Starry Night

I’m giving my life to the only one who makes the moon reflect the sun.
Every starry night, that was His design.
I’m giving my life to the only son, who was and is and yet to come
Let the praises ring, ’cause he is everything

I’m just in awe of you, God. Your power, your majesty, your character, your grace, mercy and love and your thoughts and your higher ways…. How could you be so perfect yet so touchable and reachable? I can honestly say that I give you my life because you makes it very easy for me to do so.

Let your glory shine, Lord. Through me. Through my family. Through people all around the world who love you as well as who don’t know you yet.

You are crazy to love me and I’m crazy about you.

Heal Me…

Heal me
Heal these eyes
Heal this heart
Heal my mind
Breathe Your breath of life
Heal me
Wake my soul from this sleep
Give me back the joy of when I first believed
Heal me…

This song came to my mind while I was doing my Bible study this morning. I don’t want to take my blessings for granted and this song helps me to remind myself to wake up, ask for God’s help and His presence and have to joy of when I first believed. I lifted my hands up to my Father this morning for this tender moment I spent with Him…

Father’s Love Letter

All the words spoken in this letter is indeed from God, my heavenly Father and they are all over the Bible. So how can I not be victorious? I find rest in His arms and He protects me from anything and everything in this world. All I have to do is run to Him.

Satan, you can’t harm me because I’m an apple in my Father’s eyes and you have to go through Him first. Eat your heart out!!

Remind Me, Lord

I’m a contributing writer at the Granola Bar Devotional and below is my new devotional.

Do you sometimes stop and wonder why you are doing the things you do? I do and that is why I write things down and make a list. Recently, I have decided to challenge myself with many things that could help me to deepen my relationship with God and though my intention was good, I soon got caught up in the nitty gritty of my Christian acts and forgot why I was doing them in the first place. Instead of opening my ears to listen to God, I was more interested in the number of pages I read in the Bible. Instead of deepening my relationships with my fellow Christians, I was more interested in marking of all the church activities I was involved in. Instead of teaching and disciplining my child in God’s Word, I was more interested in my child’s “worldly” accomplishments. And then today, I read about the phylactery (a.k.a. tefillin), the two small leather boxes observant Jews wear on their arms and heads during weekday morning prayers, and I realized that I needed a reminder of my life’s purpose. Like phylactery that Jews use every morning, I needed something to bring me back to God and remind myself that it is not about me. Do you need “a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead” (Exodus 13:9) in your life like I do? It can be anything you want and as for me, it’s kneeling down before God first thing in the morning when I open my eyes. I hope you can find your own reminder today and may God bless you abundantly through it.

Memory verse:
“This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that the law of the LORD is to be on your lips.”
- Exodus 13:9a (NIV)

Prayer Prompt:
“Dear Heavenly Father, I beg You to remind me everyday of the Good News Jesus brought to this world and why I live my life for You. Protect me from the things of this world and the lies of evil so that I don’t get lost, and so I can be forever faithful to You. Be ever present in every moment of my life and bless me and my family abundantly for meditating and following Your laws day and night….”

Contributing Writer:
Abi J. Moore

Pray by Avalon

My all time favorite Christian music group is Avalon and I listen to one of their CDs on my drive back home from our week-long vacation yesterday.  Oh, how I just worshiped and praised God in my car for over two hours with lifted hand (just one hand for I was using the other for driving! *^^*) and God blessed my time with Him.  Yes, I did woke my baby girl up with my singing from her sweet afternoon nap, but what are you gonna do, right? :-)

One of my favorite songs of theirs is called Pray and I love its lyrics.

“You sacrificed, paid with Your life. Gave me the right. Lord, I pray…”

I’m so grateful that I can just come to my Lord and pray for anything and everything and that I have the right to do so.  Oh, the endless blessings….

Another day just the same
Another night, still no change
Caught in the middle of
Where I am and where I should be
Inside I whisper Your name
Outside I barely maintain
Without Your strength in my life
I’m lost so, Lord, please send Your…

Rain
Wash away the
Pain
Take away the
Blame
I’m callin’ out Your name

Lord, I pray
Help me find a way
Way back to You
I’m on my knees beggin’ You please
Every time I stumble
Lord, I pray
Help me find a way
Way back to You
You sacrificed, paid with Your life
Gave me the right
Lord, I pray

I know I’m weak and You are strong
You give me faith to hold on
Lord, help me see that I’m stronger
When I’m down on my knees
‘Cause that’s where the power begins
Your boundless strength has no end
No matter what comes my way
I’ll persevere if I just…

Pray
It’s the strength You give me
Pray
It comes so freely
Pray
I’m callin’ out Your name, so…

Down on my knees I find You
Leavin’ this world behind,(You)
Always hear me when I
Need some answers, and I
Just can’t seem to make it through
And I’m not sure what I should do
That’s when I close my eyes
And, Lord, I pray

Lord, I pray
Help me find a way
Way back to You
I’m on my knees beggin’ You please
Every time I stumble
Lord, I pray
Help me find a way
Way back to You
You sacrificed, paid with Your life
Gave me the right
Lord, I pray

Some People Change

Some people change.  How true and how thankful I am for God’s power to change…

Pastor John talked about apostle Paul yesterday; how he was before God met him on his way to Damascus, how he changed from persecuting Christ-followers to preaching gospel, especially to the Gentiles and how he suffered for God with a servant heart.  Some people change, indeed and I’m proud to say that I am one of them.  I’m still thankful for the day I went through the water about six years ago and how God broke me down and changed me by molding me all over again.

The pastor jumped into the baptistery with his clothes on asking people to follow if they feel led.  He said he didn’t mind even if nobody follows and that he was the only one in the water….  On that day, 43 people, both young and old, women and men, father and daughter, mother and son, jumped into our church baptistery after pastor John and join God’s family.  We quickly ran out of towels to dry them but nobody cared because they all changed and wet clothes was the last thing on their mind.

“What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things” -Philippians 3:8-

It was all for you, Lord.  I hope you smiled a lot yesterday.  I pray you watch over those who went through the water and protect them from everything that are not of you.

Managing Your Moods

Sometimes, our moods can get the best of us. They can even stand in the way of healthy communication with others. So, let’s sit down with a cup of tea for a heart-to-heart study about our moods and emotions. In this study we’ll tackle the garden-variety moods and emotions we deal with every day with down-to-earth illustrations to give you a chance to laugh and think, and dozens of thoughtful insights from Marilyn Meberg, Luci Swindoll, Barbara Johnson, Sheila Walsh, Thelma Wells, Patsy Clairmont, and Nicole Johnson—the “Women of Faith”. Twelve weeks of Bible study enable you to search the Scriptures for God’s answers to controlling our emotions, and a leader’s guide is included.

I’m an emotional person with lots and lots of hormones.  And that’s a fact.

Recently I have come to realize that much of my behaviors and attitudes are affected by my moods and emotions and I decided it is not ok to be moody or grumpy just because and that I can overcome them with the help of God.  I suggested Managing Your Moods (Women of Faith Study Guide Series) to my Bible study group and we just finished it in six weeks.  This book is very simple and short, it contains so many Bible verses, which I can use them to control my moods.  It covers many issues like anger, jealousy, and even PMS-ing and I loved learning what God says about all these issues.

I highly recommend this book for a small group study or even a personal spiritual growth.

Because of You by Kelly Clarkson

My Dear Sweet Lord,

Thank you for saving me from my past and making it possible for me to break free from the darkness.  Thank you for my marriage and my family that are so loving and full of godliness against all odds.  Thank you for my flaws and shortcomings so that your glory can shine brighter in me.  Thank you for the courage for me to say that I’m not perfect and feel your peace in me.  Thank you for your grace, mercy and goodness so that I can be the mother you wish me to be to my little precious girl.

I pray for all the little girls and boys out there who are going through difficult time right now due to parents’ marriage, family issues, finances, poverty, confidence, etc.  You know their needs and I pray that you’d keep an Armor of God on each of them to protect them and keep them safe.  Just love them, Lord, and let your love be known to them for Christ’s sake….

Footprints in the Sand

We all suffer from lonely hearts at times regardless of who we are, what we believe and people we surround ourselves with.  Sometimes the lonely heart comes and goes quickly and other times, it overstays its welcome….

The scriptures tell us that we ”who are really in need and left all alone put our hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help.” (1 Timothy 5:5)  We can “trust in Him at all times and pour our hearts to Him for God is our refuge.” (Psalm 62:8)  We are NEVER alone for our Heavenly Father promises that God of love and peace will be with us at all times (2 Corinthians 13:11).

I found below poem called Footprints (or Footprints in the sand) many years ago at the corner of a bookstore when I felt that I was all alone in this world.  And I sank down and sobbed knowing that my God was carrying me in His arms right then and there and that He has been for a long time….

A Merry Heart

For my new devotional, A Merry Heart, and more, you can check out “Granola Bar Devotional,” where women of faith share their testimonies and life experiences to glorify God.

“When your heart is broken, you see cracks in everything.” I remember hearing this line from a TV show called Felicity one night in college and I never forgot. It’s probably because my heart was broken then from a thing called life and I cried many nights on my knees wondering if the pain would ever go away. My heartache was too much to bear and it felt like everything around me was broken indeed and I saw no hope. Our heart is a very interesting part of our body that is so strong and yet so delicate all at the same time. All our strength comes from our heart but it gets easily hurt and broken and when it does, we tend to fall apart for our heart determines the course and state of our life (Proverbs 16:9). My heartaches came and went year after year and I was always defeated without fail until the day God opened His floodgates of heaven and poured out His mercy and grace on me like a long-awaited rain on a desert. He did my heart good indeed and I experienced a truly joyful heart for the very first time. I never looked back since that day because I realized a few things. I was not alone anymore for God was with me at all times (Hebrews 13:5-6). I was not afraid to do anything for nothing was impossible with God (Luke 1:37). I had hope for God had plans to prosper me and not to harm me (Jeremiah 29:11). I was safe for God protected me with His armor (Ephesians 6:10-18). I was victorious for Jesus has already won the battle (1 Corinthians 15:57). And most of all, I was loved unconditionally and beyond measure (John 3:16). How could my heart be anything but merry and joyful knowing all that? I have found a true happiness in God and it showed on my face and my smiles. I know that my heart will still be broken from time to time until I come home to my Father in heaven but I’m certain of one thing: nothing will crush my heart or my spirit beyond repair and when my heart gets broken, all I have to do is lay it down before my king and He will heal it with love. A merry heart is only a prayer away, Sisters.

Memory verse:
“A happy heart makes the face cheerful but heartache crushes the spirit…”
- Proverbs 15:13a (NIV)

Prayer Prompt:
“Dear Heavenly Father, Oh, how I love You for who You are! You are truly beautiful and all powerful, Lord. Thank You for never-ending possibilities in life through You and for the gift of my joyful heart, which I will cherish and treasure for the rest of my life. I pray that You will guard my heart for it is the dwelling place of Your words. Please give me wisdom to have the mind of Christ so that my heart can be steadfast and blameless before You. I pray that my face will always be cheerful with my happy heart and that others will see the Holy Spirit working through me….”

Contributing Writer:
Abi J. Moore