Time to Play

Its been a while since I haven't had a time to play sports. I'd been looking forward to play badminton again and experience the pleasure of moving around, smashing and dropping and simply being inside the court . 

Finally, I had a chance to play again last night with my friday cell group. It was a very good break time. I was not only relieved from tensions but it also helped break down the walls of pretensions in my group. We got real when we're inside the court. We've freely expressed our excitements and dismays. We've learned to say sorry when we miss to hit the shuttle cock . We've learned to utter words of affirmation. We've shown gestures of love. 

Since we only rented one court for the group, not everyone of us can play at the same time. So during my break time, I had a chance to talk with one of our group members who had been  sporadic in joining our cell meetings. He used to be very reserved and avoids conversation but last night he seemed to be very open and lively. He started to share about his emotional condition. He relayed that he just broke up with his girlfriend a week ago. He wanted to get back to God and rebuild his ruined life. He felt like he lost his identity since his life started to revolved around that woman. But now he wanted it back.

I affirmed him for taking such courage to make that right decision. I've personally witness how the relationship had dragged him away from God and his family and I'm just happy to see how the Lord had answered my prayers that God will open his eyes. I'm excited on how the Lord will bring restoration and healing in his life and his family.

It wasn't my intention to turned my play time to a counseling time but I believe that God used our play time to create an atmosphere of openness so he can freely share. In fact he was thankful for that play because it helped him get through another day with excitement.

I went home still feeling the pleasure of the game but more than that I brought home with me the joy of being able to hear his story. Then I realized that the time to play was over...the time to pray had begun.

Easing the Pain of Transition

We all go through a period of transition. When we change job, when we move to a new location, when we end and build new connections. Anyone could identify with the anxiety, the burden and even the pain of going through a life transition. 

Yesterday, I had a close encounter with two friends who were in a relationship transition. It was a gainful experience to listen and reflect upon their pain and realizations.

The first one was my college classmate. We were in a coffee shop waiting for our classmates when I started to ask her how's  the condition of her heart. She was honest enough to tell me that it's still bleeding inside. She's in deep pain when she found out that her former boyfriend had found a new one. Its been months since they ended their relationship but it seems like she's not yet over with the transition. Part of her was still hoping that someday she would gain back his love and affection. 

However, she realized that she must not be dominated by her emotion. She must move on. She must help herself. She must let go and let God bring healing to her wounded heart.

The second friend's story came as a surprise to me. I didn't expect her to open up about her own experience of pain and realizations. I sent an inquiry on her messenger about the promotional materials I was making when she said that she needed to share something that God had told her to share to me. I was surprised but I told her I'm willing to listen. She shared about the pain and confusion she's experiencing after his cyber boyfriend broke up with her. She was so hurt that his boyfriend did not fight for her and just gave up  the relationship because his mom didn't give her approval. She has loved him and was willing to work things out. But now it was all over

She could still feel the pain now but she had made the decision that she would not let it dictate her own happiness. The experienced taught her a lot of significant lessons. It helped her discovered what she is capable of. It drew her closer to God. It made her stronger inside and out.

This is the reality-we will go through different types of transition and each transition evokes and provokes different types of emotion. Some are less painful but others have left a deep wound. How then can we ease its pain?

Here are the things that might be helpful. You may add other principles, practices that you also find  helpful. Thanks

1. Don't deny the pain. Admit the hurt. It's when we are real that we experience healing.

2. Talk to a friend. Share how you feel. It's when we learn to express that we find release.

3. Give yourself a break. Rest and go for recreation. Its when we learn to play that we would learn to laugh again.

4. Embrace the change. Let go. It's when we let go that we will find freedom.

5. Trust God. Pray and obey. Its when we learn to be dependent on God that we will find the  strength to move on, face the new day with enthusiasm and live with great expectation.

A Day Without an Internet

It has been two months since we had an internet connection in the house. Since then, it has been my habit to check mails,friendster, multiply and facebook in the morning. It has also been my practice to update my blogs and see if readers had posted comments. I also get excited to find out whose online in the messenger and customarily I send a warm "hi" to find out whose available to chat with.

But yesterday was a different one. For the whole day there was no internet connection. At first I thought it was only in the house but when I went to my school and to the office,  I realized that it was all over Mindano and Visayas. Initially I felt bad because I'd been looking forward to do my stuffs on the net and connect with friends online. But eventually I found myself amused working offline for my next blog entry.

Aside from that, I realized that there were wonderful and meaningful things that took place that could have not come to pass if the internet was on;

1. I was able to get back to the book I was reading a month ago and started to read it again.

2. I was able to arrange my files in my laptop and got it ready for reformat.

3. I had enjoyed being with my housemates watching TV downstairs, drinking coffee, eating bread and killing the time.

4. I got a text message from a friend who had been asking for God's direction. Because the net was down he had plenty of time to listen to God. He texted me that he had just gotten the words he needed from God. He had been crying for an hour. God had spoken to Him like never before. 

5. I had a great time for personal evaluation. I had a good time just being with my Savior.

This is what I realized; sometimes, God stops something into motion just because He wanted to get our attention. He wanted us to appreciate the value of the essentials. Being with yourself, enjoying friends and simply  listening to Him.

 The next time we would face a day of internet disconnection, may be God just wanted us to focus on our eternal connection. May be He wanted to deepen our communication with Him. May be listening is what it takes to get our life into the exact motion. May we not deprive God of our highest attention!

Making Fear not a Factor

I had a chance to reconnect with one of my bible study contacts when I was still working in the campus ministry. He was just on his 2^nd year in nursing at that time and now it’s already two years since he had passed the licensure exams.

Just like most of the nurses I know, he too had wanted to work abroad specifically in the US. So to make that dream come true, right after he passed the board exams, he reenrolled in a review center to take his NCLEX. After months of review, he was finally ready to take the exams with much confidence knowing that he has given his best and he had prayed enough.

However, when he got the result, he found out that he didn’t pass. He felt bad but then he remained positive. He didn’t blame God nor blamed himself. “May be its not yet my time to pass”, that’s how he consoled himself.

With the continual support from his family, he reenrolled again for the review. He didn’t entertain any doubts that time. He didn’t want to fail again. After all it’s already his second time. So he was more relax and confident. He took the exam and patiently waited for the release of the results.

When he checked the net for the results, his tears fell down. He didn’t get it again. He was in pain but all that he could utter was “ok Lord, thank you. It was a humbling experience for him. He didn’t question God about it but he started to question himself and his competencies. “Was I that dumb? Was I overly confident?” It was easy for him to linger in pain for blaming himself but he chose to believe that everything happens for a reason.

When I asked him if he still planned to take the exams again, his answer was a positive yes. But he didn’t want to take it right now. He wanted to take a rest, reflect and recharge. He wanted to explore other possibilities in his field.

I commended him for having such positive attitude. I’m sure it wasn’t easy for him. If not for his faith in God he could have been leaving in bitterness and pessimism. If not for his family who loved him and supported him unconditionally, he could have lost his faith in himself. If not for his Christian friends who encouraged and prayed for him, he could have lost the power of His faith in God.

As I reflected upon his experience, I started to think about the people I knew who had lingered on the pain of their past failure. They became prisoners of their frustrations. They ceased to dream. They stopped to believe on their capacities. They lived in fear. I wished they were courageous as my bible contact was.

 I also started to think about my way of addressing my own failures. I have to admit that I too am prone to linger on my past. I’m afraid to fail again. But I have learned not to let my fear consume me. I have decided not to make fear a factor. I always recognize the fear within but I strived to choose not to listen to it. I strived to listen to the voice of truth that brings hope, promises love and builds faith. That voice is from God. The God who promises to never leave us not forsake us, the God who plans for what’s best for us and the God who protects us that even when we walk through the valley and the shadow of death we will not be afraid because He is with us.

Becoming a Better Person

Late sunday night, one of my blog readers who is also a spiritual brother of mine asked me if he could give a phone call and share some of the things he was going through lately. Since I was still very awake, I didn't hesitate to say yes right away. I gave my phone number and minutes after we were already starting our counseling session by phone.

Our conversation lasted for about an hour. I asked probing questions for me to understand the context of his situation. He was very clear what he wanted to become but he felt like he didn't know how to start the process. What he was sure and convinced of was that he needed and wanted to become a better person.

I felt the weight of his intention. He was getting tired of his inability to handle difficult situations. He wanted to gain control over the instability of his emotion. He simply wanted to be a "right person" in the eyes of his friends, family and God. But the challenge he was facing was how to start moving towards that direction.

I personally didn't have a comprehensive list to give him so he can start moving towards that direction. But as I reviewed our conversation, I realized that I did give some interesting directions. Below are some of the principles I shared with some additional explanations and personal reflections.

1. For us to a better person, we need to know our worth as a person. If we base our worth by the way people see us and treat us we would always end up in frustration. But if we base our worth by the way God sees us and loves us without condition, it will directly affect our self projection. If we will begin to see how valuable we are in God, we would also begin to based our happiness on God. Thus others misbehaviors would not become a threat to our inner happiness.

2. For us to be a better person, we need to guard our actions. Often times we don't realized that we have wounded people's heart by our careless actions and reactions to untoward situations. A simple gestures of dismay may heap up coals of fire on someone's head. If you will learn to guard your action, you would earn a pleasant reaction and you would save yourself from the hazards  relational disruptions.

3. For us to be a better person, we need to understand our emotions. If we try to control our emotion without understanding first its functions we may end up in confusion. We must understand that we are emotional beings. Emotion serves a dynamic function in our life. It sends signals whether what we are experiencing is good or bad, favorable or unfavorable. There is no such good or bad emotions because emotions are natural reactions. It is how we handle our emotions that determines if it has served its good functions for our emotional and personal growth. The best way to handle our emotion is to surrender it to God in total submission. It is allowing God to fill our emotional love tank so that our hearts will overflow with love joy and thankfulness in whatever circumstances we are in.

4. For us to be a better person, we must be willing to take new directions. Let us not be prisoners of our past failures and successes but let us be always open for new opportunities, adventures and challenges. The task ahead of us may be overwhelming but we are sure that we are on the path of winning. Whether dealing with new people or dealing with old people the new way, taking a road less travelled or taking the same road with less baggages , what matters most is we are wiling to follow the direction God has set for us. God did not require perfection but faithfulness. As long as we are faithful in taking baby steps toward growth and transformation, God will surely bless our direction.

We ended our conversation with great expectation for transformation. In the end I realized that it was not only him who sensed the need to become a better person but I sensed my own need as well. May this same desire be passed on to you as you read this blog.

Crisis: A Blessing in Disguise

This is the manuscript of my message today in the church. I hope this would help you in your journey with God.

oOo

I’d like to start today, with a cute story about the two frogs;

The Two Frogs

A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them 

fell into a deep pit. When the other frogs saw how deep the pit 

was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as

 dead. The 

two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit 

with all their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, 

that they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took 

heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up. He fell down 

and died.

The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, 

the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die. He 

jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out, the 

other frogs said, "Did you not hear us?" The frog explained to 

them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the 

entire time.

We could think of numerous lessons from this story from different perspective but one thing that I think so was astounding was the positive message it sent to those who are experiencing deficiency. It is true that our deficiency could be possibly be our salvation. Our difficulty, crisis and problems could turn to be blessing in disguise as the Lord allows it in our lives.

How would you feel if you will go through the following crisis?

1. You are a young professional who had been desperately looking for a job. You’ve given out more than 30 resumes but you have never been called for an interview.

2. You are a diligent nursing student spending sleepless nights with your summer major subject but your C.I. mercilessly gave you a failing grade.

3. You are a woman who failed to pass your CPA board

 exams after months of intensive studies and reviews.

4. You are a parent who labored so hard to send your eldest son to college but found out he impregnated his girlfriend and thus he needs to stop his schooling.

5. You are a sweet lover who invested so much to his girlfriend but found out that she decided to stay single for life because she wanted to enjoy her gift of singleness.

6. You are a leader (SOL 2 graduate) who has been wanting, praying to start a cell group but could not find one or You are a Pastor who had been training your leaders to start a cell group but  have not seen much results.

We can go on and on with the list of the things that could make us frustrated, exhausted and disappointed in life. We could even defend the validity of our feelings. But what do we do after we’ve gone through crisis in life? Others could be traumatized and paralyzed. Others could be discouraged and others would give up hope.

But let me tell you a story of a man in the Bible who refused to be traumatized by a night of fishing crisis. His name was Peter. His story is found in Luke 5:1-11

Luke 5:1-11

 1One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,[a]with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, 2he saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 

 4When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down[b] the nets for a catch." 

 5Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets." 

 6When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. 

 8When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" 9For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners. 

   Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men." 11So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

How Could a Crisis be a Blessing in disguise?

1. God allows crisis to create opportunity for us to know Him (vs. 1-3)

What was the crisis that Peter encountered? 

He had not caught any on his night of fishing. For a fisherman to catch nothing means no income for the day. For a family man like Peter, that would be a difficult situation. It should be frustrating for Peter and the rest of the fishermen to be back at the water’s edge with nothing.

What could be the scene if Peter had a successful fishing that night? 

Probably Peter could have been somewhere else. He could have been trading his fish or he could have been home remitting his income to his wife. He could have missed out the opportunity to listen to Jesus and experienced a life-changing encounter with Him.

What could we learn from here? 

God allows crisis to come into our lives so that He can create opportunities for us to see our need of Him and thus we will seek Him. This is why we often hear people saying that I feel closer to the Lord when I have problems because that’s when I’m moved to pray and realized that I can’t do it on my own. It’s when we are in the crossroads that we need to hear God’s voice for a clear direction. It’s when we stumble and fall (sometimes literally) that we call on the name of the Lord.

Rick Warren in his book Purpose Driven Life said that the most profound and intimate experience of worship will likely be in your darkest days-when your heart is broken, when you feel abandoned, when you're out of options, when the pain is great-and when you turn to God alone. It is during suffering that we learn to pray our most authentic, heartfelt, honest-to-God prayer.

2. God takes care of our crisis as we radically obey Him (vs. 4-7)

We have read in the story that Jesus had taken care of Peter’s crisis. They were able to catch large number of fish that their nets began to break and they called for assistance from other fishermen. The provision was beyond they could imagine.

What brought that provision? 

I believed it was Peter’s radical obedience to Jesus. What made it radical? Let’s see what Jesus told Peter to do, “Put out into the deep, and let down the net for a catch. This is how Peter responded, “Master we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” This is such a faith-filled statement from Peter. He could have responded with pessimism.

What could have been Peter’s Negative Responses?

a.) Jesus, I’m not being disrespectful but I think I know better about fishing than you do. This has been my work. As for you are a carpenter who happen to be a preacher now. However, I appreciate your deep concern.

b.) Jesus, I’m not intending to insult you, but don’t you know what hour of the day is it? Can’t you see the sun shining so bright? Don’t you realized how impossible for us to catch fish on daytime. However, I’m thankful for your concern.

c.) Jesus, we’ve worked so hard all night and caught nothing. I’m still in the state of frustration and I am already tired. May be we will do it another time. How about going with us tonight?

I admire Peter for such big faith on Jesus. I salute him for taking the risk of obeying Jesus without delay. I commend him for not allowing frustration to hinder him to obey the Lord. If he had not radically obeyed Jesus, he could have missed Jesus provision, he could have missed out Christ’s solution to his crisis and he could have stayed in the state of frustration.

What is Jesus telling you? 

What is Jesus’ invitation for you today in relation to the crisis you are facing? Did you hear Jesus voice telling you to put out into the deep water and let down the net for a catch. Did you hear Him telling you to trust one more time? Is he telling you to let down the nets of frustration, disappointment and exhaustion and trust him to take care of it?

One Sunday afternoon while we were having our prayer in our mentoring session with my group I sensed a feeling of disappointment in me and probably in my group mates as well with our difficulty to start, sustain and let our cell group grow. Some of us who had been handling cell groups before felt like it’s not working so well. It seems like we could come up with many reasons why it didn’t work and we started to entertain fear and doubt if it still gonna work. While on prayer, God brought to my mind this passage where Peter trusted Jesus and have seen fruits of His trust. I felt Jesus was telling me and to us that let’s put out into the deep and cast down our nets for a catch.

Whatever crisis, you are facing right now, I pray that you won’t let yourself be clouded with frustration and fear to move on and trust God all the more.

3. God uses our crisis to direct us to follow Him (vs. 8-11)

What is the impact of this  “crisis-solution” to the life of Peter?

The “crisis-solution” that Peter had encountered had become the turning point in his life. This was the place and time where he realized that he was a sinner and doesn’t deserve the Lord. But this was also the time when he experienced God’s forgiveness and love, discovered his purpose in life, heard and heeded to Christ’s calling to follow Him to become fisher’s of men.

What was the real blessing that Peter received?

In the real sense, according to one writer, the blessings that Peter received were not the miraculous catch of fish, but the glimpse he caught of who Jesus truly is. May be he thought it would be a blessing to catch some fish. But he found out , when he made the catch, that the Blessing wasn’t the fish. It was Jesus Himself. Peter left the fish, but He followed Jesus.

What is the implication of this truth to our lives?

This is also true with our lives. Most of our encounter with God took place in the desperate moments of our lives. We discovered who God is and what He wants us to do when we come to the point of nothingness and God miraculously provided. We begin to see how God allows critical things to happen in our lives to prepare us for something bigger and better. We take a step of faith to follow Him wherever and forever.

But it all starts by listening to God's voice, His voice of truth. We may hear other voices that would discourage us to move on and would stop us to live with hope and faith. But let us choose to listen to the voice of truth telling us we're on the winning side. Let's us not be consumed by our fear, but together let us put out into the deep with Jesus and let's cast the nets for a catch.

Conclusion

Four years ago, I was in desperate state of my my christian life. I was in the state of confusion and exhaustion not knowing what to do with my life. I know then that I needed to rest from the ministry. So I resigned from my ministry responsibility. I sought counsel and focused on my personal recovery.

During that time, working for ministry again was not an option. I wanted to try something new. But as my relationship with God is getting better, I felt like my spiritual senses were also getting better. It was at that moment that God has put a burden in my heart to serve Him by becoming an instrument for people to find healing in the Lord and enjoy their journey with Him.

For years had passed since that time, I am already a professional counselor now and had enjoyed the experience of being healed and being an instrument of healing for people. I am so thankful to the Lord for speaking to me and for leading me to the right path. I'm blessed more than I could ever imagine. Glory be to Him.

Let's open our ears to the Lord. Let's get our spiritual senses right. But more than that let's follow where He leads and we will reap the rewards of our obedience.

The Bible and Its Worth

Lately, my mind was set on finishing my message for our worship this sunday that's why I could not focus on posting a new entry. I just thought of posting here the outline of the message I gave last tuesday on a youth camp. The title of this message is, "The Bible and its worth". I hope that as you read you will love the Bible more. Enjoy

Introduction:

Ang Celphone at ang Bibliya

Ang cellphone laging hawak at ipinapakita,

Ang Bible laging nakatago at ayaw ipakita.

Ang cellphone binibili kahit libo-libong halaga,

Ang Bible ayaw bilhin, kahit

isang daan ang halaga!

Ang cellphone laging pinapalitan ng case,

Ang Bible hindi man lang mabilhan ng case.

Ang cellphone ay ayaw magasgasan,_

Ang Bible hinahayaang maalikabukan.

Ang cellphone bihirang makaligtaan

kung saan iniwan,

Ang Bible madaling makaligtaan

kung saan naiwan.

Ang cellphone mahirap ipahiram, baka masira,

Ang Bible madaling ipahiram, kahit mawala.

Ang cellphone laging binabasa

kung may bagong message,

Ang Bible hindi binabasa

kaya hindi makita ang message.

Ang cellphone message masarap i-share,

Ang Bible verse nakakalimutang i-share.

Ang cellphone pinapakita ang lifestyle ng tao,

Ang Bible nagpapabago ng lifestyle ng tao.

Ang cellphone mabilis maluma,

Ang Bible hindi naluluma;

Ang cellphone message kung minsan ay late,

Ang Bible laging on time ang message.

Ang cellphone kailangan magload

para mag-message,

Ang Bible laging fully loaded ang message.

Ang cellphone ay mahalagang gamit ng tao,

pero ang Bible ay mas mahalaga

kung gagamitin ng tao.

Is the Bible worth our time?

1. BUILDS up our FAITH in GOD

Romans 10:17-”Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.”

I Peter 1:23-”For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.”

2. INSTRUCTS us how to Live life at its BEST

2 Timothy 3:16-17

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

3.BRINGS us to an INTIMACY with GOD

Psalm 119:9

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word

4.LEADS us to the RIGHT PATH

Psalm 119:108

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”

5.EXAMINES our HEART’s CONDITION

Hebrews 4:12-

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

Conclusion:

The Bible is number one

n literary publication and sales

It is number one in numbers of translations.

It is even number one in terms of criticisms.

But is it number one in your life?

Discussion Guide

1. Can you say that the Bible is number one in your life? Why?

2. How are you going to apply the truth you’ve learn about the Bible in your life as a young person?

When the Waiting is Over

I was ready to sleep last night when my thoughts were filled with great anticipation of today's schedule. I was excited for the opportunity to speak in a youth camp on "the Bible and its worth" and I was also looking forward to celebrate with our college classmate's wedding day. 

Tonight, as I'm ready to sleep again, I sensed that I'm getting introspective as I reviewed today's memories especially on my classmate's wedding celebration.

Our college days were filled with great memories. We were like brothers and sisters who love to play, laugh and enjoy each other. We were bunch of seekers, dreamers, and visionaries. We love to talk about our hopes for the future, our fears for the unknown and our faith on God. 

Seven years had passed since we had stepped out from the citadel of our Alma Mater and entered into the challenging world of professionals. Within those years, so many things had transpired. A number of our classmates were already working and studying abroad. Quiet a number of them had already started their own family and are now raising their own kids while some are already anticipating for marriage proposals. 

At last I finally realized that I'm not getting any younger. However, my determination to wait is  still getting stronger. I know that our waiting with my girlfriend is not yet over. I believe that God is never too late nor in hurry but He's always on perfect time. My time to wait is a time for continuous shaping, building and fashioning me to be the best man for my best woman.

 What a joy would it be when that time would finally come. What a  wonderful privilege would it be to bring my best woman to the altar. I can now imagine her sweet smile, her beautiful face and her eyes telling me how much she loves me and waited for this day to come. I can now feel the indescribable joy of finally becoming one with her for the rest of my life. I can now hear the laughter, the cheers and the voices of those who will join us in our celebration of love and life. 

I'm so glad to see the joy on my classmate's face and her husband's, as they celebrated with us this blissful moment of their lives. Their joyful and enthusiastic spirit moved me to keep hoping, praying and waiting until the Lord says,..."your time has come, your waiting is officially over!".

 

Loving the Unlovable

My classmate in college posted a topic for discussion in our friendster group  on how we are dealing with difficult people around us. I pondered for a moment before I started to encode my thoughts. This is my unedited reply to her post:

"Since i'm in the helping profession, plus ministry...i always have to deal with people and the challenge to learn to love, accept and and relate with them with welcoming heart...it's not always easy...naa kuy mga pipz nga dili ganahan pero i have to be careful how to deal with them...hehe....it's always God who gave me the grace to do it kay lisud...after all He did it to me maskin dili ko lovable gi love ko ni God.right?"

Interestingly, this was the same thought that kept coming back to my mind while listening on today's church sermon. The preacher powerfully conveyed to us that there is no way we can make God stop loving us! There's nothing we have done and we can do make God close the door for us to be welcomed into His loving arms. God's love for us is not dependent on our performance. He loves us because that's WHO HE IS.

However, it is sad how we easily passed on judgment to other people when they fail to perform according to our standard. We ought to remember that God didn't put judgment on us but He continued to love us and allowed us to enjoy His grace and mercy no matter how many times we have failed Him.

It is only when we come to realize  how unlovable we are and yet God continues to love us that we are able to love the unlovable people around us. It is only when we understand the depth of God's grace that we will become gracious to others. It is only when we experience God's kindness that we will have the power to be kind to others.

It is truly difficult to love the people we labelled as unlovable. But if we will follow God as our example, then even if loving them might not be comfortable, it will surely be possible.

The Blessings of Technology

I was on my way home tonight from our music practice when I got into a reflecting mode. I Started to think about the significant things that had transpired today. Thoughts were unfolding as I began to retract and reflect. I smiled as I imagine the faces of those I had in contact with. I could clearly recall the voice, the laughter and the different tone of conversation I had with them.

My heart then began to thank the Lord for this beautiful day when suddenly it dawned on me that this day could have been dull without the amazing blessings of technology. And so I would not want to end this day without counting the ways I felt blessed with how technology had better my day.

(1)Today marked the two-month official relationship I had with Pam. I have accepted the fact the we can not celebrate special moments like this together. It could have been difficult for us, but because of yahoo messenger and skypes we have kept our communication opened. We are grateful for this wonderful technology. It gave us alternative way of still enjoying this occasion even if we're away from each other.

(2)I needed some information for a business plan I got involve with lately. It could have been difficult to get the information right away without the help of my celphone and the availability of our new telephone (part of the package of our DSL connection). Two thumps up for the ingenuity of this package connection. 

(3)Our team member who does our powerpoint, was not able to come to the music practice tonight because she needed to finish a financial report at home. If not through yahoo messengers and e-mails, it could have been difficult to exchange files of songs from the office. I could have end up doing the powerpoint myself but thanks be to the technology for saving me.

(4)Tonight was the first practice that our team mate Zara (the who left for a job in Manila) was not around. When I arrived in the office, I already heard one phone ringing. It was Zara, informing everyone that she misses us a lot. Thanks for the unlimited calls provided by sun cellular network that keeps us connected across distance.

(5) My friend who works abroad and has been my avid chat mate and enthusiastic blog reader sent a usual "hi" in my messenger. We didn't chat much because I was preparing something for our music practice. He asked me to write a new post for my blog. His request pushed me to be in a reflective mood tonight. Interesting how a simple "hi" in my messenger had moved me to begin to appreciate my day this way.

Enjoy the blessings of technology everyday 

But be careful not to make it the center of your day. 

Remember that God made this as a creative way 

So that we can bless others even if they are far away!

A Letter from Miss Desperately Confused

Hi everyone, one of the things I love to do during the week is to co-host with Pastor Love in his  Young Lives program at DXFE . Yesterday, we received a letter from one of our listeners. The sender described herself helpless in her desperately confusing  situation. 

This once again had shown us how our world is in desperate need of people who are willing to listen and journey with them in the desperate moments of their lives. 

Below is a copy of her letter.

oOo

Dear Pastor Love,

Thank God for you program that encourages a lot of people especially the young people like me.

I am writing because I need your advice about my situation.Ganito kase yon. 

May boyfriend ako na nagwork sa ibang bansa. During his visit nagawa namin ang hindi dapat.

.Nong naka alis na sya I discovered na nagdadalang tao ako. Nong nalaman nga mga magulang ko 

galit na galit sila sa akin. At feeling ko nga wala silang paki sa akin.NOw, It so happened that

i'm working in a company that uphold a high standard of values and my pregnancy without a husband

could be a ground of my termination from my job. Ayaw ko po talagang matanggal sa trabaho ko. 

Because of this nag agree kami ng boyfriend that they will 

produce Merriage Certificate by getting married in another place and since nandoon sya sa labas

at next year pa uuwi, we plan to ask someone to stand on his hehalf (marriage by proxy).

Hindi ito alam ng both parents namin.

I'm asking a friend to facilitate this plan on my behalf. Medyo hindi pabor ang friend ko dahil mali daw

Pastor Love heto ang mga questions,Tama ba itong gagawin ko? IS THERE SUCH MARRIAGE BY PROXY? 

WHAT WOULD BE THE POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCE OF THIS ACT? Ayaw kong matanggal sa aking trabaho.

PLEASE ADVICE ME.

sincerely,

MISS DESPERATELY CONFUSED.   

I hope by reading and reflecting through this letter, your eyes will be open so you would see the desperate need of people around you. And I pray that your heart will also be open to welcome others to help you in your own desperate moments.

Feel free to share your views about her problem. God bless us all always!

Come As You Are

I didn't know what to write lately. Probably I'm waiting for an inspiration. I came across my song composition and I thought it would be interesting to post it here. The title is "come as you are". This song talks about God's invitation for us to come to Him. He welcomes us just as we are! This was our theme song in IXTHUS GENERATION (our youth movement) when we used to meet regularly. I hope this will help you be drawn closer to God and enjoy his forgiveness and grace once more. But more than that I pray that you will be a door for others to come to the loving arms of our God. God alone can bring real joy to our soul.

oOo

Come As You Are

Though I don’t know

Where I’m going now

Life seemed so far

To where I desire

Unsure if I’m still welcome

To enjoy Your precious time

 chorus

Come as you are

A voice of welcome in Your arms

Though I haven’t lived Your way

You’ve never drove me away

Come as you are

I need not pretend I’m good

I just have to let You mold

My whole life into Your call

  

I may never be

Others want me to be

The world may hate me

Because of my faith

I’m sure I’m still welcome

To enjoy Your precious time

 

Bridge:

Take all of me

And let me be

A door for them

To come to You

A Startling Reality

I was watching my favorite TV show when my housemate arrived in a state of sorrow. I didn't pay much attention because I was trying to relax and enjoy the show. After all, whatever he might be going through, I'm sure we could talk about it tomorrow.

However, his first statement was so startling; "naa kuy nalabyan nadung-gaban nga bata kuy, diha lang sa gawas. Nagtawag naku ug 911" (I passed by a child who was stabbed outside. I already called 911). He then continued to describe the incident with deep dismay and sympathy for the innocent child's deadly condition. I looked at him and I started to listen.

Upon hearing the siren of 911 coming, he went outside to see how things were going. When he saw the crowd of people coming and the police who were rescuing, he then went home with a tone of sadness in his voice and a trace of disappointment in his face. 

I felt guilty that I didn't show the full intensity of my concern and care for what he was sharing. So I offered him a cup of coffee and I had a chance to let him share his feeling and reflection on what he had just seen. We ended up realizing that both of us were fearful of not knowing what to do when faced with a fatal situation like that. Not that we are not willing to help, but we just don't know how to help. However I commend him for his genuine initiative to call 911 for the rescue. He could have just shrug his shoulders and wish for others to do it.

It saddened us to reflect on the reality of what's happening outside our own safe world. What we have seen portrayed on the movies before, what we've read and heard on the headlines everyday had taken place right before the eyes of my housemate 10 steps away from home.

We didn't have a chance to follow up on the child's condition. We only hope and  pray that he can still recover. However, the incident had given us a new sense of mission to start  in deliberately engaging on what's beyond our comfort zone. It made us realized that truly, it's not just enough to talk and pray for blessings and protection.We need to begin to act upon our christian profession-to show love in action!

I may have missed to completely enjoy my favorite show tonight, but I'm glad that I didn't miss the opportunity to show love to my own housemate. A cup of coffee, a listening ear and an open heart-these are what it take for a start!

Surrendering to the Perfect Matchmaker

I had heard one person commented that men find their confidence by the number of women they have persuaded to say "yes" to a relationship while women find their confidence by the number of men they have turned down with a strong "no".

Though that's not entirely true, I had seen the painful bruise and injuries it inflicted to those who had taken love and relationship carelessly. In fact I had my own share of pain and failures in my past relationships. 

However, I'm amazed on how the Lord spared me from the danger of my own endeavor.  I thought I was strong enough to stand for what is right and to treat women right. I thought I was man enough to know how to love and to receive love. I thought I was wise enough to decide for the right time and the right one. But I realized that I was too proud to admit that I was not ready. I felt too good to be corrected until He took away what I had invested and made my heart restless.

I came to the Lord empty-handed. I felt my life was pounded. I had nothing left for me to be still proud of. I had nothing to offer Him than a heart that's surrendered. Oh what good it was to hear that that's all He ever wanted. He quietly wanted me to leave a totally surrendered life specifically in the aspect of love and relationship.

The new seeds of trust for God and for myself had started to grow. All I ever wanted was to keep it grow. All I ever desired was to be satisfied with His love. In fact, I had come to the point that I was willing to stay single if God wanted me to be. Nevertheless I had great confidence that He will be the one to work out things for me and to bring the best and right woman for me.

Thankfully, God did honor my confidence in Him. He graciously gifted me with an inside and out beautiful woman, who loves me in return.   We both had seen the traces of God's hands in bringing us together and we believe that we will continue to see His hands moving for us to be together forever. We both can testify too how the Lord would greatly reward those who live their lives in total surrender to our perfect Matchmaker.

If you want to boost your confidence level, remember that you can't get it from a any woman or any man. if you attempt to get it from them , you might regret how sad your love story may end. There's only one who can make your life better, there's only one who can make your heart happier, there's only one who can make your paths clearer to a relationship that's purer, lovelier and life-booster. He is our perfect matchmaker! Come now to Him in total surrender.

The Art of Letting Go

People come and people go! This is a universal reality about people. No matter how much we want them to stay, no matter how much we love to continue the play, no matter how hardly we pray, we can never block their way.

It is not always easy to accept this reality. We always want to keep people especially those we love. There's always a sobering pain when our close friends, our family and dear ones would be away from us. But believe me, those are normal emotions resulting from our developed attachment to the person.

Attachment is so powerful that even if your relationship didn't have a happy ending, you would still treasure the happy beginning. In your mind you know that the person is not worth keeping but in your heart you still want to enjoy the feeling. However, there should be a time of releasing. We must learn to let go of the pain, let go of the person if necessary and start believing, moving and embracing a new beginning.

There is a kind of releasing that keeps life appealing. It is releasing the person who leaves, with our full blessings. It is allowing the person to keep on exploring. It is to keep believing that God will fill both of our hearts' longings and bless both our coming and our going.

After all we all belong to God and He makes it sure that just in time, we are in the right place with the right people. We may hardly pray for people to stay but still God has the final say. 

oOo

This is my reflection when we did a farewell party for Zara, our team mate in the music ministry. 

My Mom Taught me How to Fly

Today, we celebrated mother's day in our church. Four of us were asked to share our reflections on how our mothers have influenced our lives. Below is a copy of my personal reflection.

oOo

I grew up in a mountainous area of Sta. Cruz Davao del Sur. I was raised in a family wherein our lives revolve around church community. Early in life my parents especially my mother have inculcated to me the importance of church, the Bible and faith on God. I believed that my mother's persistence in bringing us to the church has contributed a lot to what I am right now and to my commitment to serve the church.

I also believed that her loving care has touch my life so much that I'm always drawn to people who are caring and that I want my life to be characterized with genuine concern and care for people.

I admire too the inner strength of my mother. She has been through tough times in her relationship with my father, but she remained faithful and strong. We've been through tough times as a family as well, but we always rise up because she refused to give up. She and my father have sacrificed so much so that we could have the education we need- the thing that they were deprived of during their time.

In conclusion, I would say that my mother is like a hen that protects her little chicks from its prey, keep them warm, fed them and teach them to scratch for food and train them to spread their wings so they can fly to their tree of shelter and to where they can explore further.

I thank my mom for teaching me how to fly. If not, I would have not been here.

Happy mothers day everyone!

When Opportunity Knocks

I was in deep sleep when suddenly I was awaken by the sound of the telephone ringing downstairs. I tried to ignore the call because I didn't want to get up from my bed yet. I was also hoping that at least one of my housemates was still around and would answer the phone . But the ringing didn't stop, so I force myself to get up, get down and pick up the phone. I said hello in a monotonous voice but the voice on the other line seems familiar. It was my brother from Cebu City. I was surprised by his call because he didn't even know our house number. I was more worried than excited when I realized that it was him. It wasn't that I didn't want him to call, it was because when he calls, he would either inform me that he is in trouble or he needs me to do  some errands for him. I wasn't ready then to entertain either of my two assumptions. 

However, I was still so polite to ask him how he was and what could I do for him. To that he responded with openness. He started to share his encounter with God last night. He has been asking for my prayer and opinion regarding his job preference. He prayed for a job here in Davao so he could establish his spiritual vitality. God then opened the door for him. However he was still in confusion because he was clouded with big opportunities in Cebu. I told him once that he has to make it sure if those were really opportunities from the Lord. That could be a trap from Satan. In all our previous conversations I made it clear that I can never decide for him. I can only pray that he would hear God's voice, obey God's will, and follow God's direction. 

Amazingly, God did met him last night in his Bible reading. In his tone, he sounded positive, convinced  and confident of God's direction. The confusion was gone because he had his truth encounter. Finally, he would be coming back here in Davao soon. 

As I listened to him, my heart was leaping with joy because in my heart I want my brother to be here. But more than that, I am excited on how the Lord would continue to cause him to hear His voice, believe on His provision and walk in His direction.

My drowsiness then was over. I was ready to face the day with enthusiasm. I think if I didn't force myself to answer the phone I could have missed the chance to hear and share with my brother's reveling of God's goodness. I could have missed the opportunity to receive the amazing reward of  soul-care giving. 

So when your phone rings in the time you less expect it, make your best not to care less. Sometimes opportunities knock not in the time we expect it, not in the place we want it to take place and not through the people we imagine could best give it.

Care for a Wounded Brother

I have been fighting for wellness lately. I hate to be sick but my body could not perform what my will dictates. I have to pamper myself with extra sleep and cancel some appointments. I planned to just stay home today, but the more hours I spent at home the more idle and sickly I became. So I decided that I am going to go out and make my day productive.

Since part of my schedule was to join the live broadcast of "young lives" at DXFE, I went there with great expectancy. It would be another opportunity to exercise soul-care on air. The program is designed to give opportunities for the listeners to share their problems, ask for advices and request for prayers through text messages, web messenger and telephone calls. This is hosted by Pastor Alan Bacus known as "Pastor Love" (Christian version of Dr. Love). He was given that name because the issues raised by the listeners revolve mostly around love and relationships.

There were many interesting and hard issues shared in todays episode. But the one that really moved my heart was the text message of a younger brother who was deeply concerned about his older step brother's traumatic condition. He relayed that when his brother was nine years old, his father was murdered right before his eyes. His brother now is already 24 years old but have not been happy of his existence. He hated life, people and probably God.

I sensed the inner desire of the younger brother to help his older brother but he feels helpless about the situation. He feels the pain and desperation as he sees his brother's traumatic condition. He is seeking, looking and praying for the right solution.

I sounded like I know what the solution is but in the real sense I know it's going to be hard. I wished there were people who helped him process his emotion. I wished there were people who assured him that his reaction was a normal reaction to an abnormal situation. I wished there were people who could have journeyed with him towards wholistic transformation.

I felt the intensity of his pain but I also felt the hope springing up from my heart when I reflected upon the deep love of his younger brother. We could never underestimate the power of one soul caregiver to facilitate healing to a wounded brother. It may not be today, but who knows it could be tomorrow? We just have to keep loving, hoping and believing that our Almighty Soul-care giver is always and forever be our Healer.

I made the right choice to step out from the house today. After all, my little body pain is not worth comparing to the pain of those who listened to us on air today. My day then was totally productive. I would say that I had a soul-care experience on air that left an indelible mark of my existence.