Being an answer to prayer...

I woke up this morning, again thinking about mama. I lied there reminiscing about some things that Mama did that at the time they happened, seemed ordinary or expected considering the circumstances(my wifes favorite word, lol). Mama has primarily seemed quite reserved and would always simply just take care of business and get things done ASAP. She wouldn't make much fuss most times, since it was her personality to "just do it". Anyway, I thought about how she reacted near the close of our wedding ceremony (Apr.20,2002) here in Cebu. Like most weddings, after exchanging our vows we greeted our family members and friends and guests, and then ...Mama and Papa! I remember them approaching us after the ceremony and I shook Papa's hand and expressed my gratitude for how good they had been to me (admittedly, I was nervous), but then I reached out greet Mama, and then...SUDDENLY, Mama looked past my seemingly usual greeting, grabbing me by my head and pulled me down towards her and kissed my forehead with almost superhuman strength and speed for a woman of her size and stature.

She expressed her happiness that her daughter and I were now married, as if she was able to realize one of her lifelong dreams for her daughter as well as to see the fulfillment or answer to one of her prayers as a mother. Wow! In one moments time dreams can come true, and prayers can be answered. I became the answer to a filipino woman's prayer for her daughter! Please don't think that I am exalting myself in the least, for I give all glory to the Lord, especially since I get to now have these things revealed to me at this time. I remember saying to others as well as to my wife, that,"you are an answer to somebody else's prayers, so live in light of that....". Perhaps that seems a bit arrogant, but to me that expression takes on a deeper meaning after this recent revelation. Mama and I are from different cultures and tried to communicate as best we could, but at times she would "run out of english" as she would say. It was on our wedding day, at the moment she grabbed me and in her desire to express herself and her passion and inexpressable joy in one of the deepest desires of her heart, an answer to her prayers for (herself as well as) her daughter had been answered and fulfilled in her lifetime.

She went beyond what was perhaps culturally acceptable or expected to embrace me in an attempt to express her joy in one moment through actions what perhaps spoken words could never do justice to. Why do I see that revelation now, at this time, after Mama has gone home to be with Jesus? How do I respond to this newer and deeper revelation that I became the answer to the prayers of Mama, and of course my wife, Jescel? All I can do is stand in awe of how the Lord works and how He reveals such things to His people. I am even more thankful to see how deep are the plans of the Lord, and how God can bless us in many ways, at many times, on many levels. It seems that I'm being blessed at this time, to truly see how much Mama was grateful to the Lord for whatever she received. Again, I write not to glorify myself, but to share with you the overflow of a grateful heart, for I am thankful to God that he reveals these things to me. Salamat sa Diyos! (Thank you,Lord!)

A Life well lived...

So, here we are, Jescel and I, in the philippines. its the 2nd day after we arrived, and we have been greeting people that have come to pay respect to the family since her mother's recent trip home to be with the Lord Jesus. its only monday here and with the funeral being held on sunday, i am sure many more friends and family will come --especially her mother's family from Pampanga, which is some distance from here. we are slowly finding out small details from others about the last few days of her life. jescel's mother was a very strong woman that sacrificed much so that jescel could have many opportunities that many here only dream about, yet for some never come true. her father and mother,we believe, thought it would be best that jescel not return home just before her (unexpected) passing. perhaps this was her (their) way of sparing her daughter the pain of seeing what cancer and the treatments had done to her physical body.

Her mother was as strong as she could be up to the very end, only wanting to spare Jescel from the pain of seeing/remembering her in this state of being. I like to think that I know my wife very well, but i know that mama knows her daughter even better than i do! And i know that God knows His great plans for mama, and little-by-little we are finding out that she REALLY came to terms with the fact that this was her time to move on to be with the Lord. mama surrendered to the Lord the rest of her life, and continued being strong even when it meant letting go -- of a life well-lived.

I have heard it said that its not how you start but it's how you finish, and i believe that now more than ever. Mama just lived a simple life, raising her family, lived one-day-at-a-time and gave especially when it hurt to give. she did this so that her daughter, her husband and family and friends could be blessed. the icing on the cake was that through these circumstances she had prayed to receive Jesus, which she did so now we know without a shadow of a doubt that one day we shall be reunited. death has lost its sting for those that have become a new creation in Christ.

we encourage our friends and family to press on, draw close to God today...and live a life, WELL LIVED!!!

In HIM,

with love...joseph & jescel

PS: love you 'MA!!!

I know who I'm voting for!

I finally decided who I am voting for in the upcoming election:

Our good friends the Logans have entered the 2008 Presidential election. ((Not really, but what if they did?)). Anyways, we like them a whole lot, so if they did run they would get our vote for sure! Love you guys! :O)

my dog, the bounty hunter...

Finally, a few days off to relax and what am i doing? Chasing our dog, Prince, around the house! I think that he planned this whole scenario... He's quite clever, actually. He said that if i could catch him, he would grant me three wishes.

1st wish: that he (my dog) would learn to do his "business" in the bathroom, like the rest of us...

2nd wish: that he would get a job and start pulling his weight around here...and

3rd wish: that he would ... (any suggestions???)

Does jesus really "roll" like that?

Yeah, its official, I'm cool... I got my new rollin' with Jesus logo and now I'm chillin' with the Son. OK, not really...(read on)

It's really late... I'm surfin' the internet...and I came across a few websites that poke fun at churches, pastors, leaders, and even God Himself. Now, mind you, these websites are maintained by people that are at odds with the truths that we believe as Christians. A preponderance of demeaning frequently occurs towards the things that we, as Christians, should highly prize and value.

What I really mean to ask is, is jesus really your "homeboy"??? Afterall, some t-shirts try to proclaim such things so it must be true, right? Logically, another question begs to be asked, "Are we trying to fit Jesus into a "homeboy" sized box to make him more appealing to the culture, or to our friends?" Hmmmm...

I remember the time before I became a christian. I was going to church because I felt that I needed to be there, in order for me to learn more about God. My friends thought that was kind of cool that I was learning some new, spiritual things. Once God had become real to me, and I began the process of surrendering my life to Him, I began to become bolder and bolder for Him. Well, my so-called friends obviously noticed that I began speaking to them more and more about God and Jesus and about what He was doing in my life. Eventually, through different circumstances, most of my friends became distant and I found myself without many friends at all.

They didn't understand what was happening to me, nor could they. Those that do not have the Holy Spirit see the things of God as pure foolishness (1 cor 2:14) even though the whole time they are actually perishing in their ignorance, whereas those whom are being saved [we] know that it is the active and very real power of God working in our lives (1 cor 1:18). We simply weren't saved to see things the same way as the world and we certainly weren't saved to imitate or emulate them, for sure. You see, following Jesus doesn't mean that He's your "homeboy". Maybe we have differing definitions for the term homeboy, but nevertheless there needs to be this awe-inspired, level of respect worthy of His position and authority in our lives. Even the disciples at the very least valued Jesus as a prophetic teacher, albeit the Son of the Most High God!

Concerning the internet webheads that say such things, my first reaction was: How dare they do such a thing or say this and that about something that I value as a follower of Christ?! Of course, the next thing I thought was the ways in which I do the very same things. I realized that in my own life there are some ways that I've failed to honor God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit the way that I should -- OUCH!

Note to self: Definitely food for thought and room for spiritual growth.