The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field;

the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.

LORD, what are human beings that you care for them,

mere mortals that you think of them?

They are like a breath; their days are like a fleeting shadow.

Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.

The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

Charles Spurgeon once said,

"You expect that you will be married, and then your troubles will be over; some say that then they begin. I do not endorse that statement, but I am sure that they are not over, for there is another set of trials that begin then. 

Married life is not all sugar, but grace in the heart will keep away most of the sours."

Did you know that the 1st MIRACLE of Jesus happens in a wedding?

If Jesus hastened to honor marriage as His first miracle, then there must be something special about this that husbands and wives must also be quick to honor each other as well.

It's easy if it's all sugar, but what if, as Charles Spurgeon says, sours will come along the way?

And not just the sours, but the bitterness is also on its way.

Worst, a poison! - There's betrayal, unfaithfulness, abuse, and so on.

It feels that if we stay and continue what we have started, then we are not doing ourselves any favor but injustice.

Since marriage is the most intimate relationship we could ever have on earth.

This is also the reason why it cuts us so deep when we are hurt by our spouses, not just the sour and bitter hurts, but especially those we can call "poison" in our hearts.

Then what can we do if there are no more sweets and joy, or worse, poison has been poured into our marriages?

I guess that's why the Bible says "MIRACLE"

We do not do the miracle - Jesus does.

John 2:1-11 ESV

On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”  And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”  His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.”  This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him

Let's start digging this story a little deeper...

John 2: 1-3

On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”

1. SHARE with Jesus our problems 

When the wedding celebration runs out of wine, Mary tells her son that they've got a problem.

We've got to tell Jesus that we have a problem.

Like Mary, she didn't go to anyone but Jesus.

Why? Because she believes that Jesus can do something.

Don't go anywhere else - seek Jesus first, His comfort, His wisdom, His counsel, His strength.

It is also important to note that she did not tell Jesus what to do; she just simply said her concern.

In the same way, we do not dictate how we want the problem to be solved - it should always be His way and not our way.

And we trust His way.

John 2:4-7

And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”  His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.

2. OBEY what Jesus said

Mary told the servants to do what Jesus told them because she believed Jesus would do something.

And so when Jesus asked the servants to just fill the jars with water, they followed without delay. 

We might expect that when we tell God our problems, they will disappear in an instant.

Well, God wants our participation, too.

While He wants us to learn that there is a blessing in obedience.

He is also after our hearts.

God's main concern is to teach our hearts to love like Him - sacrificial and giving.

He also wants us to exercise our faith by trusting what He says in His words, and that He can do the impossible.

John 2:8-11

3. SURRENDER the result

And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.”  This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him

When the servants were done filling up the jar, they were asked to bring it to the groom.

And to everyone's surprise, the wine tasted better - it tasted better than the 1st day of celebration.

And this is the miracle - Jesus did not just solve what was lost - He replaced it with even better.

When God restores for sure it is even better than before.

Why? Because God has to manifest His glory before all the people around us.

And now to end this, did you know that wine symbolizes joy and celebration?

In life, we might run out of reasons to celebrate our spouses or marriage in general.

No more joy we felt.

No more surprises to anticipate.

No more love to share.

But this story is a great reminder that Jesus is the one who could only fill the emptiness of our jars, which are our hearts.

Share, Obey, Surrender.

Psalm 127:3

Behold, Children are a heritage from the LORD,

The Fruit of the womb is a reward.

We were supposed to be "one and done" with our firstborn - but then, the Lord had another plan.

While other couples are struggling with infertility, I think it's the opposite for us.

I know it should be the least concern because many couples out there are longing to have a child of their own, yet for us, for me especially, I am afraid to get pregnant again.

Pregnancy is a long journey to walk for me - it feels like forever...  not to mention the hardship I experienced - the vomiting, nausea, loss of appetite, body changes, body pain, as well as the consideration for things to use or food to intake.

Surely, there is joy and excitement that pregnancy brings - it is wonderful to think that a life is growing inside of you... yet, sometimes, fear and anxiety just creep in, and then you become overwhelmed.

I worry whether my baby will develop well or will even make it through the full term.

A lot is going on in my mind, body, and emotions.

And so, when I went through it the first time, I said, This will be the last time - I don't want to create something for me to worry about again.

My husband also supports this due to financial constraints and for us to have more time together as a couple.

While pregnancy was hard, for me, postpartum was even harder.

I was shocked - this is motherhood!

I was more afraid of it than being pregnant itself.

There are a lot of pains - pains that I really cry on to God.

I even experienced some kind of anger towards my husband because I felt "why is it only me that is experiencing pain?" , "how come my husband looks good and I feel awful?"

"I do not know myself anymore, while my husband is still the same, it is just so unfair for me"...

To cut the sentiments short, I did not handle postpartum really well, and it affected our marriage. The regrets of being married lingered on my thoughts...

So now the questions are...

1. How did we overcome that season of our marriage?

2. What makes us decide to get through it the second time?

To answer the first question, 

Thankfully, we have the support group we needed - given our own families, our spiritual families are great help as well.

Being accountable with our discipleship group helps us a lot - walking with them is a blessing, knowing we are not the only ones experiencing hardship.

The presence, the kindness, the generosity, and the thoughtfulness of the people around us made me feel better.

It feels like the Lord has indeed sent His angels to take care of us.

Our willingness to take action on our part also plays an important role - we worked on our marriage and decided to make it a priority.

We talked, we laughed, we spent time together, we shared thoughts, we served each other, we forgave, and we expected less from each other.

We tried to appreciate one another and honor each other.

We serve together and pray together.

We did not hide our struggles, our fears, our fights - we opened them to the light.

We accepted rebukes and opened our hearts for advice.

Still not perfect though - but we practice accountability and we value sharing our lives with those people who call on the Lord from pure hearts.

While we found ourselves healing from the heartaches and fear of the past (and also to answer the second question) -

We found ourselves in our church leadership conference contemplating with the Lord by what He impressed into our hearts - to have a baby again...

(Oh nohhhhh...)

Our senior pastor was sharing about what kind of legacy we are leaving in this world and that children are gifts from the Lord - they are not a burden. They are rewards.

And if they are gifts and rewards, then why don't we want them? Why do we keep ourselves from having them?

Also, if we want to make this world a better place while we wait for Christ's 2nd coming, don't we want to raise godly children who love and fear the Lord?

Imagine two different couples - one couple doesn't know and love the Lord, while the other fears and loves Him with all their hearts. Yet, this couple who follow the Lord doesn't want any kids, while the other keeps having children.

If we Christians don't want any kids, then where can we pass through the values and our love for Christ?

Don't we want this world to have more people who love and fear the Lord?

We must check our hearts why we keep ourselves from having them because it is a gift from the Lord and raising them is a privilege.

For us, I know it is fear and selfishness that keep us from saying yes to the Lord, but ultimately, the root of it is a lack of faith.

I'm afraid everything will repeat again.

I don't want the pregnancy pain, postpartum pain, the worry caused by a growing belly, growing baby and so on... I don't like sleepless nights, I don't want to lose myself again.

I'm having myself back now - I'm enjoying some sort of liberty now that my firstborn is growing more independent.

It feels like I just got my sanity.

My husband and I enjoy more time together, and we have many plans for traveling, career growth, and providing for our little boy.

We feel we are really okay now.

We are stable now.

Then, here comes God's word speaking to us.

Surely the Lord knows how to sanctify us.

He wants us to exercise our faith and put our trust not in ourselves but in Him alone.

He wants not self-confidence but Christ-confidence for us.

While the Holy Spirit is so strong and we know we cannot disobey, do you know what made me saying yes to having a baby the second time around easier?

... it is when my husband says, "I will give you the best postpartum ever"...

This just comforted me and calm my thoughts from worries.

I thought, they were the sweet words I never thought I needed.

Well, I think it comes from the Lord. He impressed those words on my husband's heart to assure me that it will be fine and surely there is a blessing in obedience.

Now, here we are, a family of four.

We welcomed our little baby girl last August 26, 2025, at 06:42 am.

Of course, it's still not easy - the labor, delivery, and postpartum were still hard - but my husband is so far keeping his words to me (wow, praise God! Haha)

Deuteronomy 1:29-31

Don't be afraid, The Lord your God is going ahead of you, just as you saw Him do in Egypt. And you saw how the LORD your God cared for you all along the way as you travelled through the wilderness. Just as a father cares for his child. Now he has brought you to this place.

Josh 1:5

For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you...

Sharing also the verses I hold on to during this pregnancy.

Indeed, the God who delivered me the first time is the same God who was with me this second time around.

He is my Promise-Keeper, my Deliverer, Sustainer, Helper and Keeper.

My soul is in awe of Him!

Also, HAPPY 5TH YEAR Anniversary to us, hon!

God did it! 🥂

We sometimes resent that our life isn’t what it once was - Or perhaps the “sameness” of life has caused us to be discontent, pushing us to wander this world and seek what it has to offer.

Have you heard the phrase "Someone who has broken down the fence wanders endlessly"?

Surely, there must be no harm in searching for the meaning and purpose of our lives - but there is a serious danger when we do it alone, following our heart's desires and lowering our guard. 

We can be easily attacked by the "roaring lions" and eventually become lost.

In Jeremiah we read that our hearts are crafty - they cannot be trusted.

Jeremiah 17:9 NLT

The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?

Jesus also said that nothing good comes from our hearts. 

Matthew 15:19 NLT

For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander.

We MUST NOT follow our heart, but instead guard it, for everything we do flows from it.

Don't break or lower the fence we are in.

We must guard it.

We must stay alert.

How? Let's unfold some stories from the book of Genesis and learn from them.

1. GENESIS 24: A Wife for Isaac

Genesis 24:39-40 NLT

“But I said to my master, ‘What if I can’t find a young woman who is willing to go back with me?’ He responded, ‘The Lord, in whose presence I have lived, will send his angel with you and will make your mission successful. Yes, you must find a wife for my son from among my relatives, from my father’s family.

READ FULL STORY HERE

This story serves as a reminder of the firm FAITH of Abraham's servant in choosing a spouse for his master's son.

CAREFULLY obeying all instructions given by his master, Abraham.

First of is, it must be from his father's family, not to mention how long the journey from Canaan to Haran is and the possibility that there will be no woman willing to go with him and marry Isaac.

- Yet this servant believes what his master believes in - that surely God will make his journey successful.

We cannot settle for less in choosing the one we will going to marry.

Someone we choose to love or pour our energy and focus into will surely affect our walk with the Lord.

It is very important that we mustn't let our hearts be captivated by those who are not in the family of faith, even if the search and waiting are long, or there is no assurance that we will meet our future spouses or not.

Don't settle for less or compromise with our values as Christians, following our heart's desires, thinking there's no harm in trying, or bargaining with the Lord, because the truth is that issues will arise later on.

The Bible says in Proverbs,

Proverbs 14:12 NLT

There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.

Let's save ourselves from the unnecessary pain that wrong relationships might bring.

It may start well, but it surely will not finish well.

Like Abraham's servant, we must also believe our Master in Heaven - that His will is the best and He has our best interest at us.

2. GENESIS 26: Isaac caresses her wife Rebekah

Genesis 26:8-10 NLT

But some time later, Abimelech, king of the Philistines, looked out his window and saw Isaac caressing Rebekah.

Immediately, Abimelech called for Isaac and exclaimed, “She is obviously your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” “Because I was afraid someone would kill me to get her from me,” Isaac replied.

“How could you do this to us?” Abimelech exclaimed. “One of my people might easily have taken your wife and slept with her, and you would have made us guilty of great sin.”

READ FULL STORY HERE

What we can learn from this story is the importance of spending time with our spouses, and this is not just a simple time; it is a time that ONLY a husband and a wife can SHARE.

The truth is marriage will not always be a sweet walk together, but a little mix of everything.

Its inertia is not to grow close together, but with the demands of life - kids, bills, chores - it may drift apart if we are not intentional in guarding and taking care of it.

Isaac caressing her wife Rebekah is a reminder that we must keep putting spices in our marriages.

Honoring it by honoring our marriage bed - don't stop "flirting" with our spouses, invest in each other.

Date each other once in a while.

Laugh together.

Surprise each other.

Tickle each other.

Enjoy each other, have fun!

King Abimelech had an interest in Rebekah, but when he saw how Isaac was intimately touching his wife Rebekah, this made King Abimelech stop his desire, and it saved the marriage of Isaac and Rebekah.

Let's not be ashamed of showing our affection to each other in public from time to time.

Let's talk about our spouses in front of our friends, officemates, relatives, churchmates even acquaintances.

Share their photos, and show some moments together in the open.

Don't hide them.

Let us not be too comfortable and complacent with our marriages - marriage is work, and love is an action, a choice, and a commitment.

For new and especially mature Christians, we all know that the Bible is our compass - its counseling is usually in the form of a warning, exhortation, and instruction.

Let's guard our hearts by listening to the scriptures, asking God to align our hearts with His.

Staying alert by being fervent in our prayers to the Lord, sharing the troubles and concerns of our hearts with Him, and asking for protection from the attacks of evil.

1 Peter 5:8 NIV

Be alert and of sober mind.

Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, 

It's LOVE Month!

Let me highlight some sweetness, kindness, and thoughtfulness I received a little not so lately - 

Not from my husband but from the One who loved me first - JESUS 🤍

STORY 1:

There was this day when I was asking the Lord for a budget for my hair and makeup since we would be having an event in our company.

I need 1500 PHP to be exact.

That exact day, someone messaged me from the Facebook marketplace and she bought not just one but three paintings from me.

Do you know what amazes me more?

Each of my paintings cost 500 php! 😊

What a sweet Lord! Isn't He?

Hair and Makeup are not significant needs, to begin with, but for God to give me what I want instantly and very exactly - it melts my heart.

STORY 2:

I woke up one morning from a dream of eating a piece of "Mango Bravo".

It is a cake from a Bakeshop named "Contis" - so I was craving it all day.

I thought to myself it was too expensive to buy the whole cake given that there's no occasion to be celebrated, and if we just bought one slice, we would still need to buy some food to make our dine-out worthy; hence, I just decided to forget it.

Afternoon came, around 5pm.

Someone messaged us telling us that they would like to buy our baby a Birthday/Christmas present at the mall near us, so we went.

When we arrived they told us that they were at a restaurant cafe...

And Yup!

It's "Contis"

My heart immediately pounded at the thought of that cake! I realized that just when we surrendered our desire to the Lord, He give it in His own time. Praise you Lord!

STORY 3:

When we had our Christmas party last December, I had this particular prize I'm eyeing thinking that it was a house fragrance (because upon asking what is it, I found out it was not) well, I didn't get it even though I have put much effort to win the game.

Another Christmas party came, and so another gift is bound to be received.

To my heart's gladness, one of the items I got is a house fragrance! And it is big! He might not gave me what I want at the moment where I strongly want it because it is a wrong desire, indeed He gave it in the right time with a much better thing. He knows the best indeed!

Oh God, how sweet and thoughtful You really are!

Giving not just our needs but also those we desire.

Yes, it is God's desire to make our hearts glad too knowing it is good for us.

He wants to put smiles on our faces and extend His goodness to us.

Showing how much He knows us and cares for us.

If people who love us like our earthly parents or spouses desire to make us happy by granting our wishes what more is our Heavenly Father who loves us perfectly.

He doesn't withhold good things to whom it is due when it's in His power to do it.

Luke 11:11-13

What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

So this season of love, I encourage you to taste and see the sweetness of our Father in Heaven.

I can say, there's nothing like the sweetness of God. It touches the soul.

And more than the gifts and surprises, for me, it's His presence that blesses me.

Truly, it's the thought that counts and to think that God thinks of me, just makes me feel special, wanted, and pursued.

Indeed, He is not just my Ultimate Provider but my Ultimate Lover as well.

Happy LOVE Month!

Ps. Thanks to my husband for this surprise

Most of us think that marriage is bliss and every marriage is a happy ever after.

After all, I married my prince charming and I will be his princess forever.

There will be no fighting, no disagreements, arguments, or struggles.

My husband says maybe that's why most fairytales end in a wedding because it will be a different story if we read it further.

In a perfect world, living a happily ever after is possible but since marriage is a union of two imperfect people living in an imperfect world - these are inevitable.

We are surprised by the reality that our prince charming is not ALWAYS charming at all and we are not ALWAYS treated the way we wanted to be treated as their princess.

Sometimes it feels like we married the wrong person - they must be the villain or the witch.

And there is really no fairy godmother to the rescue.

So are we saying that we cannot live a happy married life?

- Of course not :)

The truth is every marriage will always be under attack by the enemy, that's why we have to work for it.

And they say that God doesn't ultimately fix marriages, but He fixes people in it first.

Good marriage follows when the person in it changes.

They also say that we don't have to have a great marriage, we have to be the great spouse by focusing on what we can control.

Men and women are wired differently.

They were made differently.

God made men out of the dust of the earth while women were made out of a man.

In marriage, husbands and wives also have different roles.

Looking throughout the Bible we see one woman who exceeds the role of being a wife - She is called a woman with a noble character.

Her worth is far above rubies.

And she is his husband's most precious treasure.

Proverbs 18:22

The man who finds a wife finds a treasure,  and he receives favor from the LORD.

So what's in the heart of this woman that her husband and children praise her?

As a woman ourselves, what can we learn from her?

1. A Heart that can be TRUSTED

A TRUSTWORTHY wife is more concerned about doing her husband good than how much good is he doing to her.

Her husband's heart fully trusts her.

He doesn't hide anything from her because he has confidence in her.

Her husband doesn't worry about the way she handles their resources.

Nor does he bother sharing anything including his failures because he is not afraid to be judged or to be blamed whenever things go out of their way.

He feels respected - and this is how men translate love.

We respect them not based on how good are they doing but because of their position in the house - and this is WISDOM.

They are the head - the Leader.

The Bible even says Sarah obeys Abraham by calling him Lord.

They say that a man wouldn't fight for the leadership in his home.

He will quit.

He wouldn't fight to get that respect.

Proverbs 21:9

It’s better to live alone in the corner of an attic than with a quarrelsome wife in a lovely home.

Respect also includes the way we treat them both in private and in public.

How we speak about them in front of others - including our jokes about them.

Respect also involves how we listen to them.

Their opinion matters - it is valuable.

It means we also consider our husband's wishes.

2. A Heart that CARES

A CARING wife means we nurture the things God has entrusted around us.

We bring out the best in them, that's why the Bible calls us "helpers"

Nurturing BEGINS in our home.

Regardless of whether the house is big or small, remember that wherever we live, that is our home and our husband wants us to take care of it.

Part of caring is being appreciative of our husbands.

A man has a big responsibility to provide for his family that's why they need appreciation.

Words are also a huge part of nurturing someone; hence, the way we speak to our husbands plays an important role in whether they will succeed in leading our home.

We are not called helpers because they are already perfect.

My husband says that how can I help him if I am not encouraging him, I am not believing in him, I am not cheering him up.

Be careful not to speak discouragement to them - our words have the POWER to build them up and to tear them down.

Someone says that we have to recognize our husband's efforts even if they don't meet our expectations.

Because our affirmation in responding to their effort will encourage them to make more effort.

Also, a woman who truly cares carefully watches her household.

She rises early and prepares food for her family.

She doesn't suffer from idleness.

She is purposeful in her time and this is WISDOM.

She clothes his husband and children with not just clothes but with SCARLET clothes.

She does all these things with DELIGHT.

The whole household is in order because she CARES.

Her children feel blessed to have her.

Her husband feels proud of her.

Proverbs 12:4

An excellent wife is the CROWN of her husband, but she who shames him is as rottenness in his bones.

She brings honor to her husband.

Lastly, we cannot be caring and not to be kind.

This wife extends help to the needy.

She does not hesitate to extend her hands to the poor because she believes that the LORD owns all things and that her future is secured in the Lord.

She can SMILE while thinking of the future.

This is also WISDOM.

3. A Heart that is BEAUTIFUL inside-out

They say that no man married his wife as an act of mercy.

The Bible even mentioned that Rebekah was beautiful in form and appearance.

In this proverb, the woman is cloth in fine linen and purple gown.

She takes care of herself - of her well-being as well.

She makes herself lovely for his husband.

The way we dress and look nice is also WISDOM.

But don't get it wrong, making ourselves presentable and obsessing over our looks are two different things.

A woman whose heart has been made beautiful through holiness will delight in dressing in a way that pleases her Lord.

The outside appearance is important but only secondary to what we look on the inside.

This proverb also highlights that charm is deceitful and that beauty is fleeting.

This woman clothes himself not just with good clothes but also with strength and dignity.

The inner beauty of a woman is also WISDOM.

A beautiful woman without a good character is a waste of beauty.

It is like a gold ring on a pig's nose they say, just a waste of beauty.

Proverbs 31:10-31

A wife of noble character, who can find?

She is far more precious than rubies.

The heart of her husband trusts in her,

and he lacks nothing of value.

She brings him good and not harm

all the days of her life.

She selects wool and flax

and works with eager hands.

She is like the merchant ships,

bringing her food from afar.

She rises while it is still night

to provide food for her household

and portions for her maidservants.

She appraises a field and buys it;

from her earnings she plants a vineyard.

She girds herself with strength

and shows that her arms are strong.

 

She sees that her gain is good,

and her lamp is not extinguished at night.

She stretches out her hands to the distaff

and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

She opens her arms to the poor

and reaches out her hands to the needy.

When it snows, she has no fear for her household,

for they are all clothed in scarlet.

She makes coverings for her bed;

her clothing is fine linen and purple.

Her husband is known at the city gate,

where he sits among the elders of the land.

She makes linen garments and sells them;

she delivers sashes to the merchants.

Strength and honor are her clothing,

and she can laugh at the days to come.

She opens her mouth with wisdom,

and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

She watches over the affairs of her household

and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children rise up and call her blessed;

her husband praises her as well:

“Many daughters have done noble things,

but you surpass them all!”

Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting,

but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

Give her the fruit of her hands,

and let her works praise her at the gates

 To wrap this up, I think this woman exemplifies wisdom because she took to her heart what the Bible says in 1 PETER 3:1-6

Maybe let's dig into these verses a little further on our next blog.

Thank you for reading :)

This world tells us that love is a FEELING that can come and go.

I, myself once thought like this.

But if this is true, then love will fail us all the time. 

And it will never be strong enough to hold a marriage together - so this world created ways for us to leave it behind.

But this is NOT how God defines love.

Yes, feelings do come and go but that is IF Love is a feeling.

- because it is NOT.

The dangerous thing about looking at love as a feeling is the INCONSISTENCY of it.

It means we live based on our emotions.

The Bible tells us that true love is UNCONDITIONAL.

In reality, not every day is a good day.

There are days that we just can't get along with our spouse.

Well, truly finding love and being married are totally different things.

Finding love is something like a butterfly in your stomach which is mostly about the feeling of happiness.

It brings different levels of excitement and spark and chemistry and feeling of being in the air.

We are focus to see only the good part, the good things.

Marriage, on the other hand, is much like a little mix of everything.

Your spouse really brings out not only the best of who you are but also the worst.

It is not always a sweet walk together they say.

While marriage serves several purposes like companionship, support, intimacy, and procreation - the ultimate purpose of it will never be happiness but instead HOLINESS.

And while the world tells us to leave marriage when we are no longer happy, it's always the opposite of it.

Marriage has to be SANCTIFYING.

Not to mention that whatever status we are in - being single or married, it's always for the purpose of holiness.

None is better, and none is easier than the other.

The truth is sometimes we cannot get along with our spouse because we have something in our lives that is not CHRIST-LIKE.

And most of us don't want to deal with it.

We don't want to admit our faults.

We ignore that the ultimate problem is we just don't want to love like Jesus does.

Why?

- It's hard.

- It feels humiliating.

- It's too self-giving

- It's contrary to what this world says like "Do what makes you happy", "Follow your heart", "Put yourself first", etc...

We don't want to be sanctified.

We don't want to change.

We don't want to adjust.

You know what we want?

We want is...

 - just to be HAPPY.

And most of the time being happy means we have to be selfish, self-centered, and self-absorbed.

We want the other person to change.

We want them to do what we want - to please us.

This is what our flesh craves - to be the first, the top, the priority.

We want to always be served - to receive.

And if everyone thinks this way and acts like it's ALL ABOUT THEM, then we have no hope for melody.

Everyone has their own AGENDA and so we have no hope for peace and LOVE will not truly exist.

So, that's why God set it to be ALL ABOUT HIM, walking in harmony having one perspective, one purpose, and one end goal.

Not to see love as an act of receiving but GIVING.

John 3:16

"For God so LOVED the world that He GAVE His one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Even this famous verse says,

Love is indeed an act of GIVING.

It is a SACRIFICE.

He loves us so He gave His Son to us - His one and only Son.

Marrying someone means LOSING too.

We have to lose a lot of who we are in order for us to BECOME ONE with our spouse.

We have to let go of what we want, of what we prefer, of what we used to.

Philippians 2:3-4

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.

Rather, in humility VALUE others above yourselves,

not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Ps. Happy 3rd year wedding anniversary to us, my God's best!

Social media can be deceiving sometimes if we are not careful.

Our eyes have a lot to see and our hearts have too much to desire.

There is a grand destination wedding, a dream honeymoon, a date night, a vacation trip or staycation, a new house, a new car, new shoes, a new everything, having a happy family, happy marriage, and a happy self.

Everyone would like to present themselves as the one having it all and while there should be really nothing wrong with having and achieving all these things, we must not forget that our hearts are a factory of desires.

It will keep wanting.

That is why God said to guard it for everything we do flows from it.

In the Bible, it says that Solomon didn't refuse to give himself all that he had desired nor withhold his heart from all the pleasures he had in mind - yet, in the end, it feels VANITY.

Ecclesiastes 2:10

All that my eye desired, I did not refuse them.

I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure for my heart was pleased because of all my labor

And this was my reward for all my labor.

The truth is this world will always create someone who is prettier than us, lovelier, charming, smarter, younger, successful, everything we can name of.

The enemy will keep on feeding our mind that someone is better than us so pursue more, want more, achieve more.

Satan is even at work telling us the lie that everyone has an enjoyable life.

And so if we are experiencing hardships and problems, a downhill path in our life we must keep it to ourselves.

It feels shameful to admit it as the world seems perfect and seems to be happy all the time.

No one for sure will understand us and everyone will love to judge us.

Hence, our usual response will be to fix it ALONE while hiding it, brushing it off, or denying it.

But the danger of keeping our struggles in secret is that the enemy works in darkness because he is afraid that the light will expose their deeds.

Not opening it to the light is like giving an enemy the power to be with us in the dark - alone with them.

In fact like animals, we become prey and are most vulnerable when we are separated from our pack.

We are most likely to fall into temptation and so eventually give in to the sinful pattern of this world.

That's why God said that it is not good for a man to be alone and that two are better than one for when one falls, the other may help him get up.

Yet, there's a good news...

Do you know that the Bible is filled with stories of tears, yet also filled with stories of a God who wiped them away?

There is no place unreachable by the Lord.

No place that is too far from Him.

He even says that we cannot hide from His Spirit.

Psalm 139:7-12

I can never escape from your Spirit!

I can never get away from your presence!

If I go up to heaven, you are there;

if I go down to the grave, you are there.

If I ride the wings of the morning,

if I dwell by the farthest oceans,

even there your hand will guide me,

and your strength will support me.

I could ask the darkness to hide me

and the light around me to become night—

but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.

To you the night shines as bright as day.

Darkness and light are the same to you.

What a wonderful reminder!

We could come into darkness yet even that DARKNESS is NOT DARK to Him at all.

Even in the dark, He sees us,

We can never flee from His presence.

That's why he says He is our Emmanuel.

He is always with us.

He even came down to us and dwelled with us so we could have fellowship with Him.

Fellowship. 

Yes, that is SHARING our lives with one another.

Jesus shared His life with us while living in our world.

He modeled that living in a community and DOING LIFE with other believers is vital in our walk in Him.

He showed how important fellowship is to His body.

It is to strengthen one another because He knows that no one is strong enough to be alone and so we need each other's help.

It is to encourage one another because He knows sometimes we can lose hope and lose sight of our purpose.

Holiness, indeed, is not a lone ranger effort.

So let us not hesitate to open ourselves in the light together with those who follow the Lord from a pure heart.

Our inner circles are some of the most important predictors of how successful we can be in our life too.

Do not be deceived by the lie that we can keep bad company and not be negatively affected.

Proverbs 13:20

Walk with the wise and become wise;

associate with fools and get in trouble.

Do not be afraid to be a part of a community 

Share your story with your trusted circles.

Reach out to someone whom you know loves and fears the Lord. :)

Our Couple's Discipleship Group

The momma in me realizations.

1. Motherhood is indeed a bittersweet journey.

My heart is glad that my baby is growing well and is learning many things but I feel that a part in me is somehow sad that he is growing totally.

I feel emotional thinking that he will someday be okay without me (which is I think good because we should be raising kids to be independent of us, but of course always dependent on the Lord).

We are raising responsible individuals who are respectful and kind to men with fear and love in the Lord.

But it's just hard to let go of the thoughts that what we have now is something short and sweet.

Something momentary, something that is not forever.

And truly, the days are long but the years are short.

Taking care of a baby isn't easy, it is so tiring - Sometimes even exhausting. 

It seems your every day is a long day yet when we look back, we realized it is not and will just wonder why time went by so fast.

Sometimes I wish I could pause a moment.

Saying whisper to the Lord to make the time stop for now because his laughter is so cute to my ears, his kisses are so sweet to my skin, his hugs are so warm to my heart and when he sleeps, it is just so breathtaking before my sight.

It feels like I could live with such moments as these like forever as in always.

2. Oh mommahood! It is so beautiful yet also painful.

It is confusing.

It is hard to comprehend.

I wonder what I really want.

Is it to leave the house or stay at home with my baby?

The thought of leaving him is hard for my heart but somehow good for my head.

So will I be kind to my heart or to my mind?

Will I put my sanity before emotions or emotions before sanity?

My heart feels like to stay with him but my mind says it's okay to have a moment and get some break.

As a working mom, I feel envy with mommas who are focused on taking care of their baby but when I am at home, I want to be out there and have some other life aside from home.

What do I really prefer?

What should a mum really be doing - where does she really belong to?

This part of me, I cannot figure out.

3. Life is ironic when you become a mum.

Can you believe it, not a day passes by that I am not tired? - yet I am also at my happiest. 

I do miss my pre-baby days but I do love my new every day with him.

There are times when I'm at home and bored with our routines that I long to be free again.

And yet when I am away outside doing what I like - it feels like I am too free and liberated.

I feel guilty - missing my baby and longing to be at his side again.

I also wonder what is life like without him yet, but also know that I cannot imagine my life without him in it.

I became fearful and worried for my baby's well-being, health, development, surroundings, even future, and many more yet I know I am much stronger now compared to before.

I can endure physical pain and discomfort for the sake of my baby's safety and comfort.

I can tolerate emotional pain just to reserve my time and energy for my baby - for things that are true, pure, lovely, and praiseworthy. 

I choose to be free of those bad thoughts that can affect me as a mum.

Oh, What a life!

God has gifted me a clear purpose I can hold to my arms and carry in my heart.

This life I have now - a bittersweet, confusing, and full of irony journey as a mum is the unconditional love a mother has for his child.

Something God has installed in us as parents to somehow grasp what His love for us looks like as His child.

Job 39:13-17 

“The wings of the ostrich flap joyously,

With the pinion and feathers of love,

For she abandons her eggs to the earth

And warms them in the dust,

And she forgets that a foot may crush them,

Or that a wild animal may trample them.

She treats her young cruelly, as if they were not hers;

Though her labor is for nothing, she is unconcerned,

BECAUSE GOD HAS MADE HER FORGET WISDOM 

AND HAS NOT GIVEN HER SHARE OF UNDERSTANDING. 

She knows that what she is holding now will one day leave and fly without her yet she keeps on holding him while she can and his baby is allowing him still.

She might be confused about many things whether she is doing it right or not yet she is trying to do her best to be the best mum she could ever be for him.

 Isaiah 49:15

Can a woman forget her own baby, and not love the child she bore?

To my mama, I will never understand how much you have loved me not until now that I am a mum too.

Thank you for the unconditional love, sacrifices, and hard work you did for us.

I love you so much.

To my baby, there are not enough words to describe how much I love you.

Please know that you did not steal life from me, you added life in mine.

I know that I will not be your number one one day but for now, I will treasure and cherish what you and I have - this sweet, magical, captivating brief moment of our lives.

I will be forever grateful to be called your momma.

To all mommas.

Cheers.

YOU are wonderful

YOU are doing great!

YOU are worthy to be celebrated.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Proverbs 31:28

Her children arise and call her blessed, her husband also and he praise her.

Matthew 22:30

At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.

I will be honest, every time I encounter this verse, I'm not sure what to feel.

It seems I feel a little bit emotional.

Being married for exactly 2 years now, I can say I understand how special this relationship is.

Love do truly is greatest in marriage.

Unlike parents and children relationships, no flesh and blood bind you here, and still, you choose to love one another EVERY DAY even in its UGLIEST.

I remember someone saying that your spouse will no longer be connected to you when you are divorced, but for those who believe in the Bible, this, we do not believe in, we do not partake in.

Marriage displays what it means to be chosen, forgiven, and accepted - REPEATEDLY.

Why? because you and your spouse will constantly make mistakes.

This is a union of two imperfect people after all.

And yet, why does marriage feel good still?

For me, maybe because It feels good to know that I was pursued.

I am wanted by someone.

I am special to him and It is just feels good to love and be loved in return.

So somehow It's sad to think that someday I will not be my husband's wife anymore.

I cannot love him anymore like the way I love him right now.

I will no longer be special to him as the only woman he committed to love and that what we have now will might just gone one day - for good, forever, for eternity.

As pondering upon this, I met this phrase and was comforted somehow.

"LOVE WILL NEVER ENDS, IT WILL CONTINUE IN ETERNITY WITH US."

1 Corinthians 13:13

Three things will last forever - faith, hope, and love - and the greatest of these is love.

Indeed, along with faith and hope, love will never be gone, will never stop, will never end.

And since marriage shows the covenant we have in Christ, it pictures the love of Christ to His church - a love that nothing can take.

Romans 8:38-39

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.

No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Christ's love never fades.

It is too wide, too long, too high, and too deep.

Ephesians 3:17-18

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,

All married couples know that marriage is not always a sweet walk together - sometimes, it is bitter, salty, and sour.

We get to taste a little bit of everything and still stay because that's how marriage is sanctifying.

They say marriage is not ultimately a road to happiness but rather to holiness.

We get to know everything about each other so much seeing the worst - yet we cannot escape one another because that's what being one means.

I think the intimacy shared in marriage ties us for a lifetime that we became so comfortably used to it - 

And so somehow we are afraid to end.

But it is good to be reminded that there will be a greater intimacy awaiting us - the new depth of intimacy with the Lord.

Surely all the joys in marriage will not be missed - we will never look back on it with longing but with fondness.

Because since Jesus Christ will live with us and will be among us in eternity.

All that is good, sweet, and lovely in marriage will not be totally lost but will transform.

It will make everything beautiful, sweeter, and lovelier all the more.

Because in heaven...

There will be no more tears and sorrow, no more fights, no misunderstanding, no problems.

It will always be for better, no more for worst.

It will always be for richer, no more for poorer.

And no more in sickness, only in health.

Ps.

Cheers to our second year of togetherness under His covenant.

Dear Daddy,

I want you to know that we need you and we want you.

Sometimes I know she feels trapped.

It's hard for her to move.

She can't do anything but stay beside me. 

Suddenly, she changed and became someone she have never met before.

Sometimes she feels she carries all the loads because she just can't pass it.

She's all I need the most for now - I can't help it.

Her new self requires her to invest more of her - to the point of emptying herself sometimes.

That's why we want to thank you Daddy for investing your time and strength in us.

She really needs you the most during this time Daddy.

She is scared.

She is confused.

She is overwhelmed.

She is tired. 

I know Mommy doesn't hate her newfound self.

In fact, where she is right now is a place she called something beautiful, something so precious. 

She was never been this happy all her life, not until I came and she enters this new place called "motherhood".

It's just that Mommy needs someone who will help her figure out things.

And thank you for being that someone.

Thank you for helping Mommy to embrace her new self for there is no way she can be the same after I grew inside of her and came out from her.

Your support means so much to me and Mommy.

And we thank you for offering your arms and back to us.

You make Mommy feel beautiful more than before.

I know you are proud of Mommy for carrying and delivering me but we also want you to know that without you, we cannot make it through.

Your positivity has a great impact on us.

You shared with mommy's burdens, worries, and fears and assured her that everything is fine and okay because God holds us.

You know that Mommy feels loved whenever you carry me and play with me so you do it even if sometimes all I want is Mommy alone.

Don't be jealous, Daddy.

I also do love you with all that I am.

Please know that she loves it when I laugh because of you. 

It makes her fall in love with you the more.

She appreciates you when you help her stop me from crying and sing me lullabies to sleep.

My smiles, laughter, and touch make mommy's world more than better.

You know it pains mommy seeing me cry, so you always find ways to make me smile.

We feel safe and secure whenever you are with us.

That's why we always want to be with you Daddy - so be used to being with us always.

We don't want you to be away for so long and are always excited whenever you are going home.

I love seeing both of your faces and I love hearing both of your voices.

I want you and mommy to witness my everyday growth and development.

Thank you for sharing mommy's joy by discovering myself - what I love, I hate, what makes me smile, makes me cry, what I can do and what I am fascinated by.

I praise God for you Daddy because I know you are also adjusting to fatherhood and yet you need to be strong for both of us. 

Mommy and I can lean on you while you don't have anyone here physically to lean on - Thankfully you know there is a God who sees us.

He is our ultimate Father, ultimate Protector, and ultimate source of strength.

Whenever it's hard for you to understand Mommy, remember there is the Lord who can give you wisdom whenever you ask for it.

And even if you have made mistakes, I still have confidence in you Daddy because I know you love the LORD ultimately more than us.

And like Jesus, you are gentle and humble at heart.

Indeed, His love has perfected us through Christ Jesus, our Lord.

I am thankful that I was made out of this perfected love of Christ through Mommy and you.

After all, parenthood takes its pattern from God himself because He is love.

This life I have comes from your intimate love with each other as husband and wife and that love ultimately began within God Himself because, in His love, there is life.

Thank you Daddy for being there whenever we need you and we want you.

Please also know that we love you more than so much.

Love,

your Baby as spokesperson of Mommy