The Mirror Lied To Me

I grew up with this body: heart-shaped head, wavy stubborn thick hair, lippy, tomato nose, lean & lanky structure, thigh gaps, ginger toes, muscular arms, manly hands and a lot more of undesired features, I have them since I was a child. Nonetheless, I never thought of myself as ugly as my description is. But as time goes by when everything seems to be beautiful and perfect in my sight, I began to get insecure. My self-esteem lie low and thought of restraining my own self at home, boycott parties or any gatherings, close all doors for everyone. Every time I look at myself in the mirror I see no beauty at all, I tried to convince that there is but found nothing. I told myself that this is so unfair. But one time while in despair I read a verse saying,

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end."

-- Ecclesiastes 3:11

As the first phrase says, "He has made everything beautiful ..." I told myself that this is enough. No mirror or eyes could tell how beautiful or hideous I am but only God can. He has made everything beautiful, what a sweet words for a gloom heart of mine. I claim myself that I am beautiful. I am created in His own image perfectly (Genesis 1:27). I am beautiful in my own way. There'll be no other "me" that will be prettier than me. My insecurities begone. I know now that I am beautiful. "... yet no one can fathom what God has done ..." I may not understand why oh why He gave me this body but I am still thankful for these imperfections :) I remember before, I always told myself that if I don't have these imperfections for sure I can not live my life well because now that I have them I have bunches of suitors I mean hello what more if God gave me those perfect features :D Lord, thank you for everything! I love you! I love myself! All praises and glory belongs to you :*

P.S.
This world's standard of beauty is like a mirror. A mirror that shows you what you wanna see. A mirror that shows you what others see. But it'll never show you what God sees. BE-YOU-tiful :) Just be you!

The Truth About Your Marriage

"Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. Then, the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb." And he added, "These are the true words of God."

-- Revelation 19:7-9 (NIV)

This is my come back devotion -- Marriage! Wake up! This is for us girls who are still forever alone and still patiently waiting for our Prince Charming or should I say Shrek of our lives :)) God impressed me this message for a reason -- Maybe nakulitan na si Lord sakin, lagi ko kasi Siyang kinukulit about the coming of my Shrek, lagi as in lagi, nakulitan na nga siguro. Maybe that's only one of His reasons why. So let me begin with these questions:

Q: Have you ever imagined yourself in a wedding dress? I mean can you picture out yourself into marriage?

In this passing time, what's your status? In a relationship? It's complicated? Single? or Widowed? HAHA :D

If you are in a relationship right now, well God bless :D But, if you are in a complicated relationship, singleness or been widowed (facebook status ito :D), Smile now girl! God has prepared something for us! Something we've never thought would be possible. Something great of all great things that can happen in our lives. Well, if you just believe and hold on to God's promises and words -- we'll have the BEST MARRIAGE EVER! Keep the faith!

(v.7) ... the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready.

Q: Who is the Lamb and who is the bride?

"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world."

-- John 1:29 (NIV)

Yes, our Lord Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God. His wedding is about to come soon. Aren't you excited? Well, I am very excited :) Wanna know why? It is because I AM, YOU and WE are the bride -- BRIDE OF CHRIST :)

Don't wanna believe? HAHA :D Remember when you first met Christ? That was the start of your forever with Him. The moment you allowed Him to meddle your life. The moment you start believing Him that He is true, He is real as you, He is genuine as your existence. The moment you welcome Him in your life, you are in Him as one. (Gal. 3:26-28 & 2Cor. 5:17)

That intimate encounter with God when you accepted Him is the same time that you've accepted his proposal, the best proposal every woman is praying of -- MARRIAGE PROPOSAL. Have you accepted it? 

Claim it! Claim it that I, you, we are the bride of Christ. We are heading for the wedding of the Lamb. Hence, it does not end being the bride of the Lamb. The verse said, "... and His bride has made herself ready." Now ask yourself, Am I really ready for the return of Christ, for the coming of my groom? Are you ready? Wake up! It's not you who is waiting rather its God waiting for us to get ourselves ready for Him.

Actually, there's only one key to confidently say that we are super ready for our coming wedding, we have to be PURE. As what with verse 8 said, "Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear."  

What does this means? 

Before, my friend and I had a chitchat about wedding motifs/themes of our dream wedding. I told her that I want my wedding dress to be in a shade of color green because it's my fave color and it looks cool and cute. I asked her what would be the color of her wedding dress, then she answered abruptly that she wanted it to be white. I ask her why white and added that white is very common and it looks very plain and simple, nothing new with white. She replied as simple and plain with her choice that white is pure. It symbolizes purity. Then, I realized she has a point. That's the very best day we can proudly say that we are pure. By that point I changed my mind and chose white to be the color of my future wedding dress. HAHAHA :D Let my white dress shout that I'm PURE: fine linen, bright and clean -- PURITY! (Roman 12:1)

*2 Things That Must Be Purify In Our Lives

Why only two? 

If these two have been purified in us, the rest part of our lives will follow. 

1. Pure Mind

Yes, we have to have a pure mind/ clean mind. Remember that whatever our mind believes in, it begins to marry that thought. If you keep on thinking about something, you start to give your time on it. It will be your focus. It will come out in your life (the effect). If you get addicted to your cellular phone -- you never let go of it. Why people always hold their phones even if they don't have load, even if no one is texting them, and a lot of even ifs. Why? Aside from your phone, your computer/laptop/tablet and all of the gadgets you have, they steal your time for God. Instead of reading your bible or having a praise and worship with God you tend to logged in your FB, tweet non sense things, watch on youtube? What are you watching? HAHA :D View post of your frienemies, give unnecessary comments and a lot of unworthy things. I am not saying that your gadgets are bad and throw it away but if you do throw it near my house :D I'm just saying that they are mostly the doorway of sins in our lives. Sins that put blemishes in our minds. Sins that apart us from God. Sins that dirt are purity. Sins that make us not ready for our wedding. Therefore, what is worthy to put in mind is only God. His works in our lives. Plans, promises and words that are true. And He's the purest of pure to put in mind. So there's no way to have a stain in our minds.Let's have it now!

2. Pure Heart

A pure mind will not work if you won't have a pure heart. Sometimes, what we thought doesn't reach our hearts. It just stays on our minds for a moment and forget about it at times. If you really focus your mind on one thing, your heart will follow. That will be the focus of your heart too. Your heart will desire it. You will manifest it by your actions. What if God is not in your head (mind)? Obviously, He's not in your heart too. What our heart bears, it starts from our minds. It's our minds that convince our hearts and when our heart is convinced already even if our minds forget about it our hearts will still remember. So if you think of God and arrest Him in your heart, it will come out! People will see Christ in you -- Christlikeness. There's no dark spot in our hearts because it is God who reigns in it.

By then, we can say that we are ready to face the Lamb. We are ready for His return. We are ready to be called as Bride of Christ.

And that's the truth about our marriage. We are the ready-bride, purely dressed with a mind and heart wherein Christ is. Let's stay pure and pleasing to the eyes of God. This is our happy ever after :) Happy ending is here on earth!

GOD BLESS!

P.S. Stop waiting for your Shrek, hence, prepare yourself and get ready! He's waiting for you!