Before I move on with blog life, let me just conclude this series on my thoughts during prayer and fasting with this post (Betcha didn’t know there was a “series” huh?? –I didn’t either! hehe ). A bit late, I know. But I still think I should post it anyway.

There are so many verses on faith and prayer in the Bible. If there’s one theme that stood out for me this week,though, it is that of coming to God like a child. 

What does this look like for us?

To come like a child is to:

1. Come Asking boldly.

If you have kids, you would know exactly what I am talking about when I say that kids have no clue what they are asking for sometimes! For example, they would always tell me, “Let’s go to America tomorrow! I want to see my cousins there!”  as if it were that easy. To them, going to Disneyworld is just like going to the mall. Distance is not an issue. Money is not an issue. Time is not an issue. If they want something, they blurt it out and ask us for it— without hesitation.

I wonder why we don’t do the same, even if it is God himself inviting us to just ask anything in His name??

“Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!” John 14:14

2. Come with an Expectant Heart.

When kids ask you for something and you say yes, to them it is as good as done. They go on with the rest of their day assured and carefree, knowing that their requests will be granted. Even without written contracts, a single “yes” from you is as good as a deal that is signed, sealed, and delivered.

What about us? Do we come to God with the same kind of expectation and peace?

“For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.” 2 Corinthians 1:20

3. Come and Play.

What is one thing that a child never gets tired of? ….Playing, of course! No matter how late it is, as long as you don’t tell them to stop, they would find it in themselves to muster up enough energy to keep on playing. As long as they are at it,  they don’t get bored, they don’t complain (there are occasional fights, yes…that comes with the territory, but that’s another topic altogether), and they are full of joy. Why? Because they are kids! That’s how God wired them, and as long as they are playing, they are being themselves. They don’t have to tidy themselves up to play. There’s no need to concern themselves with “grown-up” issues. They can let their imaginations run free.

God has wired our spirits to pray. Prayer should not be something that bores us, for it is meant to give us joy and to energize us! When we pray, we too, can and should be ourselves. We don’t have to tidy ourselves up before coming to God. We don’t have to concern ourselves with things too overwhelming for us to understand. We don’t need a certain structure in order to pray. We can come and be ourselves for as long as we want.

Do we enjoy our praying time as much as children enjoy their playing time?

“I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Mark 10:15

Ever since I had kids, this has been a common scenario in my life:  Just as I finally get some time alone to do some things that require a certain level peace and quiet, one of the girls come running to ask me for something. It may be something as trivial as a hair clip to something that is a matter of life and death– for them, anyway. Either way, I noticed that our kids do not really have a good sense of timing. They just come whenever they feel like it, for whatever matter they  feel like discussing. They don’t stop to think about how to say things or how to express themselves properly. They don’t stop to think about how they look. There’s no need to put up a front. They come to you when they are sad and when they want to cry as if it’s the end of the world. They come to you when they are happy and overly-excited that it seems as though the whole floor has turned into one giant trampoline. They come to you when something scares them. They come to you when something bothers them. Often times, they even have a hard time articulating themselves properly. They often get their thoughts all jumbled up as they try to translate what’s going on in their heads into words.

Still— you, as a parent who loves them dearly,   listen anyway. Never mind that you were set on finishing that project for the house. Never mind that you were set on doing something else. You stop and listen anyway. It is a joy to see them come running to you. You don’t even notice the messy hair or the runny nose (well, you do, but you listen first and take care of that later). You don’t even notice the fact that sometimes they don’t make sense. You feel what they feel.  You’re the first to rejoice with them when they’re happy. You become sad when you see them crying. You would do anything to comfort them and make them feel safe and secure. You would do all those things because you love them. They are your children.

And they know it.

Our children know that they have complete access to us. They know they can come to you anytime and you would stop and listen to them. (Well, that’s the ideal response. We are but humans who fall short, after all). They know that by virtue of them being your children, they are granted that privilege of barging in (in a better sense of the word).

Sometimes though, our children grow up forgetting they have unlimited access. All of a sudden, they  have to wait for “perfect timing” to ask for their allowance or something they really like or to be allowed to go over their friend’s house. Before the weekend of the party arrives, they stock up on points by being extra nice– helping out with chores and studying really hard– to increase the chances of their requests being granted. A lot of teenagers grow up suddenly forgetting that they can come talk to their parents about anything and everything. They filter out what they think their parents would consider as “bad” stuff and share only the good. Instead of acting like children–members of the family, they begin behaving like boarders who just happen to stay and be  under the care of their parents.

When we started out in our walk with God, realizing what Jesus has done for us and that through Him we have been made children of God, there was no limit to our asking. We would be so excited to tell God everything– every desire, every disappointment, every detail of our lives.

Then we “grow older”. We forget about this unlimited access and we try once again to “earn” God’s favor by stocking up on points. We start editing what we say, as if He doesn’t see and know everything. We act as if there’s only a certain time when we can come talk to Him.

It’s my prayer that we would never grow old when it comes to our faith in God. I pray that we will always be like little children and know that we can come to God anytime, anywhere–  no matter how messy we look or how inconvenient the timing seems to be, or how difficult it is for us to articulate ourselves. I pray that we will always remember that by virtue of us being children of God (through the cross of Christ), we now have complete access to God, and we have the awesome privilege of barging in anytime, anywhere.

…And our Heavenly Father, our perfect Father whose ways and thoughts are far beyond our own (and who is beyond our capacity to disturb and interrupt)— is more than willing to listen.

…And yes, He is going to wipe off the tears and the runny nose, too.  :)

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

When Jesus made this invitation for us to come, it was with the premise that most probably, His people would be weary. He knew that the greater percentage of us who would be needing this invitation had a profile of this kind: tired, confused, weary, burdened. If He had expected otherwise, He would have given us this invitation instead: “Come to me, all you who have got it all figured out in life, and I will give you rest.”

But no. He didn’t say that.  He has extended his welcome for those who realize that they do not have it all figured out. He has long been inviting those who acknowledge that this life has left them tired, sometimes confused, and most probably overwhelmed.

This loving Jesus— God the Son who saw it fit to walk through this earth, had actually lived long enough in this world to know every possible temptation and burden we might face. This loving Jesus— God the Son who counted it a joy to give His life for us, actually knows –I mean, really knows– what it is like to live life in this fallen world. This loving Jesus— God the Son who is now reigning on His throne in heaven is telling us, inviting us, welcoming us….to come. No need to figure it out just yet…just come.

And that’s not the end of it.  Here’s the promise: I will give you rest.

Rest for our minds, rest for our bodies, rest for our hearts, rest for our spirits….REST.

Peace… joy… security… REST.

“Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.” Hebrews 4:1

I encourage you, come enter His rest today.

Also….drink lots of water!

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photo: crossmap.com

Over our “last supper” earlier, Dennis asked me what I had listed down as my faith goals for this year. If you’ve been joining us for the past few years of prayer and fasting, then you’ve probably been making this list, too. If you have no idea what I am talking about, let me explain as briefly as I could…

Every start of the year, our church calls on everyone (whoever wants to join) to go on a seven-day prayer and fasting. This is the time when we consecrate ourselves to God corporately, and together we believe God for breakthroughs in every area of our lives. In line with this, we usually make a list of the many things we are believing God for– be it in the area of ministry, family, health, finances, etc. We call this our “faith goals“. This list is usually an acknowledgement that “with man, it is impossible; But with God, all things are possible!”.

I hope I didn’t confuse you even more with that explanation, but let me move on and get back to my point…

Over dinner, Dennis and I began to wonder how it must have been like when people of the Bible fasted. Did they have a set of lists, too? Or did they just come with expectant hearts, ready to ask God boldly, yet also willing to surrender to whatever God said– completely?

For the past years, I’ve diligently listed down my faith goals. It’s always been an extensive list of the many things I am believing God for, broken into categories to make sure I don’t miss out any detail nor any area of my life. That’s just my O.C. self, and it’s been working well. It was always the case that just before the fast, God would impress upon my heart the “theme” he had for me for that particular year. (Last year, for example, it was Joshua. “Be strong and courageous.”– I had no doubt that was God’s charge for me. True enough, that was the word I needed to hold on to last year!).  That’s how it’s been almost every year.

This year, however, is a bit different. I haven’t come up with a list yet, and I feel that God wants me to come with a blank list.

He wants me to come EMPTY. 

He wants to be the one to make the list. Instead of coming to God with a set of things I want to ask Him for this year, He just wants me to just come to Him, period. He wants me to come to Him– completely surrendered and ready to take His marching orders. He wants me to come to Him– to seek Him, to be fully satisfied with Him.

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”

From there I have no doubt I will still end up with a list after the fast– but this time it will not be a list of what I want to ask Him for, but a list of His desires made my own. It will be a list of His plans revealed for me to obey. It will be a list of His promises for me to just walk into. Breakthrough will be inevitable then, and just like the Psalmist says…

“SURELY, goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life.”

Enjoy your water everyone!  

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photo: blurredhistory.blogspot.com

….This is one phrase I have always been afraid of saying. No, scratch that….. This is one phrase I have always been afraid of even thinking about.

I grew up having the mindset that if failure can be avoided, then why not just avoid it? I have never been a risk-taker. I always made sure that if I were to get into something, I had to excel at that thing, or at the very least, get average results. I have never dared to commit myself to something I wasn’t 100% sure about, never tried anything unless I knew I had a big chance of being excellent in whatever that was. I have never failed an exam from kindergarten to college. I have never attended a recognition day without getting an award of some sort. I have never seen red ink on my card. Never.

… And for me, I was doing just great because I never had to experience failure. I thought I was very wise, being able to calculate my steps and live my life so cautiously. I thought I would surely go far and accomplish great things because I always count the cost and plan my steps carefully. I thought, I thought, I thought…. Wow. How I thought wrong.

I didn’t know that as I kept telling myself to “never fail, I couldn’t fail, I must not fail“— that all the while, I have been failing. I failed to seize the opportunities, I failed to experience new things that life had to offer, I failed to grow.

Failure is a necessary event of life. I call it an event, because it is temporary. Failures do not necessarily have to define who we are. A failure is just a signal for us to get off that horse, and move on to try another one.

It is important for us parents to be able to communicate to our children that it is okay to fail. Oftentimes as parents, we try to “shield” our children from having to experience failure— because we love them, because we don’t want them to go through the pain, because we want to spare them from what we had to go through growing up, or maybe because we feel that their failure could be a reflection of our failure as parents. Whatever it may be, we have to let go of those reasons and accept the fact that as human beings living on planet earth, it is inevitable that we experience failure if we are to grow and learn. The only way for us to avoid failure is to stay stuck, to stay put, to live with the status quo.

We want to raise children who, instead of being afraid to fail, are secure enough to embrace the failure, get up, shake it off, and move on. We want to raise children who are not afraid to grow, to learn, and to live life.

18 days to go!!!

I always look forward to Christmas! I look forward to all the time spent with family and friends, giving of gifts, sharing of lives, delicious food, and of course, celebrating and remembering the very reason why I get to live life to its fullest every day of the year— Jesus!

I doubt that I will ever outgrow this fascination that I have for Christmas. I get all giddy everyday as I, together with the kids, countdown to Christmas morning. What brings me more joy is seeing the kiddos just as excited as I am!

Ever since Alyanna turned three, we have started counting down the days to Christmas starting every first of December. In the previous years, we used envelopes that the girls “designed” using Christmas-themed rubber stamps. We then hung them on a string with wooden clothespins.  We also made “lift-the-flap” calendars using an illustration board that we dazzled up with glitters. I would love to show you pictures, but unfortunately, they were in the hard drive that crashed.

This year, I found wedding favor mini-buckets that are perfect for my color-scheme at home….white! Here’s a photo of it:

I just cut out old ribbons that I’ll never get to use anymore because of the length (bitin!) and some red Japanese paper. Into the mini-bucket they went, together with a sheet of paper saying what activity or surprise awaits the kids each day.  We’ve already done seven so far.

Ooh, I can’t wait for tomorrow!

Over breakfast…

MIKA: “Mom, Why only husband and wife can kiss?”

ME: “Because that’s how God designed us. We were meant to save ourselves and keep ourselves only for our husbands.” (I have no idea if she understood this, but she shouldn’t be asking questions like this in the first place!!!)

MIKA: “Wow. Mom, I can’t wait to have a husband na.”

Patay.

ME: “Uh… Well…. You can start praying for your husband now. Pray that he will grow up loving God with all his heart, mind, and strength. Pray that he will always obey God and his parents.”

MIKA: “Mom, I really, really, really cannot wait to have a husband!!”

ME: *Change the subject! Change the subject!!!!* “Uh….Okay… That’s good…so start praying now, okay? Are you done eating?? Come on, Let’s play!!! Who wants to play na??”

I guess it’s a good thing, right??  Probably, Mika really, really, really cannot wait to have a husband because she sees from her parents that marriage is a beautiful union, right?? She probably adores how her dad is as a husband that’s why she’s excited to have a ….you know what, right??

Yes, yes, Thammie. No need to panic. That’s just it! She just wants what you have as a wife. But it doesn’t mean anything other than that. She’s still three years old. Don’t worry. THREE years old. Say it again: THRRREEEE years old.

There.

Now, breathe in…….breathe out…….

Okay…

You’re fine.

Three years old.

THREE years old.

Now, just pray she won’t ever bring up the subject again until after twenty years.

Just came from another “session” with Mika. Typical— she disobeyed, and the so the story goes….

Mika: *crying* “I’m sorry mom!”

ME: “I forgive you, Mika, and  I love you.”

MIKA: “Why??”

ME: “Because I love you! I choose to love you no matter what, and you are my daughter, nothing can change that, so I’ll love you no matter what.”

MIKA: “Why?”

ME: “Why what?”

MIKA: “Why I’m you’re daughter always?”

ME: (Thought bubble: Bakit, may reklamo?? Ayaw mo??) *Erase the thought bubble*… “Uh…Mika, you also have to say sorry to God, right?”

MIKA: *crying more* “Yes! ….Jesus, I’m sorry!! Please for-dive me and please help me!!”

ME: “Mika, you know what the Bible says, right? Each time we ask for forgiveness and say sorry, God promises to forgive us and to help us do what’s right next time?”

MIKA: “Why?”

ME: “Well, because God loves you!”

MIKA: “Why?”

ME: “Because God is really loving and you are His daughter. He loves you.”

MIKA: “Because I’m nicer than Atsi (referring to older sister) ?”

ME: “No. No one is nicer. We are all the same. All of us sin against God and all of us need God to forgive us and to help us.”

MIKA: “What about the other people? Because I’m nicer than them?”

ME: “No, Mika. All of us….we’re the same. We all sin, right? That’s why Jesus had to die for us.Good thing he died for us, right?”

MIKA: “Yes. Dood thing even if Judas tempted Jesus to not die on the tross nalang, he still obeyed the soldiers and went up the tross, right?”

ME: “Uhm…Yes, good thing Jesus obeyed God the Father and died for us even if it was painful, because he loves us.”

MIKA: “Yes. I heard Judas mom. He tempted Jesus to not listen to Dod (God). Dood thing Jesus didn’t listen to Judas….”

ME: “Ah…okay…. (ano bang pinanood mo bata??) …okay, Mika, take a bath na….”

*Whew!*

Disciplining our children takes T-I-M-E…. Agree??

Our goal is not just for them to see what they did wrong, but to see their need for a Savior. We want them to say, “God, thank you for loving me, forgiving me, and helping me each time I do wrong and sin against you. Jesus, Dood thing you died on the tross for me. Thank you so much!”

Mika is already three years old, but for some odd reason, people still presume that she is only about a year old (That is, until they see her eat and hear her talk). Each time we go to a restaurant, as in…each time, we always have to ask for another set of plates and utensils for her. Each time! I just want to tell the people waiting on our tables that yes, she is already a little human being. She is a person. Tao na rin ‘to, ate. Kumakain din.

Sometimes I find this cute, sometimes annoying. Sometimes I just hope that they recognize this little human as a person already, while sometimes I wish this will carry on until she is about six or seven or eight, so she gets to eat at buffets for free, longer. (heeheehee…. *evil plan cooking* ;D)

This puzzles me, but it doesn’t bother me as much as when it is I (or Dennis) who forgets to recognize her as a person capable of understanding and processing what she sees us say and do. A little person, yes— but person nonetheless. It scares me to think that too often I also forget that she is in fact, not an infant anymore. She is a little human— one who is fully capable of hearing and seeing and ….(gulp!)….copying, even the habits and expressions that I would rather not have her imitate. She is one who is very, verrryyy quick to observe how I respond (or react) to situations, how I treat people around me, how I am when I think that no one is watching me. A very scary thought. I have to keep telling myself: She is already a little human being. She is a person. Tao na rin ‘ to. Kumakain, nakikinig, nanonood….at mahilig pang manggaya.

A scary thought, so help me God. ?

You know how they say that every moment is a teachable moment? Whether we are at home playing or eating, or out caught in traffic, there is always an opportunity to teach our little ones.

I’ve embraced that “truth”. I admit I have a tendency to over-explain things (meaning, explain even trivial matters), but I do try to be as concise as I can possibly be as I do this.

With Alyanna, it seems that my efforts in explaining are never in vain. I can always see that she understands what I try to tell her, and she is even able to explain or challenge other people’s opinions and actions based on what she has come to understand as truth or what’s right.

Mika, on the other hand, well…. she’s Mika…..

CORRECTION/TEACHABLE MOMENT NUMBER ONE:

(While teaching her to honor and respect others with her words)

ME: “Mika, you have to be very careful with your words. You know your tongue is like a sword, it is so powerful….”

MIKA: *interrupts and beams as she has a light bulb moment* “Lite a swort but with teeth and a mouth??”

————————–

TEACHABLE MOMENT NUMBER TWO:

(Out of the blue, while eating)

MIKA: “You know, diba mom Jesus died for us on the tross (cross)?   Hala. That’s why we need another Jesus na. Let’s  find another Jesus.”

(Uhm, anak, idolatry ata tawag dun!)

————————–

CORRECTION/TEACHABLE MOMENT NUMBER THREE:

(While trying to settle a dispute between the two girls)

MIKA: (trying to defend herself and explain what had happened) “No I didn’t do any-tin to huh but she keets sayin that I did any-tin to huh! (I didn’t do anything to her but she keeps saying that I did….I think she meant ‘something’… to her)

ME: “So who’s lying and who’s telling the truth?”

MIKA: “I’m not lyin’! Achie’s lyin!’”

ME: “Mika, you know the Bible tells us to keep our tongue from evil and our lips from speaking lies. Lying is a sin. Do you know that?”

MIKA: “Yes.”

ME: “Do you know what lying means?”

MIKA: “Yes.”

ME: “What does it mean?”

MIKA: “Not obeyin’ you?”

ME: “Mika, lying is when we are not telling the truth; when we are not telling what really happened only and when we make up our own story. SO are you making up your own story or are you telling me the truth?”

MIKA: “ Telling you the truth.”

ME: “Are you telling me the truth or making up your own story?”

MIKA: “Making up my own story.”

Hmm…Oh no. I know where this is going……nowhere.

Like I said, she’s Mika.

Each time I begin to think that Mika is finally getting something I am teaching her, she makes sure to let me know otherwise.  A lot of times, I have to ask for discernment to know whether it’s innocence, ignorance, or rebellion disguised in cute’s clothing. Still, I do not stop planting seeds of God’s Word because I just never know when it will finally click and she would finally get it.

After all, the clicking part is not really our job anymore. We can plant the seeds, but we can’t force the growth out of them. All we can do is be faithful in planting and cultivating, guiding and praying…..and wait for God’s Word to grow in their hearts and  bear much fruit.