A Year After

March 6, 2010.

It was a night that wasn't like any other nights that I've experienced before. It did start out pretty normal, but I never knew what was going to happen that night. I already have marked and tagged myself as a version 2.0 of  me. Little did I know I will become indeed a version 2 of me.

You see, March 6, 2010 was the night I have felt something that I've never felt before. It was the night that I cried out and sought Jesus like I never did before. It was the night that He changed my heart. And today marks the very first year since that night.

The verse you see in the picture is the very verse that God has told me to turn to when I get home.

"He began to be in need." is the very verse that showed up when I turned to this verse. The very thing that I was feeling that night that made me turn to something that I have tried to avoid for months. I began to feel in need, and that very moment I turned to prayer. A prayer that made me ask God to show me square 1. And that He did.

I celebrate today with joy and gratefulness in my heart for it is the very day that God have surgically replaced my heart. Truly, that day, I became the version 2 of myself. No longer cold, far and rebellious against God but one that runs towards Him and totally depends on Him on all things.

Now, a year after, I'm still at awe at that very day that I received the joy of my salvation. I don't think no other experience could ever top that. It was the very day that made me just hold on to my bible and not let go of it. And to think, hours before that, opening and reading from it was something that I would have an allergic reaction to. I can't explain the whole feeling of it, but to sum it up, that night truly was refreshing. That night, I would say, I was born again.

"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the spirit" - John 3:5-8 (ESV)

I thank you Jesus for that very day when you came into my life and replaced my heart. I thank you for this new heart, this new life that you have granted me, one that I do not deserve. I know, from my previous actions that I deserve being forsaken by someone as awesome as you, yet you gave me this new heart that is able to see and recognize what you've done to the cross and eventually get into this relationship with you. Get into this very thing where in I would be able to experience the awesomeness that you are. Oh, my mouth that once sputtered filthy words that came from my heart is now replaced with repentance and praise of your Holy name. May I have more of you and less of me as I celebrate this day. I have nothing but love for the one who has given me Love. With my life, I pray that I'll forever give you praise, this I ask through Your Son, Jesus...

Amen.

The Edge of Twenty Five

Twenty five has been a blast, and as I'm hours away from bidding it farewell, I'd want to continue on with tradition. Every year, I find myself recalling bits and pieces and mostly just writing about the year that was, this year, I might be left to write a novel as my 25th year is nothing more but a BLAST!

First I wanna start things off with this verse...

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:17 (ESV)

My 25th year couldn't have started with a surgery. God gave me a new heart (Ezk 36:26) and that is the most awesome gift anyone could ever have. A heart that recognizes God and repents for the things that it has done. I've gone from not knowing anything of the Bible for 24 years being a human being and 8 more years being a Christian, to I can probably tell you everything about Paul's letter to the Romans. Don't get me wrong, I'm not bragging, it's just that I fell toooooo in love with reading and getting to know of Jesus, it just happened.

Reading was one of the biggest turn around this year. "I'd prefer moving pictures" is what I usually say, but I think I spent a fortune building a library of books about God. I could never stop myself from reading these books! I don't know if it's an obsession, but I just couldn't stop knowing of God and wanting to know more about Him. And this... this very desire is the one that I'm most thankful of. By myself? I don't know if I could've done that turnaround myself. The very desire to know of Him, the desire to read, and mostly the desire to repent and get back on track running towards him is something of Him. God I thank you for all of these things and I want to give credit to none other but you for the life that you've given me this past year. It was surely something to write about and something to brag about. And I'm just about to start to blog about this year.

I also thank you Jesus for the new office that you've placed me. It's not because I didn't want to leave the old one, but I guess He really wanted me to leave the old company that I worked with. I'm also thankful to them for the opportunity, and trust, that they gave someone like me. And because of them, I grew professionally and was able to land on the job that I'm working on. It even had a funny story along with it, I think none of my experiences really made me land the job, but one conversation with my boss, he told me specifically that he really wanted to hire me because I was a Christian. During the interview, they were asking me about what kind of leadership skills I got, and as I was running out of experiences to share, then came my experience in leading young guys to the Lord. And so I told myself, what the heck, I'll just blurt it out, I'm leading a life group and part of the youth leadership in our church. This is what I shared during my job interview, and I am surprised that this is what sealed the deal. Big props to you Big G! Now I'm enjoying being busy and doing all these things for the Lord. I've never thought I'd be happy being busy hah!

I thank you Jesus for a renewed and strengthened relationship with my family. Along with God's heart surgery is the sucking out the pride in me. I've walked long enough to think I've got it all together and I am above all things, but throughout this year, experiences and situations lead me to know this. I am nothing apart from Christ (Jn 15:5). I pray that I've been more of a blessing than a scorn to their flesh. I thank God for them, all of them, if not for them I wouldn't be any close to who I am right now. All the love and discipline that I've received from them has truly did its job. God in his ultimate wisdom knew where to place me. I love you guys! :)

Friends, what would I be and where would I be without you guys. I have nothing but love and gratefulness for you guys. You helped me stay together when I was crumbling and helped me stay grounded when I was all high and lofty. You're the awesomest friends anyone could ever have. I thank God in my prayers for you guys, each and every night. You guys are more than a blessing to me and my walk. It's been awesome being your big brother throughout this year and I hope to be more of a blessing to you guys in return. I know we haven't been seeing each other and never been complete together in one day, but I hope that we'd get to hang out like before. You know who you are.

And to you...

I literally have no words to express how grateful I am for you. You're the very proof that God does indeed know my heart more than I do. I can never ask for anyone else. To save the public from cheese, I think it's heatlhy that I'd just email you personally these things. But thank you for a wonderful year and more wonderful years to come. You're truly a blessing to me and surprisingly to my friends as well. :*

I just can't put into words how wonderful this year has been. All I could do is lift my hands in praise and gratefulness to the King that has made sure that all things would work together for His praise. Another lost sheep found, another lost son was brought back home. I thank You for everything.

On to the next one...
26 here I come