Prayers in Need (UPDATE)

A few weeks ago, I posted about the upcoming operation of a friend. The operation of Ate Pinky’s dad is over and by God’s grace, he survived it. Thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray for his recovery. We hope that no complication will arise. At present, he’s still in the ICU of the hospital.

To God be the glory!

Strength in Time of Weakness

How hard must it be to be a superhero? Surely, in spite of all their abilities and powers, they must have some form of weakness.
Superman (It's Not Easy) is a song from Five for Fighting. It was written from the superhero's point of view. He laments that, although he is a superhero, he still experiences struggles and pain.

We can relate to that - we face the world on our two feet, but there are times when it brings us to our knees.

Our family devotion last Friday night was all about this. All about everyday struggles. All about feeling weak.
We shared the things that we struggled with, daily. For some of us, it was a struggle about being diligent in school work. Waking up early. For my older sister, it was her teachers and some of her classmates. For me, it was city traffic and Saturday classes. Simple things, but they cause us to struggle all the same.

In Second Corinthians, Paul writes that God is our source of strength in the times when we are weak. We go through these struggles so that God might be glorified, and that His power may be revealed. It is when we are weak that we are strongest, because it is no longer us, but God who is working. It is when we learn to lean on Him for strength.

I'm still struggling with the city traffic, but I've learned that during those moments when I'm sitting alone in the bus with nothing to do, I can talk to God. I'm still struggling with the Saturday classes (because it means I have to move some ministries), but I know that as for now, it is God's will.

What are some struggles you're facing right now? Are you still trying to fight it on your own? Or have you surrendered it all to God, knowing that only He can help you win the battle?

2 Corinthians 12:9-10
"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."

Promoting "Do Hard Things" to the Timothy's Gimpers

The Timothy's Gimpers is our church's youth group. Last Sunday, we gave them Do Hard Things as a present from the authors.

Telling the Gimpers about The Rebelution, Do Hard Things, and Alex and Brett.

A picture with the book. May we all be Rebelutionaries!

Soli Deo Gloria!

ORBing at OMFLit

Last Wednesday, Ladies-in-Training Christin and Alyssa had a chance to ORB at OMFLit, one of the leading Christian bookstores in the Philippines. We decided to post some pictures.

OMFLit is located in Boni Avenue. We chose to go there because the company usually buys the rights to re-publish a book, especially if it is a book in high demand. Take Josh Harris' I Kissed Dating Goodbye, for instance, which is a very popular book in the Philippines.

Waiting on the sunny sidewalk before crossing the street.

Even the study guide of I Kissed Dating Goodbye sells well here.

This the first time we saw Zach Hunter's Be the Change in local bookstores.

Christin talks to a member of the Publishing Committee, telling her all about The Rebelution and Do Hard Things.

Alyssa writes down information to be left with OMFLit, along with the statistics of Do Hard Things in Amazon, and a few reviews.

Lady In Training's Summer (2nd of 2 legs)

The opportunity to attend the AFBCP (Association of Fundamental Baptist Churches in the Philippines) Biennial Conference in Laoag, Ilocos Norte was very unexpected. I was only confirmed by the church as a representative two days before the conference. It was my first time to attend a Biennial Conference of churches and I thank the Lord for giving me that experience. The conference was also some kind of a reunion for pastors and church workers who were classmates when they were in the Bible schools. Some met each other only after a decade or some even more than a decade. For me it was a bit of reunion with my old Sunday school teachers and friends in the province of Ilocos.

The Conference was opened in an Evangelistic night in the city plaza of Laoag. Evangelist Michael Riddick speaks for the Evangelistic Night.

I also volunteeered to help out in the releasing of Conference IDs and as information officer. It was really just ID releasing but people kept on asking in our station of the where, when, who, whats and whys in the conference.

L-R, me, my primary Sunday school teacher (a decade ago), and Krissel, a new friend.

On to the session with Rev. Chris Hindal Director of International Ministries (GARBC) as speaker

God is so good that aside from the blessings I had in the conference, I also had some sidetrips in the province. I got to enjoy the beach of Fort Ilocandia though I just waded through the sea waves and made some sand mountains.

Fort Ilocandia

The family I went with to Ilocos. I never felt safer with medical practitioners around. L-R. Tita Estelle (a nurse), Matthew (their son), and Dr. Paul Castillo.

The Sinking Bell tower of Laoag. It sinks in millimeters every year.

The Sinking Bell tower of Laoag. It sinks in millimeters every year.

The Laoag City Hall. We rode through the city in a calesa or horse-driven carriage in English.

For the last day of May and last day of summer I helped organize a gathering of North Metro Manila Youth groups from different churches. I also had the chance to promote Do Hard Things and The Rebelution to them. I intended to talk for 3 minutes but I ended up talking for ten minutes.

The youth gathered for a group picture

4th to the left, my campus ministry pastor, Pastor Jonathan Ocampo, was the speaker for the district fellowship. I’m the one in black wearing my personalized Rebelution shirt. That shirt actually has a special secret: it glows in the dark.

I really enjoyed my summer because I know that God has caused me to grow in many ways by sending me to different places almost every other week. I hope you also enjoyed your summer and for those who are only beginning with summer, make your summer a productive one. Enjoy!

Lady In Training's Summer (1st of 2 legs)

Summer is everybody’s favorite time of the year—well perhaps not all, but of the majority. Most teens love summer because it means one thing: vacation. After all, who doesn’t like vacations?

Summer has just ended as May 31 ended and so did my vacation. In three days I’ll be back at school (err, college actually), not to mention that this is my last year in sixteen years of schooling. But before I go back to school and start the beginning of the end of formal schooling, I’d like to share my summer experiences, perhaps one of the best summers God has given in my life.

Though school wasn’t out yet, summer vacation started for me third week of March due to the early scheduling of the ‘holy week’ in the calendar. I attended 50th Anniversary of SIBFK (Samahan ng mga Iglesya Baptista Fundamental sa Katagalugan) conference, a regional association of Fundamental Baptist Churches in the Tagalog region.

With co-officers of SIBFK-AAFC (Association of Ambassadors for Christ)

We, officers sponsored a program and presented a slideshow of updates on how God has been working among the youth in the past years. I also presented a mime for an ‘emergency’ presentation. God is good because He sent me to perform a solo miming a bit scared but well-prepared.

A few hours after the conference, I was off to another trip, this time to my mother’s home province of Antique. My great grandmother died and an uncle paid for my travel expenses so I can attend the funeral. After a long time I had the chance of a vacation in the province. God made a way for me to share the Gospel to a cousin and by Lord’s grace she received Him as her Savior.

Gagging around with younger cousins

The road to the town port

On the third week of April, I helped organize a kids’ camp. Here are some of the pictures from the camp.

Enjoying the afternoon with loads of games

Arts and Crafts time with their counselors

Arts and crafts

Kids who don't like afternoon naps

Counseling time

Counselor and counselee singing out their hearts for the Lord

To be continued....

ORB: Bringing Do Hard Things to the bookstore nearest you

Our generation is stuck in a bag of cultural lies, and we enjoy it.

Do Hard Things, a book authored by teens Alex and Brett Harris, is God's amplified call to us. A call to get out of the bag and walk in the path without faltering. A call to wake up from the slumber of low expectations and start doing something different. Something extraordinary. Something hard.

How do we do that?

Do Hard Things, Exciting?!
It may not seem that way, but it is! We can attest to that. God knows how many smileys we want to deck all over this post just to express our joy. The moment we stepped out of our comfort zone, we learned to lean completely on God. It was hard, but God was there.

What is ORB?
ORB - or Operation Rebelizing Bookstores - is a mission impossible mission that we (and we want you, too, wherever you are) want to undertake to bring Do Hard Things in our country, the Philippines.

Why ORB?
Books come to the Philippines only a year or so after they have been published. Or, if they do come at all, the bookstores that have them have less than ten copies - not enough for all who want to read them.
Our goal then is to rebelize these bookstores in less than a year by bringing Do Hard Things to their shelves for all the people to see and read.
Hard, yes, but after all, it is a book entitled "Do HARD Things."

What to do
Start with the local bookstores near your place. Ask them if they have copies of Do Hard Things. If yes, spread the word to your friends. If not, don't get discouraged. This is a chance for you to do Hard Things. Ask to speak with the manager, or, like in the case of OMFLit (when Christin and I went), a person from the publishing committee. Tell them about The Rebelution, your ORB mission, and what a great book Do Hard Things is. It might also help to print the statistics and details from Amazon, and perhaps even a few reviews.

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If Do Hard Things is not yet in your local bookstores, then it's time to do ORB (Operation Rebelizing Bookstores). We'll keep you posted on how we are ORBing in the Philippines. And if you have your own version of ORBing, let us know! We'd love to hear from you.

In everything, Soli Deo Gloria!

"Do Hard Things: The Official Study Guide" is Out!

Alex and Brett have released the Official Study Guide to their book, Do Hard Things. View and download it at their site.

www.therebelution.com

Who I Am Makes a Difference

Touching and inspiring movie!

RESIGNATION

A RESIGNATION MESSAGE

I’m leaving Godly Ladies-In-Training to Alyssa. I think she can manage on her own. It’s been more than year since I left her posting on her own and telling her formally that I’ll leave everything would not make any difference. Besides, I doubt anyone would miss me. I barely post.

I guess it’s time for me to take blogging out of my online activity. It just doesn’t satisfy me anymore. Hey Lys, I’m sorry I have to post this but I just want to let readers know that Godly Ladies In Training will now be singular. I’m sure you’ll make a fine Godly Lady In Training. And perhaps someday you’ll find a new and better partner. Goodbye everybody.

(Sorry I’ll have you work on to change the blog title but I’m sure you’ll do just fine. Don’t worry I’ll still be reading your posts and comment if I can.)

~Christin, January 2008

This is how my post would have been if God did not send His message to me flat on my face. Early this year I have decided that I must clear off myself from things that don’t work for me. And blogging here is one of those things.

A week after Christmas break Alyssa invited me to an Apologetics seminar in her college. After the seminar, one of her classmates approached me and said,

“Hey! So you’re Christin, the other lady-in-training!”

Uh-oh. Actually, I am now resigning from it, I just haven’t told Alyssa yet.

She offered a handshake and her next words just stopped me off my tracks. “You know, you should continue that [blogging GLIT]. Many people are encouraged.”


RESIGNATION REJECTED
I mumbled a weak thanks but her words unsettled me. I tried to ignore what she said but for days her words rang in my ears. I knew it was God talking to me, telling me that He’s rejecting my resgination. He wants me to go on and get back online. For three months I prayed about it.

Online, I lingered more in rebelutionary blogs. I read and read. I prayed and prayed. I hung about The Rebelution observing and reviewing what Rebelution really is all about. It was after all what fueled me and Alyssa to create this blog. He showed me signs which I did not ask for. Signs that beckoned me back to be active in Rebelution once more and get back to writing in GLIT. During the end of April I was slowly getting back to blogging. I familiarized myself with Blogger again. God’s direction is becoming clearer. I was still groping around blogger and there were times when I felt unsure if I should be back in GLIT but He kept a tight watch on me. It was last Saturday that the Lord made it clearer than ever that this is what He wants me to do.

HIS REBUKE
During choir practice, our choir director handed out the pieces of the song we are to sing. When I saw the title of the song, my heart just went out and I stood in front of the Lord in shame.

I saw all my faults. I was angered that He showed me everything in such a gentle and loving way when He could have inflicted an illness or gave me an accident to suffer. I realized that most of the time I was more of a Martha and less of a Mary. Moving up and about organizing youth and kids’ camps, organizing minutes of the meetings for the Missions Committee and Program Committee at church; writing and submitting articles for my writing classes, leading my class when the president is absent and plenty more. All these ate up the time that I should have spent for Him and with Him. I was busy for the Kingdom all right but never busy for the King. Sometimes I thought I was doing everything for Him but deep down it was really all for myself. I thought, I thought, I thought… it was all my thoughts. All to myself. Never His.

REUNITED
But our God is loving and faithful despite our distrust and unfaithfulness. He forgives and remembers no more what we have done in the past. He just wants us to repent and go back to His loving embrace. And that I did. So I am now back in Godly Ladies In Training.

He Who Began A Good Work In You
Words and Music by Jon Mohr

He who began a good work in you
He who began a good work in you
Will be faithful to complete it
He’ll be faithful to complete in you
He who started the work will be faithful to complete in you

If the struggle you’re facing is slowly replacing your hope with despair
Or the process is long and you’re losing your song in the night
You can be sure that the Lord has His hand on you
Safe and secure, He will never abandon you
You are His treasure and He finds His pleasure in you

Ate Joannie: Thanks for the encouragement. If God hasn’t used you perhaps I would have abandoned Alyssa already.

Alex Harris: Thanks for that invite in Facebook. It took me long to add you up bro. It was one of the signs that beckoned me back.

Alyssa, I’m afraid you have found yourself a new partner so soon and I’m afraid her name is Christin. Thanks for updating me in everything ever so often. You knew that I was out of touch of The Rebelution. Thanks.

Readers, thank you very much for reading. We have been so behind in everything but you still take time even just to peek at our blog.

Father in heaven, who made the online community a place to grow and a ground for training. We cannot thank You anymore than we could.