Love clarifies.

While humility and mutual accountability are essential, it is crucial to “put your hope in God” FIRST.

Not humans.

Not institutions.

Not programs.

You don’t owe anyone an explanation for your decisions and how you choose to live your life.

I understand this one thing about the algorithm: every like, every comment, every article, every second you spend on the videos or reels that pass your timeline, create patterns.

Your rants, your raves, your highlights, every one of those are stored.

I admire how one married celebrity shared that she and her husband separated for 6 months but nobody knew. THAT is a superpower.

What is more noteworthy is the fact that even when they separated, neither of them dated other people.

When they got back together for the sake of their child, they both admitted they had “no feelings” for each other anymore. Yet they decided to try again.

Today their marriage is much, much better. She’s humble enough to attribute it to the LORD – not because of a support group or any human being.

Don’t get me wrong. Sharing accountability, fellowship, and giving others the opportunity to bear your burdens with you is God’s design for His church.

However, will the people you share your burdens with truly pray for you? Or will they simply prey on your vulnerability?

The Bible says “Love protects”; “A wife must not separate from her husband”; “God hates divorce.”

How does a married person obey God when it becomes painful to stay?

If your marriage feels heavy today yet you desire to obey God, to “remain in Him”, this is for you.

If you’re feeling unloved, tired, unseen, unappreciated, disrespected, neglected and you think being away from your spouse, even temporarily, would help, this is for you.

“Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.” 1 Corinthians‬ ‭7‬:‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Pray FIRST. Then talk with your spouse.

Not your bestie.

Not your churchmates.

Not your family of origin.

Not your children.

And certainly not your in-laws.

Your spouse IS your primary accountability partner. Pray for each other, pray with each other. Communicate.

NEVER disclose your marital issues to anyone outside of it, especially on the internet space because the devil feasts on the algorithm.

Protect your spouse even when you’re annoyed. Zip your lips when you have nothing good to say about him or her. Your husband or your wife is NOT your enemy.

Put your hope in God! In Him, you never have to suffer alone.

God’s love protects you. His love disciplines you. His love never fails and His love clarifies His design: what God has put together, let no man separate.

Let’s pray.

Father God, when our marriage feels more like a bed of nails than a bed of roses, help us to trust that You have called us to keep our marriage bed pure and undefiled.

We acknowledge that You have put us together for Your purpose and Your glory. Protect us from pride and deceit and help us to love each other as You love us: faithfully, unconditionally, wholeheartedly. Though it’s a bit blurry, may our marriage be a picture of your covenant-keeping love with Your people. Help us to be humble. Help us to trust and serve each other, and may our children see, know and love Jesus through our lives. Your faithful love endures forever, Father God. Help us to enjoy Your love together. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Come Holy Spirit. Amen.

Got cold feet?

Silhouette of a bride standing in a puddle, wearing a wedding dress and sneakers, with soft bokeh lights in the background.

I did… the night of December 19, 2012.

I was all alone in a food court in Ortigas. I didn’t have a bag with me. I had less than Php100 in my pocket and my nearly-drained tablet.

I left my mom with a lady friend in the hotel we were booked in for my DIY breakfast wedding.

I thought things through for the nth time. All details were set. People we invited confirmed they’ll be there.

“Will it glorify God?” was the question.

Will it glorify God if I just… disappeared?

I woke up the next morning, mom and I and my lady friend were even able to have a short devotional. Mom braided my hair with DIY hairpins. I did my own makeup.

For some reason, another lady friend thought it best to lock me in a friend’s car with the aircon off for so many minutes before letting me in.

Perhaps to ensure that I won’t run away?

Anyway, by the grace of God, our small wedding pushed through . We exchanged our vows. Everyone came and went, until it was only my husband and I left.

We got enough cash to settle the restaurant bills.

We had enough to last our first week together.

And we had just enough to cover the first three months of our rented home.

Just enough.

It’s been almost 13 years since then.

The question I have now is: “Is God more glorified in and through me today than He was, 13 years ago?”

Meanwhile.

A bride-to-be disappeared on December 10th this year, just 4 days before her wedding. She fit her wedding dress. Last communication with her fiancé was about wedding shoes: she was going to buy a pair.

She wore a black jacket over black pants, and rubber shoes. She left her phone at home and only had a coin purse with her.

I’m not imeldific – I can’t afford to be one. So it takes a looooot of time for me to find “the perfect fit” by myself. Thankfully, my fiancĂ© back in 2012 mall-hopped with me so I can decide and find the pair that would best fit my dress. (I actually wanted for us to wear running shoes but he didn’t agree.)

Anyway. So where is the bride-to-be?

I can only guess, in the simplest of ways, that perhaps she got awfully tired of looking for the perfect pair of shoes and chose to disappear.

People say there are monasteries in the vicinity where she was last seen. Perhaps she’s there.

The Fairview Center Mall (FCM) is where the bride-to-be was going to buy her shoes. Could she be in one of the three monasteries in the area?
The Fairview Center Mall (FCM) is where the bride-to-be was going to buy her shoes. Could she be in one of the three monasteries in the area?

Will this missing person search glorify God? I have no doubt it will – it does, as we speak.

Proverbs 25:2, NASB: “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.”