Break

Finally I’m back from a brief hiatus. I’ve been quiet busy the past weeks with my child’s last weeks in school so I haven’t got the time to post. Despite the business, there were definitely a lot of moments where the Lord let me realize things, mostly about my role as a mother.

This March, we are celebrating women’s month and I would like to pay homage to the strong women of God, both in the Bible and in our current time. I will soon be posting excerpts or articles about how these women were empowered by God to change the lives of many people.

With this, let me finish with a prayer for all the women out there:

Lord, You have created us, women, to be companions and nurturers. You have given us delicate features but strong wills to carry out the roles You have laid out for us. May You always give us the grace to be good daughters, good wives, good mothers… women who are just after Your own heart. Use us to change the lives of the people around us, even going beyond the borders of our families. Give us the strength to go through each of life’s trials. Give us the wisdom to make sound and just judgements which often influence our families – most especially our spouses and children. Tame our tongues and let only encouraging words flow out from them. Be our guide as we set out to spread Your love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Related articles

• In Bloom (momentswithabba.wordpress.com)
• A Noble Woman (annasonelife.wordpress.com)

Tailor-Fit

By helenpaulette@yahoo.com

What’s your goal?

This was the question the gym lady asked me when I finally decided to sign up for gym membership. I disliked gym. I thought it was boring having to lose weight using cold-blooded (as if they had blood) machines. I thought badminton was enough. Apparently, it isn’t. So I parted with my hard earned money as I signed the 6-month membership contract. I told myself, “Mamahalin ko ‘tong gym na ‘to. Dahil ang mahal nang binayad ko.”  (“I will love this gym since I paid so much for it.”) What a motivation (hint of sarcasm).
Thus, my official Day 1 at the gym. The trainor handed me my chart, showed me my work out program, made a demo of how to use the machines and then left me so I could work on my own (and that was, the most boring part). As the trainor left, I stared at my chart and my work out program, tailor made for me.

I liked that phrase– tailor made. Of course, the program has a condition. I can only achieve results if I stick with the program and follow it to the letter. The gym had done its part– it’s now time to do mine.

As I was working out, I began to notice other people in the gym. Some were running the treadmill, an older man was lifting weights, another woman was working on her obliques. And then I thought: All of us here have our own fitness goals. And if we want to achieve them, we’ll stick to our programs.

And then I thought of the Bible. The Bible is like that work-out program. It is tailor-made for me, and for you. Like the scenario at the gym, each of us has his own goals in life. The great news is that the Bible has a program that is fit for all of us, whatever age or circumstance we are in, and with guaranteed results. On one condition of course– that we learn to obey everything that is written in it. Remember Joshua 1:8? “This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth. But thou shalt meditate in it day and night, that thou mayest be careful to do and observe everything that is written in it. Then thou shalt make thy way prosperous. Then thou shalt have good success.” Psalms 37:4- “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” The Bible is replete with verses on good life, good health, protection and blessings. And if we obey God‘s Word with all our heart, God can’t do anything but bless us, because that is His character.

As I finished the last set of my cool down workout and headed to the shower, I just got reminded of a greater goal. Stick to obeying God’s Word. And, as I took a last glance at the treadmill, I made a mental note to stick to my work out program, too. With that insight, going to the gym may not be that boring after all.

Completion of Ruth’s Journey

This is the last installment of Ruth’s journey. This chapter relays how she became the great matriarch of Jesus. Clearly, God orchestrated all the things that happened to Ruth’s life so His plan may be fulfilled.

Ruth 4:1-22 (NIV)
Boaz Marries Ruth
[ ] 4 Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer he had mentioned came along. Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down.[2] Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, “Sit here,” and they did so. [3] Then he said to the guardian-redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek. [4] I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line.”“I will redeem it,” he said.[5] Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.” [6] At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.” [7] (Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel.) [8] So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it yourself.” And he removed his sandal. [9] Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. [10] I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!”[11] Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. [12] Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.”
Naomi Gains a Son [13] So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. [14] The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! [15] He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.”[16] Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. [17] The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

The Genealogy of David
4:18-22pp—1Ch 2:5-15; Mt 1:3-6; Lk 3:31-33[18] This, then, is the family line of Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron, [19] Hezron the father of Ram,Ram the father of Amminadab, [20] Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, [21] Salmon the father of Boaz, Boaz the father of Obed, [22] Obed the father of Jesse,and Jesse the father of David.

Ruth’s Leap of Faith

Today is the 29th of February amd we are in what we call a leap year. This happens every four years only amd it has been a popular belief that old maid’s or spinsters usually take this opportunity to get engaged or married. They would take the “leap” into marriage, as many would say.

With the third installment of Ruth’s journey, we can see how she also took that leap of faith. We will see her obedience to Naomi, following her faithully amd just trusting in her word.

Ruth 3:1-17 (NIV)
Ruth and Boaz at the Threshing Floor

One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home for you, where you will be well provided for. [2] Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. [3] Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. [4] When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.”[5] “I will do whatever you say,” Ruth answered.
[6] So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do.[7] When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. [8] In the middle of the night something startled the man; he turned—and there was a woman lying at his feet![9] “Who are you?” he asked.“I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer of our family.”[10] “The Lord bless you, my daughter,” he replied. “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. [11] And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character. [12] Although it is true that I am a guardian-redeemer of our family, there is another who is more closely related than I.
[13] Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to do his duty as your guardian-redeemer, good; let him redeem you. But if he is not willing, as surely as the Lord lives I will do it. Lie here until morning.”[14] So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognized; and he said, “No one must know that a woman came to the threshing floor.”[15] He also said, “Bring me the shawl you are wearing and hold it out.” When she did so, he poured into it six measures of barley and placed the bundle on her. Then he went back to town.[16] When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “How did it go, my daughter?”Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her [17] and added, “He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’ ”
[18] Then Naomi said, “Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.”

Ruth’s Journey Part 2

As promised, here’s the second chapter of Ruth’s journey to becoming the great matriarch of Jesus.

Ruth 2:1-23 (NIV)
Ruth Meets Boaz in the Grain Field

Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side, a man of standing from the clan of Elimelek, whose name was Boaz. [2] And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.”Naomi said to her, “Go ahead, my daughter.” [3] So she went out, entered a field and began to glean behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelek. [4] Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, “The Lord be with you!”“The Lord bless you!” they answered.[5] Boaz asked the overseer of his harvesters, “Who does that young woman belong to?”[6] The overseer replied, “She is the Moabite who came back from Moab with Naomi. [7] She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.’ She came into the field and has remained here from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter.”[8] So Boaz said to Ruth, “My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field and don’t go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me. [9] Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.”[10] At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?”[11] Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. [12] May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”[13] “May I continue to find favor in your eyes, my lord,” she said. “You have put me at ease by speaking kindly to your servant—though I do not have the standing of one of your servants.”[14] At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come over here. Have some bread and dip it in the wine vinegar.”When she sat down with the harvesters, he offered her some roasted grain. She ate all she wanted and had some left over. [15] As she got up to glean, Boaz gave orders to his men, “Let her gather among the sheaves and don’t reprimand her. [16] Even pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up, and don’t rebuke her.”[17] So Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. Then she threshed the barley she had gathered, and it amounted to about an ephah.
[18] She carried it back to town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gathered. Ruth also brought out and gave her what she had left over after she had eaten enough.[19] Her mother-in-law asked her, “Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you!”Then Ruth told her mother-in-law about the one at whose place she had been working. “The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz,” she said.[20] “The Lord bless him!” Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. “He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead.” She added, “That man is our close relative; he is one of our guardian-redeemers. ”[21] Then Ruth the Moabite said, “He even said to me, ‘Stay with my workers until they finish harvesting all my grain.’ ”[22] Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It will be good for you, my daughter, to go with the women who work for him, because in someone else’s field you might be harmed.”[23] So Ruth stayed close to the women of Boaz to glean until the barley and wheat harvests were finished. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

Ruth’s Journey

I was reading the Book of Ruth tonight and it fascinated me. Her story is a perfect illustration of God at work. And so, I thought of posting her story here in parts so we can all be inspired by Ruth’s faithfulness.

Ruth 1:1-22 (NIV)
Naomi loses her husband and sons
In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. [2] The man’s name was Elimelek, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there. [3] Now Elimelek, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. [4] They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, [5] both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.

Naomi and Ruth return to Bethlehem
[6] When Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. [7] With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah. [8] Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me. [9] May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.” Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept aloud [10] and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.” [11] But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? [12] Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons— [13] would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me! ” [14] At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her. [15] “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.” [16] But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. [17] Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” [18] When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her. [19] So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?” [20] “Don’t call me Naomi, ” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. [21] I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.” [22] So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning.

In Bloom

Dear Lord,
For each one of us I know You have a purpose. You have directed our paths toward where we are in life now to fulfill something for You. Sometimes, the purpose is not clear yet but often times, You have already shown it to us but we were just too preoccupied to see. Where I am right now is an answered prayer from You. You have made it clear to me on the very day I made the decision to be a homemaker.

You have repeatedly reminded me of a wife’s role in a household – how she should cultivate and nurture her husband amd children according to Your ways. I am well aware of my duties as wife and mother as how You have detailed it in Your Word. However, I realized that I was only doing it at the start. It was like a honeymoon stage for me where everything seemed so exciting and interesting. As months gone by, the focus shifted to me. How I suddenly realized how tiring my previous job was and how exhausted I felt my whole being was from that endeavor. Then I began to do things just for myself – telling my husband that I needed time to just relax and do nothing. With this, I have delegated some of my duties to our househelp and my child’s nanny. I became a guest in my own home, never lifting a finger to do anything for anyone. Honestly, I enjoyed it- so much even. And it’s been like that for so long. It’s like I was given time to find myself. It felt good but I know I was neglecting my husband and child.

After several months of nothingness, I am now coming out of my shell. Refreshed and revived with new revelations. Lord, again You have orchestrated these things. You made things happen so I can come out of my stupor. I know You know that I was like a twig floating in a river, just going with the flow in the past several months. But now, You made it clear that You have planted me here – at home to be with my family. You have opened various windows of opportunities for me so I can check my heart. Through them I have found my true calling; but, it’s also through them that You got Your message across – not yet, family first.

You have planted me here at home. I was but a seed last year when I decided to stay here with my family and serve them and You have watered me with Your Word, pruning me as I grow each day to become the person You want me to be. It’s still a process, I know, but I clearly get it. My Lord, You have been telling me all this time “Bloom where I planted you, my child… There’s still a lot of work to do.” Today, when the enemy attacked me and made me feel useless, You reminded me of Your plans for me. You reminded me where You have purposely and lovingly placed me to grow and be in full bloom. You have placed me in the heart of my family so I can be like Rachel and Leah in the Bible – faithful wives and mothers who raised Israel.

Lord, given this, give me the grace to do what You have chosen me to do. Forgive me for the times I’ve been selfish and uncaring. Guide me to become a wife and mother after Your own heart. Slowly, help me out of my cocoon and like a butterfly, help me bloom in full. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

A Way Out

Life is hard.
Life is full is full of challenges.
Life can be so tough sometimes, we feel helpless.

But, the hardships, the trials, and the challenges we can bear as long as we believe that God, our Father, is with us. There is nothing insurmountable with Him, nothing too hard, nothing impossible.

Let us all be reminded of this truth whenever we feel like the world is against us:

1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Mom, be patient…

Dear Lord,

I often lose my cool when it comes to my little kid. I know that he is Your gift to us and he is just adorable, but, there are times when his childishness gets the to my nerves. I am aware that I should understand him because he’s just a kid and he’s meant to be this way. I know that I can’t expect him to act maturely and behave like we adults do. But, I just can’t help it at times, Lord, and I would lose my patience half the time.

And so, I am asking for forgiveness, Lord, for this kind of attitude towards my child. Please give me the grace to be more patient. Help me nurture him more and cultivate him. Help me pave the way for him so he can enjoy his childhood. Give me the grace to allow him to behave childishly because he’s still a child. Chasten me, Lord, each time I lose my temper or raise my voice. Help me discipline him in the right way. Help me restore him as well everytime I reprimand him for disobeying.

Lord, please, give me the grace to become a better mother. Give me the grace to become a mom after Your own heart. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

My Kind of Love

Love… How do we define love?

Through time, people came up with various definitions of love. The most popular ones include:

- love is a many splendored thing
- love is blind
- love is like a rosary, full of mysteries

And many more others. But what is love really? In my previous post, I said that God is love and it is true – He is the epitome of love. However, there’s a more detailed description of love in the Bible. And for me, it perfectly describes God’s love as well.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV)
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. [5] It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. [6] Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. [7] It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

This verses clearly spells out to us what love is and how we should love.

My prayer is that we will all learn to love like this so we can make this world a better place. Amen.