When Big Things Come

In the middle of much work and rush for the events, we ordered a 30-inch pizza for a short break and fellowship. Its not the usual pizza size. Everybody would say "it's big!" We had our fun and our fill as we it finished off.
There are a lot of "big" things that come our way. We have big blessings and big opportunities as well as big decisions and big challenges. What is our attitude when these big things come?
My children who are 5 and 2 years old, are very fond of watching 3 little pigs. And of course aside the pigs, with them is the Big bad wolf. We all know that the pig who built his house with bricks was safe from the big bad wolf. He was ready.
When Big things come, we should be ready. Let us therefore...
1. Have Big Faith
Knowing that we have a God who is bigger than any of our problems will give us hope to endure and overcome. Having big faith will also help us stay focused when big blessings come. Many who receive much often forget the Lord. When blessed with a business, we forget God because we become too busy. When blessed with a special love relationship, some stop serving. Having big faith will make us remember that we are here for God and that He is here for us.
2. Have a Big Plan.
The Lord blessed us with intellect and sense enough to "build a house of bricks." The problem would be our laziness. Have a Big plan. Get a pen and paper and start envisioning, setting goals, and putting them into action. In this way, we know what to do when challenges come and we would also know how to share our big blessings. Having a big plan will aid us in making Big Decisions in life. Most of all we have to discern if this big plan is God's plan for our lives.
3. Have a Big Heart.
When it's pressure time, we will come to know the size of our hearts. We will be able to measure our capacity to love. We can start to expand our hearts by exercising love even in the simplest of things like affirming people and volunteering to help. When blessings come, specially monetary blessings, a big heart will remind us that happiness is not about money but about the joy we give others and to God. A big heart will help us weather the big storms in our lives by knowing what matters, by enduring in painful times, by learning to sacrifice, and by preserving our relationships.
Don't let the big things overwhelm you. Rejoice always and be grateful for our Big God is in control if we surrender to Him.
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Train to Gain

My son was gifted with a new bike for his birthday (Thanks Lolo Art and Lola Mel). He was so happy. He was already biking inside the mall. Oh kids, they grow up so fast. I even thought the bike was big for him. But he was able to manage pedalling it like a big kid.  His bike still has training wheels, because my son still needs to learn to balance, and I'm going to teach him just that.

In life, we need some of those "training wheels" and we need a good trainer. In doing something new, we need to train to help us cope and balance.  Everyday is training, for each day is new. There can never be a replay of yesterday or a preview of tomorrow.  So how do we train for this life's challenges? How do we keep on moving forward? How do we keep from falling?

T - Trust in the Father

Although Sev has his training wheels, it's me who's going to teach my son how to ride the bike. And  it's me who will say its time to take off the training wheels. But when I do, Ill be ready to catch him if he falls. If I, an earthly father can do this for my son, much more can the Heavenly Father do for His children.

R -  Reflect on the learning

It's not about how fast you get through the training, but how much learning you have absorbed.  When we make mistakes, let us reflect more instead of regretting. Surely, when we were learning to ride a bike we had some knee wounds or some bruises. It's these little accidents that make us remember what we did wrong and help us do better the next time.

A - Appear for training

Show up. If we are lazy, we will not learn. Nobody learns to bike if he won't show for practice.  When we do not show up, specially  in our prayer time, we might just miss out on what God would have been excited to tell us for the day.  The more we procrastinate or postpone, the longer will we move forward in life.  Consistency and diligence is important in learning.

I - Instructions should be followed.

What the trainer says is important. I'll be coaching or instructing my Son in balancing so he can avoid more mistakes.  In life, we get our instructions from the Bible.  I read somewhere that Bible can also mean Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.  Through His prophets and anointed writers, God has revealed how we are to live our lives.

N - New things come everyday

Even to the last day of our lives, there will always be something to learn.  We need to adjust to situations and  be ready to learn and respond better in the future.  In biking, not every turn or hump is the same. We have to know how to keep our balance and get through the obstacle.  The basics of training will help us in dealing with these new things.

My goal as father trainer is to take off the training wheels when the time comes.  But I'll always keep watch. God our Father, in His love for us, wants us to learn to be strong in faith.  By giving us free will, He lets go of us, trusting that we will call on Him when the road gets rough and when we're about to fall. God, with His mighty hand saves us. He trains us, so we may gain life eternal with Him in heaven.


Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. 1 Cor. 9:25

Temporal or Eternal?

The thing about coffee is that I really can't take too much time in drinking it 'cause it will lose its hotness. So,  I would have to finish it in a bit of haste or waste good coffee. After sipping all up my favorite cup of cappuccino, I felt that I wanted more. I was left staring at an empty cup, and telling myself, "That's it?"..."Bitin (the feeling of lack)."

Like my cappuccino, all good things on this earth will come to end. All that we own is temporarily ours. Yes, we will feel the urge to acquire more. But like all earthly things, urges turn to lust, and lust turns to obsession. And obsessions never satisfy until it consumes our whole lives. We tend to spend too much time and money on what is temporal instead of the eternal. Funny how people do not recognize the value of tithing but consider much value on their own entertainment. Hear how people complain if the church asks for donation to finish the church structure or help in a project for the poor. Let us review where we dedicate our resources. How much time and money are we investing in our spiritual education and nourishment?
What then is eternal?

God's Word, the bread of life and His Kingdom are eternal. We are to invest time and money to understanding His Word and in building His Kingdom on earth. We are to invest where we want our souls to be in the after life. Surely, we will choose eternity in heaven. But what are doing to prepare ourselves for receiving eternal life?

The lures of this world are obvious. They are visible and very tempting. We succumb until we are convinced that this temporary life is already "it." We have to strengthen our faith and constantly be reminded of our true eternal destination.

Let us then be happy of living a simple life, with simple joys, and an abundant faith. Even if at times it's "Bitin" we need to have discipline and to be content. After all, the more we sacrifice on earth, the more our Father in heaven will store riches for us in our eternal home.

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Entering A New World

It was Kaitlyn's first day of school yesterday.  We took some time off from work and brought her to school. The feeling of sending our child to enter a new world of friends and mentors is exciting and frightening at the same time. We want the best for our kids, but we are also aware of the elements of the "outside world." Well I guess, as they grow older they become more and more detached and independent from us.  I praise God that our daughter is starting to engage in the world of education, even just at the play level.

What "new world" have we entered lately? New work environment, new school, new classmates, new friends, new business?  Entering into these can be both exciting and frightening. Exciting because of the break from the usual and the learning we can get from the endeavor or the environment.  Frightening because of the idea of change, and we are afraid that we might not cope or live up to it.

What can be our posture in entering "new worlds"?

1. A posture of trust in the Lord. Peter when walking off the boat, entered into an impossible situation, a new kind of world where one can walk on water.  He was frightened, but his trust in the Lord was more than his fears, so he stepped off the boat and into the water.  If we are centered in the Lord, we will dare do things that is beyond our capabilities.

At once [Jesus] spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I;* do not be afraid.” Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” Matthew 14:27-28

2. A posture of reaching out. Peter sank when he heard and felt the rushing wind. But the Lord held Peter's outstretched arms and saved Him.  When we are caught in the middle of things and feel desperate, we have to reach out in prayer.  We can sink into being paralyzed with too many work or dealing with our own lack of self-confidence. Christ will save us bring us out of our fears and move us into action. 


 But when he saw how [strong] the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith,* why did you doubt?” Matthew 14: 30-31


3. A posture of thanksgiving. With God as our strength, we will overcome and be victorious. Let us thank God for all our blessings and successes.  Sometimes when we achieve progress, our dependence on the Lord will loosen up.  We tend to think that we did it because we earned it by ourselves and because of our innate abilities. If this happens, it is because our pride has reached our heads.  By thanking the Lord each day, we are brought back to the humble posture that all glory is His.


After they got into the boat, the wind died down. Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God.” Matthew 14: 32-33


As we enter into new worlds, let us not be overcome by fear for the Lord wants us to grow in faith and He is there to save us.  Our challenge in life is to dare great things in His name.

An Honoring For My Love

Michelle, my wife, celebrated her birthday on a rainy Sunday. We had a unique celebration. Instead of going out, we ate at home. Had some cake, pizza and pasta. Kids were happily doing their impersonations of cartoon characters and we had fun singing the whole night.

I'd like to honor my wife. First, for being a woman of faith. Her prayers keep the family strong. She always reminds the kids to pray and love Jesus. Second for her patience, I'm not the easiest person to be with. But her humility and forgiving heart makes me learn more of God's ways. And third for her love, which makes her special, ever beautiful, and so easy to love.

Thanks love, for being God's gift to me and the kids. May God continue to make you a woman of faith, patience, and love.

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Father's Day in Heaven

We're missing you much dad
And all the good times we had
Your words I'll always remember
And our moments together

We now just have pictures
We're Imagining your gestures
You were so strong and tough
But you sure knew how to laugh

Who I am and what I do today
I say thanks for showing the way
Pray for us when we weaken
Oh my dear father in heaven

I just wish there was more time
To say these words of mine
In spirit I hope you'll know
That I love you dad, I love you so."

Happy Father's Day.
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Love is the hallmark of Christianity

I just witnessed one of my very good friends, Butch Alcudia, accept his first vows as a LaSallian brother. It was a touching scene and I'm privileged to see how the Brothers love one another. One can't help but admire their brotherhood and be attracted to their charism.

"Love one another as I have loved you, by these all will know that you're my disciples." (John 13:34)

Love is the hallmark of Christianity. If we truly want to be Christ's disciples, then the living out and expression of love should be first. We might worry much about organizing our groups and pushing our programs, and forget that we are here to love one another. Our structures and activities are all about love. We are to "organize love."

I congratulate my friend Butch for embracing God's call to love. He will be loving more people along the way, may it be the students that will be under his mentoring or the simple daily encounters. May we too, see the things that we do and the people we work with through eyes that love.
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You're Awesome Lord!

About 3 weeks ago in a park, I took a snapshot of this awesome cloud formation. When my son saw it, he exclaimed, "Look Dad, it's Jesus!" I was so taken by the sight, it made me thank God for letting me see something beautiful, even for a moment.

When was the last time that you were awed at something? Is everything too familiar already? When familiarity sets in, the spark gets lost. After some time what we used to hold dear, we already take for granted. It may be the beauty of our spouses, the care of our parents, the concern of a best friend, good food on the table, decent education, or your livelihood. I read in a book that "God hides things from us by putting them near to us."

Let us not look far. If only we can see the things and people around as how God sees it, then we will be living in awe. If you notice how toddlers view the world around them, they are unceasingly fascinated, curious, and full of joy.

By the way in the park, it was only my son and I who were admiring the cloud formation in awe. The rest didn't even notice it or care about it.

Let us look again to the blessings that we take for granted and say, "That's awesome!" or "She's awesome!" Most of all, we look at Jesus once again, with His familiar face and exclaim, "You're awesome Lord!"






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Why Names are Special

Last Sunday, we went out to have some 'catching up' time with friends. We landed on a Crepe Place. When they served the orders, we were delighted to see our names on the crepe's plate. We felt a little special because of the surprise gesture.

We are all special to God. God said, "Jerusalem, I can never forget you! I have written your name on the palms of my hands"(Isaiah 49:16). He expressed this visual to let Jerusalem understand how He loves, remembers, and takes care of them. This is a reflection of how God relates to us.

Let us keep in our mind and hearts that:
1. God knows us more than we know ourselves. Let us surrender our lives to hands of our Father.
2.He created us and he will never forget us. Even if at times we feel God is distant and quiet, He is always there. We need only turn away from sin and go back to Him.
3. We are specially loved. Special enough to be written on the palm of His hands. If you have someone special in your life and you treat him/her with extra care, God can even do more for us, beyond human capacity.

Oh God most high, thank you for keeping us ever near to you and inscribed on Your mighty hand.
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Be Spiritually Healthy

I tried this unique healthy juice mix. It's called Green Giant. It's fresh-pressed celery, cucumber, and apple. It actually sweet, with a little veggy after-taste.

They say health is wealth. Many of us would be more concerned about the health of our loved ones than our own. But then, how can we take care of them if we are not well?

The same goes with our spiritual life. Many of us are very concerned with the "sheep" entrusted to us. May it be our kids, prayer group members, or parishioners. But how is our own spiritual health? How often are we nourished of God's Daily Bread? Are we progressing in our time of prayer? When was your last retreat?

Let us then take time, better yet, make time, for God to feed us so we can be strong in Spirit. In this way, we can truly respond to Jesus' challenge to Peter, "If you love me, feed my sheep."

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Joyful Anticipation

In the fast food business, when the food isn't fast enough, they'll give you a number. This tangible object allows you to retain the idea of the 'fast food' and will keep you in suspense of the meal to come.

What is it that you are eagerly waiting for? A job interview, exam results, a business deal, a payout, visa, her sweet "yes", graduation, ordination? Waiting is a part of living. Those who cannot wait, cannot get the best out of life. Waiting can be excruciating at times and you might want to give up and quit, specially when there is nothing else we can do.

We need to savor the lessons of waiting:
1. Waiting allows us to go inward.
We can go deep into our hearts and find God's message for us.
2. Waiting allows us to have time to "smell the flowers." Amidst the busy life, are we still enjoying God's everyday miracles?
3. As we grow in anticipation, we are also to grow in gratitude. When blessings are to come, we thank God for His goodness, in daily increments.

When I was a kid, my mom used to make fruit cakes and she bakes them about 4 months before Christmas. Fruit cakes are my favorite, and these 4 months were "excruciating" (since I know where they were stored). But to get the optimum taste, I had to wait, patiently. So with joyful anticipation, I did wait... and it was worth it.

We know Christ will come again. We are all waiting for the second coming, and He gave us the Bible as a tangible holy object we can hold on and read on. Yes, Christ will come and when that day comes, and if we're ready, it'll be sweet.

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Freedom from Prodigality

June 12 is Philippines' Independence. On this day we commemorate our 114th year of freedom. Freedom is a beautiful word. It connotes dignity, choice, self-identity, and expression. But with freedom comes responsibility and stewardship.

The story of the prodigal son is a good reflection on freedom and independence. The youngest son wanted his share... he wanted some freedom. It was granted and finally he was "free" to do what he pleased. But we all know the story and what happened next. He squandered everything on worldly pleasures until he found himself eating with the pigs. So he went back to his father, who from a distance, ran to welcome him and prepared a feast for his return.

Lessons on freedom:
1. Freedom is meant to give us dignity. The moment we abuse freedom by choosing sin and evil, shame will be upon us.

2. We strive to be fully dependent on God and independent of sin. By our natural strength, we cannot avoid the lures of sin. But by God's supernatural power, we shall overcome.

3. When we falter, let us not forget our Father. God who gave us the most precious gift of free will is ready to accept us back in His arms. God does not like the concept of puppeteering. He is all powerful, but he did make us his puppets. In exchange for our dignity, he risks breaking His own heart by seeing us falter from time to time. But as soon as we realize our sins, he is ever ready and eager to welcome us back.

Responsibility, the ability to response to God's goodness, will help us realize true freedom. Also being good stewards will make us acknowledge that everything belongs to God, and we have to be grateful by using His belongings for His purpose.

The corruption, greed, and poverty that we see today is a result of remaining prodigal. Let us be free from wasting our freedom and liberate ourselves from our prodigality. Let us embrace genuine freedom by loving this country that our Father God has entrusted us.
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Losing and Winning

I just saw the Pacquiao-Bradley match. And yes folks, Timothy Bradley won. For 7 years, Manny has been winning titles against formidable opponents. We (Filipinos and Pacquiao fans) enjoyed victory in these years. Then, by split decision, the winning streak came to an end.

In the world, winning is defined by glory, fame, money, and power. In God's kingdom, knowing and accepting Christ is winning. I am happy that Manny openly proclaims His faith. Manny, like all of us, is a work in progress. This day in sports history brings us to a point of reflection on what winning is all about.

For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? (Mark 8:36)

I remember Job. This man lost everything, yet because of his faithfulness was blessed more than whatever he lost. Christ won over death and sin by dying on the cross. The most humbling and humiliating of deaths. But through this, Christ won the victory for our salvation.

We have to win over pride and sin. In most cases, to be able to do this, we become "losers" in the world's eyes. Let us win for the Lord and for His glory. It might not always mean getting the approval of people, but what matters is the approval of God. Let us then realize what need to be losing in our lives, so we can be winning to God's favor.
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Mobile Evangelization

The mobile lifestlye is changing the world and our behavior. Now, you don't really have to sit down and open your laptop to get online or to submit your report. It will just be a matter of preference. Once you get used to type comfortably on the touch screen or qwerty keypads, then you are an "office to go." You can post your facebook and twitter status via mobile phone, even post blogs and send/receive emails through your phone.

This mobile concept truly is changing things. I noticed three highlight elements to it:
1. Handy
2. Free
3. Internet ready

Handy, since it fits in a pocket and can do all our communication needs.  The idea of being able to reach in your pocket and get things done is very empowering.

Free. I'm referring to the reverting migration from text messaging which costs a peso, to the free chats and emails. As soon as people are on board in the free messaging platforms like BBM, Vibr, gchat, skype, and the like, things will be practically free. This spells a lot.

Being Internet ready.  Knowledge in our hands and the capability to connect and share your thoughts and needs...as it happens, real time.  The reality and relevance of being internet ready, is changing much of our behavior. We want fresh news, from the horse's mouth. Thus, the twitter phenom.

What does this mean for Christians?  I can think of three

1. Pocket Gospel
2. Low cost mission
3. Real-time evangelization

Pocket Gospel. This means you can be spreading God's message for you, by reaching in your pocket and sharing it. Yes, it's convenient and fast. But the challenge is how many people can you think of and reach?  Books can also be uploaded in the phone, so we can have a mobile bible or a daily gospel alert.

Low-cost mission. As I said, the free communication platform is set. We need only explore and connect.  We can promote as much material, as graphically creative as we can get and as video savvy as possible...for free. You will be surprised how much evangelization work you can accomplish without spending a cent.

Real-time evangelization. I have experienced how some twits and fb statuses inspired me.  Here's one that I just saw in my friend's fb status. "When I worship, I would rather my heart be without words than my words be without heart." Lamar Boschman. In real time he was able to share what inspired him that might inspire others to be closer to God, and that is evangelization.

The world is fast changing. And sometimes we think that we have already reached the advanced phase of technology. But we "ain't seen nothin' yet."  The Internet is only 43 years old (reference).  There is still much to see. Every year we get blown away by companies like Apple, revolutionizing technology and our lifestlye. We have to get into the pace, and be quick to adapt in a constantly changing world.  Amidst all the technological advances and social changes, one thing remains constant, we are to "Go...and make disciples of all nations...(Matthew 28:19)."  The world has become smaller because of our interconnectivity. It's a grand time to evangelize.

"Re-treat"

The word retreat is often referred to a weekend stay in a reflective venue, usually a retreat house or maybe a countryside. Retreat also implies to get back to ourselves, and draw strength from the Lord once again.

I'd also like to see it from the point of view from the word "treat." When someone treats us, we are pampered by not having to pay anything for special attention. People would usually say, "Don't worry, it's my treat."

Now, i'm in Batanes and I'm experiencing a "re-treat." The Lord is giving me a treat...again. When we come to him in generous prayer, he lavishes us with His grace and awesome presence. This is a treat that is inexplainable, beyond measure, and priceless.

Amidst the busy life of unending deliverables, let us not forget that the Lord wants to treat us again and again. We need only offer a generous time of prayer and wait upon His grace to rain upon our souls.
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"Weather Weather Faith"

I am on my way to Basco, Batanes for a mission trip. It's at the northern tip of the Philippines. It will be my first time to go there and they say that the flight schedules can change a lot depending on the weather. My original schedule was to depart at 6am and now I'm flying at 8am.

How is our faith? Is it like Batanes weather, so easy to change? In Filipino colloquial dialect we say, "Wheather weather lang." It implies that our faith depends on the circumstance. It depends "whether" we are in a difficult situation or not. Peter, the Rock, also encountered this situation. During Jesus' arrest and height of accusations, the crowd recognized him and said ""You are not one of his disciples, are you?" He (Peter) denied it and said, "I am not(John 18:25)."" And yet, Peter, in his humility and admittance of sin was restored back to Christ and even become the Lord's vicar.

Let us ask for forgiveness if our faith is a "weather weather faith." Let us restore our faith in Christ and honor His faith in us. Then, like Peter, we ask the Lord to strengthen our faith like a rock, immovable and constant.
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