Moving on from Brokenness to Breakthrough and Victory

Concepts were hard to understand on my first month as a trainee in news writing (25 years ago) but there were few important things that I have absorbed immediately in writing a news report. Ask basic questions: “5 Ws” (What, Who, When, Why, and Where). Little did I know that these same questions are very much applicable as a person goes through the different seasons of life. I have always understood moving on as something that requires a tremendous effort in order to reach a greater or better state in life. 

Specifically, I would like to discuss moving on from brokenness to breakthrough and victory. And these questions are crucial: 

 1. What does God want you to learn from this state of brokenness? God is never the author and source of evil and misfortunes and yet He allows them to come your way in order for you to learn and understand things in a profound way, to be more mature and to grow in your relationship with Him as you go through these tests and challenges. Cliché as it may sound, but experience is really the best teacher. How can you testify that God is the Great Provider if you have not gone through a season in your life wherein you are in need or deficient? How can you say that God is the Ultimate Healer if you are always in the pink of health? How can you agree with others that God is the Comforter if you are always living a life of happiness and contentment? You can only understand the character of God and your position before Him if you have truly experienced Him and His power over your life.

 2. Who are the people that you need to turn to for help as you go through this season of your life? No man is an island. You cannot live a meaningful life apart from others. You cannot overcome challenges all by yourself. God designed you first and foremost to praise and worship Him and give glory and honor to His name. Secondary to this, you need to journey with people around you and live at peace with all men. In a period of brokenness, you need to open up your heart to people’s encouragements and words of comfort. You need to understand the concept of interdependence and how important it is for your growth and maturity as a child of God. There are a number of occasions wherein God uses people to show His love, care and comfort for you. In times of trouble, it is very important to seek godly counsel and turn to people who can truly help you tread the right path and come up with the best decisions possible. You need to understand the importance of spiritual authority – the Lord has placed people to lead and guide you. These people may be your parents and family members, your pastors and life group leaders and those people who truly fear God. 

 3. When are you willing to learn from this state and overcome it? Brokenness should only be a temporary state. But to some, it has become like a pit dug out for them. Brokenness becomes alarming when the person experiencing it thinks that he’s standing on sinking sand and it would be quite difficult to hold a grip and return to the dry ground. You need to understand that brokenness is one form of battle that you should beat. But before overcoming it, you should be able to fathom the precious life’s lessons that it is teaching you. The moment you have realized the lessons then it will be easier for you to make a resolve that you really want to depart from it and overcome it and start life anew. Time is of the essence – you have to overcome it the soonest! 

4. Why do you need to overcome brokenness and move on from there? Contrary to the songs that are being sung nowadays, life is definitely not a bed of roses. When you became a Christian, you became aware that you have entered a state of life that is completely challenging. But, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself encouraged you to just take heart and hold on to Him because He has already overcome the world – Jesus won the victory for you thousands of years ago. You have to overcome brokenness in your life because it is God’s design that His children will experience victory over problems and needs. You have to know who you are in Christ and what you are capable of doing. You need to overcome brokenness in order to bring glory to God through your testimonies. You are not a defeated Christian, you are a victorious Christian! 

5. Where do you start? Overcoming brokenness starts with how you see God in your life. It is focusing on God more than looking at your current state. It is surrendering your life and your desires to God’s will. It is believing that God has got the very best program for your life. God allows brokenness so that His perfect plan for you will truly happen if you learn to fully trust in Him and remain in Him through all the seasons of your life. By God’s grace, experiencing brokenness will enable you to believe with all your heart that God has the ability to make you whole again. This time, you believe that you will not easily break because your faith is taken to a new and higher level. Breakthrough is moving on from one level to another and the experience will surely leave an indelible mark in your heart. Victory has been won ages ago, all you have to do is trust God, obey Him and allow Him to take control of your life. 

Verses about breakthrough and victory: 

 John 16:33 33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

 1 Corinthians 10:13 13 “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

Hints to Spot a Troublemaker and Tips to Overcome Him

Hints to Spot a Troublemaker

1. A person who doesn’t give high regard for God (doesn’t pray, read the Bible nor attend church services)

2. A person who is a gossip himself and whose main business is to gossip and orchestrate a brouhaha 

3. A person who loves to chit-chat with everyone and feeds them with the freshest gossip 

4. A person who doesn’t take a stand and who has a compromising attitude 

5. A person who loves to provoke people to wage war against each other 

6. A person who takes delight when someone is reprimanded

7. A person who cannot keep confidential matters and divulges them right away to others in order to create a controversy

8. A person who pretends to be a friend but automatically changes colors the moment he disappears from your presence. 

9. A person who has a spirit of pride and is having a difficulty in admitting mistakes and saying “sorry”

10. A person who treats his family members in a disrespectful manner while being nice to other people in the workplace. 

 Tips To Overcome A Troublemaker 

 1. Pray for him that God will touch and change his heart. 

2. Do not prolong your conversations with him. 

3. If he starts to talk about people and provokes you to comment, cut the conversation right away.

 4. Do not discuss confidential matters with him.

 5. Be discerning, do not believe everything he says especially the negative ones – gather the facts, investigate and ask the people involved if necessary.

A Trip to the CALABARZON Region

It is one of the most-awaited trips for the year. It is something that I believe will pacify our growing frustration over out-of-town and out-of -the-country trips (the wound is still fresh when our visas were denied). That's why it's like a beautiful melody to the ears when I first heard that we're going to the CALABARZON region through a sponsored trip. Well, it's not like we haven't shelled out a portion of our hard-earned money, of course we did, but in a very calculated manner! And mind you, it's all worth it! First stop was Makati City where we dropped Mama Adel and spent the night at my siblings' place. The following morning, we drove to Villa Escudero Plantations and Resort in Tiaong, Quezon. We had the opportunity to tour the place and had lunch at the Labasin Waterfalls Restaurant. We also dropped by the famous pottery nearby - UGU Bigyan's Potter Garden. Then we went to Tagaytay City to check-in for our first night. Looking outside the window of our hotel room, we were amazed by the breathtaking sight of the Taal Lake and Taal Volcano! We also swam in the warm waters of Matabungkay Beach and we played like children at the pool of Matabungkay Beach Resort in Lian, Batangas. A trip like this one required fancy dinings in malls and nearby restaurants from day one up to our last day. Our Tagaytay stay culminated with a thrilling and heart-pumping ride at the Sky Ranch. We also met with Loise at SM Bacoor and had dinner with her two cute boys - Zach and Drei. We also had a scheduled dinner at the Viloria residence in Pasig (with the Viloria's and the Navarro's). We got lost in the way due to a wrong U-turn and we spent many hours on the road. We were even unduly apprehended by traffic enforcers but thanks be to God for helping us out and taking control of the situation. We had finally reached our destination and we really had a wonderful and insightful fellowship. We enjoyed the exchange of stories and the mouth-watering foods prepared by Rose. Praise God, we reached Baguio safely the following morning. The trip was truly one for the books. The Lord has once again shown us that He is the God who provides, protects and unites. To God be the glory!

Doble Uno

It is undeniably a portrait of a blessed and healthy marriage when the man and the woman become the very best version of themselves. “Two becoming one” is one of the most challenging processes in the whole wide universe. What enables them to be at their very best? It is allowing God to take center stage in a marriage that is designed in heaven but being relished on an earthly plane. My Sim, I thank you for inspiring me to become better in everything that I put my hands into. Thank you for being my number one prayer partner, supporter and fan (you’re “star-struck” until now). A lot of people are clueless about the things that we get to enjoy together in our marriage: ministry assignments and events, home visitations and meet-up with family and friends, our partnership in speaking/going to churches, deep conversations at the attic, boogle and scrabble tourney nights, that dramalove.thing, baking and cooking moments, Accounting discussions (hehe), finishing each other’s sentences at marami pang iba. It’s a very rewarding thing to be “bestfriends” with your spouse. God is so gracious when He made you to be my “suitable helper”. I am forever grateful to Him for this gift – more than a diamond or gold or a pearl. It is a treasure beyond measure. Blessed and Happy 11th Wedding Anniversary (June 10)! Sarang Hae Yo “Big Boss”! To God be the glory!

A Dream Come True

I have always wanted to be an educator since I was eight but the overwhelming events in our family led to the suppression of that little dream. Little did I know that God in His own sweet time will enable me to realize that dream. Educating the graduate students of Panpacific University inspires me to be my very best. It is through this part-time job that I am also able to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and to touch the lives of my students. It is really a very fulfilling profession. I realized all the more that teaching is one of the things that I am most passionate about. To God be the glory!