My Choice Today

Today I refuse to be stressed about that which is beyond my choice or control.

Much of the past days/weeks were spent researching, writing, editing, printing, and binding the maiden issue of the foundation and school's newsletter, Arise! 

The first 100 copies of the maiden issue of Arise!

I've been sleeping over at the office with teammates so we could spend longer hours working, not only on the newsletter but on other office details as well. We came to a point when we had to drive the for-home-use printer to work 24/7, and six of us arranged our schedules so there's always someone printing at two-hour shifts twice each day. We began to sleep later and later, and wake up earlier and earlier until the final layout was ready for even more printing.

Then everyone else had to be busy with something else, or away, and I was left to print, sort, bind, and worry when the printer refuses to cooperate as deadlines approached without slowing. Needless to say (but I'll say it anyway), all other work was put on hold - encoding, printing, preparation for the next school term, even laundry, among others. Just thinking about the work (and dirty laundry) piling up sent my brain ticking.

Yesterday, we lost the electricity before I could reach the 200 mark. Early last night, the printer stopped printing the black parts. I worried and fretted and fussed and stressed.

But not today. Today the printer stopped working entirely, calling for a reset and manufacturer service. But I am not at all stressed, not a bit. This is God's work and the uncooperative printer is His problem. He has given us grace enough to meet the most urgent of needs - 300 copies of the newsletter have been sent to the Philippine Youth for Christ congress. I was hoping to send 200 more. But that is enough for now. 

One cannot cram everything into one day. Even God chose to take six days to make this world beautiful. 

"Creation did not crash when God rested; it won't crash when you do."

Our basic printer churning out the cover page of the newsletter.
Even this office setup is relatively tidy.Now imagine the floor
with two mattresses and pages upon pages covering every
square foot.

"One day at a time, sweet Jesus. That's all I'm asking from You. Just give me the strength to do everyday what I have to do. Yesterday's gone, sweet Jesus, and tomorrow may never be mine. So help me today; show me the way one day at a time."

So today I choose to smile and be happy, to do the work that lies nearest at hand, to "do [it] heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men," and to leave tomorrow's worries where they belong - to tomorrow.

Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day [is] the evil thereof. Matthew 6:34 

Today I'm refusing to be stressed by anything. Printer stopped working? Good. I'll have time to wash the dishes, tidy up this office a little, encode a few documents, organize some files, finally call the technician (for the other abused copier), do some meditative reading (because it's easy to get caught up in the work of the Lord that we forget the Lord of the work), say hello to workmates who are suddenly no longer just motion blurs, drool over high-end, high-volume printers on the internet, and maybe even do a little laundry. 

God is merciful in that He sees the needs I could not see (or have been neglecting), and makes a way to meet them. 'Our heavenly Father has a thousand ways to provide for us, of which we know nothing." {DA 330}. And a blackout and an uncooperative printer are just two of them.

The Arise! Editorial staff in uniform shirts and eyebags from
the late nights/very early mornings. Praise God that there's
always joy in His service.

One For the Road

I found something pretty on my way to to the office down the hill today. See how there are six petals on one blossom? All the others had only five.

Yesterday, it was this calf that was apparently born just a few minutes before I came along. If you look close enough, you could see the placenta just beyond where the cows are. The mommy cow was really protective and got mad when I tried to pass. My heart skipped several beats when she attempted to charge at me thrice.

I follow this path at least once every day, and I thank the Lord for preparing something new and special for me every single time - a new thought,  clearer understanding, the green of the rice fields. the colors of the sunset sky, a friend to walk with, the scent of leaves, the other day my own shadow. So many things.

I could almost see Him point to a tiny blossom and excitedly say, "Look, love. This one opened today. It's for you. Ain't it pretty?" 

Then I get so excited about what else is in store for me along the way that I travel day by day, what else He almost can't wait to share with me.

He isn't just a God who sustains me and provides for me. He's someone who wants me to know joy and beauty in things both simple and profound. 

And what can David say more unto thee? for thou, Lord GOD, knowest thy servant.  For thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all these great things, to make thy servant know [them]. Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for [there is] none like thee, neither [is there any] God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.  

  2 Samuel 7:20-22

and His promise:

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.  Jeremiah 33:3

I just love being a child of the King. Don't you too?

For My Lord, this morning....

I COME TO BE BROKEN

I come to be broken

As clay in my Potter's hands.

I come to cry and to suffer

For things I'd later understand.

So break me, my Maker and God;

I come to be undone.

Make me pure and whole again.

Lord, I come. I come.

11022014

Vigan