My life change dramatically at home since my younger sister was now working. It was like the old days when she was too young to do household chores that I have to do everything. She is the cook in our house, she cooks from the morning into the afternoon but since she’ll be busy now I’ll be doing some of her chores which mean cleaning and being an errand person will not be my only task anymore, I might do the cooking again and took charge charge solely selling ice packs and do some printing when she wasn’t around.

Anyway, we made a temporary dirty kitchen in our old house since we can’t afford to use gas, we used firewood. Yesterday, after I cooked pinangat, I have cleaned the dirty kitchen because it was too cluttered and dirty, my sister cooks but doesn’t know how to clean around, she was told many times but the dirty kitchen always end up in mess and dirt. While I am cleaning someone came to have her document printed so I have to left what I am doing and what is annoying my kitten keeps crying in my foot and when she can’t wait anymore she jump at my body and climb into my shoulder, I didn’t feed them yet since I am still cooking their food and it was still very early in the morning but I guess they’re smelling the fish already.  Prior to that, two of my older cats and the kitten have been disturbing me while cleaning, they keeps following me whenever I go so imagine their foot prints when I just mop the floor.  It feels like I have little kids to care at home. LOL

My sister worked in a water station in town after the old worker left to the city to go to her husband, it doesn’t fit on her degree but it was better than at home doing nothing, she applied in a private bank and took an exam yesterday, I hope she can get the job since the staff needed will be just stationed in town. She took and exam for a social welfare assistant job a few months ago, she was called for interview after passing the qualifying exam but she didn’t showed up since the positioned opened will be in rural islets of our province where she doesn’t know anyone and more importantly my mother doesn’t permit her to work that far but she said she will allowed if it was me. LOL

On Friday the church held a family camp at Acacia Village and it was attended by  some church members, I think only few had attended since it rained earlier before the agreed meet up time. This Sunday Pastor E focused about the home and the family, he said that God began human existence with a marriage and a family. The first community that God established was a family and a home. The scriptural reading was found at Joshua 24: 11-15 and 2 Samuel 6: 9-11.

According to the Pastor E’s before the Israelites have a formal place of worship, the place of worship was the home, and all worship was directed and lead by the head of the home, the husband and father – Deuteronomy 6:4-9. Today, we have replaced the home with the church. For many Christians and their families all spirituality is exercised IN church, all prayer is IN church, all teaching is IN church – and not in the home.  We depend everything in the church and we forgot the spiritual practice at home.

[Photo courtesy of heritagekept.com]

Pastor E gave three ways on how do we experience the genuine divine blessing in our home and these are:

1. Choose to make your Home His Home –  Joshua 24:11-15, We have to choose to live according to God’s design for us in our homes & families.
2. Welcome His presence to your home – 2 Samuel 6:9-11, Pastor E says that every family has a box in their home, that box has the power to shape values of young children and that box was called television unlike the box at the center of Obed-Edom’s house, which contains Aaaron cane, Moses tablets and a jar, this box brought blessings.
3. Build an ark of salvation in your home – Hebrews 11:7, Pastor E talks about Noah and his family.

To begin and initiate God’s into  our home, Pastor E shared 5 E’s –

• EXALT God in your home
• EXAMPLE Christlikeness in your home
• ENCOURAGE Faithfulness in your home
• EDUCATE Your children in God’s ways in your home
• ESTABLISH Godly values in your home

When God’s presence is welcomed and encouraged a home is truly blessed!

On the previous Sunday the church celebrated Mother’s Sunday and today Pastor E’s preaching was about Jochebed, wife of Amram and the mother of Aaron, Miriam and Moses. The scriptural verse was from Exodus 2: 1-10, Pastor E talks about Jochebed’s selfless love for her children.

[Image source: huntercastle.com]

Anyway, Pastor E continue his preaching about things to see in Jochebed’s life which are enumerated in four C’s: The first one was her credentials, she was born to the Levites in Egypt and wife of Amran. Jochebed’s credential was her deep relationship with the Lord. She and her husband were evidently very dedicated and religious people. They were willing to defy the order of Pharaoh and keep the commandments of God. Secondly, courage, she was very courageous woman this could be seen in  Verse 2 where Jochebed refused to give in to a godless system that would have cost her the life of her son. Thirdly, Jochebed has confidence to resist the world and was strong woman motivated by a strong faith for God’s will and the last C is charity, she has a wonderful way on how she gave herself to her kids.

Have you ever had to give up and let go of someone or something very precious to you?

When you let go, when you released that person or that thing, did you feel like part of you was breaking; now there was some new emptiness in your life, isn’t it? As what we can read in the bible, Jochebed  give away her 3-month-old baby, not knowing what would happen to him, she placed baby Moses in a papyrus basket and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile…

Yesterday was my late grandfather’s birthday and my aunt 40 days after death, there was a simple service and small gathering at their house which is about 250 meters from us. My third elder aunt asked for solicitation I think the clan will cooked one food to bring. My sister and I attended the service since my father was at work and my mother decided to be the house person, the service didn’t start early since we’ve waited few more people, Pastor E’s wife lead the service since he wasn’t around, he was in another city attending an assembly.

The 40th days after the death of the person is celebrated because it is said that on that day the spirit of the deceased ascends to heaven.

[Photo courtesy of Pixabay/pexels.com]

There are not many visitors, just family and distant relatives who are just in the neighborhood. I have helped washing the dishes while everybody is eating since I am one of the first people who finishes, we brought some leftover food for our parents too since there are plenty, our eldest aunt was the one minding the packed food for everyone who would like them. I have just finished washing the last batch of dishes when our cousin’s daughter told us that are mother was already calling us home, so we thankfully bid good bye to our relatives. Indeed our mother was already waiting in the field, we know our mother so my sister and I just sigh because we are treated like little kids again.

Last Sunday was Mother’s day but it was just this Sunday that the church celebrated Mother’s day, yes it was a week late. Within the service, three young people shared testimonies about their mother’s, their love and sacrifices for them. The church gave token of appreciation for all mothers in the church, they were given a hand fan which is useful this summer season. Pastor E’s scriptural topic is about honoring mothers, treating them with admiration and respect and the scriptural verse was from Ephesians 6: 1-2.

[Photo courtesy of beforeitsnews.com]

Pastor E quote from the bible that mothers are like precious gems and rare stones (Ephesians 6:2). We can honor our mothers by recognizing her work, giving her respect (Proverbs 20:20), valuing them as our mother and considering them highly and spend time with them.

My mother wasn’t perfect like everyone else, we always disagree with each other when we have different views and opinions about things but when something went wrong around me I know that there’s only one person I can cry and talk too and that’s her.

The election day was already finished yesterday and the results was favorable to other candidates but not to others. A relative running for a local position didn’t win as well, for us he is the right person for the position but not all people think the same thought.

An aunt handed us and a relative passing by a dozen Fastbreak a product of San Miguel  which is a coffee mix with cereals, we are told it was from the politician she supported who happened to won the election, I think she was given a box and then she shared it to relatives around her. I guess it is a thank you gift from the politician, it is a sweet gesture and I couldn’t consider it vote buying since the election was just finished. The cereal meal was a month to its expiration date, it is still consumable and can fill a stomach in the morning, right?

Anyway, in town we’ve heard from other people that there was a vote buying that took place in certain towns before and during the election, it was all gossip since they just heard the rumor as well from other people.  So who knows if it really happens or not, vote buying is normal in the Philippines even it is prohibited by law.

It was National Election Day today, my sister served as poll watcher after being hired by a relative for a certain local candidate. It was only me and my parents left at home, for the first time after so many years my mother cooked for lunch. We agreed to vote at the same time but to my disappointment when my parents brought packed lunch to my sister they voted upon seeing that the precinct isn’t busy. Knowing it make me feel disappointed since they left me at home and before they went my mother says they will not vote but they did. I have thought every one is leaving me behind and breaking their promise when the road is wider and things work for their own good.  So mean isn’t it?

[Voters lining up at others voting precinct]

My father drove me to the voting precinct and since I am not in a good mood I didn’t look around when we entered the gate and I went directly to the voting precinct to vote. I didn’t take long since I only voted few candidates and there was no line in our designated voting precinct, when we left and passed the gate I overheard a male youngster calling his friend while saying “asawa nang kano” if translated in English it means “wife of American” a foreigner precisely. You know, most people thought that a foreigner is always a kano (Amerikano) or American in English. LOL

The voting experience was actually funny since it was the first time I have vote again after almost a decade and voting those time wasn’t that techy like as of today. I have thought that I have to bring home the print-out from the PCOS machine, I have folded it many times and I was ready to put it in my pocket and then I was told to drop it in a small box and when inking my fingers I don’t know which finger to hand over.  So funny isn’t it?

Anyway, I hope the best and trustworthy candidates will won this election.

This Sunday, Pastor E’s scriptural topic was about Faithful Christian Service based from scriptural verses Matthew 25:21, 1 Corinthians 4: 12 and Galatians 5: 22-23. Pastor E told the congregation that it is our duty to serve God but we served God in a voluntarily phases, in short we see ourselves as volunteers.

God put us in our particular place to be faithful and with a purpose, these purpose can be found in the following bible verses and what God encourages us to be:

[Photo courtesy of tnvalleytalks.hoop.la]

1. Hebrews 10: 25 – God wish each of us to be faithful in our attendance in church
2. 2 Timothy 2: 15 – Be faithful in reading the bible
3. 1 Thessalonians 5: 17 –  Be faithful in praying without ceasing
4. 2 Timothy 2: 19- 22 – Be faithful in our moral lives
5. James 2: 14-18 – Be faithful in serving others

Pastor E elaborates more and shared a story how King Henry III became an obedient King. He finishes his preach asking everyone a question “Will God find us faithful?”

It was first Sunday of the month and as usual the church service started early, during this day there was no Sunday school for all levels. Pastor E scriptural topic is about “Becoming People of the Towel” which literally means becoming servant of God. The scriptural verse was from John 13: 1-5 and John 13: 12-17

Pastor E tells about the story of Epaphroditus, a servant who risk and  gamble his life to serve Paul, he gambled everything for Jesus Christ so that the man of God would be served.

[Photo courtesy of journeychurchgillette.com]

On the book of John chapter 13, on the eve of His death, Jesus assumes the place of a slave and serves His disciples. While they were eating the Passover, Jesus gets up from the table and dons a towel. He poured a basin of water, and He began to wash the disciple’s feet.  He took the place of a slave before His men when Jesus did this. He took the place of the lowest kind of slaves, who were called “the people of the towel”. They were called this because it was their job to wash the feet of those who were superior to them.

Pastor E says Jesus did this to call His disciples to become people of the towel as well. He wants every person who follows Him to be a servant. He wants us to be a people of the towel. If we are to achieve that goal in our lives, we must develop a heart for others and we must learn from Jesus through His Labor, Lordship and Love.

Yesterday was the last Sunday of the month and my morning doesn’t started right, I had a small fight with my sister because I didn’t like the way she speak towards me after I insists of fetching water so I could watered the plants early so I could prepare for church.

Anyway, despite my early misunderstanding with my younger sister I still went to church to asked for enlightenment and forgiveness, to asked God to remove the anger in my heart. Honestly, lately I have noticed that I tend to collect anger in my heart and I wasn’t the same person anymore who can’t be angry, well I guess I have changed a lot for the past few months I became strong emotionally.

There were three speakers in the pulpit yesterday, two of them are young people who went to Kasapulanan and then Pastor E, the scriptural topic was based on the topic in the Kasapulanan which is “Our Legacy Getting Right in a Culture that Has Gone Wrong” derived from scriptural verses of 1 Timothy 1: 1-6 and Daniel 3: 16-18.  The first young speaker talks about the end time (Revelation 5:5 and Revelation 1:3) as well as the wrong culture of many Christians today by going to church wearing improper clothes.

[Photo courtesy of  Lynn Babcock/pinterest.com]

The second young speaker who is a lot better than the first speaker talked about the Gospel and what Gospel shows, she firstly shared that Gospel is word of God (2 Timothy 3:16), it was a strong force against bad and even questioned how other people go to church but doesn’t changed their attitude.

Anyway, second Gospel is the Kingdom of God (Matthew 4:12 and 1 Timothy 4:16) and lastly the culture, it was said as time passes culture changes, during biblical time church officers were appointed and not elected (Acts 1: 12-26 and Genesis 14:20). Pastor E then elaborate and speak a little about the topic that was spoken by the first two young speakers, and says that in Daniel 3: 16-18 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego the three people that were mentioned in these verses have three beautiful things in their life they have a strong answer, strong faith and principle.