Decision. New Start. Next.

I don’t really know how to start this blog, or what topic should I blog about.. Well, I just want to write the things that I’ve been thinking about these days…

Decision.

All of us have different decisions to make as we go through life on this earth, Some are easy, then some are not. Some are good, then some are not. But definitely decisions are generally the things that we need to deal with everyday.

I’ve been thinking a lot of things lately, a lot of decisions that I just feel I really have to deal with at this point. I’m having second thoughts.. I’m having regrets.. I’m having some things that leads me on asking myself “What’s next?”

But as the bible says
“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” Proverbs 19:21 (NIV)

and as I go on making these decisions, this verse is a reminder that I need God to lead me on such decision making… Coz’ yes I may have my own plans, I may have my own decisions according to what I feel or what the needs are… but I just want to trust God for His guidance on leading me to the right path.

But one thing is that I’m sure about.. and that is, I just want a new start… A new journey… and I thank God for always giving us this chance.

New Start.

The good thing about having a personal relationship and encounter with God is that we always have a chance to start a new life… And as we go on with our journey, God’s plan is for us to move on to the next level and not just stay on our comfort zone.

Things happened for a reason and things happened for us to learn, thus for us to see the calling that God had planned for us.

Having a new start might be painful in some ways… or should I say.. comes from a painful ending… but isn’t it that’s the best things about life… We really learned from our past experiences… We learn from the past, we move on towards the future, and we start to make things right in the present.

I for one is thankful about having a chance to make a new start.. Well we always do…

What I’ve been praying right now is for God to give me strenght to face new things, wisdom to choose what is right this time around, and to be more in love with God… to be soaked in more of His words, to listen to His plans, and to follow His directions.

Next.

Well, I don’t know yet, but I look forward to it. I’m excited to see the things that God has planned for me. What’s in store for me… on my new Journey…

but definitely here’s one of the things I wanna do, as the song says, “I’m the man who can’t be moved” …

simply because I have a big God…

Cmon!!!

Faith. Trust. Love. /japes/

(posted April 28, 2009)

Life Is Meaningless

Uncertainty… Choices… Decision… What’s next?
As they say “either you make it or break it”

People have millions of choices to deal with everday… through their lifetime… from the
simple ones like; which clothes should I wear today?, where will I eat today?, to the tough
ones like, Is this the girl whom I’m gonna spend my life with?, would I choose to follow my
heart or choose whatever the situation tells me to do? (Woah! even in writing this blog..
I’m having a hard time choosing these questions…

Basically we all live in a world that is full of choices and decisions, even God gave us
this gift called FREEWILL, and it’s sad to say that most of us usually take this gift for
granted.

When pride overcomes our emotions, thus our decisions, we easily decide based on what we
think that’s seems right for us. When people rebuke or simply made a bad comment on us —
we usually say “Eh ito and tingin ko na tama eh” (This is what I think that is right for me), then eventually in the end the decisions we just made leads us to our own destruction.

A Wise king once had said

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death”
Proverbs 14:12,

saying that there are really tons of ways for us to choose… for us to decide… but if we
decide basically on what we just feel, based on our emotions, or what we think that is right
for us without asking God then it would end up into just nothing. Why? simply because,

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails”
Proverbs 19:21

Yes, we can choose to have it our way, but it’s the matter of how God had planned it for us
If we don’t seek God on every decisions we have to make, then it would be just meaningless.

I for me have experiences on this, there are many decisions in the past that I became to proud of myself and basically don’t mind asking God if it is for me or not, and in the end I have become the victim of my own decisions.

I got to earn a lot, I got power, I got famous, yet I always felt incomplete, not until I got to know God and that not all my plan… not all that I have achieved is completely in accordance to His will, which brings me into conclusion;

WITHOUT GOD, OUR DECISIONS WOULD BE ALL MEANINGLESS
WITHOUT GOD, THE WAY TOWARDS A COMPLETE LIFE IS MEANINGLESS

(posted March 18, 2009)

Life Is A Messed!

I was browsing my old blogs in multiply and blogspot (Well they’re all the same hehehe) and     I was fascinated by my entries… It goes to show that everyday, all of us will experience hardships, failures, successes, triumphs, etc… everyday is truly a learning experience for us…

It’s been quite sometime since I wrote my last blog… and I got convicted by it… hehehe..  I miss blogging hehehe…

Anyway, here goes for my new blog…

I’ve been in a situation right now on where I’m really on the verge of giving up… so many things happened for the past few days… and I think this would be the result of a month long dilemma…

People changes… People have lots of differences… And if we would think of it negatively… Life is a messed!! Why on earth we have these kind of people? Why are we like this?

Basically, we all live in an imperfect world.. thus making us not really perfect… We have different views, opinions, likes, dislikes, attitude, name it.. anything… but I guess these things makes our world go round… these things makes us who we are today.. the question would be.. Should we contented by these things?

Right now I’m in a situation on where I really can’t decide.. a clouded mind… tired.. and confused about what’s happening in my life…

But everyday I’m being reminded that I should be secured.. I am skillful.. I am JOHN PAUL..
No matter what’s going on in my environment today… I have a big God that runs my life… I have God that shows me the way…

Going back.. yes we live on a imperfect world.. but we have a perfect God that guides the way… No matter how rude other people can be… how situations makes us down… We have given the authority to change things… to decide on either we should go and and continue a messed-up life OR finally get up and continue to strive more and be a better person… thus know who we are!!! know are security.. that our security is not on other people.. but on God…

our identity is in Christ and not on what other people think of us…

People will fail us.. people will disappoint us.. why? simply because we are not perfect.. that is why we should look on people… we shouldn’t based our life on them..

If we take a look on the positive areas of our indifference… changes.. and all.. well, Life is not really a messed!!! Situations happened for us… People changes for us to learn.. for us to be strong.. for us to open our eyes and see the reality… see our own mistakes.. see our own capacity…

People will fail us… but God won’t
People changes… but God won’t
People is not the way… but God is the way!

(posted March 15, 2009)

It’s A Different Kind Of Birthday

First of all, I’d like to thank everyone who texted, leave a message on my guestbook, and personally greeted me on my birthday. I also would like to thank the Kids Church, t. irene, t. edit, kuya jules, and the gang for giving me a party… I really appreciate it… Honestly I’m honored and humbled with you guys… to kuya Armin, thank you, to kuya Jam, the worship ministry members, and to all the people na honestly di ko kilala but they greeted me..sobrang thank you talaga..

Dapat pala may gig ako today… grabe si God.. akala ko wala na talaga.. but right on my birthday… an old friend called me and wanted me to perform sa timog ave. well hindi ako nakapagcommit tonight.. but I’m just thankful kasi I got a confirmation kay God…

Dapat din uwi na ako pero I chose to stay… kaya ayun.. yun pala the Kids Church gave me a party hehehe…

I’m 25 years old na!!! whew!!! grabe.. marrying age na hehehe…

Now why is it unconventional?.. well its weird kasi at some point di ako naging masaya… mixed emotions… i can’t help but cry sa mga nangyari this day… honestly i didn’t like the fact na may mga tao na very insensitive… hehehe ako naman ata yung over sensitive hehehe.. but I just let God na lang..

I appreciated what kuya jules had said when he prayed for me…”God will give the desires of my heart, and what I need is to rely and trust God for everything and just ask…” another thing that struck me was “You are important and not insignificant.. you have a talent.. you have gift” grabe yung encouragement…

I’ve learned to let go and let God na lang talaga… yes I am offended this day.. but honestly, I let God na lang… and I’m more thankful sa mga blessings at sa mga tao who were there… who witness my ups and downs.. who were with me all the time…

I thank God for everything, for blessing me with much things that I need, for giving me friends who truly I can depend on, for giving me my family, for giving me another chance.. another year… to change and to live…

Choose LIFE!!!

(posted January 3, 2009)

An Eye Opener Situation

An eye-opener

Do you know who ‘John Paul’ is? A million dollar question hehehe.. well basically even I was asking this question to myself…  who really am I? for all the issues and question regarding my character, identity, by just being me.

Well for the past weeks, I’ve been caught into an enemy’s trap… I basically fall for it… I’ve harbored bitterness, unforgiveness, and created a wrong mindset to other people… Coz I was really fed up… I got burned-out by all the issues that’s been going on for the past weeks… 

Honestly it was painful and I got so paranoid with it… the worse part of it, well I’m not pleasing God for all the things that I’ve been doing… I was so full of ME! ME! ME!… I’m being self-righteous… 

But thank God for still loving me… for still wanting me to change… for still giving me a chance… I wondered why all the preachings, all the talks, and all the quiet times that I’ve been and done with were basically pointing towards to this realization… STOP FOCUSING ABOUT YOURSELF!!! 

It was an EYE-OPENER for me… and now I’m giving and throwing it up, all the bitterness and unforgiveness that’s within me… I’ll stop focusing about myself… and be a solution-finder rather than a faultfinder. I’d rather focus on the people who needs help and who are lost… I’d rather focus on pointing and helping my small group members towards their walk with God, I’d rather focus on the positive things and the blessings that God has giving me, I’d rather focus on glorifying and pleasing God rather than to other people. 

As for those who doesn’t like me, or who have issues with me… well the only thing that I could do for now is to pray for them… and continuously pray for myself that I won’t harbor any bitterness with them, and also pray for reconciliation. It is not I who can change them, but only God. It is not my job to please them… It is not my job to condemn them at all.

  1Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. 2Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, 5for each one should carry his own load. Galatians 6:1-5 (New International Version) 

Now I’d like to take this opportunity to apologized to all the people that I have hurt with.. to all the people who I have not given a second chance.. to the people whom I have made broken-pacts with.

But I’ll stick to my conviction to live an UNCOMMON life… to pray and try to live a life of honoring God, to stay away of any acts of sinful nature (impurity, immorality, hatred, selfish ambition, dissensions, greed, lustful talks) … and the only thing that I can do this is with Christ… cos apart from Him (Jesus) I am nothing… I know by the grace of God I can do this… 

Now I’m bound to have a change of mindset… change of heart… change of character… I won’t let the enemy to hold anything that will hinder me from seeing and hearing on what God would want me to do… I’d stop focusing on myself… I’d rather learn from my mistakes in the past… and change what is wrong with my character… learn to control my temper, learn to shut-up and think first before I speak, and to stop being over-sensitive… coz I’m not pleasing God by doing those kind of things… 

Last thing, I’ve learned to weigh things fairly, to be vigilant enough to secure what’s mine… to provide  boundary to all my conversation… to let God’s wisdom fill me up.

I want to be used by God than the gods of this world…

Now for the question; who am I? well let’s just wait and see… that’s for my next blog…

God bless you all and please do pray for me brothers and sisters!!!

(posted September 30, 2008)

I’m A Work In Progress

Hi there!!! it’s been weeks since i wrote my last blog hehehe.. oh well, i just wanna share something with you guys…

Truly that the enemy won’t let us win by default… i just had a humbling experience about this… well, basically i’m trap into a situation that I’d never expected… I’d never thought that it would happen to me.. it concerns me and my friends…

I won’t go into details anymore… but here’s a hint… it was a secret.. then I knew it… then a friend confesses it to me… a tension… a fight (somehow)… now partially it was resolved…. hehehehe

As I’ve said… I’ve loosen my pride.. i lost my dignity, and character just to save a relationship…

Now after all this had happen.. i just felt that no matter how big my problem was, no matter how people tries to break my spirit, I still have God to back me up.. a God who would restore me.. and He uses people to lift me up again… Honestly I dont know what to think right now… But I am more secured… I’M A WORK IN PROGRESS… I know I still have sablays but I’m in the process of  renewing myself.. syempre with God pa din.. and now I’m waiting for that moment… I’m faithful to what God had promised me… a full restoration of John Paul.

God bless you all!!!

(posted August 19, 2008)

When Things Aren’t Suppose To Be What We Wanted

We have our dreams, we have our vision, we have our goal..

But not all of them are suppose to stay forever… that’s the irony of life, when you finally have what you want.. when you finally have what you think that is best for you… in just a split second and twist of fate, it will be taken away from you…

The question would be.. how will you deal with it and what if there are things that aren’t really supposed to be with you forever?

It’s like having a piece of paper, then you wrote on it, then you simply throw it away or somehow lose it withoue even knowing how.

I’ve been into this dilemma like a million times hehehe… and back then, i usually get angry and irritated… I tend to think that I’m just not worthy to have it or for them to have me… but lately I’ve realized that its not those things that build my character, that says who I am.. I finally realized that God has something better… I mean great… that is in store for me… coz after all it’s all about trusting what God wants me to have, what God wants me to do…

When things aren’t suppose to be what we wanted, the best way is to think… not to specifically look for the answer (at least for now)… but look on what God is saying… what God wants us to do… after all, He is the answer.

It’s all about trusting His plans for us… coz God wouldn’t want us to suffer… He is our father… and a father would only want what’s best for us…

God bless you all!!!

(posted June 19, 2008)

When I Fully Let GOD Run MyLife…

Ok here’s the catch, i wonder why i’ am not getting the things that i’ve been praying for, plus the blessings… well simply because, I still put my trust and priorities to the people around me, to my friends, to my ministry, and not to God…

The time came when God tested me, he dealed me with this, I had an UBE with my small group leader (its like IHD na din hehehe) coz it was painful, I had to let go of all my insecurites, pride, bitterness, unforgiveness, and all… I even had to give up even my reputation as a strong person… in short talagang na-UBE ako.. (UBE = Ultimate Bonding Experience)

It was really painful, and devastating hehehe… but you know what, right after I did it… when I fully let God change me, when I made an oath that I will change for the better, that I will really made my focus to God, blessing upon blessing are coming my way… its true that SIN (pride, selfishness, bitterness, etc…) is a blessing blocker. When I let God na lang… right after that day, unexpected blessings are coming talaga…

Our first gig was a success
When I lead the SG last saturday, the sg were blessed with my topic
God gave me an anointing on leading the people
I finally knew who really my friends are
I’m much more peaceful now
Basta madami pa…

Truly, when we OBEY and TRUST God with His plans for us, everything will be perfect…
When we OBEY and treasure the TRUST that was given to us by our SGL, and friends, God is please..

Right now my whole mindset was completely changed talaga… I have changed din… plus its really beneficial talaga…  it gives me honor and respect from others and to myself plus it preserves every relationships.

Truly I am restored…

Thanks to all of your prayers.

God bless you all!!!

(posted June 2, 2008)

Case Close: I Quit!

Grabe si God, when I’ve given up on helping out others, when I’ve losed my will to encourage others.. here comes another soul who needs help… who need a friend… who wants to know God…

It’s been a rough and a bumpy ride for me during the past 3 weeks… I’m helping a friend, helping a friend, and helping a friend hehehe… in short madami binigay na responsibility sa akin si God… it even came to a point na I might lose a friendship dahil di kami nagkaintindihan nung isang friend ko… coz na-burnout na talaga ako.. and i’m losing my patience then.. I even cried for my friend… kasi I know na hes’ worthy to be a friend talaga… one of my trusted friends sa church… just last week lang… medyo nabatrip ulit ako dun hehehe… kaya sabi ko.. i’m gonna stop helping other people na… i don’t wanna be involved na din and encourage them as well…

But after 10 mins (i think?) I got a text message from another friend, and this time yung dinidisciple ko na… after 2 weeks of no communication bigla sya nagparamdam… telling na may problem sya lately… and it affects daw yung walk nya with God… hmmmm.. Grabe, i got so convicted then.. kasi when I decided to stop na here comes another one that who needs help… it’s like God is telling to me ‘John Paul, be more patient, I’m giving you another responsibility, another task… never stop believing and don’t you ever neglect your duty’ at syempre mismo sa akin yun… tama talaga sa akin yun…

Kuya Jam told me to share this story sa small group later that day… and surprisingly he pulled out something sa shinare ko… he told us na we have no right to give, we have no right to stop advancing God’s kingdom through helping others… coz Jesus didn’t… Jesus died for us… Jesus fulfilled His duty…

From which I definitely agree with… I mean if God give up on us what do you think na mangyayari today? Same as sa atin… if we give up on those people who needs help… those people whom we loved… those people who doesn’t know God yet… useless lang yung ginawang sacrifice ni Jesus for us…

Now, I’m making a bold decision na I’ll just continue on fulfilling my duty, my responsibility, as a God’s servant… I know he wanted me to be like this… and all I have to do is to obey and follow his will for me… after all, it’s all about God, it’s all about His will for me….

Cased Closed: I Quit!

Now, I’m gonna continue this race…  zoooommmmmmmm……

(posted April 15, 2008)

Dealing With Conviction

Dealing with people to have Convictions… and being convicted by God? (based on my experiences)

As for me, is very hard… i mean its either you follow or obey your conviction or just do the thing your ego wants you to do… its simply saying would you rather do the wrong way or the right way, when conviction comes in.

When you felt like you’re being convicted syempre there’s guilt and worries… coz you’re in the dilemma of making a decision. Mahirap sya talaga… i mean alam mo na tama pero the question would be… gagawin mo ba yung tama?

I’ve heard and seen many stories na ganito, convicted sila but still di pa rin nila ginagawa yung tama… at syempre kasama din ako sa kanila… and a brother told me and we jsut to seek God for wisdom and his spirit to fill us so we can make a right decision… and that’s my prayer din sa mga under in this situation…

And I agree na mahirap talaga… like for example sa relationship (based sa story ko)… mahirap magdecide kasi you know na both you eh masasaktan… especially na una palang alam mo na mali… kasi emotions lang nag nandun at you don’t know kugn will ba ni God.
Another example would be, when you’re convicted dahil someone talked to you (based sa story ko)… your Small group leader or a friend.. sabi nga di ba…“A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense” Proverbs 19:11 (NIV).. we get offended maybe kasi tinamaan tayo.. but basically after being offended… are we gonna do the right thing? o maiilang tayo sa tao na nagsabi ng ganun… and still do the thing na gusto natin… on my part, minsan na-ooffend ako sa mga ganyan but I’ve learned that.. para sa akin din naman un eh…
Again I’m saying this kasi I’ve experienced na itong mga situations na ito… ilang beses na din ako na-offend sa mga tao.. and still I’m learning, I’m in the process of it…

Battling out with conviction, again as for me, is when we just simply pray to Godm and ask for his guidance, plus reading the word of course… nandun lahat eh… all the answers are found in that book… the BIBLE.

(posted March 26, 2008)