Healing Is Mine

I've been busy with work and doctor appointments for the past weeks.  When I had some free time, I felt like I'd rather take a nap than do anything else... Oh yeah, and snack, too.

My last check up with my rheumy and nephro went okay.  My blood tests were all good except for one - my SGPT went a little bit high this time. My creatinine is steadily going down to normalcy, so that's good news. My RBC, WBC, HGB, HCT and platelet were all good... Praise God! Over all, my doctors were pleased with the results.  Will have another round of blood tests on February 28.  I have one more check up on February 1 with my holistic doctor.

I was informed just recently that I've almost maxed out my health card limit for the year. I will be renewing mine in April. That means on my next lab tests and doctor's appointments, I'd be cashing out already.  I don't like that at all, but God knows what I need and He promised He will provide.  So instead of getting all stressed out because of this, I'm choosing to believe that God will make a way for me.

"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"  Matthew 6:27

I'm finishing a book - The Heart of Healing by Ardy Roberto.  His wife also had lupus and in his book, he shared their journey and how God worked miracles in their lives. I really find it very encouraging.

"For nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1:37

I believe that I am already healed or am in the process of being healed, but one thing is for sure... Healing is mine. To God be all the glory!

How To Handle Adversity

I've been wanting to have a copy of this book but wasn't able to find one when I was desperately looking for it two months ago. I couldn't find it in our local bookstores.

My dear friend, Sylvia, sent me one and I got it this morning!

I'm excited to start reading it.

Thank you so much, Sylvia!!! I love the dedication you wrote.

"If you are a child of God whose heart's desire is to see God glorified through you, adversity will not put you down for the count. There will be those initial moments of shock and confusion. But the man or woman who has God's perspective on this life and the life to come will always emerge victorious."

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4

If Satan Can't Steal Your Dreams...

I finished reading the book "If Satan Can't Steal Your Joy..." by Jerry Savelle last night. There was a part there that exactly described me and my thoughts. I got a little emotional on that part. I also started reading the devotional book Streams In The Desert by L.B. Cowman.

Last Saturday I bought another book by Jerry Savelle "If Satan Can't Steal Your Dreams... He Can't Control Your Destiny". I'm excited to start on this book this coming weekend.

"Did you know that Satan wants to steal your dreams? It's true. You are a threat to him as long as you continue to pursue all that God has for you. If you choose to walk in abundance that God has promised you, the devil will always try to come and steal everything you have---including your dreams."

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10

If Satan Can't Steal Your Joy...

Has Satan stolen anything from you? What do you do if you caught him stealing from you?

"Think for a moment of all the things Satan has stolen from you since you have been a Christian. Start now to expose him and his thievery. Rebuke him in the name of Jesus Christ. On the authority of God's Word, order him to return sevenfold everything he has unlawfully taken from you. You have that right!"

"Men do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger when he is starving. Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though it costs him all the wealth of his house." Proverbs 6:30-31

I'm reading the book now. That thief sure did steal a lot from me! Now it's payback time.

Random Thoughts

Happy New Year!!!

I read my email real fast last December 31 just before midnight. I saw a message from Nise' and it says I won a book by Sharon Dunn, Death of a Garage Sale Newbie on her book giveaway. Yey!!! Thank you, Nise'. I'm really excited to read this next.

I'm currently reading This Present Darkness by Frank E. Peritti. It offers a fascinating glimpse into the unseen world of spiritual warfare and the power of prayer.

Yeah, I'm into books again.

Anyway, I want to share with you a story I heard shared by Joyce Meyer that tells about what most Christians go through in life. It was like this story was written for me. I'm sure you can also relate. Very inspiring. Here goes:

The Tea Cup

There was a couple who took a trip to England to shop in a beautiful antique store to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.

They both liked antiques and pottery, and especially teacups. Spotting an exceptional cup, they asked “May we see that? We’ve never seen a cup quite so beautiful.” As the lady handed it to them, suddenly the teacup spoke, “You don’t understand. I have not always been a teacup. There was a time when I was just a lump of red clay. My master took me and rolled me pounded and patted me over and over and I yelled out, “Don’t do that.” “I don’t like it!” “Let me alone,” but he only smiled, and gently said; “Not yet!”

Then. WHAM! I was placed on a spinning wheel and suddenly I was spun around and around and around. Stop it! I’m getting so dizzy!

“I’m going to be sick” I screamed. But the master only nodded and said, quietly; ‘Not yet.’

He spun me and poked and prodded and bent me out of shape to suit himself and then he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I yelled and knocked and pounded at the door. “Help! Get me out of here!”

I could see him through the opening and I could read his lips as he shook his head from side to side, ‘Not yet’.

When I thought I couldn’t bear it another minute, the door opened. He carefully took me out and put me on the shelf, and I began to cool. Oh, that felt so good! “Ah, this is much better,” I thought. But, after I cooled he picked me up and he brushed and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible. I thought I would gag. ‘Oh, please, Stop it, Stop, I cried.

He only shook his head and said. ‘Not yet!’.

Then suddenly he put me back in to the oven. Only it was not like the first one. This was twice as hot and I just knew I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded. I screamed. I cried. I was convinced I would never make it. I was ready to give up. Just then the door opened and he took me out and again placed me on the shelf, where I cooled and waited and waited, wondering “What’s he going to do to me next?”

An hour later he handed me a mirror and said ‘Look at yourself.’ And I did. I said, “That’s not me; that couldn’t be me. It’s beautiful. I’m beautiful!”

Quietly he spoke: “I want you to remember, then,’ he said, ‘I know it hurt to be rolled and pounded and patted, but had I just left you alone, you’d have dried up. I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped, you would have crumbled. I know it hurt and it was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn’t put you there, you would have cracked. I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn’t done that, you never would have hardened. You would not have had any color in your life. If I hadn’t put you back in that second oven, you wouldn’t have survived for long because the hardness would not have held. Now you are a finished product. Now you are what I had in mind when I first began with you.”

The moral of this story is this: God knows what He’s doing in each of us. He is the potter and we are His clay. He will mold us and make us and expose us to just enough pressures of just the right kinds that we may be made into a flawless piece of work to fulfill His good, pleasing and perfect will.

So when life seems hard and you are being pounded and patted and pushed almost beyond endurance; when your world seems to be spinning out of control; when you feel like you are in a fiery furnace of trials; when life seems to “stink”, try this … Brew a cup of your favorite tea in your prettiest tea cup, sit down and think about this story and then, have a little talk with the Potter!

Lastly, don't forget to drop by Praise and Coffee for its monthly giveaways. Check it out!

The Heavenly Man

This is the book I'm currently reading. I am in awe of God's greatness. His miracles were not just from the Bible times but still is happening in the NOW. This book clearly illustrates how God is in control. He weaves the events in our lives so perfectly to fulfill His very purpose in our lives.

"The Lord had put it all together as only He can. The Holy Spirit was working in such a wonderful way."

This gives me much hope in the events that are happening in my life now. I'm like walking in pitch darkness and the only "light" I'm holding on to are the promises of God to me. Brother Yun's story reminds me of how God CAN do what seems impossible to man. He can turn things around even for me.

I highly recommend this book. If you think you're losing hope, read this book and see how BIG our God is.

The Promise No One Wants

I read this in a book called "The Promise No One Wants" by one of our pastors, Joey Bonifacio. "With the greatest breakthrough come the most violent shaking and turbulence... Disorientation, dizziness, loss of direction and even fear and discouragement can occur just before a breakthrough."

I got so encouraged with this book. I realized that God allowed all these shaking in my life because He's preparing me for something better. He wanted me to be ready to receive them. Do I want to go through the shaking all over again? Honestly? Without batting an eyelash, heck, no! I might as well let God shake everything in me now, learn the lessons that goes with it and receive His blessings after, than struggle with all of my strength and go through it all over again until I get His point.

Remember the saying that the tighter you hold on to a wet soap, the more it'll slip from your hand? Same is true with God. The more you hold on to dear life and struggle with His will, the more you'll missed out on His blessings.

It's very clear that what He's telling me is, "Be still and know that I am God..." Psalm 46:10. He's still in control. I have to make a choice. Should I try to protect myself from getting hurt and struggle with what God wants to do in my life or should I let God lead my life no matter how much it hurts? I chose the latter. Is it the easiest way? Certainly not! But it's the ONLY way to my blessings.

This too I know, "Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs" Isaiah 61:7.

I still don't understand a lot of things that's going on in my life, there's still a lot of "why's" in it, but I have learned to let Him lead my way with blindfolds on, believing that at the end of this road is where my treasure is and my joy will be complete. "Dear (Pia), do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed." 1 Peter 4:12,13.

You're Invited

You're all welcome to join our Daily Bible Study 2006. You'll see at my sidebar under my Daily Bread box this little girl holding a book, please click on her so you'll be redirected to our Bible Study page where we write our thoughts on our daily readings. You may post a comment and share your insights too.

To sign up for the One Year Bible 2006 program, please click here.

God bless!

The Purpose Driven Life

What on Earth am I here for?

This book will show us our purpose, why we are created and it'll also show us God's amazing plan for us. I've just started reading this book the other day and I'm taking it to heart. A chapter a day for 40 days.

"The Purpose-Driven Life is a blueprint for a lifestyle based on God's eternal purposes, not cultural values. Well-grounded in Scripture, it offers fresh insights on worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism."

As they say, many people have had their lives changed by this book. I'd say this'll aid us to stay focus on what is really important and to remind us that it's all about GOD.

Don't Dread

"The devil uses fear in forms we don't always recognize to steal our joy and prevent us from living the kind of life God intended."

This little book was mailed to me from Joyce Meyer Ministries. It's a book filled with practical applications that can cause great impact as we apply it in our everyday lives. A great reminder of how we can overcome the spirit of dread with the supernatural power of God.

The Bondage Breaker

As I've flipped through the last few pages of The Wife... next in my reading pipeline is The Bondage Breaker by Neil Anderson. This is about breaking free from negative thought patterns, control irrational feelings and break out of sinful behavior. This book illustrates spiritual warfare which will also remind us, Christians, the truth of who we are in Christ and what it means to be a child of God. I believe this will help open our eyes and equip us to be victorious in every battle the enemy tries to win over us.

"But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:57

A Wife After God's Own heart

I'm currently reading a book written by Elizabeth George - A Wife After God's Own Heart. I bought this book so I can read it simultaneously with my DH's A Husband After God's Own Heart by Elizabeth's hubby, Jim George. It gives a lot of valuable pointers on how to have a great marriage after God's own heart. Husband and wives ought to know their roles in the family and what God has to say about it. It doesn't just talk about raising children and money matters, it also talks about proper communication, even enjoying intimacy and a whole lot of other relevant issues.

"One secret to marital bliss is for a wife to love her husband the way God designed for her to love him—even with his shortcomings. God hasn’t called a woman to change her husband, but to focus on her calling as a wife. And the rewards for doing so are rich!"

I recommend this to all wives out there. This will aid you in keeping a marriage after God's own heart.

"Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them." Colossians 3:18-19