Just Some Random Thoughts...

Emotional Fears...

I am sure most of us, if not all, experienced emotional fears in some point in our lives or our walk with Christ. But the question is, how did you deal with your emotional fears?

Most people will try to avoid facing head ons their emotional fears, the mere thought of doing so terrifies them and put them instead to a passivity. But knowing it and knowing it's there to deal with and not doing anything about it is just prolonging the task, and in doing so, making us feel more inadequate to do anything.

To the point we ended up with all these negative emotions added to the ones that we are trying to avoid dealing with. The fact is, we really, we can't do it on our own. We need the strength emotionally and spiritually from above to cope with it, not to mention physically (as some gets really physically sick just thinking about it).

I think that, we should learn to process our emotional fears and analyze them for what it really is. Why we avoid facing or dealing with it? Some emotional fears are just really "thoughts" that are conceived and been nurtured in our minds for a long time to the point that we believe in it, and the fear took it's territory in our minds and hearts. That it paralyzes us sometimes (if not always) to do anything about it. I beleive that is why, as Paul said, we have to renew our minds. As the mind is the battle ground that Satan always target to start his schemes to put doubt in ourselves or in God.

People try to do it on their own as they seem confident to do so, but most of the time they ended up with bruises, beaten down emotionally, spiritually and physically (getting sick). And when that moment of feeling defeat, then most of the time (if not always) people that are discouraged, depressed, and all other negative emotions that comes within them, brings them to isolate themselves from others. And that's what the enemy wants us to do, to isolate ourselves from others so that the enemy is free to beat us more with negative thoughts and emotions.

Emotional fears (i.e. fear to get hurt, to fall inlove, to let go, etc.) are fears that we can really deal with head ons if we just process them and find out where those fears come from and start working from there. Some of those fears we experienced from past and some of those fears are just thoughts and second hand informations.

There is always a risk of getting hurt. John Christopher said "you have to have been a have-been, before being a has-been. which is way better than being a never-been." We can never really know how it is if we never been there. I am not saying that we have to go through to the pain or fear. What i am saying is that, if we have to go through it, we just have to ask God to help us to go through it. Learn from it, and share the wisdom and things that we learned from going through it.

I always believe that most of the times the negative things that comes into our lives really help us to be a better person and it helps to build our character in the process. I see it as an opportunity to grow and develop my character. Most of the things that we been through in life, (especially hard ones) are the ones that push us out from comfort zone and in the process, helps us discover things that we will not discover if we stayed in our comfort zone.

Deep Convictions of Ben Harper...

Editor's Note: This article is currently running in Issue 28 of RELEVANT, which hits newsstands this week. "I can change the world with my own two hands,” Ben Harper sings, the veins in his neck bulging as he prowls the front of the stage, pushing his palms up toward the black Kansas night sky. “With my own, with my own two hands.” Up go his palms again, and 12,000 ecstatic fans mimic him, as if joining a giant musical game of Simon Says. Following the amazing show at Wakarusa Festival in Lawrence, Kans., Harper and I talk backstage in a discussion that will last until 3 a.m. While his passion for music is evident, Harper’s commitment to improving the world around him is the driving force behind our conversation. I wish more people I admire would do this, talk about these things, because others are listening; I’m listening,” he says. “I need to be inspired and motivated. It’s like [Bob] Dylan sang in ‘Ballad of a Thin Man’: Oh, my God, am I here all alone? We need to encourage each other.” Faith is another source of inspiration for Harper. In his song “Blessed to Be a Witness,” he affirms, “Only by the grace of God go I,” while declaring, in “Power of the Gospel,” that Christ’s message “is the eyes for the blind and legs for the lame.” While Harper’s skills as a songwriter and musician make all his songs compelling, the sincerity and tenderness of his gospel tracks set them apart. “I wasn’t raised in the Church, but I’ve always had a church deep in my heart,” Harper says. I ask Harper if the creative process for his gospel songs differs from his approach to other music. “It’s just what comes out in waves, and I write it because that’s what’s there,” he says. “I’ve never sat down and thought, ‘I’m going to write a gospel song now,’ but it runs with itself and drags me until the end. It’s not denominational; it’s just wherever it takes me.” Much like with his songs that focus on political and social themes, Harper is sometimes concerned that his spiritual music will be misconstrued. Thankfully, for him and his fans, these doubts are fleeting. “I thought at one point, when I’d just finished ‘Picture of Jesus’ and ‘Blessed to Be a Witness’ [both on the album Diamonds on the Inside], are people going to think this or that about me?” Harper says. “But at the end of the day it doesn’t matter. These songs come from a pure source.” A similar purity is evident to Harper in the natural world. “I love the concept that nature walks us at one with God,” he says. “When I stand in front of the General Sherman tree and the sequoias in California, I feel in touch with a greater power. There’s no question that there is a higher power. I just don’t want it to be exclusive to me.” Exclusivity is one of the concerns that Harper has about organized religion, which he believes is often as divisive and polarizing as politics. “I think if Jesus were on earth now He’d be a little frustrated with the Church,” Harper says. “I’m disturbed by some of the things I see, such as the documentary Deliver Us from Evil, which goes in depth about the problems in the Catholic Church. It’s one of the most astonishing pieces of film I’ve seen, and I’m a documentary junkie. I sat there with my mouth open.” Despite these misgivings, Harper is confident that a fresh wave of enthusiasm and vigor among people of faith will help those who believe in God to rise above the problems that often tarnish the reputation of the Church. “I’m excited that there is a new perspective and a fresh outlook on how young people define the Spirit in their lives without it having an archaic anchor,” Harper says. “That excites me. I’ve taken the liberty of that enthusiasm, to be uninhibited when I sing gospel music.” This freedom is most apparent in Harper’s work with gospel legends the Blind Boys of Alabama. On Harper’s Pleasure and Pain DVD, the music’s emotive power is encapsulated in the tears running down the Blind Boys’ faces as they sing backup vocals for Harper’s resplendent “I Shall Not Walk Alone.” In 2004, Harper went back into the studio with the Blind Boys, planning to record two songs. In the ensuing eight days, they laid down 11 tracks that comprise the double Grammy-winning album (Best Pop Instrumental Performance, for “11th Commandment,” and Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album) There Will Be a Light. Harper learned many musical lessons from recording There Will Be a Light, and credits his seven-day completion of Lifeline to the Blind Boys’ old-school recording ideals. The true value of the experience, though, cannot be fully represented on a CD. “I discovered a lot about God and feel I got closer to God through working with the Blind Boys, and I carry that with me,” Harper says. “They’re almost proof of God. You know, these guys could well have been basket weavers in the South. They could’ve died young, but they exceeded the odds. Their story is evidence that there is a God; they’re living proof of something divine.” It’s 3 a.m., and Harper has to call his wife. Before I leave, I have one last question for him: “Do you think there will be a light, and if so, what does that mean?” “Yes, because if I didn’t I wouldn’t have written it,” Harper says. “I’m thinking, hoping, knowing, believing that it’s the next phase. That light is attainable in this world. It’s enlightenment, the fulfillment of compassion. It’s not only the step we take beyond this world and into the next, but it’s also the step we take here, toward each other and ourselves and therefore toward God.”

Author: Phil White Phil White is a freelance writer and a frequent contributor to RELEVANT

The Difference between a Job and a Ministry is...

One day Napoleon got wounded by a bullet so he allowed himslef to undergo surgery in order to extricate the bullet in his chest. Now the doctor operating has operated France's emperor while he's awake, so while operating Napoleon noticed that the doctor may have widened the wound dangerously near his heart, so the emperor said with an authoritative voice to him: "Be careful. A little deeper and you will strike my heart and (find) the emperor is there." "When God measures a man, He puts a tape around his heart not his head." 2 Chr. 25:2 says - " And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a loyal heart." The Difference between a Job and a Ministry is... - If you do it because no one else will, it's a job - If you're doing it to serve the Lord, it's a ministry - If you do it just enough to get by, it's a job - If you do it to the best of your ability, it's a ministry - If you quit because someone else criticized you, it was a job - If you keep serving, it's a ministry - If you quit because no one praised you, it was a job - If you do it because it needs to be done, its a ministry - It is hard to get excited about a job - It is almost impossible not to get excited about a ministry - Average churches are filled with many people doing many jobs - Great churches are filled with people who are involved in ministry - If your concern is just success, it's a job - If your concern is faithfullness to God, it's a ministry - People may say, "Well done," when you do your job - The Lord will say, "Well done," when you finish your course (complete your ministry

very interesting indeed!

got this from one of my friends that posted it on the bulletin and i just want to share it as well...

Read down to the very bottom, you don't want to miss this!

VERY INTERESTING -

1. The garden of Eden was in Iraq.

2. Mesopotamia, which is now Iraq , was the cradle of civilization!

3. Noah built the ark in Iraq.

4. The Tower of Babel was in Iraq.

5. Abraham was from Ur, which is in Southern Iraq!

6. Isaac's wife Rebekah is from Nahor, which is in Iraq!

7. Jacob met Rachel in Iraq.

8. Jonah preached in Nineveh - which is in Iraq.

9. Assyria, which is in Iraq, conquered the ten tribes of Israel.

10. Amos cried out in Iraq!

11. Babylon, which is in Iraq, destroyed Jerusalem.

12. Daniel was in the lion's den in Iraq !

13. The three Hebrew children were in the fire in Iraq (Jesus had been in Iraq also as the fourth person in the fiery furnace!)

14. Belshazzar, the King of Babylon, saw the "writing on the wall" in Iraq .

15. Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, carried the Jews captive into Iraq.

16. Ezekiel preached in Iraq.

17. The wise men were from Iraq.

18. Peter preached in Iraq.

19. The "Empire of Man" described in Revelation is called Babylon , which was a city in Iraq!

And you have probably seen this one. Israel is the nation most often mentioned in the Bible. But do you know which nation is second? It is Iraq! However, that is not the name that is used in the Bible. The names used in the Bible are Babylon, Land of Shinar , and Mesopotamia. The word Mesopotamia means between the two rivers, more exactly between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers . The name Iraq means country with deep roots.

Indeed Iraq is a country with deep roots and is a very significant country in the Bible.

No other nation, except Israel, has more history and prophecy associated it than Iraq.

And also... This is something to think about! Since America is typically represented by an eagle, Saddam should have read up on his Muslim passages...

The following verse is from the Koran, (the Islamic Bible)

Koran (9:11) - For it is written that a son of Arabia would awaken a fearsome Eagle. The wrath of the Eagle would be felt throughout the lands of Allah and lo, while some of the people trembled in despair still more rejoiced; for the wrath of the Eagle cleansed the lands of Allah; and there was peace.

(Note the verse number!) Hmmmmmmm?! God Bless you all - Amen !

transferring new weblog site...

hi everyone!:)...just want to share the new weblog link....slowly transferring the http://www.saritaladios.wordpress.com to new link which is: http://saritaladios.com this will be the new link...sorry for the hassle, trying to improve the weblog by putting video clips and be more viewer friendly...hopefully!:)

a miracle inside you....

i just want to share this beautiful article that i got in my inbox....we all have miracles inside us that needs to get out...let's release it and be a channel of God's blessings to the people that needed the touch of God's love, care and healing...

A Miracle Inside You
"Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts."
(Zechariah 4:6)
_____

I (Kenneth Copeland) remember the first time I went with the Oral
Roberts crusade team to a healing meeting. I was a student and a member
of his aircraft crew. I had been a believer a little over four years and
knew so little about the things of God, especially meetings like these.
However, I was part of the team and eager to learn.

I followed the team inside this huge auditorium. It was filled with sick
people. The place smelled, it was so full of disease. Just walking in
there sent chills of fear up my spine.

I turned around and headed for the side door as fast as I could, talking
to God under my breath. "Listen, I don't belong here," I told Him. "I'm
getting on a Greyhound bus and heading home right now. They can get that
airplane home without me."

Once I was outside the door, I started talking louder. Then suddenly, I
froze. My feet wouldn't move. I knew it was God who'd stopped me
because, inside, I was still on my way to the bus station. But outside,
I was stuck to the sidewalk.

I looked up and hollered, "Turn me loose!" But I couldn't move.

Desperately, I prayed, "Please, let me go! I don't have anything for
those people."

That's when God spoke back to me. Every cell in me heard it. He said, "I
KNOW you don't have anything to give them. But I DO and that's why I
baptized you in My Spirit."

My feet suddenly turned loose and I knew I had a choice. One was life
and one was death. So I turned around and went back.

I was ready to run. But God stopped me. He knew HE was in me, and if I'd
just stay and stir up what was in me, miracles would happen--and they
did.

You have that same miracle-working God inside of you. And there are
people all around you who need Him. So quit waiting to feel like you
have the power to do it and get out there. Once you do, you'll discover
that the power you've been waiting on has been right there inside you
all the time waiting on you!

Kenneth Copeland Ministries
Fort Worth, TX 76192-0001

Kirk Cameron...found God

"I was rich, I was young, I was famous, I could do anything I wanted with whomever I wanted." - Kirk Cameron

BELLFLOWER, California - At the height of his Hollywood success, former "Growing Pains" sitcom star Kirk Cameron started worrying about something his money couldn't buy: salvation.

He had more than just legions of fanatic fans. He also had stalkers and kidnapping threats, and was sometimes driven to the set in a bulletproof car. It got him thinking about his own mortality. He had it all, but still felt empty.

"I was raised not going to church. We never prayed — didn't know how. Are you supposed to close your eyes, keep them open? Look up? Look down? Get on my knees? What do I do?"

Cameron started reading the bible and going to church. He became a Christian, but says his transition had some growing pains of its own.

On the set of his hit show, the easy-going prankster became detached and sullen. Once close to the other cast members, he pulled away from them all — except his co-star and fellow Christian, Chelsea Noble, whom he married in 1991.

He also started taking issue with some of the show's writing. One script called for his TV mom to have a nightmare in which Cameron's character, Mike Seaver, wakes up next to a beautiful girl and says, "Hey, babe. Good morning. By the way, what's your name again?"

Cameron balked, pushing for the writers to change the scene. They refused. Cameron says he wasn't trying to push his religious views on the show. He just didn't want to compromise his newfound moral principles.

When the series was cancelled after a long and successful run, he continued acting, but began taking roles on low-budget Christian films, most notably the rapture-based "Left Behind" series based on the best-selling books.

A few years later, after reading one of his books, he met New Zealander Ray Comfort, a former surf shop owner-turned-roving preacher.

They teamed up to form Way of the Master Ministries.

Comfort says his ministry was already taking off, but the partnership with Cameron was like putting it on steroids.

Cameron says his priorities are very clear: "God, family, career — in that order."

To learn more about Kirk Cameron's testimony go to this link: http://potw.news.yahoo.com/s/potw/41/converting-kirk-cameron

By KEVIN SITES, TUE MAY 29, 1:47 PM PDT

prague's historical charles bridge...

Charles Bridge is a famous historical bridge that crosses the Vltava river in Prague. Charles Bridge used to be the most important connection between the Old Town, Prague Castle and adjacent areas until 1841. Also this 'solid-land' connection made Prague important as a trade route between east and west Europe. The bridge was originally called the Stone Bridge or the Prague Bridge but has been the "Charles Bridge" since 1870.The bridge is 516 meters long and nearly 10 meters wide, resting on 16 arches shielded by ice guards. It is protected by three bridge towers, two of them on the Lesser Quarter side and the third one on the Old Town side. The Old Town bridge tower is often considered to be one of the most astonishing civil gothic-style buildings in the world. The bridge is decorated by a continuous alley of 30 statues and statuaries, most of them baroque-style, erected around 1700.During the night Charles Bridge is a quiet witness of medieval times. But during the day it changes its face into a very busy place. Russian painters, owners of the kiosks, and black sailors trade to carry away some money on the tourists. Not to mention lots of gifted musicians that plays and sell their music along Charles Bridge, mind you, these musicians are very talented and plays really beautiful music! To learn more about Prague and it's historical places check this link: http://www.prague.com/s/praguecity/

mindoro sunset...

mindoro sunset...one of the things that i missed! mindoro is another beautiful island in philippines. a place that i visit whenever time permits me to. i have lots of memories with friends and church family in the island of mindoro. mindoro will always have a part in my heart. it is one place that also aided me in my christian walk. i will miss the medical and dental missions in mindoro. those are the good times with friends and church family. memories i will always treasure in my heart. even the weeks that we were stranded in that island 'coz of the super typhoon that made all the passenger boats impossible to cross the sea with it's huge and scary waves! i will not forget the bridge that was destroyed by a huge and strong wave as we started boarding the boat! amids of all those adventures and challenges...given an opportunity....i will still go and visit mindoro!

nature...human....created with a purpose

nature and human beings alike are created with a purpose. God knows what He's doing when He created things. all of God's creations co-exist in this earth with set time and purpose. human beings are created to worship and praise God and to take care of God's creations. nature created to take care of the human's needs. both serves its purpose as they exist. nature responds to it's care-taker in how they are taken care of. we either can enjoy the nature or we can destroy it. we all have a choice on how to serve each other, may it be human beings or nature.

waiting...

david knew from experience what it meant to wait for the Lord. he had been anointed king at age 16 but didn't become kind until he was 30. during the interim, he was chased through the wilderness by jealous king Saul. david had to wait on God for the fulfillment of his promise to reign. later, after becoming king, he was chased by his rebellious son, Absalom.

waiting for God is not easy. often it seems that He isn't answering our prayers or doesn't understand the urgency of our situation. that kind of thinking implies that God is not in control or is not fair. but God is worth waiting for. Lamentations 3:24-26 calls us to hope in and wait for the Lord because often God uses times of waiting to refresh, renew, and teach us. make good use of your waiting times by discovering what God may be trying to teach you in them.

isolation...pain...needs...

many have had the sad experience of being abandoned by father or mother. broken homes, differences of belief, addiction to drugs or alcohol, even psychological isolation can leave children crippled by this loss. even as adults, the pain may linger. God can take that place in our life, fill that void, and heal that hurt. He can direct us to adults who may take the role of father or mother for us. His love is sufficient for all our needs.

fear...

fear is a dark shadow that envelops us and ultimately imprisons us within ourselves. each of us has been a prisoner of fear at one time or another - fear of rejection, misunderstanding, uncertainty, sickness, or even death. but we can conquer fear by using the bright liberating light of the Lord, who brings salvation. if we want to dispel the darkness of fear, let us remember with the psalmist that "the Lord is my light and my salvation."