sheena loves sunsets

Two days after our wedding day, we toured our Indonesian friends (who came over just for our wedding!) to Corregidor. Kind of late, but I just wanted to share my favorite photo! We didn’t want to wear matching colors (we hate matching!) but I really wanted to wear my yellow shirt that day and he really wanted to wear his yellow polo shirt that day as well so… no compromise! Haha!

Can’t believe I’ve been a wife for a month already. My friends keep telling me it’s so hard to believe, and I must admit, sometimes, I find it hard to believe as well! But whenever people ask me how it has been so far, the first thing I blurt out is “it’s been so much fun!” and by God’s grace, that’s really how I feel (after all, the Bible does say that “…from the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks!”)

You might say, it’s only been a month so of course it’s been fun, but if you only knew! Haha! Nothing is perfect and we encounter (and continue to encounter) different challenges each day, but it’s such a comfort to know that at the end of it all, though we are fighting battles, we are fighting them together. We are on the same team and we report only to One, and that’s Jesus. :)

If I could leave all you beautiful girls with only one piece of (love) advice, it would be this; to let Him write your love story. Let Him write it without you manipulating the situation, without you hanging on to a past love, without you refusing and disobeying. When He says let go, let go. When He says wait, just wait. I know letting go is hard (especially for all you romantics, like me!) and I know waiting is even harder (especially for all you impatient girls, like me too!) but I promise you, truly, if God asks you to wait, He will make sure the wait will be worth it.

Trust me, you want a man who’s fighting battles not only for you but also for God. You want someone on the right side… on God’s side. Because we know when the King of Kings is on our side, who can ever be against us? :) (Romans 8:31)

We’ve all said at one point or another how we “don’t have time” for certain things; “Sorry I don’t have time to go out with you guys because I need to do my homework.” “Sorry I don’t have time to attend Bible study today because I have to work on my project” But the truth is, we DO have time, it’s just that, we chose the other option.

You have time to go out with your family, it’s just that you chose to prioritize working on your homework during that time. You do have time to attend Bible study but it seems that working on your project seems to be more important at that time than studying the Bible.

Pastor Peter said “You have all the time. What do you do with your time?” and that’s the real question isn’t it? You have time to read your Bible, but do you choose to spend those 20 minutes surfing the internet instead? You have time to join your family for dinner, but do you choose to stay home so you can watch your favorite series instead? Pastor Peter also said “Whatever is important (to you), you will have time for it”

What is competing with your relationship with God? It’s not the bad things in life, for sure, but the good things that take up space in your heart. Time is one thing we all value, where do you spend yours? Is it on things that matter? Is it on things that last? Ten years from now, will these things still be as important to you as they are now? Are you spending your time wisely?

God says there is a time for everything; there is enough time to work on your homework, enough time to spend with your family, enough time to spend with your friends and enough time, more importantly, to spend with Him. Being “too busy” is never an excuse. You can never be too busy for anything that is important to you.

——

I feel so passionately about this right now because I get really annoyed when people tell me they don’t have time. Tell me about being busy; I’m planning a wedding, designing things for the wedding, meeting with all kinds of wedding suppliers, working on a house, designing things for the house, meeting with all kinds of suppliers for the house, working on my business, designing new merchandise and I have a day-job too. And still I find time to attend Bible study, lead a Bible study, attend church every Sunday, join my family and my fiance’s family every week, meet with friends and the list goes on! Talk to me about being too busy and watch me roll my eyes… :|

It is so easy to praise God when everything’s going well, but what if they’re not? What happens when you fail an exam? When you break up with your boyfriend? Or when your family is having a hard time making ends meet? What happens when you find out you have friends who betrayed you or when you lose something you worked so hard for? Can you still praise Him? Can you still honestly say you love Him despite everything?

“Sing and make melody with your heart to the Lord” not only when times are good but also when things get rough. Our hearts can rest in God no matter how disappointed we become in life because He’s the only one who will never let you down. You can trust His promises and you can trust Him because He never fails and He never gives up on us, even when we’ve already given up on ourselves.

WHAT IF JESUS DIDN’T COME?

Have you ever wondered; what would life be like if Jesus didn’t come? No Christmas, that’s for sure! But what would that mean to you? And what would that mean to me?

If Jesus didn’t come, there would be no “Sheena Loves Sunsets”; no products with Bible verses from me (because there would be no Bible!) and no Bible verse drawings posted on my Tumblr. In fact, If Jesus didn’t come, there would be no “Sheena Loves Sunsets” in Tumblr because the friend who convinced me to start a Tumblr was also, a friend from church (Hi, Isa, a.k.a. themorninglight!)

If Jesus didn’t come, I wouldn’t have met the most amazing people I’ve met in my life because I met a lot of them in CCF (the church I attend). I wouldn’t have met people who I could count on during tough times and I wouldn’t have known what it was like to have a group of people praying for you. If Jesus didn’t come, I wouldn’t have started a Bible study with 3 of my closest friends and we wouldn’t have experienced the joy and sense of fulfillment seeing people grow in their faith through the group. If Jesus didn’t come, I wouldn’t have joined a Holy Land Bible Study tour and would have missed out on such a life-changing trip.

If Jesus didn’t come, I would most certainly not be getting married next year. In fact, I would most definitely not have met my fiance because first of all, the friend who introduced us was a friend of mine from church. And even if by “chance” (because there is no Jesus) we would have met, I would probably be a crazy, immature, insecure, proud and selfish girlfriend and we would’ve broken up already just a few months after.

If Jesus didn’t come, I would be prouder than I am now, more selfish, more unkind. I would probably not be a very good daughter, not a good sister and not a good friend. I would probably lie a lot, cheat, steal, curse and be rude. I would find no meaning and purpose in my life which could lead me to become cynical and angry at the world. Maybe I would smile, but deep inside I would hurt. There would be no purpose to everything I would be doing and I would know it… and yet, I wouldn’t know how to fix it.

But Jesus did come! And in coming, He changed my life! I am still not perfect and my life is far from perfect, but I can only imagine how different things would be if Jesus didn’t choose to come in this world to save me.

So this Christmas, may we all remember the true reason for this season. May we be glad and joyful not only because we are with family and friends, not only because we can take a break and not only because we can enjoy the gifts and the good food. May we celebrate, and I mean really celebrate (!) because Jesus came and when He did, He changed everything. This Christmas, may we love because He first loved us.

Happy Birthday, Jesus! Thank you for coming. You didn’t have to, but you did. ♥

Life is all about relationships; get your relationship right with the One who matters most first (God!) and everything else will follow.

“Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself” (Matt 6:34)

For all your worry-warts out there! Stop worrying! You’re not in control of everything, God is! But I guess the questions is, do you know God enough for you to really truly trust Him? If the answer is no, don’t worry! I’ve got good news!

God wants to have a relationship with you! Wanna know how? Check this out!

Sometimes we think we need time alone, but what we really need is time with God. ♥

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3)

There are a lot of things in life we do not understand. We have questions and sometimes, we have doubts. Some people will tell you to just “let it go” or to “stop asking useless questions” but God never gave such advices! God said “Call to ME and I will answer you…!” Isn’t that amazing? God promises to answer us and give us wisdom and tell us “great and unsearchable things” we do not know.

So go ahead, call the King of Kings! What is it that’s been bothering you lately? Ask God sincerely and prepare to be surprised!

For three days, I experienced for myself what a privilege it is to be serving the King of Kings. He changed lives right before my very eyes! I wanted to scream and cry and smile and fall down in awe all at once. People who were lost and hurting were given hope and a new life. I am extremely humbled because I know that it was no longer I, but Christ who touched hearts and moved souls.

All I can say now is that truly our God is mighty to save. Never before has this phrase been so real to me as it did this weekend. I will never ever doubt His power again. He saves. He saves. He saves. And no power can ever stop Him from doing so. My God is wonderful, awesome and indescribable. He is my rock, my redeemer, my savior, my lover, my pursuer and my very best friend. May my King be glorified forever and ever!

“However as it is written: no eye has seen no ear has heard no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)

“We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.” (1 John 3:14)

God didn’t call us to judge others but to love them. Each one of them. People who are of a different culture, race, background or religion. People who believe in the opposite of what we do. We are to love those who anger us. Love those who have hurt us. Even those who ridicule us. Sometimes, all people need is someone to show them how Jesus loves; always and unconditionally.

Remember, that we have no business hating people. Jesus asks us to love God above all else and we love Him best when we love the people around us.

“ Being in love is a good thing, but it is not the best thing. There are many things below it, but there are also things above it. You cannot make it the basis of a whole life. It is a noble feeling, but it is still a feeling… Knowledge can last, principles can last, habits can last; but feelings come and go… But, of course, ceasing to be “in love” need not mean ceasing to love. Love in this second sense — love as distinct from “being in love” — is not merely a feeling. It is a deep unity, maintained by the will and deliberately strengthened by habit; reinforced by (in Christian marriage) the grace which both partners ask, and receive, from God… “Being in love” first moved them to promise fidelity: this quieter love enables them to keep the promise. It is on this love that the engine of marriage is run: being in love was the explosion that started it.

— C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity)

(Source: denisecua)

God’s promises are amazing! Available as bookmarks and notebooks! Check them out here! ♥

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” (Colossians 3:23)