Manage Your Stress Well

The series of workshop on stress management I facilitated had finally been completed. For the month of September, I conducted 8 sessions among college students and 1 session among christian leaders studying in the graduate seminary. It's funny how I felt so stressed out after my first day of workshop. I went home so tired. Although, I received two invitations to go out that night, I decided to stay home and relax to regain my strength for the next day.

 I felt good for my decision because I was able to take responsibility for my actions-basically applying what I was teaching. I was able to say no without the feeling of guilt. The next series of sessions were manageable. I had adjusted well and probably had started to master the flow of the workshop.

Two of the highlight activities in these workshops are the relaxation techniques and the guided meditation I facilitated. When I started doing research on these, I felt inadequate to facilitate. I was not sure if I can do it effectively. However, in my experience with the participants, I can now attest to its effectivity in relieving stress. In fact I'm aiming to practice these regularly.

There are still pending invitations for me to conduct the workshop and I'm excited about it. If you feel that your group can benefit from this kind of workshop, let me know and will see how we can help one another and work together.

Becoming a Brother's Keeper

More than an hour had passed since we ended our men's network meeting in our church office but my mind still lingers on what had transpired in that meeting. It's amazing how God handpicked each one of us to be a part in this team of strugglers, adventurers and conquerors. It's amazing how the Lord provided me a lot of "brother's keeper" who are committed to journey with me in this battle of life.

Being in the battle alone can be very difficult. In fact it was never God's intention. He wants us to guard one another, to keep watching after our brother's safety. In other words, God simply wants us to be our brother's keeper.

There are great benefits of being under the cover of brother's protection. However it takes great courage for us to admit that we need each other. We are naturally independent and less relational. Nonetheless, we need to recognize and welcome the opportunities of being connected and accountable to one another.

To become a good brother's keeper, I suggest the following;

1. Be true to yourself and others. Share both your strengths and weaknesses. Don't pretend that your life is well when it's not. Share your

 own experiences of success and failure. People will appreciate more when we are true and honest.

2. Be a good encourager. The best way to be an encouragement to your brothers is of assuring them of your unconditional acceptance. Don't be quick to pass on judgment but instead be a good listener. Assure them of your support and your prayer for them.

3. Be a true friend. Don't assert your authority over them but instead offer true friendship. Enjoy their company and incorporate humor. People will recognize it whether your intention is sincere or is only out of brotherly obligation. Cultivate joy in your heart and it will overflow through your conversation and connections with them.

Enjoy the blessings of being a brother's keeper!

A Half-year Adventure Across the Distance

Exactly six months had passed since Pamela and I had our relationship official. As I looked back, I’m still amazed of how the Lord had brought as together last march 17 of this year.

The adventure is pretty challenging. Yes, it brought comfort and joy to my heart knowing that someone had entrusted her heart to mine. However, it also brought some uncomfortable feelings especially in those moments that I have to teach myself to guard and take care of this precious heart entrusted to me.

This half-year adventure marks an important point in our relationship. I would call it as a celebration of love and life because my life had grown as I enjoyed her love.

Six things I would like to thank God for this love and life adventure with my dear Pamela across the distance.

1. I thank God for giving me the best woman who loves me and makes me feel special 

2. I thank God for giving me the best woman who believes on me and my dreams.

3. I thank God for giving me the best woman who seeks to understand and partners with me in God’s calling.

4. I thank God for entrusting to me a great woman whom I can share my love and care.

5. I thank God for entrusting to me a great woman whom I can share my hopes and my dreams.

6. I thank God for entrusting to me a great woman whom I can journey with in seasons of grace, pain and healing.

In all these things, I continue to trust God as we wait for the right time for us to be together 

 (i wrote this yesterday as my gift for pam)

A Hopeless Case?

Is there such a hopeless case? Is there such a person beyond cure? I was reminding myself to stay positive despite of the sad and painful realities I often encounter with my clients. I want to be firm with my faith that God is able. He is able to deliver them from their problems. He is able to heal their wounds and He is able to transform their minds.

In the human perspective, it's easy to give up hope. Sometimes, we don't need to choose to give up hope because it's our tendency. But the good thing is we can always choose to be hopeful. We can always choose to stay positive despite of negative things happening around us. 

The ability to choose to be positive requires faith on God. Faith that God will not give up on us because He is our hope. And if He is our hope, we can be assured that even if we give up hope, HOPE (GOD) never gives up on us.

Having this perspective helped me a lot in dealing with my clients. I see every baby steps they take towards recovery as evidences of God's hope operating within.I believe that reaching to the point of hopelessness is the beginning of new hope. Therefore, there is no such thing as hopeless case, there's no person that's  beyond cure in God's school of wellness.