Unpretty (TLC)

I used to watch TLC's official music video here:<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcgM_cFyDuA>. But it is now blocked from Philippine viewers due to copyright grounds, so I have to settle with the one above (audio and lyrics only). I was still able to view the official video last week. I was then surprised by the significant increase in the number of views. The reason: younger audiences became interested in it because the teen-oriented TV series Glee featured it's own version of Unpretty.

There were several vignettes of stories in the original TLC video. What's portrayed in one of the more prominent vignettes are the emotional pains of the ladies caused by the pressure to look beautiful according to the standards of the men they love. Women do all their best to look pleasing in the eyes of their partners yet they always fall short of the standard set by magazine models and TV stars. Hence, ladies' hearts are broken feeling unpretty.

Brothers, let us serve as instruments in building up the faith of our sisters. We have to pull them away from worldly standards and direct them to a biblical view of beauty. Could we commit our selves to give less compliments for our sisters' physical features and commend them more for their pursuit of Christlikeness?

Many of our sisters are spiritually weak; they often succumb to ungodly influences. They need us to remind them that physical beauty will be here today and gone tomorrow. Let us tell them that what matters most is how they appear in God's sight.

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." (1 Peter 3:3-4)

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised." (Proverbs 31:30)

GUEST POST: A Life of Prayer

by Sheryll O. Yap

Her preferred introduction: 

"Sheryll is a Young Adults Ministry volunteer of Soli Deo Gloria Christian Ministries in Davao City. She is also a government worker  in her non-spare time"

Photo Credit: Homemaker in Progress

A Life Prayer
April 7,2007

The Lord taught me to pray:
"Lord whatever may happen to me,
may I never forget
who You are in my life."

When He lifts me up before the eyes of men
When His favor makes me a blessing to others
And I am tempted to take the credit for myself,
I remember who He is in my life,
That apart from Him I am nothing,
Then my pride is crushed
and am humbled before Him.

When I am afraid and want to run away
When terror seem to eat me up
And I cannot move..
I remember who He is in my life
and I am calmed
For the Lord is my refuge
I shall not be shaken.

When I am discouraged and bowed down
And laid low in the dust because of my sins,
When I feel most unworthy to serve Him
Especially before the eyes of men
I remember who He is in my life
And I am renewed--
For the Lord chose me not because I was good
But only because of His mercy and grace.

When I feel so weary and long to depart
When the struggle I have to face
Seem to come up over me
I remember who He is in my life
And I am restored.
For it is He who gives me wisdom
and the strength to move on.

Lord, who are You in my life?
You have become everything to me
Ever since the time
when you showed me Your love
You have made me treasure it above all
...above all pain
...above all tears
...above all sorrows
...above all joys
...above everything.

For when I see the Son I tremble
Not with terror but with awe
I wonder how You could include me
When You hung upon that tree.
Who am I that You should love me?
Who am I that I should be spared?
You don't need me, O God,
You don't need me.
And yet You have loved me
And cared for me as Your own.

How I long for the day
When Your purpose for my life
Will be accomplished
When the mission You have assigned
For me is done.
For it is then, I know,
You shall take me to be with You
To make me finally see
the God of my life.
On that blessed day with the saints
I shall say before You:

"Thank You, O God, for always reminding me
Who You really are in our lives."

Amen and amen.

"Kapag binato ka ng bato, batuhin mo ng Tinapay" VS. "Lintik lang ang walang ganti"

Basahin muna: Genesis 50:15-21

Dalawang kasabihang magkasalungat ang mensahe. Ang una'y mahirap gawin. Ang pangalawa'y natural sa makasalanang tao. Pero bakit nagawa ni Joseph ang una? Siya na ipinagbili ng kanyang mga kapatid bilang kalakal; Siya na naging alipin sa Ehipto; siya na nabilanggo nang walang katarungan; siya na sa loob ng maraming taon ay nagdusa sa sakit ng damdamin at lungkot ng pag-iisa. Paano niya nagawang gantihan ng kabutihan ang lahat ng kasamaang ginawa sa kanya?

Siyempre, kasama diyan yung kanyang pananaw na ang Diyos na may kontrol sa lahat ng naganap ay may mabuting layunin. Kayang-kaya ng Diyos na baligtarin ang masamang hangarin ng tao para sa kabutihan (Genesis 50:20).

Bukod diyan, isa ring dahilan ang kanyang pagkakilala sa Diyos bilang Tanging Hukom. Sagot niya sa pag-aalinlangan ng kanyang mga kapatid, "Am I in the place of God?' (verse 19) Para sa kanya, ang Diyos lamang ang nasa posisyon upang magbigay katarungan. Hindi nararapat na ilagay natin ang batas sa ating sariling kamay. Kung kailangang sungkitin ang mata ng tao, ang nagbigay ng mata ang siyang may karapatang manungkit. Kung kailangang putulin ang daliri ng tao, ang pinagmulan ng daliri ang may karapatang pumutol. Kung kailangan pumatak ang dugo, ang nagkaloob ng dugo ang siyang dapat magpapatak nito. Kung kailangang kitilin ang buhay ng tao, ang may bigay ng buhay ang siyang may karapatang magpataw ng parusang kamatayan.

Romans 12:19-20

¹⁹ Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. ²⁰ On the contrary:

   “If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
   if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” (NIV)

If wrath is needed, it must not come from sinful beings like us but from the one who remains perfectly holy even in his expression of wrath.

Earth's City Lights

Click HERE for larger image

Matagal-tagal na rin ang pagkakagawa ng imaheng nasa itaas subalit kamakailan ko lang ito namasdan. Gamit ang satellite, ito ay pinagtagpi-tagping mga kuha ng larawan upang maipakita ang liwanag at dilim sa iba't ibang panig ng daigdig sa oras ng gabi.

Sa mga mauunlad na lungsod, kitang-kita ang ningning ng mga ilaw. Matingkad na kadiliman naman sa mga kagubatan at disyerto ng Africa. Natural na madilim din sa Antartica kasi wala namang taong nakatira doon maliban sa mga scientist na nananaliksik.

May tuldok ng liwanag sa gitna ng Palawan kaya nasabi ko sa aking sarili, "Ah! yun siguro ang Puerto Princesa!"

Sa Asya, walang papantay sa Japan. Mula dulong hilaga hanggang dulong timog, nakakasilaw ang liwanag.

Sumagi lang sa aking isip, hindi lang naman industriyalisasyon at pag-usbong ng ekonomiya ang palatandaan ng pagpapala ng Diyos sa mga bansa. Maunlad nga ang Japan subali't ayon sa datos ng Joshua Project:

• 1.56% lang ng populasyon ang professing Christians (kasama na diyan ang mga Romano Katoliko, Greek Orthodox, at sari-saring mga kulto)
• 0.5% lang ng populasyon ang professing Evangelical
• 67.6% sa kanila, ni walang access sa pakikinig sa ebanghelyo.

Sa mapa ay kitang-kita rin ang liwanag ng mga mauunlad na lungsod sa Europa; subalit ayon sa 2005 Eurostat Eurobarometer Poll, hindi maikakaila na dilim ang naghahari doon. Ang mga naniniwalang may Diyos ay

• anim lamang sa bawat sampung katao sa Espanya
• lima lamang sa bawat sampu sa Germany
• apat lamang sa bawat sampu sa United Kingdom
• tatlo lamang sa bawat sampu sa France
• dalawa lamang sa bawat sampu sa Sweden

Kung meron lang sanang satellite na may kakayahang kumuha ng mga larawan ng ispirituwal na liwanag, makikita na ang pagpapala ng Diyos ay nasa mga dako kung saan nananahan ang kanyang mga tunay na anak. Kung nasaan ang mga sumasampalataya kay Hesus, naroon ang liwanag.

Eph. 5:8
"for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light" (ESV)

Phi. 2:15
"that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,

John 8:12
"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Matt. 5:14-16
"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

Things that Have Not Changed Before and After the Flood

The Revised and Expanded version of this post is found HERE.