The Measure Of A Man

Lyrics

This world can analyze and size you up
And throw you on the scales
They can IQ you and run you through
Their rigorous details
They can do their best to rate
And they'll place you on their charts
And then back it up with scientific smarts

But there's more to what you're worth
Than what their human eyes can see

CHORUS

Oh I say the measure of a man
Is not how tall you stand
How wealthy or intelligent you are
'Cause I found out the measure of a man
God knows and understand
For He looks inside to the bottom of your heart
And what's in the heart defines
The measure of a man

Well you can doubt your worth
And search for who you are and where you stand
But God made you in His image
When He formed you in His hands
And He looks at you with mercy
And He sees you through His love
You're His child and that will always be enough

For there's more to what your worth
Than you could ever comprehend

REPEAT CHORUS

BRIDGE

You can spend your life pursuing physical perfection
But there's so much more than ever meets the eye
For God looks through the surface
And he defines your worth by what is on the inside

REPEAT CHORUS

Copyright © 2011 by Mari Ann Rose "Mariah" F. Gadapan . All rights reserved worldwide.
(I put "copyright" on my every post because this is my blog site, it's like my signature on my every post.)
By the grace of God I am what I am

 

This Post Is For Men

Text: Acts 15:26  "men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Thoughts: 

Last year, I posted on http://woman-with-a-mission.blogspot.com the things I've learned from one of the greatest sermons i have ever heard entitled  Man Up and in that sermon, there were a lot of things that men could learn. Even us women learned from it. That sermon gave an impact to me that made me decide to share it on my blog site for men to read it.

Early this morning, when i read the text above (Acts 15:26) during my personal devotion , i was moved again to write a post for men.

In this generation, men who have beautiful bodies, good looks, riches and power are being adored. There's nothing wrong with beautiful bodies, good looks or riches or power but if men's focus are mainly on these things plus the many women in their lives, there's something wrong.

Jason Illian, author of Undressed wrote, "No matter how great his personal qualities are, he is an empty vessel without a heart for the Lord." I agree. 

As a woman, I'm also attracted with men with beautiful bodies, good looks, riches and power but a man with all these qualities but lack a personal relationship with the Lord and doesn't have the love for God's work are nothing to me...how much more in the eyes of God.

Yes, God loves sinners and God wants to save everyone but God honors men who honors him.

1 Samuel 2:30

 
“Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that members of your family would minister before me forever.’ But now the LORD declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained.

John 12:26

 
Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

Men, you may have tasted all the beautiful women in the whole world, you may have all the beautiful houses and cars in the world, you may have all the treasures here on earth, you may have the most beautiful body and the best look...but you're still empty if you don't a personal relationship with the Lord and have no regard or love for the work of God.

Isn't it wonderful if you would get a commendation from the Most Outstanding Man, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords- Jesus Christ that you have honored him and risked your life for His name?

Matthew 6:19-21 Contemporary English Version (CEV) says, "Don't store up treasures on earth! Moths and rust can destroy them, and thieves can break in and steal them. Instead, store up your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy them, and thieves cannot break in and steal them. Your heart will always be where your treasure is."

If you haven't given  your heart and your life to God, it's about time to surrender to Him. God has so many things in store for you. Be men who love Him and be men who have passion to do His work.

Copyright © 2011 by Mari Ann Rose "Mariah" F. Gadapan . All rights reserved worldwide.
(I put "copyright" on my every post because this is my blog site, it's like my signature on my every post.)
By the grace of God I am what I am

A MODEL WIFE

 

 

When i meditated again on Proverbs 31:10-31, i saw a lot of qualities that a wife should have. 

 

These are the qualities I've learned from those passages:

 

SHE IS PRECIOUS

           verse 10: 

         It is hard to find a good wife, 

         because she is worth more than rubies.

SHE IS TRUSTWORTHY AND RELIABLE

         verse 11:

         Her husband trusts her completely.

         With her, he has everything he needs.

SHE ALWAYS DOES GOOD TO HER HUSBAND

       

           verse 12:

         She does him good and not harm

         for as long as she lives.

SHE IS RESOURCEFUL

         verse 13:

         She looks for wool and flax

         and likes to work with her hands.

SHE  IS INDEPENDENT AND A GOOD PROVIDER

        verse 14:

         She is like a trader's ship,

        bringing food from far away.

 SHE HAS A SERVANT'S HEART 

        verse 15:         

        She gets up while it is still dark

        and prepares food for her family

        and feeds her servant girls.

SHE IS A GOOD ENTREPRENEUR/ WISE IN SPENDING MONEY

       verse 16:

        She inspects a field and buys it.

       With money she earned, she plants a vineyard.

SHE IS ENERGETIC AND FULL OF STRENGTH

        verse 17:

        She does her work with energy,

        and her arms are strong.

SHE IS EXCELLENT AND HARDWORKING 

        verse 18:

        She knows that what she makes is good.

        Her lamp burns late into the night.

SHE IS PRACTICAL

       verse 19:

         She makes thread with her hands

       and weaves her own cloth.

SHE IS GENEROUS AND KIND

       verse 20:

       She welcomes the poor

       and helps the needy.

SHE TAKES CARE OF HER FAMILY WELL

       verse 21:

         She does not worry about her family when it snows,

       because they all have fine clothes to keep them warm.

SHE IS A "FASHIONISTA"

       verse 22:

       She makes coverings for herself;

       her clothes are made of linen and other expensive material.

HER HUSBAND IS A GOOD MATCH FOR HER

       verse 23:

       Her husband is known at the city meetings,

       where he makes decisions as one of the leaders of the land.

 SHE KNOWS HOW TO EARN ADDITIONAL INCOME

       verse 24:

       She makes linen clothes and sells them

       and provides belts to the merchants.

SHE IS RESPECTABLE AND JOYFUL

        verse 25:

        She is strong and is respected by the people.

        She looks forward to the future with joy.

SHE IS WISE AND A GOOD EXAMPLE

        verse 28:

        She speaks wise words

        and teaches others to be kind.

SHE KNOWS HOW TO MANAGE HER TIME PROPERLY

       verse 29:

       She watches over her family

       and never wastes her time.

SHE IS HIGHLY HONORED BY HER HUSBAND AND KIDS

        verse 30:

        Her children speak well of her.

        Her husband also praises her,

SHE IS THE BEST

        verse 31:

        saying, "There are many fine women,

        but you are better than all of them."

SHE IS BEAUTIFUL INSIDE AND OUT

        verse 30:

        Charm can fool you, and beauty can trick you,

        but a woman who respects the Lord should be praised.

SHE DESERVES THE BEST

       verse 31:

       Give her the reward she has earned;

       she should be praised in public for what she has done.

But i believe that there are still a lot of things you and i would see as we meditate on them again and again. May these passages be your inspiration as you fulfill your role as a wife.

Copyright © 2011 by Mari Ann Rose "Mariah" F. Gadapan . All rights reserved worldwide.
(I put "copyright" on my every post because this is my blog site, it's like my signature on my every post.)
By the grace of God I am what I am.

The Royal Wedding

Last April 29, the whole world celebrated the much awaited wedding of the year or should i say, wedding of the decade...the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

I wasn't able to watch the live coverage because i had work that time but i was able to watch some of the weekend news featuring their wedding.

Let me share here the video of their wedding vows:

courtesy of the royal channel and youtube.com


I pray for the best for  Prince William and Kate and may their marriage last for a lifetime...till death do they part.

A Practical Advice In Searching For A Partner In Life

photo courtesy from this site

I read this from a broadsheet newspaper and there's some truth about this advice:

"The problem with most people is that,

they keep looking, searching endlessly for the right partner. 

But most of the time, that person is right in front of them. 

But they hardly notice this person 

because they're always searching for someone better. 

So they waste a lot of time and effort in this crazy pursuit  

and eventually, they would realize, they've run out of choices 

or it's already too late. 

So, if you feel you're already with "the one", 

go for it."

-Camsur Governor LRay Villafuerte

Manila Bulletin 

(Lifestyle Section, page k-2, Sunday, April 17, 2011 Edition)

The Prayer

The Prayer...one of the songs you might want to consider on your wedding day.

courtesy of youtube.com

The Words "I Do"

photo courtesy of this site.

"Once a couple says, "i do"- 

once they come to that point of initial surrender, 

they begin a lifetime process of keeping those vows, 

everyday, for the rest of their lives. 

After the candles are blown out,

the rice is thrown, 

and the rented tuxes are returned,

they must begin

to live out 

the implications of those vows

in the nitty-gritty context of real life- 

for better or for worse."

-Nancy Leigh DeMoss

Surrender (The Heart God Controls)

Be Careful With Your List Of Wedding Guests

Be careful with your list of wedding guests. Don't consider inviting a guest like Mr Bean:) Your wedding day might be ruined. Watch this video...

video courtesy of youtube.com

Present Versus Presence

photo courtesy of Google.com

This Love Month...

"Your present 

will never substitute 

your presence."

Successful Marriage Is...

"Successful marriage 
is 
always a triangle: 

a man, 
a woman, 
and God."

If A Man Really Loves A Woman...

If a man really loves a woman, he is willing to wait no matter how long it would take.

*****

"So Jacob worked for Laban seven years so he could marry Rachel. But they seemed like just a few days to him because he loved Rachel very much."

Genesis 29:20 New Century Version

Be Very Careful In Choosing Your Lifetime Partner

photo courtesy of google.com

 A wrong choice of a lifetime partner would be a source of problems to your family.

Read the verse below in different translations and you would see how a wrong choice of a lifetime partner could cause some problems in your family.

Genesis 26:34-35 New International Version- "When Esau was forty years old, he married Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite. They were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah"

Genesis 26:34-35 New Living Translation- "At the age of forty, Esau married two Hittite wives: Judith, the daughter of Beeri, and Basemath, the daughter of Elon. But Esau’s wives made life miserable for Isaac and Rebekah."

 

 

Genesis 26:34-35 The Message Translation - "When Esau was forty years old he married Judith, daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath, daughter of Elon the Hittite. They turned out to be thorns in the sides of Isaac and Rebekah."

 

 

Genesis 26:34-35 New Century Version- "When Esau was forty years old, he married two Hittite women—Judith daughter of Beeri and Basemath daughter of Elon. These women brought much sorrow to Isaac and Rebekah."

 

 

Genesis 26:34-35 Amplified Bible- "Now Esau was 40 years old when he took as wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite.And they made life bitter and a grief of mind and spirit for Isaac and Rebekah [their parents-in-law].

 

 

Genesis 26:34-35 Contemporary English Version- "When Esau was forty, he married Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. But these two women brought a lot of grief to his parents Isaac and Rebekah.

Let's be partners in prayer to have the best  lifetime partner for you and me...the best from our great Creator...our good God...our Heavenly Father! ( Matthew 7:9-11 “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!)

 

 

Is The Lord Directing You To That Person In Marriage...Then Go For It!

I'm not an expert on this topic because I'm not married yet and in fact, once in my life, i almost entered into a marriage plan that is not God's will for me (but i thank God that he saved me from it.)

I'm here to share what i've learned from my daily reading of God's word. As a student of the word of God, i've learned that if God is leading you to that person to be your future partner, then go for it, if not, then don't.

In Genesis 24:50-51, we can read there: "Laban and Bethuel answered, “This is from the LORD; we can say nothing to you one way or the other. Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, as the LORD has directed ."

God will direct us even to the right person we're going to marry. If we would constantly pray and read His word, we would know in our hearts if God is directing us to that person in marriage or not.

God may be speaking to us in different ways but we should always include God in choosing the right mate for us. I know some people whom God has spoken to their hearts  when they met their future mates...words like "That will be your wife."..or "that will be your husband" (even if they haven't fallen in love with each other yet or haven't known each other that well yet.) I'm very fascinated with that kind of love story but that is not always the case. Sometimes, it's love at first sight like what happened to Adam and Eve and sometimes God would direct you to the qualities that you really admire or see in that person..the qualities you've been praying for to have in your future partner. 

We can not put God in a box. I have friends who met their partners in life through online dating (but caution is also needed in this kind of dating or searching for your future partner.) Other marriage began in friendship. Whatever that situation is, if God is leading you to that person to be your future partner...go for it! Don't say one way or the other. Just go for it! A constant prayer and reading of God's word will help you in the direction God wants you for that relationship. In my first relationship, it took me almost four years to really follow God's direction that that man is not his will for my life (if i followed Him at first, it would have not caused me so much pain in my heart.) When the relationship was finally ended, God gave me a promise that He has a better plan for my life.

What God is telling you in your present relationship? Is He directing you to that person in marriage?...then go for it, but if not, be humble before God, ask for his direction everyday in your prayer time and read His word and allow Him to direct you. He knows the best for you and me.

P.S

This was the poem i originally composed for that relationship of mine  which i also posted on my other blog site:

An Utmost Prayer of Love

I feel something for you

with what i feel for you

I just commit it to the Lord

And to Him,I've committed you

My utmost prayer for you:

"May you be in-love with Him deeply
and give your heart to Him completely"

I love you...i know i do

But this love is up to God and what He will do

If its His will for me and you to become one

He will make your heart and mine one

And if this is God's will, His will will prevail....

That one day, i will be yours and you will be mine

and our love for each other will never fail

and i trust God will make a way

May we know Him more as we ask His guidance so divine

And really know His Will as we faithfully abide in the VINE

And if we are really for each other

He will cause us to be together

From this day forward i believe God will prepare a way for us to be together

And to enjoy the beautiful future He has planned for us to be together
May God's angels be commissioned- as what they are called to do
To protect us on our way...to exchanging our "I do"

And as we look forward to that time
May my name be engraved in your heart and yours in mine
May each of us know that we are really the ones God has meant to be..
......through prayers
......through circumstances
......through the people around us
......and through the powerful word and the Spirit of the Living God.
And we will boldly say to each other before we exchange "I do"
These powerful and comforting words "I love you, yes I do"

But if there would be better than you to become my partner
I would just look back to this time and feeling and say,
"Thank God , i've met you and uttered my prayer for you..
To be more in love with Him and be faithful in His word and in prayer"
And if there would be someone better than i to become your partner,
I would just look back to this time and feeling and say:
"Thank God, He gave me an opportunity to love you
and prayed the best for you."

Wise Words For You In Selecting Your Marriage Partner (Part II)

Here Are Other Quotes and Verses That Could Help Us In Selecting Our Mate:

"You are not looking for someone who might be voted "Mate of the Year" by the general public or by your friends.You need to choose someone with personality you can live with and enjoy." -from the Book "Finding The Love Of Your Life "

"But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”"- 1 Samuel 16:7 

-Although this passage was about the words of the Lord to Samuel when he was to anoint a new king for Israel, we can also consider this verse in choosing a mate for us.Sometimes, we tend to look at the physical appearance of a person only and not really focus on the heart. Yes, physical appearance matters but in choosing a mate, you just don't consider the physical appearance per se...it should be the "whole package"---spiritually, mentally, emotionally, socially..every aspect.

"Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades. The woman to be admired and praised is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God."-Proverbs 31:30 The Message Translation

"Charm and grace are deceptive, and beauty is vain [because it is not lasting], but a woman who reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord, she shall be praised!" -Proverbs 31:30 Amplified Bible

 

Wise Words For You In Selecting Your Marriage Partner

‎"Don't let anyone select your marriage partner for you, and dont allow yourself to select a lifetime mate in order to satisfy someone else.This is your marriage, your once-in-a lifetime opportunity"

-from the Book Finding The Love Of Your Life

(note: the word "anyone" here talks about humans, ok? The author of that book is a Christian and of course, in finding the love of our lives, he encouraged  that we don't exclude God in that issue (and i agree to that and God should be the center of every issue in our lives including marriage.)