Separate us from dross

It's not easy to be parents. No parent has practical experience on how to parent his first child. The closest is to learn through modeling from his parents (either positive or negative) or from books, peers, mentors, relatives...

For those who are in Christ, we learn from our perfect Parent: our Father in heaven.

I'm not a parent. At most, I'm a spiritual parent who aspires to learn from my Father. 
What I can give my kids now is vastly different from when I first started teaching. 
Then, I looked at them as just another assignment, a chore, at most; a cute little face now and then. They were just a means to an end. They were too noisy to be cute actually.

A prayerful Baptism made a great difference. My life changed quite a bit, more than when I first received Christ in 2006. I respect every family who is not ready to receive the God I worshiped. I do not impose and neither can one impose cos Jesus is a Gentleman. 
From 7 years old till my years of wandering, has no one shared Christ with me? Of cos. 
Just leave me at arm's length and don't bother me while I 'enjoy' my life.

Only when tragedies hit and man is at his utmost desperation will one look above and ask, "Where is God in the midst of this injustice?"

Man's sufferings seem like injustice, no matter what or who caused it.

Those who know me before and after, I know you are just as ecstatic as me in how much I have changed. I always laugh at how I would react when something like this happened in the past. I'm proud of the God in me, not with myself. 

There's nothing in me that warrants pride. I was telling a church mate that as I ate my noodles the other day, I was like swallowing (accepting) all that had happened. 
And I have to eat humble pie. When Pastor Michael talked about self-denial, this made me crumble. I didn't know self-denial tastes like this. 

And I know this is just the appetizer. 
Come on, haven't I known that life in Christ is taking up His cross and denying self? 
Didn't I sign up for this in 2006?

No, I only tried Jesus because I had come to a dead end.

Then I have heard, read and seen that in others. To me? Maybe later...later...not now...

We long to delay hardships but please don't delay our gratification.

We love roses but please take away the thorns.

We love You Jesus but please don't let me suffer like You.

Jesus loves me for my loveliness which He has created but He loves me all: even my rottenness.

Eat an apple but don't want to see the seed? Then where does the apple come from?

To our Father:

Refine us and assay us. Let us be purged as gold and silver, that we are separated from dross!