Keep Moving Forward

Pardonner

Choose Hope

One Who Overcomes (Phil Wickham)

When we were trapped within our sin
When we trusted ourselves
When we were blinded by our shame and guilt
Overwhelmed

When we were searching for our worth
You died and gave yourself
You rose and brought a hope so real
And we're overwhelmed

We sing to the One who overcomes
To the One who saves us from our sin
And heals what's broken
Sing to the One who rescues all
We will trust a love so perfectly
Complete in Him

We live within a world that fails
With pain we can't control
You sustain us with a love that knows
And we're overwhelmed

We sing for the rescue He's brought us
We sing for the kingdom right here
We sing for the hope in redemption
He has overcome, He has overcome

He has overcome, He has overcome
He has overcome, He has overcome

To No Particular Girl

Whenever I see you, I’m torn between closing my eyes and opening them.

I can’t look at you without risking an erratic heartbeat,

But I need to see you to remember one of the reasons why I’m blessed;

Why my life makes sense.

Whenever I sneak a peek at you while you’re busy flipping through a paperback,

I do my best to avoid walking towards you and asking what the book is about.

I want us to have a conversation not because we like the same literature genre,

But because I want to learn about you; what you love and what you enjoy exploring.

Whenever I hear you laugh, it takes a lot to contain my own laughter.

I want to laugh with you because I also want you to see that I am happy.

I simply am happy to be near you.

I’d laugh with you ‘til it's difficult to breathe.

Whenever I see you cry, I also take a beating.

When you lean on me for strength, it’s bittersweet.

I don’t want you to lose yourself in sorrow,

But I also don’t want you to stop resting in my arms, seeking comfort and security.

Whenever I’m with you, I remember why sharing your heart with someone is worth it.

I know we don’t forget our troubles, but we can face them together.

Whenever you’re with me, I thank God because you are.

Whenever my hands grasp yours, you’re not the only one who feels loved and protected.

We share those feelings and I sure am glad that we do.

08.01.02

Retrieved from www.speakerchicks.com

The Victory (Phil Wickham)

Here's another awesome and inspiring song from Phil Wickham. These past few weeks have honestly pushed me near the edge, but God has also been consistently reminding me of His love. All I can say is, "The victory is Yours, Jesus." I don't know what you've been going through lately, but I hope God's message through this song will help you overcome and have the heart and will to continue the fight for our faith; the fight for our Beloved Lover, Lord, and Savior.

Here are the lyrics:

On a hill, Your blood was spilled

Your brow, Your hands, Your feet

With nails and thorns the veil was torn

To make a way for me, You made a way for me.

Jesus, Savior, my God, my King, my Lord

Jesus, Savior, the victory is Yours.

Wrapped and bound, they laid You down

A perfect sacrifice

But in three days, the stone was rolled away

Forever You're alive

Forever You're alive

Death has been beaten

The grave has been conquered

Jesus is risen

Life ever after

We were saved at a cost, such a beautiful and powerful cost. In Him, we have the victory. God bless and thanks for reading!

You're Beautiful (Phil Wickham)

I see Your face in every sunrise

The colors of the morning are inside Your eyes

The world awakens in the light of the day

I look up to the sky and say

You're beautiful

I see Your power in the moonlit night

Where planets are in motion and galaxies are bright

We are amazed in the light of the stars

It's all proclaiming who You are

You're beautiful

I see You there hanging on a tree

You bled and then You died and then You rose again for me

Now You are sitting on Your heavenly throne

Soon we will be coming home

You're beautiful

When we arrive at eternity's shore

Where death is just a memory and tears are no more

We'll enter in as the wedding bells ring

Your bride will come together and we'll sing

You're beautiful

I see Your face, I see Your face

I see Your face, You're beautiful

You're beautiful

You're beautiful

When we see the beauty and splendor of the Lord, we can only stand in awe. So much awe. Lord, You're beautiful. I'm in love with You.

PAPPEZ!!!

Here are some photos of our 2-week-old puppies, the "Power Pup Girls"

.My Life.

I'm inspired by my Maker to create something for Him. All to You, Lord God.

The Warrior, the Child

Inspired by "Warrior is a Child" (Gary Valenciano)

Ang Bayan Ko, Ang Bayan Natin

Sa di mabilang na mga pagsubok ng ating bansa sa kasalukuyan, maaaring marami sa atin ang nakakalimot sa kakayanan ng Diyos na gumalaw, magligtas, at magpagaling. Hindi lingid sa kaalaman ng nakararami na punong-puno ng pagsubok ang daan patungo sa kaginghawaan. Bilang mga ilaw at asin sa mundong ito, hindi rin natin maiiwasang isipin na sa ating paghinga, paggalaw, paglilingkod, at mga panalangin, ay may mga pagbabagong nagaganap sa bansang ipinagkaloob sa atin ng Panginoon.

Hanggang dito na lang ba ang ating pagtitiwala at pananampalataya? Hindi ba natin ipaglalaban ang ating paniniwala na may pag-asa pa sa kabila ng lubos na paghihirap; sa kabila ng kasamaan at kadiliman na bumabalot sa ating tahanan? Ang bansang ito ay isang pagpapala at ito rin ay pinagpala dahil sa habag at awa ng Panginoon. Sa mga araw, linggo, buwan, at taon na lumipas, nakita natin ang kabutihan at kapangyarihan ng ating Diyos Ama. Ni minsan ay di Niya tayo pinabayaan dahil ang mahalin tayo ay Kanya ring kalooban.

Hindi Niya kayang tumigil na mahalin ang Kanya. Hindi Niya kayang iwanan ang mga taong nangangailangan ng Kanyang kalinga. Ang gobyerno man natin ay nagkulang (at nagkukulang), ngunit may mga hakbang naman na nakikita upang makamit ang hustisya at kapayapaan. Ang pang-matagalan na paglago ng ating bansa ay unti-unti na nating nakikita dahil ang katiwalian at pandaraya ay naisisiwalat sa pagtutulungan ng taong bayan.

Ito ang ating bansa, ang ating tahanan, ang ating responsibilidad. Sa bawat unos, ating napagtanto na kaya nating malampasan ang bagyo, lindol, pang-aabuso, at pagnanakaw kung tayo'y magtutulungan at magtitiwala sa Diyos. Sa ating mga panalangin, ating masusumpungan ang hinahanap na kabuuan ng ating pagkatao. Kaya't ang pagsuko ay di dapat isipin maliban na lang kung ang pagsukong ito ay ang pagsuko sa Panginoon. Ito ang aking paniniwala: may pag-asa at may panahon pa upang magkaroon ng katuwiran ang ating minamahal na bayan.

16 Things About Love

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

A Letter to the Brokenhearted

Hello there,

I may not know who you are and what you're going through, but I can somehow relate to the pain. It doesn't really matter what type of pain people are feeling, because it's essentially the same. Across borders, races, social classes, and ages, pain is pain. Whether you've just lost a friend, failed a subject, found out you're terminally ill, or discovered you're being cheated on, it's just painful--probably too painful for words. Saying it's "unpleasant" would only be an under-statement, actually.

I know. I know how it feels to live in pain, to be disappointed daily because of your shortcomings. No one has a monopoly on suffering, really. We're all trying to navigate the seas of sorrow and most of us are apparent amateurs. Everyone gets hurt, but this fact doesn't mean you shouldn't be sad. It's okay to be sad, you know. We have emotions and sometimes, we have no other choice but to feel. Sometimes, we can only shed tears over a broken dream, a ruined purpose, or a seemingly hopeless existence. Sometimes, we can just curl up and let it all out.

Retrieved from livealittlelovealotblog.blogspot.com

I'm writing this letter not to remind you of the inevitability of pain, though. Rather, as someone who has been hurt countless times, I hope to impart something that grew out of tears, trials, and tribulations. I wish to relay a message of hope. In the midst of the fray, there's a sliver of peace that slowly widens as you continue to look at it. In those times I couldn't love myself or anyone, Someone was actually loving me... unconditionally.

It's hard to grasp, I know, but I do believe it's true. We're brokenhearted for a reason: to be touched and healed by the Perfect Lover. When we've hit rock bottom, the only way is up, and guess Who's waiting there? You see, although pain flourishes in this world, love is still--and always will be--more abundant. We're not in pain because no one loves us, but because it's in such a moment where we can fully experience the Love that overcame every kind of pain.

The One Who spoke galaxies into being can hear a heart that's breaking. Even before it breaks, He's there. He's there to remind us that fighting and persevering are still viable options. We always have a choice. To me, pain, relief, sadness, joy, and every other feeling and experience are just instruments that lead us closer to the only One Who can and will help us: God.

Through the laughter and tears, to whom do you turn to?

The Young and the Undone

I am undone. I realized this a couple of days ago.

Well, it's obvious I'm young. However, like so many youth today, I'm "blissfully" unaware that I'm not prepared for something as challenging as romance. I've been telling myself for many years that I'm not ready for this, but my mind and heart were just not into such a notion.

Some people say that I'm of age; that I can actually start thinking about being with someone. There's one problem, though: I'm not a 100% willing to consider it. I don't want to be that guy who's quite dependent on a woman's love. Rather, I want and need to be fully dependent on the love that has always been there for me: the Lord's.

Image retrieved from www.flickr.com

It may seem cheesy or cliché-ish for some, but it's what I need. For numerous reasons, actually, it's what we all need. We have to realize that it's unfair to offer our "love" and "devotion" to someone when we're only fueled or driven by emotions or by the idea that having someone "to have and to hold" can just solve our longings. It's like giving someone a bike, but the wheels are missing.

I know it's so easy to hope for someone to love us, especially since we long to find "God's will" as soon as possible. However, I personally think it's more rational to hope for a better relationship with God. If we have God in our lives, we wouldn't be too concerned about having a date this coming Friday (February 14). Possibly, we wouldn't even think about it at all.

Not being in a romantic relationship right now isn't necessarily a crutch. It's an opportunity. We have the chance to continue the process of self-discovery and be made complete while serving God as singles. It may be a bit cliché, but it's true. Just think about this for a sec:

If we're not satisfied yet with our relationship with the Perfect Lover, how can we ever be satisfied with any other relationship?

A Place I've Never Been To

Lost, quite lost in thought
of all the things that I, we, can be
Looking at how hard we fought
for all the things that I, we, want to see...

Take me somewhere far,
somewhere only we know.
Show me a place where we are
whole, neither wanting nor hollow.

A place I've never been to,
that's where I want to go;
a space in the universe where you
and I can run away from sorrow.

Honestly, I just want
to be where you are... always.
Though maybe this time, we can't,
yet. We still have a million more days...

to find each other
in that place I've never been to.
Just a million more nights of slumber
before I finally meet you.

-- JDM (01.25.14)

One Word: Friendship

The near proximity of our hearts to each other;
the near-sameness of our thoughts, hobbies,
likes, dislikes, hopes, and other
dreams that lead us to our reveries...

This bond, this unique connection between our souls,
I believe, is strong enough
to withstand the beatings and the blows
like diamonds in the ever-present rough.

It may not be destiny, not fate,
or a cosmic set-up.
It is, though, a blessing so great
to have you to help me up.

So look at our hearts, dear bud.
Try and see
that behind the grime, flaws, and mud,
are two souls in unity.

-- JDM (01.24.14)

Something Only We Know

No one chooses this path
at first or even
later on, maybe.
No one believes instantaneously
that this is from heaven
Or so they tell me.

Do they really know, though,
what it takes to trust
despite the mystery?
Do we even know, beloved,
what we should, what we must
think, say, do, and see?

This is something only we know
until we become
extensions of His heart.
This remains our secret
till everyone--or at least some--
chooses to take part...

in the unveiling,
the elucidation
of the Way, the Truth, the Life.
This is something only we know.
So are we limiting the transformation
of a world in strife?

The Truth, the Word, shouldn't
be something only we know,
my friend.
It should me something
we richly sow
into the hearts of men.

Makeshift Escape

Shadows rush in as I try to hide
inside my makeshift fort
of self-sufficiency
of dwindling hope

We can't outrun the darkness
We can't outwit the sea
of turmoil
of melancholy

Or can we?
Can we fight the shadows
that remind us of what
we faced in makeshift gallows?

We embrace bitterness as a friend,
a familiar companion
that shows no hope,
no salvation

So can we outrun the shadows
of what once was
and embrace the Light
of Now at last?