Happy Thanksgiving!

Gabe wanted me to play this song on the piano today.
Listen closely, you'll hear him humming in the background.
It's nice spending quality time with family :)
Another thing to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Ready to Live?

If you're not ready to die, then you're not ready to live.

Application: Laying aside self-interest is essential to all of our relationships. Once you are certain of your eternal destiny, then you're free to serve - devoting your life to what really counts without fear of dying.

Explanation: Jesus did not seek to promote Himself to a high position of significance to carry out God's plan here on Earth. He showed true humility when He laid aside his rights and privileges as God to become human. He poured out His life to pay the penalty we deserve.

Importance: Although education and focused effort may enable us to take a new role or get a new job, often God puts us in a place to serve. We are to take Christ's attitude in serving others, and Christ gives us power to lay aside our personal needs and concerns! We must renounce personal recognition and merit. When we give up our self-interest, we can serve with joy, love, and kindness.

Reminder: When God starts a project, He finishes it.

"Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:6

Source: Tyndale's Life Application Study Bible

My Children

One Hour At A Time

A man's store was destroyed by fire. And to make matters worse, he had failed to renew his fire insurance...An old friend asked how he was coping with the shocking loss..."I'm getting along just fine," he said. "I had breakfast this morning, and it isn't time to eat again"...Not only was he taking one day at a time, he was also taking one hour at a time...

Jesus doesn't want us to be burdened with the needless weight of anxiety about the future...We must refuse to fret about the things over which we have no control. Then we can rejoice in God's sustaining grace - one day at at time.

"Do not worry about tomorrow...Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:34

Source: Our Daily Bread

What Fills Your Heart?

During one of his sermons, Hudson Taylor, pioneer missionary to China, filled a glass with water and placed it on a table in front of him. While he was speaking, he pounded is fist hard enough to make the water splash onto the table. He then explained, "You will come up against much trouble. But when you do, remember, only what's in you will spill out."

That's worth thinking about, isn't it? When we live under the control of the Holy Spirit, we will show it by the way we react to the jolting trials and temptations of life. If our heart is full of the Savior's love, we will respond to the jostling...with patience and kindness.

Source: Our Daily Bread

Contentment

Over the past 15 years, a New Jersey businessman has anonymously given away more than $600 million to universities, medical centers, and other beneficiaries. When a legal complication forced him to reveal his identity, he explained his generosity by saying, "Nobody can wear 2 pairs of shoes at one time. I simply decided I had enough money." A friend...described him as a man who doesn't own a house or a car, flies economy class, wears a $15 watch, and "didn't want his money to crush him"...

It seems so natural and sensible to grasp rather than to give. Money is what you make it - a master or a servant.

"Godliness with contentment is great gain." 1 Timothy 6:6

Source: Our Daily Bread

Free-Thinker

Contrary to my friends' opinion, I'm not an extrovert. Ask the people in Youth Camp and in college.

The last 90 days have truly been a journey of discovering God's calling while really learning more about myself. When I was so career driven, my results were that of an ENTJ...at home, an INTP,...and overall, an INTJ. I can't even get my personality profile right the first time! Toggling between these personalities comes naturally, but the best description so far, is that of an INTJ (Free-Thinker/Strategist). It hit so many buzz words, it's not even funny (Mom, are you reading this?). Mom reminded me today (while fulfilling her request to help her shop for shoes and clothes) that the best place to be when dealing with people, circumstances, etc., is to be "Spirit-filled". Considering my natural inclinations, she's right even more so! Here it is: http://www.geocities.com/lifexplore/intj.htm

In addition:

1. Be willing to back up your statements with facts - or at least some pretty sound reasoning.
   
   
2. Don't expect them to respect you or your viewpoints just because you say so. INTJ respect must be earned.
   
   
3. Be willing to concede when you are wrong. The average INTJ respects the truth over being "right". Withdraw your erroneous comment and admit your mistake and they will see you as a very reasonable person. Stick to erroneous comments and they will think you are an irrational idiot and treat everything you say as being questionable.
   
   
4. Try not to be repetitive. It annoys them.
   
   
5. Do not feed them a line of nonsense.
   
   
6. Expect debate. INTJs like to tear ideas apart and prove their worthiness. They will even argue a point they don't actually support for the sake of argument.
   
   
7. Do not mistake the strength of your conviction with the strength of your argument. INTJs do not need to believe in a position to argue it or argue it well. Therefore, it will take more than fervor to sway them.
   
   
8. Do not be surprised at sarcasm.
   
   
9. Remember that INTJs believe in workable solutions. They are extremely open-minded to possibilities, but they will quickly discard any idea that is unfeasible. INTJ open-mindedness means that they are willing to have a go at an idea by trying to pull it apart. This horrifies people who expect oohs and ahhs and reverence. The ultimate INTJ insult to an idea is to ignore it, because that means it's not even interesting enough to deconstruct.
   
   This also means that they will not just accept any viewpoint that is presented to them. The bottom line is "Does it work?" - end discussion.
   
   
10. Do not expect INTJs to actually care about how you view them. They already know that they are arrogant with a morbid sense of humor. Telling them the obvious accomplishes nothing.

Discovering God's Calling

It's been quite an interesting week! I attended faith-based events from Sunday through Friday! Topics were all centered around giving.

Long ago, God had convicted me about giving "His" money to the ministry. Later, He challenged me to give more...and more. Next, He convicted me about giving Him the talents He has given me. Shortly after, He showed me how I can also use the assets He has blessed me with for His glory. In doing so, I've learned to simplify my life and give more of my time to the Lord; and, in all of this, He has always given me great joy beyond any measure! But, it doesn't simply end there. Just in the last few weeks, He has been impressing upon my heart to also give of my professional skills, including much of the time that I would normally allot for "work". I don't believe I would have heard His calling if I were still in Hawai'i. I was then in my comfort zone, snoozing my so-called beautiful life away in Paradise!

I've been in Orlando for 21 months now. I've never been exposed to so many Christians outside of my church in my entire adult life!!! I experienced this only within a 90-day period! Now I can see why God had instructed me to leave Hawai'i (a place with family, church friends/friends, and job that I loved so much). He also instructed me to leave my first job back in Orlando just at the height of success! Best of all, He allowed me to enter these transitions with no fear. Just plain faith that He is in control and that He will provide (most times, my faith is only the size of a mustard seed). During such uncertainties of change, not to mention our current political and economic conditions, God continues to challenge me: "give some more!"

I know God doesn't need anyone's money. He only wants our heart, our full surrender. You can quickly tell a person's "heart condition" depending on "how" (not by how much) he/she gives. Trust me, it's never easy. But, the results are always phenomenal! No, I don't give to be blessed. I give because I've already been blessed! The meaning of prosperity all depends on the "heart" of the beholder.

I was invited to attend an all-day Generous Giving Forum today at the Villas of Grand Cypress in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Here, God reminded me of a great passage in 2 Corinthians 9:12-13 where 3 phrases re: being a cheerful giver truly hit home:

• Not only supplying the needs of God's people
• Overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God
• Men will praise God for the obedience

May these phrases be my guidelines in yet another dimension of giving, effective immediately. May He cause me to remember this event and as a mother, I hope my 2 children will also have the experience and privilege of learning that generous giving through full surrender to the Lord brings about a truly abundant life. I learned this from my mom without her having to say anything to me. I hope that my children, as well as my students, would learn it from me, too. The great thing is, I don't own the results--God does! I just have to faithfully keep doing what God has called me to do--to use my 2 main spiritual gifts, teaching and giving, to those I'm very passionate about, my students around the world. It's amazing to see how this blog has already reached 10 countries and 15 states within the US in less than 3 months without any proactive effort on my part to publicize it or even add tags, keywords, etc. To all the readers of this blog: may God use this message to encourage and challenge you beyond your comfort level! I encourage you to find and heed God's calling in your life, if you haven't done so already!

In closing, here's the math in determining God's calling for my life:
Teaching + Giving + Students + Global = God wants me to teach the principles of giving to students (young and old) on a global scale.

...Hence another new and exciting project for me! Stay tuned...

All I Need

All I Need

Father, my heart is breaking
You know I don’t mean to cry
I don’t know what it is I’m asking
I can’t help but wonder why

You’re all I need
All that I need
To heal my heart
And lift me up
You’re all that I need
To share your love
And give my all to You
Only You…

Father, You know what hurts me
I don’t want to run away
You are my Strength, You are my Shield
To You I will run and find Your way

You’re all I need
All that I need
To heal my heart
And lift me up
You’re all that I need
To share your love
And give my all to You
Only You…

You give me hope
To carry on
You give me grace
You gave Your Son…

You’re all I need
All that I need
To heal my heart
And lift me up
You’re all that I need
To share your love
And give my all to You
Only You….
Only You….
You’re all I need….

Downtown Baptist Church of Orlando

We concluded the series of Bible Study Luncheons for Working Women at Downtown Baptist Church of Orlando last week. Below is an email we received from the facilitator, Joy Chambers, along with some great resources/books that aided her in her preparation:

This fall, it has been such an awesome journey to study great women of the Bible, while serving alongside great women of DBC, and teaching great women of downtown Orlando. You all are special blessings to me, and I trust that God has encouraged your hearts as He has mine, as we have seen His hand at work in and through lives of women from the very first woman, until today. Mary's hope as she stood at the foot of the cross, was what she knew was coming in the future...the return of Christ; she would see Him again one day. Her hope is our hope. God bless each one of you and may you never stop reading, listening to, and studying the Word of God. Follow Him - that is our calling!

Love in Christ - Joy Chambers

Here are some of the study books I used in my preparation - maybe you are inspired to continue on - let me know what you learn!

Great books on the topic of women in the Bible:
Twelve Extraordinary Women, John MacArthur
Women of the Bible (one year devotional study of women in Scripture), Ann Spangler & Jean E. Syswerda- this is great for ongoing study - it takes a woman per week.
Bad Girls of the Bible, Liz Curtis Higgs
Her Name is Woman, Books 1,2 by Gien Karssen - older but great books.
Lost Women of the Bible, Carolyn Custiss James
The Gospel of Ruth, by Carolyn Custiss James

Possessions...

"I have held many things in my hand and lost them all, but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I always possess." - Martin Luther

"When you have nothing left but God...you become aware that God is enough." - A. Maude Royden

"He who has God and everything has nothing more than he who has God alone." - C.S. Lewis

"You can tell the worth of a person by what he dreams worthy of his time, talents, and treasures." - Unknown