Make Jesus the Center of your Life

A Christian song recently reminded me of a profound truth: despite life's relentless busyness, an inner emptiness often persists—a void that material things can never satisfy. Even after over twenty years as a Christian, my journey has seen significant ups and downs, including periods where I lost faith and felt utterly hopeless, questioning my own future. But because Jesus cares so deeply, He lovingly brought His promises back to my remembrance. I recalled the pure love that enveloped me when I first accepted Him as my personal Savior. Having Jesus means cultivating a real relationship with Him, understanding that our true purpose in life is to seek Him first above all else. It means carrying Him in our hearts and offering daily thanks, knowing He is intimately aware of everything we face. 

In a relationship with God, He transforms our weakness into strength, sickness into healing, fear into courage, and battles into victory. When we stray from His path, He guides us back; He can repair anything that is broken. God's love is unconditional and available to everyone. We can begin by stripping away the non-essentials and rebuilding our lives with Jesus firmly at the center—a practice I believe truly works. 

Let Jesus be your priority. Pray, thank Him for His love, and remember Romans 10:13: "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Accept Jesus as your Savior today, find refreshment in your relationship with Him, and always know that He loves you unconditionally.

My Photography @ Cebu Club Fort Med Boljoon Cebu

What is your hobby?

My Painting: Vintage Butterfly
This painting reminds me the process of
a person's maturity

Begin by charting your list of personal hobbies and then isolate the activity that genuinely ignites your passion. You must honestly determine which pursuit you love deeply enough to commit to. A hobby is not defined by external earnings; rather, it's an investment in self-gratification and personal well-being. It is not an obligation that dictates your day, but an internal passion that empowers you. We engage in these avocations primarily as a vital outlet—a way to release stress and find restorative relief after professional demands, strictly within our spare time.

What if a hobby turns into a job? That's great. But expect it to increase the amount of pressure you put on yourself. You have to be careful because something that you once loved will become a source of anxiety. There should be no external demand to do your hobby. It is your own will to do it. Your hobby is not your main occupation. You are the boss of that avocation, so don't sell that passion.

Painting initially started as a casual hobby. Yet, the moment I discovered how much it honed my abilities and ignited a deeper passion, I chose to concentrate my efforts there. I actively share my creations on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, deliberately posting them to inspire others rather than for sales. While I might sell them in the future, my vision is to frame those efforts around philanthropy, calling it "art for a cause."

My paintings are more than just finished artworks; each one is created as a direct result of a memorable or valuable experience. Consequently, completing a piece brings me immense, joyous satisfaction every time I look at it, and I treasure these creations deeply. Even when interested buyers approach me, I respectfully explain that I must first realize my dream of setting up a gallery before I can sell individual pieces. This confirms a universal truth: A hobby that is truly compelled by passion becomes deeply meaningful. Therefore, never disregard those activities you enjoy in your spare time; instead, nurture them and allow them to develop passionately within you.

My Painting: Sailing into the Sunset
This signifies the love to travel and
the love of nature

The Attitude in Waiting

We spend our days in continuous anticipation, yet rarely pause to define what we are truly waiting for and what level of commitment that waiting requires. For any ambition, the path is rarely instant; every dreamer must endure a period of preparation. Waiting can test our patience and be unrewarding, but it is the essential forge where character is built—a character necessary to drive goals into reality.

To navigate this season of waiting successfully, consider these critical elements:

• Clarity: Achieve precise and realistic clarity about your desires. Fuzzy dreams are difficult to sustain. Ask yourself if the goal is truly worth the potential cost.

• Hopeful Expectation: Resist the temptation to lower expectations to avoid frustration. If you have worthy goals, they deserve a positive, hopeful expectation. Doubt has no place in the pursuit of a prize.

• Deepen Passion: Let passion define your goals. My initial hobby of painting only turned into a serious ambition when the passion deepened enough to envision owning an art gallery. Let your purpose fuel your daily dedication.

• Willingness to Pay the Cost: Waiting is a tribute to your dream’s value. To see it materialize, you must be ready to invest time, effort, and sacrifice. Value every moment spent in anticipation.

Above all, Pray. Waiting on the Lord is an active posture of faith. It means holding fast to hope and trust, confident that God is not merely checking our patience, but working toward the perfect manifestation of His plan (Isaiah 60:22). If you are currently in a waiting season, remember that persistence and the right attitude are your strongest tools. Trust God to fulfill your dreams in His sovereign timing.

New Creation

A butterfly's life cycle is a journey of complete metamorphosis, comprising four necessary stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Every stage has a distinct biological purpose—for example, the caterpillar's goal is to feed relentlessly, while the adult's is to reproduce. The total time required for this full life cycle varies significantly based on the species, ranging from as short as one month to as long as a full year.

The pupa stage, or chrysalis, is arguably the most remarkable phase of the butterfly's life cycle. Once the caterpillar achieves its maximum size and weight, it encloses itself within this seemingly still structure. While the exterior of the pupa suggests simple rest, the interior is a hub of intense biological activity. Within the chrysalis, the caterpillar's old body parts undergo a rapid and complete transformation known as metamorphosis, fundamentally changing and rearranging themselves to construct the beautiful form of the emerging adult butterfly.

Once the caterpillar completes the entire process of formation and change inside the pupa, the adult butterfly is ready to emerge. When the butterfly first breaks free from the chrysalis, its wings are soft, wet, and folded tightly against its body. This compressed state is a necessary result of the butterfly having fit its fully-formed adult parts within the confined space of the pupa.

Once the butterfly has recovered from the effort of leaving the chrysalis, the climax of its metamorphosis begins: it rapidly pumps blood into its delicate wings. This essential action stiffens and expands them, preparing them for movement. Then, the fully transformed and beautiful creature lifts off, achieving flight.

The four-stage life cycle of a butterfly beautifully illustrates the continuous transformation of the Christian walk. When an individual embraces Jesus Christ, they become a new creation, as confirmed in 2 Corinthians 5:17: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” This new spiritual nature is brought about solely by the will and power of God, replacing our former self with something entirely unique.

While the path to spiritual maturity has its difficult stages, being rooted in Christ equips us with the power to conquer any challenge. When life's pressures overwhelm us, we are essentially inside our spiritual chrysalis—being molded, tested, and profoundly transformed. By holding fast to our faith, we emerge from this arduous process as a restored creation. Always remember your true identity: you were conceived in the mind of God, created by His power, and designed for His eternal glory.

God's delight

It's wonderful to be loved, wouldn't you say? But perhaps you can't speak from your experience, maybe that doesn't describe your life. If you haven't felt loved, I have some good news for you, God is absolutely inlove with you. And God wants you to know that He has never left you for a moment. God delights in you.

Yes, it is true. God delights in you, and if you are like me, you need to hear the truth often.  

" The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love." Psalm 147:11

Cebu club fort Med Boljoon South Cebu