A Tribute To My Father And Mother

my father and mother in their younger years

Today is my late father's birthday and it has been 4 years that he has passed away but i still miss him especially during father's day and his birthday.

As a tribute to him, i would like to say that i'm so thankful to God for him. He may not be a perfect father but i learned a lot from his fatherhood. He exemplified hardwork, determination to succeed, taught us to value education, value life and before he died, he exemplified forgiveness and trust in the Lord.

me and my father before he died (2009)

When he was still alive, he listened to me when my heart was broken. When i needed extra time to learn how to drive after graduating from a reputable driving school for ten days, he was my great teacher...far greater than my driving school teacher. 

He has been a good provider, strict but reasonable and a good father. Thank God for my late father!

Aside from being thankful to God for my late father, i'm also thankful to God for giving us a good mother. One of a kind! Last mother's day, i failed to give her a tribute on mother's day on this blog site but i believe its not yet too late. 

My mother (center) 

For me, she was not just the mother of the year 1977 but she is a mother of all time. I am thankful for her sacrifices, her time, her generosity, her being a forgiving mother, loving, kind, godly....and so many good character traits she has as a mother and as a person. She may not be perfect but she is the best. She is a blessing! She is one of my best friends, my prayer partner and my confidante. I love you, mother! May you live longer and see all your present and future grand children!

Copyright © 2013  by Mari Ann Rose "Mariah" F. Gadapan . All rights reserved worldwide.

(I put "copyright" on my every post because this is my blog site, it's like my signature on my every post.)

By the grace of God I am what I am

Open Doors

courtesy of google.com

Text: Isaiah 22:22

I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David, what he opens no one can shut and what he shuts no one can open.

Thoughts:

I believe in opportunities and seizing opportunities. I also believe that opportunities not grabbed are lost opportunities.

The bible is telling us that when God opens a door, no one can shut and what he shuts no one can open. If God has an open door for us and it’s really his will for us, that open door belongs to us and no one can shut it.

But although no one can shut that door for us, if we don’t enter or step into that door in the time-frame God has given us, when that door is shut by God, no one can open it.

Remember the ten virgins, they were given time to prepare for the coming of the bridegroom but five of them didn’t prepare ahead of time so when the bridegroom arrived, they were not there (they were still on their way to buy oil) and the door was shut for them. Although that parable is about the kingdom of God, we could relate that to an open door presented to us.  Those ten virgins were given time to prepare but the five foolish virgins didn’t prepare ahead of time, so when the opportunity for them to step into the open door to be with the bridegroom and join the wedding banquet, they weren’t there and the door was shut. The bridegroom didn’t even open the door for them even if they begged and shouted.

In my own life, I’ve lost open doors God has presented to me so this is a lesson I’ve learned. I hope you’ll heed it.

If you insist on stepping into that closed door, you might miss another open door for you in that  certain time of your life. I agree to what Alexander Graham Bell said, “When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.”

If you missed that open door God has presented to you, ask God for another open door and enter to it. Yes, what God opens, no one can shut and what he shuts no one can open and before God opens another one for you, prepare for it and then enter to it once it’s open. Don’t try to open a door that God has already shut for you. Just wait for another open door. God is the God of chances and he can open another door for you.

Prayer :

Lord, prepare me for the doors you are going to open for me. And when you open those doors, let me be ready to enter them and not miss them. Help me to be wise in every situation and do the things I need to do in preparation. Forgive me if I missed open doors you had for me. I ask for your grace and mercy to open a new door/ doors for me and grab every opportunity you are giving me. Thank you, Lord for your mercy and your grace and the great plans you have for my life.Let those great plans of yours be fulfilled in my life.

Copyright © 2013  by Mari Ann Rose "Mariah" F. Gadapan . All rights reserved worldwide.

(I put "copyright" on my every post because this is my blog site, it's like my signature on my every post.)

By the grace of God I am what I am

Three Years And Counting...

created on pizap.com

Last March 30, it was my 3rd year of blogging. Thank God for all the things He has done through this blog site. I received emails from my blog readers and those emails were one of the many reasons that encourage me to continue on blogging.

Thank God for this medium to continue to be used by God in sharing his word and be of continuous use in His kingdom.

Psalm 119:89-93

⁸⁹ 

Your word, Lord, is eternal;

    it stands firm in the heavens.

⁹⁰ 

Your faithfulness continues through all generations;

    you established the earth, and it endures.

⁹¹ 

Your laws endure to this day,

    for all things serve you.

⁹² 

If your law had not been my delight,

    I would have perished in my affliction.

⁹³ 

I will never forget your precepts,

    for by them you have preserved my life.

Copyright © 2013  by Mari Ann Rose "Mariah" F. Gadapan . All rights reserved worldwide.

(I put "copyright" on my every post because this is my blog site, it's like my signature on my every post.)

By the grace of God I am what I am

Unfailing Love

courtesy of google.com



Isaiah 46:4
New Living Translation

I will be your God throughout your lifetime—

    until your hair is white with age.

I made you, and I will care for you.

    I will carry you along and save you.

Thoughts:

Wow! What a fascinating and encouraging promise. Every human being looks for unfailing love. Some people search for it in a wrong place, a wrong way but the TRUTH is, there is only one who can give us that unfailing love...and that is God. Can your husband or wife or boyfriend or girlfriend promise you that he or she will always be there throughout your lifetime? Even if he or she promises that, it's impossible because either you or he will die sooner or later.

We thank God for every relationship that we have. They are a blessing. But, if we will focus more on our relationships here on earth than our relationship with our Lord, then there's something wrong.

I John 4:19 NCV says, "We love because God first loved us." I love how The Message translates it. It says, "We, though, are going to love—love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first."

Isn't it amazing that the King of Kings..the Lord of Lords and the Creator of all things loves us and he just not loves us but he loves us with his unfailing love. King David understood this unfailing love of God. He said, "Surely your goodness and love will be with me all my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever"-Psalm 23:6 (NCV).

God's unfailing love causes him to forget all the sins we have done since our childhood days and from our everyday wrong doings as we ask forgiveness from him (but of course, it should not be an excuse for us to sin everyday). Psalm 25:7 NCV says, "Do not remember the sins and wrong things I did when I was young. But remember to love me always because you are good, Lord."

What is also fascinating about the unfailing love of God is...his unfailing love fills the earth. Psalm 33:5 says "He loves what is right and fair; the Lord’s love fills the earth." His love reaches to the heavens. Psalm  36:5 says, "Lord, your love reaches to the heavens, your loyalty to the skies." Can you measure the height of heaven from the earth? It's immeasurable. God's love has no limit.

God's unfailing love is also consistent. He doesn't just shows his love every valentine's day but he shows it every day. Psalm 42:8 "The Lord shows his true love every day. At night I have a song, and I pray to my living God."

And if you are feeling unloved today, remember, God loves you so much. You need to remind yourself everyday that God loves you. Yes, you can say it to yourself, "God loves me." Psalm 59:10 says "My God loves me, and he goes in front of me. He will help me defeat my enemies."

There are so much to talk about this unfailing love...God's unfailing love... but space is not enough to contain or describe it. 

We may be in love with someone else right now or someone may be in love with you or me right now but the unfailing love of God surpasses all those love and feelings. God's love for you and me is unfailing. His love is not just for valentine's day...his love is for everyday...for a lifetime!

Prayer

Lord, thank you for your unfailing love. Teach me to always focus on your unfailing love to me. Thank you that you first loved me. Make me more closer to you and always respond to your love. Thank you for precious love to me. In Jesus' name, Amen!

Copyright © 2013  by Mari Ann Rose "Mariah" F. Gadapan . All rights reserved worldwide.

(I put "copyright" on my every post because this is my blog site, it's like my signature on my every post.)

By the grace of God I am what I am