Forbearance

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self- control. Against such things there is no law.

In reading this passage we usually just acknowledge the love, joy and peace part.

The Webster definition for forbearance is :

noun

1 : a refraining from the enforcement of something (as a debt, right, or obligation) that is due

2 : the act of forbearing : patience

3 : the quality of being forbearing : leniency

I've had to learn some hard lessons these past weeks. Lessons that go against what being a Christian is about. To put doubt in trust.

I have to admit, I am too trusting. I have always chosen to believe the best in people. But the reality is, not everyone has the same ethical system as I have and not everyone is a Christian.

By my own initiative, we had to let go of someone we had such trust on. The trust goes back 3 generations, from his father who worked for my grandfather all the way up to his children. This is someone my father saw grow up. Our family paid for his education and openly received him in the business along with his siblings. Their children we are now supporting as well. It all stems back to their father who, in his 90s, is the epitome of loyalty and trust.

It was not a quick solution. I've had my doubts and disappointment for years. I did all I could to change his character to no avail. To actually have concrete proof of his deception for 5 years on my watch was the final blow.

Business is cruel and unforgiving that way. Its in the very sinful nature of man that when given the opportunity or temptation to do wrong, some people just glide into it.

Now that that weak link has been dealt with, guilty people tend to squeal or grab onto anything that they can latch on on their way down. So I am faced with that dilemma of verifying. My spirits were shaken yesterday and I had to get a hold of myself before crying. I have always treated our people like family. Going beyond in my assistance has been my way.  Its been my family's way.  Its been a never ending lesson from my father to my brother and I.  But a rotten few can affect the whole basket.

But my God is good. So each day I ask Him to be the driver of this journey. Whatever justice that needs to be done, my God is swift.

Somehow God has instilled in me the thought that instead of carrying on an "off with their heads" approach, I just need to tighten up my ship and cover up loose ends. Take the temptation out of the picture.

It will never be a perfect system and there will be more of this in the future. But my God is great. By His grace, I can do this.

This passage came at the right time. As always, the Lord has perfect timing. 

 

Shedding off the excess baggage

I have to face the stark reality that my body is not what it used to be.  Unlimited rice meals were of no threat and the more I put in, it easily got shed off.  Fast forward a few years plus a baby...  Yeah.  I think you got the picture.

I am all for healthy living. Nothing beats proper exercise and a healthy diet.  Badminton is my sport of choice but it has its drawbacks and my time is no longer my own so I have time here and there but not everyday (ahhh... memories!).

Diet plans come from all directions and to each their own.  It may work for one and not another.  God indeed made us unique in so many ways and that includes metabolism.  So what to do?

My sister-in-law, Vicky, who also faces the same dilemma, came upon this page.  Unlike its up close and personal counterpart, actually going to Manila to the center, this Cohen diet internet edition seems to work so far.  Well, I only went on it for about 3 days until I got sick.  But even then, I already lost 3 lbs!  I am not deprived, the menu is very well balanced and with lots of variety.  The food actually tastes good (not like a mashed up pad paper) and I can't even finish off the portions!

When I do get better, I plan to do a do over next week.  But I like it because its balanced and it is catered to my specific blood type which is interesting at the same time.  My sister has a different blood type so her menu is also different.  It gives me the freedom to try out new recipes, too.  Plus they have nutritionists online!  So I get to ask questions on a lot of things like substitutions, is it okay if I switch it with this or that...  I find it very informative!

I know how hard it can be so I am more than happy to share this.  Whats P1,000+ for 3 months?  

For whatever reason people want to loose weight, I just advise them to do it for themselves and it it will improve their way of life.  Doing it healthily and not depriving yourself of so much that it hurts to go on another day.

http://www.belletoday.com.ph/ 

Halfway there!

5 days down, 5 days more to go until I get to pinch those yummy, bubbly, soft cheeks!  My baby's, not the yayas. :D

 
I miss taking her out on our little adventures.  These are the simple things we do that doesn't need an explanation (or blog entry for that matter).  But I just really miss it and I think my withdrawals are getting worse by the day.  Sigh!

But I am still very thankful for all this time to reflect and realign.  That last part makes me sound like a truck.  Hmmm...  So thank you, Lord!
 

3 down, 7 to go

It finally rained today.  The hot days have been coming in and out and it seemed no break was in sight.  This summer has been very intense and the little signs of rain finally came through.  The lagalaga (insects that come out before it rains, typical of our part of the world), rumbling thunder in the distance.  The air has gotten cooler and everyone is less on edge and gotten mellow.

I have always loved the rain.  But lately my days have gotten so hectic that I've begun to think the way others have, seeing it as hindrance to my schedule.  But now that I am literally forced to keep still in one place, I see something I once loved.  How everything is covered in a cozy cloudy blanket, the beating of the rain overhead, how everything becomes more quiet and you can hear things from a distance.

Last week when I was back home for a while, I could feel my heart ache a little bit as I drove around.  Seeing the familiar sights I used to see in bright orange from the sunset, kids running and playing in the beach.  The roads are not as congested as Iloilo so the little tricycles here in there just adds to the feeling of being home.

Now with the rain, it brings me back to the days when I used to just look out of my window and see the rain just falling outside.  How the bamboo leaves would sway and the smell of wet grass.  I would do that for hours on end.  With a book in some times.  Life was simpler.

No matter how bad I felt, I always felt a sense of comfort whenever it rained.  It just calmed me and my fears.  Even in my dreams, the ones that are the most vivid, it seems to be raining or cloudy.  Now I don't know about other people's dreams, but that just seems to be the ongoing theme in mine.

So for my third day,  I choose to see it as a blessing and a gift.  I rarely have these moments and I just realized I don't want to be part of the rushing blur.  I want to savor each moment.  I want Dani to be the same way.  To see beauty in the simple things.  Drops of rain.  The gentle rumble of thunder. The quiet but stunning sunsets.  BIrds flying back home at the end of a long hot day. Dew on grass in the mornings.  Full moons at night.

It surprises me how some people just live right through it.  Everything is so photoshopped and altered.  I like to remember things as they really are.  Most importantly, I want to remember the feeling of that moment.  It may not resonate with other people, but I like recalling how it moved me in some way.  Call me sentimental.  Call me dramatic.  But I refuse to live a life numb and not seeing how beautiful my God is.  He is much too good for that and He has been overlooked too many times.

Thank you, Lord for this day.  For this time of reflection, quiet and stillness.

10 days and counting

I guess this is God's way of telling me to slow down and change gears for a bit.  Getting sore eyes plus another eye virus (couldn't pronounce it) and another infection tends to slow you down in more ways than one.

Last week was a rush and I admit I was working way over time.  Emotions were high and I didn't get much rest.  So I kinda had this coming.

According to my doctors I should stay away from family for about 10 days.  Seems like an eternity!

But I choose to have a positive perspective and see this as a chance for me to catch up on other things.  I can still do my work from home, too.

The only thing that hurts is watching Dani from afar.  She keeps calling me and wants me to hold and carry her.  I watch and talk to her through the glass door.  This morning she tried to open the glass door to get to me.  It really hurt seeing her and feeling so helpless and frustrated.

So ironic that I never had sore eyes and infection until now and they all had to come together.  

I miss Dani the most.  It hurts more because she is so near yet so far.  

But God has a plan for this and it could really be so much worse.  I'm grateful its not.

"And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast." - 1 Peter 5:10
 

Power of 3

What do we 3 have in common?
* 3 generations of Hernandez
* All 3 with curly hair
* Stubborn and strong-willed
* Have a love affair with chocolates
* All 3 born in the month of June
* Fierce loyalty to family

I am very honored to be part of this family.  My grandmother, Corazon, is one of my inspirations in life and love.  Here was a woman, born with a silver spoon but had to fight for herself and her family at a very young age.  Married at 19, widowed at 30.  Life was not easy with 4 children (3 girls and a boy) and she never got to finish college since the war broke out.

Since then, people have known Lola as a woman who was strong and a fighter.  Be it for God, family and friends.  Race and status were of no value to her.  She taught me simplicity and class at the same time.  How to be a proper lady and how to work with the boys.

Whenever I feel weak and discouraged, I look at her and the fire that still burns inside her.  She is not easily fooled.  She can be like a hawk, watching over her young.  She ruled with an iron rod (or a wooden stick as far as my father is concerned) and her discipline impeccable. 

But she was also the woman who taught me to believe in myself and God first and foremost.  Her motto is the passage "To live is Christ and to die is gain."  She would always tell me, "Hija, whats done for Christ will last."  Pastors would come to her from all over to seek assistance.  But they all had to go through rigid tests.  She was no fool.  Her foundation, Jesus Christ Foundation, has helped pastors with their churches and family.  Pastors from all over know her and her support.  

Whenever I would get sick, she would massage my head and cook me soup.  Her cooking is legendary.  She can sew and does so with her clothes, beddings and curtains.  I treasure the night dress she made for me when I gave birth.  The most comfortable pieces of clothing I own.

Lola Cora raised me most of my life and I will be forever in debt to her.  As her years slowly move on and is presently in her 90s, she is physically not the lady she used to be.  The fight is still in her eyes but her body deceives her.  She takes it very hard these days.  She gets so frustrated when she fails to remember names.  She complained to me today that she barely sleeps and keeps thinking of so many things.

She really has not been the same since her slip that broke her leg.  We had to have her operated and implanted with a metal rod.  For her age, she healed wonderfully and beyond the doctor's expectations.  But she hasn't been her old self since.  Which pains me  so much.

I do get sad by the fact that I can't be by her side as I used to be before I was married.  Iloilo seems so far away these days.  Talking to her on the phone only makes things difficult since she stammers now and can't hear as well.

But the times we spend with her and Dani, I try to cherish even more.  I vowed to take more pictures of them together.  So that when the time does come, I can tell Dani about her and how she has been in my life.

"Only one life, 'twill soon be past,
Only what's done for Christ will last."

" I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you." - Genesis 17:7

"For the moth will eat them up like a garment; the worm will devour them like wool. But my righteousness will last forever, my salvation through all generations." - Isaiah 51:8

Abundance in God

Jesus said that “the kingdom of God is within you”. This means that the kingdom of God is not some physical place. It is within you and it is where the abundance of resources is. So if you want to experience abundance in your life, be conscious first of the abundance inside you. Then, what is inside you will become a reality on the outside.
- Joseph Prince

In a time of need

Psalms 91:14-16
“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”