Journey of Women – Princess Pepay

[Sermon/Podcast]About Womanhood

Most of us women, when we read Proverbs 31, we always feel that we will never become that kind of woman, she is too perfect. This sermon reminded me that as Christians we all strive to become Christ-like. So nothing is wrong with striving to become like the Proverbs 31 woman because it doesn’t make any different into striving to be Christ-like.

This sermon is such an encouragement and great reminder for all of us women, single or married as to what truly matters for the Lord.

Click this sermon link to view.

I Do, I Do, I Do

Sometimes, the unexpected is just inevitable. Just to be clear, I did not get married. Not getting married anytime soon, either. Well, not yet… 😉

I was looking forward this year for my best friend, Rhodes’ wedding. Such an amazing story written by God! And, I’m just privileged to be able to witness that from Day 1. Their love story is a testament that indeed nothing is impossible with God. Nothing. 🙂

KVN_7225 The lovely bride, Rhodes

It was a blessing & truly an honor to be her maid of honor (MOH) and just to be able to help in whatever way I can up to her wedding day. I did not know that special event would somehow open little doors for me.

BBM39498 That’s me, trying to be the “Maid of Honor” of the Year (lol)

I thought that was the only wedding I was going to witness this year. Now the story of the unexpected…

Two amazing ladies at our church, aka “The Verzosa Sisters” got married – different time, different place but same year, this year!

Few days after I got back from Philippines (after attending my bf’s wedding), Ria, one of the Verzosa sisters and I had our usual quick catching up after the worship service at church. This was days before her wedding. Who would have thought that our conversation would end up, me being the on-the-day wedding coordinator of her DIY wedding. When she said she didn’t have an on the day coordinator, my “event planning siren” just went off. I kinda volunteered myself, there. 😉

41787122_10215465625488460_6764261174063136768_n The lovely bride, Ria

I’ve never been to a DIY backyard wedding, nor coordinated one. Thank God for being a MOH and really saw the nitty-gritty of my best friend’s wedding. I had a great time executing all the details of the wedding, from the ceremony to the reception. Ria did a good job in planning her wedding, an event planner herself. 🙂 Being there to witness not just the wedding but really the celebration of love and family that whole weekend was already a blessing. But being able to help and be the on the day coordinator was a privilege. And I’m truly thankful for Ria & Miggy for just really trusting me to do that.

As I said, there’s another Verzosa sister. Months after Ria’s wedding was Frances’ wedding. And when she asked me if I could do the same for her wedding, how can I say No? It’s such an honor. This time, the wedding was a little bit DIY and mostly setup by the staff at the venue. So, I had to make sure that Frances’ plan for her wedding were properly executed which she also did a I great job. Very organized. A skill every bride needs to have. 😉

45956978_10215908946891218_166715177138388992_o The lovely bride, Frances

It was another fun experience for me. Thanks also to Frances & Christian for allowing me to help and for the trust! I had organized a couple of events but those were mostly seminar/conference type of events. I never thought wedding coordination could be this fun. My primary goal was to take off the stress from the bride on her wedding day and I hope I was able to achieve that!

41327543_10215401460764382_4296591205954748416_n That’s me with the bride Ria, in “action” (lol)

It’s just amazing when door of opportunities opened on such an unexpected season. Those experiences truly made an impact in my life this year. To have courage to just go and do it, can indeed open to possibilities. I’m excited to more “on the day wedding coordinator” gigs. And I don’t mind doing it for free for all my friends who are getting married. So, if you need one, don’t hesitate. While it’s still of no charge… lol

At your service.

Promise that Always Satisfies

Yesterday, you saw someone changing status to just got engaged with a photo of her big diamond ring.

Today, you attended a wedding of one of your college girlfriends.

At the wedding, one of your couple friends shared that they have a baby coming.

Then, you, a single woman and not in a relationship starts asking, “When will my time come?” Or, “Will it ever come?”

For the next hours, thoughts would just be filled of what if’s, who and what could be’s. Sometimes, a little longer, days.

Until, thoughts would slowly fade. Life becomes normal again.

Then, another announcement comes in. And it goes the same cycle again.

You can have a lot of different reasons of why it hasn’t come for you yet.

But truth is, there is always only one answer that can satisfy you.

God knows your heart. He knows your desire.

And being satisfied that He knows, you once again resubmit to Him that your time will come.

You once again surrender to Him, knowing that He is writing your story.

Then, you go on living your life for Him, trusting that the best is yet to come.

You hold on to that promise, believing that God is faithful to complete it.

It’s getting COLD

Aside from the weather, I think I’m getting cold towards writing. I haven’t written anything for more than a month! And nothing is coming out at all. No thoughts, no ideas, no nothing. And now I kinda miss it. Which is a good thing.

A lot has been happening especially at work. Project demands all at the same time. But work is good. I still get to go home early and I don’t need to bring work at home. So, it’s really good.

I’ve been having my weekly discipleship group with amazing girls. Just being with teenagers makes me appreciate more the kind of discipline my parents had brought to us when I was their age especially on education. And I’ll be forever grateful to my parents for that.

Aside from that, I’ve been helping out in our Kid’s Ministry which I really enjoy. The kids at church are totally awesome. They know so much about the Word of God even at their very young age (4-6). Kudos to the parents! Indeed, learning about God should start at home. And these kids just bring out the little child in me. Games, games and more games!

I had the privilege as well to volunteer at a Soup Kitchen in First Baptist Church in Vancouver downtown. Every Tuesday, volunteers would come to help prepare meal that will be served to the homeless people. It’s truly an opportunity to show care to the community and hopefully share God’s love to these people who need not just physical food but also spiritual food that lasts.

And, I have a new goddaughter! Beautiful and precious baby girl. Her name is Skye Angela. I’m so honored to be asked to be her godparent.

So why am I telling these things? Sometimes, I just have to put some major happenings in my life to writing just to remind me that even if I can’t have everything I wanted, God continues to give what’s best for me. And I can never find any reason to complain because regardless of what I have or what I do or where I am, God is my reward. He satisfies me. He is enough.

One milestone I have this week is I’ve decided that I will stop waiting. I’ve been praying that someday God would bring me to that person that He has prepared for me. But then I realized, I got too focused on waiting for that. It’s kinda exhausting to wait for something that is really uncertain. With that, I have decided to stop waiting and to just purely trusting God on what He has for me today and tomorrow. And because of that decision, I actually feel better because now I’m more focused on what I can do with God and for God and for other people. I’m done waiting on uncertain things.

I’m going to live this life BIG for God! Now, I’m praying that God would really use me or make me usable in helping share the gospel especially to those who haven’t heard it at all. I’m currently reading this book of Bill Hybels, “Just Walk Across the Room” and I am so encouraged especially about personal evangelism. I realize how important relationship building truly is especially in this culture. You just can’t approach somebody and shove to his face the Bible. It will never work. I realized that God would really provide opportunities for us either we plant the seed, or help that seed grow. Whichever phase God would use on that specific person’s walk, it is just a matter of obedience for us to do it.

With this, I’m excited that God would really give me such opportunities to be able to help someone know more about Him.

As I say, I’m going to live BIG for God! Pray for me 🙂

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” Matthew 9:37

“I am your great reward.” – God Genesis 15:1

Pressured to DATE?

When you are surrounded with people who are married or dating, it can’t be helped that they will have that tendency to match you to other single people they know. Since I moved here in Vancouver, I felt like I could not find my own circle. Back home, I have so many single women friends who are of the same age as mine. It somehow felt good knowing that I was not alone in the journey of being single and in waiting. Here, I feel like I’m the only single woman left in the world! Crazy, right?

Not that I get offended and pressured by people, it’s just that sometimes, how people act makes me feel like being single is a disease that needs to be cured. When in fact, being able to maximize the single life is one of the best blessings an individual should be grateful for. Those who married young, those who wasted their single years or those who could not wait and kept dating to think that eventually the right one will come – they will never be able to tell how blessed and amazing it is to live an abundant life of being single.

I’m writing this to encourage all women who are in the journey of waiting and trusting that one day God will bring you to the man that He has prepared for you. There are times that I ask God if I should lower my standard, or if my standard is too high. However, God’s answer is always – trust in ME, just trust in ME. Just as how God answers my specific prayers for other things in my life, how can He not answer my specific prayers for that person that I’ve been praying for to be my lifetime partner? After all, this is not really about me getting married or about that person whoever he may be, but even this aspect of my life has always been about the Greatest Author of my life, the Heavenly Father. And I hope that person also has the same thing in mind.

Just one of these days, when I was praying to God about this, He reminded me of what I just need to do. God spoke to me through Psalm 37:4 – “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

I tried to define “delight” in the manner on how God wants me to delight in Him, here’s how I defined it:

embrace God’s presence
intimacy with God
hunger for God
seeking God in every moment
love God above anyone or anything
obey God
follow Jesus
be Christ-like

God reminded me that as long as I just keep myself soaked in His presence, He’s gotten my back on everything in my life including that person He has prepared for me. With that, I just told God, “Glorify Yourself through my love life.”

And you know what’s amazing about God as He let me wait on Him, He allowed me to experience a life that I never imagined I would have. That’s how great and amazing God is. He is not cheap, He gives what is best for you and me.

So if you are waiting for your God’s best, don’t lost hope.

God is at work and His timing is always perfect.

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