PLANS

*Okay, I know I promised to write a follow up post about Reachers and Settlers and I will, one of these days, I'm still in the process of gathering my thoughts, don't worry when my mind is ready to throw up about that topic, it will. But, just a few seconds ago, thoughts about oblivion rushed into my head. Here it goes...

Plans. Dreams. Ambition. Goals. Wants.As a single/young professional, this is probably one of the scariest words that I have had to encounter. I dunno about the rest of you, but for me it is. When a person asks you, "What's your plan" it's easy to come up with a bunch of mumbo jumbos to impress a person of what are the things that you would want to do in life--I mean, all you have to do is just give that person the items on what's your plan in life" question births another relevant and very significant question, "Will I be able to do all these things?".
your bucket list and your good to go. It's easy to answer, but if you start digging in deeper into it, this "

Hey, I am a planner myself. I'm a dreamer and a thinker. I LOVE thinking about the endless possibilities that tomorrow can bring. It sounds like a cheesy movie or song, I know, but, it's who I am, I dream, imagine and create. Heck, if being a dreamer was a profession, I'd pick that career in a heartbeat. I would. But, planning and fulfilling these plans are two different stories. Look, I'm not saying that one should stop dreaming, NO. THAT IS NOT MY POINT AT ALL. I mean, it's nice to dream, and create and imagine and feel like you can do anything and feel this liberating feeling of being a child again, I get it. I am that person. The unfortunate truth is, not all our plans will push through.

I'll use myself as an example. When I was sixteen, I created this crazy list of how I would want my life to be. At the age of twenty four, I should have finished my Master's, been to New York, Watched all the Broadway shows I want, Lost a lot of weight, Go Sky Diving, Go to New Zealand, Canada, Germany, Hungary, Greece and so on. Bring Granny and Mommy to Paris,my list goes on and on and on. I even remember having Must have met Vanessa Hudgens, Zac Efron and Ashley Tisdale.  It's silly, but I was sixteen. These are the plans that I had for myself, which was good, but along with these plans, I've also limited myself by placing a time table or a deadline for each of the items in my faith goals. But none of them turned out as I planned. I'm twenty four years old now and I am just about to graduate from college in a month. I worked without being able to finish my degree because I had to. I've never been on Broadway, I've I've never gone sky diving, haven't reached my goal weight, haven't been to New Zealand or any of the places I've listed, I lost my Granny and have yet to go to Paris-- and I still do not have a Master's Degree in Child Psychology. None of the things that I wanted when I was sixteen came true, Tell me, what's wrong with the things that I listed? Are they all attainable? Yes. Are they impossible? No. Then why am I not living the life that I planned? The answer is, I limited myself and apart from that, I limited God.

See, I placed all these wants, dreams and plans on my own time table. I didn't even consider the things that I'd experience along the way. I didn't know that my Mom would have cancer, that I would have to stop studying for three years and work as an undergraduate or that I would lose my Granny. No one knew these things, I certainly didn't--and I relied on my own strength as I planned my "oh-so-perfect-life" I wanted to become the youngest clinical psychologist when I was sixteen, I never wanted to be a teacher, I never knew that I could sing or that I loved music. I didn't know that losing Granny would ignite my passion for music--I had all these unplanned things happen to me, and now, even if my plans for myself fell apart, I couldn't now feel more whole. God pieced me back together. He restored me, and revealed who I'm really suppose to be. HIS PLAN.

Lea Salonga as Kim
Will Chase as Chris

I love music and adore musicals. I STRONGLY believe that music is one of the greatest gifts that God has ever blessed us with. I mean it speaks to so many people in so many ways. It soothes, it heals and it connects different people from different parts of the world and unites us all as one. I am fond of musicals. Crazily and obsessively fond of musicals. If I could live in a theatre for the rest of my life and sing to my heart's content, or actually live in a musical, then I would be the happiest person on earth and die the next day. Anyway, as I was listening my Life On Stage playlist, a ton of songs already passed but when Last Night of the World began playing, I started singing, softly of course because well, it's late and I don't wanna belt out and wake my sisters who are sleeping in the next room and besides, this song is a duet. Anyway, I dunno why all of a sudden, this topic came to mind, while LAST NIGHT OF THE WORLD was playing and I was singing along softly and of course, I was imagining that I was Kim from the musical Miss Saigon

Alistair Brammer and Eva Noblezada
of  Miss Saigon 25
 2014 West End Revival

(yeah, yeah, yeah, the musical theatre geek in me strikes again. But isn't it so awesome on how dynamic and diverse songs can be? People get different forms of inspiration from everyone! Truly inspiration is everywhere, but I'm going off topic, anyway...) the line singing
        Kim: "Dreams are all I ever knew"
then Chris answers:
       Chris: "Dreams, you won't need when I'm through" 

Lea Salonga and Will Chase on the 2001
Broadway Production of Miss Saigon

This line really struck me. I felt like a lightning bolt went through my mind and roars of thunder passed through me. Yeah, an epiphany. As I was singing it softly, Of course, this was a duet, sang by a sweet and innocent voice for the dreams are all I ever knew part and a strong and protective voice for the dreams, you won't need when I'm through part. I felt like it was God's voice reminding me that I don't have to worry about my goals, plans and well, dreams because God has planned out everything, all I have to do is trust HIM because HE NEVER DISAPPOINTS and HE LOVES SURPRISES. And once HE's through, I will be living the life that is beyond my expectations. See? GOD is truly OMNIPRESENT! He speaks through everything :D

God has the absolute BEST sense of humor ever. I mean, why on earth would HE allow me to write down my own plan if HE had something better in mind? Why would HE allow me to have this fascination about the human mind if HE had a different career in mind for me? Why would HE place certain passions in me without me even knowing that these passions existed? Why? Was the sixteen year old me a lie or a delusion? Of course not. He has a reason for everything--and I have yet to find out.

It says in Jeremiah 1:5...
“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

--Now, isn't that just AWESOME? HE knew us before we were even formed and born. He knew our destiny before we even existed. Now that is something. It's a form of reassurance that:

1. WE ARE NOT A MISTAKE.

"I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." -Psalm 139:14
  -Sometimes, we may feel like if a certain something goes wrong and we're at fault, we are the mistake. or sometimes, we can get too dramatic and think "I wish I was never born". Or for those who are like me (born out of wedlock) You'd think that you are a mistake because you were never planned in the first place, well, this is a reminder, that GOD planned you and me. He planned our birth, He planned every moment of our life. He orchestrated the people we'd meet, interact and befriend. He wrote a beautiful life story for each of us. HE MADE US.

2. WE ARE CREATED FOR A PURPOSE. 


"However, as it is written: "What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived" -- the things God has prepared for those who love him"-- 1 Corinthians 2:9

  -I call myself an artist with a purpose because we are wonderfully crafted piece of art created, formed and molded by our Heavenly Father. The same GOD who created the Heavens and the Earth. The same Heavenly Father who molded our very being and who knows our very reason for existing. The GOD who created this wonderful and beautiful world that we live in along with the vast universe that has yet to be discovered. The GOD who specifically knows our strengths, weaknesses and abilities and our purpose. GOD is THE BEST ARTIST. And as a produce of HIS genius and creative mind, don't you think HE knows why we are here? HE knows how we can be used by HIM. He knows every single area and moment of our lives. HE KNOWS OUR PURPOSE.

3. WE ARE IN HIS HANDS.
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." -Romans 5:8
   - At times when people just cannot simply state the right thing to say whenever we feel like we are drowning in an impossible situation with no where to go. God has the answer-always. Sometimes, the reason why we find ourselves caught up in this web of pain and discomfort is because we think that we can rely on living by our own term. God is for us and always in our side. No matter how far we run or where we hide, our Heavenly Father will always be there for us to guide, support and love us. No matter how bad we may think we are, His love is something that goes beyond measures, nothing surprises HIM because He knows us more than we even know ourselves and He will love us in ways beyond anyone can ever dream of. He is that PERFECT. No matter how deep our mess is, that is NOTHING compared to the depth of HIS love for each of us. Remember that we are created for a purpose, Crafted by our Creator, therefore, we are always in HIS hands and within HIS grace, protection and love. No one can ever out love God. He loves us, more than we know and more than what we can ever imagine. He loved us in the darkest of our days, He gave HIS son for us to save us, that we may be given another chance, that we may LIVE and reflect HIS glory. HE LOVES US.

You see, nothing is a mistake, and nothing is in our control either. The bottom line is, no matter how flawless we may think our plans are, there will always be a twist because, We are not created to plan, we are created to live. Live the life that reflects God. Live a life filled with love, grace and blessings. Live a life planned by GOD-because then, and only then we will know the true meaning of living. He will never leave us and HE will always love us. Isn't that more than what anyone can ever ask for? :)

Stay Blessed everyone!