Earlier today, I saw stickers placed on most of the tables in the Human Resources department. I couldn’t remember the exact quote that was printed on the stickers, but, I remember reading something like this: “I like who I am. I am great in what I do…”
I laughed and thought to myself: “Yes naman, para ma-motivate ang employees! hahaha.” But after looking at the sticker again, I realized that the words we read and hear really do change the way we view things, others, and ourselves. These words surely affect our thoughts and our behavior.
from Google Images
This Thursday’s tune, “Words”, is indeed one of the many convicting and, at the same time, encouraging songs I’ve heard in my life. Every time I listen to it, I am humbled and reminded to watch the words that I read and say, since I know that they would influence me and others in different ways. But more importantly, I am encouraged to guard my mouth (which means guarding my mind and heart too) because I know that this would bring honor to God. :)
Psalm 19:14
“May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”
One of my favorite moments in the morning is when our dog, Copper, tries his best to wake me up so we can go for a walk outside. Usually, he would do this by constantly licking my hands and/or pushing my legs using his furry, front paws. Of course, because of his cuteness, I always end up getting out of my bed early in the morning, finding his leash, and asking him this question: “Copper, do you want to walk?”
I love asking him this question because his response always makes me smile. He would vigorously wag his tail, run in circles, sprint with all his might towards the main door, and sometimes, he would even slightly scratch my legs out of his excitement. He loves it so much that whenever he would hear one of us say the word “walk” (or anything that rhymes with walk) in our conversations, he would assume that we would take him out for a walk.
I really don’t know what goes on in his mind whenever we walk outside. But, every time I get the chance to do so, I take it and enjoy it. There’s just something nice about spending time with the dog I love and seeing him enjoy the walk too. I get to know what spots he usually marks; what he loves to sniff at; how he interacts with other dogs and people around him; what excites him; what brings him fear (e.g. huge dogs, light from flashlights/cars); what makes him angry (e.g. stray cats, angry dogs); and I even get to see how he reacts to a dog he likes.
Copper and his crush, Rain
One time, I was watching a video of Copper that I took (see video below) and it showed his delightful response to my question: “Do you want to walk?” And while I was replaying and enjoying it, I told God: “Lord, why is Copper so cute? He knows the word “walk” and he gets excited whenever he hears it!”
And at that moment, God spoke to my heart and showed me the similarity that it had with our relationship with Him. I looked at myself and wondered if I also show the same excitement whenever God asks me the question: “Hey Nic, do you want to walk with Me?” It was a humbling moment for me because I knew that sometimes, I would prefer to do something else than spend more time with God and His Word.
It says in Galatians 5:16 “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”
After that time, little by little, God helped me to remove the things that hinder me from spending time with Him (distractions, pride, laziness, etc.). Also, He continued to encourage me to walk with Him through prayer and His Word every day. It was amazing because He always reminded me of His love for me (even during discouraging days) and it motivated me to know Him and walk with Him more.
Journal from last year
Walking with Copper now gives me a different kind of joy because whenever I ask him if he wants to walk and I see his happy response, I am reminded of how God is pleased too whenever we choose to walk and spend more time with Him each day. Have we been spending quality time with God and His word this week? :)
Earlier today, I treated myself with a Fillet Mignon from one of the restaurants in megamall. I actually planned on eating a steak this weekend because I wanted to satisfy my craving for juicy meat. Since my siblings had other plans after the church service and I didn’t, I decided to buy the steak and go home immediately.
While I was driving home, all I could think of was how good the steak would taste like. As soon as I could, I prepared my late lunch and took my first bite. After a few seconds of chewing on the juicy piece of meat, I thought to myself, “Umm.. Is it just me or is the flavor of the steak kind of… bland.” I ended up getting disappointed with the dish. It wasn’t what I expected. It wasn’t worth the money. It wasn’t good enough for me, even when I added more spices to it.
But, somehow, in spite of my ungrateful and proud heart, God took that moment to speak to me. Through Him, I realized that maybe the chef who prepared that dish had a special purpose for it. Maybe, he’s used to creating dishes with mild flavors. Or maybe, other customers would like mild-seasoned steaks more. I realized that I shouldn’t let my disappointments hinder me from having a grateful heart. I was having steak for lunch and that was something I can thank God for. :)
After eating, I spent the rest of the afternoon browsing through my old journals and I read my entries last January 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012 for a special reason. And it was interesting because when I went through my journal last January 12, 2012, I read a lesson that God taught me when I was dining in one of the restaurants in megamall. The funny thing about it was that the restaurant I mentioned in my journal last year was the same restaurant that I went to a while ago, when I bought the steak.
Photo taken last January 2012
I wrote:
“The moment I got in this restaurant, I noticed the messy, broken, seemingly undone and ugly brick walls around. While I was waiting for my drink, I thought about the walls and realized that the owner of the restaurant really designed and made the walls the way they are right now for a special purpose. Maybe, he wanted them to reflect the place where the restaurant originated from (with matching foreign music playing in the background)..
In spite of the chipped walls, hardened drippings of cement, and partial white painted walls, I somehow began to appreciate the walls when I look at them through a panoramic view. It’s like I’m actually in the country where this restaurant came from. :) Thank You, Lord, because in the same way, You are showing me that it’s so easy for me to look at myself and others and see only the “ugly” things in our lives. It’s so easy for me to dwell on thoughts and think of how I’ll never be good enough or never have enough in this life (similar to these walls.)
Photo taken last January 2012... with my mango shake. :P
But, just like how these walls were carefully made by the owner, I know that You have beautifully created us for a purpose and You’ve given deep thought to every detail in our lives. You remind me to continue looking at my life (and others’ lives) through Your eyes; through the “panoramic view” and see Your goodness and beauty. Definitely, You are more than enough for me, Jesus. Thank You for the encouragement. :)”
Psalm 139:13 “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
I couldn’t believe it. God somehow connected what I learned today to what He taught me last January 2012… concerning the same restaurant.
Indeed, even though I got disappointed with the Fillet Mignon I ordered today, I am encouraged to look at the dish through the eyes of the chef who made it and appreciate it for what it is. Maybe it is the chef’s specialty… or maybe it is not. :P Nonetheless, I thank God for the dish and for the privilege of learning through it. :)
“Today is not my day.” I’ve heard myself murmur this statement a lot of times a while ago because I made mistakes at work. Although these mistakes weren’t major ones and my colleagues were very gracious to me, I was still bothered by my carelessness today.
While I was on my way to the restroom in the office, I found myself singing one of my favorite songs when I was younger: “’cause you had a bad day. You’re taking one down. You sing a sad song just to turn it around…”
Photo taken a few years ago
And somehow, God caught my attention and reminded of the verses in the Bible that I read before going to work. It is actually my “life passage”:
It says in Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
And it hit me. I saw how I was so concerned with myself that I forgot about God and His character. I was giving in to the idea of having “bad days”, when in fact, there really are no bad days because of God’s goodness.
from tharderdesign.blogspot.com
I thought to myself, “Why am I so disheartened? I made mistakes and I can’t turn back time and change what I did. But, by God’s grace, I know that I can learn from them and improve more in the future.”
I realized that there really was something wrong with the statement: “Today is not my day.” because it’s really not about ME. :)
Right then and there, I thanked God and confessed about how I chose not to trust in Him in those simple moments. I thanked Him even for the mistakes that I’ve made because I know that He can still use those to help me grow as an employee and be excellent for Him. :)
On my way home, I decided to change the song that was playing in my head to “Center of It” by Chris August. This song encourages me a lot to remember that God’s character never changes no matter what situation we are in. He is and will forever be good and faithful. :)
My name is Nicole Obligacion and I started this blog because I was inspired by Hebrews 10:24 and Hebrews 3:13. I love to eat, cook, bake, read the Bible, and encourage. :)
