in school. I don't even have to bother waking them up. They need no prodding to do what they have to do.

I have my parents who, despite their frail health and other serious concerns, never fail to check on me and my kids. I guess in their eyes I never stopped being their little girl.

I should not forget my bro ('tol) and sis (li'l sis) who, despite the distance between us, have remained close to me. Waking up to their messages in my inbox or cellphone saying "Sis, what do the kids need?" or "Sis, musta na?" ("how are you doing?") always warm my heart.

I have a job that people dream of (if only for the glamor of it) - in a workplace where each one is treated like family .

I have friends (the BFFs) who have stayed with me through thick and thin, rain or shine, come hell or high water. Isn't it amazing that, instead of drifting apart, we (including husbands and kids now) were able to create a much stronger bond through all those 20 years of friendship?

And yes, after a big storm in my life, the sun found its way back and is finally here to stay. Little did I know back then that sunshine would warm my soul again.

Counting my blessings helps me get through the day. And each time I start to worry, I close my eyes and claim HIS promise:

"Therefore I tell you,

do not worry about your life,

what you will eat or drink;

or about your body,

what you will wear.

Is not life more important than clothes?

Look at the birds of the air;

they do not sow or reap or store away in barns,

and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

Are you not much more valuable than they?

Who of you by worrying

can add a single hour to his life?"

Matthew 6:25-27

The bumps in the road just make the ride more fun. Always remember that what won't kill you will only make you stronger.

A pocketful of sunshine to everyone!

Blessings to all,

A Divine Promise

"Hear that uproar from the city,
hear that noise from the temple!
It is the sound of the Lord
repaying His enemies all they deserve."
Isaiah 66:6

Cold blooded murders... Abductions and unexplained disappearances (men ending up as "desaparecidos")... Hooded armed men... Motorcycle-riding gunmen... Brutal rape and slaying of innocent women and children... Vicious killings and kidnappings by terrorist groups in the guise of rebellion, political cleansing and ideological struggle... Wayward youth whose lives have been destroyed by drugs... Statistics are rising fast at the expense of hapless families.

This is the only place in the world where "salvage" is more known to refer to summary killings instead of its legal meaning of saving a vessel, goods or life from the perils of the sea.

"Collateral Damage" was the title of the movie that James and I enjoyed watching in the past. A few years later, collateral damage was attached to his name, now a "desaparecido" (one who has disappeared) himself. I guess one will never know the depth of such pain unless you have experienced grave injustice yourself.

I have been asked too many times how I have learned to forgive. The answer lies in the promise that my GOD gave me one early morning four years ago... a promise that was conveyed to me in an unequivocal manner...

"Truth is nowhere to be found,
and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.
The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice.

He saw that there was no one,
He was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so His own arm worked salvation for Him, and His own righteousness sustained Him.

He put on righteousness as His breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on His head;
He put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.

According to what they have done, so will He repay wrath to His enemies and retribution to His foes; He will repay the islands their due."

Isaiah 59:15-18

Since then, I have totally surrendered all anger, bitterness, vindictiveness and hatred in my heart. Forgiveness came easy by accepting that vengeance, which does not truly lie in my hands, had been promised.

Today, this promise was reiterated in God's own words...

"For the day of vengeance was in my heart,
and the year of my redemption has come.
I looked, but there was no one to help,
I was appalled that no one gave support;
so my own arm worked salvation for me and
my own wrath sustained me.
I trampled the nations in anger;
in my wrath I made them drunk and
poured their blood on the ground."
Isaiah 63:4-6

He validated it through the story of King Solomon (1 Kings) and demonstrated how He met all His covenants to His people.

The message remains:

He fulfills all His promises.

Here's wishing you all a blessed and meaningful Good Friday!




Blessings to all,

POSTSCRIPT:

I will be taking that long overdue break next week.
I will be back by the end of April in time for the acknowledgment of my top droppers.
I hope you will continue to drop your ECs in my absence. :-)