January 2012
4 posts
Beauty Matters
I miss friends back home. Part of the reason I don’t want facebook is so that I won’t get sad seeing pictures of everything back home, but I kind of need one to keep in touch—apparently, people won’t answer their phone, but in three seconds they’ll respond to a wall post. Ugh, this generation..
But I miss being with friends at restaurants, sleeping over at...
Elderly Endeavors
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
—Hebrews 10:24-25
This was the verse we used to close out the first Bible study at Haviland Care Center! I put a bit of time into deciding which one to...
The last couple of days have been very trying.
I think my eyes are officially worn-out from crying so much, and the stress of leaving my family for a year and the stress of moving back to school have been even more so. I miss Uncle Boyet and it hurts to think that he will never be there again when we come back to the Bay to visit.
Death. What an interesting experience.. logically, you know...
Note: this was written first out of anger and then ends on better, spiritual terms. I apologize for the harshness, but I think erasing it would be a lie and a cover-up.
Out of all the times I’ve ever been heartbroken, this is the first time I never knew what to do about it. I feel like my heart just got ripped out of me and it’s hanging in front of my face, and when I try to grab it,...
December 2011
1 post
Life in Death
WIH (Worshipping In Heaven; not RIP) My Uncle Boyet Rodriguez just died on December 26, 2011 at 10:30PM.
This is the first time that I have experienced a death that actually mattered to me.. not to say that people’s deaths don’t matter, but this time, it actually struck me with pain. When I first heard the news, I was sort of numb to it.
I’ve grown up a lot with Uncle Boyet;...
November 2011
5 posts
Release
I’ve deleted all the music in my iTunes library, and I’m in the process of replacing them with Christian music; hip-hop, Gospel, R&B, everything.
I’ve been in an amazing process of transformation, so much so, that I can even see it in myself. I was convicted yesterday, after watching Paul Washer, that I am to live a holy life; to hate the world, to be separate from the...
Crazy
I write in a state where God has been completely working in my life, sifting through all of the garbage and tossing out what does not belong. I’ve asked God for wisdom and a desire for Him, and He has been generous in the latter and free with the former.
You know what I feel like? I feel like a crazy person. I feel like nobody is understanding of what I feel for the Lord right now. This...
Curses and Giftings
A bit frustrated at the moment, and yet I feel like I should write because I feel that there is a lesson that God is teaching me here in this very moment of my frustration that I wouldn’t otherwise have the conviction to write about tomorrow morning. So I must do it now.
I took this Spiritual Gifts test that is found in the book What You Do Best In The Body of Christ which in and of itself...
Wisdom Tooth
So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great principle of yours?
1 Kings 3:9, Solomon
I’ve been thinking a lot about the things that I pray about, and the things that I present before God; the things that I desire. And I don’t know why (since I haven’t read this passage for a while) but...
Fire
Having a stranger pinpoint the struggles and the desires of the calling in my life was an interesting and ethereal experience. I just woke up on the couch and Mariah’s dad walks in the living room and sits on the couch across from me. Good morning. Before we began talking, the first thing he said to me was, “I don’t believe I’ve heard your testimony yet. I believe you and...
Frustrated.
Frustrated that the very things that take me away from Christ are the very things that I find myself constantly surrounded by on a daily basis, whether physically in its presence or manifest in my mind. I’m frustrated that the path toward my calling in my life has been skewed; I’ve allowed my vision to be blurred. I feel that I’ve been a crappy steward of the giftings God has...
October 2011
6 posts
Paraphrase of Psalm 73
This is probably one of my favorite passages in the whole book of Psalms! Even though this was a minor assignment for my Old Testament Survey class, I really got a kick out of this paraphrase exercise. I’m thinking of regularly doing ”paraphrasing” of different Psalms and other Scriptures now, just because it really helps you to understand the Word from your own perspective.
...
For once, I’m going to try to write without any Scripture or without trying to find reference to anything; biblical background or theology. I always feel that I need to back myself up; that the things I feel or say aren’t solid without validation from some sort of legitimate resource. I get anxious when I write about spiritual things without anything to support it. I feel naked, like...
Rubble
They read from the Book of the Law of God and clearly explained the meaning of what was being read, helping the people understand each passage. Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were interpreting for the people said to them, “Don’t weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the Lord your God.” All the people had been...
Victory In Weakness
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Colossians 3:12-14
I’m so excited to...
Confessions
First off, I just want to thank the Lord for his many provisions and for giving me this amazing, mysterious calling on my life; one that has been beckoning to me since before I was ever conceived. I’m so glad that I decided to go to Bible college. This is my life right here: learning, growing, striving and struggling toward Jesus Christ; and then from there, helping others to learn, grow, strive...
September 2011
5 posts
Finish Him!
For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.
Deuteronomy 20:4 (NASB)
I was intending this to be a quick encouraging verse on my facebook status, but then I realized that this verse has a lot of meat in it. And I’m pretty hungry (figuratively and literally speaking).
So while I was looking at different versions of this Bible...
Family Matters
I’ve had the privilege of growing up into a Christian family, even more so as the daughter of a Pastor. I have been privileged to grow into an environment where spiritual excellence is encouraged, and because of it, Jesus was as natural to me as my own mom and dad. However, this is different from actually knowing who He really is, but I’ll get to that later.
So in effect, children in...
Big People, Little God Mentality
Listen to me, you who know right from wrong; you who cherish my law in your hearts. Do not be afraid of people’s scorn, nor fear their insults. I, yes I, am the one who comforts you. So why are you afraid of mere humans, who wither like the grass and disappear? Yet you have forgotten the Lord, your Creator, the one who stretched out the sky like a canopy and laid the foundations of the earth....
Young Men Speak On Sexual Purity →
(Click link above for video!)
I did a lot of soul-searching today regarding men.
I had a deep conversation this morning with my mom about men and marriage, and I realized I harbor much hate and bitterness toward the two because of the poor example that my father left me with. To put it simply, his adulterous habits eventually led to my parent’s divorce.
This has left me as the eldest...
Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and my God!
Psalm 42:5-11
It’s almost 4AM and I can’t sleep. I realized that during the day you can sort of distract yourself from the real issues at hand, but when nighttime comes around and you’re about to lay in bed, you start thinking about all the hard and heavy...
August 2011
3 posts
Judgement
First, I want to remind you that in the last days there will be scoffers who will laugh at the truth and do every evil thing they desire. This will be their argument: “Jesus promised to come back, did he? Then where is he? Why, as far back as anyone can remember, everything has remained exactly the same since the world was first created.”
They deliberately forget that God made the...
Questions
Who is God? Who are you? What kind of plan have you intricately woven? Why do I not know what your plan is? What do I have to do with this plan? What am I on this earth for? Why do you keep using me even though I keep messing up? Why are you constantly behind me? Why are you like a shadow, following my footsteps? Always leading me? No matter where I go, whether in the hills or in the valleys,...
For The Women
As a young woman, I struggle a lot with what it really means to be a woman. In our culture nowadays, when it comes to being a woman, it’s all about appearance and looks and our sexuality. Our femininity is validated by our outward appearance. The more beautiful and sexually attractive one appears, the more womanly one is.
I’m not going to lie. I get caught up in this worldly...
June 2011
1 post
Cling tightly to your faith in Christ, and always keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked.
1 Timothy 1:19
We fight to take captive every thought until it acknowledges the authority of Christ Jesus.
2 Corinthians 10:5
My mind is everywhere right now. I’m looking at these verses and I know...
March 2011
2 posts
Isaiah 58
Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast. Tell my people Israel of their sins! Yet they act so pious! They come to the Temple every day and seem delighted to hear my laws. You would almost think this was a righteous nation that would never abandon its God. They love to make a show of coming to me and asking me to take action on their behalf. “We have fasted before you!” they say....
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you hope and a future. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord.
Jeremiah 29:11-14
We try to live in such a way that no one will be hindered from...
February 2011
2 posts
Boasting of My Weaknesses
I used to think that by showing others I lived a righteous life, people would see me as this “good Christian girl”. These girls don’t struggle spiritually. They don’t wrestle with sin. They are sweet and polite and patient and loving and caring toward others.
And for a time, Jesus became more of a banner to me than my Saviour. I wanted people to see me as the good...
Well, in one particular respect we have got it all wrong. We are inclined to believe that God exists for us, God is waiting for us, God is there to make us happy. But in the gospel, God does not play the role of a butler. In the Gospel we are told that God, the Creator who made all things for his own praise and glory, has gone into action as mankind’s redeemer. We human individuals are impotent...
January 2011
2 posts
New future coming up soon. Got accepted into Barclay College in Kansas, thank God!
Cannot sleep for excitement.. or anxiousness, or confusion. Wondering how this will all pan out. Wondering about what God is really calling me to do. Wondering if I can give up all the things I think are important to pursue Jesus Christ. Wondering who He is to me, really. So many questions. Not exactly doubting,...
Resolutions
So I deacivated my facebook today.
As stupid as it sounds, I believe I’ve been distracted by it. To put it simply, some of it was an extension of my ego and a desire to impress certain people with certain aspects of it. I’ve decided to stop trying to impress people with what I say, what I look like, where I’m at, what I’m thinking, who I’m friends with and all that...
December 2010
3 posts
I don’t want my life to be explainable without the Holy Spirit. I want people to look at my life and know that I couldn’t be doing this by my own power. I want to live in such a way that I am desperate for Him to come through…
There was a time when I got excited over a crowd showing up to hear me preach, but those days are long gone. Now I deeply desire that the Spirit of God would do things...
Who do you say I am?
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the...
The Ultimate Christmas Present Excerpt
Edwin: It's not fair.
Santa: What's unfair?
Edwin: Everything! Ever since I was a little boy all I ever wanted to be was a meteorologist. While all the kids were playing with toys, I was busy playing with thermometers. They would look at the clouds and see ponies and ice cream cones, and all I could see were condensed forms of atmospheric moisture. Mr. Martino was right. I'm a failure.
Santa: Edwin, you're not a failure. You need a challenge. A place where the weather is exciting. A place where you can share your knowledge with people who have the same passions as you do.
Edwin: But where? If could go to such a place--
Santa: I'll see what I can do.
Me (Christianne): I was watching The Ultimate Christmas Present on Disney last night and when I heard this, Edwin completely reminded me of myself from a Christian perspective. I think we as Christians oftentimes feel left out from the world because of who we are, and we feel like failures. For myself, "ever since I was saved all I ever wanted to be was a better Christian. While all of my friends were out partying, I was at home reading or relaxing with my family. They would look at clubbing and drinking and see a good time out, and all I could see was a life apart from the Word of God. Maybe they're right, and I am a failure." I've felt this way so many times! And yet God tells us that we're not failures. We just need to be in constant fellowship with others who love Him as well; a place where other people share the same passion for Christ as I do. We all have the need to belong, and it's okay, so long as we strive to belong in the Body of Christ. "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." --Proverbs 27:17. There is probably a deeper message in this somewhere, but this is just a surface thought. :)
Popularity Issues
“Obviously, I’m not trying to be a people pleaser! No, I am trying to please God. If I were still trying to please people, I would not be Christ’s servant.”
—Galatians 1:10
This says two things to me.
First, that my goal in life is not to please others, and secondly, it is to be Christ’s servant. As a result, a servant of Christ should strive to be more...
November 2010
9 posts
Scripture
Psalm 63
Observation
I was going to do a SOAP in the book of Acts today, but I felt my heart wasn’t on it. Acts is more like a historical account of missionary events following Christ’s ascension.. it would have required a lot more “Observation” than anything else. But right now, I’m not much up to observation; but I’m up for feeling and...
As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.
—Proverbs 27:17
It’s so funny, I had the greatest edification of this biblical truth after getting to talk a bit with an old friend last night during Jovie’s birthday dinner. It just goes to show that God works to put certain people in your life during certain unexpected places and unexpected times, in order to work in...
Anonymous asked: What's your interpreation of child-like faith?
So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord’s work, for you know that nothing you ever do for the Lord is ever useless.
1 Corinthians 15:58
I could have cried when I happened upon this Scripture.
There are just some days when I feel so weak and dry, like what I’m doing is just amounting to nothing. I read my Bible, I study it, I take...
"The truth about the truth about the Truth"
I just got home from a 12-hour orientation at Denny’s; it’s already 2AM and I’m pooped, but this has really been on my heart for the last couple of days. I’ve been reading an amazing book called Tortured for Christ by Richard Wurmbrand and I have to say this is one of those books that I can feel is going to change the way I look at things; it’s going to change my life...
How To Get A Man
I was going to do a bit on the book of Mark, but I thought that I was rushing it and I didn’t want to rush my observations, so I’ll save it for tomorrow! But right now I wanted to post up an excerpt from Lady In Waiting that I think really challenged me after I read it.
Elisabeth Elliot says she is often asked the question, “What can I do to get him to notice me?” Note...
Diet of Worms 1521
“Almighty, eternal God. What a contemptable thing this world is, yet how it causes men to gape and stare at it. How small and slight is the trust of men in God. How frail and sensitive is the flesh of men, and the devil so powerful and active through his apostles and the wise of the world. How soon men become disheartened and hurry on running the common course; the broad way to hell where...
October 2010
5 posts
1 Timothy Ch. 6
Scripture
1 Timothy Ch. 6
Observation
I realized from this passage that we are to live in such a way that would not shame the Gospel.
Vs. 1 says, “Christians who are slaves should give their masters full respect so that the name of God and his teaching will not be shamed.” Vs. 12 says, “Hold tightly to the eternal life that God has given you, which you have confessed so...
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Paul Washer "Examine Yourself" Notes
If a work of God does not continue, it never was a work of God.
If you examine yourself and fall short, throw yourself onto the mercy of God.
Do not listen to your heart about your salvation, listen to the Word of God. Compare your secret life to the Word of God—see if you stand. Don’t compare the one who’s pretty and fixed up and polite to the Word of God, but compare the...
2 Thessalonians Ch. 3
Scripture
2 Thessalonians Ch. 3
Observation
Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you. Pray, too, that we will be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not everyone is a believer. But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one....
PDL Day 7
I’ve been reading the Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren, and although I’m not as consistent as I should be, I still find immense pleasure in this devotional when I make the time for it. The theme for today is: our Purpose is to glorify God—“It’s all for Him”. Not to glorify ourselves, but to uplift Him with our lives (even though we can’t make God any...
SOAP #1
Scripture
Genesis Ch. 4
Observation
Vs. 1, “I have gotten a manchild with the help of the Lord.” Eve recognizes that she didn’t do this on her own—God blessed her with a son.
Cain was a tiller of the ground, but Abel was a keeper of flocks. The scripture doesn’t really go into detail about their personalities, but I like to think that God gives us interests and...