Life Is What You Choose It

Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request. 1 Chronicles 4:10, N IV

John, Claude, Vandame

John, Claude and Vandame are officemates. They live in the same condominium. Their wives are friends who happened to be classmates in culinary school.

One day John, Claude and Vandame were having lunch.

“Chicken again!” John exclaimed, “I’m sick of eating chicken for lunch. If I’ll have chicken again tomorrow I’ll kill my self.”

Claude opened his packed lunch, “Fish! I’m tired of eating fish for lunch. If I’ll have fish again tomorrow I’ll kill myself.”

Finally Vandame, “Hotdogs! I’m sick and tired of hotdogs. I had hotdogs for breakfast and now, hotdogs again for lunch. If I’ll have hotdogs again tomorrow I’ll kill myself.”

One day later.

“This is it! I don’t want to live another day eating chicken for lunch,” and John jumped on the window, dead.

“Fish again? I don’t want to see another fish tomorrow for lunch,” and Claude jumped on the window, dead.

Finally Vanadame, “Hotdogs! I’m done I’ll end this now,” and Vandame jumped on the window, dead.

During their wake John and Claude’s wives were crying.

“If I only knew John doesn’t want chicken for lunch, I should have… Hik, hik (sobbing)!!! I thought chicken was his favorite.”

“I also thought fish is Claude’s favorite. If I could have known it earlier Claude will not be dead by now, huuuu (weeping)!!!”

“Vandame, why did you do this to me? How could you kill yourself? You’re sick of hotdogs? Grrrrr (really mad)! And you kill yourself? How could you???!!! How could you???!!!”

“Why are you like that, your husband had just died? And you are mad at him” John and Claude’s wives asked Vandame’s widow.

“Because I have never prepared him his lunch, he’s preparing it himself. And he’ll say he’s sick of hotdogs? He should have cooked something else. There are lots of food stocks in the fridge.”

Life Is What You Make It

Friends, most of the time we are like Vandame, we complain about our own choices.

You’ll hear, “I took up Accountancy, I never love Accounting.”

“I signed a job as a domestic helper, I’m a nurse.”

“I married a jerk, he never changed.”

“I’m sick and tired of my boss, but I can’t leave the company.”

Dear friends, my big message for you today is, “You have a choice, choose well.”

Here is my belief, “Life is what you choose it. You are 100% of what you’ve chosen years back.

You have a choice and you make it, you are in control.

God don’t have access to your decision making, God don’t dictate you what to do. He gave you your freewill. You are in control, you make the decision.

"Life is what you choose it. You are 100% of what you’ve chosen years back"
God only takes care of the consequences, but to your decisions and choices, never! You make them.”

Make Good Choices

God Can Enlarge Your Territory

Yes, you read it right. God can enlarge your territory in as much as He enlarged Jabez’s.

But you have to make good choices. Think this out with me…

Do you think God would enlarge Jabez’s territory if he chooses to live like his brothers?

I don’t think so.

Jabez chose to live more honorable than his brothers (1 Chronicles 4:9) and God enlarged his territory.

Or maybe if Jabez just accept the fact that his mother named him “Jabez” because his mother gave birth to him in pain? (1 Chronicles 4:9).”

Imagine the label, “PAIN”.

But Jabez chose to outlive his name. Declaring his faith he prayed, “Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request (1 Chronicles 4:10).

"Life is what you make it "
Friends, “Life is what you choose it.”

You have a choice.

Choose well.

Have faith.

Honor God.

In HIM,

Jobie P. Doblado

Grow Where You Are Planted

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11, NIV.

The Mustards

One Saturday morning my Dad asked me to help him do some seed planting.

That morning we planted some mustard seeds on a plastic pot.

On the process, we selectively choose the soil in which the seeds will be planted. We put on some trampled charcoal so that the seeds may be able to breathe out. We then pour on some water to make the soil soft.

Then, one by one we carefully pressed the seeds into the soil, sprinkled some water and put it on our backyard.

Every morning before I go to work I see my Dad watering the seeds. And one by one I saw the seeds grow.

Fourteen days later my Dad asked me to help him cultivate some part of our backyard.

“What are we planting this time?”

“The mustards”, he said pointing at the 14-day old mustards we planted two weeks ago.

“So why do we have to plant those on a plastic pot if we will transfer them on the ground?”

“The seeds will drown on the ground. All of them will not grow”, he said smiling, “it is necessary for them to be planted where they can grow and transferred to somewhere where they will grow more”.

Grow Where You Are Planted

My big message for today is, “Grow where you are planted”.

"Grow Where You Are Planted"
We are like those mustard seeds. God planted us somewhere where we can grow and He will transfer us to grounds where we can grow more. That’s His plan, to bless us more than we can imagine.

To prosper us more than what we can measure.

To give us hope.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11, NIV.

Leap Of Faith

Let me tell you my story, read on.

Last February Shell Shared Services Manila offered me an employment opportunity.

The offer was great. It’s beyond what I’m expecting for.

However, I should be willing to work with shifting schedules. Which means they, Shell, can ask me to report for office on a regular day shift (9am to 6pm) or on a mid shift (3pm to 12mn), anytime.

That means “irregular schedule.” The effect:

No Saturday morning Ortigas Feast Music Ministry rehearsals.

No Monday night Ortigas Feast (Oritgas Feast is a Catholic Prayer Meeting of the Light Of Jesus Family).

No Thursday night Caring Groups.

No Tuesday date nights with Shiela.

And the list could be endless and to make it short, I would have to give up some of my Church service and most specially, "my Tuesday date nights".

I was confused to whether take the offer or just drop it off.

Breakthrough

I remember last year I prayed for a breakthrough. I asked God to lead me to His promises. I don’t ask for any specifics, I just asked for a breakthrough.

It maybe a promotion, new clients, other income opportunities, new job or anything that He might give, besides, He is God and nothing is impossible for Him.

Then came Shell, I asked God, “Is this the breakthrough?”

A friend told me to read Exodus 33.

I almost wept when I read God saying, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest (Exodus 33:14).”

And like how Moses responded, I prayed, “Lord, if your presence does not go with me do not send me (Exodus 33:15).”

I signed the contract.

I’m now with Shell.

Changes Are Inevitable

Change happens.

Yesterday you where there, today you’re here and tomorrow you’ll be somewhere else. But if you walk your life in faith, you will always be on fertile ground, always be on the right track.

If you will live a life of faith, if you love God and live according to His purpose, God will make all things work together for your good (Romans 8:28).

It’s His promise.

It’s His divine purpose for you.

My Message

Here is my belief, “If you will live a life of faith, you will learn how to follow God’s will and purpose for your life even amidst your confusion.

"If you will live a life of faith, you will learn how to follow God’s will and purpose for your life even amidst your confusion"
Entrust Him. And entrusting means surrender.

Give it to Him.

Ask Him for directions.

Let Him work out the details.

Believe that He is working behind the scenes on your behalf and He’s preparing your way to abundance.”

I am yet to explore what God has for me here on Shell and I can’t help but to be excited because I believe He’s going to bless me more.

It Will All Come To Pass

Friends, all your dreams and aspirations will all come true.

God will give you all the desires of your heart.

It will all come to pass right before your eyes.

Believe that God is working behind the scenes on your behalf.

He’s preparing your way to abundance and true bliss.

Live a life of faith.

Love God.

Enjoy life.

In HIM,

Jobie Doblado

P.S.1

Two Sundays ago k.Jerry (Ortigas Feast Band Bassist) told me that come May, Ortigas Feast will have a Sunday sessions and he’s asking if I’ll be available to play for the band. I said a big “Yes”.

P.S.2

One more, the other day one of my office mate asked me if I could play guitars during Mass. Yes, we have Mass here on Shell, it happens every first Friday of the month! And I said a big “Yes”.

I’m excited I’ll be rocking again for God’s name and glory. I’ll tell you about it on my succeeding blogs.

P.S.3

I believe there’s more and I’ll be expecting more. I’ll be raising my expectancy level to the highest besides I’m dealing with an amazing God.