Serving God in 2011

2010 was rough and tough, but abundant in grace.  A year of great challenges, fulfilled dreams, and wonderful friendships. I thank the KFC family, who showed me how it is to Dream Big and to make big dreams real.  Yes, we are out to change the world for Christ, and with Him nothing is impossible.  The Island Kids Villages and the 13th IKV in Singapore will forever be testimonies of the great faith we share in the Lord and how our brotherhood can conquer impossible feats.  To the KFC fulltimers, thank you for sharing your love with my wife and kids. Sev never fails to include your names in his prayers. We will, forever be, FAMILY! Thank you for 3 Spirit-filled years in the service with the Lord.

My 2010 journey has taught me a lot. Allow me to share a summary of lessons I learned from the year that was:
Value your faith, family, and friends.  Many things may change in our lives, but these 3 F's, we have to treasure and guard well.  For if we lose them, we may have lost our whole life.
Do not be afraid to dream. Our goals do not hold meaning if they are not faith goals.  Our goals, offered to God, is one of the best ways to honor Him.  At the end of the day, we only hope that our dreams will coincide with God's dreams for us.  But He always, always has a better plan for our lives.
Peace will be given to those who seek it. The path to peace, specially in discernment, is a rough road.  Prayer, patience, persistence, and sacrifice will help us along the way.

2011 for me will be about "serving God with humility, passion, and excellence." Taking on a new service in the International Missions, meeting new people, and learning new ways will once again bring me to a point of "nothingness." Once more I will be a student, learning from my predecessors, making some mistakes, and challenging myself to do better at each time.  Once again, I am brought on my knees in prayer, submitting to God in full dependence. For I yet not know what lies ahead and it is up to Him to bless me with His wisdom.

Have a blessed new year everyone.  May God reign in all our plans and actions.


So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come (2 Cor. 5:17)

A Christmas Reflection

Jesus was born in a manger.  I remember when Michelle and I had our first born, Sev. We only wanted the best for his delivery.  Born in a hospital, with the care of doctors and nurses, with advanced technology, and sterilized equipment and sanitized environment. While God's only begotten Son, was born in a home for animals, with shepherds to support them, and with hay to cushion Jesus as he laid in a manger.

Even as a baby, Jesus wanted to teach us about humility.  When the inn keeper had no room for Jesus' birth, they settled for a stable.  There are times when we experience rejection, intentionally or unintentionally, yet He tells us to absorb the harshness of this world and stay focused on His love, His mercy and His mission for our lives.

We can be likened to a manger. A manger is a trough or box of carved stone or wood construction used to hold food for animals (Wikipedia). No one would  want to be identified with something that's used for animal feeding.  When we sin, when we are in shame, we are like that manger, dirty and filthy. Yet Christ comes to us, and is born for us and in us.

God is with us, Emmanuel! God's Son born into the world to save us. A prophecy fulfilled, yet many refuse to accept that the King of kings and Savior of mankind is someone born in such poor circumstance (besides being born in a stall, he was being hunted by Herod), grows up as a carpenter, and would end His life on earth by being put to shame on a cross.  Like many of us, we have gone through difficulties and are struggling with our sinful ways, yet the Lord wants us to share in His glory, in His Kingdom. We need only to accept Him as Savior and turn away from sin.

He is with us! It's Christmas!

The Best Gift

The 13th IKV's final day was truly empowering! Bro. Nic Escalona gave an inspiring talk to the kids, sharing how he was also a KFC member. He said something that struck me, "The greatest gift that my parents gave me was to bring me to Kids For Christ."

This Christmas season, everyone is busy buying gifts for their loved ones.  We think of what will make that person happy and feel special.  The best gift we can ever give to someone is an invitation to a life with Jesus.  Christ is the gift Himself.  God our Father, sent His Son Jesus, to bring us the gift of salvation.  Now, that's Christmas.

Are You Crazy?

Today, I was going around the venue of the 13th IKV to catch up with friends, coordinators, and fellow missionaries whom I haven't seen in months. Most of them hosted me while I went on mission to their country or province in the past 3 years.  Some are new friends who share the same exciting vision for God's work of spreading His mission.  While talking to them, I can't help but feel inspired and energized that there are many "crazy" people out there, like me, who believe in giving their all to bring Christ to new territories.  Crazy is what we might seem to many of our friends and even kin. Crazy for putting in so much of our time and resources to do something that may not enrich us financially.  Crazy for devoting ourselves to a way of life that may cause us to be ridiculed in school or in the workplace. Crazy for committing our lives to Jesus Christ.


But we are reminded by the words of St. Paul, "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God (1 Cor. 3:19). We therefore have to choose; to look crazy before man or to look crazy before God? 


Let us take on this challenge to be righteous before God even if it means to look foolish to the world.  As long as we continue evangelizing, soon enough, inch by inch, step by step, one person at a time, being "crazy" would eventually mean not to accept Jesus as your personal Savior.

Like a Child

Just finished the 1st day of the 13th International Kids Village in Singapore. I'm very inspired by the countries who joined namely Brunei, Canada, Indonesia, Malaysia, Qatar, Seychelles, Australia, China, United Kingdom, Singapore, and the Philippines.  Seeing kids expressing their convictions as World Changers inspires and excites me of the future. I heard them saying, "I can change the world by taking care of our earth."  Another one said, "I can change the world by telling others about Jesus." And from other kids, "I can change the world by helping the poor" and "I can change the world by obeying my parents and loving my family."


Simple yet, powerful statements that come from their pure hearts. I guess when we grow up, we tend to lose our ideals.  Suddenly, we don't really want to change the world, we just want to pay our bills and move on with our own lives.  It's as if our ideals have been reduced to saying, "As long as me and my family are secure, the rest of the world can take care of their own problems." We are influenced by the materialism of this world to think only of ourselves. Many of us have become "me-centric."


Let us therefore be child-like.  And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:3).


Children are dependent of their parents.  Just like us, we have to be dependent to our Father in heaven, to Jesus, and Mother Mary.  Our sense of independence from God, and "unconsciously" not needing Him by neglecting to set our prayer time leads us to rely on our own strength. We need God, period.


Children like to discover things.  Kids are curious. They are always excited, because they know that they will experience many things for the first time. My 3-year old son, Sev, when entering the cinema for the first time said, "wow Dad, a big TV!" My son is fascinated with many things, specially animals like the Zebra and the Hippopotamus.  Every time we pray and open the Bible, God has something new for us to discover.  We just have to be curious like a child and continue to be fascinated with His Word.


Children believe in God 100%.  When we teach our kids about Christ, in pure faith, they know that He created the world.  They know that Jesus loves them.  Kids believe that Jesus is their Super Hero who saves all of us from our sins.  It is this kind of faith, that makes them idealistic in being World Changers. They just know that God will help them do many impossible things.


Let us pause for a while, and look at the world around us.  There is a real need for change, to restore the world back to God's original plan. But we first have to change ourselves by being child-like. We are to be changed by Christ, and the rest will follow.  


Mother Teresa said, If you cannot feed a hundred people, then feed just one." She also said that, "Each one of them is Jesus in disguise."

We Can Change the World

Now in Singapore and only 2 days to go before the 13th International Kids' Village (IKV).  It's really happening. A year ago, it was impossible to many people's opinions to hold the IKV outside the Philippines. There were many hindrances; the cost, the distance, the time of the year (December rush), the fee, to name a few.  But it's Christ call that's more important.  The call to raise a generation who will Renew the Face of the Earth, a generation of World Changers! The cause is truly greater than the cost.  From a previously targeted 400 participants, we are now almost 700 delegates.  We had to change our 3rd day venue to accommodate this sudden increase of delegates.

Here are some of my reflections.  

We are only limited by our own imagination.  Christ has given us all an extraordinary gift, our imagination.  He inspires us to dream big for Him, to dare great things for Him.  He is honored when we ask from Him what our human mind and strength seemingly cannot achieve.  For if we do what we know we can achieve, is there room for God to do His miracles and wonders?

Know that we are part of something bigger than ourselves.  If we are not reminded of the 'why,' then the 'how' is hard to come by.  People who clearly understand the value of what they are fighting for, will die willingly for the cause.  This was evident during medieval times, when nations were conquering nations.  For us, it's not only about what we are fighting for, but it's about for whom we are fighting for.  We are in this for Jesus Christ.  And we are here to spread His kingdom on earth. His mission is totally bigger than ourselves, and there is no time to be self-centered.

Our fear is overcome by our faith and love for God. When treading the unknown and inconveniencing other people along the way, fear creeps in.  The amount of fear we have measures our lack of faith. "If it's You Lord, I will go" as Peter would say when about to walk on water.  If our faith and love for God is greater than our fears, then we will start to walk on water and see the impossible become possible. He will send the right people and inspire us with His wisdom.

Can we really change the world for Jesus? Sounds impossible, but it is really up to God to make it happen.  We only have to heed His call and be available for Him to use us powerfully.  Join us, as we dream of a world changed by Christ.

A Tribute to Reman Fulguerinas

I remember Reman as a really funny guy.  He can make me laugh non-stop when he's around.  He is also a very dedicated servant of God, generous with his talents and committed to service.  I don't visit Davao very often, but whenever I'm in town we are sure to meet. Reman joined the angels and saints in heaven with our Lord Jesus on December 12, 2010. Michelle and I were in tears when we heard the news. He was a dear friend and a true brother in Christ.  My fondest memory of Reman is when he sang in the recording of "Jordan River."  It's one of our (me and Mike's) earlier songs back in 2003.

Bro Reman, we know that you are in heaven right now. We'll remember you always.  Keep on singing and keep on making everyone there in heaven smiling and laughing. We love you bro.

Here's Reman, singing Jordan River.





Jordan River
Album: Woodstruck (2005)
Reman F.
--------------------------------------------

Intro: D - D/F# - D/G - Bm - D/F# - G

Chorus:
D          D/F#       G
Deep in my mind I see you
D          D/F#         G
Deep in my heart I feel you
Bm     G         D            A  
I will cross the Jordan River Lord
        Em   G-A          (intro)
Cause I know, I'm with you

I.
Bm           F#m
Lord I know, you have a plan for me
G              D              A
Lord you said, have faith and trust in thee
Bm             F#m
I will follow, at your every word
Em         G        A
And I will never be astray

II. (do stanza I c.p.)
I might have fallen, but in you I rise
I might have failed, but in you I will succeed
I believe that you will never leave
So now I entrust my life to you

A Reminder From Job

One week to go before flying to Singapore for the 13th International Kids Village, and I'm down with flu, severe headache, diarrhea, some major family concerns, and our baby Kaitlyn just got sick.  It's as if all our problems were being reserved for the whole year just to be poured out on this particular crucial week of preparations.  The Lord has blessed us in almost every aspect of the event; great CFC Singapore counterparts, exceeded target participants, dedicated service team, all-out coordinators, and excellent venues, to name a few. But truly the devil will not give up easily. The enemy will explore our weak points and target it.

Sharing to you some realizations while being sick. There are things that we face that are not in our control. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens (Ephesians 6:12). I did not choose to be sick nor did I choose for my daughter to get sick, nor did we cause some family concerns, it just came, clearly to discourage us, to dishearten us, and to divert our focus.

Second realization, God allows these things to happen so we will become stronger in faith and dependence on Him. And the LORD said to Satan, "Have you noticed my servant Job, and that there is no one on earth like him, faultless and upright, fearing God and avoiding evil? He still holds fast to his innocence although you incited me against him to ruin him without cause." And Satan answered the LORD and said, "Skin for skin! All that a man has will he give for his life. But now put forth your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and surely he will blaspheme you to your face."  And the LORD said to Satan, "He is in your power; only spare his life. (Job 2:3-6)"  How convenient for us to blame God when bad things happen, yet unknown to most of us, we are actually letting the devil win over our lives.  The easiest thing is to give up on God. The people around Job were already cursing God, yet Job still submitted to the Lord.

Which bring me to my third point: God is ever faithful, ever just, and ever lavish to us . After all that has been lost in Job's life, God has blessed his faithfulness in the end. Thus the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his earlier ones. For he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-asses.  And he had seven sons and three daughters...(Job 42:12-13).


I pray for all of us who are going through life's struggles at present, that we bring back our focus on the Lord and magnify His power in our lives. May Job's story, all 42 chapters of it remind us that even the most faithful of men go through oppressions, but may it also remind us that God cannot be outdone in His generosity and His will is always the best for our lives.

Beware of the Enemy's Schemes (part 4 of 4)

These 3 schemes of the enemy, Self-centeredness, Separation of parents, and Sex Education in Schools are destroying the foundations of the family structure in the society. There are more threats out there, but I'm just highlighting these three in my reflection.  When people become self-centered they are not willing to sacrifice, but only seek to satisfy one's interest.  When parents separate, the child will seek security in some other avenues and it is usually a negative source of affirmation. With sex education in schools, children are subject to be exposed prematurely to information that their parents could have communicated in an environment of love and concern.

We combat these 3 schemes with 3 S's as well.  First is that we have to be steadfast in prayer. "With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit (Ephesians 6:18)."  There is nothing like the power of prayer.  There are many things beyond our control, but with God on our side surely we will rise victorious.  Many people who fight for righteousness become so engrossed in what they are doing that there is a big tendency in becoming too tired to pray. St. Paul exhorts us to pray at every opportunity. In Joshua 1:8 God advices Joshua, "Keep this book of the law on your lips. Recite it by day and by night, that you may observe carefully all that is written in it; then you will successfully attain your goal." With prayer first and foremost, God will be ahead of us in our battles.  He will reveal to us the schemes of the enemy and He will give us wisdom to deal with them.

The second "S" to help us overcome the enemy's schemes is to be strong in the Lord. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power (Ephesians 6:10).  We will be strong if we SUIT UP! "Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day... (Ephesians 6:13)." We put on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, our ready boots, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit which is God's word. When we listen to the radio, specially to commentators, most of them have anti-life views and they try to convince their listeners about their opinions.  If we do not know the truth in the Lord, we will be easily swayed to their reasoning. It is our duty as well to seek for the truth.  And in this search, we will be well equipped and our convictions will be stronger.  We also have to build ourselves up to be able to put on the FULL armor of God, for if we lack one, it will be the avenue for the devil to scheme us.

Lastly, stand on your ground, be firm in the Lord "...stand firm against the tactics of the devil (Eph. 6:11)."  We have to fight the good fight of faith.  We cannot just remain in reflection mode and let evil create havoc on our society, specially on our family.  We have to be vigilant in bringing Christ to families so that God will be at the center of all our lives. Let us not allow the evil one to scheme families into believing that there is no God and just base their lives in their financial success or in the misery of their poverty.  We need to engage in enriching the lives of couples, so that their children will be secured in love and guidance. We have to stand firm against media influences, specially celebrities, that portray that separation is the better option because neither is unwilling to change.  We have to fight anti-life schemers from getting into the schools and negatively influencing our kids that population is the cause of poverty and not our greed.

In our battle against evil by exposing the enemy's schemes and revealing God's truth, we must take heed in Jesus' advice, "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16)." We also have to be strategic in our actions.  Many of us instead of bringing people to our side, turn off others. One advice I heard from a speaker on parenting was that, "We have to first explain the facts, then the moral guidelines, and cap it with valid reasons."

Let us then put on the full armor of God, to protect us from the schemes of the enemy and to fight the good fight of faith!

Beware of the Enemy's Schemes (part 3 of 4)

The third scheme of the enemy that affects this new generation is Sex Education in schools.  A speaker from Human Life International described it as one of the unholy trinity, besides birth control and abortion.  In today's society there is a wrong depiction of sex.  You can see it everywhere, in the magazines, ads, movies, comedy shows, and MTV. Sex is depicted as something that merely gives you pleasure to respond to the prompting of the flesh.  While morally, sex should be in the bounds of marriage, and is a gift to the spouse with the intent of procreation. Sex before marriage is done to self satisfy the urges of the flesh because of a lack of self-control and a lack of respect for the gift.  Sex education in schools would teach kids to put a condom on a banana. This gives due permission to promiscuity in having premarital sex.  In sex education in schools, sex is prematurely depicted and overly expressed.  The value of modesty is sacrificed.  Parents should be the primary formators of their children.  The bodily changes that a teen is going through and the urges that they feel can simply be explained by the parents with much love and trust. Parents are to guide their children to reserve themselves for marriage and practice modesty both in their fashion and actions.  I heard from a talk on parenting that, "Parents must reclaim their right to teach their children about sex. It is an essential, original, and irreplaceable role."  
Sex education will give way to abortion, contraceptives, and the rest of the elements of the culture of death. Sex education is the enemy's scheme to prevent life, and even blame life as the reason of poverty in the country.  What we need is chastity education, based on pro-life values promoted by the church.  At the end of the day, it is the parents' role to instill in their kids much love, affirmation, and trust, so the children are able to resist the wrong influences of the anti-life forces that surround them.

Beware of the Enemy's Schemes (part 2 of 4)

The second "S" is the separation of parents or break up of families. According to one speaker I heard last week, she said that "from the child's logic, they will think that if parents love them they will not split up."  Separation causes emotional wounds specially on children.  Here are some key statistics: 40% of marriage ended up in divorce in USA in 2008; 50% percent of first marriages; 67% of second and 74% of third marriages end in divorce (according to Jennifer Baker of the Forest Institute of Professional Psychology in Springfield, Missouri.)  Statistically speaking, there is no success pattern for divorce, because those who do get a second or a third husband/wife coming from a divorce actually get worse in their next relationships.  The "option" to separate gives the individual almost no reason to "die to one's self" or change their own attitudes and behaviors for the sake of his/her spouse.
For those married, let us honor God's blessing upon the holy union and keep our promise of "til death do us part." For those who are single, keep pure your relationships. In this way, you are able to practice self-control and not give in to self-satisfaction.  Later on in marriage, the respect and love that you have preserved will prove as a strong foundation for your future family.

Continue to part 3...

Beware of the Enemy's Schemes (part 1 of 4)

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. Ephesians 6:11

There are many schemes of the devil today.  I can identify 3 that greatly affects the way a generation thinks.  These are 3S's or 3 schemes.  First is Self-Centeredness.  In the Catholic Family Handbook, it says "Only two courses are open to your child, he will either be God-centered or self-centered." There is great urgency to teach parents to be true pastors in their own home.  I heard from a speaker in a teaching that "parents must be able to present God to their children and present their children to God."  To be able to present God to our children or to other people, we have to let them see God through our actions. How can you teach your child to know God? First, by inspiring him to love and serve God by your own daily actions. (The Catholic Family Handbook).  In presenting our children to God, we hope that what we would have taught them and trained them enough that we are able to say, "Lord, here is my child."  Self-centeredness also draws from the threats of materialism which is promoted through clever and entertaining advertisments on the internet, TV, and print.  These ads influence our spending pattern and even our social stature, that we are often swayed from the spiritual to the material, from the eternal to the temporal. Some even measure their worth in the possessions they have.  Let us be aware of the devil's schemes to be self-centered.  Let us always strive to be God-centered.

...continue to part 2

Resting In the Lord

Yesterday, I slept from 5pm to 7am the next day. When I woke up, I was disoriented of the time. Was I that physically tired? I guess so, yesterday I was starting to feel my tonsils swell and I knew my body wasn't in top condition.

Rest. Our bodies need it, and so does our souls.

Psalm 62
¹ Truly my soul finds rest in God;
my salvation comes from him.
² Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

While we may use our bodies for active work, our minds for thinking and decision making, our souls we use to find meaning in what we do and in where we are. Without the strength of soul, our bodies and minds will not be motivated. Without our souls, we are mechanized humans, like robots going about our daily tasks for compliance. Our souls feed us our passion, and without the spirit being nourished or rested in the Lord we cannot be effective as a person.

“My soul is restless until it rests in Thee my God.” St. Augustine

Another view is about our souls being restless. Always in active search for true happiness. St. Augustine couldn't have said it any better. In today's day and age, we are faced with many lures of false happiness. We can be lured by materialism, making us believe that the latest gadgets, clothing, or more money can make us happy. We can be swayed by recognition, where we work hard for applause and approval. Even with false new age practices which tries to conform our worldly needs to our spiritual needs. But at the end of it all, our restless souls can only find rest in God alone.

At least once a year, it is good to take time to nourish our souls through a spiritual retreat. We are provided with holidays or "holy"days so we can exactly do this. These are the seasons of the Holy Week or the All Souls and All Saints day and even our Christmas breaks. Instead of just thinking of a fun outing, we can truly use these days for the Lord to feed our souls and fill us with His mighty presence.

Viewing Life With 3D

One of my favorite bonding time with my 3 year old son, Sev, is movie time. It's a sort of a thing between us both, almost sacred. Today we watched Megamind. But I'm not going to talk about the cartoon, I might spoil it for many of you out there. But it's really funny.

Whenever we go out for a movie, we always end up watching the 3d version. It's weird 'coz none of the 3d glasses ever fit Sev. They are always too big for him. So, he ends up not wearing the 3d glasses, but still manages to enjoy the movie along with his cheese flavored popcorn. While I on the other hand get to see the movie in 3d and enjoy it with all it's multidimensional glory.

How do we view our present life situation? Are we viewing it in 3D? These 3d's can help us understand our own lives better...

Discernment, Decision, and Direction

Viewing life with discernment, that is discerning what God's will is for us, is of utmost importance. Much of discernment happens in prayer. Our alone time with the Lord, gives us a sense of His presence. We are prompted to His peace. Discernment is not an easy process, specially when at a crossroad in our life. We have to be patient, we have to wait upon the Lord. He often brings us to situations and people where we can realize His plan and be affirmed of our prayers. This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls (Jer. 6:16).

After discernment, we make a decision. A decision that pleases the Lord. Many of us, cannot easily decide. Even if the call is already loud and clear. There are a lot of factors: fear, disappointing people, and change of lifestyle among others. But Peter, stepped out of the boat despite his fear, because the Lord had said so.

But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said.Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. (Mt.14:27-29)

Upon making our decisions, we head towards the direction God wants us to take. Some make a decision, but forget to move forward. The vision for us must be clear. If not, we go back to discerning and deciding. In the course of our lives, we get caught up in whatever falls on our laps, and we easily dive into these things. We get busy in many things that do not concern our discernment and decision, that we lose sight of our direction. If this happens, then it's time for us to get out of the forest and climb that hill and see where we came from and where we're supposed to go.

We might see life in only one dimension. But God sees all it's dimensions, to the littlest of details. He knows what will make us truly happy. Let us therefore discern His will, decide to please Him, and be directed towards the mission He has set for us.

When God Appoints, He Anoints

One interesting management insight that I heard from a brother in community is the Peter Principle. It states, "in a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to their level of incompetence." This principle, which was formulated by Dr. Laurence J. Peter and Raymond Hull, explains that "in a hierarchy, members are promoted so long as they work competently. Sooner or later they are promoted to a position at which they are no longer competent (their "level of incompetence"), and there they remain, being unable to earn further promotions (Wikipedia).

But in Christian life, it's different. We see another Peter, St. Peter, who became the Church's first Pope, who rose in the 'heirarchy', even though he only had 'fisherman' as a background. He did not necessarily have the skill set, like the scholars did to lead a group of believers. But Christ equipped him with His wisdom and by the power of the Holy Spirit.

So, everytime we are brought to a 'level of incompetence' specially in service, let us think about St. Peter, whose humility and full trust in the Lord made his leadership "the rock" which the Christian Church is built upon.

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it (Matthew 16:18 ).

I have heard once that, when God appoints, He anoints.

Remembering Dad

My dad, Samuel "Sammy" Green Llaban Sr., with my son Sev who was then 6 months old. I took this candid shot in the sala in our home in Cebu. It's his birthday today. He would have been 75 years old. I truly miss him.

What I miss most about him is the life he brings upon the dining table, specially during Sunday. He would crack jokes with sound effects and full action. Then the rest of us would then share our own jokes over Mom's unbeatable spaghetti and turbo broiled chicken. We would laugh for a full hour, whether corny or funny.

Dad would always be the emcee in parties, specially in the Rotary Club functions. Dad also had this particular love for the Security Committee in both villages where we resided in Davao and Cebu. He was also fond of backyard vegetable gardening and chicken raising. These little things mean a great deal to me. He was my greatest influencer. He was a true leader, a man of integrity and a dedicated servant.

I honor and love you Dad. Have a great party with all the saints, angels, friends, relatives and with our Lord Jesus.

The Need to be Persistent

In my reflection of today's readings, one word echoed loudly to me: Persistence. In the gospel it says, "Then He told them a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary (Luke 18:1)." In the second reading it says, "proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient... (2 Tim 4:2)." The 1st reading talks about Moses and the Israelites' battle against the Amalek, "Moses' hands, however, grew tired; so they put a rock in place for him to sit on. Meanwhile Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other, so that his hands, remained steady till sunset (Exodus 17:12)." As long as Moses' hands were raised, the Israelites had the better of the fight.

Through the readings, I am reminded to be persistent in three things. First is to be persistent in prayer. When we ask God of something very important in prayer, how many times do we come before Him and ask for it? When someone is sick, how many times do we pray over the person? I believe the value of persistence in prayer is that we are brought to a point of humility and a complete surrender to God's power.

Second is to be persistent in preaching and witnessing. These two come as a packaged deal. One without the other just won't work. Lately within this decade, preaching has become a less popular word. It is usually associated by long sermons and hard sell convincing to believe in God's word. But as I reflect on it, it is still very important to boldly proclaim God's word. But preaching will never work if our lives don't reflect what we speak about. Witnessing is very powerful, but if it reaches the peak of it's effectiveness and we are still shy to evangelize, then we have lost much of the opportunity to share our faith. Preach the gospel at all times, if necessary use words (St. Francis of Assisi).

Third is to be persistent in pastoring. Most of us have people who need our support, whether they are our children, friends, prayer group members, or office employees. In the First reading, Aaron and Hur supported Moses' arms so that the Israelites will continue to win the battle against the Amalek. If we persist in our support to those entrusted to us, surely God will win for us our battle against life's challenges. Even if we grow weary because they seem unmoved by our efforts, it is God who will change them, encourage them, and bring victory over their lives as well as ours.

Persistence in tagalog may sometimes pertain to being 'makulit.' But like teaching a child, repetition is key. "Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily... (Luke 18:8).

May we persist until we are brought to the point of genuine love and humility.

Our Highest Ideal

Lately, I keep on hearing the song, Billionaire by Travie McCoy. It seems that much of the people around the world, want to be a billionaire. Many make this their highest ideal. What are our ideals? Are they based on money, position, or fame?

If we believe that all things come from God, then we would have a different perspective on our ideals in life. We must remember that we are only stewards, not owners. With this in mind, our highest ideal should not be money, position, or fame. Our highest ideal should be loving God. Jesus commands us:

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' (Matthew 12:30)

Loving God with all our heart and soul means deciding to love Him with all of our will. This includes both feelings and intellect. Loving God with all our mind means filling our thoughts with His Word and using our intelligence to spread His gospel. Loving God with all our strength pertains to being stewards and using our effort, time, money, possessions, influence, to spread His kingdom on earth.

If we pursue our goals in life by loving God as our ideal, then things will be clearer for us. It may be a difficult transition, but the best part is having clarity in our direction. When going into a business, we can ask ourselves, "Will this business lead me to loving God or compromising God?" When we devote much time and money to achieve success in our work or studies, we probe our minds, "If I love God, am I using my time and money to help expand God's kingdom on earth?"

Let us make loving God our highest ideal, and we shall see our lives fall right into place.

No More Turning Back

To do something as if it was our last act brings out the best in us. When we no longer have our comfort zones to go back to, then we are forced to be focused and do everything to win. Hernan Cortes, a Spaniard who sailed to Mexico, had to burn his ships, so that he and his men had no other choice but to win against the Aztecs and conquer the land.

"Just as Cortes's men saw their ships as insurance, you may see this fallback as a blessing - but in fact it is a curse. It divides you. Because you think you have options, you never involve yourself deeply enough in one thing to do it thoroughly, and you never quite get what you want. Sometimes you need to run your ships aground, burn them, and leave yourself just one option: succeed or go down." Robert Greene

Sun-tzu also had this in mind:

"Without a way to retreat, Sun-tzu argued, an army fights with double or triple the spirit it would have on open terrain, because death is viscerally present."

Jesus expressed this principle, as written in Luke 9:62, "Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.""

What hinders us from attaining our goals in life? Do we have "safety ships" waiting in case we retreat, get tired, or disheartened? What hinders us from fully serving the Lord? Do we still have vices and other temptations that are easily accessible at anytime? What makes us mediocre in our work, service, and family? Are we forgetting the importance of our roles and the consequences of procastination?

Let us dedicate ourselves to our God, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead (Phil 3:13). No more turning back. Burn your "ships" if you must. Our undivided attention and focus on Christ will result to great things in building God's kingdom. In our daily work and studies, we have to realize that life is short and we only get one chance to live. Let us choose the quality of our actions. Let us act as if our tasks were our last.

Don't Blame Life

There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, and put them at the feet of the apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need. (Acts 4: 34-35)

I believe that we are poor because of greed and corruption. Not because of our population. It is more convenient to think that poverty is caused by having more mouths to feed. But the truth is that the real issue which are greed and corruption is being diverted to population. Why sacrifice life, when we should be addressing greed?

Here are more questions we can ponder upon:

• If we lessen our population, would that mean we will have less greedy people?
• If there were 10 apples for 10 people, and one person got all the apples, won't 90% of them go hungry?
• Because the poor cannot afford to buy food, isn't hunger caused by a lack of access of food, rather than the lack of supply? (Just look at the amount of food that food chains throw everyday)
• Aren't underpopulated countries worried about their negative birth rate which will eventually lead to extiction of their own race and culture?
• Aren't people supposed to be the greatest wealth and asset of a nation?
• If you are reading this and you have siblings, are you willing to sacrifice yourself or one of your family members to death so that the country will be rich?

We first have to have a societal consciousness and goal that there should be no one needy among us. "There was no needy person among them (Acts 4:34). We have grown so accustomed to seeing beggars on the street, that we have accepted the thought that we are "fortunate" and the ones on the streets are "unfortunate." Every child of God is born equal in worth and dignity. Let us not allow poverty to be an "acceptable" notion, but rather envision the day wherein no one is needy among us.

Second, we need to share what we can offer so that others may be provided for their needs.
"for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, and put them at the feet of the apostles(v. 34). To live simply so that others may simply live.

Third, we need trusted, zero corrupt institutions who are able to equitably distribute to the poor what they need. "...and they were distributed to each according to need (v.35)." And more so, empower the poor who have initially benefited to make sharing a part of the Filipino culture.

Let us not be swayed by the simplistic approach to solve poverty through artificial population control methods that hinder and destroy life. Let us go deeper and discover the real cause of our poverty, which is the decaying societal moral values that have resulted to extreme greed and embedded systemic and structural sins. The Biblical way is not an easy path to tread. It requires much love and sacrifice to solve the problem of poverty. The death of an innocent life of a baby in the womb through abortificient methods nor condoms that hinder conception is not the solution to our poverty. Life is not to blame. It is sin.

A Challenge From Mother Teresa

I attended a Missionaries' Fellowship Night last week. Present were different groups who have dedicated their lives to spread God's word all over the world. I was inspired by the message of Fr. Kruger, a Missiologist, who exhorted us about mission work. I was struck by his quote from Mother Teresa. It goes:

‎"Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies. If you cannot feed a hundred people, then just feed one. I am a little pencil in the hand of the writing God who is sending a love letter to the world. Do not think that love, in order to be genuine has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired."

Three things I'd like to highlight:

a. Faithfulness in Small Things

How many times have we been faced with seemingly insignificant situations that compromise our personal integrity? Our daily prayertime, our tithes, our word to be on time, exercising, paying our debts: all these things affect our total being. If we are not faithful in these, we cannot build a strong foundation to handle bigger things. And if we are already handling big responsibilities, the tendency is for these responsibilities to collapse on us. Our faithfulness in small things is the foundation that will uphold our lives to achieve real success.

b. Being God's pencil

Often it is difficult to assume great responsibilities if we are not humble enough that God will use our nothingness to do His mighty work. We look upon ourselves and think, "How can I possibly do this task? I lack the ability." Mother Teresa was able to do great things because of her humility. Let us be God's pencil's for Him to write a love letter to the world.

c. Loving Without Getting Tired

The challenge of Mother Teresa for us is to love consistently and tirelessly. When do we stop loving someone? Is it when the person sins against us? Is it when we are betrayed? Is it when the other one has stopped loving us? It was a steep climb to Mount Calvary with a heavy cross on Christ's back. Yet Jesus carried our sins, endured, suffered, and died, all for His love for you and me. Never stop loving.

Thank you Lord for being faithful to us. We are small and insignificant compared to your power and glory, yet you are always there for us. Loving God, write your love story by using us as your pencils, so that the world may know Your love. And our King, do not grow weary of us. We know that You will never stop loving us. Help us to become like you, ever loving, ever merciful. Amen

Risen from the Storm

Today, it's the 1st year anniversary of Bagyong Ondoy. Many families in Metro Manila, specially in Marikina, Pasig and the Rizal province were affected. Lives were lost, houses were devastated, belongings were ruined, and trauma lingered. On TV, I saw families offering thanksgiving to God for protecting them. One community puts up a church as a symbol of their rising from the tragic calamity.

"...persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed (2 Cor. 4:9)."

When we feel that we have hit rock bottom or depressed about life's situation, let's think of the Ondoy victims. They suffered, survived, recovered, and have risen. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! (Mark 16:6)"

Hunger for His Word

On my way home after a day's activities, I was in a very long queue waiting for a taxi. I could feel my stomach revolting in hunger. Finally I arrived at our residence, excited to eat home-cooked food. I had my fill and was content.

On another occassion, Me, Michelle and Sev went out to eat bread in a nearby bakery to fill our hunger in the morning. We had hot pandesal and juice. Sev wanted eat the bread whole.

I imagined how Jesus was very hungry after 40 days of fasting.

"He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry. The tempter approached and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread." He said in reply, "It is written: 'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:2-4)."

It could have been easy for Jesus to turn stone to bread, but He did not succumb to the devil's temptations but instead he stressed that God's word is the true bread.

In our life, there are different types of hunger: Physical hunger, which is the call of our stomach; Emotional hunger, the need for love and affirmation; Mental hunger, the need for knowledge and information; and most importantly, spiritual hunger, the need for God in our lives.

God has provided the earth with fruits and animals for us to fill our physical hunger. He has also filled our emotional hunger, by showing us the greatest love ever known; Christ's death on the cross. God also fills our mental hunger through the knowledge of Him through scripture and the books that God inspires others to write. Our spiritual hunger can be filled with our communion with God through prayer and sacraments.

But sadly, man wishes to fill His hunger through the ways of man instead of God's. Some fill their physical hunger by means of greed, hoarding more to themselves resulting to other people in starvation. Others commit suicide because they cannot cope with their emotional hunger brought about by stress, loss, or depression. While som even manipulate others by means of emotional engagement to fulfill their own needs. While others in pursuit of their mental hunger, convince themselves that God does not exist and everything can be explained through science. Others try to fill their spiritual hunger through beliefs that are comfortable to their own lifestyle.

The Word of God is our true bread that will satisfy all our hunger. When we live by His Word, there is sharing. There was no needy person among them (Acts 4:34). Even our physical hunger will be addressed. Through the Word of God, our mental, emotional, and spiritual hungers will also be filled. For His Word is rich in meaning, guidance, affirmation, and nourishment.

Let us not start our day without getting filled with God's sustainance for our daily lives.

What is your greatest hunger at present? (Physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental)
What are your ways of filling this hunger?
How has God filled your hunger in the past and how do you think will He fill your present hunger?

Open and Sensitive to God's Word

Having seen this amazing collection of swords made me imagine about medieval times. The word sword comes from the Old English sweord, meaning to wound or to cut. When we hear someone speak about God and he/she was able to drive home a point relevant to our lives, we say, "Natamaan ako sa sinabi nya" or "His words struck me." God's word strikes us like being struck by a sword. It cuts deep into our "calloused" hearts and opens us up to be sensitive to His will.

A speaker once said, "we must be sensitive like open wounds when we hear God's word." I recall the days when I had big knee wounds brought about by sports accidents. If someone unintentionally touched the wound, even as to get near it, I would always react and move into action. When listening to a priest's homily or a teaching, our hearts could be one or the other: calloused or open. When we have a calloused heart, it is as if we know everything. We are passive about the message. But if we are somebody with an open heart, even when the speaker hasn't started talking, we are excitedly anticipating the blessings and the richness of God's word. And upon hearing His message, we are filled with love and gratitude.

Is your heart calloused or open to God's word for you today?

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. Hebrews 12:4

Asking Questions

This picture was taken in front of the Academy of Athens in my recent mission trip. Above me are the statues of Socrates (right) and Plato (left), two of mankind's great philosophers. The Socratic method, described by Plato (Socrate's student) in the Socratic dialogues, influenced much of Western thinking. It is a method of problem solving wherein a problem is broken down to a series of questions. And the answers to these gradually reveal the solution a person would seek.

In life, we ask ourselves many questions. Questions like, "Why me?" or "Why now?" We even pose questions to God, like many of the verses written by David in the book of Psalms:

Psalm 13: 1-6

How long, LORD? Will you utterly forget me? How long will you hide your face from me?

How long must I carry sorrow in my soul, grief in my heart day after day? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look upon me, answer me, LORD, my God! Give light to my eyes lest I sleep in death, lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed," lest my foes rejoice at my downfall. I trust in your faithfulness. Grant my heart joy in your help, That I may sing of the LORD, "How good our God has been to me!"

We pose questions to be able to understand clearly our life's situations. For us to find the right answers, then we have first to ask the right questions. In the Psalm above, David asked God questions, to be able to convict his own trust in God and affirm God's faithfulness to him. Not to doubt Him.

In my own life, 10 years ago, our family went through a great trial. We were swindled a great amount of money that significantly affected our way of life. It was at the same year when I was about to start in my missionary work. In my prayers I asked God, "Why Lord? Have I not been faithful?" I asked that question to be able to seek deep in my heart and be convicted that the Lord has a plan. Jeremiah 29:11 always affirmed me, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." True enough, I saw God's plan unfold as He allowed my family to live a simple life, away from the temptations of drugs, infidelity, corruption, mysticism and other things that would lure us into great sin. Then I realized later that God has answered, "Yes, my son, exactly because you have been faithful."

As we probe our hearts and go deeper in seeking God, we humble ourselves and ask difficult questions. When being in a state of unforgiveness we ask, "Is my pride higher that my love for God?" Questions like this can help us come face to face with ourselves and be brought to the point of surrendering before God. For He alone holds all the answers to all of our questions.

Socrates posture is this, and I quote, "I know that I know nothing." This is one of his Socratic paradoxes. Coming before the God of the Universe, we also say, Lord, I know that I know nothing. Therefore to ask God questions is an act of humility and the gateway to great wisdom.

A Good Collection

I visited a friend's house while on mission and he has this amazing collection of action figures. There were all sorts of comic heroes, iron man, batman, superman, hulk, g.i. joes...you name it. All my childhood dreams of collecting these toys are in one single room.

What are the things in life we collect and store in the room or our hearts? Unknown to us, we might be collecting grudges, dissapointments, frustrations and other negative emotions. Once these things store up in our hearts, we can't help but talk about it. We then emit a negative presence with the people around us. We want to share our negativity to others and make them see our perspective. Often times we catch ourselves talking bad about other people.

We have to be conscious to collect and store in our hearts love, humility, and forgiveness. When these things build up inside of us, we also can't help but talk about 'em. We command a presence of encouragement and nourishment. When we are faced with challenging and humbling situations, our posture should be forgiveness, for we all fall short of His graces as humans. We then transform into persons who care, share, and honor the people around us.

May we collect what is good and discard what is bad.

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks (Luke 6:45).

Free To Sing

Last Sunday was the 2nd mass at our residence, Royal Palm. We finally have our very own choir. It's a choir made up of people with different backgrounds. There's a lawyer, a businessman, a missionary, a house help, a security guard, and other types of professions. Different people with one common love: singing for God.

When we come before the Lord face to face, I don't think we will be asked of our education degrees, bank account, profession, or social status. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.(2 Cor. 5:10)" We will come before the Lord and be asked about the good we have done while on earth.

In the eyes of God, we are all His children, given the gift of free will. We are free to serve Him, love Him, honor Him...sing for Him. Some interpret freedom as a breakout from discipline and virtue, but what this type of freedom will really do to us is put us in bondage. "For freedom did Christ set us free: stand fast therefore, and be not entangled again in a yoke of bondage (Galatians 5:1).

Last Sunday, we were free to sing our hearts out to God. At that point we were all His children, trying to please our Father in Heaven with a humble offering of our praises. We could have chosen not to serve Him, we had that free will. But it is in choosing to serve Him that we have experienced true joy.

Human, Humility, and Humiliation

Christian maturity is much measured by one's humility. At the end of Christ's mission on earth, He went to the lowest of low... death on a cross. Wikipedia describes crucifixion:

The goal of Roman crucifixion was not just to kill the criminal, but also to mutilate and dishonour the body of the condemned. In ancient tradition, an honourable death required burial; leaving a body on the cross, so as to mutilate it and prevent its burial, was a grave dishonour.

Under ancient Roman penal practice, crucifixion was also a means of exhibiting the criminal’s low social status. It was the most dishonourable death imaginable.

Christ sacrificed the powers of His divinity and experienced the most humiliating human experience. Come to think of it, the words; human, humiliation and humility are very closely related. Man cannot be humble without experiencing a degree of humiliation.
Well the more we love, the bigger the sacrifice. Thank you Lord, for saving us by your sacrifice and humiliation.

What humiliating experience humbled you?

A "Bald" Move

Friday last week, my 3 year old son, Sev, finally had his hair cut. He was having an irritation behind his ear due to his long hair. Now, he's bald or in the local dialect, "semi-kalbo." We were worried that Sev would cry after the haircut and feel bad that he's already bald. So I decided to also get a semi-kalbo haircut. You can say that I made a "bald move." After many bouts between Sev and the barber, the job was finally done. My son was surprised to also see me bald. He was laughing out loud upon knowing that both of us are already kalbo. He liked the new light feeling and I felt that me and my son achieved a new milestone in our bonding.

I am reminded of an old Christian song, "God With Us Emmanuel." It was one of the early Charismatic songs back in the 90's when i was still in Youth for Christ. The song goes, "He walked where I walked. He stood where I stand. He felt what I feel. He understands." I wanted my son to know that I understand the feeling of being bald, and we're going to be bald together. Whenever we feel pain, hurt, shame, suffering, and betrayal, we have a God who went through them all and more. Jesus shares with us our joys and most especially our sacrifices. He is not someone who just observes us from a distance. He is Emmanuel. He is God With Us.

If right now you feel hurt, alone, betrayed, or abandoned, just remember that all you have to do is to close your eyes and feel Christ inside you. He's there knocking upon your heart, waiting for you to invite Him in. He came down from heaven to earth to let us know that He understands and He will save us if we let Him. He made a bold move to show His love for us, now it's our turn to love Him back...boldly.

A Challenge To Be Initiators

Last Sunday we were very excited to hold the very 1st Holy Mass in our residence community. We didn't know how many would attend since the Mass' schedule was given in short notice. But to our surprise there were about 120 people who came. The hall was packed. My wife, Michelle, was one of the main organizers and I was part of the choir. I remember my wife talking to our priest months ago of the possibilities of having a mass in our area. She initiated it and soon things snowballed and resulted to the 1st Mass in our place. Every Sunday hereon, there will be mass for all our neighbors to attend and recieve God's graces.

Our challenge as Christians is to be initiators. During the time of Paul and Barnabas, the Good News was only spread to the Jews. But a group of believers initiated evangelization to the Gentiles. But other believers, who were from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and proclaimed the message to Gentiles also, telling them the Good News about the Lord Jesus (Acts 11:20). This eventually led Barnabas to go to Antioch, then later Barnabas sought Paul and brought him there too. This led to the first official Christian community. It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians (Acts 11:26) .

How are we to respond to Christ's call to initiate in spreading the Good News? Therefore go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19).

First, we are prompted by the Holy Spirit. There will be a strong sense inside us that urges us for the task. There is an internal pressure in our hearts that tells us to do what God prompts us. We pray about this and be led by His Spirit. My wife had a strong sense from the Spirit that gave her boldness and confidence to talk to the priest.

Second, we are not to stifle the Spirit by minding our lack of ability. Instead we are to submit to God inspite of our inadequacy. It is the Spirit that will move. We have to be vessels of His words. For the words you will speak willnot be yours; they come from the Spirit of your Father speaking through you (Matthew 10:20). I felt that I lacked the ability to start a choir, since I could only play the guitar and didn't have the experience of organizing singers. But a day before, the neighboring residence community's guitarists and singers agreed to my wife's invitation of singing and playing for us. Praise God. Now I'm trying to learn from them. We didn't say that we'd cancel Mass because we lacked the skills and talents. Indeed, if it is God's will, and we are available vessels, He will use us.

Third, we will do our best but it will be God who will make the work grow. The one who plants and the one who waters really do not matter. It is God who matters, because he makes the plant grow (1 Corinthians 3:7). What we can only do is to initiate and try our best to sustain it, but it is God who will stir the hearts of people. It is Him who will heal them. It is Christ who will be their salvation.

Is there something you ought to do for the Lord? What is hindering you to make the initiative to do His prompting? What steps will you make to make "Him" happen?

Keep Your Roots Deep In Him

Colossians 2:7 "Keep your roots deep in him..."

During storms and floods, I often see trees getting uprooted. Some trees can't handle the strong winds and the current of the floods. The roots of these trees don't have much to hold on to. The roots are not deep and strong enough, so the trees are uprooted.

How deeply rooted are we in Christ? Just like in our Christian life, there are strong winds and floods that can "uproot" us if we are not deeply rooted in Him. There are four T's that can uproot us from our faith. These are:

-Temptations
-Trials
-Tragedies
-Trouble

Our "favorite" sins always call upon us specially when we are idle. Many succumb to the sins of the flesh, others to alcohol or drugs. These temptations want to uproot us out of our commitment to Christ. Other temptations may also be bad habits or a bad attitude that we are trying to change and some people around us cause us to be swayed back to them. By God's grace, let us resist these temptations. They are like the forbidden fruit in Genesis. Just there hanging, waiting to be picked.
Trials are a part of growing as a Christian. They are meant to strengthen us in our faith and dependence on God. When things don't go our way and we seem to be oppressed, we ask God to give us the strength to overcome these. God does not give us what we can't bear. During trials, we are humbled. Let not our pride get the best of us, or we will get uprooted in our faith.

There are tragedies in life that come. Mostly unexpected. A death of a loved one, accidents, and calamities are examples of tragic events that may come to one's life. If we are not deeply rooted, we will start to blame God and question His plan.

Sin can lead us to trouble. While the other T's may be caused by external factors, our sinfulness and it's consequences will bring us a troubled life. While we are all sinners, we must be reminded to repent and seek for reformation. Sin's troubles will uproot us from God's presence.

We have to be firm in our faith and seek to grow our roots deep in Him. What can help us to be deeply rooted in Christ?

D - discern through scripture
E - embrace sacraments
E - exercise humility
P - pray regularly

Everyday we make decisions, we discern. If our discerment is not based on the guidance of God's word through scripture, we easily weaken and lose hope. When we discern through scripture, our faith roots are deepened and our convictions are strengthened.

Embracing the sacraments allows us to experience God's graces. Specially during the Holy Eucharist, when we receive the Body of Christ, our souls are renewed by the presence of Christ in us. When we worship Him during Holy Mass, we are brought back to the truth that He is God and we are not. He is in control of our lives as long as we surrender ourselves to Him. Sacraments deepens our understanding of our faith.

Excercising humility makes us grow each day to be like Jesus. Who could be more humble than Christ? There can none other be more humbe than God's Son coming down to earth to suffer and die on the cross in the hands of the ones he loved. When we are not humble, we are easily uprooted by pride. The problem with proud people is that they don't even acknowledge that they have sinned. Humble people are deeply rooted in Christ because they are quick to know they are at fault and that it is better to do the loving thing.

Praying regularly allows us to be more familiar with God's voice, specially when life's situations get more confusing. Our constancy in prayer will give us the sensitivity to his prompting. When we pray, we become more dependent in Him and less on ourselves. Prayer deepens our roots in Christ, specially when we meditate and contemplate on His message for us in our life's situation.

Let not temptations, trials, tragedies, and troubles uproot us of our faith. Instead, let us grow deeply rooted in Christ, standing firm amidst the storms that life may bring.

Be a Champion for Chino!

Chino Nebrao, 10-month old son of our friends and household mates, Clark and Cynch, has severe mitral regurgitation with mild stenosis. In simple terms, he has a defective heart valve. The condition affects only 2% of the world’s population and survival rate is only 5%. To treat baby Chino's condition, a sum of Php 2 million or USD 45,000 is needed for the open heart surgery, medications, and other hospitalization expenses. We need 2,000 generous souls to give, at least, Php 1,000 (USD 20) each.

I don't know how many people in cyberspace this blog can reach, but I do pray for the Lord to touch the hearts of the readers to help baby Chino. Chino's parents, Clark and Cynch, are faithful servants of God. They have been going on many missions around the world and have made a great impact in bringing Christ to others specially to the people in Africa. I am moved by their great faith in God and posture of total surrender in the light of Chino's condition.

Let us pray for baby Chino's healing. Let us allow the Lord to use us by being Champions for Chino.

Please visit www.championsforchino.com for more details.

Home At Last!

I thank God for the blessing of the mission He's given me. After long hours of travel and sleeping vertically (while in the plane), I'm finally back with my family. There's no place like home. There's nothing compared to holding my wife and children back in my arms again. There's nothing like the embrace of those whom you love. Michelle cooked my favorites: spaghetti and salad (harvested lettuce from my garden) and many more. What a feast!

God must feel this way too. When we are apart from Him, He misses us and longs for us. And when we return to Him from a long journey of search, confusion, and being lost, he embraces us and prepares a feast for us.

While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.' But his father ordered his servants, 'Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast (Luke 15: 20-23).

To be united with God, our Father, is His joy and our salvation. But we are to be aware of sin and it's intentions:

Sin separates us from His love. The longer we are into sin, the farther we stray from God's love. We know we should be returning back to God, but the problem with sin is that it heightens our pride. Even if our lives are in totally misery, even if we 'eat with pigs' we will still try to muster some pride.

Sin tricks us into a life of temporary pleasure and diverts us from real happiness. While living a righteous life seems to be bound with many 'restrictions,' like don't get drunk, don't do drugs, don't watch porn, don't do this, and don't do that. Some of us get the impression that a life of sin is a life of freedom, a life of pleasure. Like the temptation of the forbidden fruit, sin has it's consequences which is death and eventaully a life in hell. Now we don't want that. But we are to be aware of the enemy's tricks. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).

Sin will let us forget our true identity. We are sons and daughter of the God of all Universe, creator of Heaven and earth, most High and most Holy of all. Sin will tell us to forget who we really are and waste our lives on worldly pleasures. We are His children and we are always welcome in His home.

Everytime we pray, we are in the embrace of His love. Everytime we decide to do the right thing and forego temptations, we are living a life of real hapiness and freedom. Everytime we love and serve other people, we are with His children, our brothers and sisters. There's no place like home, there's no place like being with our Father who loves us eternally.

Homeward Bound

I'm in Doha airport, awaiting for my connecting flight. After 3 weeks of mission, I'm going home at last. I can't wait to be with my family. Patiently I let the hours pass, in anticipation to hold my loved ones again. It's not easy being away from family.

While on mission, I get to meet people who are away from their spouse and kids. Filipinos who work abroad to better provide for their families at the cost of being apart. Around 3,400 Filipinos leave the country everyday to work abroad. Around 1,750 of them go to Middle Eastern countries. How hard must it be for them. Many even take big risks staying in a foreign land, without legal papers, hoping for amnesty and approval from government.

Poverty has driven many Filipino families to be apart. Greed, corruption, disunity, and a lack of love and sharing, has resulted to many families in poverty. Others blame it on the population, i blame it on our own sinfulness. The greatest wealth of a nation is its people. Life is a gift from God.

Abortion, divorce, and other anti-family policies have greatly affected many first world countries. There are underpopulated countries that give much care and incentive to families with more children. For each child under 18, the parents get an allowance. Maternal leave can be as long as 2 years. Rich countries are realizing the tragedy of the reality of negative population growth rates. They do not have enough young people to support and replace an aging population. When a people embraces worldly thinking and rejects God's wonderful plan, the unnatural happens.

If our sinfulness is the cause of our poverty, then what we need as a people is a formation of our values, recovery of our morality, a proactivity of our faith. Let those who work to bring Christ to others in words and actions continue with zeal and passion. We bring Christ to one person at a time, one family at at time, one community at a time. It is a tough and challenging task to conquer poverty, but we will not stop hoping. One day, maybe in our children's lifetime, no family has to be apart because of poverty. Many Filipinos will come home and be reunited with the people closest to their hearts.

"Raise your eyes and look about; they all gather and come to you: Your sons come from afar, and your daughters in the arms of their nurses. Then you shall be radiant at what you see, your heart shall throb and overflow, For the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you, the wealth of nations shall be brought to you. (Isaiah 60:4-5)"