Discontentment

I've been following on Pastor Les' series "Lo$t" for 2 Sundays now. He actually started 4 Sundays ago but since I wasn't able to go to the first two, I have to contend myself with his recap every start of his message.

This Sunday, he talked about discontentment. He said that one of the reasons why we find ourselves financially lost because society wants to make us feel that we don't have enough, thus creating a need to want more.

I've been wanting to get a new cellphone for sometime. I have tried reasoning that it was someting I could actually afford. I have convinced myself that it's something that I need to reward myself with, considering that I worked hard enough to earn me two promotions in 7 months.

But you see, this is something that I don't need. My cellphone is still fully functional, and it's not even outdated. Pastor Les made an excellent analogy between these material cravings and hunger. We eat when we're hungry and we get satisfied, but 4 hour tops, and we get hungry again.

When I got my cellphone, I told myself that I don't think I would ever want another cellphone, and look where I am now? Hungry again for another one.

Bottom line is, we need to be careful for some discontentments we have that may gear us towards being financially lost. It may not be the same for everybody. For some, it may be something else. The key is to make a careful evaluation of what is a need and what is a want, and to have enough discipline to live within our means.

Why I write about my marriage...

I don't write about my marriage to brag about it. True, I want to show people how happy I am with the path I've chosen. But more importantly, I write about my marriage to inspire others to BELIEVE.

I once was a skeptic and belonged to the other side of the fence. Having seen to many failed relationships (not from first-hand experience thouh) and broken marriages, I've come to conclude that love is merely a fabrication. I've seen enough women weep and bleed over relationships that didn't turn out too well and I vowed to myself that I won't ever be a victim.

I've closed my heart to the possibility of romance and resigned to keep it at that until someone came along and turned everything upside down (and then right sight up again). The love and dedication given to me by that person was overwhelming and too good to be true. But it was true. It was pure. It was magical.

I thank God for that person because he opened doors of possibilities for me. He made me believe in love and commitment. And most importantly, he prepared my heart to welcome the one big love that was bound to come my way - my husband. The one person who was there for me right from the start - patiently waiting, silently pursuing, and never giving up.

I write about my marriage in the hope for more people to have more faith in love. I want people to believe in relationships. I want to inspire people to believe that happy marriages can exist, that relationships can work out, if you're willing to put enough dedication to work at it, and have faith in each other. I want people to realize that love may have the power to make life miserable, but it can also make life magical beyond words.

Hebrews 11:40

Sometimes, we get so caught with executing our own plans that we fail to consult the one supreme being who dictates everything in our lives. Because God had allowed us so much freedom to decide on our own, we make plans that are not really aligned to His plans for us, because the lure of material gain is too strong to resist.

I fell for this trap, and I was thankful that not much energy and time was spent planning and working out on what would have been a deviation to God's design for my family. Somehow, God has still guided me and sent me a gentle nudge to re-examine my priorities before things got out of hand.

Initially, I was disheartened when I found out that my husband would not qualify to work abroad due to his medical condition. But God had enlightened my mind and made me realize that He has better things in store for me and my family. It was never His design for a married couple and for the family to be apart from each other for a long time. Aldrich and I always knew this in our hearts, but an opportunity came that we thought was good, only to find out later that it was a tempation that could potentially break our family apart.

On the surface, it would seem that we lost a good opportunity. But His ways are not our ways, and for as long as we continue to trust Him and His will, and for as long as we are willing to obey His words, there is nothing that He couldn't and wouldn't do for us. We may experience setbacks, but trust that the best is yet to come.

"God had planned something together for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect." Hebrews 11:40

Perceptions

As I go through life, I've learned to not always believe everything I heard, feel or see at first glance.

I've come to realize that there are more to people, things and situations than what meets the eye. Life has taught and shown me a lot of ironies that I wouln't have believed had I not known better.

There are people who'd appear tough and confident but are really nervous inside.

Someone who speaks freely about sex and intimacy may actually be ineperienced where sex is concerned.

A person who seems financially secure may be buried with credit card debt.

There is someone who appears to be naive and innocent, but may not exactly be your next-door virgin.

Some others who appear to be shy and timid may actually be secure enough of themselves that they don't find the need to belong and to socialize.

I know of some people who earn 6-digit salaries but are actually scouting around for loans to pay off debts.

The man beside you who shines in all his masculinity may actually be desiring the masculinity of the guy accross the table.

A person who openly says he doesn't want commitment actually desires of settling down but wants to make sure he doesn't get hurt.

A rebellious person wishes to have someone in his life who can tame him and make him submit.

A person who speaks articulately, and critizes other people's grammar, couldn't get his subject and verb agree when blogging.

On the other hand, you may actually find yourself amused and enlightened reading the blog of someone you know can't get his words out when speaking.

Well, these are just some of the ironies that I'm sure a lot of us can relate to, or at least can identify with. And I'm pretty certain that you can create a list of your own.

So don't believe everything you hear and see. I know of someone who emphasized the words "Perception is everything". This person, who once trained me and my peers for the job that I used to do, and whom we thought was indispensable, being the very foundation of the principles we go by in our job, was fired by the company because apparently, he's not needed anymore. Yes, perception is everything. But it is exactly what it is, just a perception.

10% off - anyone?

She's quite a handful...and so I'm selling her...any takers? hehehe

...but of course I'm just joking! hehehe