Are You Content in your Present?

Has there been a time when you have been working your ass off just to level up in your career? Or you have this ambition you want to reach whatever it takes. Yet, this verse says you have to be content.

So be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs. God’s strong hand is on you; he’ll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you.

1 Peter 5:6-7 (MSG)

How would that really sum up?

In the last six years, I have been working as a rank and file in the corporate world, with just a meager income to get me by. For so long, I have prayed to God that He’ll promote me because I know I have the skills and I can do any tasks given to me (too confident, I must say). But then, I do not get my prayers answered. My question back then was, “why”?

Year in and year out, I’m seeing myself working as I can but I am not yet promoted in my workplace. So one day, I asked myself, what does promotion really mean? Does it indicate selling an idea to gain approval towards it? Or does it mean seeing yourself in a higher position than any of your colleagues such that it gives you self-worth?

The Bible says to be contented with what we have and what we are.
It does mean to accept whatever has been given to us and use those resources make the best product. It does mean that where God has put us, we should be working to the best that we can be, without expecting something in return, without demanding more than what is provided.

Being contented means being happy with having little as with much, working for others like working for oneself, and accepting our fate as one that will build us, not enslave us.

It is a test of my character to be contented when there are times that I see my colleagues living the life they’ve dreamed of — traveling abroad, marrying their chosen mate and working the job they’ve dreamed of while being paid handsomely. It is a test of my character to accept my situation where I just work to provide for my family, and I have to save up for a year just to have 3-day, 2-night out of town vacation with my family. It is always a test of my character to stay where I currently am and not reach for my dreams.

But the Bible also says be contented with who you are.

So, it does mean that if I am ambitious about something, I have to go get it, work my ass off without demanding and expecting something in return. It does mean I have to wait for the right moment, and instead enjoy my present duties — love every bit of it — such that I won’t think it’s work.

Being contented means being passionate with who you are as a person, pursuing your passion, loving life, and sharing kindness where you are planted.

And when you least expect it, God will uphold you in His hand and level up the field. As having equipped you with the skills and character during the testing season, you will be prepared to take on a new role. You will be prepared to soar higher than ever before, but this time, you won’t fall because you have failed many times that you know what to do next. When God promotes you, there’s no minute wasted, you will be doing something greater that would impact the world — all because at one point in your life, you’ve accepted your fate and instead shared your happiness with them.

I have Questions and God Answered

Every year, my spiritual family in Victory (globally known as Every Nation) gathers to participate in a week-long prayer and fasting (P&F). It is the time where instead of choosing our desires, we choose God.

This year’s P&F is special for me. Our topic is “Knowing God” intimately. This is the year I’m also believing God, more than all the answered prayers for the upcoming months, that I’ll be able to hear God’s whisper during my quiet times.

My most memorable times are the ones I’ve believed and claimed in faith to happen, and indeed, God fulfilled those faith goals. As what Hebrews 11:1 says, “Faith is being sure of what you hope for and being certain of what you do not see (CEV).”

During this year’s P&F, here are some of my decision questions I’m praying for and indeed, God answered them one by one after only three weeks into 2017.

1) Career: Will I have another opportunity with another employer or will I stay at my current company? God knows I’m vying for career advancement.

2) Emotion: For one year, I’ve been attracted to this guy friend that I have, yet he does not know my feelings and I have no idea if these feelings I have for him will be reciprocated.

3) How can I be effective in sharing Jesus to other people?

4) Love: How will I know the man I’ll marry? I’m already at that marrying age and I’m still waiting.

These are personal questions I have with Jesus and during my quiet times, he answered it one by one through the book of Ephesians:

1) Career: Stay and be excellent.

Ephesians 2:7 Now God had us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 6:5b-8 Don’t just do what you have to do to get by, but work heartily, as Christ’s servants doing what God wants you to do. And work with a smile on your face, always keeping in mind that no matter who happens to be giving the orders, you’re really serving God (MSG)

2) Emotion: Love him like a brother. Love without expecting something in return.

Ephesians 5:1-2 Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that. (MSG)

3) Sharing the gospel: Though I’m not qualified, God will equip me.

Ephesians 3:7 This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this message. It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise, God handling all the details. When it came to presenting the Message to people who had no background in God’s way, I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians. God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities (MSG).

4) Love: He will be a husband in qualities to you. That way, you’ll know He’s the one.

Ephesians 5:22b-28a The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing. So just as the church submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership, wives should likewise submit to their husbands.

Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church – a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ’s love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives (MSG).

Indeed, it is just weeks into 2017 and God has already been answering my questions. He has given me peace with the decisions I’ve made and I just know He will never leave me nor forsake me. I know 2017 will be an amazing year for me.

The Beauty of New Beginnings

Another year will come in a few days.
For those whose 2016 is a hard time, 2017 will be a breather. And yet, those who enjoyed and celebrated 2016 are hoping 2017 will be another good year.

There is beauty in a new beginning because it will be a chance to correct mistakes. It will be a chance to take a different route. A chance to hope for a better life.

There is beauty in a new beginning because it will be an open door to closed minds. An eye opener to new experiences, an honest and humble approach to things we don’t know.

There is beauty in new beginnings because it allows us to see in horizon what we could become, even if the process is still unknown.

Lastly, there is beauty in new beginnings because it signals hope; it signals light, and it signals anything we could become by a leap of faith.

My Quarter-Life Professional Crisis

Last March, I applied for a Fulbright scholarship for Masters In Instructional Design and Educational Technology. However, on the last week of September, I received a letter indicating that I didn’t make it to their final cut.

At first, I was hurt. It was my dream to go abroad and complete my postgraduate degree. I chose Instructional Design and Technology because of the nature of my current work. Now that I am rejected for a post-graduated degree, I feel like I am in a wandering desert in my career. Call it quarter-life professional crisis. Maybe in the future, I can find another road that I can take to pursue my dream of becoming an instructional designer and certified elearning developer.

For now, I will do what I know best:

Be excellent in where God has placed me in work.

Meet deadlines.

Honor God with my work.

Proverbs 12:24

The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor.

Hope for Eternity

The past month have been very busy for me, emotionally and spiritually. Last August 28, four of my closest friends in church died after crossing the Tarlac river. They just finished their outreach mission of teaching the kids of the Aeta community about Jesus that time. Unfortunately, rains poured down and the water level increased significantly that they were caught off guard and died afterwards. It was an emotional time for me and my friends as we mourned for their loss.

Even though we experienced the loss of our dear friends, I appreciate the fact that we were not alone in this ordeal. My friends and churchmates were in this together. It gave us pain just thinking of Nadette, Yasmin, Rocky and Reyvin who would not be here to share to us God’s love and their walk with God. On the flipside, we are encouraged because we know that our friends are now with Jesus in heaven.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 1: 12-13

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

Still

Have you ever loved someone?
Have you ever felt the feeling that you have found the one?
Well, in my case, I don’t know if he’s right guy for me
But I always prayed to God that, someday, somehow, he would be my destiny.

Ok, I know I’m still young and have lots of things to learn
But what can I do? I am only a human, a being capable of loving
I know I must first have great titles to earn
Before I can venture in the world full loving and caring.

I guess you’d be surprised if I tell you that I hate him at first
“We are competitors,” that’s what I tell myself at most
He competes with me in academics and so am I
I don’t even care if he’s a cutie pie.

When our paths would meet, we would avoid each other
When we must work together, we always choose another
I don’t like him I don’t know why
Maybe because he always competes with me and makes me cry.

For almost two years, we were always like these
We didn’t do anything that would make each other please
Until one day, I just realized I badly needed his help
Because I couldn’t finish that work only by myself.

And so, I humbled myself and asked him to help me
Even though I know we didn’t treat each other fairly
He gladly lend a hand and helped me with my work
Even though he knows I avoid him at most.

By this gesture, it surprised me a lot
And because of this, I admire him somewhat
This admiration grew as time passed by
For I became a friend with this kind of guy.

I planned to tell him what I felt about him
But then, the opportunity I see was somewhat dim
For a friend told me that he is longing for another
And so, my dreams with him were really broken after.

Now, I’m trying hard to forget that he’s really the one
But I know in my heart that my feelings are still not gone
I’m still hoping and praying that someday we will be
But for now, I guess I’ll just reach out what I wanted to be.

*This is a poem I’ve written last January 16-17, 2005 for my speech communication course.

My inspiration for this poem: my first crush in high school. 🙂

My Career is God’s Concern

Months before I went back to Manila, I was praying to God about career direction. I’d been at Gensan for almost two years and I have that burden to go back to Manila. Thoughts about my mom being at the hospital haunted me; thus, I wanted to stay by her side and spend as much time with her as I can. Back then, I didn’t want to regret not showing enough love for her and spending as much time as she wanted me to — when her only request was for me to go back to Manila.

I wanted to stay at Gensan because of the family atmosphere I’ve experienced with the teachers and students of The Quantum Academy, Inc. I wanted to serve God and share the gospel to these kids, but then I guess my time is already up at Gensan. My sole desire before working there was to see my father, and after seeing him, I guess I’d already fulfilled God’s purpose in my life at this place.

So, before going back, I had applied to internal openings for transfer to another department that would allow me to stay at the head office. God definitely didn’t answer my prayer to be part of the CorCom Dept., and so I still stayed another year as an LIS – this time as a consultant at the Ateneo grade school. It was intimidating for me since I do not know anyone from the school and I really have no idea if the teachers would accept me. One year passed and I was able to share my knowledge and skills to the teachers I’ve been afraid before. Thank heavens because for that year, I was able to convince Ateneo grade school, together with my generous LSS (Ms. Florabel Colupano), that our product is beneficial to students.

Then again, I had this burden to transfer department and be assigned a role where I can just stay at the head office. There is an opening for the position product development specialist and immediately, I applied for the position. I got the job and God allowed me to spend my weekends at home — where I shared stories with my mom and eventually took care of her when she was hospitalized. Definitely, God gave me that foresight to see what might happen in the future and since I cooperated with Him — I continued my intimate relationship with Jesus and followed His will, everything went well.

Now, as a product development specialist, I’ve learned so much about project managment, content development and e-learning. There have been so many downs and I’m asking God why He put me in such place — a place where I am not very much comfortable and He is always stretching me my limit. God impressed to me during my devotion that,

You are a work in progress. I put you in that place because I want you to learn, not only the skills but also the character I want you to exemplify when I put you to greater heights.

Definitely, God has great plans for me but it is very hard to trust something you don’t see. The Bible says that’s what faith really is for.

Faith is being sure of what we hope for and being certain of what we do not see.
– Hebrews 11:1 (CEV)

One of my dreams is to be part of a production where I can use my skills as development communicator. Another is to take a master’s degree that will enhance my education. This year, 2015, God impressed in my heart I have to get going and follow my desires to apply for a master’s degree. So right now, I’m preparing all the documents needed for a scholarship abroad. I’m still praying and believing that I will have favors after favors to complete my requirements; however, I know and I just have that confidence in Him who will let things come to pass. I am just amazed that for the past four years of my career, God has been working in my life as a professional and will continue on.

You may be on the same boat as me, but let me just encourage you that if He has been faithful to me with regards to my career, He will be faithful with yours as well. 😉

Things I Thank God for 2014

It is this time of the year that I get another two weeks of vacation from my 8-6 corporate job. My 2014 has been a roller coaster ride with so many ups and downs; nevertheless, there are so much I’m thankful for this year:

1) Gift of family

Above photo shows me, my mom and my sister. For the year 2014, we have been blessed financially, and our relationships are much much better than before. My sister and I are closer now than we were before. With my mom, I realized that spending more time with her every weekend allows me to learn how kind-hearted and generous she is as a person.

2) Gift of finances

Every year when I was little, I’d always expect gifts and the pamasko that I’ll receive and be able to save. Then, that time came when I’m à bit older and money was scarce, that even my ninong and ninang were nowhere to be found. Life was à struggle especially when resources were low. As I look back, I’m grateful that God has given me now the ability to give. It may not be much but at least it will give à smile to anyone who will receive it. God has been faithful with our finances. He may not give all our wants, but definitely He does provide all our needs — and that is one thing I am so grateful for.

3) Gift of friends

Though we’re not complete without Den, these gals are my high school friends. They prove to me that friendship can last à lifetime.

Missing Joanne and Nikki in the photo. I consider my vgroup friends as gems when it comes to friendship and fellowship. They help me cultivate my relationship with Jesus and they provide an example of how to be a woman with a heart for Christ. 🙂

They are my Gensan pals, though I’m missing Chelo in the picture. 🙂 When I was alone in the land of the generals years ago, they remind me of my identity and allow me to enjoy what it is to open your heart to these ladies.

My office buddies. When work gets rough and the environment tries to pull me down, they remind me not to be so serious and care for me like I’m their younger sister. Work is hard but definitely they make it easy.

I don’t have photos of my other friends (Genyo, PMCC, Quantum, Devcom) but definitely, they’ve made a mark in my life and for that I am very grateful to God for giving such relationships to cherish.

4) Gift of life

Last but not the least, I thank God for allowing me to exist for 26 years and experience life full of lessons. Many characters become mainstay in all chapters in my life, and though others appear only in one chapter, they still are important factors to who I am right now. That ability to breathe every time I wake up, to see the goodness and wonder of His works, to listen to the songs He has annointed to touch the lives of people, to walk this jouney and run with enthusiasm, and to speak encouragements to people who needed it most is enough for me to be grateful and be contented. I am always reminded of that verse in Isaiah 43:4 (CEV),

To me, you are very dear, and I love you. That’s why I gave up nations and people to rescue you.

This season of giving and celebration, let the love of Jesus overwhelm your being as He came here on earth for our sake. As for me, I will be grateful and contented with what He has given me. 🙂

Starving Sons #DeathtoSelfie

Starving Sons
Week 2 #DeathtoSelfie Series Notes
Elevation Church

1) Growth in age doesn’t mean growth in character.

2) Beware of unsatisfied appetites that become exaggerated emotions
– Esau compromised because he was hungry
– He agreed with Jacob’s offer because he was hungry
– Beware of the quick fix that is available in your times of hunger

3) Beware of the temptation to give up what you want most for what you want now.

What will you choose? Birthright (inheritance) vs bowl of beans (immediate gratifications, or weakness)
It is bad deal to choose bowl of beans (now) to birthright (spiritual inheritance)
It is in the Bible, you have an inheritance as a child of God

What are those inheritance?
Peace, joy, love, patience and long-suffering, self-control, other fruits of the spirit, etc

However, if we choose those bowls of beans, those indulgence to our weakness, to what we want now, then we exchange our inheritance.

You may ask, what if you have already exchanged your inheritance? You have already exchanged your birthright and you wanted to take it back? Is there any 2nd chance?

God tells us about the story of the prodigal son.

The prodigal son takes his inheritance away and enjoyed his life. When there is nothing left, he waws starving. But he remembered his father who is rich.

He goes back. What his father does is incredible. He accepts the lost son, runs from the veranda when he saw him, hugged him and kissed him, and called his servants to give him the best.

The lost son says he doesn’t deserve it, but the father says he is still his son.

Jesus is the firstborn son who has not taken the bowl of bean soup for a bread during the forty days fast because He is already the bread of Life. He has the inheritance and He is transferring that to us — we just have to believe. God accepts us because we are still his sons and daughter. We deserve to die because of our sins, but if we believe in what Jesus did on the cross 2,000 years ago — that Jesus has already atoned our sins — then, in return, He has made us clean. Just like the prodigal son, He accepts us and gives us our inheritance.

Don’t exchange your inheritance to a bowl of soup. Don’t exchange temptations to worries, to grumble, to porn, to immediate gratification of desires with your inheritance from God, your eternal life.

To Whom it May Concern by The Civil Wars

I’m dedicating this song to my future hubby. God knows how long I’ve waited and how I missed you, even though I haven’t met you. I will be showing you this blog post when we meet, and by then, you’ll realize I’ve been asking God for you and that I’ve already loved you even before we meet. 🙂

[vimeo 30799506 w=500 h=281]

“To Whom It May Concern” by The Civil Wars from Amanda Cafazzo on Vimeo.

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
by the Civil Wars

Why are you so far from me?
In my arms is where you are to be
How long will you make me wait?
I don’t know how much more I can take
I missed you but I haven’t met you
Oh but I want to
How I do
Slowly counting down the days
Till I finally know your name
The way your hand feels round my waist
The way you laugh, the way your kisses taste
I missed you but I haven’t met you
Oh but I want to
How I do
How I do
I’ve missed you but I haven’t met you
Oh how I miss you but I haven’t met you
Oh but I want to
Oh how I want to
Dear whoever you might be
I’m still waiting patiently