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

The Value of Starting Small

Those who think big know the value of starting small.  We can launch something massively, but risk failing massively as well. And it's hard to pick up the pieces.  We can never undervalue the practice of prototyping. With prototyping or sampling, comes the challenge of being patient, observant, and diligent.

Do you have a big idea? How long then will it take you to make a prototype or organize a sample group? Do you plan on writing a book? When will you start making the first chapter of that book and let your friends give a feedback?  Do you want to write a song? Then write down the first line and hum the first couple of notes.

Are there big decisions that paralyze us? One who feels the call to priesthood starts off first with a vocation retreat or a search-in.  One who wishes to invest big in business starts off first selling a few samples. Our paralysis can be overcome by doing small steps that will help us feel that it is the right direction to go.  Praying daily can help us discover where God is leading us, rather than just praying one time big time and plunging into the decision right away.

With a small group or sample, we can adjust, correct, and improve. When it's time to replicate, much of the lessons have already been learned and the success rate is higher. 

We notice that Jesus spent much of his time with his 12 apostles. In his 3 years of public life, he never went as far as 100 miles from his home. Yet, look at how globally spread Christianity has become. God even sampled the Israelites, His chosen people, for all of us to learn from.  

Achieve great things by patiently starting small.