The GLUE That Holds Us Together

I received this message from my former mentor and manager when I was still working my butt off in the corporate world. It's got something to do with our anatomy and laminins and how amazing God really is! I just thought it worth sharing here.

A couple of days ago I was running (I use that term very loosely) on my treadmill, watching a DVD sermon by Louie Giglio... And I was BLOWN AWAY!

I want to share what I learned.... But I fear not being able to convey it as well as I want. I will share anyway.

He (Louie) was talking about how inconceivably BIG our God is... How He spoke the universe into being... How He breathes stars out of His mouth that are huge raging balls of fire, Etc. Etc.

Then He went on to speak of how this star-breathing, universe creating God ALSO knitted our human bodies together with amazing detail and wonder. At this point I am LOVING it (fascinating from a medical standpoint, you know)... And I was remembering how I was constantly amazed during medical school as I learned more and more about God's handiwork. I remember so many times thinking... 'How can ANYONE deny that a Creator did all of this???'

Louie went on to talk about how we can trust that the God who created all this, also has the power to hold it all together when things seem to be falling apart.. how our loving Creator is also our sustainer.

And then I lost my breath. And it wasn't because I was running my treadmill, either!!!

It was because he started talking about laminin. I knew about laminin.

Here is how Wikipedia describes them:
'Laminins are a family of proteins that are an integral part of the structural scaffolding of basement membranes in almost every animal tissue.'

You see... Laminins are what hold us together.. LITERALLY. They are cell adhesion molecules. They are what holds one cell of our bodies to the next cell. Without them, we would literally fall apart. And I knew all this already. But what I didn't know is what they LOOKED LIKE. But now I do.

And I have thought about it a thousand times since (already)... Here is what the structure of laminin looks like... AND THIS IS NOT a 'Christian portrayal' of it...

If you look up laminin in any scientific/medical piece of literature, this is what you will see...

Now tell me that our God is not the coolest!!! Amazing. The glue that holds us together..... ALL of us.... Is in the shape of the cross.

Immediately Colossians 1:15-17 comes to mind.

'He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.For by him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth,visible And invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in Him all things HOLD TOGETHER.' (Colossians 1:15-17)

Call me crazy. I just think that is very, very, very cool. Thousands of years before the world knew anything about laminin, Paul penned those words.

And now we see that from a very LITERAL standpoint, we are held together... One cell to another... By the cross.

You would never in a quadrillion years convince me that is anything Other than the mark of a Creator who knew EXACTLY what laminin 'glue' would look like long before Adam breathed
his first breath!!

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God Always Provides

I have experienced, time and again, that God always provides. Even if you don't utter it in your mouth. Even if you just ignore the problem and don't worry yourself too much about it. Even if things seem too impossible. Even if you just whisper it in your heart. At the right moment, at the most unexpected time, the Lord has surprised me, hubby and me, us, with His Saving Grace.

Surely, there is no one as great as Him who always provides and who always knows what we desire. YES, He grants our heart's desires and aids us in our needs in His own way, in His own Time.

Glory and praise be to OUR GOD WHO ALWAYS PROVIDES.

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The Windhover

Here is a beautiful poem from Gerard Manley Hopkins, SJ. The images presented are powerful and majestic, as a tribute to Christ, the King. For indeed, Jesus is King - great in His love and powerful to resist the temptations of the devil. Mighty is our God who lived among us and saved us all from death.

I caught this morning morning's minion,
kingdom of daylight's dauphin, dapple-dawn-drawn Falcon,
in his riding of the rolling level underneath him steady air, and striding
High there, how he rung upon the rein of a wimpling wing
In his ecstasy! then off, off forth on swing,
As a skate's heel sweeps smooth on a bow-bend; the hurl and gliding
Rebuffed the big wind. My heart is hiding
Stirred for a bird, - the achieve of, the mastery of the thing!

Brute beauty and valour are act, oh, air, pride, plume here
Buckle! AND the fire that breaks from thee then, a billion
Times told lovelier, more dangerous, O my chevalier!

No wonder of it: sheer plod makes plough down sillion
Shine, and blue-bleak embers, ah my dear,
Fall, gall themselves, and gash gold-vermilion.

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Interview with God

I just would like to share this very inspirational message. I invite you all to take a look and be touched and inspired by it. God bless you all!



Inspirational Quotes

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Mountaintop Encounters

Today's Readings:
First Reading: Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14
Psalm 97
Gospel: Matthew 17:1-9

After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters?one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!" When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid." When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

"And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light." Matthew 17:2

Cloud Nine. Emotional high. Heaven!

Have you ever gone mountain climbing? What was the best part of the climb? It is when you reach the summit, right? Nothing compares to the experience of beholding God's majestic creation at a mountain's peak. Indeed being close to nature gives us a sense of closeness to Him who created us and everything that our eyes can see.

It is at the summit where we can get a 360-degree view of the beauty and majesty of God's creation. It is at the summit and at the mountain trail where we get to better appreciate His creation - the magnificence of a rushing waterfall, the earth glistening from the morning mist, the splendor of a soaring eagle, the diverse and unusual colors of huge dragonflies, the dark evenings broken by the light of thousands of fireflies and billions of stars, the clear blue skies disrupted by intermittent rains, and the pure, fresh mountain breeze that we take in.

In several of my prayer times, I have come to experience these mountaintop encounters wherein I felt God's presence so strongly that I just want to remain in the moment. There are times when I feel God embracing me that I can't help myself but cry because unworthy as I am, He deemed me worthy to feel His presence. It is moments such as these that urge me to continue to take up my own cross and face the many challenges and trials of life. It is these encounters that allowed me to persevere until the moment comes when I rejoin my God in His kingdom.

I would like to offer this song, My Heart's Thanksgiving, as a prayer to Him who has always been faithful to me.

(Ref)
As i sing my heart's thanksgiving, and my eyes look heavenward,
How the stars You flung like jewels, bid Your welcome, shine Your light.
As I marvel at Your moonrise, I'm in awe, yet i ask,
"What am I that you should love me, and hold me as Your dearest love of all?"

You crown me with honor and glory, and You set all things under my feet.
You have made me a little less than angels, even if I fly often away. (ref)

In my anxious and brow-beaten moments, You comfort me, fill me with peace.
When my foe threaten, dare and surround me,
You're my strength, You're my light and my shield. (ref.)

How exalted Your name is, O Yahweh, and how lofty the work of Your hands!
Yet how closely, how dearly You draw me, to Your love, Your divine majesty. (ref.)

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Marvelous is the Lord

Todays Readings:
First Reading: Isaiah 7:1-9
Psalm 48
Gospel: Matthew 11:20-24

Then he began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented. "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgement than for you. And as for you, Capernaum: `Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld.` For if the might deeds done on your midst had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you, it will be mroe tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you."

"Then Jesus began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented." Matthew 11:20

God, in His infinite love and mercy for us, has always been gracious to our family. He has answered our prayers in His own time and we are so happy to be blessed by Him.

God has blessed our family and our marriage countless times. Last year, when we were still trying to settle down in Tokyo, we were swamped with worries and problems - financial difficulties, pressures from work, job security, arguments on family support in the Philippines, saving up money for our coming baby - all that stuff. Despite the problems, we held on to our faith in God, praying that He will answer our prayers in time and doing the best we can to solve our problems one at a time. And indeed, they were answered. God has been so good. Before the year ended, my husband found a new job at a multinational company, we were able to save up for our baby`s birth and found ways on how to get by. Another great blessing was the birth of our firstborn, Samantha Ysabelle. Indeed, God works in wonderful and marvelous ways. Our 2008 started off very beautifully and all of these blessings that we are enjoying right now are because of God. Sometimes, I would wonder, "Does God love us more than He does others?" Nah, I know He loves all of us equally.

But God is also a just and righteous God. We know that He will give punishment when it is due so that we try to avoid sinning as much as we can. We pray that we may continue to give thanks and reverence to God for all the goodness that He has shown us. May He unceasingly guide our way so that we will be able to resist temptations. And may we resolve, with God`s grace, to be repentant and change our sinful ways. Amen.

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