PLANTING AND HARVESTING IN THE GARDEN OF YOUR LIFE....

Inspiration:   Matthew 6:24-34

I have a little garden right beside my room, around two by three meters in size. This used to be very barren until I started to put one single plant…

Then, my sister gave me two plants from her garden, then my best friend gave me four plants from her Mom’s garden…and so on…Right now, there are several plants in it. 

I take care of them together with God and my best friend. I even made a small bench where we could sit, experience and enjoy the garden. It’s where I meditate every morning. At times, I do my Scripture reflection there, listen to music, read, release my tension…

This garden was once barren. It grew from nothing to something in partnership with God…Now I don’t know what your situation is in your life…

May be you have frustrations and blocks with your dreams, or problems, and there seem to be nothing going on, your life is barren…but just plant one seed at a time, be patient, be hopeful and make God your partner…one day, your life will not be barren anymore, success will grow…Trust God and...

Just make sure you don’t leave God out of it…ever…   
Have an Abundant and Fruitful Future!

- luisadelacruz

WE MISS THE POINT...

In Matthew 7:7-12, this caught my attention: 

“Ask, and you will receive; 

seek, and you will find; 

knock, and the door will be opened to you…” 

Often we miss a point here. 

We are fond of doing just the asking and receiving. We don’t want to take much effort to seek opportunities and knock at their doors…We like things to happen in a snap and we expect them to just fall in front of us from heaven…the easy way….

Why else would lotto or game shows where thousands and millions of prizes click even if they offer slim chances of winning? They are the easy ways to material wealth…

We miss the point....

Jesus mentioned 3 things:       Ask…Seek…Knock…

We speak…We act…We take courage…

If we do all these, not just one…but all, together with faith that God is a loving Father who listens when we speak, sees our effort and good intention when we seek, and acknowledges our courage to knock at the door…imagine what will happen to your life…

Pagsasabi sa Diyos + Pagkilos + Pagsisikap + Pagtitiwala sa Diyos = Bukas, magkakabunga yan ng hitik na hitik….           

(Asking God + Action + Perseverance + Faith in God = Bountiful fruits to harvest tomorrow)

Fervent Heart!   

- luisadelacruz

THE FLOWER

This morning God surprised me!

He gave me a bright red pretty flower, blooming right before my eyes.
Haaay, si God talaga! So sweet!

Months ago, this five fingers plant was less than 6 inches, now she’s 3 feet. A few days ago, I noticed a big green bud. Wow! I was so excited, I thought yesterday, still 2-3 days will pass before she blooms!

But this morn, woooow! There she is, the petals are visible and she started to yawn, now she is a 4-inch diameter red flower with yellow pollen on the center.

These last 3 months, God said to me, “Be still, study and learn.” That’s what I do now. God is helping me to be patient. Waiting for His timing for me to grow my buds and bloom them into beautiful flowers.

Like St. Paul (Colossians 1:24-2:23), he made his own sacrifices to see his flowers bloom in the Church he served….

At times, we may not understand what's happening, but God’s timing is not man’s timing….God’s purpose is beyond ours….But God is the only One whom we can entrust our life. He knows when and how to make it beautiful like the flower, just trust Him! Promising Future!

-luisadelacruz

MY LITTLE GARDEN - by my window

            Tuesday last week, I came back home from the province of my best friend. Her Mom gave me four kinds of plants. One of which was a flowering plant they called “alas quatro.” When I saw its flowers in her garden, I was attracted to them. I found them beautiful. She said that by 4:00 p.m., these flowers always fold. Cool! 

The next morning, I did some gardening in the ample space by my window. I cleaned it, tilled the soil and removed some potted plants. Then I planted the plants I brought back with me. I spread out the “alas quarto.” I envisioned this space later to be filled with them and with flowers as time would go along. I was so excited and looking forward to that day. But for now, I had to be patient and take care of my little garden by my window.

 

You know what I did? Morning and night I said good morning and good evening to my plants. I also told them that I loved them and God loved them more than I did. I always thanked God for the gift of them and I let them hear that. 

There is life in them. I believe they have sensitivity enough to feel that love.

 

Friday morning, I was so filled with joy! Why? Oh, I saw three buds. Wow! My heart really leaped with joy! A little while later, as I closely watched them, I saw the three opened up and bloomed into cute, tiny, beautiful flowers right before my very eyes! A double wow for me! Clap! Clap! Clap! I was truly joyful! I was bubbling with it when I told my best friend about it. Oh, how thankful was I to God! I always smiled and was filled with excitement every time my eyes laid on them and when I remember them.

Around past 3:00 p.m., the three flowers started to fold. By past 4:00 p.m., they were withering. The next day, I was still excited to see my flowers, but they were gone. Oh, I was expecting them to unfold and show their beauty again. Well, I thought, “Maybe the heavy rain brought by the storm “Falcon” we were having affected them. I was still hopeful though because as I looked closely, there were other buds still to bloom in the days to come.

Yesterday morning, just three days after this wonderful experience I had, I was watering my plants. Then I noticed two buds about to come out, just like little babies being born and waking up to the morning of this world. Wow! I immediately got the camera, took shots from time to time. Yes! Right before my very eyes again, I saw the two bloomed. Super wow! Clap! Clap! Clap! I took their pictures just like a proud mom lovingly taking pictures of her little children.

The flowers were awesome! By past 3:00 p.m., guess what happened….The two flowers folded. By past 4:00 p.m., they were withering. But I noticed something, There was a bud starting to bloom. Wow! Talk about the mystery of life, huh?!? 

This morning, as I checked on them, the two flowers were almost gone. So it was not the rain, but it was the cycle of their life. But I’m still thankful for the joy they brought me. I’m also excited because the other bud was starting to bloom. And guess what? I saw another bud about to bloom. That was really cool! Clap! Clap! Clap! 

As of now my garden is not that beautiful yet, but in it, if I will just look closely, there is beauty. There is life, and a future full of hope and captivating view.

Life is like my little garden by my window. At times, we see life as dull, so ordinary, nothing exciting going on. There were experiences we had from childhood until now that left scars of hurts and sufferings. Sometimes, we want a different life or we don’t like the people around us. Anger, disappointments, frustrations, and other negative emotions eat us up.

But like my little garden, if we look closely, our lives have beauty in them….Your life has so many wonderful things and people in there that can give you joy. Like the storm that my garden had, it may look like a bad weather destroying my flowers, but as I look back, the rain helped them lived, considering I had traveled for around five hours from the province with them and I just replanted them. Your troubles, your rains in your life add up to your inner strength. The lessons you have learned from them makes you wiser in facing your future. New hope is always born out of them.

Like the dying of my flowers and the coming of new buds, there will be something new in your life….always….guaranteed! Why do I say that with confidence? Because like what I did with my plants in my little garden, God is doing the same to you. He takes care of you. He never ceases to reach out to you and show you His love. He watches over you, talks to you, caress you. You are so precious to Him.

He said in Isaiah 46:3-4, “….I have cared for you from the time you were born. I Am your God and will take care of you until you are old and your hair is gray. I made you and will care for you; I will give you help and rescue you.”

Surely, there will always be an experience of life and death that will happen to you. There will always be a storm that you will have to face in your life. This is a reality that will definitely be there to come and go in different faces. But what will keep you strong? Who will keep you going?

Jesus commanded the wind, “Be quiet!” and He said to the waves, “Be still!” The wind died down and there was great calm. This happened when He was on a boat with His disciples in the midst of the storm when they were so terribly afraid. Their boat was almost filled up with water and when that would happen, they would drown. But Jesus was so calm. His disciples were amazed that even the wind and the waves obeyed Him. (see Mark 4:35-41, TEV)

Jesus can keep you going. Your faith and trust in Him can keep you strong. As He calmed the storm in this situation, He can quiet down the storms in your life.

Like my little garden, your life right now may not seem beautiful for you, yet. But God is not finish with you and your life. As long as you are still breathing, there is new hope each morning for you, a new beginning to make your life beautiful, a future filled with joy. You just have to look closely and discover the beautiful flowers of blessings in it. I’m pretty sure you will find many. It’s just a matter of looking at your life in a different perspective and a positive way. 

 If you put your trust in Jesus, if you allow Him to take care with you ….the garden of your life….one day….yes, one day….you will see your life so wonderfully filled with beautiful flowers of experiences and blessings, yet to come….as one goes, one comes….You will have a blooming future because God is always lovingly taking care of you as He promised….as you believe….

Click video below to see more pictures and inspiration 
of "My Little Garden - by my window"

-luisadelacruz

MY FIRST BABY . . . .

“Soon you will experience labor pains. It’s your baby!” A friend told me this. She is right! It’s hard and painful . . . .nerve wrecking and exciting!

Oh! For those who know me, don’t be shocked. I’m still single for the Lord, yes! So how come I have a baby and experiencing this now? ;-) My friend is referring to my first book: “The Essence of the Word-How to be Friends with Your Bible”



May 2005, God revealed to me that I would be a preacher and a writer. Yeah, right! I’m a Fine Arts graduate and a licensed architect. Preacher, huh? Writer?

But still, if God says so, then who am I to argue. I just let it be and allowed Him to do His thing in my heart and my life. I went where He led me. He equipped me. I began to share my experiences with God. Those sharing became talks. I began to develop talks then later workshops and a recollection.

I also write my sharing and just email some of them until I got tapped to become one of the writers in an English and tagalong version of a daily Scriptural reference guide.

Two years ago, I began to conceptualize a book. I got inspired by God and my friends. The busyness of life hindered me to finish it and there are frustrations that developed in me . . . . Hmmm, come to think of it, I thank this block now. Why? No, I’m not crazy. Because now, is God’s timing for my book.

I’m bolder now, more courageous, I have more friends and acquaintances. My situation is better than before, even my perspective. God had prepared me well. Why?

Because, like a pregnant woman, I’m having my labor pains. The preparations for my book was a mixture of emotion and full of prayers. I always ask God for guidance. I even asked for an editor in line with my heart and a printer/publisher that will be of good service and in line with what I need. God gave me both. I asked His help for the financial provision. He gave me that, too.

Now, my first book is published. Wow! I gave birth. I am also experiencing the hassles and pains of a Mom after her child was born. How will the people accept it? How about it’s marketing? Of course, as there is black and white, there is acceptance and rejection, both I have to deal and face.

But you know what . . . . in all that I’m going through, God never left my side and He makes me feel His support all the way. Where I can’t reach out, He will. What I can’t do, He does. It’s a great partnership. He sends people to help me. He guides and inspires me on what to do. He feeds me ideas and encourages me to act.

When I’m down, He lifts me up. He reaches out to people. A friend’s friend in Germany ordered 100 copies, my sister sold 70 copies in one occasion, just a few unexpected marketing of God. On October 10, my baby will be one month old, we have sold more than 500 copies already.

But you know what gives me joy above all else? Four things:

One, the proceeds of my book will help orphanages and other ministries for the Lord. Yes, through it I can help the poor in need. This is a dream come true for me. It’s really a joy for me.

Two, my book can help people grow spiritually by loving God’s Word and God Himself. My baby can help the reader get closer to God. She can open doors of personal, intimate relationship between God and His beloved children.

Three, through my baby, I’m preaching even to people I do not know and who do not know me. I may not even see them nor meet them ever but somehow God had used me to touch them and help bring them to Him. Even if I die now, My baby will go on living in the shelves and preaching people even of future generations.

Four, the most I value, my baby is my love for my beloved God. I believe I put a smile on His face through her. My book suggests to people how to be friends with the Word of God, how to go on loving her and how to share her. If the suggestions are followed by the readers, they will end up developing that closer relationship with God and thus loving God more. This is the ultimate purpose of my first born . . . .

Just one soul that my book will touch . . . . just one soul that will be closer to God through her . . . . I can die now and be so filled with joy . . . .

My first born: “The Essence of the Word-How to be Friends with Your Bible” yes, labor pains are just part of it, I’m excited to where God will bring me and my baby . . . . May He be glorified through her to the ends of the world and of time.

How God wants to let people know how much He yearns to be close to us . . . . for our own sake . . . . May we respond and have that deep longing for Him in our hearts . . . .


-luisadelacruz

SLICE OF LIFE

One time, I was peeling a green Indian mango. I have another one on the container waiting to be peeled. With it were two reddish tomatoes. As I gradually let the teeth of the knife slide over the mango, it’s a bit yellow color appeared. Wow! Looks delicious!

As I removed all the green skin, I diced it all over with the knife, then sliced it. Now I got little cubes of mango on a tiny bowl. I did the same with the other.

I got the two tomatoes, let the teeth of the knife go through them as I diced them, too. I put together the mangoes and the tomatoes. I put some bagoong. Mixed them. Ummmm, yummy! This is very delicious combined with fried fish.

In peeling the mango, a thought came to me. It’s like the change we want in our life. Drastic change most of the times bring a sharp teeth of knife that peels off our emotions, mind, heart, spirit, our very being . . . our life . . . and so much more.

Why? Well, for major change to happen to us . . . we need to give up things that we are so used to. We get to sacrifice our comfort zone. Yeap! The comforts we so love because we feel safe in there and so cozy. We are familiar of all its corners. Yaiks! For change to happen, we’ve got to step out of it!

Change is full of unknowns that we don’t want to face. But if we want to taste the delicious side of life that it can bring us . . . we allow the knife to skin us and remove the garbage and the things that need change within us and in our lifestyle. We also allow it to slice our life so we can find out the beauty waiting for us. Ouch!

Yes, there are ouches . . . but you’ll find sooner or later, they are worth it. The combination of all the unknowns can turn out into several successes, big or small. Then, voila! You can now enjoy the delicious blessings of life through change . . . that God has been offering to you since time immemorial.

Well, if we will not take a deep breath . . . haaay! . . . and act on it, we will never know . . . No pain, no gain, my friend! It’s never too late for anyone to change!

Success is not the absence of problems and challenges, but it is stepping forward in spite of their presence in your path . . . Happy Change!

-luisadelacruz