smallstephs

[smallstephs]

Willing in the waiting 💕

[smallstephs]

A glimpse of the Father's heart ❤️

Hi, it's been a while. So, here's a story time...

Early this year I was asking God of what this new year holds. During our corporate fasting at church, we took a Daniel's Fast for a week. In that same week, I was dreaming a lot of things, if I'll make a category of it, myself would label it as "bad dreams". I dreamt of murder, rape, and witchcrafts. I was in that dream and I felt helpless. After our corporate fasting, our Pastor prayed over me. And in that prayer, I found an answer why I was dreaming of those things...

Sorry, I stopped writing for a while to listen to that prayer again. There's a line in that prayer that gave me a wow-moment on what my dreams could've meant... "Though you are in the darkness, your light in the Lord Jesus will continue to shine. For you know that God is Light and in Him there is no darkness at all, so the Lord will tell you to always practice the Truth- that you will love the Truth, to walk in the Light as He is in the Light, to have fellowship with one another who has the Light and the blood of Jesus, the son of God that cleanses us from all our sins that when you go and go into the darkness, the people would gonna be seeing your light, the people will gonna see the lamp on your feet that it is lighting your path because the Lord has sent you out as a light..."

After hearing those prayers, God has revealed to me the reason why I was dreaming of those things... He allowed those dreams for me to see how wicked the world will be in the last days as written in 2 Timothy:

"But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power..."

Little did I know that I won't just be dreaming of those things, I would even experience them, I'm not blaming the ways of the Lord for sure, but evil things don't just happen in dreams, THEY ARE REAL AND RAMPANT DURING THE LAST DAYS.

I am writing this on March 11, 2022 and a very unfortunate event happened in my workplace just this week that broke my heart as it happened under my watch. It breaks my heart to be a victim of an evil act- that there are people who will really do so much measures just to deceive others. Now, if you'll see me, I'm trying to compose myself and think straight, but to be honest, there's a battle inside me, screaming and blaming myself for my negligence. But earlier today, while I was reading the Bible, God led me to Genesis 6:5-8:

"The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them." But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD".

I found myself crying as I repeatedly read those verses, I was crying as I have seen how heart-breaking it was for our Heavenly Father, what I've experienced from handful of people is nothing compared to the human race that broke His heart. I can't help but see the heart of the Father- how it grieved Him to see His creation doing things against His will.

As I have failed my superior, for I know it also broke his heart that I have missed some details that could have prevented the unfortunate event to happen, it made me realized the more not to break God's heart. I've experienced first-hand how it feels to see some people do such evil ways, so it's much clearer to me now as I've seen a glimpse of what the Father is feeling as He see His very own creation do evil continually.

From the unfortunate event that had happened to me and in my workplace, I put my trust in God. He sees, He knew it would happen, and I trust that He'll be with me all throughout. Just like Noah, I pray that I'll find favor in the eyes of the Lord all the days of my life. And just like the excerpt of my Pastor's prayer for me, this for sure will remain true in my heart, "but the Lord has seen you- your pure heart, and the Lord would say to you that in my eyes you are so bright and in my eyes that you are shining bright, so do not dwell on the words of men and women around you but dwell on My word for you are my child, you are precious in My sight- and you are shining. And that's enough for you to stand in righteousness, it's enough for you to stand in your identity in the Lord Jesus Christ".

[smallstephs]

July 30, 2021

I was not expecting for a surprise from my friends this year since we've decided to meet each other during our birthdays to celebrate. But, due to the increase of Covid cases for the new variant- Delta, we cancelled our plan this weekend. Safety first.

Still, my friends exerted an effort to make me feel special for my birthday. Blessed to have thoughtful friends. Love my girls so much! Hoping that all of us will be fully vaccinated and be able to travel together again. ❤️

[smallstephs]

July 09, 2021

"DO NOT ENTER"

Book: Secrets My Father Told Me by Marie Antonio Bonifacio

Unconsciously, we un-bless ourselves with our own words...

"Hindi ko kaya"

"Hanggang dito nalang talaga ako"

"I'm a failure"

"I'm such a disappointment"

"Napaka-makakalimutin ko naman"

Sounds familiar? Yeah, I, myself is sometimes guilty of it, too. That's why the Bible tells us to have a security guard.

"Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!" - Psalm 141:3 ESV

These unguarded, unarrested thoughts and words are sent to rob you of your destiny.

Do not allow the devil to steal, kill, and destroy the promises of God in your life.

How?

1.) Arrest the robber, demolish the lie.

demolish - to knock down, tear down; overwhelmingly defeat.

"We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ". - 2 Corinthians 10:5 ESV

2.) Fill your mouth and soul with blessings.

"My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all the day". - Psalm 71:8 ESV

You don't build yourself by mere positive thinking or avoiding conflict. You build yourself up by claiming the unchanging promises of God in your life daily- in whatever circumstances you are in.

3.) Verbally and orally recite God's promises daily.

"When my spirit faints within me, you know my way!" Psalm 142:3a ESV

Declare and say out loud the promises you have in Christ. Make sure you hear it yourself. 😉 Practice proclaiming God's words over your life, over your family, friends, workmates, schoolmates, neighbors, and to everyone around you. Isn't it nice to hear everyone declaring God's promises to each other? Imagine a world where people are building each other up.

"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up..." - 1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV

To Do: Look for a Scripture in the Bible and practice proclaiming it over your life.

Storytime...

Two years ago, wayback 2019, I felt so lost... I feel like I'm in a crossroad and doesn't have any idea where to go. I am a Christian then, I thought to myself, "I believe in Christ and His plans over my life but why am I feeling so lost?" I have a good career, I'm employed. My family is okay, everything seems to be okay but my heart seems not. Then, I read this verse in the Bible, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you." (Psalms 32:8 NIV) Did I already know what to do after reading it? No. But guess what, I started believing it! Every single day I take hold of this assurance, I may be lost but God's loving eyes are on me- that He watches out for me. Isn't it assuring in knowing that someone Who is above all of the things happening around you has His eyes on you? What a blessed assurance! As I cling on to this promise daily, I know that I do not need to worry about what will happen next or where I'll go after, for my Father will instruct me, teach me, and counsel me. When the enemy whispers a lie in your head, declare God's promises out loud! Take every thought captive and fill it with God's words and promises. ✨

[smallstephs]

July 07, 2021

"The Return of the Giant"

Book: Secrets My Father Told Me by Marie Antonio Bonifacio

Scripture Passage: 2 Samuel 21:15-22

After killing Goliath, David did not live a smooth-sailing life, it was not goodbye giants! goodbye challenges! As he grew older and more seasoned in battle, the giant-killer boy was set to kill more giants!

1. Success doesn't automatically protect you.

Do not wear an armor of success but know where your strength & protection come from just like David in 1 Samuel 17:37a

2. Never outgrow your dependence on your Savior because Christ is always your defense against giants.

Just like how Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego depend on God in Daniel 3:17, and Paul in 2 Timothy 4:18

3. Don't fight your battles alone.

Be part of a spiritual family that will pray for you, laugh with you, cry with you, support you, and even rebuke you with love.

In the latter verses of 2 Samuel 21, we can see that David did not fought the giants alone. He has company!

"Alone, David fought one giant and won. With a team, he defeated four giants more".

Most of the times, we tend to fight our battles alone, for some reason, we do not want to be a burden to other people (haha! great excuse!) But guess what, in a family, you will never be a burden. With the right people around you, battles can be won when shared. Isn't it amazing to know that someone is praying with you? that someone hurts for you? that they too will rejoice with you in victory? Drop the excuse, we are all work in progress, let me quote Rev. Linda Holmes, "In the process, please excuse my dirt"

#JesusDaily #DevotionJournal

[smallstephs]

Just a quick thought, this week parang most of my stories were my view sa office, then I suddenly realized, the view at the bottom (parking lot) is not as pleasant as what I see straight ahead (tall bldgs, skies and trees).

And it spoke to me, by looking down (may it be on our failures or frustrations in life) it won't help us, it won't give us peace, the more it'll cause us dullness and perhaps sadness. But if we look straight and face head on in life, all we'll see are greater possibilities and a God who is above all these things- good and bad.

I hope you'll see life in a positive view. Know that in every view, Jesus loves you! 😉❤️

[smallstephs]

Dear You,

I can be your friend. Anytime, when you need one.

Love, Me 👣

[smallstephs]

April 20, 2020

Dear You,

How are you keeping up so far? Tired of it all? Sick of boredom? The last few days, you may feel like you have missed those days like you are not on your right self or at least close to your real self. Stop contemplating on what's lost, you cannot go back in time anyway... just try setting things right, do it NOW. Don't know how to start? Try acknowledging your present self, really ask yourself, "How Am I?" You've gotta start somewhere anyway, why not start within yourself. Do me a little favor, be honest to yourself.

Now you know your state, do you still feel empty inside? In need of answers or maybe you still don't know how you are really feeling. Trust me, I sometimes really don't know myself. Like you, I cry at night not knowing the reasons why... I just felt like there's something missing, that's whatever it is I'm feeling- I know something's not right.

Believe me, whatever you are thinking right now to fill in those blank spaces, it won't be enough. IT WILL NEVER BE ENOUGH. You'll just go back to your old self. Wanna know a way out?

Love, Me 👣

[smallstephs]

Dear You,

Love, Me.

soon.... 💕

[smallstephs]

April 23, 2019

Dear self,

Remind yourself to never stop praying for it. God placed it in your heart for a purpose. God is faithful.

[smallstephs]

Skies filled with circles and its light, each one's smile says everything's alright. Eyes full of hope, in a life of bumps and lope. Noise and music everywhere, just a whisper I can hear This year's gonna be great, and dreams won't break.

- SmallStephs, 2019

[smallstephs]

If only...

[smallstephs]

08-13-18

I'll be a friend, always a friend. I'll be there in good and bad times. If the time comes when you've already forgotten me, I'll always be here whenever you need me. You can always count on me, buddy! 😉

[smallstephs]

Young, innocent, and hopeful. Those are some of the characteristics of a child. Have you ever wondered what your future self will be when you were a kid? You have so many dreams, you want to be a teacher, astronaut, doctor, you want to be seen in a television that's why you're facing the mirror and trying to cry (crying beautifully, haha), I bet you also tried singing infront of the electric fan as if you are having your concert. See how a child's thoughts can be, very hopeful, ambitious, and free. When we were still a kid, we were taught to always dream and have dreams. No one ever said that the journey of our thoughts will be so hard. As a child, we would dream weird things that seems to be unrealistic. We thought of things as if it's just at hand when we dreamt of them, we all had that feeling like it was real. But as we mature, we come to realize that things were not what we thought it would be. Then, we tried being more realistic and practical that sometimes we forgot to dream again. Last friday, June 8, 2018, I had the chance to visit my cousin. At my visit, we reminisced our childhood, that's why I got those pictures, we talked about our first crush, puppy love, our school, classmates, the "away-bata" moments, we even talked about our temper before, and how things have changed. True enough that the only constant in this world is change. We had those best friends that became friends, some turned out to be strangers. Things change as time passes by. My point is, as we grow older, we gain memories, moments, and etc. There are good and bad, moments you'll laugh out loud because you'll ask yourself why it happened, memories that will make you sad, and just an event in the past that made an impact in your present. As an adult, we should remember all those things, our past has a lot of contribution in who we are today but we should not dwell in it, let's keep moving forward to make ourselves better. But let me ask you a little favor, as you grow old, please continue to dream... Dreams are not just for kids, it's for everyone. Even how impossible that dream could be, still dream. Never lose that child in you, where things are as simple as ABC and 123. Try dreaming again, remember those forgotten dreams, our church pastor once told us to gather those pieces again, those dreams, and try building them once more. Like a child, be hopeful on those dreams God has placed in your heart. I want to end this with a stanza from the song "With A Smile" "Lift your head, baby, don't be scared of the things that could go wrong along the way. You'll get by with a smile, you can't win at everything but you can try".

[smallstephs]

Your Rainbow 🌈

Little sunshine, please don't hide, I know it's a little cloudy and the skies are dark outside.

Little sunshine, don't be scared it's just a heavy rain on your way. Your light may dim but promise me you'll shine again.

The strong wind may blow but it won't take long, little sunshine you are strong, find your core to stand again.

Little sunshine it is okay to cry, feel the pain and take the time you need to gain yourself back again.

I promise you I'll be there 'till you're ready to face the world. I hope it won't take so long but I hope you'll find peace within.

When you are ready to shine again, I'll be there to stand by you. I know you'll shine so bright when that day comes, so I'll try to put colors in the sky.

It's a new day, little sunshine, the storm is over, and glad your back again. So this little rainbow will join you as you shine bright once again.

I won't stay long but keep in mind that after every storm, I will be there. I will be your rainbow, always.

[smallstephs]

Try singing these words to the tune of “Jesus Loves Me, This I Know”:

“God is with me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Though His presence I can’t see, God will not abandon me. Yes, God is with me. Yes, God is with me. Yes, God is with me. The Bible tells me so.”

Wait And See by Wendy Pope

[smallstephs]

Always, so remember to plant it on a good soil and in its season, it'll bear fruits. 😊