A New Song I Wrote

Posted by Mike Lopez under Mike's Blog
1 Comment
Jul 2004
31
05:38am


It is not often that I get to write songs. Here’s an inspirational song centered on the idea on how Jesus Christ is always there just we need Him most.

JUST WHEN I NEED YOU MOST
By Mike Lopez (July 31, 2004)

Stanza I:

When I feel all alone and the troubles of this world overtake me
When I look all around and fail to find somebody who cares
When the weight of all my sorrows crush me to the ground
When my hope for a bright tomorrow seems to vanish & be lost forever

Chorus:

You are there
You are there
Jesus You are there
Just when I need You most

Stanza II:

When I see the sun shining still I feel so much darkness around me
When I hear children laughing yet I have so much problems to bear
Just when all my friends forsake me and leave me just for dead
When I feel I’m isolated and left abandoned and alone forever
(Repeat Chorus)

Bridge:

From heaven down to earth you came just to give me hope
In darkness you gave me strength so I can smile
In so much sorrow and much pain you went through just for me
And so to you I will hold on forever
(Repeat Chorus Twice)

Coda:

You are there
Jesus You are there
O Lord my God You’re there
Just when I need You most



One Small Happy Family… One Big Happy God!

Posted by Mike Lopez under Mike's Blog
No Comments
Jul 2004
29
05:59am
No, it’s not Christmas in the picture. Just looks like it.

When most people say “One Big Happy Family!”, I say “One Small Happy Family… One Big Happy God!”

Why? Two things. I really have a small family - one wife and two daughters. We’re looking forward to a couple more kids to bring the total to six but still that’s a small family. Some of you may argue that family extends to other relatives as well. I agree. However, at this point I just wish to focus on my own small domain. What for? So I may see the greatness of God. The one who gave me the family I now cherish.

I will be the worst hypocrite on the planet if I would claim that we don’t have problems and feuds. Honestly, we have them all the time. From little misunderstandings to gargantuan fights. Yes, we have them but it doesn’t mean that God is not in the center of our family for after each trouble, we acknowledge God’s greatness as to how we find the solutions and come to agreements. Learn from this - the secret to keep your family centered on God is GOD Himself.

Fathers, take note of this. We as fathers are the priests of our house. It is our obligation to bring our family to a proper relationship with God. It is our duty to stand firm. It is on our shoulders that God has placed the mandate to make sure that the family He entrusted to us will remain intact, and God-fearing - NO MATTER WHAT. It is upto us to teach and preach the Word of God in our very own household. If something goes wrong, God will most certainly put the blame on us. Furthermore, it is upto us to fill our homes with love - first by loving God above all, second by loving our wives as we love ourselves, and third by loving our children. It is our obligation to love our wives no matter what their attitude is. We were commanded to LOVE and that we must do. Also, always be careful not to provoke your children nor your wives to anger.

Mothers, remember this. It is your duty to teach submission and obedience to your children by submitting first to God and next to your husbands. Don’t keep on grudging on how your husband has not loved you. Whether your husband loves you or not, it is your obligation to submit. The only reason for you not to submit is when your husband tells you to commit sin. Other than that, you must submit at all times. How could you expect to have obedient children if yourself do not know how to submit? If you think you have a better idea than what your husband has, then try to suggest BUT DO NOT FORCE your husbands to follow what you want. If something goes wrong, God will not blame you because you simply did what God said - to submit to your husband. Keep this in mind - NEVER COMPETE with your husband. Rather, SUBMIT to your husbands.

Children, put this in your heart and do it. Honor your father and you mother. Always obey them unless they tell you to commit a sin against any man or against God. If you do this then God will most certainly bless you. If your parents aren’t good enough in taking care of you, if they hurt you, if they shout at you, if they disown you, if they do all sorts of evil against you, JUST PRAY. Do not avenge yourself for the things they did. Learn to forgive. Any evil done against you is NOT AN EXCUSE for you to do evil against them. If they did evil against you, let God avenge you. But you must not do or even think of anything evil against your parents. You must learn to forgive them and love them no matter who they are.

Yes, this is what we do as a family. This is the reason why my family remains happy. This is the reason why God remains big in our lives. Learn to forgive, learn to understand, learn to give, learn to LOVE. Pray for each other and pray together. Read the Bible and meditate on it - it is the Word of God. Be conscious in all things that you do. Never keep hatred in your heart. Never leave discussions unsettled. Most of all, to anything you and your family achieves, always give GOD all the glory. Thank Him at all times.

Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

- Ephesians 5:22-25

Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

- Ephesians 6:1-4


One Small Happy Family… One Big Happy God!

Posted by Mike Lopez under Mike's Blog
No Comments
Jul 2004
29
05:59am
No, it’s not Christmas in the picture. Just looks like it.

When most people say “One Big Happy Family!”, I say “One Small Happy Family… One Big Happy God!”

Why? Two things. I really have a small family - one wife and two daughters. We’re looking forward to a couple more kids to bring the total to six but still that’s a small family. Some of you may argue that family extends to other relatives as well. I agree. However, at this point I just wish to focus on my own small domain. What for? So I may see the greatness of God. The one who gave me the family I now cherish.

I will be the worst hypocrite on the planet if I would claim that we don’t have problems and feuds. Honestly, we have them all the time. From little misunderstandings to gargantuan fights. Yes, we have them but it doesn’t mean that God is not in the center of our family for after each trouble, we acknowledge God’s greatness as to how we find the solutions and come to agreements. Learn from this - the secret to keep your family centered on God is GOD Himself.

Fathers, take note of this. We as fathers are the priests of our house. It is our obligation to bring our family to a proper relationship with God. It is our duty to stand firm. It is on our shoulders that God has placed the mandate to make sure that the family He entrusted to us will remain intact, and God-fearing - NO MATTER WHAT. It is upto us to teach and preach the Word of God in our very own household. If something goes wrong, God will most certainly put the blame on us. Furthermore, it is upto us to fill our homes with love - first by loving God above all, second by loving our wives as we love ourselves, and third by loving our children. It is our obligation to love our wives no matter what their attitude is. We were commanded to LOVE and that we must do. Also, always be careful not to provoke your children nor your wives to anger.

Mothers, remember this. It is your duty to teach submission and obedience to your children by submitting first to God and next to your husbands. Don’t keep on grudging on how your husband has not loved you. Whether your husband loves you or not, it is your obligation to submit. The only reason for you not to submit is when your husband tells you to commit sin. Other than that, you must submit at all times. How could you expect to have obedient children if yourself do not know how to submit? If you think you have a better idea than what your husband has, then try to suggest BUT DO NOT FORCE your husbands to follow what you want. If something goes wrong, God will not blame you because you simply did what God said - to submit to your husband. Keep this in mind - NEVER COMPETE with your husband. Rather, SUBMIT to your husbands.

Children, put this in your heart and do it. Honor your father and you mother. Always obey them unless they tell you to commit a sin against any man or against God. If you do this then God will most certainly bless you. If your parents aren’t good enough in taking care of you, if they hurt you, if they shout at you, if they disown you, if they do all sorts of evil against you, JUST PRAY. Do not avenge yourself for the things they did. Learn to forgive. Any evil done against you is NOT AN EXCUSE for you to do evil against them. If they did evil against you, let God avenge you. But you must not do or even think of anything evil against your parents. You must learn to forgive them and love them no matter who they are.

Yes, this is what we do as a family. This is the reason why my family remains happy. This is the reason why God remains big in our lives. Learn to forgive, learn to understand, learn to give, learn to LOVE. Pray for each other and pray together. Read the Bible and meditate on it - it is the Word of God. Be conscious in all things that you do. Never keep hatred in your heart. Never leave discussions unsettled. Most of all, to anything you and your family achieves, always give GOD all the glory. Thank Him at all times.

Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

- Ephesians 5:22-25

Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

- Ephesians 6:1-4


Our Albay EGR Trip

Posted by Mike Lopez under Mike's Blog
No Comments
Jul 2004
25
02:41am
We left home at around 5:00 am last July 21, 2004. Our two kids, Kei and Vhi, were still asleep as we went. The destination was Tabaco City, Albay (Bicol Province) and I was leaving with my one and only wife - Evelyn. It was no pleasure trip. We were going to Albay as part of a team of 15 people. Our mission, rekindle the fire for God within the hearts of our fellow Christians through a seminar called “Encounter God Retreat” or EGR as most call it. We left San Jose del Monte, Bulacan at around 6:30 am.


The Merged Catanduanes / SJDM Bulacan EGR Team (Batch 4)

We had three major stop-overs on our way. We ate lunch at a so-called Grand Central Terminal in Quezon Province, then dinner at a sister church in Ragay, Camarines Sur, then we passed the night over at Nabua, Albay. We left Nabua at around 6:00 am the following day (July 22) to make our final stint to our destination - Tabaco Albay. All in all, the travel took a whopping 18 hours excluding stop-overs. By the way, we only used an extra-long jeepney for our journey so kindly imagine the discomfort we had to suffer just to reach our destination. However, these sufferings were for a good cause.

We passed by another sister-church in Tabaco, Albay before we reached our final destination - an abandoned school building which was converted to a church called “Saved by Grace Southern Baptist Church”. Our church by the way is called “I Am, Redeemer, and Master” or IRM - an evangelical church.

Another group of 6 people of Catanduanes met us to join our team. The entire team therefore was made up of 21 people.

The entire two-day retreat was a success - at least to my point of view. There were critics at first but all eventually crumbled to themselves when they experienced the awesome power and love of GOD as demonstrated by HIS SON JESUS CHRIST. There were deliverance sessions, lectures on how to maintain a powerful Christian life, and of course the empowerment of the HOLY SPIRIT.

The retreat was ended with a joyous praise and worship as everybody danced and sang with all their might. Indeed God was glorified! We then had the graduation ceremony and the delegates (25 in all) gave their own testimonies and of course, we had picture takings!. All were blessed but most of all, GOD was blessed!

Once more, satan was DEFEATED in the battle. TO GOD BE THE GLORY!


A new home for my blog

Posted by Mike Lopez under Mike's Blog
No Comments
Jul 2004
25
02:00am
Finally, I found a nice place to tell my day-to-day story. Thanks to Benj Arriola who referred me to this site. Also thanks to Blogger.COM for providing such a wonderful service! And of course thanks to my dear readers and readers-to-be.

Basically, you will find whatever I think of in this BLOG. It can be about God, about my faith, my family, my work, programming, astronomy, biology, artificial intelligence, cartoons and anything else I can think of under the sun. Please feel free to browse through the pages and to post your comments. And of course, keep on coming back!

God bless you all!