Lenten series: Fixing our eyes On Jesus..(Holy Wednesday)

 

Greetings! Happy April fool’s day! Wow! March was finally over! This was the longest month of the year! 

It’s a new month! New opportunities hopefully(crossing our fingers) and yes! It’s Holy Wednesday, my second holiday this week. It was cloudy today. I woke up sore again, my cat woke me up being silly and naughty. Knocked things in my bedroom, she is literally telling me to feed her. Come on! I have not run this morning, I felt like it’s so cold and breezy. The sun is not out there. Gloomy, cloudy, blurry and looks sad. 

I made pancakes from scratch and I will post the recipe to my next post. It was incredible, fluffy and gluten free pancakes. I love it! I also decided to put some cloves to my favourite drinks because my mum told me it helps thicken your hair and prevent gray hair from coming out. Hope me good luck, I will post a review once I notice an improvement. 

Yesterday, I ditched some of Paul’s clothes and placed all his suitcases in the attic. It is ready to be donated. I also did a 30 minute dance workout and it felt so amazing, I sweat it all out, I felt my calories did burned a lot. I made a celery, carrot and a half lemon smoothie and it was so sour! I wished I didn’t put all the lemon in. Hahaha! I also made fusili bolognese pasta for Paul last night, I decided not to put ready made bolognese sauce but just chopped tomatoes and herbs to reveal its true natural flavour. And I’m right! Paul loved it. I will also post a separate blog about the recipe, though I overcooked the pasta. Hahaha!

Today my dear friends, we have a wonderful verse from the book of Hebrews instructing believers to maintain unwavering focus on Jesus as the ultimate example of faith, strength, and endurance. It highlights Jesus as the founder and completer of our spiritual journey, who endured the shame of cross for future joy, now seated in glory.

Fixing our eyes means intentionally turning away from distraction, sin and wordly burdens to focus on Christ. Last February, Ash Wednesday, I decided to shut temporarily my social media accounts as a sacrifice and to focus my attention to Jesus this Lent. Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent where we believers exercise our faith like fasting, turning away from things that pleasures you like drinking, smoking, excessive eating, shopping, entertainment and even sexual intimacy. This practices is like similar to the tradition of our muslim friends but in a more meaningful and devoted intentions. I also noticed that few of my muslim coworkers were fasting from sunrise to sunset but after sunset they start to smoke or eat sweets/desserts, excessive eating also sexual intimacy with their partners. These are forms of pleasures that entice us to sin and commit distractions. Fixing our eyes to Jesus means committing ourselves to be holy and righteous. Following his ways, surrendering everything to the Lord. Sacrificing our own material desires to become followers of Christ. And that is what I am trying to do. I commit myself not eating meat this week, because that is pleasure. Which this holy week means that we need to practice divinity and simplicity, humbleness and perseverance just like Christ obeying His Father.

Jesus is also the author and perfecter or the finisher. He is both the source of our salvation and the one that matures our faith, carrying it to completion. He also did not focus on pain of the cross but on the joy of redeeming humanity and his subsequent glorification. Jesus “sitting at the right hand of God” indicates His work of redemption is finished and he holds supreme authority. 

I can site some few examples on how to apply this beautiful verse in our daily lives. One example is which  is drawing on Jesus’ example to endure personal hardships or temptation without giving up, focusing on faith rather than earthly distractions like social media which is one of the biggest distractions nowadays, wealth like working too hard and not taking day offs, and peer pressure.

Overcoming shame is one of the biggest challenges today. Ignoring social embarrassment or ridicule that may come from living a devoted Christian life. Browsing content over Instagram, YouTube, TikTok even Facebook these are the biggest social media platforms nowadays. You can see explicit contents even verbally or physically abusing person which they think is funny. The more funny it may seem, the more views and paid ads they receive which is pretty sad. Commoners who don’t use social media a lot will never understand their content. Living here in the UK, one thing I’ve noticed is that there are a lot of people who don’t use social media. People go to parks, read books even on Trains and bus, there are a lot of people who don’t value followers or even views on what you post or do on social media. My husband,  Paul was one of them, he doesn’t care about what you achieve and post it somewhere to social media, update what you been up to to people and post videos or pictures on your stories that will eventually disappear after 24 hours. It’s silly but it’s true. I was one of those people who got influences a lot of social media before I came here in the UK. My life was connected to social media. I browse a lot of different random things, spent hours watching useless short clips. I even attempted to do my own content which I gave up already. Because I am too weak to handle criticisms and negative feedbacks. This period of my life where I disconnected and deactivated for a while took me a pause to everything. My sleep improved, I don’t need to spend hours browsing useless videos to sleep ad ruin my cycle. Also I had peace of mind not thinking about people to impress and stalk to other people’s lives. I am happy. I started to open my blog and write again, I had more time for myself. I started running to breathe and start my running era again. I am starting to live with a purpose now. Not because I want to post something to my social media account which I will start to activate it again but I want to make a change. I want to post with a purpose, to inspire everyone and to influence them with a cause. That is my mission. I want to be an inspiration to everyone that we can defeat earthly pleasures, use social media as a platform of faith and cause. That is suppose social media should do. I am trying to love myself back. Spending my time on things that focuses my deeper connection with God and my faith.

Life is short and yes everyone knows it. Sometimes it’s a race. Sometimes it’s like a wheel. Life is life a box of chocolate from one of my favourite films, Forrest Gump. You never know what’s inside. So let’s make our life more meaningful, with a purpose and a plan. Life may have a lot of trials and problems, but look at the bigger picture. Jesus is bigger than your problems. He gave you a mission and He needs you to accomplish it. He gave you talents that you should share and aspire people. 

Change begins in you. Your life starts now.

God bless us all!

Lenten Series: The ransom (Holy Tuesday)

 

Greetings! Start of my holiday break! Wew! 

I woke up early this morning because our cat, Ruby, licked my eye and was so eager to have her breakfast. I forgot that she is already used eating early in the morning because of my early shifts, before I leave for work, I’m used to feed her as early as 5am. Hahaha! So a while ago, she jumped on me and wanted to be fed. So silly.

After I fed Ruby, I went back to sleep, I felt so drowsy and tired. I woke up with my legs aching and my back hurts. T_T

I woke up finally at around half nine when Paul opened the TV, the volume woke me up. Why does he can’t watch TV with a soft sound? I can’t open my eyes but I can hear the  TV, it annoyed me. I wanted to sleep more. My body felt like I am paralyzed but it’s painful. My mind was not ready to be awake. I’m on a holiday. I got hungry and finally decided to wake up and make some yogurt bowl. Paul is leaving for work. I needed to remind him that he needs to transfer the money he owe me last Saturday when he decided to get a takeaway. He gave me an exact 25GBP. Bro?! That was 25.27GBP !!! He owe me 27p. Anyway, he can’t be asked. That was my budget anyway. I don’t have any plans getting a takeaway this week. Besides, he almost ate all of them, I gave him all. Cos I can’t eat meat this week. Yesterday, I asked Paul to meet his mum this coming Saturday, and we’ll go up to London to have dinner. Like bro?! Why don’t you want to meet your family??? If Philippines is just a few hours away, I would go home like every 3 months. I miss them so much. Not now,  because I still have this little grouch to my dad. I was not even talking to him since Saturday even asking how he was. I know he’s ok. He’s fine with his chickens. He was also trying to call from our group chat and no one answered. My mum is still in Cebu, and my sister didn’t know I have this displeasure towards him and she was the only talking to him regarding the house title processing. My sister is better than me on that matter so she can help him. I just have this little “Don’t care” attitude today. I can’t be asked. 

Sometimes, it feels good to have this accursed attitude. Not being sweet, kind girl. After all, I don’t live at that house anymore. Before the end of the day, I will always feel guilt and trap.

Today my dear friends, we have this beautiful verse from Matthew. A verse declaring how selfless Jesus is. He came as a man here on earth, born to be a man but died as a King. It reminded us that Jesus is truly the son of God, not only the son but only begotten son who died for us and paid all our debts. Like yesterday’s verse, the lamb which is a symbol of purity and sacrifice. Today’s verse talks about that the lamb is not just an offering but a ransom. Ransom for humanity. God’s wrath from the beginning to the Israelites, being rude, always complaining, greedy, creating wars and conflicts, full of sins makes God hate humanity and tempted to destroy earth again. But because God is merciful and loving, always forgiving. He sent his son to deliver us from evil. Jesus was made not only for me but for everyone. All we need to do is accept him and let his love shine all over us. Share it to everyone and remind us that God will always be there for us even at dark times.

Problems and conflicts are always there in human life. We can’t erase that. I remember my mum when I was in high school, we had a conversation about problems coming in our lives. She was provoked when I told her that problems are always there. You can’t erase them. I was trying to say that God sometimes gives us trials because he knows we can overcome it. He never gives a problem we can’t solve. And my mum kicked me, she was so angry at me and shouted, “Kung pwde lang alisin yang problema, erase-in na dapat yan!!!” And she kicked me. I was surprised and told myself that my mum was never an open minded person. Her understanding that God never made problems for us is not broad. 

I want to quote a verse from the bible about problems, it’s from James, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” (V1:2-4)

It’s true my dear friends, I encountered several trials in my life. Not just one, multiple times. Sometimes, it’s repetitive and I did it over repeat mistakes without realizing its lessons. Sometimes, mistakes are all lesson. We will never value life without life’s mistakes. It takes a lot of courage and God’s constant help to overcome trials. 

Also, this verse talks about Humbleness. The son of God did not come to be served. He was not even born in a deluxe hospital with fine robes and linen. He was born in a manger. A manger my dear friends is an open trough or box found in stables or barns, used for holding feed for livestock like horses and cattle. Pharisees and even Kings believed that he will be born King. With a bed made in fine carving, with jewels and embellishments but no. Jesus was born with a humble beginning to remind us that we humans should be humble as his. We don’t have nothing. We are just human, and it is right to serve the Lord with humbleness and righteousness because he is the son of God. It is our duty to serve him and to pay back all the ransom He had sacrificed for us.

I feel sometimes why is life so unfair? Why is it always me that needs to sacrifice and understand things? But I always thank Jesus for he taught me how to sacrifice and be humble. It should be me who cares and understands situations even when everyone doesn’t. Because that is true Christianity. Jesus humbles Himself  so I should be too.

God bless us all!

Lenten series: The Lamb of God (Holy Monday)

 

Greetings! Oh it’s Monday! It’s the first day of the week! Should I be celebrating, grateful or feeling lazy today? I was a little bit excited because after Monday, it’s going to be my 3-day holiday. How I wish it will extend until Easter Monday. Yehey!!! My shift was not that busy but it was fast. It was breezy today. 

After my shift, I went home and changed to my workout clothes. I was decided to do a 10 km this afternoon but it was so breezy, cold and windy. The gust was 27mph! So I just ran a 3km easy run. I went home and did a 25 minute dance workout. Wow! The sweat came down! I am still undecided whether to wake up early morning tomorrow to do a long distance run. I saw the weather forecast, it’s going to be cloudy. Not sure if it’s going to be sunny.

I made my vegetable salad for dinner tonight. Lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, cucumber and crab sticks. Dressing was from a little left over of my french dressing, ground black pepper, greet yogurt and light mayo. Wow! Heaven! It’s so perfect. I ate the whole bowl. I felt so detoxified hahaha. While I baked some pork bell slices with rice and beans for Paul.

Today my dear brothers and sisters, we have a beautiful verse from John declaring that Jesus is the lamb of God. The redeemer, our saviour, the only begotten son whom God sacrificed for all humanity. 

I remember a clip from a series at Amazon it’s called “The Chosen”, back from the old times when you want to offer a burnt sacrifice to God, a clean lamb with no spot or dirt is only accepted as a symbol of purity, forgiveness and redemption. People showing their lambs to Pharisees are slowly and thoroughly checked. If you can’t present a clean lamb, you can’t offer your burnt sacrifice and your sins are never forgiven. And this man from that scene, saw Jesus coming from the crowd. An aura of cleanliness, purity and spotless. Jesus is the “perfect lamb”. 

God’s gift to humanity. His only son, whom he offered and sacrificed. The lamb who’s taking away all our sins. Because we can’t present any perfect lamb as perfect as Jesus. He presented himself. He submitted himself to His Father’s will. No complaints or doubts. He obeyed.

And here we are, dirty. Undeserving to be called sons and daughters. But it is never too late. Following Him, His ways, His laws, all His teachings. All we need to do is accept him. Surrendering everything to Him, be thankful for He paid all our debts. Jesus is the only way through the Father. 

We don’t need any burnt offerings, valuables or treasures to offer. We only need to accept Jesus and testify that he redeemed everything. He redeemed all our sins. He is our saviour, our Messiah. 

Jesus, the perfect lamb of God.

God bless us all!