A Quote To Think About

"The goal to evade anguish is undesirable because
our dark emotions have a redemptive side (although this fact does
not make them any less painful).
Though tainted in our expression of them, they nonetheless
reflect the character of God. They have the power to vocalize
our deepest cry - and when that cry is uttered before God,
our hearts are exposed and transformed as we glimpse His
heart for us.

Nowhere does the Bible promise that our earthly lives will be
untouched by suffering. Just the contrary, in fact: the New
Testament repeatedly warns that pain and suffering are part and
parcel of the Christian life. But that is not bad news, it is the
gospel ("good news"), for it is through our pain and suffering
that we experience joy and encounter glory:

Romans 8:17Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of
God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings
in order that we may also share in his glory.

Romans 5: 2-5..through whom we have gained access by faith
into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the
hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces
perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out
his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Paradoxically, God reveals Himself in our suffering. There is no
resurrection without crucifixion; no glory without suffering.
Healing, therefore, isn't quite what we thought it would be.

Our dark emotions reveal God; they open the road to true joy.
This is the central message of the book of Psalms: we encounter
divine goodness in the midst of pain."

Cry of the Soul, page 244-5; Dr. Dan B. Allender and Dr. Tremper Longman III

50th!

My daughter, Kirsten, took great delight in singing "Happy half a century to you...." on my birthday Sunday.

It was a pleasant day.

After going to church, we ate lunch at a favourite restaraunt of mine here in town called Coco's. Then we went to Outland Adventure and went down the fastest zip line in Asia (that's what it's billed as!)
This is the second time I've ridden it. It is exhilarating and fun.


Ben and I at the harnessing area


'Super Woman!'


Kirsten, Kurt, Ben and I walking back after going on the zip
line. Mikayla took pictures and opted not to zip as she wasn't feeling well.

Psalm 18: 1 I love you, O LORD, my strength.

2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.......I will praise you among the nations, O LORD; I will sing praises to your name.

Brato lang....

"Brato lang" means "inexpensive" in Cebuano.

Today I purchased 50 roses for my birthday tomorrow.
It cost all of $5 US!!!
Checking the American Flower Deliver.com website, a dozen roses in the US costs $49 - $80.

I think my 50 roses for $5 qualifies for 'brato lang!'

The Cry Of The Soul


This is an excellent book. "So often we find ourselves
caught between extremes. Either we feel to much or not at all.
We tend to ignore our feelings or fight them off as if they were
the enemy. But all emotion - whether positive or negative - can
give us a glimpse of the true nature of God."

This is one of several books I am currently reading and I would highly recommend it.
Dr. Dan B. Allendar is one of my favourite authors. Other books of his that I highly recommend are "The Healing Path", "The Wounded Heart", "To Be Told", and "How Children Raise Parents."

Easter Celebration

For Easter Sunday, we invited some friends over to celebrate Easter!


Dyeing eggs before Easter Sunday.

I think Easter should be celebrated more than Christmas. I heard it said that if you take away the Christmas stories from the New Testament you lose two or three chapters. But if you take away the resurrection you lose the whole New Testament.


Egg hunt in our yard.


Bebe, Jerard, and Lindsay


JR and Ben playing

1 Corinthians 15: 12Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised
from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

13But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14And if Christ has not been raised,

then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.
15We are even found to be misrepresenting God,
because we testified about God that he raised Christ,
whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised.16For if the dead are not raised,
not even Christ has been raised. 17And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.

18Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ
have perished. 19If in Christ we have hope in this life only,
we are of all people most to be pitied.

20But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead,...