Barbie’s New Love

All her life, Yvette Hontiveros Almabis, better known as Barbie (of Barbie’s Cradle), had always felt a "void" in her heart. She muses, I was always searching for God."

In the middle of this search, things got bad. Barbie recalls, "I reached a point in my life where everything was so dark. I didn’t feel love for people or myself. I had no one to turn to except for Him. I would have been dead if I didn’t turn to the Lord. But I believe it was also the Lord who gave me this ‘dead end.’"

One day, all that changed. For over a year now, Barbie’s been developing a deeper devotion to the Christian faith. It was when she felt her worst depression that she decided to open the Bible. Today, she prays, spends time with God, and reads the Bible everyday. "It’s like being in another world… moving on another plane."

It’s not magic. It’s faith. And for those of us who believe, we know it’s a wonderful feeling. "To have a personal relationship with the Lord gives me joy, security, love and contentment," Barbie says. "It’s given me a sense of purpose. Before I didn’t know what I was here for."

From a world of darkness, Barbie’s perspective got bigger and more serene as soon as she opened her heart to the Lord. From being a hopeless worry-wart who escaped problems, she’s now filled with hope. From craving humility, she now possesses it and comprehends what it truly means. How is it possible to live in this kind of life? Barbie says, "Whatever he tells you, you have to obey." Um… how? Barbie shares that the more she knew what she wanted. She adds, "All you need is faith."

Barbie’s words of wisdom for the youngsters who inadvertently go astray? "No matter how rich you become or how beautiful and successful you are, that ‘void’ will remain in your heart until you have a friendship with God. If everything else fails and disappears, at least, you’ll always have someone with you."