Friday, June 30, 2017

Make Me Clean

"Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." Matthew 8:2



It was a leper who asked for healing from Jesus. During Jesus' time, lepers were shunned as outcasts and cast out to live in the fringes. They walked among the dead even while still alive. Leprosy is infectious from continuous contact of the skin and droplets from the nose and mouth of the sick person. It is a disease not only of the skin but also of the nervous system. A leper cannot feel pain and that is why he can easily hurt himself. He can pick up a pan of boiling water with his bare hands. He can be bitten by a wild dog and not feel pain. 

Leprosy can be compared to sin. If we always hang out with people who curse, lie, take drugs, and do bad things, we will eventually think it is all right to do the same. Our soul gets disfigured and damaged, and our conscience dulled. We will not be able to recognize that there is something wrong and we need saving. Like the insidious leprosy, sin starts small and spreads leading to other sins, if we are not careful.  


Thank You for the gift of pain that keeps us from physical harm. We especially are grateful for the pain we feel when we are separated from You. We need You to save us from the consequences of our sin, Lord! 





Thursday, June 29, 2017

Gluebooks make Me Happy!


I have been gluing pictures on notebooks and journals 
ever since I was young. 
Today, there's a name for it- gluebooks! 
It's really just a collage of anything and everything 
that inspires you or intrigues you or interests you. 


Before I throw a magazine or brochure 
I tear the pages with pictures I like. 
I also cut out articles or quotations, 
things people say that make me think, 
colors and textures and objects. 

Then I make a composition on a page before I glue it down. 

The thing about gluebooks is it's so much fun to make. 
You just can't make a mistake! 
We can be like little kids, 
cutting and pasting, cutting and pasting! 


You don't even have to have a method or a theme, 
or even correct color combinations! 
If it makes you happy, go for it!  
For some people who don't like writing,
Gluebooks are perfect! 


What I like about Gluebooks is 
you don't have to buy anything expensive.
Any old notebook will do! 
As a matter of fact you can even use an old book!
Here, I am using our 2017 papemelroti Anniversary journal
because of it's thick pages which won't crumple
no matter how much I choose to glue on it.


If you want to see more pictures of Gluebooks,
or want to know more, visit these sites:

Free e-book
Lisa Vollrath's Gluebooks
A Gluebook Flipthrough
Gluebooks on Youtube
A whole lot of examples!

You may want to see 
other do it yourself projects at



Take a Look Tuesday All Star Blogger Block Party 

Tuesdays Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia 
Show Me What Ya Got at Not Just a Housewife 
Whatever Goes Wednesday at Someday Crafts


TGIF Linky Party at Craft JunkieLink Up with Liz Marie
Share it Friday at MeloMommaFlaunt it Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring
Sweet Fridays @ Rooted in Thyme
Show Off Friday  Sassy SitesPotpourri friday @ 2805
Fave Crafts Homemaker on a Dime  Check Me Out Saturday

Blessings,
Patsy




The Good Fight!

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7



The 2nd letter to Timothy was probably the last that Saint Paul wrote. He encouraged Timothy to be faithful, to be strong, to continue to teach the truth to people who will pass on the light of the gospel to others. Paul also wrote, "In the last days, people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will slander others...be cruel and have no interest in what is good....You must stay away from people like that." 

Paul certainly seems to be describing what is happening now. He saw the future and that future is here. It can only get worse with the way many people have no compunction to tell the truth anymore. Even people who call themselves Christians spread fake news with impunity,  and destroy peoples' good names with glee. They defend abortion and extrajudicial killings and declare what is evil in God's sight good. There is so much to meditate on in Saint Paul's last words. 

Lord, whatever evil is happening around me, in my country, in the world, may I be able to declare like Saint Paul, "As for me, my life has already been poured out as a libation, an offering to God...I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. And now the prize awaits me... the prize is not just for me but for ALL who eagerly look forward to His glorious return."

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

WOYWW: You Will Know Them

What's on my desk?
I am searching for a picture in my "hands" envelope.
Because i need to draw something to do with fruit!

Well, I decided to go with a picture of a woman praying.
Here I am tracing the picture on to my Bible.

Now to use paint, and below, a dark brown pencil to outline.



"You will know them by their deeds." Matthew 7:8


In most versions of the Bible, this verse is translated as, "You will know them by their fruits." I like reading about saints and one of the most interesting is Saint Joseph of Cupertino. His mother thought him a nuisance and always tried to get rid of him, sending him off to monks to be a servant. He was a slow learner and sometimes had a bad temper. Eventually he learned humility and began to enjoy praying while working hard in the Franciscan monastery. 

No one who knew him would have thought he had the ability to become a priest. But God wanted him, and in his exam, he was asked the only question he knew well! He fell so deeply in love with God that he would often rise off the ground in rapture when he was in prayer or when he was saying mass. People would come in droves that the Franciscans decided to keep him in seclusion. 


In contrast, we have the Chinese missionaries from the Back to Jerusalem mission. They are like worms, ants, or termites who move secretly and quietly to do God's work underground. We do not hear of their work, but they are tunneling their way through the Middle East and Southeast Asia, the strongholds of Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism. The same way they have established underground fellowships and churches in China, they are doing the same in other countries. One day we will see visible signs of their deeds. 

Lord, may I also do my part to build Your Kingdom here on earth. Show me the way I can take Your banner proudly where You lead. May I bear good fruit, may I sow good seed. 




Joining the lovely Julia Dunnit for a 
peek at desks and projects!
I find a lot of inspiration
visiting my friends here:

Blessings!
Patsy  

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

No Strife

"Let there be no strife between you and me..." Genesis 13:8


Abram, and Lot, their families, servants and livestocks, travelled to Bethel. There Abram built an altar as was his habit every time they camped at a new place. But both Abram and Lot were very wealthy and had many flocks and herds and their herdsmen would get into arguments. What did Abram do? Did he lord it over his nephew Lot and command him to leave? "God promised me this land! You just came along for the journey!!! Get out and stay out!" No, he very generously let Lot choose which section of land he wanted. 

We can see how committed to God Abram was, how he placed his full trust in Him who had a plan for his life! He stood on God's promises! He was not insecure, fearful, or greedy. I know of many families who have placed their desire for more wealth and property over love of family. One woman I know lived with her family in a shack for many years because her brother had all the titles to the family land and refused to divide the inheritance fairly. There are so many bizarre cases in courts about families feuding over millions and billions and hectares of property, and once successful family businesses floundering when there is disunity among the third generation. 

May we be like Abraham, Lord, our spiritual father, and learn to fully trust in You, knowing our future is in Your hands. May we be generous and kind hearted as You are generous and kind hearted. May we be wise to see the world and its enticements as it truly is, and not be lured by its fake attractions. 

Monday, June 26, 2017

Father Abraham

"Abraham, all the families of the earth shall find blessing in you." 
Genesis 12:3


When Abram was 75 years old, he heard God tell him to leave everything that is familiar and go to a land God would show him. Back then, there was no google, no waze, no newspapers even, to give Abram any answers to the many questions that he certainly would have. I am 60 as I delight in telling everyone who cares to know, and I cannot imagine uprooting myself and my family to leave my comfortable home, business, community, and friends, to start anew in a place that God calls me to. 

But Abram's obedience brings blessing not only to himself but to "all families of the earth"! Obedience seems to be the key to unlock God's many promises! Abraham's story can be ours too if we only listen and obey. For each one one of us, God has a dream, a plan, a vision, where we can use up all the talents, gifts and resources He has lavished us with. If we follow Him, He will bring us on adventures that will make us grow and bloom. 

Father, may we be brave enough to seek Your plan for us. May we embrace all that You have for us. May we overcome any fear we have in the unknown and place our trust in You. 

Sunday, June 25, 2017

My Father's Eyes

"Not a single sparrow falls to the ground without Your Father's consent."  
Matthew 10:29



Do we really believe that everything, big and small, that happens to us is known by God, is allowed by God? For that is what this verse implies. When a strand of hair falls from our head, or even an eyelash. If a mosquito bites us. If it's taking us forever to get a cab. When we get an autoimmune condition with no cure. 

Our only son Josh is graduating today at the University of the Philippines. He took Computer Science and he's graduating with honors. You can imagine how thrilled and proud we are. I remember when I almost lost him. He was a cute little baby, so smiley and charming, and had such a good disposition. I was right beside him when he was playing with a lion clip which I thought was too big for him to swallow. I turned my eyes away for a moment, and when I looked back at him, he looked as if he was about to vomit. I did not have any inkling whatsoever that he was choking on that clip! All I made sure of was I would not get vomit all over me or the bed. I carried him facing away from me to the sink,  pressing into his rib cage in the perfect position for the Heimlich maneuver! Out popped the clip! I was so surprised. Up till then I did not realize the danger my darling son was in! 

How many dangers have we been in that God has rescued us from ? Doctors say that there are so many diseases we are healed from that we don't know about. There are documented cases of life threatening diseases that go away spontaneously. My husband almost got into a serious accident on the hi way last week that would have changed our lives. So how about those awful things that happen that God doesn't prevent? Does it mean He wasn't watching out for us for a second? 

Chiara Petrillo was 28 when she died from carcinoma in her tongue that had spread to her liver, lungs and one eye. Previous to that she had lost two children with malformations right after she gave birth.  “You can be happy already in this world, in spite of everything. If eternity is your reference point, everything that happens is actually very little," she declared with conviction. "Whatever you do, it will only be meaningful if you think about eternal life. If you truly love, you will realize that nothing belongs to you, because everything is a gift.”

Lord, may I see my life as a gift. You watch over me and You allow only what is good from Your perspective of eternity! 

Friday, June 23, 2017

Special Treasure

"It was not because you are the largest of the nations that the Lord has set His heart on you and chose you..." Deuteronomy 7:7


It was not because you are the most beautiful that the Lord set His heart on you and chose you... It was not because you are the smartest, the most industrious, the tallest, the most talented, the most eloquent speaker, or even the one who prays the longest or studies the Bible the most diligently. Indeed the Lord set His heart on us and chose us simply because He loves us (Dt.7:8) and because of promises He gave. 

It says in verse 6, that God has chosen us to be His own special treasure, a people peculiarly His own. He declared this to the Jews, but by adoption, we share in His treasures, "for everything He gives to His Son Jesus, is ours as well" (Romans 8:15-16). As anyone who has adopted a child knows, it is costly not only monetarily but emotionally. How much more for God who gave His only begotten Son so that He could adopt us (Galatians 4:5). God sent Jesus down on earth so we could be free. 

Thank You Lord for choosing me. Thank You for doing everything so I can be Your beloved daughter, precious in Your sight. I know You will do everything to bring me into Your Kingdom. 

Thursday, June 22, 2017

WOYWW: Secret Prayer

I finally bought one of these.
I was going to wait till IKEA came to the Philippines, but it's taking forever! 
I wanted the cute turquoise Råskog trolley but settled for this grey one instead. It was on sale and only P2000 ($40). If I bought the IKEA one online, it would have cost me P5900 ($118). 

(Below) This is what's on the top- paints and brushes and a big pack of tissues to clean up! 



"Abba, Father," Matthew 6:9


When we come to God in prayer, do we talk to Him like a child trusting in a Father's goodness and His desire to give us His best? Do we believe He is truly listening and our every petition, big and small, reaches His ears and commands His utmost attention? Do we know that we have access to Him even when we are unworthy, dirty, and at odds with seemingly the whole world? 

I read somewhere that the "Our Father" was only taught to the first Christians after years of learning, and after their baptism. It was a sort of secret prayer. But we learned this as a child, and it has become so familiar that we recite it without much thought. Back in Jesus' day, and even today, Jews couldn't even say God's name, the four letter YHVH. They even write G_d, instead of spelling His name out. 

For the Jews, a name is not just what somebody or some thing is called, but a name conveys the nature and the essence of the person or thing. It includes even the reputation and the history. So when G_d's name is on a piece of paper, the Jews have to treat  that paper with respect. 

Perhaps that's one reason why the Pharisees wanted to destroy Jesus. They thought He was a radical out to destroy their cherished beliefs and traditions. They missed out on what He wanted to give them and us- access to an intimate relationship with our Abba Father! 

Abba Father, may I get to know You more and more each day! Thank You Jesus for teaching me a secret prayer. Many know it now, but if I keep praying and listening to You, I am sure I will get to know more and more of Your secrets! 



Joining the lovely Julia Dunnit for a 
peek at desks and projects!
I find a lot of inspiration
visiting my friends here:

Blessings!
Patsy  

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Not Like the Dead Sea!

"He who sows sparingly will reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will reap bountifully." 
2 Corinthians 9:6


How wonderful it is that God gives us His secrets generously. We need only to sit like Mary at his feet and listen. How did Saint Paul know that if we sow bountifully, we will reap bountiful fruit? Because he delighted in spending time with God. I can imagine that in one of his missionary journeys, while walking in the fields, the Lord would point out a farmer sowing seeds. "Look at that man and remember this," Saint Paul would hear the Lord tell him. "A farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop."    

Saint Paul passes on this valuable secret in his 2nd letter to the Corinthians, and we get to benefit from it if we practice it. There are many ways to plant seeds to bless others so we in turn will be blessed. We can give time, talent and treasure.  Those who are stingy with these gifts from God will be like the Dead Sea, only receiving, never giving. The Dead Sea is desolate, no fish can thrive in it. Even if fresh water continuously flows into it, it's 9 times saltier than the ocean because there's no water flowing out. The sun just makes the water evaporate and leaves the salt there. 

In 2 Cor. 8:7, Saint Paul exhorts us to "excel in the gracious ministry of giving." God cannot be outdone in generosity! Last April, a brother in our community fell, hit his head and went into a comma. I know that Arnold had been very generous in serving not only his family, brothers and sisters in our community, but he also gave of himself in our outreach for the poor. He had a heart for the poor because he himself used to live among them. When we called for help in medical expenses, there was such an outpouring of love. Brothers and sisters gave time, talent and treasure. A concert was organized, which was very poignant because Arnold's young children played in the orchestra. We held a garage sale and are still holding weekly auctions. And prayers! So many prayers reaching God's ears like incense! Of course God will answer! 

Lord, may I not be like the Dead Sea, only receiving continuously from you! May I have Your heart, Your eyes, and Your ears, to love, to see the need around me and to hear the cries of the people You cherish.