When Jesus came to a world that was in to darkness and dead in its sin, He came as light and life. His light dispelled sin’s darkness wherever He went, for the forces of evil could not withstand Him. The life He brought was abundant and free, available to all who were dead in their sin. (Eph. 2:1; John 10:10).

If you are a Christian, Jesus lives in you, and His light_is within you. Christians are called to dispel darkness (Eph. 5:11). The light of Christ ought to shine so brightly through you that those practicing darkness are uncomfortable when they are around you. The light within you should dispel darkness from the lives of your friends, coworkers, and family members.

The fullness of life found in Christ dwells within you as a Christian (Col. 1:27). The life that Jesus offers is available to others through you. Don’t discount what you have to give to those who are hurting. Christ’s life within you is more than sufficient to meet every human need. When people encounter you, they encounter Christ within you. You do not know all the answers, but you have Someone within you who does! You will not carry the burden of the needs of others. Christ will. Be aware that just as many resisted Jesus, so there will be those who resist the truth that you offer (John 1:11). Be thankful, however, that God chooses to express Himself through you, giving light and life to those around you.

From Experiencing God
by Henry and Richard Blackaby

INTROSPECTION: God’s children should stand out. We were expected to be the agent of change in our environment. How serious are we in making that change?

Have a blessed Sunday…

Winehouse’s 2003 debut album Frank did well, both commercially and critically, in her native Britain. It was nominated for the Mercury Prize. Her 2006 follow-up album Back To Black led to six Grammy Award nominations and five wins, tying the record for the most wins by a female artist in a single night, and made Winehouse the first singer from the United Kingdom to win five Grammys. Read more…

Valerie by Amy Winehouse
Album: Back To Black: Deluxe Edition
Year Released: 2007

Lyrics of Valerie by Amy Winehouse after the jump.

Well sometimes I go out by myself
and I look across the water
and I think of all the things
why’d you do it
and in my head I paint a picture

Since I come home,
well my body’s been a mess
and I miss your gentle hair
and the way you like to dress

Won’t you come on over
stop making a fool out of me
why don’t you come on over Valerie
Valerie, Valerie, Valerie

Did you have to go to jail
put your house up out for sale
did you get a good lawyer
I hope you didn’t catch a tan
hope you find the right man to fix it for you

Are you shopping anywhere
changed the colour of your hair
and are you busy
did you have to pay that fine
to a ***** all the time
are you still dizzy

Since I come home,
well my body’s been a mess
and I miss your gentle hair
and the way you like to dress

Won’t you come on over
stop making a fool out of me
why don’t you come on over Valerie
Valerie, Valerie, Valerie

But sometimes I go out by myself
and I look across the water
and I think of all the things
why’d you do it
and in my head I paint a picture

Since I come home,
well my body’s been a mess
and I miss your gentle hair
and the way you like to dress

Won’t you come on over
stop making a fool out of me
why don’t you come on over Valerie
Valerie, Valerie, Valerie

Valerie, Valerie, Valerie, Valerie

Why don’t you come on over Valerie..

In 2003, he won the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for the 2002 single “Your Body Is a Wonderland” from the album Room for Squares. Read more…

Gravity by John Mayer
Album: Continuum
Year Released: 2006

Lyrics of Gravity by John Mayer after the jump.

Gravity is working against me
And gravity wants to bring me down

Oh I’ll never know what makes this man
With all the love that his heart can stand
Dream of ways to throw it all away

Oh Gravity is working against me
And gravity wants to bring me down

Oh twice as much aint twice as good
And can’t sustain like a one half could
It’s wanting more
That’s gonna send me to my knees
[repeat]

Oh gravity, stay the hell away from me
And gravity has taken better men than me (Now how can that be?)

Just keep me where the light is
Just keep me where the light is
Keep you all where the light is
Just keep us where the light is
Ohh.. where the light is!

1. Make sure to print out your camper’s badge.
2. Bring a valid ID. Bring one with your photo just to be sure.
3. If you plan of bringing expensive gadgets that will not fit in your pockets, make sure to fill out the equipment ingress form.
4. Fully charge these gadgets as the venue might not have enough outlet when your battery goes low.
5. Scratch off the idea of wearing slippers. CSB won’t let you in.
6. Lastly, be in this place before 9am. Don’t lose your way.

See you all at WordCamp!

It is hard to believe that the Lord would ask us what He could do for us. However, sometimes that is the question we must answer. Bartimaeus was blind, and he knew exactly what he wanted Jesus to do for him: restore his sight. Yet he received much more than physical sight! He received salvation, for Jesus knew Bartimaeus’s heart was faithful. Bartimaeus immediately used his gift to become a follower of the Savior.

Jesus also asked James and John what they wanted Him to do for them. They requested the most prominent places in His kingdom. This time, Jesus answered that He could not give them what they asked. Their request was selfish, and it brought dissension among their fellow disciples (Mark 10:41).

Only when we pray according to God’s will is He pleased to grant our requests (John 15:16). We will not see our prayers answered if we ask selfishly (James 4:3). If God refrains from giving us what we are asking, we should evaluate our prayers. Are our motives selfish? Are we asking for far less than God wants to give? (2 Kings 13:19; Eph. 3:20). Are our requests worthy of the God we approach? Do we lack the faith God requires to give us our desires? (Matt. 17:20). Is there unconfessed sin? (Isa. 1:15). God delights in responding to our requests (Matt. 7:7). If we will ask according to His will, we, like Bartimaeus, will receive far more than we anticipated! (Jer. 33:3).

From Experiencing God
by Henry and Richard Blackaby

INTROSPECTION: God is not a selfish Father. He longs to bless His children. In fact, He gives us much more than we ask. He gave broken men not just healing but the forgiveness of their sins.

May we always be grateful for answered and unanswered prayers. Trust the Father. He knows what is best for us.

Have a blessed Sunday…

Throughout His ministry, Jesus relied upon the Holy Spirit to direct Him as He made crucial decisions and faced relentless opposition (Mark 1:12). Centuries earlier, Isaiah had described what the Spirit’s presence would mean for the Savior. The Spirit would give Jesus the knowledge of the will and ways of the Father. As a young boy, Jesus already possessed unusual knowledge of God’s word (Luke 2:47). The Spirit granted Him the wisdom to use this knowledge. The Spirit enabled Jesus to take the word of God and apply it effectively to the specific needs of those He encountered.

If you are a Christian, the same Spirit abides in you. At times, you may pray and ask God to send His Spirit “in power.” That is the only way the Spirit ever comes! More importantly, the Spirit will come in wisdom, bringing the understanding of God’s ways.

You need God’s wisdom for the decisions you face (Rom. 11:33). Perhaps God has placed you in a position of great responsibility, and you feel overwhelmed by the decisions you must make. It may be in your role as parent, or friend, or leader that you long for the wisdom of God. The same Spirit who enabled Jesus to see through the deceptions of Satan will also guide you through the temptations that confront you. Pray that God will fill you with His Spirit of wisdom so that through the decisions you make you can live your life effectively.

From Experiencing God
by Henry and Richard Blackaby

INTROSPECTION: Have a blessed Sunday…

In heaven, God’s will is the only priority. A word from God brings angels to do His bidding, immediately and without question. Jesus instructed us to pray that God would accomplish His will in our world in the same way. This means that God’s purposes would be preeminent in our homes, our businesses, our schools, our churches, and our governments.

Jesus taught His disciples to pray that God’s purposes be carried out in the world around them. In modeling how they should pray, Jesus was teaching His disciples how to share God’s heart. He demonstrated this again at Gethsemane when He prayed “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matt. 26:39). It is as we seek God’s kingdom on earth, and not our own purposes, that we gain_the same mind as our heavenly Father. We become colaborers with God by praying faithfully in agreement with His desires.

As you seek the Lord’s will, He will guide your praying. He will invite you not only to pray, but also to become involved in His activity as He answers your prayer. If He places a burden upon you to pray for an individual’s salvation, that burden is also His invitation to join His activity in that person’s life. Prayer will prepare you to be a servant through whom God can bring about His will on earth. Pray that the Lord’s absolute rule on earth will begin in your life. Then watch to see how God uses you to extend His Lordship to others.

From Experiencing God
by Henry and Richard Blackaby

INTROSPECTION: Before we pray that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven, I think that it is first essential that his will be done in the life of he who prays.

Have a blessed Sunday…

“I came from the people, they need to adore me. So Christian Dior me from my head to my toes.” This could be the reason why Her Excellency wore a “recycled” gown during her recent SONA. ~ KotsengKuba

2008 SONA Related Reading: The Greatest by uniffors

Rainbow High by Madonna
Album: Evita: The Complete Motion Picture Music Soundtrack
Year Released: 1996

Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16, 1958 in Bay City, Michigan, United States), known as Madonna, is a dance-pop singer-songwriter, record and film producer, dancer, actress, author, fashion icon, wife and mother. She is noted for her ambitious music videos and stage performances as well as using political, sexual, and religious themes in her work. Read more…

Lyrics of Rainbow High by Madonna after the jump.

[Eva:]
There again I’ve more to do
Than simply get the message through
I haven’t started
Let’s get this show on the road
Let’s make it obvious
Peron is off and rolling

[Chorus:]

[Eva's dressers:]
Eyes, hair, mouth, figure
Dress, voice, style, movement
Hands, magic, rings, glamour
Face, diamonds, excitement, image

[Eva:]
I came from the people, they need to adore me
So Christian Dior me from my head to my toes
I need to be dazzling, I want to be Rainbow High
They must have excitement, and so must I

[Eva's dressers:]
Eyes, hair, mouth, figure
Dress, voice, style, image

[Eva:]
I’m their product, it’s vital you sell me
So Machiavell me, make an Argentine Rose
I need to be thrilling, I want to be Rainbow High
They need their escape, and so do I

[chorus]

[Eva:]
All my descamisados expect me to outshine the enemy
I won’t disappoint them
I’m their savior, that’s what they call me
So Lauren Bacall me, anything goes
To make me fantastic, I have to be Rainbow High
In magical colors

You’re not decorating a girl for a night on the town
And I’m not a second-rate queen getting kicks with a crown

Next stop will be Europe
The Rainbow’s gonna tour, dressed up, somewhere to go
We’ll put on a show

Look out, mighty Europe
Because you oughta know whatcha gonna get in me
Just a little touch of
Just a little touch of
Argentina’s brand of star quality

Litratong Pinoy had its first photo op meet-up last August 9, 2008. With rain pouring days before the event, thank God that the sun was up on that day. There were 12 participants who attended: Jeprocks, Kuya Lino, Ate Thess, Girlie, Jenn and her brother Jay, Keith, Komski and his sister, Pinky, at Chairwoman Marie.

For more stories and pictures, visit my Roniverse.

There is a freedom that comes in having nothing to hide. Living a life of integrity allows you this freedom. Your integrity is measured not by what you say about yourself but by what God and people say about you. Samuel had lived all his life among the people of God. Leaders who preceded him were dishonest and corrupt; it would have been easy for Samuel to compromise in his dealings as well. Near the end of his life, however, Samuel could boldly stand before his nation and ask them to reveal any offense he had committed against any of them. They could not think of one.

In his position of leadership, Samuel could have taken advantage of people. Yet because he carefully guarded his motives and kept his relationships blameless, Samuel could fearlessly ask the people to report if he had mistreated them in any way. It takes courage to open your life up to the scrutiny of others, but Samuel did not fear what others would say about him. He did not have to avoid anyone whom he had offended. He had a confidence that comes from living a blameless life.

If you have mistreated others, you cannot change the past, but you can choose to live with absolute integrity from this day forward. Living righteously frees you to face any person unashamedly, knowing you have behaved in a Christlike manner. If your reputation is stained, seek forgiveness from those you have offended. Ask God to guide you daily in your relationships so that you have no regrets about your treatment of others.

From Experiencing God
by Henry and Richard Blackaby

INTROSPECTION: Unlike Samuel, people may have something to say against us. They may throw our past mistakes in to our face. But let not the guilt stop us from our journey to perfection. We have made mistakes in our life, make amends and move on.

Have a blessed Sunday…