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!  

——————-

photo: blurredhistory.blogspot.com

I was having lunch with my mommy friends a few days ago and found out something interesting…

Mommy A: “Mare, balak niyo na pala ni Dennis ma-pregnant late this year?” *all smiles, excited for us*

Innocent me: “Huh?? Sino nagsabi? Saan galing yan? Wala akong alam na ganong balak a….”

Mommy A: “Si Dennis! It’s in his blog…one of his faith goals for this year daw.”

Innocent me: “Nge! Really?!? sige check ko! Wala siyang kinekwentong ganon sa akin a! Ewan ko sa kanya, ako wala akong ganong faith goal this year pa.”

…Now lately, quite a number of people have been telling me it’s about time I get pregnant again…as they all love to put it, “o, pwedeng-pwede na magka-baby ulit!”

Aahhhh!!! Nagugulo utak ko!! I have been gliding along just fine and then now this thought pops up. Can you imagine the mixed emotions I’m having??

…So there we were having a wonderful lunch and then…

Mommy B: “O, thams! I heard you plan on having your next baby na a. Sige sabay tayo!!! *excited*”

Surprised me: “Ha?? You also heard that?? How come hindi ko alam yan, pero lahat kayo alam??”

Mommy B: “It’s in Dennis’ blog!”

….ayayay! I must see this blog!!… I must!!

So here I am, checking his previous entries.. Let me share that particular post here:

There is something about the new year. It seems like people automatically resets their goals and starts at zero. No matter how much I fight the idea of new year, new start- you can’t. I think it is innate among us to restart and refocus. Here are my goals for 2010 and I promise to give my best shot to make it happen

1. Finish the Bible in 90 days. Will introduce the reading program this coming Jan 8 at our church.

2. Shoot for my weight goal of 160 by the end of the year. ( this might be the toughest goal)

3. Create more family memories.

4. Make my dating time with wife more creative.

5. Finish our 3 to 6 months emergency fund.

6. Vacation with wife only.

7. Practice extreme, sacrificial generosity.

8. Make fasting a lifestyle.

9. Get my wife pregnant late this year ( what a happy goal)

10. Coach at least 4 people this year.

There you go. Hope I fulfill them by the end of the year.

——End of blog ————-

….Did you read that first part? “and I promise to give my best shot to make it happen“– that makes me happy in reference to all the other goals, but attach it to goal number nine??? Scary.

….So I therefore conclude….I will pray about it. We’ll see what happens late this year…

PS: Alyanna, out of the blue, told me the other day: “Mom, I want you to have another baby na in your tummy, but it’s not us….I want to be outside your tummy, and Mika will also be outside your tummy and then you just buy another baby for your tummy.”

(I had to explain that we don’t just buy babies, and that babies are God’s gift to us)…so all the more she got excited “mom! I want you to ask God na to give us a baby gift in your tummy!”

….again, Anak, we shall see….