WAIT LANG!!

See, we don't have to force things to happen. To contest this dogma is futile. Nature teaches us how to let go and let God. Like how we need not to force the flowers to open their buds, we need not to hurry ourselves especially if what God wants us to learn is to be patient.

No matter how hard I tried to force these two teenagers to admit whatever wrong that is going on between them, I ended up hearing nothing but denials. I once asked my self when will they end their lie. I wondered how they can get along in the ministry pretending.

Oct 26, 2009 - the appointed date has come for such a lie to be brought up into light. IT'S FREEDOM DAY! Finally one of these two youths opened up and downheartedly admitted the truth they have been keeping for a long time now. She has been freed at long last.

I saw her earlier that day. She looked different. There was no glow in her young pretty face. With God's gift of discernment, I sensed the chance to talk to her. Praise God for the wonderful and liberating time I had with her. She got relieved from all the burdens that she was carrying on her shoulders. At the same time, her passion to preach the Gospel has been redefined in her heart. Even the purpose of leading others back to Christ was rekindled. I got reminded of grace - the undeserved love of God for everyone at all times.

Truly His timing is perfect. He knows when is the right time to call each of us back to Him. He moves according to His timing, whether we like it or not, whether we are ready or not. What we need to learn by doing is to just fully trust Him.

God be glorified. (Ps 25:4, 27:7-14; John 8:32)

Tama na ang drama.

It's time to let go of the LAW-BOUND MINDSET

Grace is more than enough for all of us.

Ephesians 2:8-9

it should be BIG

the moment you have run out of strategies in solving your problem is the same point God will use to reveal to you the size of your faith.

I hope it's BIG.

Nakakatuwa

Nakakatuwa ang...

Anniversary - i was one of the worship leaders. hooh! tama naman ang mga unang nota sa dalawang kantang kinanta ko.

Pagkakasundo - si melvin namansin na! :)

Red Cliff - maganda. maganda.

Monday night with my mother and nephews - nakapamasyal-masyal kasama ang nanay kong masipag at 2 pamangking may tests this week.

Lobster balls and kikiam and French fries - pwede pwede!

Si Tita V. - maipapayos na ang bahay.

Ang Diyos - siya talaga ang "Ilaw" sa bahay.

Revelation - Freedom is not freedom until you are free to fail.

Life is simple and it should be appreciated just the way it is.

Dominico

Dominico just passed away. I'm gonna miss him for sure. I can still remember our first meet. I got shocked. His lips were purple and his shoulders were elevated. As I have finished assessing the student, I went immediately to him and asked if he was alright. He said he was fine. I was able to talk to his dad later that day and he told me that his boy was suffering from a certain heart problem since when he was just a baby. The doctor gave a prognosis that he would only live for ten years. He died at the age 0f 14. He's blessed I would say.

Everyone in Dominico's family believes that God has still been so good to them. Either do I. His death makes me value time more today than yesterday. I need to preach the Gospel more and more, taking advantage of each time I am with the youth. I have to grab every sizzling moment I am with these JCA high school students whom I have learned to love or else...

Or else... they will not be aware of their sins; they will lose their purpose; they will never meet Jesus; they will never hear what Jesus has done for them and therefore the seed of faith won't be planted (for from hearing the Word of God comes faith that pleases Him).

Dominico of I - Marvelous, goodbye for now! See you soon!

Insanity

A man shouted,"Lunatic! Christ Jesus is merely an imagination!"

I said, "If having faith in Jesus is insanity,
then you're correct:
I must have really lost my mind."
=)

Seeing Them Mature

"The issue between you and me won't stop me from coming to God. I already said I am not mad. If you don't trust me it's OK. I already said I am sorry. I just got offended earlier. "

Strong words by a certain high school student who got offended when I took his attention last Friday before the Spirit-filled yUtNITED. He texted me this during that night when I thought he would stop attending church because of what happened. I took the attention of several high school students who are taking advantage of the fund raising event where everyone was watching basketball.

Hahaha!! Ako na Chaplain - ang kontrabida :), with the use of a microphone, reminded them saying, "High school, high school. . Talaga naman! Parang Luneta lang ang Dome. Nagtabi-tabi pa kayo! Huling huli kayo sa camera. May mga CCTV dyan oh, Kitang-kita kayo sa mga monitors! For conference na kayo with your parents!!" Ayun... nagalit ang ilang bata.

One of them is Larry. (I asked his permission regarding this, don't worry!) He was the one who sent me that message on top. He gave up his life to Christ last August. He is now serving the Lord in the youth club/ministry of his school. He is a potential leader. I am the one consolidating him and everyday I see how inspired he is while walking with Him. I shouldn't be surprised to receive that message from him. I see he is maturing. And indeed he won't be stopped not even by: the "kontrabidang" Chaplain :)

It inspires me more to continue serving because it is not just Larry who is maturing; there are a lot of them.

If's

If it's God who has planned it, then it won't be stopped.
If it's God who has given it, then it won't be stolen.
If it's God who has said it, then it will surely happen.
If it's God.

But how would you know if it's God?

After you have said your
word of total surrender,
the next thing to do is to trust Him.

Beyond your imagination,
beyond the forces and laws of nature and man,
beyond boundaries,
if it's God who is with you...

...then, you're gonna breakthrough!!!

My God is my victory.

He is my everyday.

He is my completion.
He is my satisfaction.

Isaac Identified

Benny Hinn, a well known preacher of the Word of God termed anything that steals the throne of God in our hearts as "Isaac". And I've come to realize that the youth ministry sometimes become an Isaac in my life. It's hard to admit but it is true.For the past few weeks, I have spent too much time at night and even upon waking up thinking what to do next or what program to have in and for the youth ministry of my church.

Being too busy in the kingdom which results to having inadequate time with the King is never healthy. Exhaustion follows this mistake.

I remember one night when fear and insecurity invaded my thoughts. I asked myself why was it happening. I thought my faith got misplaced. I remember what is written in the Bible, that people will be in turmoil and confused, restless and ineffective, if they are not found in God.

That explained my sudden fear attack. I was slowly moving apart from Him; slowly walking away from His shade of grace. With my eyes focused on myself, I started struggling from within, trying to make things in the ministry work smoothly and efficiently which is impossible to happen because I am turning my back on Him. And it was happening unconsciously.

Isaac - anything that wrestles with God - this should be identified and be cast out as soon as possible; before it totally drags you to a dark and distant wilderness.

kaututang dila

Usapang girl friend ito! :) Bente-kwatro años na me pero wala pa me gf. wahahaah!!

Let me share this thought that i have in mind right now.


Turn off...recently lang e naturn off ako sa isang girl na gustong gusto ko. Eh akalain mo ba namang magpasexy. hoo.. i-display ba naman ang katawan na sexy sa world wide web. Aba'y 'wag naman ganun. It broke my heart right then and there! Nakks! Wahahaha!! I believe it is not being judgemental. It is a preference that speaks of how I want my girl to be. I have to let go of her in my mind. . hahaha hindi naman kami kasi. Pero di ko na siya ilalagay sa list ko. May list? Joke lang!

Heto pa, ang dumi ng kuko sa paa. Ah lagot! Iba na 'to. :) Hindi siya ha. . kahit sinong girl basta kapag madumi yung paa, napapasigaw na ko!

Sabi ni Ate Dorie at Ate Heidi, "Conservative ka nuh?" Will it make me less of a man to be of conservative type? I don't think so. I might just run out of time wating for "her" but definitely it is ok... Ayun!!

Ok, hinay-hinay. This is not about making an on-line announcement that I am DESPERATELY in need of a girl. I don't see myself marrying a girl I have met on-line thru chats, fb, and fs or even thru dating games. I don't and won't join dating games, in the first place. Naku hindi po! Maski sa panaginip, di ako nakipag-eyeball o nakipag-date sa girl na di ko pa kilala ng husto! Nyaha! May masama ba sa mga ganito? WALA NAMAN. Hindi lang kasi ako ganun. Malinaw sa akin na matagal ko nang kaibigan ang mapapangasawa ko... haay!

Gusto ko MAGANDA, kasi nga pogi ako!!! Wahahahah!! There is nothing wrong with the desire to have a breath-taking wife. Tama? (And all the boys out there say "Amen!".) But there is a big BUT after that statement. Just make sure it will not be the sole factor that would dictate you who to love. Know from God who will be the perfect one for you. I choose not to compromise. To have the same FAITH is the most important thing. the both of us should be in love with the Master. If God will give me a girl who will not meet my taste (physically) but is deeply in love with Him, I'm gonna accept His will and have Him change my heart. :) Talk about surrender. This will be hard to do but definitely the wisest choice to make, I suppose.

I am planning to get married next year when I turn 25. And I wanna have my first-born when I turn 28. Cool. Ito ang mga plano ko. :) Maganda ang plano ko. Pero PERPEKTO ANG PLANO NG BOSS KO. Doon na lang ako sa plano Niya.

Erickson termed this psycho-social struggle among young adults as Intimacy versus Isolation. It refers to the conflict wherein if a young adult learns to cope up with the demands of life pertaining to his social developmental stage, he looks for a lifetime partner and settles down. If he won't be able to overcome this specific dilemma, there is withdrawal from the crowd, especially people of the opposite sex due to inferiority.

At ayoko matalo sa "battle" na yun. Hehehe. . I'm more than a conqueror. Through Christ, I've met the highest kind of need all humans have and that is self-actualization (according to A. Maslow) (I'll tell you more about self-actualization some other time, ok). Secondly, God provides as they say. Walang dapat ikatakot.

Masaya naman ang maging single. Masaya naman talaga. Pero hindi dapat abusuhin. :) Ahaaa!

Sino nagsabing lahat ng nasusulat dito ay seryoso?? Hindi naman. Pero lahat totoo. Lahat. :)

si allen at si ondoy

September 25, Friday night, Filipinos especially those who reside in Metro Manila and Rizal area did not have any clue of how depressing the happenings would be the next day. I was in Montalban the whole Friday for a speaking engagement. When I went home Saturday morning I did not know that many places have already been flooded because of the continuous rain shower. After staying a couple of hours in my house to prepare for my next commitment which is a conference to be conducted in a hotel near Boni MRT station, I headed on my way.

I was finding my way to get to the Cubao MRT station without crossing the flood when I saw these group of children taking a plunge in the flood between Farmers Plaza and Farmers Market. I can't describe how I felt when I saw how dirty the 5-foot water these kids were enjoying. Good thing there was another way to get to the station and that is through the overpass which is crowded by people. Too crowded that it would take you 5 seconds before you can make another step.

I saw how the heavy rainfall brought by Ondoy affected millions of people in the areas I have mentioned. With my own eyes I saw how high the flood went up to and how it caused heavy traffics around the metro. Numerous cars got drowned in this flooding that I saw along EDSA in Ortigas while I was on the MRT. Some vehicles were lucky not to suffer from floods but they got stuck in heavy traffic because they were sandwiched by flood waters.

Christine reyes, a celebrity, mentioned during an interview via 3g how fast the water level went up. She said in less than an hour it rose up to the ceiling of the first floor of her house in Provident Village in Marikina. She was on the roof of her house when she was interviewed.

For me, there is a message from God we need to understand here. We need to be reminded. First, everyone should know that WE WILL NEVER KNOW when will be the end. The Bible has mentioned how will it be during the coming of Christ but never did it mention the date of Christ's return. Although we have been given signs that will serve as clues but honestly, nobody can tell when will we breathe our last breath - except the FATHER in heaven. Have you ever heard of the prophecy that the end of days will be on December 21, 2012? Well, I won't buy it!

Second, regardless of who we are, all of us will be judged. One may be the most popular, the richest, the most good-looking person who has ever lived on earth, but still he will face judgment. And once found that Jesus is not his Lord, then he will be punished without reservation.

In a blink of an eye - that's how fast it will be as far as the coming of Christ is concerned. God holds time in His hands. Surely He is in control. And we cannot beg Him to give us a minute, an hour, not even a second just for us to be able to prepare ourselves and accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and be saved. Once He says it's time, then it's time.

We were clueless the day before the typhoon devastated the metro. Same thing with Christ's return - we are doing regular activities. But those who will be found patiently waiting for Him, will enjoy the benefits of their labor. Like a thief - that's who Jesus will be like.

Finally, see all those brand new cars which got damaged? Those convenient stores which were robbed by several people who had nothing to eat during the calamity? How about those houses which collapsed because of the typhoon's impact? Millions of pesos worth of possession got washed away in the flood. I hope that most precious possession you have won't vanish just like your earthly treasures. I am talking about your life; God values it so much. May your life be found in His hands for safe keeping.

Everything on earth won't last. But HIS WORD IS FOREVER. Please prepare for His coming. I don't know when will it be; nobody knows actually, not even JESUS. But I do hope you would keep your faith and keep waiting.

Well, these are things that I got reminded of during Ondoy's attack.