every snapshot reveals mysteries of the past!

partners

2012-01-16T00:10:00.000-08:00

brothers

2012-01-15T00:08:00.000-08:00

thinking aloud

2012-01-14T00:07:00.000-08:00

colors

2012-01-13T00:05:00.000-08:00

target

2012-01-12T00:04:00.000-08:00

sea dive

2012-01-11T00:01:00.000-08:00

brotherhood

2012-01-10T21:22:00.001-08:00

surf

2011-10-16T00:13:00.000-07:00

unity in diversity

2011-10-15T00:02:00.000-07:00

buffet

2011-10-14T00:11:00.000-07:00

frozen

2011-10-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

stonewall

2011-10-12T00:11:00.000-07:00

turbulence

2011-10-11T00:10:00.000-07:00

shadow

2011-10-10T00:05:00.000-07:00

beginning

2011-10-09T00:24:00.000-07:00

getting sick is the hardest

2011-10-08T22:21:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I last posted here. The last time I posted was September 26th and it is the 8th of October now. I do apologize for not making it possible to post regularly. I was severely indisposed these past few days and thanks be to God! I got over with it and so now I am posting my comeback! Welcome back!

It is indeed hard to be away from a family in moments that one is indisposed. Certain feelings of loneliness creeps one's whole being. One misses the presence of a family and loved ones during the times when one needed their presence most.

But life must go on. Life must evolve despite the hardships and difficulties. One needs to survive life's most trying moments.

And I survived!

treat

2011-09-26T00:17:00.000-07:00

love of God

2011-09-25T00:06:00.000-07:00

What does God require of us? Simply that we love as He loves! God is love and everything He does flows from His love for us. God loved us first and our love for Him is a response to His exceeding grace and kindness towards us.

The love of God comes first and the love of neighbor is firmly grounded in the love of God. The more we know of God's love and truth the more we love what He loves and reject what is hateful and contrary to His will.

What makes our love for God and his commands grow in us? Faith in God and hope in His promises strengthens us in the love of God. They are essential for a good relationship with God and for being united with Him. The more we know of God the more we love Him and the more we love Him the greater we believe and hope in His promises. The Lord Jesus, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, gives us a new freedom to love as He loves.

Do you allow anything to keep you from the love of God and the joy of serving others with a generous heart? Paul the Apostle says: hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us. Do you know the love which conquers all?

walk with God

2011-09-24T00:03:00.000-07:00

Walking with God is the most exciting and rewarding of all experiences on earth. I should add, it is also the most difficult.

I don't think I've ever met an exception to the rules, that those who walk closest to God are those who like Jesus, become aquainted with trials and testings.

God takes us through struggles and difficulties so that we might become increasingly more committed to HIm...

God may be leading you somewhere... That doesn't make much sense. I want to encourage you. Don't try to make sense out of it, just go.

If God leads you to stay in in a difficult situation and you have peace that you are to stay, don't analyze it, stay. Do your part. Do what He tells you to do, for His promises often hinge on obedience.

You can walk with Him in perfect trust.

layover

2011-09-23T00:10:00.000-07:00

I have had so much experience with having a layover in my long-distance travels by plane to and fro the USA and the Philipiines.

And so, having to wait for long hours during these layovers required me to practise the virtue of patience and peace amidst the long wait.

My time that is spent at airport terminal after departing one air-carrier and waiting to board the next flight is made meaningful thru spending time with meditations and contemplative thoughts.

Like many international travelers, I had to face such long hours of layovers during such journeys with a smile and a peaceful mood.

peace and unity

2011-09-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

Do you realize how closely unity and peace are tied together. One breeds the other; neither can exist without the other. They're like Siamese twins, perpetually connected. Personally, I have seen numerous occasions when pride won out (even though it was never called that) and harmony faded away... and I mean fast....

Contrary to the stuff you might read today, the words, fight and quarrel, are not apt descriptions of the way to get ahead. They won't ultimately glorify God. Friends are made not fighting and by refusing to quarrel.

Commit yourself to freeing others so they can grow and discover on their own. For a change, as much as is possible, walk away from an argument rather than inviting one. Become more of a peacemaker.

listening requires stillness

2011-09-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

Now, I can understand very well what people are experiencing in their day-to-day life. There is so much crowdness and busyness people are facing that they have less and less time to commune with God.

I am talking from the experience which I learned from the people I am in contact with in my everyday life now.

From morning till evening, how many of us have offered their thoughts about God? Who among of us have really found interest in hearing from God.

I must let you know that we should pay a price in listening with God: we must discipline ourselves to be still before God.

This is not an easy task, but it is essential.

Jesus developed the discipline of stillness before God in spite of his extremely busy life.

Crowds followed Him wherever he went. Daily preached and taught and healed. It was hard for Him to find time alone to pray, and he had to get up long before dawn to do it.

Times of stillness and solitude were important to Jesus. In those times of seclusion, He not only poured out his heart to the Father, he earnestly listened to Him as well.

He needed his Father's comfort, direction, affirmation and assurance.

Because of the continual leadings he received from father, there was purpose to his steps.

when we make mistakes

2011-09-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

In making decisions, we risk making mistakes. We can make a perfect decision, a mixed decision, or a devastating decision.

Jesus chose twelve men. He made twelve decisions, but only eleven were correct.

He made a mistake in choosing Judas.

When we make decisions, we must be ready to make mistakes. What is important is how we handle them.

Many of us carry our mistakes on our shoulders like backpacks.

We tell the world, "I have made a mistake." We doom and condemn ourselves to unhappiness.

Our familiar song is "Hope". If only I did not do it. If only I did not buy those things, If only I did not allow this things to happen. etc etc...

Then we tell everyone about our mistake and carry it like a heavy luggage in our back. This is very unlikely and very much unbecoming.

On the other hand, some people make mistakes, realize them, then tell God, "Lord, I made a mistake. Help me to begin again. Help me to rise again. Help me stand straight again because I know I am a brand new person because You are rich in mercy."

Then, this is wisdom.

It is foolish to be carrying around mistakes on our shoulders like heavy burden and load wherever we go.

God does not ask us to do that.

Of the twelve decisions that Jesus made, He made one mistake but He did not carry it like a heavy load.

He gave Himself a fresh start.

What about us?

some good prayers are not answered by God

2011-09-19T00:02:00.000-07:00

We believe that Gospel texts are always true and that the Scripture is always telling the truth. It is because we believe that God never lies and always fulfills His promises.

The Lord tells us that all prayers are answered. In the Scripture, it is said that: "Knock and it will be opened, seek and you will find". There is certainty in that statement.

But we know from life's experiences that not all prayers are answered. This puts me in a dilemma because I strongly believe that the Scripture is always true and correct.

So that our faith experience does not get shattered, we then have to excuse God, shrug our shoulders and silenty tell ourselves: "maybe what I am asking for is not good for me or that I will not profit from what I am asking for."

Whether we approve it or not, some prayers are not answered, or better still, are not answered the way we liked it and the way we asked for it.

This certainly places us in a state of uncertainty because in the Scripture, God promises that all prayers will be answered and then somehow we experience that even good prayers like when we pray for peace, but yet there is still war in Iraq; when we pray for spiritual healing but then crimes still abound in every corner of the world; when we pray for physical healing yet our family members and friends still die from their ailments; and when we pray for abundance but then famine still engulfs people from the third world countries, and other basic prayers don't seem to get answers from God.

It is a big mystery indeed; a big mystery that I could not understand. I can only look at the Cross and ask the Almighty Father, "Why did You allow Your Son to suffer this way?"

It is a big mystery that the Father allowed His only Begotten Son to suffer and die on the Cross.

It is a big mystery that the father allowed the deaths of the victims of tsunamis and other natural calamities, the death of soldiers from war in Iraq, the death of children from extreme hunger and famine in the African continent, the destruction of so many houses and properties from hurricanes and earthquakes and many others.

It is a big mystery why some of our good prayers are not answered by God the way we expect them to be answered.

For as long as the world still exists, there will always be mysteries in life.

There will always be good prayers that won't get answers from God just like the mystery of His Son who's nailed and died on the Cross.

But if you can understand and accept why the Father allowed His Son Jesus to die on the Cross, then perhaps you will be able to understand and accept why some good prayers are not answered by God.

when we talk about God...

2011-09-18T00:00:00.000-07:00