NEW BEGINNINGS, AUGUST 1-31, 2023
Infinitely much better than GPS... Is how our
God is to us in life... Because more than physically being guided where to go,
we need direction on particularly where to steer our souls for right judgment;
that we may not repeat the mistakes and lapses of many before us... May we
always look to Him for leading, ever prayerful and humble, keeping our spirits
calm and at peace... Because unlike human masters who make us choose between
their way or the highway of uncertainty, with Him, we are always in the right
way...
When click baits are good... Is when we follow
the "clicks", or life instructions our God has left for us in His
Word... And to do that, we need to read and meditate on it daily; because not
all may be taken literally, some with a grain of salt; but everything a lesson
of lives that were, of history written by a few and the less who were seemingly
the disadvantaged, but all with a deeper lesson in faith, in obedience, in
humanity and how to become more humane yet vertically aligned for each one of
us... And as our Savior distilled everything into His two great commands to
love our God above all, and to love our neighbor as ourselves, we have a daily
guide to whom we dedicate our lives to: Who deserves the glory for all that we
are and we become, and who needs for us to share what we have been blessed
with...
Living the Sabbath everyday... What good are
weekly rest days if it is not spent in true rest for the body, the mind, the
soul; because we must fill each waking moment with activities we believe earn
us brownie points with family, friends, even with the God we worship?... For
indeed, when He blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy, He meant for us to
enjoy it simply with Him, in the stillness of our souls, in the respite of
trying to impress, in the humility that comes with anonymity, silence, and
waiting on His will... May we make it a habit to turn to the God of all comfort
daily, and so learn to embrace and live the kind of rest He offers--in
confidence and faith, in the hope that He always cares and provides; and that
we need no brownie points to impress, just a grateful acknowledgment of His
purpose in our lives, and the humble obedience to what He wants us to do for
His kingdom here on earth...
That one turn of pitch and toss... As Kipling
said, is one hallmark of a true realized person... That bittersweet time when
we take the plunge, risking and giving all we got, only to realize and
experience firsthand that we lose them all... Yet if we can move on, start
over, start from the bottom, start from scratch, and never breathe a word--of
regret, of complaints, of resentment at the seeming unfairness of life--then we
realize that we were meant to lose and give them up in the first place, because
a lot more, better and greater, the things we really desired and are worth of
are in store; which we wouldn't have gotten had we held on tightly and
stubbornly to what once were... May we realize that our lives are in our
Creator's loving hands, meant to experience to the full, meant to be open to
give and receive much love and wisdom, and everyday a free flowing channel of a
heaping abundance of His mercy and grace...
Never let disappointments slow you down... For
they are minor setbacks for which better things await in turn... And no matter
how much we prepare for some things, we may still fail to accomplish them or
achieve the kind of success we envision; but the preparation would have made us
wiser, kinder, better, more humble and patient... May we all remember that it
is not those who always start strong and grand who wins; but the one who
patiently endures...
An example to all... Is what our lives are...
And may they see only faith and generosity, wisdom and understanding, honesty
and integrity... For all our troubles and difficulties are working to make us
stronger and better, and all our efforts and blessings should work out the same
kind of humility our Savior encouraged us with as He said to "endure to
the end"... May we always be a source of inspiration and hope, love and
grace, generosity, wisdom and faith...
Light and life... Is the kind of friend our
Savior was to Lazarus and his siblings (including Mary who anointed his feet,
washed them with tears, wiped with her hair, and much wrongfully maligned to be
a prostitute but only actually an extremely poor and disadvantaged woman of a
brother who goes begging for a livelihood)... And so should we learn how to be
the kind of friend to others too... May we manifest the light and love showered
on us, and may we share life and hope at every chance we get...
A spirit of power, love and sound mind... In
our world today, where life's everyday challenges never seem to end, there is
no time to stay irrelevant if we want to fulfill our part in our God's kingdom
work on earth... As a famous leadership expert says, if we want to have an
impact, or even just influence someone's life, we first start identifying the
need in others, and filling it, as much as we can... Probably if we can't
support materially, yet we must not be lacking in giving hope and
encouragement, understanding and love, wisdom and respect... And we can only
achieve these if we let ourselves be filled by His power and strength, wisdom
and love... May we humble ourselves and spend our days be filled by our
Creator's presence and love, that our lives may have true meaning, impact and
influence...
Cain's mark... Has been our default since
birth--envy, resentments, thinking that life is unfair, believing that we
deserve more than what we got, feeling that if others can, we can too and
should have and do more... But as the Word today says, "by faith, Abel
still speaks to us today" - - in reminding us that God is pleased with an
offering of a simple yet humble heart, one that is freed from discontent, from
malice, from envy, from pride, and one that seeks justice and right... May we
be truly worthy of being witnesses for His kingdom; that rather than being
genetic default versions of a base, ignorant and arrogant life, we may act with
courtesy and respect, wisdom and understanding, graciousness and love towards
one and all...
Beyond the four walls... In our struggle to
compartmentalize our lives, probably because we feel everyday challenges make
it difficult to sometimes make sense of and control things, we think that even
our relationship with God and other people ends where others can see and
validate it... But the essence of life is living as the image of our
Maker--timeless in reckoning, boundless in grace, unlimited in love, bottomless
in wisdom and goodness... And though we are limited by our physical existence, yet,
that is not reason to believe we measure our and other people's potential and
influence by that too... May we always remember that all our moments are
weighed, all our seconds count... And not to waste them, but to spend each time
worthy of the light and love we have been called out to, remaining constant in
peace and contentedness, always abounding in humility, generosity, wisdom and
understanding...
Making sense... What is the purpose of having
more if not to give to those in need? What is the purpose of learning more if
not to teach others and pass on the knowledge? What is the purpose of being tried
and tested except to overcome and be a source of strength for others? What is
the reason of our moments of sadness and pain if not to be an encourager?...
May we not waste each moment, so that whether in good or bad, we can fulfill
our true nature: the image of our Creator, a force of creation and restoration,
an agent of peace, love, understanding, generosity and love...
Free in the bigger hands... One social media
reel I saw is a runt chick, a very small fellow, feeling safe and secure in the
hands of its carer, even though it is not sure if it gets crushed to death (in
the hands of a psychopath, maybe?)... Such is the true nature of freedom, as
even a couple of semesters in law school tell us: that only with the security
and safety that comes when we feel our laws and regulations are being
implemented well, can we experience a true sense of freedom and peace... And it
is also true that our freedom ends where we already encroach on the rights of
another... So that freedom indeed is liberating to the spirit, but on an
interpersonal level, still subject to basic courtesy, respect, niceness,
kindness and generosity that we extend to each other as our brethren's
keeper... May we learn to always be grateful of the freedom that was given to
us and our souls by the power of Jesus' Name, and not use it to impose
ourselves, throw our weight around, or demand privileges and favors; but to
give help and comfort, understanding, love, wisdom and grace to one and all...
A lifetime of daring... During Typhoon Amang's
January 2015 visit in Eastern Philippines, and the Pope visited Leyte to meet
with the Haiyan survivors, I remember that amidst the strong winds buffeting
the area where he held mass and audience, with portions of the stage roof
flying and a sound box tumbling down, he can clearly be heard and seen praying,
translated to English, "Jesus is Lord!", with his hands raised up to
heaven... Even for non-Catholics, that act was as sublime as when Muslims raise
the banner of "Allah-u-Akbar!" ("God is great!")... And
such displays of raw faith show us the victorious life... That only when we
dare, risk ourselves and put our necks out in the service of God, His kingdom
on earth, and for the betterment of humanity and human psyche, can we see how
truly magnificent and powerful our God is, and how miraculous and marvelous His
dealings with us in all aspects of our lives... The timeless directive of
delighting in Him and His presence, especially in our alone time, when nobody
is looking at us for whom we must impress, can we perceive that He grants us
the desires of our heart... May we take the dare and the challenge today and
everyday...
A community of love... Is what we all need,
that we might not feel alone and empty in the midst of a crowd... But being
alone doesn't necessarily mean being lonely; for, even solo, if we maintain
strong connections with friends and loved ones across the miles, we still feel
the love and belonging we have been blessed with... With discernment, love and
understanding, we realize our prayers and praise rise up to heaven as we
connect with brethren across the world, in a fragrant aroma of worship... May
we learn to spend well every moment and time we are with other people, and make
them count and worthy; that each of us may be built up and encouraged in our
journey, be freed from envy and insecurity, and have the strength and fortitude
to face whatever challenge comes our way...
Immunity from suit... Human ambassadors have
this privilege, according to the law, that they are immune from suit in the
conduct of their duties, but not always so when they commit crimes... And so it
seems in our profession of faith... We can speak all we want, share all we want
about the Word we receive and hope for, and we have the freedom to do so even
in oppressive environments; but we still need to live it out in our daily lives
to truly have meaning, relevance and significance... May we truly become forces
for good, and ambassadors of hope and love for our Heavenly Father, not agents
of despair, discouragement and condemnation...
Faith and persistence... Is deep-down, from
the core of our being, often not seen in outward manifestation or regular
attendance for show; but a kind of moving on, thriving in the midst of
difficulties, rising up to challenges, confident of the love and mercy that
sustains us, rest assured in the heavenly peace and grace that envelope our
being... And so, like the story and the Word today, we may often find ourselves
in disadvantageous or unfair positions because of who we are and how the world
sees us, but our Savior assures that He will constantly seek our faith and
persistence... There may be setbacks, but may we not give up becoming who we
are meant to be in His will and plan, in doing all we can to fulfill our part
in His kingdom on earth today and for all time...
Born for adversity (Proverbs 17:17)... One
knows who their true friends are, in times of sorrow and tragedy... For our
true nature comes out, and we manifest to our brethren and friends who we are
if, even in spite of our own challenges and difficulties, we can step in for
them, help and support, encourage and give them hope... This is the gospel our
Savior declared, to spread His love and salvation to all, mercy and
understanding, humility and concern; and influencing others to pay such goodness
and grace forward... May we manifest and live out His Word in our lives, as we
seek to fulfill our role as the keeper of our brethren--from our nearest kin
and sibling, to the next door neighbor, to the strangers we meet each day...
Alone, but not lonely... Is a further
iteration of the Word today; where the example of Joseph shows us that he may
be incarcerated but unforgotten by God... So also to those of us whom the world
considers leftovers... For we know and believe that our best days unfold for us
each day, it still gets better, and our greater days are yet ahead; we know and
have learned that the most important companion is the Unseen yet Eternal One,
Non-physical yet Dwells in our hearts and minds... And as even distances from human
friends and loved ones make our bonds stronger and fonder, so too the hope we
have in the promises of our God... That even in times of pain and sorrow,
especially when we are alone, He carries us, He sustains and guides; and as we
seek to fulfill His will and what pleases us each day, He will never forget
us...
The many ways to kill a cat... Though a
cliché, can actually be used when we want to understand and make ways to share
the faith we profess to others... Rather than feeling superior or
knowledgeable, self-righteous even when lacking the sufficient experience to
prove it, and especially absent the necessary moral ascendancy, which is just
pride and ignorance talking, the best way is to show love, respect, mercy and
grace... We respect others for what they believe in, and how they want to
profess it; but we still manifest love, good friendship and camaraderie, as we
remind them of our Father's love and care, as one family and children of God...
For more than the words we do, our actions are louder proofs of the hope we
profess... We may call ourselves by His Name, we may have had the license and academic
training to show we are qualified, but short of doing it well in actual
practice, armed with humility and good work ethic in whatever skill, business,
gift or ministry we are indulged in, we just render our qualifications to
nothing... May we learn and perceive the different and manifold ways we can
fulfill our life's mission; that at the end, we will truly be worthy to be
called, 'good and faithful servants'...
Unbounded, unmeasured faith... When we reckon
God's faithfulness only by the blessings we receive, then we wouldn't
understand why innocent people suffer, why evil people prosper and succeed, and
why those whom we think are lesser or weaker than us get ahead, up and higher,
and some seem only to have good things going for them, better than us who
believe are more worthy, more knowledgeable and righteous... Maybe we need to
realize that the God we worship and love is not a pushover... He doesn't bless
and sustain us because we are good and faithful, that we are diligently prayerful
and strongly devoted to going to church and our beatific duties, but simply
because He is Good and Faithful personified... He doesn't heal and deliver
because we need it, are so desperate and fervent in our prayers, but because
time and life are in His hands, and He ordains our seasons... And the mere fact
that we still breathe, that we can still perceive and think is a testament to
His manifold and deep wisdom in the working of our bodies and minds, in His
glorious majesty as we get to learn more about Him and the work He does each
day... And as we strive to fulfill our mission while we are still alive, so we
thank and give praise to Him that even to our last breath and beyond, His
thoughts and care for us and all His creation is unmeasurable, unbounded by
time, but always for good, for light and right, for justice, peace and love,
for each passing moment, and lasting for eternity...
Our true value... It's both advantageous and
unfair, but most of us are actually valued and treated not just for who we are
but for whose children we are too... And though we might rise above and beyond
our situation, our nature and origins, and declare ourselves self-made, it
cannot be denied that people measure us by our parents and ancestors, and that
always we are reminded to look back and acknowledge their role in our lives...
Thankfully this grounds us too, that we can never claim to be truly successful
if we neglect our parents and elders during old age, or in their times of
weakness... In much the same way we could not claim victory in our spiritual
lives without recognizing our Creator's work in us, to actively do our part to
know Him more, and fulfill His will and the work of His kingdom on earth by sharing
and giving as He did, by pouring out love and mercy, grace, patience and
understanding as He does to us each day... May we truly be worthy of the faith
we profess, and the Name we bring as we journey through life...
The real power of miracles... Lies in not
getting what we prayed for, but in changing us for the better... And no other
greater miracle is there than faith itself; for faith is not just a
metaphysical state but action; and the longer we believe, the more mature we
become, the more and greater our initiative to know more and share about the
God we believe in, His never-ending work in our lives and creation, and more
about the people around us... The real miracle is that we remain not babies
forever needing milk both for doctrine and life principles the rest of our
lives; but adults who care for more beyond ourselves and nuclear families to
the community and world beyond... And that is when we realize that our God and
Savior is always with us, in all our challenges and struggles, issues and
situations, in all our efforts to do good and share life and love, giving all
that we can to make this life better for us and others too... For we believe
that the same God who led our ancestors and those who came before us, so that
we learned much from their experiences and wisdom, will also still be there for
us until the end of our days...
People, not rituals... Because like our
Savior, our connection with each other should not be clouded by form, not
motivated because we want to feel good about ourselves, and feel assured that
we are good people... We connect with each other as we relate with each other's
needs and issues, and support one another in our journey... And we really
cannot say we do not know about other people's issues, for with His wisdom we
gain the discernment to realize that what challenges and pains us also
challenges and pains our brethren; and if we need encouragement and
understanding, so also other people too... Rather than just saying empty words
like wishing people well or saying we pray for them when in fact we do not, may
we manifest wisdom and grace, pour out love, mercy, understanding and kindness,
respect and tact, consideration and patience... For more than marking us as
impressive, these habits enable our lives to bear fruit that will last for all
time...
Truly diversified ministries... The secular
business world tries to cater to the needs of a greater diversity of people and
their preferences... But sadly, much of our spiritual congregations and
denominations have stuck to age-old core and cell groups that are apt for the
middle ages, where there are only groups for adult married men, adult married
women, teens, and kids, with sometimes young professionals and a mixed group of
retired seniors, and that with only homogenous groups, with presumably normal
mental faculties... But in our times today, there is a greater number of
unmarried people, single parents, seniors still in the workforce, and adults
and kids alike that are neuro- and psychologically divergent, and people of
different races... It's good to know that the early churches cater to a wider
audience than our time today, and is a good source of inspiration... That as
God's people, if our communities and society lack means and initiative for a
truly diversified family, we who claim to believe in His Name can take the
mantle and fill the gap... May we find time to really embrace a truly
diversified "many nations and tongues" (Revelation 7:9-17), care for
and support each other's needs, that someday we shall all meet together and be
united in praising and giving glory to the One who made us, sustains and
strengthens us, and enables us to endure...
Shining on... When TV or radio stations start
broadcasting for the day, we hear and see them saying, they are "signing
on"; then go about accomplishing their scheduled programs... It is not
unlike God's people, as we are called to "shine" His light, albeit
individually, that the rest of the world may see that we have a good God, and
that He desires that His love, mercy and grace be poured out for all...
Scientists say that rather than deep darkness, the universe is actually full of
light... Yes, there is dark matter, but more than it is a greater quantity of
light from many bodies in space... And so we are assured that light will always
win... May we fulfill our part as His children; so that even with hardships and
difficulties, sorrow and pain, we can bring light, love and hope to those
around us who need it most...
Spirits unchained... Like the famous 2012
film, speaks to us of the basic human need to be free from slavery--physically,
spiritually, mentally, even economically and socially--, and the great cost to
obtain it... While there will always be people who strive to abuse and oppress
others, intimidate and harass on their way to the top and even for survival; we
who have learned and read of the Word's timeless tenets should also do our best
effort not to repeat the mistakes of our ancestors; not to throw our weight
around, not to mislead and take advantage, not to be hypocritical and
self-righteous; but always to live honest, pure, humble and generous lives...
For where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is indeed freedom--freedom from
trying to impress others, freedom from keeping up with vain and meaningless
trends, freedom from following the ways and thoughts of base human nature,
freedom from ignorance, freedom from thinking we are better than we are, and
freedom to experience contentment and peace in the love that sustains us and
the grace that keeps our souls for all time...
Needful miracles... The beauty of spending
some time alone with God, be it in prayer, reading and pondering His word, and
immersing in His creation while feeling His wisdom and love envelope us is that
it is actually a time-stretcher... It is not a time-waster, as many of us busy
people like to believe, nor do we specifically need a fixed schedule or certain
hours or days to do it; because we can actually do it any time, when we wake
up, as we go about our day, before we knock off to sleep... We find that truly,
there will be time for everything that we need to handle in life; and that we will
never be too early nor too late but always on time for most things... Maybe
because our concept and perception of time is limited to what our brains can
conceive and what our bodies can perceive; but when we give time to the One who
ordained it, we find that He bends it, He does His work, and He manifests His
miracles for us in how, instead of us working and slaving around the clock to
make do and make the best out of time to gain and accumulate more, time itself
gives way for us, giving us wisdom to feel the presence and perceive the
future, hence, making us true heirs of the universe, and rooting our faith,
peace and confidence in the truth that is timeless, in the love that knows no
bounds...
Playable character... Some very confusing
trends on social media nowadays is for people to post videos of themselves
doing and saying some things over and over, and earning money in the process
when viewers send them tokens... These actions are allegedly based on the
non-playable characters of video games, and the creators do a kind of cosplay
and act like them... But non-playables are considered important since even if
they only do one purpose, and not controlled by the player, they can help earn
points if certain tasks are completed... Real life though is a lot different...
Each of us are complex individuals; and each one has unlimited potential to
either do good with the talents and resources we have been blessed, or go the
other way, the selfish, greedy, and often more stupid way of things... May we
always strive to be relevant, not just to those whom we aspire to be associated
with, but even to people whom we do not know and who do not know us, but
desperately need a kind word, an honest deed, a pure intention... Let us all
strive to be playable, using wisdom and discernment, choosing to do whatever is
right, good, pure, honest and just...
Not desensitized... In a world that
increasingly is getting cooked up, we realize that no matter what we believe
in, the reality is clear that no one is safe, and that each of us suffer for
our collective abuse, neglect and wickedness towards creation and this one
spaceship we call home, Earth... And all the more reason everyday not to be
insensitive to the needs of the people around us... For we are each complex
creations; what we physically feel drives our instincts, and makes up our
thoughts, motivations and behaviors... Whether we want to upend it or not, we follow
Maslow's hierarchy, and our physiological needs must be met first before we
consider belongingness and being actualized... And so we must, everyday that we
can, as long as it is within our power, support each other, give generously, be
understanding, calm, content and true; if we must manifest our faith and source
of hope to others... May we then proclaim our faith as an encouragement and
inspiration rather than judgment and condemnation; may we pour out our God's
love, grace and goodness to all, rather than be conduits of His enemy's envy,
greed, pride, lies and rebellion...
Here lies true love... Not in the halls of
power, fame and influence; but in the everyday little acts of care and concern,
support, encouragement and building up we do to the least of those around us...
And that is true stewardship of life... We need not be in positions of
authority or recognized leadership to be able to perform acts of responsibility
and accountability for others; we need only to remember that like Cain, whose
legacy it is to wander the earth forever, we are tasked to be our brother's
keeper, and not be promoters or lies nor inducers of confusion, envy and fear,
nor be the destroyer and murderer of minds, souls, lives and dreams... May we
fulfill our God-given mandate today and everyday for the rest of our days...
Pure and unadulterated... Is the faith our
Savior wants... And we can take it both figuratively and literally; the kind
that trusts and hope in confidence and peace, much like that of children who
are free from burdens because they believe in someone who provides and who
always supports... May we have the faith of children as we spend the rest of
our days; be honest and true, faithful, trusting and open, humble and free from
envy, malice and prejudice...
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