Robz Tan's blog

Uncaught Captive

2022-03-20T02:51:00.004-07:00

Excerpted from Closer by Fr. Bob McConaghy

We pickup our cross daily and follow Him to learn to love unconditionally. Let’s be captive in God’s love, in a way Elizabeth Cheney wrote in a poem popularised by Archbishop Fulton Sheen:

I slipped His fingers, I escaped His feet,

I ran and hid, for Him I feared to meet.

One day I passed Him, fettered on a Tree,

He turned His Head, and looked, and beckoned me.

Neither by speed, nor strength could He prevail.

Each hand and foot was pinioned by a nail.

He could not run or clasp me if He tried,

But with His eye, He bade me reach His side.

For pity's sake, thought I, I'll set you free.

“Nay -- hold this cross,” He said, “and follow me.

This yoke is easy, this burden light,

Not hard or grievous if you wear it tight.”

So I did follow Him Who could not move,

An uncaught captive in the hands of Love.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck (Excerpts)

2019-10-06T22:19:00.002-07:00

Photo: Amazon

Excerpted from "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck" by Mark Manson

The idea of not giving a f*ck is a simple way of reorienting our expectations for life and choosing what is important and what is not. Developing this ability leads to something I like to think of as a kind of “practical enlightenment.”

No, not that airy-fairy, eternal bliss, end-of-all-suffering, bullshitty kind of enlightenment. On the contrary, I see practical enlightenment as becoming comfortable with the idea that some suffering is always inevitable—that no matter what you do, life is comprised of failures, loss, regrets, and even death. Because once you become comfortable with all the shit that life throws at you (and it will throw a lot of shit, trust me), you become invincible in a sort of low-level spiritual way. After all, the only way to overcome pain is to first learn how to bear it.

This book doesn’t give a f*ck about alleviating your problems or your pain. And that is precisely why you will know it’s being honest. This book is not some guide to greatness—it couldn’t be, because greatness is merely an illusion in our minds, a made-up destination that we obligate ourselves to pursue, our own psychological Atlantis.

Instead, this book will turn your pain into a tool, your trauma into power, and your problems into slightly better problems. That is real progress. Think of it as a guide to suffering and how to do it better, more meaningfully, with more compassion and more humility. It’s a book about moving lightly despite your heavy burdens, resting easier with your greatest fears, laughing at your tears as you cry them.

This book will not teach you how to gain or achieve, but rather how to lose and let go. It will teach you to take inventory of your life and scrub out all but the most important items. It will teach you to close your eyes and trust that you can fall backwards and still be okay.

The Kite Runner (Excerpts)

2019-09-24T01:31:00.000-07:00

Excerpted from "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini

In the name of Allah the most beneficent, the most merciful, Amir agha, with my deepest respects,

Farzana jan, Sohrab, and I pray that this latest letter finds you in good health and in the light of Allah’s good graces. Please offer my warmest thanks to Rahim Khan sahib for carrying it to you. I am hopeful that one day I will hold one of your letters in my hands and read of your life in America. Perhaps a photograph of you will even grace our eyes. I have told much about you to Farzana jan and Sohrab, about us growing up together and playing games and running in the streets. They laugh at the stories of all the mischief you and I used to cause!

Amir agha,

Alas the Afghanistan of our youth is long dead. Kindness is gone from the land and you cannot escape the killings. Always the killings. In Kabul, fear is everywhere, in the streets, in the stadium, in the markets, it is a part of our lives here, Amir agha. The savages who rule our watan don’t care about human decency. The other day, I accompanied Farzana Jan to the bazaar to buy some potatoes and _naan_. She asked the vendor how much the potatoes cost, but he did not hear her, I think he had a deaf ear. So she asked louder and suddenly a young Talib ran over and hit her on the thighs with his wooden stick. He struck her so hard she fell down. He was screaming at her and cursing and saying the Ministry of Vice and Virtue does not allow women to speak loudly. She had a large purple bruise on her leg for days but what could I do except stand and watch my wife get beaten? If I fought, that dog would have surely put a bullet in me, and gladly! Then what would happen to my Sohrab? The streets are full enough already of hungry orphans and every day I thank Allah that I am alive, not because I fear death, but because my wife has a husband and my son is not an orphan.

I wish you could see Sohrab. He is a good boy. Rahim Khan sahib and I have taught him to read and write so he does not grow up stupid like his father. And can he shoot with that slingshot! I take Sohrab around Kabul sometimes and buy him candy. There is still a monkey man in Shar-e Nau and if we run into him, I pay him to make his monkey dance for Sohrab. You should see how he laughs! The two of us often walk up to the cemetery on the hill. Do you remember how we used to sit under the pomegranate tree there and read from the _Shahnamah_? The droughts have dried the hill and the tree hasn’t borne fruit in years, but Sohrab and I still sit under its shade and I read to him from the _Shahnamah_. It is not necessary to tell you that his favorite part is the one with his namesake, Rostam and Sohrab. Soon he will be able to read from the book himself. I am a very proud and very lucky father.

Amir agha,

Rahim Khan sahib is quite ill. He coughs all day and I see blood on his sleeve when he wipes his mouth. He has lost much weight and I wish he would eat a little of the shorwa and rice that Farzana Jan cooks for him. But he only takes a bite or two and even that I think is out of courtesy to Farzana jan. I am so worried about this dear man I pray for him every day. He is leaving for Pakistan in a few days to consult some doctors there and, _Inshallah_, he will return with good news. But in my heart I fear for him. Farzana jan and I have told little Sohrab that Rahim Khan sahib is going to be well. What can we do? He is only ten and he adores Rahim Khan sahib. They have grown so close to each other. Rahim Khan sahib used to take him to the bazaar for balloons and biscuits but he is too weak for that now.

I have been dreaming a lot lately, Amir agha. Some of them are nightmares, like hanged corpses rotting in soccer fields with bloodred grass. I wake up from those short of breath and sweaty.Mostly, though, I dream of good things, and praise Allah for that. I dream that Rahim Khan sahib will be well. I dream that my son will grow up to be a good person, a free person, and an important person. I dream that lawla flowers will bloom in the streets of Kabul again and rubab music will play in the samovar houses and kites will fly in the skies. And I dream that someday you will return to Kabul to revisit the land of our childhood. If you do, you will find an old faithful friend waiting for you.

May Allah be with you always.

-Hassan

By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept (Excerpts)

2019-07-18T20:05:00.002-07:00

Excerpted from "By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept" by Paulo Coelho

But love is always new.
Regardless of whether we love once,
twice, or a dozen times in our life,
we always face a brand-new situation.

Love can consign us to hell or to paradise,
but it always takes us somewhere.
We simply have to accept it,
because it is what
nourishes our existence.
If we reject it, we die of hunger,
because we lack the courage
t stretch out a hand and
pluck the fruit from the
branches of the tree of life.

We have to take love where we find it,
even if that means hours, days, weeks
of disappointment and sadness.

The moment we begin to seek love,
love begins to seek us. And to save us.

The Alchemist (Excerpts)

2019-07-18T00:18:00.001-07:00

Photo: Aila Images

Excerpted from "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho

“The alchemist picked up a book that someone in the caravan had brought. Leafing through the pages, he found a story about Narcissus.

The alchemist knew the legend of Narcissus, a youth who knelt daily beside a lake to contemplate his own beauty. He was so fascinated by himself that, one morning, he fell into the lake and drowned. At the spot where he fell, a flower was born, which was called the narcissus.

But this was not how the author of the book ended the story.

He said that when Narcissus died, the goddesses of the forest appeared and found the lake, which had been fresh water, transformed into a lake of salty tears.

'Why do you weep?' the goddesses asked.

'I weep for Narcissus," the lake replied.

'Ah, it is no surprise that you weep for Narcissus,' they said, 'for though we always pursued him in the forest, you alone could contemplate his beauty close at hand.'

'But... was Narcissus beautiful?' the lake asked.

'Who better than you to know that?' the goddesses asked in wonder. 'After all, it was by your banks that he knelt each day to contemplate himself!'

The lake was silent for some time. Finally, it said:

'I weep for Narcissus, but I never noticed that Narcissus was beautiful. I weep because, each time he knelt beside my banks, I could see, in the depths of his eyes, my own beauty reflected.'

'What a lovely story,' the alchemist thought.”

Tabitha

2019-03-07T00:38:00.001-08:00

Photo Credit: txccri.org

Excerpted from "Amazing Grace For The Catholic Heart" by Jeff Cavins

Driving down the street headed for the Dairy Queen one afternoon, I could not get Tabitha out of my mind. The tragedy of this young girl’s life played on my mind much like a repetitive song that relentlessly repeats a chorus refusing to leave the brain.

Everyone in Dayton, Ohio where I was working as a pastor at the time, was talking about Tabitha. Although a mere 13-years-old, she had been arrested for the murder of another teenage girl. But this was no cold-blooded murderer. Tabitha wanted nothing more than to put an end to the other girl’s bullying of repeatedly hitting Tabitha on the head with a brick. When the harassment only got worse, Tabitha went to her older brother for help.

“The next time she tries it,” big brother advised, “Run into the house and get a steak knife. Then, pretend you are going to stab her but just tap her on the shoulder with it. That will scare her and she’ll leave you alone.”

When the bullying occurred once again, Tabitha followed her brother’s instructions. But as she aimed the knife just above the other girl’s shoulder, it accidentally pierced the juggler vein. With blood spurting out, the injured girl ran screaming down the street. Before she reached the end of the second block, she fell down dead.

The police were called and immediately arrested Tabitha, who was in shock and offered no resistance. It was a story that the local news sensationalized for days. The immense tragedy of this accident and its horrifying result on not one, but two victims--the bully and the bullied--played on the minds of an entire community. “What a shame,” everybody said. “How sad.”

I was in the business of offering comfort and guidance, but here I was feeling just as inadequate as the next person. The sadness was overwhelming and my helplessness stung bitterly.

As I drove along, Tabitha consumed my thoughts. Unable to shake it off, I pulled my car to the side of the road and sat contemplating the enormity of it all. I wondered, if Jesus was in my place, what could He possibly do to help in this situation. “Lord, what would you do if you were here?” I prayed.

Deep from within my heart I heard these words: “If I was there, I would go down to her prison, wrap my arms around her and say, ‘I love you, I love you.’” The answer was so clear. As a Christian, I am the body of Christ; I am His arms, His legs, His hands...His voice.

“Lord, if that’s what you want me to do, I will do it,” I prayed. I turned the car around and headed back into downtown Dayton. Once I found the jail, I walked up to the front desk. “My name is Jeff Cavins and I want to see Tabitha,” I announced to a surprised guard.

“No one is allowed to see her,” the guard responded and then paused and gave me a funny look. “Did you say you are Jeff Cavins?”
“Yes” I answered.
“Did you lead an Emmaus Cursillo retreat for women a couple of weeks ago?”
Again I answered: “Yes.”
A big smile crossed his face. “My wife went on that retreat and her life has been changed.” He thought a moment and then handed me a pen. “Here, sign this and I’ll take you to see her.”
“Wow!" I thought. "What an amazing coinsidence. God is surely leading the way.“

We walked down a stark corridor to an empty jail where I was instructed to wait while he went to get Tabitha. At that moment, the enormity of my actions hit me. Only 15 minutes earlier I was on my way to get an ice cream cone. Now, here I was, nervously sitting in a jail cell. When the door creaked open, in walked a petite little girl, trembling with fear. I later learned she thought I was there to take her to prison.

As I looked into her scared brown eyes, I stepped toward her. “Tabitha, my name is Jeff and I was driving down the road thinking about you today. I asked the Lord what He would want me to do about you.” Then, I walked over to her and put my arms around her. “Tabitha,” I whispered. “From Jesus: I love you so much.” She cried and I held her. I sensed that I had truly touched her by reaching out and loving someone who the world had discarded.

Tabitha stepped back and opened her hand to reveal a small, crumpled piece of paper. She unraveled it and showed me a Christian tract about accepting Jesus as your savior and asking Him into your life.
“I prayed this last night,” Tabitha said. “And here you are today.”
Jesus had come to put His arms around her and say, “Tabitha, I love you.”

Realizing the Lord had used me to touch this young girl’s life was very emotional. Although everyone in Columbus knew about Tabitha, no one had come to visit. It made me think: What good is it to be the body of Christ unless we are going to act like the body of Christ. If we would simply act like the body of Christ--be His arms, His legs, His voice--lives would change. Christ is looking to us to do His work if we will simply yield to His will and take the risk of loving others. Once we do that, at any hour on any day, even on the way to the Dairy Queen, Jesus can use us.

One Solitary Life

2019-01-24T00:32:00.002-08:00

Photo: Amazon

Excerpted from Confessions of a Happy Christian by Zig Ziglar

He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman.
Until He was thirsty He worked in a carpenter shop, and then for thirteen years
He was an itinerant preacher.

He wrote no books. He held no office. He never owned a home. He was never
in big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where He was born.
He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness.

The authorities condemned His teachings. His friend deserted Him. One betrayed Him
to His enemies for paltry sum. One denied Him. He went through the mockery of a trial.
He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves. While He was dying His executioners
gambled for the only piece of property He owned on Earth-His coat. When he was dead
He was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave.

Nineteen wide centuries have come and gone, yet today He is crowning glory of the
human race, the adored leader of millions of the Earth's inhabitants.

All the armies that ever marched and all the navies that were ever built and all
the parliaments that ever sat and all the rulers that ever reigned-put together-have
not affected the life of man upon this Earth so profoundly as that One Solitary Life!

Grace Happens Here by Max Lucado (Excerpts)

2018-12-08T22:45:00.001-08:00

Photo: Amazon

GRACE FOR BREAKFAST

Peter’s thoughts are interrupted by a shout from the shore. “Catch any fish?”

Peter and John look up. Probably a villager. “No!” they yell.

“Try the other side!” the voice yells back.

John looks at Peter. What harm? So out sails the net. Peter wraps the rope around his wrist to wait.

But there is no wait. The rope pulls taut, and the net catches. Peter sets his weight against the side of the boat and begins to bring in the net. He’s so intense with the task, he misses the message.

John doesn’t. The moment is déjà vu. This has happened before. The long night. The empty net. The call to cast again. Fish flapping on the floor of the boat. Wait a minute . . . He lifts his eyes to the man on the shore. “It’s him,” he whispers.

Then louder, “It’s Jesus.”

Peter turns and looks. Jesus, the God of heaven and earth, is on the shore . . . and he’s building a fire.

Peter plunges into the water, swims to the shore, and stumbles out wet and shivering and stands in front of the friend he betrayed. Jesus has prepared a bed of coals.

For one of the few times in his life, Peter is silent. What words would suffice? The moment is too holy for words. God is offering breakfast to the friend who betrayed him. And Peter is once again finding grace at Galilee.

What do you say at a moment like this?

What do you say at a moment such as this?

It’s just you and God. You and God both know what you did. And neither one of you is proud of it. What do you do?

You might consider doing what Peter did. Stand in God’s presence. Stand in His sight. Stand still and wait. Sometimes that’s all a soul can do. Too repentant to speak, but too hopeful to leave—we just stand.

Stand amazed.

He has come back.

He invites you to try again. This time, with Him.

-From 3:16, Numbers of Hope

Hippie by Paulo Coelho (Excerpts)

2018-10-28T06:46:00.000-07:00

Photo Credit: penguin.com.au

Fight because you need to fight, because you're facing a battle.

Fight because you are at peace with the universe, with the planets,

the suns that explode and the stars that shrink and flare out forever.

Fight to fulfill your destiny, without giving thought to gain or profit,

losses or stratagems, victories and defeats.

Seek not your own gratification, but that of the Supreme Love who offers

nothing beyond a glimmering contact with the Cosmos and thus demands an act

of complete devotion -without doubts, without questions, love for love's sake

and nothing else.

A love that owes nothing to anyone, that has no obligations, that finds joy

in simple existence and the freedom to express itself.

Still Me by Jojo Moyes (Excerpts)

2018-10-26T07:32:00.004-07:00

Photo Credit: Amazon

"Tell me what's going on with you. Are you okay?

Are you sad? You didn't sound sad. Maybe I just want you not be sad.

Talk to me." - Sam

"I’ll stand there for a while, take a long view,

and just be glad that, even if it was only this way,

we found each other again." -Louisa Clark

Leaving the City of Regret

2018-04-26T06:48:00.000-07:00

Excerpted from Perfect Love by Joyce Meyer

I had not really planned on taking a trip this time of the year, and yet I found myself packing hurriedly. This trip was going to be unpleasant and I knew in advance that no good would come of it. I’m talking about my annual "Guilt Trip". I got tickets to fly there on Wish I Had Airlines. It was an extremely short flight. I got my baggage which I couldn’t check, I chose to carry it myself all the way. It was weighted down with a thousand memories of what might have been. No one greeted me as I entered the terminal to the Regret City International Airport. I say international because people from all over the world come to this dismal town.

As I checked into the Last Resort Hotel, I noticed they were hosting the year's most important event, the Annual Pity Party.

I wasn’t going to miss that great social occasion. Many of the town's leading citizens would be there.

First, there would be the Done family, Should Have Done, Would have Done, and Could Have Done. Then came the I Had family. You probably know ol' Wish I Had & his clan. Of course the Opportunities would be present, Missed and Lost . The biggest family would be the Yesterdays. There are too many of them to count, but each one would have a sad story to tell.

Then Shattered Dreams would surely make an appearance and Its Their Fault would regale us with stories (excuses) about how things have failed in his life, and each story will be loudly applauded by Don't Blame Me and I Couldn't Help It.

Well, to make a long story short, I went to this depressing party knowing that there would be no real benefit in doing so. And, as usual, I became very depressed. But as I thought about all the stories of failures brought back from the past, it occurred to me that all of this trip and subsequent "pity party" trips could be cancelled by me! I started to truly realize that I did not have to be there. I didn't have to be depressed. One thing kept going through my mind:

I CAN'T CHANGE YESTERDAY, BUT I DO HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE TODAY A WONDERFUL DAY.

I can be happy, joyous, fulfilled, encouraged, as well as encouraging. Knowing this, i left the City of Regret immediately and left no forwarding address. Am I sorry for mistakes I've made in the past? YES! But there is no physical way to undo them.

So, if your'e planning a trip to the City of Regret, please cancel all your reservations now. Instead, take a trip to a place called Starting Again. I liked it so much that I have taken up permanent residence there. My neighbors, the I Forgive Myself and the New Starts, are also very helpful. By the way, you don't have to carry around heavy baggage, because the load is lifted form your shoulders on arrival. God bless you in finding this great town. If you have difficulty finding it--it's in your own heart--please look me up. I live on I Can Do It Street.

Excerpts: Adultery by Paulo Coelho

2018-04-11T21:59:00.001-07:00

Photo Credit: Goodreads

There is nothing more important we can give than the Love reflected in our own lives.

That is the one universal language that allows us to speak Chinese or dialects of India.

When I was young I traveled a lot—it was part of every student's rite of passage. I visited countries both rich and poor. I did not usually speak the local language, but everywhere the silent eloquence of Love helped me make myself understood.

The message of Love is in the way I live my life, and not in my words or my deeds.

In the letter of the Corinthians, Paul tells us, in three short lines, that Love is made of many elements, like light. We learn at school that if we pick up a prism and allow a ray of light to pass through, that ray will divide into seven colors, those of rainbow.

Paul shows us the rainbow of Love just as prism reveals to us the rainbow of light.

And what are those elements? They are virtues we hear about every day and that we can practice in every moment.

Patience: Love is patient...

Kindness: ...and kind.

Generosity: Love does not envy...

Humility:... or boast; it is not arrogant...

Courtesy:... or rude.

Unselfishness: It does not insist on its own way.

Good temper: It is not irritable...or resentful.

Guilelessness: or resentful.

Sincerity: It does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.

All these gifts concern us, our daily lives, and today and tomorrow, not with Eternity.

The problem is that people tend to relate these traits to the Love of God, but how does God manifest itself? Through the Love of man.

To find Peace in heaven, we must find love on Earth. Without it, we are worthless.

Let God Use You

2018-04-07T21:04:00.003-07:00

"As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” -John 20:21

“Pray ka kay Jesus ha. Pag pray ka ni Ate Robz”; were the only words I could utter while hugging with a kid from He Care Mission.

I was taking photos during prayer time of the program, when I saw her in front crying.
She didn’t notice I was observing her I was pretending to take photos of the other kids.

Tears fell from her eyes and she kept on wiping it with both hands.
Then she transferred at the back as she continues to cover her face.

I transferred at the back too and asked the kid beside her to call her for me
as there's no space I could sit beside her. She just looked at me & refused. I asked her once again.
Then she stood up & sat beside me. We were sitting in an indian sit.

I hugged her so tight & I found myself crying too. I wanted to say something but I couldn’t utter any words anymore. I don’t know what she’s going through. I don’t know the reasons of those tears that made my heart felt so heavy. I didn’t bother to ask anymore. I only promised that I will pray for her.

I continue to capture photos & saw her once again eating her meal. I smiled at her.
She looked at with me with a beautiful smile that I forgot to capture it with my cam.

I woke up today & remembered that wonderful experience yesterday.
Her beautiful smile made me cry again.

Thank you Lord for using me & for letting us experience Your amazing love everywhere.

Don't Waste your Pain

2018-03-22T22:12:00.000-07:00

Excerpted from Deeper by Fr. Bob McConaghy

When you're broadsided by life, when you're in your Good Friday, when

you're feeling any kind of pain—emotional or physical—the message is, "Don't waste your pain."

We are Christians, not masochists. We don't look for pain, and God doesn't give us crosses.
It's people who give us crosses. Life give us crosses. The LRT gives us crosses.
EDSA gives us crosses.

God does not send crosses to punish us. We punish ourselves. When He gives us mercy

in the sacrament of penance and we leave still feeling guilty, why do we do this?

Because we feel as though we need to be punished.

When Jesus died on the cross on Good Friday, He said, "No more punishment.

When I forgive you, you're justified just as if you've never sinned, just as if

you've never done that. Lay the burden down. Stop beating yourself up, but take up

your cross daily and follow Me."

Don't waste your pain. It can be redemptive for others. Look how redemptive

it was through the life of Renee. It was the same for the parishioners who

witnessed George's sacrife. Jesus sends powerful actual graces when we unite

whatever pain we have with His ongoing sacrifice to the Father.

Maybe someone you know is at the moment of death and they're scared of God

or they don't believe in Him. What you can do is take whatever discomfort you're
experiencing at the moment and pray the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy, the most
powerful prayer you can pray for someone who is dying. Or maybe you can dedicate
the next twenty minutes of your pain for the nurses, doctors, and healers of the hospital

where that person is. This is a way to become significant in that particular situation.

Nobody else might notice but Jesus does.

When Jesus walked around Galilee during His three years of ministry, He always

noticed people whom nobody else noticed. He stopped and He touched them.
He touched the leper even if it was against the law. He turned things upside down.

Then He did the most beautifully significant thing of all time: He gave Himself for us.

What was a failure in the eyes of the world that didn't believe became the

very act that would save all men.

On Good Friday, don't settle for what you think you deserve because of your sins.

Rather experience what grace delivers to you as you pick up your cross each day.

Excerpts: God's Way is Still The Best Way by Zig Ziglar

2018-03-22T22:04:00.003-07:00

Photo: Goodreads

-Duty makes us do things well, but love makes us do things beautifully.

-Outward fruits are simply the ones that can be seen by watching how someone interacts with others.

-Peace is that sense of wholeness, contentment, and stillness that fills a true believer.

-Help spread the joy.

-Live in such a way that people you serve will want to know what you have in your life that makes you so joyful, contented, & at peace.

-"..when your values are clear, your decisions are easy.-" B.Buffini

-No problem is too big for Him.

*There are always three sides to an issue — your side, the other side, and the right side.

*But these days we're all so busy, life is a whirlwind of activity, and were moving so fast nobody stops long enough to even notice patience in others.

-..lacking in nothing. -James 1:2-4

-Kindness ever accompanies love.

-What is yours is God's first.

-How can I express my gratitude to You, Lord. You are good beyond measure. -Amey Fair

What I've Read in 2017

2017-12-31T04:00:00.003-08:00

Photo Credit: Goodreads

Saint John Paul the Great: His Five Loves -Jason Evert ♥
Closer: Pray Your Way to Intimacy with God - Fr. Bob McConaghy ♥
Live Loved - Max Lucado ♥
I'm Not Being Fed - Jeff Cavins

The Shack -WM. Paul Young
Fearless - Max Lucado
When God Whispers Your Name - Max Lucado
The Old Path of Loving Relationships - Bo Sanchez

Confessions of a Happy Christian - Zig Ziglar
The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
The Valkyries - Paulo Coelho ♥
The Moon Smiled at Me - Ems Sy Chan

How to Find Your Soulmate Without Losing Your Soul - Crystalina Evert & Jason Evert ♥
Pure Womanhood - Crystalina Evert
Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus - John Gray
Why Men Love Bitches - Sherry Argov

Excerpts: Miracle at the Higher Grounds Cafe by Max Lucado

2017-11-30T07:07:00.000-08:00

Chelsea scanned the crowd for some glimmer of light, but all she saw was darkness. Then out of the black came a fearsome cry that silenced the clamoring crowd.

"My God, my God, why have you abondoned me?"

His language was foreign to chelsea, but Manny had given her access to his eyes and ears, so she understood the words.

Chelsea watched in horror as Christ's head fell limp for several moments. Then he pressed himself up on the nails and cried out, pausing between each word: "It is finished!"

Bitter tears stung Chelsea's eyes. She couldn't bear another moment of the cruel struggle. "Why did you bring me here, Manny?"

"This is the loneliest point in history. The last moment of true abandonment. From here on, abandonment is nothing more than a myth. And loneliness? A choice."

As Manny spoke, their bleak surroundings melted away. Dark, heavy clouds shifted in the sky,

revealing a brilliant morning sun that chased away the shadows. The hard rocky ground bloomed and flourished beneath her feet. Chelsea now stood in a bright garden. Vines worked their way up a stony wall. Flowers were lifting in the morning sun. The sky was brilliantly blue. On thee other side of the garden, a large rock sealed on the entrance to a tomb.

"There is no separation. There is no chasm between you and the heavens. There is no divider, no veil between you and God's love."

That's when Chelsea saw him. Jesus. Fully alive. His robe was as ray of sunshine, each thread radiant. His face shone like a full moon, the perfect reflection of his Father in heaven. The very sight of Jesus brought passersby to their knees. But for Chelsea, that moment when she caught a glimpse of his eyes, like blazing stars. The same light that was present in her darkest hours was shining back at her.

"You wanted to know how you'll make it on your own?" Manny asked as the sights and sounds of the lush of Jerusalem garden gave way to the sterile hospital chapel. "You'll never know. Because you never will be."

Moving Forward

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en.wikipedia.org

Excerpted from Manual of the Warrior of Light by Paulo Coelho

The warrior of the light does not always have faith. There are times when he does not believe in anything at all.

And he asks his heart: “Will all the effort be worthwhile?”

But the heart remains silent. And the warrior must decide for himself.

So he seeks an example. And he remembers that Jesus endured something similar – in order to live the human condition in all its fullness.

“Take this cup away from me,” said Jesus. He too lost heart and his courage, but he did not stop.

The warrior of the light remains faithless.

But he moves forward nevertheless, and his faith will return.

Excerpts: Live Loved by Max Lucado

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So make friends with whatever's next. Embrace it. Accept it. Don't resist it. Change is not only a part of life; change is necessary part of God's strategy. To use us to change the world, he alters our assignments. Gideon: from farmer to general; Mary: from peasant girl to the mother of Christ; Paul: from local rabbi to world evangelist. God transitioned Joseph from a baby brother to an Egyptian prince. He changed David from shepherd to a king. Peter wanted to fish the Sea of Galilee. God called him to lead the first church. God makes reassignments. But He wants you to know: you'll never face the future without His help.

~Fearless

Excerpts: Saint John Paul the Great: His Five Loves by Jason Evert

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"...love is ignited within us, love is renewed within us. Therefore, these are not

hours spent in idleness, when we isolate ourselves from our work, but these are moments,

hours, when we undertake something that constitutes the deepest meaning of all of our work.

For no matter how numerous our activities, our ministries, however numerous our concerns, our

exertions —if there is no love, everything becomes meaningless.

When we devote our time to ponder the mystery of love, to allow it to radiate in our

hearts, we are preparing ourselves in the best possible way for any kind of service,

for any activity, for any charitable work."

-Pope John Paul II

Excerpts: The Valkyries - Paulo Coelho (Part I)

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Photo Credit: Amazon

In The Brothers Karamazov, Dostoyevsky tells us the story of the Grand Inquisitor, which I

paraphrase here:

During the religious persecutions in Sevilla, when all who did not agree with the Church were

thrown into prison, or burned at the stake, Christ returns to earth and mixes in with the

multitudes. But the Grand Inquisitor notes his presence, and orders him jailed.

That night, he goes to visit Jesus in his cell. And he asks why Jesus has decided to return at that

particular moment. “You are making things difficult for us,” the Grand Inquisitor says. “After

all, your ideals were lovely, but it is we who are capable of putting them into practice.” He

argues that, although the Inquisition might be judged in the future to have been severe, it is

necessary, and that he is simply doing his job. There is no use talking of peace when man's heart is always at war; nor speaking of a better world when there is so much hatred in man's heart. There was no use in Jesus' having sacrificed himself in the name of the human race, when human beings still feel guilty. “You said that all people are equal, that each has the divine light within, but you forgot that people are insecure, and they need someone to guide them. Don't make our work more difficult than it is. Go away,” says the Grand Inquisitor, having laid out all of his brilliant arguments.

When he is finished, there is silence in the cell. Then Jesus comes to the Grand Inquisitor, and

kisses him on the cheek.

“You may be right,” Jesus says. “But my love is stronger.”

The Choice

2017-02-10T02:53:00.000-08:00

Excerpted from When God Whispers Your Name by Max Lucado

It’s quiet. It’s early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is coming.

In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of the human race. The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met. For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day’s demands. It is now that I must make a choice.

Because of Calvary, I’m free to choose. And so I choose.

I choose love. No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.

I choose joy. I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical… the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I choose peace. I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I choose patience. I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I’ll invite Him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I choose kindness. I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

I choose goodness. I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.

I choose faithfulness. Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.

I choose gentleness. Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice, may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.

I choose self-control. I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithful-ness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.

What I've Read in 2016

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Photo Credit: Amazon

Here's the list of books I've finished this year. They're all a great read and I would definitely recommend them. :D

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child -J.K Rowling ♥
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them -J.K Rowling
After You - Jojo Moyes
Me Before You - Jojo Moyes
The Supreme Gift - Paulo Coelho ♥
The Warrior of Light - Paulo Coelho
Life to the Max - Max Lucado
In the Grip of Grace -Max Lucado ♥
The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint Exupery
My Life on The Rock - Jeff Cavins
The Rosary: It Beats the Rhythm of Human Life - Jeff Cavins
The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto - Mitch Albom ♥
Reflections of a Man - Amari Soul
Talent is Never Enough - John Maxwell
God's Way is Still the Best Way - Zig Ziglar
Life Lifters - Zig Ziglar
The Greatest Thing in the World and Other Addresses - Henry Drummond ♥
Joyce Meyer's Quotes In 365 Days - Joyce Meyer

Current: Just Like Jesus - Max Lucado

Prioritize your life according to your passion. Realign your work and your personal life
so you spend time doing what you're passionate about and you can't help but make giant strides forwards. -John Maxwell

2016-08-03T01:44:00.004-07:00

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