Thoughts and Ideas

Liwanag sa Dilim

2020-04-17T09:34:00.001-07:00

Pag-asa.

Pag-asa na may hangganan ang sakit.
Pag-asa na pangarap ay makakamit.
Pag-asa na tatamis din ang lahat ng pait.

Mahirap panatilihin ang pag-asa sa puso natin kapag tayo ay bulag.
Bulag? Yung hindi nakakakita? Pero bakit patuloy pa rin silang namumuhay? Yung iba pa nga nakakapag trabaho pa.

Anong bulag ang tinutukoy ko?
Bulag ang mata ng puso. Yung hindi na makakita ng liwanag sa madilim na mundo.

Oo, madilim ang mundo. Nabalitaan mo na siguro. Lahat ng kasamaan, kahayupan at karumaldumal na nagaganap sa paligid mo. Pero sa loob-loob mo, alam mong hindi ito dapat nangyayari. May hustisya kang inaabangan. Ngunit ang hustisya, kanino mo iaasa?

Sa sariling mga kamay?
Sa mga kakilala mong nasa pwesto?
Sa mga taong may salapi?
O sa Diyos na tunay na maghuhusga sa huli?

Pero paano yan? Di ba't lahat tayo ay may kasalanan? Hustisya pa rin ba ng Diyos ang ating aasahan? Sigurado na ako ay mapaparusahan.

"Gumagawa naman ako ng mabuti sa kapwa. Nagbigay pa nga ako ng tulong sa nagugutom kahit alam kong ako'y nagugutom rin. Hindi pa ba sapat na kabayaran yun sa maliit na kasalanan? Nag sinungaling lang naman ako kanina. Napag-isipan ko lang naman gawan ng masama yung kasama ko, pero hindi ko naman ginawa. Sa isip lang. Sa salita lang. Pero hindi sa aking mga kamay."

Baka nalilimutan natin na ang Batas ng Diyos at ng tao ay hindi nababayaran ng maraming magandang gawain simula noong tayo'y isinilang. Ano lamang ang solusyon? May hatol na kabayaran. Kung sa batas ng tao ay iba-iba ito, ngunit sa Diyos, iisa lamang: kamatayan. Masyado bang mabigat? Oo, kasi ganoon Siya kabanal.

"Parang ayoko sa ganyang Diyos. Parang hindi ata makatarungan."

Yan ang naging unang kasalanan ng tao. Ang kagustuhan na magdikta kung ano ang tama at mali. Ang kagustuhan na yun ang ginamit ng kaaway para tayo ay malinlang at sumaway sa utos ng Diyos.

"Hindi naman ako ang kumain ng prutas ng puno ng kaalaman ng mabuti't masama."

Pero sa isip mo ba ay gusto mo ikaw ang magbigay ng hustisya sa iyong sarili at sa iyong kapwa?

"Eto dapat ang gawin!"
"Bakit ba hindi na lang ipamigay sa lahat yan?"
"Ikulong nyo yang mga taong pasaway!"

Oo, sa isipan mo lang. Pero minsan lumalabas sa bibig at sa mga kinikilos.

Ngunit paano tayo hihingi ng hustisya kung tayo mismo ang akusado?

Simulan natin sa pag-amin na tayo ay makasalanan rin.

Paano na yan? Lahat ba tayo'y hahantong sa kamatayan?

Eto ang mabuting balita: dumating ang Liwanag sa dilim.

Ang Diyos na Siyang huhusga ang Siya mismong nagbayad para sa kaparusahan.

Dahil sa pagmamahal sa mundo, ang Diyos Ama ang nagbigay sa atin ng Kanyang Anak upang ating maging Panginoon at Tagapagligtas.

Nagkatawang-tao ang Diyos, isinilang ng isang birhen at pinangalanang Hesus.

Namuhay Siya ng walang bahid ng kasalanan, sa isip, sa salita o sa gawa man.

Ang paggawa Niya ng mabuti ay dahil sa pagmamahal. Kahit yung mga mistulang pagsaway Niya sa mga bulag sa katotohanan ay dahil din sa pagmamahal. Maaaring nasaktan sila sapagka't nakakasilaw ang liwanag kapag sanay ka sa kadiliman.

Ang mga ayaw makakita ay hindi Niya pipilitin dahil ang tunay na pagmamahal ay hindi ka gagawing alipin.

Ngunit gagawa Siya ng paraan para kahit papaano ay Siya'y mapakinggan at tayo'y maliwanagan, tanggapin man natin Siya o iwasan.

Dahil Diyos Siya, alam Niya kung sino ang mga maniniwala, pero binibigyan Niya tayong lahat ng pagkakataong makakita at makarinig ng paulit-ulit. Minsan siguro ay nagsasawa ka na, pero kahit kailan ay hindi Niya nagawang magsawang mahalin ka.

Dumating na nga ang panahon na humarap Siya sa nakakahiyang klase ng kamatayan, dahil Siya lang ang kayang magbayad ng ating kasalanan. Ipinalangin pa nga ni Hesus sa Diyos Ama na sana huwag na ituloy ang plano dahil sa hirap nito, ngunit pinili Niyang sumunod sa kalooban ng Diyos Ama at nagpatuloy.

Inakusahan Siya ng kamatayan kahit na Siya ay inosente. Dumaan Siya sa pinakamatinding pagdurusa.

Ang masakit pa rito ay ang mga taong tinulungan Niya ang sumisigaw na Siya ay ipako sa krus. Nadala sila lahat sa propaganda ng kalaban. Mas pinaniwalaan nila ang kasinungalingan. Ngunit ang hindi alam ng kalaban ay parte ito ng napagplanuhan. Ang plano na iligtas ang mga tao mula sa kaparusahan ng kasalanan: kamatayan.

Habang nakapako sa krus, ay hiniling Niya na tayo ay patawarin dahil hindi natin alam ang ating ginagawa. Dahil ito sa ating kabulagan sa katotohanan.

Bago Siya namatay, sinabi Niya: "Tapos na!"

Alin ang natapos na? Tapos na ang pagbabayad sa kaparusahan ng ating mga kasalanan.

Ibig sabihin ba nito ay malaya na akong gawin ang lahat ng aking naisin dahil hindi na ako mapaparusahan?

Alalahanin natin na sa pagtanggap natin kay Hesus na Tagapagligtas ay Siya ang naging Panginoon ng ating buhay. Sa tingin mo ba ay malulugod Siya sa balak mo gawin? Paano natin malalaman kung ano ang ikakalugod Niya? Basahin natin ang Kanyang Salita at atin itong gawin.

Ito ang tunay na kalayaan: ang kalayaan na gumawa ng mabuti dahil dati tayong alipin ng kadiliman.

At sa paggawa natin ng ikalulugod Niya, nagiging liwanag din tayo sa mundo.

Ang liwanag na ito ang pag-asa na inaasam ng lahat.

Ngunit hindi pa dito nagtatapos ang lahat dahil kung mapapansin mo, marami pa ring namamatay sa pisikal at maaring tayo ay abutan pa rin nito.

Ito ang tunay na pag-asa na ating inaasam: ang mabuhay ng walang hanggan na walang sakit at may kaluguran. Naging posible ito dahil si Hesus ay nabuhay muli pagkatapos ng tatlong araw. Hindi lang kapawataran sa kasalanan ang Kanyang binigay, kundi pati na rin ang buhay na walang hanggan sa Kanyang kaharian.

Ang resureksyon ang tunay nating pag-asa. Hindi ito posible kung tayo ay hindi naniniwala. At hindi tayo maniniwala kung tayo ay hindi maliliwanagan ng Katotohanan.

Tayo ngayon ang magbabahagi ng liwanag sa dilim dahil sa Liwanag na ating tinanggap. Abutin natin ang bawat sulok ng madilim na mundo at ibahagi ang liwanag ni Hesus sa lahat ng mapupuntahan.

The "Unprodigal" Son

2017-11-26T14:35:00.000-08:00

Most people are familiar with the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15. But I want to give focus to the other son, or what I call the “unprodigal son”.

Luke 15:25-32 (ESV)

25 “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29 but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”

If I were to describe this son, he was self-righteous, selfish, ungrateful and yet have an obedient and a servant heart. He was bitter at the happiness not just of his brother but also of his father. He had all the reason to rejoice, yet what he sees are things he did not receive.

He could have asked. But his younger brother did not even ask yet things were given to him. It’s not about the fattened calf or the ring or the other things that the “prodigal” son received, it’s actually the attention of the father. Or it might have been the things. A bitter heart causes us to disregard even the things that we already have. Jealousy will creep in like a dangerous disease.

The father was so generous to get out of his way to go out to his eldest son, the son who had been physically been with him all this time. The eldest son was there but his heart was not.

How many times have we served in church or do ministry but our heart is not there?

This message is primarily for those who are Christians and have forgotten the joy of just being there in the presence of God and His people. If you are in that season of giving up, being bitter or plainly unjoyful, then it’s time to check our hearts and see where it is.

I don’t know what happened to that elder brother, but if I were him, I would have been reminded about my identity that I am a son and not a servant. My father’s favour does not lie on the sacrifices I make, but in the identity that he had already given me. I would not be bitter towards him nor towards the people he values. As I learn to love the person who taught me how to love, I would eventually see others the way he sees them and love them as well.

Martha

2016-06-25T04:56:00.003-07:00

“But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.””
‭‭Luke‬ ‭10:40-42‬ ‭(ESV)‬‬

Service is an overflow of God's love for us.

We should not take pride in it.

We should not make it our god.

We should not be anxious or troubled about it.

Think about the last time you served whether in ministry or at home or anywhere else. What compelled you to serve? Is it for selfish gain or is it for selfless love?

In ministry, we should not feel comfortable but we should not be anxious about it.

We should ask: "What more can I do?" Rather than: "What do people say I do?"

Volunteers are not perfect, but they are loved by a perfect God.

This compels us to serve.

If you don't have a relationship with Jesus, sit down at His feet like Mary did and listen to Him first. Don't be distracted by the things that you think needs to be done from the one thing you should be doing: enjoying God's presence in your life.

How then shall we serve?

Being part of a ministry is a privilege. It's always an honor to honor God through the time, skills, resources and passion He has given and is continually giving to us.

By serving others, we share the love God has poured in our lives. Without the understanding of that love, we cannot truly serve confidently with a heart.

Every ministry we have has a role not just in the sunday or youth services, but it is an avenue where people with the same passion come together and grow the talents God has deposited in us.

Going back to Martha, she indeed has the skill to serve tables as she may have been doing it for several times already. She's also used to having her sister help her in serving. Yet this time was different because she was doing it "alone". Do we welcome God to help us as we serve? When we feel that we are doing it alone, our heart is not united with the body anymore.

Martha was the one who welcomed Jesus in her home.

“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭10:38‬ ‭(ESV)‬‬

Why would Martha welcome Jesus in her home?

-to serve him?

-to get to know him?

-to listen to his teaching?

Jesus knew that Martha was anxious and worried. As a believer, she may have seen how tiring it is for Jesus to do His ministry in the places he goes to and she just wants to serve Jesus to ease the pain He might be feeling. Or maybe Martha wanted to serve Jesus because He was a single man and she was a single woman (this I am not sure but it entered my mind). She may be a known hospitable person and the pressure of that identity caused her to worry about not serving the best hospitality without the help of her sister.

For sure she had good intentions but Jesus was not after her service but her heart. Jesus might have welcomed the invitation to be at her home because He had a message He wanted to say yet Martha was not willing to listen. Jesus knew Martha and He wanted to give a lesson of what should have been prioritized at that moment.

Jesus deserved the best hospitality we can ever offer, but all our "best" is rubbish in His eyes if our hearts are not honoring His presence.

The next time we serve God, are we there fully or are we there half-heartedly?

The Call of God

2015-02-25T07:27:00.003-08:00

Being in full time ministry is a privilege.

Sometimes people think that God needs help and they are the answer to that need for more workers in the harvest field. "If I don't answer the call now, how will God ever build His Kingdom?" Silly thought, isn't it? But people do think that way. We want to know that we are special, that we are needed. Here's the truth: God DOES NOT NEED you and me. That's right, He does not need us.

So why bother "helping" build God's Kingdom?

Here's the beauty about God's awesome plan of salvation for His people: HE ALREADY DID EVERYTHING. Jesus already said: "It is finished."

We're just here to share the GOOD NEWS.

Why won't God just create a megaphone for all the people on earth to hear about this GOOD NEWS?

He wants to share the privilege to us of being part of this task.

Now, do I need to be in full time ministry to do that? No.

So why do people go into full time ministry? It's a choice.

That's the hard part: CHOOSING. Because when we choose, we think the responsibility of getting results of that choice is on our hands, but it is not.

Remember what Paul said? "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God makes things grow."

We just have a part to play. God could have chosen another person to play that part, but He chose you for it.

How will we know which part is for us? We choose. The important thing is we contribute to the Great Commission.

Know where you will be fruitful. How will you know if it's in full time ministry or in the marketplace? Pray to God, choose and just do it. Faith without action is dead (anything that is dead will not be fruitful, right?).

I thank God for the privilege of being able to do my part in sharing His wonderful news to His people. Will you do your part as well? :)

BEARING MUCH FRUIT

2014-05-13T22:25:00.000-07:00

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15:5 (NIV)

Summer is the season where a lot of trees bear fruits. We have in our house a mango tree that produces sweet mangoes. But there are times that some of the fruits fall out of the tree and they don’t get to ripe before being picked. Some fruits fall because of strong winds. Some fruits fall due to the yucky insects that eat them from the inside and make them too weak to hold on to the branch.

It sounds just like our life. There are times those difficult situations like strong winds make our fruit fall. Sometimes our sin like a yucky insect eats us up from the inside and make our fruit fall.

The question is: what is this “fruit”?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)

A fruit ripens and develops over time. When we, as branches, remain in Jesus who is the Vine, then that fruit will grow and develop. When a fruit falls, we need to wait again for a new one to grow. But if and only if we remain in the Vine do this can happen.

Honestly, there were a lot of times that my fruit fell either because of difficulties or the sin that destroyed me from the inside. But because God is so gracious, He lets me learn and brings me back to Him so I can grow that fruit again through Him.

Apart from Jesus, I cannot have love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness and self-control.

But if I remain in Him and He remains in me, I will bear much love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness and self-control.

May we all grow in Him everyday! Happy season of bearing fruit! :D

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

2 Corinthians 3:17 (NIV)

FEAR and the FLYING IPIS

2014-01-02T07:22:00.001-08:00

Yes, I am afraid of the flying "ipis" (cockroach). But what's weird is that if I think about it, I can kill the cockroach. Even if it lands on my face, I would not die (though I might faint... hehehe).

A lot of the things we are afraid of are actually smaller than us. As the saying goes: F.E.A.R. is the False Expectations Appearing Real. There are a lot of things that we need not be afraid of but there is one whom we all should fear.

Luke 12:4-5 (NIV)

4 “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.

Does it say: "be afraid of hell"? No. It says: "fear him."

Fear God.

What does "fear" mean? Fear is actually acknowledging the power. When we fear God, we are acknowledging His power over us. When we say: "I fear God", we mean: "I know He has authority over me and I respect Him."

Just like when we fear our parents, it's a sign of respect for them when we obey them. Whether we are afraid of the punishment or not, we fear those whom we respect.

Now, think of all the things you are afraid of. Do they have power over you? Better acknowledge who has the greater power.

I declare: "Flying ipis, you have no power over me!" :D

The Act Of Asking

2013-08-14T21:27:00.001-07:00

Matthew 7:7 (NIV)
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

This verse is so familiar to me that sometimes I take it for granted.
"Alam naman na ni God yung kailangan ko eh, bakit kailangan ko pa hingiin sa Kanya?" (God already knows what I need, why do I still need to ask Him?) This was my question. If God is all-knowing, why do I still need to ask Him before He gives me what I need? Is He that busy that I need to write a "blessing" request to heaven just to have my "blessing" be released along with the other gazillion requests all over the world?

Then it dawned on me: God wants to talk to me. He's eager to listen.

Ako pala yung masyadong busy. Ako pala yung hindi alam ang gusto ko talaga. (It's me who's too busy. It's me who do not really know what I want.)

The Act of Asking is communication with God. When we approach Him with all our requests, it means we talk to Him and that is what He wants. Going in a deeper relationship with God entails CONSTANT communication with Him. Just like any other relationship, communication makes it stronger.

I feel so blessed having a Father who's eager to listen to me, whom I can approach with ANYTHING. Doesn't everyone of us want that? Someone who would listen to us. We already have Him, we just have to realize that.

God is listening to you, you just need to speak up.
A.S.K.
Ask. Seek. Knock.

Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)
Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

I Have Fallen, Do I Have Hope?

2013-07-07T21:40:00.002-07:00

"I'm a failure."

"I used to be the best, but now, I'm a nobody."

"No one appreciates me anymore."

"I wish I could turn back time."

Have you ever seen yourself in those kinds of situations? Have you ever told those lines to yourself?

No one is perfect. We all make mistakes.

The problem lies not on our fall but on not getting up again.

Proverbs 22:29 (NIV)
for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.

"seven times"... No, I have not fallen just seven times, I have fallen hundreds of times. As I was asking God what "seven times" mean, I came to realize it means seven days. Meaning, we may fall EVERYDAY yet we still have hope because we are righteous. Wait, am I really righteous?

2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV)

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Jesus traded his perfection for us to be righteous in God's sight. Our righteousness does not come from the good things we do but from what Jesus did on the cross.

The only hope I have whenever I fall is what Jesus did. I can still approach God and pray to Him. I can still be with fellow believers because they are the ones who can help me as well go back on the right track.

Easier said than done right? Yeah. Humans are judgmental by nature, and of course, we always think about what other people will think. And that's where the battle begins. Is your relationship with God more important than what other people will think of you?

At the end of the day, getting back up is a decision you have to make for yourself. No one can decide for you. But when you do decide to get back up, God is there willing to help you up. Your godly friends are there to help you up. The good thing about being at our worst is that there's no other way but up.

"Habang may buhay, may pag-asa."

The Day I Got Bored Of Reading The Bible

2013-07-01T21:30:00.001-07:00

I've had those days when I choose to do other "fun" things like watching movies, eating, and playing mobile games than reading my Bible. What's wrong with that?

People look up to me as a spiritual leader. And as a leader, I should be setting an example, right? But why am I sharing this weakness of mine to you? Why am I exposing myself to the world that I am not perfect?

We all have high standards when it comes to leaders. For me, a leader is perfect until they prove otherwise. I have high expectations from leaders, don't you? But what if a leader fails? Does it make him or her become less of a leader?

Going back to what i was saying, there were days that I don't feel like reading my Bible. Praying is no problem for me as i talk to God all the time, especially on my alone time or when I'm commuting. But it's really a struggle for me to stick to reading the bible using devotionals. Ironic isn't it? Not really.

Have you ever had a friend who loves to talk all the time? I am like that to God. I talk to Him through prayers. All my thanksgiving, my requests, my anxieties, my problems, my hurts... I share them to God. But sometimes I don't read my Bible where God's response and instructions are written.

I'm known by my friends as a listener. During conversations, I let other people talk more often. But when it comes to my relationship with God, I'm very talkative. I don't know if it's because I'm a woman or it's my selfishness that hinders me from allowing God to talk to me through His Word sometimes.

But God is faithful. During those times I was not able to read my Bible, He uses a tweet, a Facebook status, a text message, a friend's testimony, and all other stuff to remind me of His response. I thank God for surrounding me with godly friends who are brave enough to correct me when I become so stubborn.

Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses. (1 Timothy 6:12 NLT)

As Christians, we are in a battle. That's why we need to fight for our faith. We need to flee from temptations of "fun" things which lead to destruction in the end. It's not easy, but by God's grace, we are victorious already.

So, have you read your Bible today? :)

The Hardship of a Favorite

2013-06-16T22:57:00.004-07:00

A lot of people envy the family's "apple of the eye" and the class' "teacher's pet".

But what others do not see are the hardships a "favorite" undergoes.

How would I know?

I've been a "favorite". I'm the youngest in our family and of course, the usual notion is that the youngest is the favorite. I experienced being a teacher's pet in high school because of my academic standing. People might think I was "lucky", but I did not think so. Maybe a teacher liked me but a lot of my classmates did not. I was bullied in high school. My classmates would throw my things in the trash can, vandalize my notes, and even talk bad about me behind my back. Was it my choice to be a favorite? Of course not. Did the teacher who chose me as a favorite student intended for me to be bullied? Of course not.

Sadly, it happened. I didn't really care how much the teachers liked me, I'm more concerned how my classmates would think of me...and obviously they didn't like me because I was more favored by the teachers than them.

So how did I went through high school with those bullies?

I cried. I cried a lot...but not in front of my classmates. I actually almost gave up on going to school, or at least transfer to another classroom. But I did not. Why? Because my future was more important than the situation I had back then. If I gave up on my studies, I wouldn't be able to go to college. The only revenge I could do to those bullies was to not give in to what they want. I had the courage to write to our class adviser of what they did. Our whole class was threatened that we would not graduate because of that issue and of course my classmates all blamed me for it. I did not care what they would say, I just knew that I had to stand up for what is right.

To make the long story short, we all still graduated. As a class, we had an open forum to settle everything and to open up everything to each other. I shared my bitterness toward them and they shared their bitterness toward me. We forgave each other and moved on.

It was by God's grace that we are where we are right now. It's by God's grace as well that the bitterness in my heart was taken away through forgiveness. It was not easy, but I'm continuing to move on.

One thing I learned from that experience is that it helped me understand why God did not approve of favoritism. God does not show favoritism (Romans 2:11).

If you are a parent, a teacher or a leader, please DO NOT SHOW favoritism. You may have favor over someone but don't show it. I know it is hard to do for we are mere human beings, but we can always pray to God to help us to show equality with others.

A Love Story To Share

2013-06-03T02:46:00.001-07:00

Love...

A topic all of us can relate to.

When I was younger, I thought I was in love. I had a wrong idea of love. I thought it's something we just feel. I thought when someone is so nice to me, he loves me already.

"Love kagad? Di ba pwedeng mabait lang talaga sya?!"

We all had that "kilig" factor. It's a feeling you get when someone you admire notices you or gives you something simple yet so valuable for you. It's what you feel after spending time with that person and you get to know someone better. Kahit simpleng "good morning" na pinadala via group message galing sa "kanya", kinikilig ka na. That's the "kilig" factor.

But, there's more to love than that.

What if the "kilig" factor is gone? What if the feeling is gone? Should we end the relationship? Should we stop calling it love and just call it “crush” instead. Candy crush – it was so sweet like a candy but we had to crush it. Candy crush. Get it? (Pagbigyan nyo na ako, minsan lang ako magjoke) :p

What is true love?

If there's TRUE love, is there a FAKE love?

Have you heard of this term: lightly dark?

It doesn't make sense, right?

So is fake love.

LOVE in itself is true.

Here's my story:

I met this guy. I only heard about him when I was a little girl. I haven't actually seen him before, but people told me that this guy loves me. "Stalker ba yan?", you might ask. Well, I don't know if we can call him that but he does watch me and knows what I do even before I got to meet him.

So where did I meet him?
In a small book store through a new found friend in college.

This new friend of mine introduced him to me personally. She told me that this guy loves me. I've heard of it before but somehow, at that moment, it made me wonder why this guy loves me. Why would someone love a person like me? A person so insecure, selfish and a people-pleaser. It didn't make sense to me. The love of God didn't make sense to me.

Yes, that guy I met was God. I didn't actually see him but I somehow met him on a personal level. Then I met his Son, Jesus Christ. My friend told me that Jesus loves me as well and he even died for me just to prove that.

Hindi nakakakilig ang mamatayan. Dying on the cross was how Jesus demonstrated his love for you. Yes, you. He didn't just love and died for me, he loves you and died for you as well.

Romans 5:8 (NIV)
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

1 John 4:10 (NIV)

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

John 3:16 (NIV)

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

This is my love story, your love story, our love story. And this love story is written in the bible.

We do not deserve this love, but he gave it anyway. We didn't ask for his love, but he gave it anyway.

Are you willing to accept his love for you?

Do you want to experience this kind of love as well?

Would you like to have a relationship with God?

If you say yes to these questions, send me a message and I'll let you know how, in a way that my college friend showed to me as well. :)

3 Reasons Why I'm In Love With An Athlete

2012-04-04T08:15:00.003-07:00

Yes, I'm in love with an athlete. Not because of his abs nor because of his huge muscles. It's because of these 3 reasons:

1. He competes.
I love a man in action. He is in the game and not a mere spectator. He trained really hard and takes risks.

2. He competes to receive the victor's crown.
He plays to win the game, not to avoid losing. He perseveres no matter how hard the game is. He has a goal and sets out to get it.

3. He competes according to the rules.
He is attractive to me because he is a man who does not cheat just to win. He knows what's right from wrong because he has read and listened to the rules before playing. He knows his game better because of it.

Who is this athlete? What is his game?

2 Timothy 2:5
Similarly, anyone who competes as an
athlete does not receive the victor’s
crown except by competing according
to the rules.

It is anyone. His game is the game of life.

And I'm in love with this athlete. :)

GENEROSITY

2012-03-16T20:19:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 11:25 (NIV)

A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

This bible verse is so common to me that I sometimes take it for granted. But today, it somehow compelled me to write this blog.

We all know that being generous is not just about giving away money or material things. It's beyond that.

I want to focus on the word "refresh". When does a person need refreshment? When he is tired? When he is thirsty? I say yes to both, literally and figuratively.

A lot of people are tired. I also get tired, not just physically, but also emotionally and spiritually. And sometimes I need to refresh myself by doing things I enjoy. Going on a vacation is one. But when that vacation is over, I get tired again. Now I know why. I only refreshed myself and not let others be involved. Whether you are in the receiving or giving end of a generous act, you will be refreshed.

I do not see money as a refresher. Maybe because I got 0 points in the gifts area of my love language test. It means I do not really enjoy receiving material gifts. I'm more of a "spend time with me rather than give me gifts" kind of person.

Why did I go to the topic of love languages (time, touch, service, words of affirmation, and gifts)? I say that to be able to refresh others, it's really helpful if you know their love language. Some people appreciate gifts, some don't appreciate them that much.

When it comes to being thirsty, I think this is where money comes in more obviously. Being thirsty means you lack something you need or want. It could be material needs, emotional needs or spiritual needs. You can give food to someone. You can hug someone. You can share the Word to someone. But if it is something they don't need or want, I don't think it'll be appreciated. And when you sense that, you won't be refreshed yourself.

If I were to replace the word "refresh" with the word "appreciate", I think the verse still makes sense.

A generous man will prosper; he who appreciates others will himself be appreciated.

Generosity...it's not really about something you give because of an overflow. It's simply just about giving with whatever you have or would want to have more. That's where prosperity comes in. ;)

What Do I Really Want?

2012-02-26T22:13:00.000-08:00

I always ask this question: "What do I really want?"

A lot of times I get to hear words like: dream big! Know what you really want! Aim high! Set your goals! Etc. But they are all clichés to me; familiar words with no substance, no concrete meaning. Hence, no explanation why I should take action.

What is a dream?

For me, a dream is something you want to achieve in the future. "In the future." I think there's something wrong there. If you want something, wouldn't you want to have it NOW? In the moment. That should replace "in the future"

Ironically, there's another meaning for the word dream. It's an illustration, a story, an event we experience while we are sleeping. I don't believe a daydream is really a dream. Just like how I believe that a blackboard is not really black. Or a bookworm not really a worm. A daydream is just a mental escape from what's really happening at the moment. No, I don't define it as imagination. Let's stick to daydream is a mental escape, okay? I believe that a dream that happens while we sleep involves every aspect of a human: body, soul and spirit.

Is a dream equal to a vision? Is it equal to a goal? They say it's different. I still don't get the difference. It's just wordplay. I say they all give direction for us to be guided where we are heading.

There's a time for everything. At the age of 65, I don't really KNOW WHAT I WANT because I'm not yet 65! Ever heard of the term "living in the moment"? I think that's my principle in life. Live for today.

Can we really plan our future? To make a blueprint of the specific things we will have? Yes! But will we achieve them exactly as planned? Maybe.

Faith.
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Assurance, certainty, confidence. That's faith! Where do we get our faith? From God. It's a gift. Can you ask for a gift?

Imagine it's your birthday today. Are you expecting a gift from someone? May it be material or not, we do expect, right? Or is it just me? Well, I expect people to be nice to me when they know it's my birthday. Whenever I ask a gift, the people I asked from never fails to give it to me upon agreement. Of course, there are adjustments because even if they are willing, they are not able most of the time. But God is both willing and able so whatever we ask of Him, He will give it as a gift.

There are gifts given to us that we do not appreciate that much, right? Or sometimes, we ask and say: "why this gift? I don't need this! It does not go with my personality!" But I believe there is a time for that gift to be used.

To be honest, I received a lot of gifts from friends and family that I have not used until today. Once, I even saw a gift to me from more than 3 years ago that I hardly even opened. And I still cant understand how I can use it. I might give it away to someone who needs it more. Is that wrong? If you give me a gift and I gave it away, will you be offended? Some will, some won't. Personally, if I gave a gift I really thought of and gave it to someone and he/she gave it away, I won't be offended. Why? Because it's a gift. I don't ask payment for it. I usually give gifts to people I appreciate. It comes at a different level depending on my situation at that particular moment. I don't expect anything in return (most of the time.. Hehehe).

God gives gifts to those who ask of Him. He gives it generously without looking at how faithful that person is. What you do with your gifts from God depends on you. Will he take it away when you don't use it? Maybe. I need to check on the bible for that. Parable of the talents? Are gifts=talents? Not yet sure.

I think there are default gifts within us and there are those we ask from God. I need to research about them.

So what do I really want?

I want to live my life to the full for God because my life is a gift from Him.

TIP or TOP

2012-01-16T14:46:00.000-08:00

It's either you're on the tip or at the top.

Every person is part of an organization or a group of people. And in every organization, there is someone at the top or at the tip/bottom. One example would be a family who has the father on top and the children at the tip. This is synonymous to the head and the tail.

We all started at the tip of something before we reach the top. And we all somehow want to be on top and not at the tip. But what we don't see is that the top is also a tip, just on a higher level. Imagine the top of a mountain. Isn't it also a tip on top? How can we relate this illustration in our lives? Like what I said earlier, we all want to be on top. Even though we're at the tip right now and we feel we're at the bottom, we just need to think differently about ourselves. It's not about how others see us but how we see ourselves.

It's all about: PERSPECTIVE

So, are you the TIP on TOP?

7 Simple Ways to be Happy: The ANTI DEPRESSION Blog

2011-03-01T23:33:00.000-08:00

Have you ever felt depressed for unknown reasons or reasons you won't admit to yourself? Are you feeling sad and lonely right now?

People are social beings; we want other people to care for us. That's why love is a topic everyone can relate to, no matter how young or mature a person may be.

Why are people getting depressed? Because we THINK that no one cares. We THINK that no one appreciates our full effort. We THINK that no one loves us.

It's all in our thoughts. What we feed our mind directly affects our emotions.

Here are 7 simple things we can do to avoid being depressed:

1. Do not watch too much news or drama.
If you will notice, most of the news shown on TV or printed in the papers or in the internet are negative. Here's what I observed: If something huge or important is happening, you will know it through other people. You don't need to watch everything on TV. It a big time waster.

2. Associate with happy people.
Evaluate the people you are with most of the time. Do they smile? Do they laugh with you (not at you)? Do they encourage you? If yes, stick with them. If not, change your routine. (Were you expecting I'll say: change your friends/officemates? Nah! You can't change a person but you can make a decision to change yourself and you'll be able to influence others)

3. Do something you enjoy.
This will give you a sense of accomplishment because it will not matter if others appreciate it or not since you love doing it in the first place. I enjoy singing, playing guitar, writing blogs and sharing ideas, how about you?

4. Exercise.
It's healthy. It can help release happy hormones. Just don't overdo it. A simple exercise is walking. :D

5. Read or listen to empowering messages.
Congratulations for reading this because now I know you want to change your situation. Happiness is a decision.
I highly recommend you listen to Britt Nicole's song: Walk on Water.
You can listen to podcasts from this site
The best book I can recommend is The Bible

6. Pray.
God listens to us. Come to Him if you feel weary or burdened because He will give you rest.

7. Say this out loud: I feel good! I feel great!
There is power with our words. Whatever you say has power to change your mood. To be able to think positive, say something positive and believe it. You don't need to shout but you need say it out loud to be able to hear it coming from your own mouth. Say it with a smile in your face. :D

I started this blog because I was depressed. I wanted to change my mood by deciding to do this simple ways I wrote above. Now, I'm happy. You'll be surprised how effective they are. I appreciate you so much for reading this blog. God bless you. God loves you. :D

How To Earn Money Online

2011-02-23T15:21:00.000-08:00

Getting to the point of desperation to earn money led me to check out some of the ways to earn money online.

We already know that you can sell things online through online stores like e-Bay but here are some ways I discovered that surprisingly let you earn money:

1. Answering surveys
I found out that answering surveys can make you earn some decent money. Companies will pay you for answering questions that help them improve their services or products. The first site I joined (surveymastermind.com) was not offering any survey in my country so I had to look for another legitimate website that can I can join. I decided to join GlobalTestMarket.

2. Joining Affiliate Marketing Programs
This money making strategy is what I actually use in this blog. I'm affiliated with Google Adsense and Amazon.com. To make the idea simple, it's putting advertisements to your blog and when others click on them, the blog owner gets paid by the company who gave the advertisements.
If you want to learn how to start a blog, simply click on the link. You can actually copy what I do; create a blogger account and start writing your own blog and learn how to monetize it.

3. Playing online games
Yes, you can get paid by playing online games. Think of it as being a game tester. You play a game then you can make a review about it. You can even compete with other gamers from all over the world and earn more money. This way of earning is really good for those who spend most of their time and money playing online games. This time, you are getting paid to play . You can even access games and download them for free!
Just to give you an idea, I joined www.worldwinner.com and created an account. I started playing games just to check it out. I competed with a player from another continent and won in the game of Wheel of Fortune! You'll get to know more when you research about how to earn money by playing online games.

These are just some of the many ways I learned that let you earn money online. Some ways like clicking ads or advertising someone else's products are also available but I haven't tried them yet. Be sure to visit my site again soon and find out if I tried other ways to earn online.

I hope this blog will help you earn some extra cash to pay for your bills or let you buy things you want. Leave a comment if you tried the suggestions I made and it worked well for you. Enjoy earning while learning! :D

How To Save Money

2010-12-07T07:28:00.000-08:00

Before anything else, please answer this question: What is one thing you want to be saving money for?

Let's do a little bit of computation.

If you are earning P10,000 per month, you are earning Php 120,000 annually. If you started working at the age of 20 and will stop working at the age of 60, you will be working for 40 years. If you multiply 40 years of work with P120,000, you get a total of P4.8M.

At the age of 60, you have P4.8M. What was your answer in my first question? Can you now spend this money for that?How much do you think it will worth by that time? Take note that you will get that P4.8M if you will save all your income every month for 40 years. Even if we triple your monthly salary, you will only get P14.4M by the age of 60.

How much money do you actually save for your future? What are you saving for anyway?

The value of money is decreasing year after year. Compare what you can buy with P5.00 20 years ago to what you could buy with it today. I remember when I was still in elementary, the jeep fare was P3.50 (student rate) but now it's P7.00 (P6.00 for student rate). That's just around 10-12years ago.

How do you save money? By spending it wisely.

My point is: you don't need to save money, it will always be there. Don't worry, it won't die. What you need to save are your assets.

According to Robert Kiyosaki, author of the bestselling book Rich Dad Poor Dad, an asset is anything that puts money into your pocket.

There is no such thing as a secure, stable job anymore. It's time to diversify your earning potential and learn financial literacy. Start a business. Invest. Take risks. Have the 1/2 probability of winning than 0% chance of succeeding.

"But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today."

-Deuteronomy 8:18 (NIV)

Online Marketing

2010-11-05T16:16:00.000-07:00

Most of the people I know knows how to use the internet. Being a computer science graduate myself, I've developed an interest in communications through social networks and blogs. Website development is not really my passion but it somehow helps having some basic knowledge in that area.

Right after graduation, I became a business owner and have never been employed to this day. I get to go online most of the time both for business and pleasure. Becoming an entrepreneur after college called for a lot of adjustments because the academe has trained me to become a corporate slave. The people closest to me got disappointed because they expected me to get a job after getting my degree. I did apply to companies because I wanted to know how they test applicants to become employed. I undergone online tests, written exams and personal interviews. I've experienced the pressure of being under someone's mercy. I did get job offers but I turned them all down. What the heck was I thinking, right?

Time and financial freedom.

Yes, I was thinking about my own freedom. Sorry for using the term "corporate slave" a while ago but that is how I view a person with a boss. Think about it. Employees are being paid for their time, effort, knowledge, creativity and obedience. How terrifying is it to hear the words: "you're fired!" after committing a mistake?

What's the connection of my story to the title of my blog? Better alternatives.

Did you ever realized that employment is not the only way to earn income? If you haven't, I'm telling it to you right now: There a lot of ways to earn income, not just from a job!

Online marketing is one way. This is for people who at least know how to use the internet and know the word Facebook. There are a lot of references available about starting to earn online. This blog was meant for me to earn through advertisements and links. It only takes a decision to start.

I've seen other people doing online marketing as a source of extra income, there's nothing wrong with that. If you are currently employed and wants to earn from this, I highly encourage it.

Learning new skills and ideas does not stop after graduation. Learning is a continuous process. The more you learn, the more you earn. ;)

FOCUS

2010-11-01T17:49:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's my dream car, but we are not going to talk about Ford Focus here.

Most people advice others to have focus in order to achieve success in life. "Focus on what?" is usually the question that comes to my mind.

Honestly speaking, I'm easily distracted by even simple things. These distractions makes me lose my focus and tend to forget what I was concentrating about. But the bigger question is: What am I focusing on in the first place?

Fears. Obstacles. Commands. Useless. Sacrifices.

Have you ever lost something or someone because of focusing too much on the things I mentioned above? I'm sure we all have. Personally, I have lost clients just because I was so focused on the fear of rejection and the obstacles I have to face to continue the transactions. I've known people who lost eagerness and excitement in what they do just because they concentrated on the sacrifices they have to make instead of the benefits of their work. I'm sure most of us lost some precious time with family and friends just because of focusing on useless things in life. Being distracted from focusing on these things are definitely needed. Have a break, evaluate where your focus is.

Freedom. Opportunities. Creativity. Usefulness. Success.

Now these are the things we should concentrate about. This is more than positive thinking or optimism; this is having focus on good things and not get distracted by anything or anyone. I'm not saying to always dream of the future and forget about the reality of today. No, we should still be realistic but we have to be optimistic. Realism is for our "today", optimism is for our "tomorrow". I'll give you an example:

(Being realistic) Today, I only have P1000.

(Being optimistic) I can use this money to invest on something that could increase my money for tomorrow.

(Being pessimistic) I need to spend this money today for my expenses, then I'll have no money for tomorrow.

Do you see the difference now? Okay, I'll give you a test.

I have here a business opportunity that could give you an extra $200 every week. Capital starts at $350. Do you think it's a good investment?

Where did you focus on? The capital or the income potential? Most people focus on the capital, that's why there are a lot of poor people today.

Having FOCUS is a secret weapon for success. But any weapon, if not used for the good, can lead to destruction. What are you focusing on today? ;)

Problems Can Fall In Line Too

2010-09-23T03:06:00.000-07:00

I love multitasking. Doing different things at the same time makes me think I can do much more in a short period of time rather than doing things one at a time. Can you relate with what I'm saying?

When I was in high school, I would do my assignment in front of the television while eating my dinner. My mom would always scold me for doing so. She would tell me: "You can't do two concentrations at one time". And I would be thinking in my head: "This is called multitasking mom. This is how kids do their assignments nowadays." I sure do have a rebellious mind when I was a teenager.

What my mom was telling me is to focus.

Back in college, I was part of the multimedia ministry of our church where I was trained to handle pressure and do a lot of multitasking action. The tasks were hard especially when preparations were a mess or lacking. That's where I realized that multitasking was not only hard but also hazardous to my health (stress, you know?). Sure, I did finish the tasks on time but if we would evaluate the quality of the results, I would just say they could have been better.

Why am I talking about multitasking? I don't know about you but for me, I do multitasking to solve overflowing problems faster in a shorter period of time. I'm not really sure if I really solved the problems or created more problems for a later time. Just to say I'm doing something to solve my problems, I do them all at once! How stupid of me.

I once posted a status message saying: "Kung marami kang problema, papilahin mo sila!" (If you have many problems, make them fall in line!)

This is about Prioritizing and Time Management.

Reality check: Your problems should not dictate what you should do, you should be the one dictating what you should do with your problems!

When I was in 2nd year high school, I read a book entitled: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey, the son of Stephen Covey who is the author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Anyways, the 3rd habit is Put First Things First. A topic under the discussion of this habit is about the Time Quadrants (rows: Important and Not Important, columns: Urgent and Not Urgent). I highly encourage you read the book and learn more about it.

I learned how to prioritize and manage my time after reading that chapter of the book. I started writing down my goals per week and giving time for each goal. It was not an overnight magic, it was a continuous process. Just like what they say, you cannot develop a habit overnight!

If you have many problems, write them all down then organize them according to your priorities in life. Give it time. It can be very frustrating to see how long the list will be but very rewarding once you check the problems solved one by one. Finish one task before starting another one especially if you are going to use the same body part for both tasks. And of course: Avoid cramming! (note to self: Avoid cramming!)

Another reality check: Problems come EVERYDAY! It's your choice if you want to add your problems today to the upcoming problems of tomorrow. I rather would not. I only have 24 hours today, I'll only have 24 hours also tomorrow. Why waste time on things that are unimportant, right?

The most important thing before doing anything else is to pray. Pray to God for strength, wisdom and grace. We cannot remove God from the solution of our problems because He is the solution!

Problems are meant to be faced and solved, not to be ran away from. You'll be surprised how fast problems can run back to you if you ran away from them!

Make your problems fall in line according to your priorities. Manage your time properly. Pray and do something about those problems.

Philippians 4:13 (NIV)

I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Follow But Do Not Follow

2010-06-12T10:11:00.000-07:00

Did you know that it is not a good idea to ALWAYS follow whatever your leader has done? Well, unless your leader is perfect. Most of our leaders have committed mistakes in the past even though we see them as very successful people right now. What we really need to follow is what they say we should do. I am pertaining to their commands, tips, advices, etc. They have already experienced what we are still going to do. They already have an idea of the optimal action in attaining a goal without undergoing the mistakes they have committed.

One example I could give to make my statement clearer is a very loving and successful mother who got pregnant even before she got married. Her daughter, who also wants to be a loving and successful mother to her soon-to-be daughter, doesn't have to undergo the pains or mistakes committed by her mother when she was young. Our parents always tell "sermons" to us because they do not want us to commit the same mistakes they have done in the past.

If you want to become like someone, ask him how he got to his position and do not simply follow him from afar. Follow what he says, not what he has done. If he tells you to follow every step he took, then do so. But most of the time, leaders will tell you not to follow their mistakes. ;)

The Good and the Bad Leader

2010-06-12T08:57:00.000-07:00

In any group, there appears to be a leader that well... leads. The very famous leadership coach, John Maxwell, said: "Leadership is influence". It's a very simple yet a powerful statement.

There are two kinds of influence: the good and the bad. Therefore, there also exists two kinds of leaders: the good and the bad.

The Good Leader

There are a lot of definitions of what a leader is; most, if not all, are positive. "Leaders are readers" and "Leaders are followers" are some of the famous quotes I know about leadership. There is less to talk about a good leader because it is almost always defined; it's a general knowledge already. (But sometimes what we know is not put into action. Tsk tsk...)

The Bad Leader

Since most of the quotes about leadership are about good leadership, I want to give emphasis on the bad leader. What is a bad leader? It is not always as simple as describing it as the opposite of a good leader. A bad leader can be a good leader as well. How? It really depends on his goal. If a bad leader was able to get the goal, he is a good leader even though the goal was bad in nature. One example of this is a gang leader who influences his group to steal or to do illegal vices. If he was able to succeed on influencing his whole group, he is a good leader but a very bad leader. The "good leader" refers to his ability to lead while the "bad leader" refers to him as a person.

Any leader could either be a good or a bad leader at one point or another. In essence, the word "leader" is a positive word. It is the goal that either makes it good or bad. Bad leadership is usually seen on unfavorable results.

Leadership is a skill and being able to pass that skill is vital in making a group improve or level up. My next blog is about following a leader. Should we follow what they say or what they do? ;)

BIG DREAMS FOR REAL!

2010-05-11T20:31:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid, I dreamed of designing my own house. I wanted to take up Architecture in college to be able to do that. I already had the sketch of the insides of my dream house when I was still in Grade 6! It has a lot of bedrooms, a game room, library room, music room, entertainment room (mini-movie house), etc. I do not really care how many rooms I had inside but one thing should not be missing in my design: a SWIMMING POOL!

I somewhat visualized my house after watching the movie Richie Rich. He has McDonald's inside his own house! Wouldn't that be fun?!

When I was about to enter college, I was very disappointed not being able to get the course I wanted in the school where it is known. I'm pertaining to taking up B.S. Architecture in the University of Santo Tomas. Yes, U.P. was not my first choice when I was in high school. For the benefit of those who do not know me, I'm a B.S. Computer Science graduate from the prestigious University of the Philippines Los Baños. U.P.L.B. holds the title of being the Center of Excellence in Information Technology in the Philippines, that's why being a ComSci graduate from that school is a big thing.

The only college entrance exam I took was from UP. My mom did not allow me to take exams from any other universities. She did not care what course I will take as long as I enter UPLB. By the time I was filling up the UPCAT form, I wrote B.S. Computer Science as my first choice simply because I wanted to design my own animation in the future and I know for a fact that graduates from this course are in demand locally and internationally. I somewhat made my dream smaller: create animation and get a good job abroad.

What happened? Reality hit me. Did you ever had that voice in your head saying: "Design and build your own house? Get real! You need millions of pesos to do that! Travel and work abroad? Dream on! Do you know how many competitions you've got?! Your dreams are impossible to have with what you have right now!"?

This fact really makes me sad. A lot of us when we were still children are dreaming really BIG but when we grow up, we tend to forget our BIG dreams and just accept whatever reality is bringing us. We hope on small things. We work just for the sake of being able to eat 3 times a day. What a pitiful waste of potential!

Right now, I'm recalling all of my dreams when I was young and still adding some more to it. Knowing reality should not make my dreams smaller, it should add up to what I want to have in the future.

We should not change our BIG dreams into small goals just because we think we could not have it with what we have right now. What we need to do is to change our actions in order to achieve our BIG dreams.

There are a lot of opportunities knocking on our door but we are either too proud or too afraid to accept and grab them.

I'm a graduate from UP. I should be an employee with a high pay, but I am not. I decided not to accept job offers. Am I contradicting what I said earlier? Not really. Yes, job offers are opportunities but with the BIG dreams I have, I need a different kind of action. I have been observing employees ever since I had my on the job training. I was thinking: "Is this really life after college? Going to work for 8 hours and getting paid every 15 days? This is boring."

I had never seen an employee who achieved the dreams I want to have in the age of 30. Time is very important for me. I don't want to have that dream house only when I'm already in the age of 65! How am I suppose to enjoy that?! Besides, the retired people at the age of 65 who both have their own house and car nowadays are either sick or nearly dead. Do you agree?

So what am I doing NOW to achieve my BIG dreams when I reach 30? I'm doing business at the age of 22. What kind? That I have to tell you personally so better contact me ASAP by leaving a comment below with your email address or contact number. What I could tell you right now is that you should have BIG DREAMS! Do not let reality stop you from dreaming what you want. The good thing about dreaming is that you are not limited to dream just for yourself. You can involve your family and friends to it. The opportunity I have makes me help other people achieve their dreams so that I could achieve mine as well. Helping others is part of my dreams so that's one check for me. :)

Dreaming is for FREE. So, DREAM BIG and find the fastest legal way to achieve that. For me, I already found mine. I'm willing to share if you are willing to listen. ;)

Not Enough? Just Enough? More Than Enough?

2010-05-02T13:39:00.000-07:00

In your life right now, are you aware of your financial reality?

Do you say your finances are...

Not enough?

Believe it or not, some rich people tend to think they do not have enough. What do I mean? If you would observe those kind of rich people, they do not seem to be satisfied with what they have because they have BIG DREAMS they have not fulfilled yet. In general, people who say they do not have enough are those people who do sacrifices just to make ends meet. They do more than enough than the usual because of that sense of lack. An example of this is a person who has extra jobs that eat up most of his time.

Just enough?

I would think that people who say they just have enough are those people who are financially secure. A man could say he has enough when his needs are always met. People from this group usually do things in a routine and gets the same results every time. One example of this is a typical employee who gets paid every 15 days and spends his money in paying the bills and other expenses then is left with little or no savings. This seems to be a cycle for him having the same expectations every time.

More than enough?

I admire people who could say that they have more than enough because they are those who know their needs and wants and are able to get both not only for themselves but for others as well. Generous people usually come from this group. Because they are blessed, they are able to bless others as well.

Would you agree with me that in order to answer my main question, you need to know what "enough" means? This factor differs from one person to another. A million pesos may not be enough, just enough or more than enough to one person. It actually depends on our mindset.

To tell you the truth, I was able to answer my main question with those three answers as well. There are days in my life that feels I do not have enough, I have enough and I have more than enough. And I'm pretty sure you had the same experience as well. So what's the point in answering my question? It's being aware of our reality not in the past but in our present time.

Does desiring to have more mean you are not contented? I would say NO. Contentment, for me, is being aware of that joy inside of you. When you desire to have more, it is just that you would be more joyful to be able to share that joy to other people. In simpler terms, a contented man who desires to have more is a happy man who could be happier. Contentment deals with the present time while desiring to have more deals with the present and the future at the same time so it is very possible to be contented yet is desiring to have more.

A contented man can also dream, do you agree? In my next blog, I would be sharing about dreams so watch out for it. Thank you for reading and I hope you could leave a comment or a violent reaction. Haha! :D