Birthday Week Begins!

This week is the peak! Let my birthday week begin! Well, it's a lil late in posting though because it's already Wednesday.

So in order that another summer solstice be as special and good as it gets, I've lined up things to do, not too much about myself but definitely outreach tops the list:

1. Soup Kitchen c/o Jersey Cares (Wed and Fri this week instead of brown-bagging with Bridges, Inc.)
2. Visit to Spa Castle (originally Thurs but moved next week)
3. Fine Arts & Crafts Show at Brookdale Park (on my birthday itself, June 20, lovely!)

Yep, no food celebration. Maybe i'll have a slice of cake or a cone of ice-cream but I'll never go for some kind of lavish spending for no cause. For me, it's only worth it if done for the benefit of helping our less-able brothers & sisters. So tonight, I just did the soup kitchen in Hoboken. It was soo great, awesome! I'm excited for the rest of the week. Got photos to post next time!=)

http://www.jerseycares.org/
http://www.bridgesoutreach.org/
http://nyspacastle.com/
http://www.rosesquared.com/

SFC NJ Banner Won 1st Prize

I didn’t know I was in for a great treat! I took the courage to change somebody else’s design and pursued my own concept (of course, with a permission to do so from the elders) to represent Singles For Christ New Jersey on the Banner Competition during 2004 SFC Worldwide Conference. It was the first time I became an artist (painted on canvass) and first time that NJ ever won! We didn’t just win any award but we bagged the FIRST PRIZE! Hallelujah! It was an amazing award and unbelievable experience! NJ’s elder remarked that he was surprised, impressed and sure we are going to win when he saw the banner being paraded along with others. Thanks to my sis and co-painter, Mary Gene. She was such a delight to work with. It was a good team of cooperation, respect and value for the masterpiece. We faced the challenge heads up and hands together of finishing everything within 7 days (remember Genesis), rain or shine and late nights. Imagine our panic when it drizzles and the paint would drip all over the canvass, aaawww! Praises and Gratitude to the Almighty, the Lord has completed His work!

It was an honor to be chosen to create the Message into such an art. I knew I just had to put Him there, and that's all He wanted - Him and His Message of love. Mama Mary manifested in many ways whenever I'd have a 'painter's block' - tassels, colors, borders, etc. It was a vision revealed - flat-out obra maestra!

Network of Blogs Part IV

Network of Blogs Part III

Profile Description:

I want to be more so I could give more. Inspired with this passion, I’m driven to create and maintain a vast network of blogs to benefit the poor and needy, esp our little ones. Four charitable organizations are featured on my network and will grow in the future for the same cause. I live solely to fulfill a purpose - to write and to give. I hope my blogs would motivate you to aspire for more and make a difference. Together, you and I have the power to relieve poverty.

Network of Blogs Part II

Network of Blogs Part I

At the onset of year 2009, I sure knew what I wanted to do and how to spend the rest of the year and my life. That is, to follow my biggest dream of being the greatest philanthropist of our time. To take up the challenge of relieving poverty, donate and feed the poor and homeless esp the children. My profile says my passions and aspirations which my husband very much (again) listened to, supported and advised me certain ways of achieving them. One biggest concern is how we'll be able to support our goal of helping the poor through our foundation, Immanuel God With Us Foundation, also born in early 2009. We need to get the finances out of our personal pockets but we believe that God will provide and bring us through. We just have to have the heart, soul and mind to dedicate and commit into this. As time went by, ideas came effortlessly like they were God-sent and amazed how they could actually help out in making this a reality. One of them was to create a network of blogs and generate revenues through ads & affiliates(adsense, amazon, ebay and a lot others) that will be donated to our chosen charitable organizations.

Check out some photos of my network of 28 blogs. I dedicated a week learning the ropes of lay-outing, optimizing and monetizing. It was all worth it. I had fun and I learned a lot. Though God has sent another better idea that I had to drop this. Always working by the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Christ Has No Body

Christ Has No Body
By: Teresa of Avila (1515–1582)

Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

Philosophy of Ministry: Conclusion

Hi folks! I apologize for not posting soonest. JC had a cold and was transferred to me so we were both feeling under the weather for a week or so. Though we did not get to the point of developing a fever, I was not still at my best to be doing the same daily chores.

I hope you enjoyed the Memorial Day weekend. We sure did! We checked out the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum and had a chance to tour the aircraft carriers, a British Airways Concorde and the submarine during the Fleet Week in Manhattan.

So I end now the 3-part series of the Philosophy of Ministry. In conclusion:


1. Let’s be fearful:
“Cursed be the one who does the Lord’s work negligently, and cursed be the one who restrains his sword from blood. (Jeremiah 48.10).” Nadab and Abihu learned the hard way not to be flippant and careless in the service of our holy God.

2. Let’s be fervent:
“The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks is to do soas one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

3. Let’s be focused:
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

4. Let’s be faithful:
…It is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.

Philosophy of Ministry Part II

I was first introduced to a Charismatic church when I was in college when a friend tagged me along to one of their prayer meetings. The community at large was composed of elite people – popular models and actors. Then I went to attend a few El Shaddai’s prayer meetings at the parks. I was baptized again by the Holy Spirit when I joined Singles For Christ in 2004. I became a household leader just after four months of joining and asked to ran in control a Christian Life Program (CLP). My short stint there was awesome and such a memorable experience! Though I had to leave after a year because of His Message, "It is done, you can go now..." My passion towards His Divine Mercy has become a fire that burns unceasingly. In 2006, God started the process of joining families together with the same passion in music. The Ocean of Mercy Music Ministry(OOM), inspired by the message of His Divine Mercy, was born. OOM provides music to all charismatic events and conferences in the whole Archdiocese of Newark, NJ. My husband acted as the Musical Director until…2009… when our family felt a calling to fulfill a bigger purpose; called to a new beginning, new direction, new miracle and new life. This new ministry will be the focus of our family’s journey here on earth.

Now Paul is exactly right here; in his perspective, he sees himself as “an earthen vessel.” What he accepted in his ministry is that he possessed it as an earthen vessel. The Lord Jesus said of Paul after the Damascus road experience, "He is a chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My name before the Gentiles” (Acts 9.15). And so it is with all of us; we are earthen and always should be in our own estimation. But we must balance that out with the reality that, to God, we are chosen vessels.

Do you suppose, then, that perhaps we should be careful about whining and complaining to God (and others) because we seem to be shy of some of gifts and talents others possess since He Himself has both made us AND chosen us?!

As Warren Wiersbe notes:

The important thing about a vessel is that it be clean, empty, and available for service. Each of us must seek to become “a vessel unto honor, sanctified [set apart], and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work” (2 Tim. 2:21).

We are vessels so that God might use us. We are earthen vessels so that we might depend on God’s power and not our own.As participants in the Body of Christ, we should focus on the treasure and not on the vessel, and we must also focus on the Master and not on the servant. If we suffer, it is for Jesus’ sake. If we die to self, it is so that the life of Christ might be revealed in us. If we go through trials, it is so that Christ might be glorified. And all of this is for the sake of others. As we serve Christ, death works in us—but life works in those to whom we minister.

But because he possessed it in an earthen vessel, he remembered this important truth: He could disgrace (or discredit) it; there were two ways he could do this.

• He could adulterate the Word of God, literally, handle it with distortion so as to cause to be false for personal gain or convenience, or subtlety. He spoke of “peddling” the Word, and he was referring to being a huckster or, in other words, a false teacher with wrong motives.

• He could cause others to stumble by giving offense.


What he acknowledged about his ministry:
 His adequacy was from God
 The surpassing greatness of the power is from God
 It is as though God Himself “were making an appeal through us”
 It is a fact that we are “working together with Him”
 It is suffering makes the treasure spill onto others

What he anticipated about his ministry:
 Some successes
 He had faith, so he spoke
 He had mercy, so he pressed on
 He had hope, so he did not quit
 Some suffering
 Some day:

An accounting:
 He possessed his ministry always in the light of his mortality
 He possessed his ministry always in the awareness of God’s watchful eye being upon him (5.11; we are made manifest to God)
 He possessed his ministry always in the light of his stewardship (This kept him from becoming a quitter
 This kept him from laziness or unpreparedness
 This kept him from self-promotion
 At home with the Lord; it’ll all be over

...to be concluded..

Philosophy of Ministry Part I

If I were to be, what would I be?

1. PRIEST. But since Catholic Church has only male priests, then that means I can never be. I cant be a nun either because my one-week period of discernment with the Sisters of Benedict at St. Emma Monastery, Greensburg, PA didn’t seem to work out and bear fruit. I am sure God has called me for something else.

2. PREACHER. Yes, I write and read long. And I love to speak! I guess i was trained early for public speaking. Of course, that's different from the mindless chatter to prove that we exist somewhere. I love to give it all and belt out praises & worship! Though most of the times, I’d rather conserve my energy to bring better balance and efficiency.

3. PHILANTHROPIST. The greatest philanthropist of our time! To protect and serve mankind. End (esp child) poverty and injustice!

4. MOTHER AND WIFE. Yes, very fulfilled. Thank You, Lord!


So my friend, bear with me this time and the succeeding posts and help me live out my dream of becoming a PRIEST AND PREACHER. Here is a 'sermon': =)


Romans 14:19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.

What decision did you make about Jesus during your days on earth? We are in fact all involved in ministry whether we intend to be or not. I believe that we are to “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations…” and we can’t do that just by going to church on Sunday and expect to be involved in ministry. We must minister to those nations and shine God’s love through our words, deeds and actions. I hope we don’t think that going to church for a couple of hours on Sunday is much of a deed. We must put faith to our words.

Each and every individual person in the Body of Christ has a part in the overall ministry of the church (Ephesians 4.11, 12), and each individual has “a ministry” for which he or she will give account to God. This simple truth is evident in passages such as Ephesians 2.10 where Paul straightforwardly declares that God has fore-ordained that we should walk in good works that He, in His sovereign will, has prepared for us.

Let’s examine Paul’s concept of ministry as as set forth in 2 Corinthians in
an attempt to see his model for us and his mandate to us.


What he appreciated about his ministry:-

- Its superiority to the ministry of the Old Covenant.


- It changes hearts . The law reveals sin; it cannot renew the inner person. The Spirit wants to write His Word on hearts.

- It gives life. The law kills, but grace gives land sustains life. God’s children can have an ongoing relationship with Him through the Spirit (Romans 8.2)

- It gets more and more glorious. The glory of Old is past. The temple, the priesthood, the rituals, and the pre-incarnate revelations of God’s power. But the glory of God’s grace remains and grows more glorious.

- It brings freedom. The law brings bondage, but grace gives glorious freedom that makes us more and more like Jesus Christ. Each day, you can have your own personal transfiguration as you worship the Lord and yield to the Spirit.

- Its capacity to glorify God. Paul focused on glorifying God, and he saw ministry as a means to that end.


…to be continued..