On God

Posted on December 20, 2012 by Elisa Choi

I have known God since I was a little girl when my parents enrolled me in a Catholic school. I know him in the stories of the Bible. I know that I cannot see him but I can possibly hear or feel him. But he sees us wherever we are.

God is my everything. Words cannot be written to explain the grandiosity of God. Arts cannot be created to reveal the beauty of his majesty. All I know is this: I love him. I accept him. I adore him. I believe in him. I will do everything for him. Praying to God alone brings tears to my eyes. He moves me. His love for us surpasses those of human beings. The lack we have in life he fills it with his overflowing love. All the fears and worries of tomorrow are gone because he is to come. He is for us. He is yesterday, today and tomorrow. There is nothing to fear.

We do not need to do good works to impress him. We do not need to be someone else. We do not need to be excellent in what we do. Because it’s been done. God has given to us his only Son Jesus Christ whom he so loved to redeem us from our sins. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24).

As Christine Jeske said in the book This Ordinary Adventure, “God loves us unconditionally. When we believe it, claim it and own it, we’re free. God sent his son Jesus Christ to die for us generic Barbies with our legs falling off. That’s called grace. It’s a good time to ask if we’ve been trying to prove ourselves to a holy God who just wants us to stop trying so hard to impress somebody, who just wants us to let him love us. There’s something magnetic about people who are transformed by grace. They live completely certain that God finds them beautiful, cool, approved and beloved, so they never have to try to earn God’s–or anyone else’s–approval. They live not trying, but trusting. They live not accomplishing great things in order to be loved, but accomplishing great things because they are loved.”

I read the Bible every night and write my devotions for him in my journal. Instead of Dear Diary I write Dear God. Sharing with him every corner of my heart and soul. I pray. I treasure and ponder on the Good News. He is the best listener. He loves us dearly.

I painted this piece intuitively in acrylics. It’s almost as if my mind is somewhere in solitude. Praise God everyday of our lives!

Fall Fearless and Fly
Headline Prompt: Divided by God: What does “God” mean to you? How do you access “God” or the divine or the sacred in your life?

July 15: Encourage One Another

Posted on July 15, 2012 by Elisa Choi

It’s a blessing to go back to Church. It’s been a while. We prayed for a Church that we can go to hear God’s Word and thankfully we have found it. My siblings and I are attending at Victory Malate.

All the singing, instrumental music, clapping and swaying of our bodies.
All for the glory of God.

Today we read Heb 10:19-25. We are encouraged to spur (provoke) one another into driving our good intentions and deeds inspired by God into meaningful actions. It’s one thing to ask God what He wants us to do in this life and think on what we can do to help someone or a cause but it’s another thing to make do what we desire to do in His name.

Whatever we plan on doing we need all the courage to drive the intention forward.
Most often all we ever need is an uplifting word from someone who says that we can do this.
Who believes in what we can do.
And that’s all there is. Just encouragement to spur us forward.

And as the pastor says, “Christianity is not only about our personal relationship with God but it also involves other people in our faith.”

Hope you have a blessed weekend everyone!

Inspiration Sunday

The July Challenge

Posted on July 1, 2012 by Elisa Choi

July is a very special month for me. I guess because it’s my birthday month. But what makes it truly special is that it allows me to look inward. To pause. To find solitude. To do something for myself. To lend a hand to those in need.

And so starting today till the end of July I will be going on “trips”. It could be anywhere. It could be by myself or with someone special or with friends or even with a person I just met.

I will notice. I will be aware. I will listen.

I will capture a photograph to describe a feeling, paint a scene to impart a learning, scribble or doodle to share a thought.

I will share my adventure here. All these in hope of connecting with myself deeply. All these in hope of communicating with God meaningfully. All these in hope of living a peaceful and loving life.

But above all it is to search for ways on how to be a better steward of God’s gifts.

I pray for God’s guidance as I embark on this journey.

A Time for Everything

Posted on July 27, 2011 by Elisa Choi

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven ~
² A time to give birth, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted.
³ A time to kill, and a time to heal; A time to tear down, and a time to build up.
⁴ A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance.
⁵ A time to throw stones, and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, and a time to shun embracing.
⁶ A time to search, and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep, and a time to throw away.
⁷ A time to tear apart, and a time to sew together; A time to be silent, and a time to speak.
⁸ A time to love, and a time to hate; A time for war, and a time for peace.

My classmate’s mother passed away today… May she rest in peace. May God give them strength as they continue their lives on earth.

Creative Exchange

The Edible Flower with a Heart

Posted on July 24, 2011 by Elisa Choi

For this week’s Tic Tocc #15, Kat shows us a photo of sparkling seeds that she had captured. She asked us what would grow if we planted them. The possibilities are endless!

For some reason, my thoughts wander on the poor people around us and how they are asking for food or money to buy food. Since these are sparkling seeds, these must be blessed by God therefore I painted this edible flower where it would multiply by itself as one eats it making sure that everyone is full. The heart in the middle is water, so that when you eat the flower with the heart on it, one is immediately quench of hunger and thirst.

As I painted this, I thought that this is also inspired by what the Bible wrote about Jesus feeding the 5000. I pray that hunger and malnutrition would end and that we will be strong enough to share what we have with our brothers and sisters.

As I am writing this entry, I am deeply saddened by the violence that has happened to the people in Norway. I pray for all the souls who have passed away and may they rest in peace. And to all those who have lost their loved ones, my sincere condolence to them. May God give them immense strength and faith and that they will be assured that God will never leave them. Let there be peace!

Thanks a lot to Kat for this inspiration. Please check her website to see her wonderful work with her daughter!

God bless you all!

PS* I love listening to K Love, it is an online radio that plays inspirational and religious music. It also gives and shares stories of strength and encouragement. It is very enlightening and inspiring! Please try listening! :)

Catch It If You Can

Posted on July 17, 2011 by Elisa Choi

The wonderful memories of my birthday last July 16 still lingers in my heart. I need not enumerate each because they are already etched in another page of my life. My heart is filled with thankfulness to God for giving me life and for giving me people who remembered me in this very special moment of my life. In their own ways they have made that day extra sweet.

I am not scared of getting older. I am not afraid of another hair turning white or golden. My heart is beating and I am practicing how to breathe properly. As I grow one year older, I am more than looking forward for that moment and be in awe at how it unfolds before my eyes. I will never be afraid just as long as I have God by my side. And I will never again feel bad no matter how circumstances don’t turn into my favor or how people could sometimes hurt me. I will be more aware of my feelings and not let it burn against me.

Allow me to share with you my week loads of small stones (handful of stones) just from being more open to the beauty of this world.

07/11: I admire the strength of trees. How their numerous gnarly hands hold the foliages. How they seem to look down on me and with a gentle caress of the wind whisper a good morning.

07/12: The huge pine tree of our neighbor’s turns into one huge dark sleeping giant as its foliages slump to the right, stilled by the wind.

07/13: The heavy traffic , cars emitting thick black and gray smoke. the deafening honking, all these makes commuting in life tiring.

07/14: The golden brown crisp leaf with a hint of black creates a crunching sound every time it hits the ground as it is being carried on by the wind.

07/15: The waves of Manila Bay dances in a cascading manner, crashing its tail onto the rocks, sending sprays of water on my skin. I could stay here forever.

07/16: My heart beating fast then slow. My eyes misty then emotional. My mouth opened with a smile then laughter. Celebrating my life a year older has always been a bliss and gratefulness.

07/17: I love sun patches on my skin. The sun shining brightly upon the yellow-green-turned plants then tattooing the shadows created on my skin.

*~*

When I was a little girl I love to run and turn around just to catch the sun and the moon as it follows me wherever I go. As I grow older, I just put my hand upon the sky.

Creative Exchange with Lisa Gordon

Do what you love. Love what you do.

Category Archives: Sunday Inspiration