#eklife

[simplyehrika]

If I were to have people say one thing about me, I'd want it to be: "I've never met anyone so passionate about living a life dedicated to making Jesus Christ's name known".

[simplyehrika]

Lately, I have been thinking about my future as a college student. My classmates back home in the Philippines already graduated and ready to face whatever future they have on their chosen field which made me think about my own path. My friends over here are getting accepted to several programs they all have applied to as they continue their studies and acquire their bachelor's degree. And here I am barely getting there. Honestly, I do not have any doubts that I may also achieve my goals in life but what causing me to think alot lately is when I will get to the finish line. Then, I came across this verse and it is what I really needed.. "We are given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don't need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don't yet have we must wait patiently and confidently)." Romans 8:24-25 NLT After reading this verse, it brought me back to my sense to wait patiently and confidently that God will guide me to my dreams. God will never let me go through things to make me suffer but to mold me. I was lacking in confidence that I started doubting my abilities and it fulfill my dreams. And reading this verse opened up my eyes to have confident that I will finish strong with God on my side.

[simplyehrika]

Where is God when it hurts?

Pain has many faces. It can come from illnesses or heartaches that never seem to go away as well as all the tragedies that happens around us yet pain and suffering was never God's plan. Satan is the mastermind of all the bad things that happens in our lives. God created everything good including men and all the things that we need. He provided food, shelter and a living. He didn't even created us to die but Satan made a trap that causes man to have sorrow, pain and death. God loves man so much that he found a way to redeem him and pay the penatly of his sin. He chose a poor peasant life. He had times of hunger, loneliness, suffered prejudice and persecution. "He was tempted in all things just as we are, yet he did not sin" (Hebrews 4:15) "He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we could desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering. Like man from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infrimities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crashed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:2-5 Jesus lived in the same dust, blood, sweat, and tears as the rest of us. Not above us or way out there somwhere but at the same level as us. Best of all he did it perfectly inspite of betrayal, mocking, dissention and desertion of friends and persecution by his enemies. God didn't plan for us to suffer; but when suffering began, he not only plan for an escape but he came down in the middle of our suffering and took part in the same suffering. Where is God? Right here beside you with tears in his eyes saying, "Hang on a little longer, I know the world is hard now but take heart, I have overcome the world." He has never asked us to do something he haven't already done. When your faith is tested and times are hard remember; He has suffered before you as one day you could say as John did in Revelation 21:1 "I saw a new heaven and a new earth... 4 He will wipe away every tears from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain for the old order of things has passed away".

[simplyehrika]

Honestly, sometimes I get caught up with the world and forget that I have a God greater than my worries. Sometimes I always listen to the voice inside my head that always dictates me to listen to what others will think of me. Failure is something I am not used on experiencing. Failure has no space in my life yet I know that the God I serve has the capabilities of using this failure to give me an insight of something wonderful to be unfold right in front of me. I always tell myself that I am not scared of failures nor am I afraid if I hit the rock bottom and never again get back up to the race of this life because I do not live in accordance of this world. Yet, there are things that keeps me from believing that I am able which are those voices that l hear coming from people around me. Those comments that seems to be so loud that I don't want to hear. Those stares that seems to mean something yet unspoken. But at the end of the day though I know that somewhere between the close door of my bedroom and four corners of the bible that someone is always proud of me which is Christ Jesus. 

[simplyehrika]

"Believing the right things about Jesus isn't enough. You're not adopted as God's child until you confess and turn away from your wrongdoing and receive the freely offered gift of forgiveness and eternal life that Jesus purchased with his death on the cross. Until you do that, you'll always be on the outside looking in."

- Lee Strobel

[simplyehrika]

If it will take me to walk through fire to lead me close to you then I will if you want me to.

[simplyehrika]

Lately I have been thinking about the future.. my future life as a college student. We all have dreams that we want to fulfill and mine is almost down the corner yet I do not know how it will turn out. Honeslty I am not sure If I am giving my all into my studies. Yes, I get good grades but do I learn something out of each A's that I made? That question I do not know how to answer. Sometimes I will look back and say, wow that was fast and I do not know if all the knowledge I was supposed to learn got into me throughout the years resulting on doubting my capabilities of achieving greater things. Then God knocks me out of my nonsense. My faith once again is getting shakenby my shortcomings. He always have ways of telling me I could make it somehow. It may seem like I can't but I believe that He is by my side.. and with that I can face tomorrow. I don't really need anyone's approval. It doesn't matter to me as long as I know that God is proud about where I am in my life. For me, that's an achievement already.

[simplyehrika]

That annoying moment when..

I pray late at night for my daily bible reading and my sister will talk to me and if I don't respond will turn off the light on me.. Then I will have to stop in the middle of my prayer because my thoughts are not set right anymore to tell her that I am not asleep yet.. Smh..