Monthly Archives: July 2010

My EN2010 Experience!

July 31, 2010 by Karess | 6 Comments | Filed in Happiness, Learnings, Musings

I was part of EN2010 held a week ago—a celebration held every three years by the Every Nation family of churches and ministries. Having a special assignment during this time was a long-time prayer of mine. :-) Though I wasn’t exactly part of the audience and didn’t get to listen to most of the speakers there, I was still very much able to receive a revelation of how awesome He is. Truly, God cannot be kept in a box—He is bigger, wider, and more vast than our puny imaginations can conjure up.

Here are some of my highlights of the event:

1. Not getting to do what I expected I would do. I was given a different set of tasks totally different from what I initially expected I would do. In my ever-so-curious nature, I asked God why He allowed that to happen. Here’s what He impressed in my heart:

If I let you do that task, you’d no longer rely on me and instead rely on your own strength.

Talk about sobering! I love how God is so honest to us about His plans. I love how He wants us to rely on Him more and more and more and more! Truly, apart from Him, we can do nothing!

We hate going out of our comfort zone, especially when we’re used to doing certain things like clockwork. Yet there is a danger in letting routine take over your life—because there’s that tendency to become self-reliant and self-sufficient. God doesn’t want that—He wants us to cling to Him, hang on to Him, and trust Him for His awesome and amazing plans.

2. Perseverance leads to maturity. Edwin Navarro, one of our supervisors, shared this to us in one of our meetings (though he claims he doesn’t remember saying it haha). Out of all our pow-wow’s, this was the statement that stuck to me the most. I can’t even begin to explain how this little sentence helped me keep on keeping on. Then again, James says the exact same thing when he wrote his letter:

Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:4)

3. God is God. Period. I saw people from restricted nations, ones where publicly worshiping God equals capital punishment, stand on their chairs and praise God boldly, without fear of getting caught and killed. It was AWESOME.

God is God even in the darkest, most dangerous places. And I have faith that one day, someday, His light will shine there—and in all the world.

I can’t help but be emotional as I write about these things. Again, I may not have been part of the audience nor did I get to hear every preaching, but God still reveals Himself to us in every possible way imaginable.

I am still in sheer awe of who He is. May I never stop being such.

(Photos taken from EN2010.com. Used with permission)

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Night Sky

July 18, 2010 by Karess | 4 Comments | Filed in Musings

I was at a friend’s condo last night. We were staying at their rooftop that overlooked most of Manila. From farther off we could see lightning form in the sky.

I stepped on top of a huge plant pot so I could see the view better. The cold night windwas blowing in my face. We could hardly see any stars, but I loved how there were hundreds of little tiny lights on lower ground.

It was such a beautiful sight.

God sees that beautiful sight too, every night. In fact, He’s been seeing it for thousands of years. And He never grows tired of it. From where’s He’s at, way above us.

What’s even more amazing is that He doesn’t just see us from up there—He sees even the most secret places in our hearts.

How He does it, none of us can ever comprehend. Yet I know one thing’s true—He is never far off from us, nor too far away from where we’re at.

God is within reach. Grasp Him and take Him in.

overwhelmed and overjoyed

July 15, 2010 by Karess | No Comments | Filed in Musings

Work has been keeping me very, very busy the past few weeks. We have a huge event coming, and being part of a productions/communications team is exciting and awesome fun. It’s actually a dream come true for me, and more. :)  It’s an honor and privilege to be part of what God’s doing.

Truth be told, it’s the first time that I was this busy ever.  Sure, we had production and writing work in college, but the stuff we did then was peanuts compared to this huge-scale thing.

I came to the point of practically drowning—then I remembered that Jesus pulled Peter out of the water when he was afraid that he would drown. Peter was able to walk on water—huge feat right there—but seeing the wind and waves around him made him panic big time, thus making him sink. Just then Jesus pulls him out of the water, and says. . .

You of little faith, why did you doubt?

I think I’m having the exact same Peter moment. Okay, game, so I took the plunge now, right? And I’m walking towards Jesus with much excitement and awe. And the water underneath me feels so cool and ripply and stuff. But I see the lightning and the huge waves around me. . . and I sink. I realize I can’t make it.

Then Jesus comes to me—comes to me—and pulls me out, and tells me, I can do it. I can make it. And that I didn’t need to doubt or feel insecure or inadequate. He chose me, and I don’t need to feel that way.

Nor do I have to doubt.

Oh, thank You Lord, for pulling me out just in time.

Saturday

July 3, 2010 by Karess | No Comments | Filed in Musings

I love Saturdays.

I get to wake up really late and not worry about traffic.

I get to wind down and reflect on the week that was.

I get more time to talk to Jesus and pour out my heart.

If time permits, I can play a game or two of Plants vs. Zombies and not get my brains eaten.

I get to learn new things in Victory Group and spend time with my brothers and sisters in Christ. :)

Saturday is when the busyness of my life stops to a halt and I get to see, hear, taste, feel, and smell the beauty all around me.

Rest is a gift from God. Who doesn’t love it?