0 Easter

Its Easter again. More than the bunnies, the eggs and the hunt, what does Easter really mean?

According to my research, Easter was originally a pagan celebration of renewal and rebirth, honoring the pagan Saxon goddess Eastre. Since it fell around the same time as Christ's resurection, they merged the idea when they converted the Saxons.

Well, for christians, Easter symbolizes Jesus' triumph over death and the fulfillment of His promise to us. His resurrection symbolizes the eternal life that is granted to all who believe in Him. What does this mean to us? How does this affect us? How can we live a new life in Jesus?

According to Colossians 3:1-10,
 

Colossians 3:1-10


For us to be able to live a new life, We should set our HEARTS and our MINDS on things above.

1. Put to death the sinful life
2. Rid yourself
3. Put off the old you and put on the new you


Romans 12:1-2

It is also stated in Romans 12:1-2 That we should not comform to the world but be vigilant enough not to be deceived by evil. In our environment today, we are desensitised by what the media gives us. Sexuality is depicted in movies, tv, print and all other forms. What we see before as immoral have become normal to us. Even kids nowadays know more about sex than people in their 20s or even 30s 10 years before. The media tells us now that one-night stands, casual sex and other kinds of sex without the confines of marriage is enjoyable and is normal. Everyone is doing it, so why wouldnt you?

But here is a question I'll throw at you: after all that you did, after all that has happened, is it all worth it?


1 Thessalonians 4:3-7

 Contrary to what most people believe, God is not against sex. In fact, God is the author of the union between man and woman (Gen 2:24) but God wants people to enjoy sex under the confines of marriage, with ONE partner. God gave definite guidelines about sex in the bible but that is a broader topic and I will not tackle that in this blogpost.


1 Peter 2:24

Jesus died for us on the cross. He was the sacrificial lamb, pure and without sin, so that we, people full of sin, may be able to enter the kingdom of God. In old testament people who sinned should offer to God a sacrifice in the altar for the attonement of their sins, usually a lamb. The sacrifice animal should have no blemish or abnormality.

Romans 4:25



1 Peter 2:9-10

Because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, we bacame part of the kingdom of God. Imagine if Jesus gave up halfway through His suffering? He can do that you see. What if he thought that everything He did would be all in vain and that the very reason He is suffering for does not acknowledge Him?

1 John 1:9

So how will we be able to get back with God? Start by having your personal relationship with Him. Read His word. Confess all your sins and accept that you are nothing without Him. That no matter how successful, how powerful and how rich you are, without God, you are nothing. You are just a speck of dirt on the face of the planet. Admit that there is a longing deep inside you and that longing is a longing for a deeper relationship with God. Surround yourself with people who have the same longing that you have. Be in good company.

0 Good Friday

bits and pieces of what transpired this good friday.

I woke up at around 6 in the morning with thoughts of running in greenhills. Figured that it was still early to go out ( I will run alone so I was kinda scared to go out :P ) so I slept again.

woke up at around 8 in the morning. Perfect time. Got up, prepared and went out the door.

Normal route was take a jeepney to wilson, jog from wilson to greenhills then run around depending on my mood how many times then jog from greenhills to wilson and ride a jeepney home.

As I think I mentioned in my other blogpost, running makes me think about many things in my life and also get a glimpse of what people are doing in their everyday lives.

Thought number 1:

because lately I have been used to running at night, I had no idea that the sun at 8am can be so hot. And I'm not being maarte here. I used to run before at 8am and the sun is not that hot. by hot here im not saying about the tolerable-healty-for-your skin hot. more like the 12nn-skin-cancer-nakakaitim type of hot. At 8AM! what happened? because of summer? global warming? ozone layer thinning and thinning by the minute? imagine what will happen 10 years from now? extreme hotness? ookayy.. panic mode here.. brain turned on hyperdrive. seriously though, by the trend we are seeing, it is definitely getting hotter and hotter as the years go by. what will happen to our planet 5, 10, 15 years from now? will the fall of mankind start? will the earth cease to exist? will zombies begin to evolve? everything is possible right?

anyway, next time I run in the morning, I will put on sunblock. I think I turned one to two shades darker because of yesterday. Not that I care about that though. I'm more concerned about having skin cancer. and yes, thats how paranoid I am.

Thought number 2:

On the way to greenhills, many people I pass by says 'Hi' or people from cars blow their horns and smile or wave at you. Usually, I get irritated by this unwanted attention. Like, why cant people just leave me alone and get on with their lives. I had many scary stories from similar incidents so I'm still kinda scared and cautious towards people, mostly from guys.  So when this particular person greeted me, I was surprised because I had this sudden urge to smile at him. Like someone was telling me to do that. That person was a security guard from Greenhills west by the way. So when I smiled at him he said 'jogging maam? ingat po kayo.' I was speechless. so I just nod and said thanks. In that incident, I realized that generalizing or stereotyping people is not healthy. Why avoid people because of just one, two or three incidents that happened? incidents that made you lose hope in mankind altogether. Everyone is different. Because of avoiding people due to past incidents, you also lose the chance to meet good people. People that will change your thinking about the negativity of people.

Because of that particular incident, I'm now trying to be more open towards other people. Of course, you still need to be cautious because you may never know. baka pakitang tao lang ang pinapakita sayo. Still, just try to give your trust on others more. :)

Thought number 3:

Good friday. best day to reflect about your spiritual life. where am I with my relationship with my Heavenly Father? Am I living my life according to His purpose in me? Am I being a good example to other people and do they see God in my life? I know I'm not perfect. Well, nobody is. But I'm trying my best. Still, I think what I'm doing now is not enough. Sometimes I fail and give in and let negative thoughts to permeate through my brain. Sometimes getting the best of me. But I know that God is with me and never will He abandon me or forsake me. Thats how much He loves me, His daughter, His princess.

More or less, these are the things that occupied my mind during good friday.

Ending this post with a resolution to be more positive towards everything. :)