Being Thankful

A lot of times, it's so easy to look at what we don't have, what we want, and how we want life to go. But every day that passes and every moment God gives us is truly something to be thankful for.


I'm a firm believer in celebrating life every day, and that's why I don't really like Valentine's Day (that's not the only day you show how much you love someone), or just being thankful during Thanksgiving, or appreciating someone only on their birthday. Relationships are meant to be valued and appreciated, and there is much to thank God for, like:

1. My family. My morning begins with a phone call from Mama, and I can definitely feel my family's love from 8,000 miles away. The rest of my family is right here in Nashville, and they are a tremendous blessing too.

2. My friends...old and new, in Nashville and Manila. "No man is a failure who has friends." I am grateful to have friends I can just hang out with, take road trips with, talk to for no real urgent reason...And even though most of my friends are so far away I am grateful God has preserved and further developed these friendships in special ways. Relationships are great blessings and cultivating these will always be a blessing.

3. My church and spiritual family. I have shared my testimony a lot lately, and I know I would not be where I am without my spiritual family. I am grateful to have people I can run to, or call via long-distance, no matter what.

Here in Nashville, God is doing great things, and I am excited to see all He has in store. I also love working for the church and serving God's people with some of the best people I've ever met. I am also really enjoying our youth ministry and leading a group of young girls.

4. My home. I love the peace and quiet of my home, fixing it the way I want to, and enjoying God's blessings every day. I am grateful for the experience of running a home and living independently.

5. My health. Sometimes we don't understand what a great blessing good health is until you get sick, have an accident or are faced with a test you never knew you would have to take, and are suddenly claiming all the healing verses you know of. I am also grateful to have 8 hours of good, restful sleep every night! Thank you, God, for good health!

6. My God. He is faithful, He is sovereign, and He is good. He does things the way He wants to, and He deserves to be trusted always. He made us the way He wanted us to be, and we live for His glory no matter what.

Every day is an opportunity to know God more, to walk with Him more, to make Him known and to rest in Him.

For all this, I am grateful.

Shabbat Shalom

I just had my first Shabbat dinner and I am so grateful for the experience. Aside from reading the Bible and watching Fiddler on the Roof, I do not really know much about Jewish culture. But tonight was just amazing altogether. It may not have been the super traditional dinner and we may not have said all the prayers correctly, but it was pleasing to God and it was relaxing to my soul.

Thank you to the Chapmans and everyone who was there, and to Rafi who explained what the parts of the prayers and meal mean. Thanks, Marlene, for the great and filling meal and for hosting all of us.

Here are some of my thoughts about Shabbat and tonight's experience:

• Shabbat is a time to put aside the past week and enter God's rest. It's a time to enjoy, to quiet one's self and to refocus on God. We all need that, every week. Too often, I bring the burdens of the week into the weekend, and I realize now, that's just not the way God intended it. 
• Taking time to stop, pause, remember, recalibrate, realign, refocus -- we all need that -- God knew we would need that. Hence the Sabbath.
• I love how the Jews take time to bless their spouses and children and to say special prayers for them. I read before about how the Jews are so blessed because they speak blessings over their families all the time. Too often when we focus on the things that are wrong in our loved ones, we end up criticizing when we should be blessing, getting frustrated when we should be appreciating.
• What we did as we shared the bread and the juice or wine was to take communion together, and it's about what Christ has already done for us. I love how Jesus was at the center of our Shabbat dinner.
• Real community is possible, and it's such a great blessing -- sharing, talking, laughing, and getting serious all at the same time. 
• As we worshiped God at the dinner table it reminded me not to take God and his grace and mercy for granted. It also made me want so many others to experience the same thing we have.
• The weekend has not even begun and I already feel so refreshed, and my "energy tank" got filled up so much and I did not even know it was that empty! 
• Understanding Shabbat is so crucial in our relationship with God, why He ordained it and how we are to practice it -- not with legalism but knowing it's for our benefit, that Shabbat was made for us. 

Shabbat Shalom!