BioJeSSiC

It has been a long time since I last wrote a poem. Maybe that was years ago when I was still in elementary. So I am composing one now and needless to say…. it’s like one of those poems made by grade 4 students. No fancy words here… only a heart that longs to glorify one person who loved me so much.

.

A faith that fades and disappears

A love that is not sharp enough to pierce

A life that is here today and gone tomorrow

A heart that experiences sorrow

.

Those lines describe eveything that I possess

I have nothing to boast if you care to reassess

This world is temporary and so am I

Let me emphasize that one day I’ll also die

.

What is my point in this composition?

It is to remind me of my real position

Before the Lord, I am nothing but dust

Like a cheap iron, I am bound to rust

.

But He came to my life and reminded me

I love you Jessica, I love you dearly

Who am I Lord that you care to speak to me?

Jessica, I am your Creator. I will set you free

.

Here I am still as vulnerable as I can be

I have no one else to give me security

I only have Christ to assure me everyday

That His love for me will last for eternity

.

So I thank You with all of my heart, mind and might

I long to one day join You when the time is right

I am the worst of all sinners yet you cared to see

The beauty that you crafted especially for me

.

Let me end this by saying I LOVE YOU TOO

I am not poetic but that is true!

.

Lt. John Blanchard was in New York City at Grand Central Station, and he looked up at the big clock. It said five till six. His heart was racing. At exactly six o’clock he was going to meet the girl whom he thought he was in love with, but had never met. This is what had happened… He had been in Florida for pilot training during World War II, and while he was there he happened to go to a library and check out a book. As he flipped through the pages, he noticed that someone had made notes in the margins. Reading the insightful observations in beautiful handwriting, he said to himself, “I would love to meet whoever wrote these notes-they seem so kind, gentle, and wise.”

He looked in the front of the book and saw a name, Harlyss Maynell, New York City. He decided to try to find her. With the help of a New York City phone book, he found her address and wrote her a letter. The day after he wrote her, he was shipped back overseas to fight in the war. Surprisingly, Harlyss answered John’s letter. They soon began to correspond back and forth throughout the war. “He letters were just like the marvelous notes she had written in that book,” John recalled. “She was so comforting and so helping.”

One time John had confessed in a letter that he had been scared to death when they flew over Germany. Harlyss had encouraged him, “All brave men are afraid at times. Next time you are afraid, just say ‘Yeah, though I walk through the valley of shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for God is with me’. As they continued to write, John began to realize that he was having romantic feelings toward Harlyss. He wrote, “Send me a picture,” and she replied, “No, I won’t. Relationships are not built on what people look like.”

Still, he was intrigued by her and longed to meet her in person. Finally the day came when he was to return to the States on leave. He mentioned in one of his letters that he was coming home and would like to take her to dinner. She had arranged to meet him in New York City’s Grand Central Station at 6:00 P.M. under the big clock. “You’ll know who I am because I’ll be wearing a red rose,” she told him.

At last the day had come. John waited nervously to finally meet the girl he thought he loved. Here is how John described his first meeting with Harlyss Maynell:

“A young woman was coming toward me, her figure long and slim. She had blonde hair that lay back in curls from her delicate ears. Her eyes were as blue as flowers. Her lips and chin had a gentle firmness, and in a pale green suit she looked like spring-time come alive! Excitedly, I started toward her, entirely forgetting to notice that she was not wearing a red rose. As I moved her way, she noticed me. A small provocative smile curled her lips. “Going my way, soldier?” she asked coyly. I took another step closer to her. It was then that I saw… Harlyss Maynell with the red rose in her coat, walking directly behind the girl in green. My heart sank. She was a woman well past forty. She was plump. She had graying hair tucked under a worn hat. Her thick ankles were thrust into low shoes. The girl in the green suit was walking quickly away. I had to make a choice. Should I follow after the beauty who had just spoken to me? Or stay and face poor Harlyss Maynell? I made my decision and I did not hesitate. Turning toward the woman, I smiled. Even as I began to speak, I felt choked by bitter disappointment. “You must be Miss Maynell,” I said, extending my hand. “I’m so glad you could meet me. Will you join me for dinner?” The older woman’s face broadened with a smile. “I don’t know what this is all about, son,” she replied, “but you know that young woman in the green suit who just went by? I met her on the train. She begged me to wear this rose in my coat. She said that if you should ask me to dinner, to tell you she’s waiting for you in that big restaurant across the street. She said it was some kind of a test.”

Conclusion: The amazing and romantic story of John Blanchard and Harlyss Maynell is an incredible example of a young woman who was willing to wait for a man with true integrity– and a man who was rewarded because he did not follow his fleshy desires, but responded to the character of Christ.

From: WHEN GOD WRITES YOUR LOVE STORY by Eric & Leslie Ludy

When some doors swing open all you see inside is darkness. Only when you get inside that darkness do you realize that the light you’ve been given is on the inside. (theedgeradio.net)

One will never appreciate the cleanness of winter without first going through the rustling leaves of fall… just as one would not appreciate the colors of spring without first breathing in the whiteness of winter.  (davidabc13.multiply.com)

It is not what I do that matters, but what a sovereign God chooses to do through me. God does not want worldly successes, He wants me. He wants my heart in submission to Him. Life is not just a few years to spend on self indulgence and career advancement. It is a privilege, a responsibility, a stewardship to be lived according to a much higher calling, God’s calling. This alone gives true meaning to life. (Elizabeth Dole)

Knowing that I am not the one in control gives great encouragement. Knowing the One who is in control is everything. (Alexander Michael)

Can anything appear in us that was not anticipated by One who before taking us for His own possession sat down and counted the cost? Is there not comfort in knowing that your keel is caught by a current which emanated from the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will, and is bearing you towards His heart? Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgements, and His ways past finding out! (Frederick Brotherton ( F. B. ) Meyer)

Friendship not only takes time, it takes a willingness to drop false expectations, of ourselves, of each other. Friends - or lovers - are not always available to each other. Inner turmoils can cause us to be unhearing when someone needs us, to need to receive understanding when we should be giving understanding. (Madeleine L’Engle)

You learn to speak by speaking, to study by studying, to run by running, to work by working; and just so you learn to love God and man by loving. Begin
as a mere apprentice and the very power of love will lead you on to become a master of the art. (Francis de Sales)

I just took my NCLEX last Thursday, February 5. I woke up very early since I was staying with my relatives in Quezon City. I arrived in Makati three hours before the time! I was not feeling well because we went to a wake the night before the exam. I slept at around 10:30PM and woke up 4AM. To those who will be taking the exam, please don’t follow my example.

So I stayed in Yellow Cab, People Support Bldg in Makati. I tried to read some facts in my small notebook but my heart was saying STOP. So, I stopped reviewing and just prayed hard. I knew the Lord was always with me. I knew He told me to just rest and leave it all to Him.

My friend said that I should just wait for 8:15AM before going to the exam site. I did what she said. When I arrived in Trident Tower, I was surprised that a lot of people were forming a line already. I had no choice but to wait and just leave it all to Him… again.

So everything went smoothly and I was done one and a half hours later. The computer stopped at the 75th question. I was so relieved and praised God the whole time even though the result was not out yet.

Just last night, I arrived from Manila and checked Pearson Vue. The result was not out yet. This morning, I read Psalm 23 while I was still in bed. THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD, I SHALL NOT WANT. I smiled because that was the verse that I wrote in the book that I used in reviewing. I checked Pearson Vue again after eating breakfast and there it was– quick result was ready. I paid for it and I saw it:

STATUS: PASS

JESSICA ANNE P. YGUINTO, RN, US-RN 

One of the most influential persons in my life just passed away this week. What we had was not close to being perfect but it was with a purpose. I came to know Jesus because of him. He was more than a friend and a classmate. He was a brother in Christ to me.

The last time we saw each other was last November in the hospital. We prayed and shared our faith just like what we did when we were still together in college. Indeed, God has a great way of turning a mess into a message. And that message will always be in my heart forever because it was not just Ron’s message to me… It was Christ’s. 

As an encouragement, I’d like to share this devotional to everyone who has experienced losing someone in their lives.. I received this in my email a day before he left this world. I know it was so timely and I did realize that it was God’s hands that were comforting me. I just can’t write here everything that happened to me before getting this email and after receiving the news. All I can say is the Lord is just amazing! He not just takes away our sins… He also wipes away the tears. Indeed, Ron was instrumental in my relationship with God and I am forever thankful.I know they’re both together now… happy and free.I know it’s hard to say goodbye but letting go is always a beautiful thing most especially when you know where the person is going. And yes, I am very sure that he’s in better hands now. I know we’ll meet again someday. See you!

The Devotional that I’d like to share:

GOD’S PERSPECTIVE

by Max Lucado

“We want you to be quite certain, brothers, about those who have died, to make sure that you do not grieve about them, like the other people who have no hope” (Thessalonians 4:13 JB). 

The Thessalonian church had buried her share of loved ones. And the apostle wanted the members who remained to be at peace regarding the ones who had gone ahead. Many of you have buried loved ones as well. And just as God spoke to them, he speaks to you.

If you’ll celebrate a marriage anniversary alone this year, he speaks to you.

If your child made it to heaven before making it to kindergarten, he speaks to you.

If you lost a loved one in violence, if you learned more than you want to know about disease, if your dreams were buried as they lowered the casket, God speaks to you.

He speaks to all of us who have stood or will stand in the soft dirt near an open grave. And to us he gives this confident word: “I want you to know what happens to a Christian when he dies so that when it happens, you will not be full of sorrow, as those who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and then came back to life again, we can also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him all the Christians who have died” (1 Thess. 4:13–14 TLB).

God transforms our hopeless grief into hope-filled grief. How? By telling us that we will see our loved ones again.

Isn’t that what we want to believe? We long to know that our loved ones are safe in death. We long for the reassurance that the soul goes immediately to be with God. But dare we believe it? Can we believe it? According to the Bible we can.

Scripture is surprisingly quiet about this phase of our lives. When speaking about the period between the death of the body and the resurrection of the body, the Bible doesn’t shout; it just whispers. But at the confluence of these whispers, a firm voice is heard. This authoritative voice assures us that at death the Christian immediately enters into the presence of God and enjoys conscious fellowship with the Father and with those who have gone before.

Where do I get such ideas? Listen to some of the whispers:

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far.  (Phil. 1:21–23 NIV)

We don’t like to say good-bye to those we love. But if what the Bible says about heaven is true, and I believe it is, then the ultimate prayer, the ultimate answered prayer, is heaven.

It is right for us to weep, but there is no need for us to despair. They had pain here. They have no pain there. They struggled here. They have no struggles there. You and I might wonder why God took them home. But they don’t. They understand. They are, at this very moment, at peace in the presence of God.

PS: I have a lot of things to share but I can’t seem to write it down yet. One thing is certain: I am forever grateful for his life that changed mine. 

RON ANTHONY VERANO PARADELA

10/06/1986-01/26/2009

…AND I NO LONGER LIVE, BUT CHRIST LIVES IN ME.

 GALATIANS 2:20

JESUS

you’re

all

heart

is

living

for.

you cannot see the whole beauty of a place when you’re standing on a valley,  but when you overcome the valley and stand upon the mountain top, you’ll see the beauty you have never seen before! 

Karon ang pagtoo mao ang pasalig kanato sa mga butang nga atong ginapaabut, ug ang panghimatuod sa pagkaanaa sa mga butang nga dili nato makita. -HEBREOHANON 11:1

Even though you may not know where He is taking you, you’ll be sure and certain that you can trust Him.

AMEN

This life that I have is so fragile. Any moment, I might lose this. Any moment, sadness might come running straight to me. When I look around, there is so much imperfections. When I look inside of me, there’s so much sin to confess. Everything is just lacking.

Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD. -Psalm 31:24

God never promised security in myself or in the world that I see. God commanded me to be strong and courageous, not because I am self-sufficient or that the world itself is already complete, but because He knows that I have a tendency to be weak. He told me to draw strength and courage from Him. Again, that is PUT YOUR HOPE IN THE LORD. Do not put your hope in other people, in your money, in your career, in your family, in your self!

There must be a reason why this verse is found in the Bible. God knows for sure that as human beings, we tend to give up and give in. We are weak creatures, created with emotions. We feel. We hurt. We are not perfect. We get tempted. We get sad. We cry… and yes, we die! We are just so fragile. That is why there is a God. A God who knows our weaknesses and fills the gap inside of us. Look everywhere and you’ll only find temporary happiness and rarely will you find answers. But look up and realize that there is one who is in control. He is telling us to put our hope in Him. The economy and insurance companies may fail but never God’s love for us. The only sure thing that we can hold on to is God… and I am glad that He is just a prayer away.

Written last October 31, 2008

I am writing this now as I think about the many unpredictable things that are happening around me. I have problems, unfinisheds tasks and unanswered questions. Deep inside of me, I am not losing hope because of only one reason: I have never been and will never be unloved. How do I know? Because His Word tells me so.

Romans 8:38-39 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What an assurance that we have from a God who is perfect! Despite our sins and weaknesses, our Savior tells us that they’re not enough to take us away from His loving arms. Whatever failures, sin, pain, disagreement or disappointment, remember that we are not alone. The God who loves us will never leave us. Whatever disease, challenge, exam, news or event may come our way, remember that God is in control. The God who loves us will never lose us in His hands.

Our world is full of things that will deceive us into believing that He already abandoned us. But do not be swayed for He who formed you won’t be separated from you. Let us rest in this fact that whatever happens, our Lord did, does and will love us. 

written last November 22, 2008

Entering into the joy of our Lord often is best realized when circumstances are the worst. ISA 54:10 says, “For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.” When circumstances are the most trying, the peace of God is the most precious. -Dr. George Jacob Ph D.