My Work Out Experience

When my friends had started working out, they'd been pushing me to go with them to the gym and start to work out as well. Since it wasn't really my priority, I always have reasons for not going. But this morning, I finally was able to try it.

Since it was my first official work out experience, I didn't care much with the necessary things to bring. When we got to the locker, I was informed that I need to have my sports shoes, so we had to go back to the apartment and get it.(hehe)

We started our work out with 20 minutes on the cardio stepper equipment to regulate our heartbeat rate (I hope I'm right). It was a fun thing to do while watching cable TV. After that, my friend looked for an instructor for me only to find out that I have to fill up a form for guest users first.

After a while, I was finally introduced to my instructor. The instructor was helpful in directing me to the appropriate equipment for a starter like me. I enjoyed the tension and relief of lifting, pushing and stretching my body parts. ( I hope I won't suffer muscle pain tomorrow).

We ended our work out by jogging in their 200-meter area while talking about possibility of my coming back again. I think I will come back and try to make it regular. Finally, we went home after taking shower in their nice bathroom. Actually they have jacuzzi and sauna inclusive of the package.

Thanks to my friend who diligently invited me to do something with my body. (hehe) This is necessary for my wellness inside out. It's my turn to encourage you to try it too. (hehe)

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.

The Five love Langauges

Do you know your love language? Do you know the love language of the people you love? Yesterday, I had a chance to talk about this topic with the youth of CCF davao. The five love languages is a book written by Dr. Gary Chapman.

Below is the content of my presentation.

I. Introduction

a. About love

 Psychologists have concluded that the need to feel loved is a primary human emotional need. For love, we will climb mountains, cross seas, traverse desert sands, and endure untold hardships.” 

 Inside every person is an `emotional tank' waiting to be filled with love. When a person really feels loved, he will develop normally but when the love tank is empty, the person will misbehave.

b. The Commandment to love

 Jesus Christ wanted love to be the distinguishing characteristic of his followers

 John 13:34-35-“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.  Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

c. Discover your love language

LOVE LANGUAGE QUIZ

Please rank in order the five statements according to how you feel loved the most (1 is the highest and 5 is the lowest

____I feel especially loved when people express how grateful they are for me, for the simple, everyday things I do.

____I feel especially loved when a person gives me undivided attention and spends time alone with me.

____I feel especially loved by someone who brings me gifts and other tangible expressions of love.

____I feel especially loved when someone pitches in to help me, perhaps by running errands (photocopy, paying bills) or taking part on my household chores (or finishing my projects).

____ I feel especially loved when a person expresses feeling for me through physical contact.

II. Love Language Descriptions

The sequence of description is the same with the sequence of items in the quiz. Therefore if you have marked item number one as your rank 1 then you will have description 1 (a) as your primary love language. The one you rank no 2 is your secondary.

a. Words of affirmation

You have chosen words of affirmation as your primary love language. You feel loved when another person tells you that he or she values you as a person and appreciates your special way with the most ordinary tasks.

What are the kinds of words we can use to affirm them?

Warm-hearted

Optimistic

Real

Diverse

Specific

b. Quality Time

You have chosen quality time as your primary love language. You feel closest to another person when you receive focused attention.

How can we give quality time to them?

Totally focus attention

Involved in deep conversation

Move away from destruction

Engage in enjoyable activity

c. Receiving Gifts

You have chosen receiving gifts as your primary love language. Tangible expressions of love assure you that the other person is not only thinking of you, but that he or she cares enough to show it.

How significance gift is?

Gives Extra Worth 

Imprints Memories

Fosters Closeness (Intimacy)

Touches Hearts

Symbolizes love

d. Acts of Service

You have chosen Acts of Service as your primary love language. You feel most loved when someone helps you carry out your responsibilities.

What kind of services can we give?

Accommodating

Caring

Teaching

Supporting

e. Physical Touch

You have chosen Physical Touch as your primary love language. You feel most loved when you literally make contact with another person. You enjoy being embraced and feeling another’s touch.

What are the forms of appropriate Physical Touch?

Tap in the back for comfort

Open arms for security

Unclenched fist for welcoming

Cool handshakes for celebration

Hugs and Kisses for Greetings

III. The Love Language of God

a. God  Affirms us as the reflection of His image

Genesis 1:26

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, [b] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.

b. God Spends Time watching over us

Hebrews 13:5b

"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

c. God gave His Son as a gift for us

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

d. God sent Jesus to serve us

Mark 10: 45

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

e. God welcomes us in His loving Arms

Isaiah 40:11

He tends his flock like a shepherd:  He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

IV. Concluding Suggestions

a. Speak your love language

b. Learn to speak the love language of others

c. Experience the love of God everyday

My Wounded Feet

Yesterday, I had the privilege to enjoy a free day tour at bali-bali beach resort. It was a great way to celebrate holiday with one of the families in the church who had their relative on vacation here in the Philippines.

While taking a break from a short snorkeling session, I was playing around with a kid. He was wearing his googles and trying to view what's on the deep . I wanted to teased him so I was moving my feet up near to place where he wanted to take a view. When he recognized my feet, I put it down and it hit a coral. It was painful and blood was starting to come out. It wasn't really that serious but it made me decide to stay away from the beach and do something else.

I didn't really feel any pain and had enjoyed the rest of the day playing around, swimming, singing and eating. Even when I got home, I still had managed to meet my cell group. Even when I was ready to sleep, I didn't feel serious pain.

However, when I woke up this morning, I felt a little pain especially when I wore my slippers and I could not walk straightly. "How much more if I'm going to wear my shoes?" I began to ask myself and concluded that it would really be painful. I started to entertain the necessity of just staying home.

 I know that I have set some appointments in the counseling center and I need to be there. But I have decided to take a good rest today. I could not keep on thinking about others needs but deprive myself of my need to rest and revitalize my strength and energy. I could have forced myself to go out and meet my clients but at the end of the day, would suffer the pain of my self negligence. The truth is, I need to take good care of myself so I can give better care for others.

As I reflected upon this experience, I believe that my wound had served a divine purpose. It made me realized that to keep on becoming an effective instrument of healing, I need to take good care of my own wounds no matter how little they are. My wound on my feet was not really that serious but it made me decide to cancel my appointments for the day.  Added to that, I may need to allow others to take care of my wounds if taking care of it alone would not bring out the necessary healing anymore. 

I thank God for allowing this wound in my feet to teach me wonderful lessons in life. I know it's in the process of healing. Eventually its little scars would remind me to use my feet responsibly; to stay home when I shouldn't be moving around, and to move out and fulfill my purpose when God tells me to go.