My Love Letter to FL p2

Dear Future Lover,
How are you tonight?

You know, I’ve been missing you even if I don’t know you yet. But nevertheless, I have been enjoying my life so far. 🤗👊

In the previous years, I have been asking God for contentment and a change of heart for my career. Do not get me wrong. I love what I do but projects and the dream of going abroad to study had consumed me for the past three years that I just look forward for the future, not realizing I have not been living in my present reality. But through God’s grace, He allowed me to stay at my current company even after being rejected for scholarships and not regret after all. 💟

Just these past weeks, I have been in Visayas and Mindanao for work, doing what I love — sharing about new technologies and elearning, training teachers and learning more about my industry. I have traveled from one place to another, and my colleagues are all a joy to work with. Only lately that I realized I have been blessed in my career.

So, when I meet you,  I’ll make sure to tell you all about my work, and what we do to make a difference in the area of education. I’ll be sharing about the places we’ve been to, and the smiles of the students and teachers we’ve trained. I’ll be bringing you pasalubong every time we’ll go out of town, because I know you’ll be ecstatic to receive a gift from me. I know that once we meet, it would be a joy to share to you my travel experiences, and hopefully, someday, I get to travel with you as well.

For now, I’ll document all the ups and downs of my career because I know, you’ll have a glimpse of how I work and enjoy life at the same time. I’m keeping tabs at how I live my life — making sure I enjoy the blessings God has given me so I’ll be contented just as what God says and I’ll be sharing how God has provided enough for me. I know, when that time comes that we’ll be together, we’ll be sharing all about our faith and how God has been so good to us during the waiting season of our lives.

For now, I’ll just wait for you and enjoy life to fullest. God has given me enough to be thankful, and yet, I know, when I meet you, God has answered my prayer for an overflowing blessing to love and be loved in return.
And so, Future Lover, I’m looking forward to meeting you soon! For the mean time, I hope you enjoy life as well as I am enjoying mine. 😁😆😍🤗

Sincerely,

Yza 😘

New Favorite Songs

I’ve come across the videos of Moriah Peters and boy, I have found a new favorite. Moriah Peters is an American Contemporary Christian singer and her songs are an inspiration. The lyrics to her songs are basically my conviction in life and love so I’m sharing to you some of her songs that I found inspiration:

 

Bloom

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPeudF7tcD8&w=560&h=315]

This song is an inspiration to me and an encouragement to all women out there who thinks less highly of themselves. Just like the song says, you are born to bloom.

 

Well Done

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu1VwK0fY9g&w=560&h=315]

This video speaks what I want in life and how I want to live this life. This song just reminds me I am not doing things for myself, but for the people to see the love I have received. 🙂

 

I’ll Wait for You

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCiIAPrpW8k&w=560&h=315]

I’ve been waiting all these years for someone whom I will love and who will make me feel loved. I think I’ve met him, but I’m not really sure. Whatever the case, I’m waiting on God for His will to be done because I know, when that time comes, it will all be worth it. That time, I know, God will write my own love story, just like how God has written Moriah’s love story in this next song.

PS: The above video is her own wedding.  🙂

 

Haven’t Even Kissed

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvqmpfGQ2cM&w=560&h=315]

These are exactly my thoughts when I was listening to this song! This one song is something I would want to feel and experience someday. I am looking forward to that time when I will meet a man and our relationship will just inspire other people, just like what the lyrics of this song says. 🙂

 

These are my new favorites. How about you? You have new inspirations, too? 🙂

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.  

Puso o Isip?

Pusong iniingatan, nasaan ka na?
Bakit nawala ka sa dati mong kinalalagyan
Bakit nga ba tumatalon ka na lamang nang biglaan?

Nandito lang ako, sabi ng puso ko
Nakatingin, nakatitig, nag-aabang
Nararamdaman ko ang nais mong ipaalam
Pero may pagkakataong ang paghihintay
ang isang bagay na dapat ipaglaban.

Maghintay ka!, sabi ng isip ko
Alam mo namang sa pagmamadali, walang
magandang kahihinatnan
Lahat ng bagay, may tamang panahon
Sa bawat panahon, may nararapat kang matutunan at ipangalandakan.

Puso:
Ngunit bakit ganito, hindi ko maipaliwanag aking nadarama
Sa isang banda, nais ko sya’y laging makasama
Sa bawat sandali na nais ko syang makita
Tanging ninanais ay lubos ko syang makilala.

 

Isip:
Minsan, puso, ika’y mapanlinlang
Minsan mo na akong dinaya sa iyong mga nararamdaman
Ngayong may pagkakataong ihayag ko ang aking mga ideya
Di ko na hahayaang masaktan pa sya
Sapagkat, ikaw puso, at sya na ating pagkatao,
ay nais kong maging masaya.

 

Puso:
Isang beses lamang ako nagkamali, isip
Sa dinami dami ng ating pinagdaanan
Hindi mo ba hahayaang ang ating mahal na pagkatao ay tuluyang maging maligaya?

 

Isip:
Sa isang pagkakamali mo, puso
Natutunan kong maging malakas
Natutunan kong unahin muna ang sarili ko
Sa bawat pagkakamali na nagawa mo
Hindi lang ikaw ang nasasaktan, pati ako
Sa bawat pagkakamali mo, lagi mong tatandaan
Ang aking mga natutunan ang syang magbibigay
direksyon sa iyong tatahaking daanan
Puso:
Tama ka, isip, hahayaan kitang mag-isip
Pero hindi mo mapipigilan, aking nadarama kahit isang saglit
Pag-ibig na syang kakaiba
Alam mo namang hinahanap-hanap ko na.

Isip:
Mas makabubuting hindi tayo magtalo
Bagkus, hayaan natin sya sa kanyang mga plano
Kung may balanse sa iyong damdamin at sa aking ideya
Sigurado, pag-ibig na wagas at tunay, kanya nang madarama.

 

Pagkatao:
O puso at isip, hindi ko alam sino ang susundin sa inyo
Isa lamang ang alam ko, naguguluhan ako
Sino ba dapat ang pakinggan, si isip o si puso
Para maramdamang tunay
ang pagmamahal na kay tagal nang hinintay?
Tama! Isa lamang ang alam ko na dapat gawin
Sa Maykapal, siguradong ako’y diringgin
Hahayaan ang puso maramdaman ang sarap ng pag-ibig
Hahayaan ang isip magsabi ng dapat gawin
Ngunit sa lahat ng ito, hahayaang ang Maykapal ang magdikta ng aking damdamin.

Ngayon alam ko na
Hindi na ako magugulumihanan pa
Puso man o isip ang syang paiiralin
Kung ang Maykapal ang may huling salita
Sa aking mahal, ako’y lubusang mamahalin.

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

Waiting on God

Let me share a chapter of my love story.

Ten years ago, I was a gal innocently going through the motions of life. I was a high school student, A lister, a nerd (as they say) and just a normal looking person who is wishing for a God-written love story. But the world has its way of teaching us what love is – contrary to what the Bible teaches us in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 (CEV):

Love is patient and kind, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude.
Love isn’t selfish or quick tempered. It doesn’t keep a record of wrongs that others do. Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil.
Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting.
Love never fails!

I remember my teacher in my Christian Value’s class talking about the three (3) types of love: Eros, Phileos and Agape. Eros – emphasizing on physical love, Phileos – characterizing love of a friend and/or family, and Agape – which allows us to see unconditional love (an example would be Jesus ^_^). That time, I just want to experience Agape, never fully knowing what the other two may really mean. As time goes by, I come to experience and see the difference of each.

Maturity

I am just an ordinary girl with no idea about crushes and love. I am consumed with studying, and improving myself as a person. Back then, I hate make up and dressing up. Instead, I find comfort with jeans. It was when I was in third year college that I felt this weird feeling of admiring the opposite sex, feeling giddy just to see him and sometimes getting so tongue-tied when in front of him. Every morning, I would think of him, and every night, I would dream about him. More on the physical type of love, and before I knew it, I had already fallen in love with him.

The danger of this one was that it was rooted in admiration of physical attributes. We became friends, and eventually, became lovers. We were so consumed with each other that we rarely had time to focus on ourselves, and other things important to our life. Eventually, we separated and I was left heartbroken. I was left wondering what went wrong, and if I had chosen wrong.

Heart
seyed mostafa zamani / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

Time passed by and the search for someone to be with me forever never really left my heart. I focused on other things for the mean time — academics, work, family and friends. They say being single is a gift from God because this is the season where we can give back your talents to our Creator and allow us to enjoy our relationship with Him before our relationship with the one whom He chooses. They are right, because being single allowed me to realize so many things about myself — my likes and dislikes, how I adjust with people and problems, and most especially how I apply what I learned to new things that happen to me. This season is a gift, and I am forever thankful for it.

However, there will still come a time when one would want to enjoy life with someone by their side. I am at that season. But I also know that my God is a big God who knows my needs (and my wants) and I know He will deliver at that right time. It is very hard on my part as I know I am burning with desire to marry, but then, I also know, that if I am not able to enjoy every single moment of my life alone, I also won’t be able to enjoy it with someone else.

Waiting on God is very hard, I can assure you, but it is also a test of faith. A test of patience. A test of trust to the One who will give me that loving person. I am at this time of my life when God prunes a certain part of me because I am impatient and I am a complainer. I am thankful for the web where I can share my thoughts and the thought that I am not alone — that somewhere, someone else feels the same way as I do gives me encouragement. I know I am still a work in progress and this point of my life might be very important for the upcoming season where I’ll enjoy being with God’s choice for me. I don’t know what God thinks, but one thing is for sure – whatever is happening to me right now is what He thinks is the best for me. Maybe, someday, I’ll be spending the rest of my life with my other half, just like this couple below.

cute penguin couple - explored
Adam Foster | Codefor / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

So now, maybe we’re on the same boat and you are waiting on God. You might not be waiting for someone special, but you are waiting for God’s provision, or His answer to a specific prayer. My thoughts on that — still, wait on God. He might be lengthening the time being because He wants us to be patient, to trust Him, to have faith in Him more. Whatever that is, remember you’re not alone. We are on the same boat and just believe (as I do right now) that whatever we are waiting for, He is working on it and working something great on us. Just believe. 🙂

One thing I learned about love in the past ten years is this: Love is patient, love is kind. It isn’t selfish or quick tempered. It is always hopeful, and trusting. Love never fails. Even if my first love failed to make me happy, true love will never fail to encourage and give lasting happiness. That is what I learned in the past ten years — that is, love rooted in the physical attributes of this world will never last, but the love rooted in God will last forever and I am willing to wait on that no matter what I feel right now.

Shout out your faith!

I just attended the Lifemixx Convergence of Victory GenSan with Yeng Constantino as the speaker. Even before, I’m amazed how God worked in Yeng’s life and how He is using Yeng to encourage people of His great love and mercy to others.

I learned so much for this night that I am reminded why I want to stay here in GenSan — not because of the place but because of the people who constantly push me towards God and because I know, in this place, I am growing as an individual, may it be personally, emotionally or spiritually.

Just this night, Yeng talked about how she got saved and why she has this passion to tell others about Jesus (really, if you saw how passionate Yeng is in talking about Jesus Christ, about His love for us, you’ll know and you’ll be encouraged to say — I also want that relationship with Jesus). She is like us, a simple person who rose to fame and fortune, but still the emptiness in her heart haunts her. With desperate cry, she told Jesus everything that she’s feeling and while reading her bible, her eyes focused on these verses: John 17: 24-26.

24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you[e] known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

Jesus loves us so much that in his prayer, He says that He wants us to be with Him. That he has told everything about God so we can be with him in heaven. A very personal idea that she said is that, “Jesus loves us so much that He died on the cross to save us from our sins”. That Jesus, the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings, was not ashamed to tell about him and about God to others. He was not ashamed to be crucified on the cross to save us. While listening to this message, I can’t undo the tears running down my cheeks because I know I’ve been guilty — there are times when I would rather sit back and relax than share about Jesus or even mention his name to other people. There are so many things that I’ve learned for today – but the big question is: Will I do it?

In every aspect, planning is good, but it’s much better if we implement and do what we’ve planned. I am actually challenged: Will I shout out my faith? Everything boils down to the status of my heart: Will I honor God with everything that I am, or will I sit back around the corner waiting for something to happen?

I would rather choose to honor God with everything that I am and not be ashamed of the truth —  because in reality, God was not ashamed of me in the first place, He loves me so much that He has given me the mercy and grace. He loves me so much that I can’t sit back and wait for things to happen. It’s time for me to say: 

I will make things happen.