Went out for a date today and was treated sooo wonderfully!!!
Treated with delicious food, beautiful scenery, wonderful company, flowers, and... A RING!

Okay, okay...I know, no fooling you all!

So, today I went out today with some of Monsoon's Vision Trip 2010 participants.
We ventured out to Tagaytay, took a boat out to Taal Volcano, and walked up to the ridge.
It was a beautiful (although HOT!) day.
Our trek led us to the top where we enjoyed the view of the lake inside the volcano, inside the lake. It was beautiful and totally worth the journey.

All throughout the day there were these sweet, sweet gifts from God. Beautiful little flowers along the hiking trail. Sweet little bird songs. Laughter. Good music. Shady tree spots perfect for taking a breather. A spring of cool, refreshing water along the road (for our overheated car!) Great company. Good food. A ride in a super, good-looking car. :)

And... the thing that totally just blew me away -- THE RING!!!
While we were in the boat on the way out to the volcano I was just so overwhelmed with gratitude for that moment. I was so thankful for the chance to be with the group, to be sitting outside in the fresh air,to be out in the water, seeing such beauty and to be there with clear blue skies and smatterings of white clouds.
And then I saw it... a rainbow! I smiled. And then I realized... it was a rainbow ring around the sun!!! I had never seen that before and it just totally blew me away. I was giddy over it!

All day today it just felt like God was wooing me in His very special ways. Things that touch my heart and make me smile, He kept putting before me over and over again. I loved it. I feel so loved... and loved so well.

(Okay... so now I know thanks to Google that the rainbow around the sun is a halo! The picture I took does not even come CLOSE to capturing how beautiful it was. We had a great photographer out with us today. Hopefully I'll get a copy of the photos she took to share with you here! )

I haven't been out of my apartment since I returned from work on Tuesday night.
I've been home -- sick.

I had intended to get a lot done this week. I actually planned to have some really productive days working from home. But instead, I mostly just found myself having to lie down and rest.

Cold? Flu? Allergies? Not sure... I Googled it to see if I could tell the difference but I couldn't really. All I know is that I came home on Tuesday with the start of a sore throat, woke up with no voice, have had terrible congestion/sinus pressure all week long, my whole head hurt -- including my jaw, felt feverish (although I never had a fever), and achy all over. Thankfully it's going away.

Yesterday and today were the only days I was able to get work done. It was a frustrating week. It felt like the week was just sucked away from me. Nothing was done. Nothing was accomplished. It just kind of drifted away...

I found that I never really rested because I had my plans and I wanted to follow through on them. But I couldn't follow through on my plans because I just really need to rest. Bleh.

Recently, a couple of leaders in the area had been sick to the point that they were on bed rest for a long while. I think I have heard both of them on different occasions comment on how they have been blessed during their time of bed rest. They both said something along the lines of how it has given them time to just be with the Lord -- meditate on His Word, be in prayer, worship, etc. I think if they were to comment on this time, they would say that it has been GOOD for them.

I remember when I heard that I thought, "Wow! That's great!" After this week, I think even more so -- "WOW!"

Oh, to have that heart, mind and discipline to truly "be still" before the Lord and just be CONTENT to be in His presence. Even if I do nothing else...accomplish nothing else...add nothing else, but to just be wholly content and satisfied to just be with Him.
I feel like I have had moments and times like that ... but oh that I would have a greater desire for that, and see that be even more true in my life.

NOTE: I am feeling better. And tomorrow I'll venture out. Whew. About time!!

Photographers.

Writers.

Designers.

Videographers.

A group of about 10 media professionals from the Philippines and the Americas heading to a neighboring country here in Southeast Asia. The first Monsoon trip of its kind -- Vision Trip 2010.

One of the things that really energizes me about my work is the thought that through it, people would have the opportunity to get a glimpse of how God is at work in the world. And hopefully, get a vision for how they uniquely may take part in it.

I love seeing the look of excitement in people's eyes as the wheels start turning in their mind as they think about the possibilities of how they could be part of the exciting work of God. I love seeing them start to catch the vision of how who they are can contribute to the bigger picture. I love it when people can start to see how they can be themselves and through their gifts, their skills, their experience, and their passions, be an important part of the work of missions.

And so, I'm excited that this week a group of media professionals will actually experience this for themselves. Tomorrow they will travel to the country of one of our partner organizations and will work together with them on specific media needs that they have.

They'll capture images. They'll record interviews. They'll write up stories. They'll get the chance to see how their work truly does have value in the world of missions.

So, please pray for them. Pray for them as they get to know each other and work with each other. Pray for God to use them mightily this week and that they experience joy and delight in their service. Pray that their hearts and minds would be open to the things the Lord would have them learn and be challenged by each day during this trip. Pray too that as a result of this trip they would be advocates for media in missions.

Yes, I'm super excited for this group.

And yes, I'll admit it...I'm a little bit jealous that I'll not be with them.

I'll be stuck here in the office. Hehehehe!!!

One night last week as I was drifting off to sleep, I found myself crying.

Not only were there tears running down my face, but there were audible sobs as well. That kind of crying.

I was kind of surprised by it. There wasn't really anything significant that happened that day to make me upset. So I found myself crying and asking, "Why am I sad? What am I upset about?"

And in my sobs I heard myself answer my own question...

"You've left me here all alone. It's not supposed to be like this. I'm alone. I'm forgotten."

Those are the feelings and thoughts that had me up and crying one night. I thought about the different things that had me feeling that way and was exhausted in the morning. I opened up my Bible to the reading for the day and was comforted and convicted by this...

My Lord longs to be gracious to me.

He rises to show me compassion.

I am blessed if I wait for Him.

He will be gracious when I cry for help.

He guides.

He goes before me.

He goes with me.

He provides.

He binds and He heals.

I am precious.

I am honored.

I am His.

He has made me.

He has redeemed me.

He will not forget me.

There are a lot of reasons for why I was feeling the way that I was.

Some very real.

Some very legitimate.

Some not... at all.

I recognize that feelings of being completely ALONE and FORGOTTEN are one of the Enemy's "easy" ways of getting me down. Those are fiery arrows that hit me hardest and the ones I'm most vulnerable to, especially these days.

And so with the sweetest of blessings I have been reminded that I am never alone and never forgotten. His presence tells me that. His Word reassures me of that. And others are an expression of that -- a surprise email, a conversation over Skype, an expectant "how are you?"

I wasn't going to blog about this, but then during church at Northland this morning (evening for me), Pastor Vernon shared a quote of Frederick Buechner. As he shared it, I had already started to Google it so I that I could share it.

"When you remember me, it means that you have carried something of who I am with you, that I have left some mark of who I am in who you are. It means that you can summon me back to your mind even though countless years and miles may stand between us. It means that if we meet again, you will know me. It means that even after I die, you can still see my face and hear my voice and speak to me in your heart.

"For as long as you remember me, I am never entirely lost. When I'm feeling most ghost-like, it's your remembering me that helps remind me that I actually exist. When I'm feeling sad, it's my consolation. When I'm feeling happy, it's part of why I feel that way. If you forget me, one of the ways I remember who I am will be gone. If you forget me, part of who I am will be gone.

"Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom," the good thief said from his cross (Luke 23:42). There are perhaps no more human words in all of Scripture, no prayer we can pray so well."

- Frederick Buechner

Listening to Your Life

So I hadn't really planned on blogging about my emotional breakdown, but when I heard this quote, it made me realize how, as Buechner puts it, "There are perhaps no more human words in all Scripture, no prayer we can pray so well." I think the feelings of wanting to be "remembered" -- to not be alone and to not be forgotten -- are so very real, so very human.

To some extent, we all go through these feelings. (Right??)

And so right now, I'm reminded to pray for my friends - those who are in a different place, who are away from people who know and understand them, who are "alone..." and for those who just feel "alone" and "forgotten" -- praying that in special ways this week you would feel loved, remembered, and reminded that you truly are never alone.

And for me, a reminder to "be on the alert." Oh, how it seems that the Enemy knows me too well. And so, ... Be on the alert. Wait on Him. Cry out to Him. Remember. Return.

NOTE: I really need to pick up a book by FB or something, because whenever Pastor Vernon shares a quote of his (which he often does) I am so drawn to his thoughts and the ways he puts words together to convey them. It's always just so well said! Suggestions??

"You never know what may cause them. The sight of the Atlantic Ocean can do it, or a piece of music, or a face you've never seen before. A pair of somebody's old shoes can do it. ... You can never be sure. But of this you can be sure. Whenever you find tears in your eyes, especially unexpected tears, it is well to pay the closest attention. They are not only telling you something about the secret of who you are, but more often than not God is speaking to you through them of the mystery of where you have come from and is summoning you to where, if your soul is to be saved, you should go next."

- Frederick Buechner

Beyond Words

(Found this quote online while looking for another quote. Will blog more about it, but just wanted to share this right now.)

So something I learned tonight that I didn't know last night... The power generator for the building powers one of the outlets in my bedroom. It's the one where the bedroom light is plugged in.

Check out my blog from earlier today to see why I find that so funny. Hehehe! :)

Right now I'm sitting in my room with the lights and my internet on thanks to three extension cords :) probably a fire hazard so i will get off soon. :)


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Yeah... so the storm was noisy, loud and strong.

It woke me up and kept me up.

Here's how things looked when I got up and went to work in the morning.

Not too bad. It sounded so much worse than this!

July 14, 2010 - Typhoon Basyang