We are All Gifted... Just Not as Gifted as Others!

“But let each one prove what his own work is, and then he will have cause for exultation in regard to himself alone, and not in comparison with the other person. For each one will carry his own load.” - Galatian 6:4 – 5

Yes, not all men (or women) are born equally gifted, but it may not be something to rejoice or despair about. The world runs better on interdependence - each one utilizing each one's strengths, so just stop looking at what others have that you don't... Chances are they do not have what you have either! Let us focus on our strengths rather than our weaknesses... The world needs them more.

How a Strange Dream Struck Reality – by Rianne Kee

It was a week when I wasn't sleeping too well. My pillow seemed to be wanting to go everywhere except under my head, and my entire body wanted to just slip off my bed even when it's size is enough for my five feet five inches frame. Whenever I finally do get some sleep, I would wake up within an hour or two thanks to Canada's cold weather.

On the night of this year's April 21st... I had a strong urge to sing to God, which was something that never happened to me before... There was something entirely different that time.

Last Night was Tempting but I Kept a Good Reputation for God

Well the title is may be a bit controversial, but read on anyway to find out why...

Last night, I met up with two lady friends of mine whom I haven't seen for a while, and after a long chat, we bode farewell to each other and went our separate ways... Well, one of us went her separate way because the other hitched a ride with me.

It is Not What God Has Given Us: An Article Inspired by Nick Vujicic

If God gave you a glass filled halfway with water. Would you describe it as half full or half empty? Would you constantly complain that God never gives you more, or would you be thankful for having enough and constantly trust Him to give you your fill?

'Cause Baby You're a Firework - and God Lighted You

You just gotta ignite the light                         
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July

Cause baby you're a firework
Come on show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Yes, Katy Perry's song, Firework¹, was the inspiration behind this article. It was only during a recent trip to the family KTV when I was able to see the video and catch the lyrics - and I think it's pretty well written, especially the parts mentioned above.

Letting Go to Grow

I once had the opportunity to save a life. Not in a big way, but empowering all the same. It was the life of a small bird, and it happened some years ago...

I used to have my office in Makati¹ then. Me and my partners rented a small unit on the twelfth floor of a building to serve as base for our design firm. And it was a magical office - all sorts of insects manage to find their to our window and land there for a bit... We even had moths larger than a full grown man's hand!

Don't Be Tethered to an Ass - by Jessica M

 from http://ascendingthehills.blogspot.com/2011/04/dont-be-tethered-to-ass.html

"There is a story from the middle ages of a preaching friar who had long distances to travel. Because of this, a wealthy merchant gave him an ass on which to ride. It was with pleasure that the preacher set out on his next journey. When he arrived at the church he tethered the animal outside. But throughout the service his attention was drawn to the ass. Was it properly secured? Had he left it in a safe place? What if a thief had come along and had stolen it? This went on until the service ended, the preacher was all the time distracted. When he came out afterwards all was well, the ass was where he had left it. But he knew that a new danger had entered his life. He untied the ass, slapped its flanks and drove it off. Then he walked away in the opposite direction. He was heard to say, 'God forbid that my soul should be tethered to an ass.' He was determined not to give himself to a lesser purpose than was his aim."
                       ~ David Adam, The Eye of the Eagle p. 133

The Prodigal Son Hits Home

The Parable of the Prodigal Son is perhaps one of the most told and re told tales from the Bible. But it was only until recently as I was doing my cell group assignment, did I see an added dimension to the moral of the story.

And believe me, it does hit home.

For those who may have forgotten or don’t know the parable yet, here’s an overview…

Are You Known By Your Kindness?

by Bo Sanchez

Do you want to be truly happy?

       
          Be kind.

         Let me tell you a story.

One day, a plane hit a storm and was about to crash. The problem was there were 4 passengers and only 3 parachutes.

       The first man took one parachute and said, “I’m a brain surgeon and my patients need me.” And he jumped off the plane.

       The second man took the second parachute and said, “I’m a rocket scientist, one of the smartest men in the entire planet, and the world needs me. And he jumped off the plane.

       The third man was Pope Benedict. He took the last remaining parachute and gave it to the fourth person who was a young boy. The Pope said, “Son, I’m an old man. I’ve served God enough. Go ahead and take this last parachute.”

Jaeson Ma Spruces Up God's Message of Love

With all the garbage the media feeds us. It's refreshing to hear a song that brings us back to the basics and foundations of LOVE.

Inspiring?

Jaeson Ma, the artist behind the song Love, has an equally inspiring story about his transformation...

Jaeson Ma came from a broken home and spent his teenage years in San Jose, California. He did everything that was out there on the streets. Whether it was drugs, partying or fighting.

And although he hasn't completely brushed off Jesus that time, his game plan was to party hard first, then give his life back to Jesus when he gets old... Like ninety nine old! Church for him was a set of rules and rituals, and he wasn't that interested because of all the don't do thats, which he felt would restrict him from being himself.

By the time Jaeson Ma was in high school, he was dealing a lot of drugs and got arrested on several occasions. Yet he was still able to land a good job at a clothing store selling Armani and Valentino suits, where he was in charge of the inventory.

He would then, steal the suits and sell them... And although he made good money with the drugs and the suits, he still felt empty inside.

His lucrative business came to an abrupt halt when the police showed up at his house one day, with a warrant for his arrest.

Before facing the police, Jason Ma had a word with his mother. He asked, “What do you think Jesus would do?”

His mother sighed silently and said, “You know, Jaeson, Jesus would probably turn himself in, to get rid of the sin, so he could start his life over again.”

Those words convicted him. He decided to get things right with God right then and there. Even if he had to go to jail. He decided to turn his life around to Jesus.

He repented, asked for forgiveness from Jesus and his mother, and turned himself in. He also brought with him, all the suits he had left, and turned them over as well.

Over the next six months, with several court appearances, the judge was amazed at Jaeson Ma's honesty and evident change of heart, so he was set free.

As a free man, he diligently sought out God.

He also worked hard to earn a college degree in Business and in Theology.

Now, Jaeson Ma ministers to colleges in over 20 campuses, his family was restored, and he believes in the power of a praying mom.

In his own words, he said, “If you wanna have passion for Jesus, you have ta study His passion for you... How much He loves you, how much He suffered and died for you.”

God really has something beautiful in store for each one of us, no matter how bad our present may be, or no matter how undeserving we think we are.

God bless!

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For more of Jaeson Ma videos, links and bio, you may visit his official website at: http://jaesonma.com/ - I would like to thank my wonderful friend, Candy Gan, for sharing with me this awesome link.

For reference to this article, I used the video on this link.

If God Answers Prayers, Then Why Can't We See Them?

In the 2006 film, The Pursuit of Happyness¹, Chris Gardner's son, Christopher, told a story that goes something like this: Hey dad, you wanna hear something funny? There was a man who was drowning, and a boat came, and the man on the boat said "Do you need help?" and the man said "No thanks, God will save me". Then another boat came and he tried to help him, but he said "No thanks, God will save me", then he drowned and went to Heaven. Then the man told God, "God, why didn't you save me?" and God said "I sent you two big boats, you dummy!"

I never forgot this story since I saw the movie. I didn't get to finish the movie, but I love this story!

In a way, we are very much like the drowning man. We pray to God for help, for Him to answer our prayers. But we miss those answers because we're too focused on what's “ideal” for us, and we ignore what's already being sent our way. For some of us, we see pass the simple answer because we're expecting something extravagant. While for others, the answers may not be what we wanted. So we ignore them deliberately and wait some more. Only to become frustrated afterward.

I believe, however, that our God is a practical, as well as a miraculous God. And His timing is always perfect.

I remember one time when I was engaged in business with a group of people, a partnership which I felt wasn't working out for me anymore. It got me to the point of praying “God, if it is your will for me to continue this, please give me strength, if you have something better for me, please give me an exit.

In a few minutes, my exit came in the form of a partner's phone call. We had a conversation, I saw a clear sign from that conversation, and I gave my resignation that morning.

Still clueless as to what my next career move would be, I received a phone call from someone that afternoon, he asked how I was, I said I resigned, and he told me that the actual reason for his call was to ask me if I wanted to hop aboard his company.

You see how God's perfect timing and provision are at work!?

Other times, His answers could already be events that have come to past... Events that equipped us to pull through our present moment of struggle; It may be our ability to discern what is right and wrong; Or it may even be gifts that we had since we were born.

In a sense, God may have already answered our prayers long before we even knew what we would pray for. And perhaps, we should keep in mind that it is not God who fails to answer prayers. It is us who fail to see the answers!

Most of the time, what we ask from God are shortcuts, anyway, and not really the solution to our problems. Like when we want a million bucks. Wouldn't we be happier if He just dropped the money on our lap, instead of Him giving us a hundred bucks and a way to grow that money to a million?

Well, some of us may really deserve that instant million. But for most, it would mean missing the chance to build our character while we get to that million. Hence, the old Jewish proverb “I ask not for a lighter burden, but for broader shoulders.”

And wouldn't it be easier if we just learn how to be grateful for whatever God sends us, instead of trying to manipulate His answers? He knows what's best for us anyway...

Let's not try to be dummies!

¹ For more information about the movie, visit http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0454921/ or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pursuit_of_Happyness

The Path Back Home - A Christian Testimony

My journey back to the Christian faith was like taking a wrong turn during the rush hour in Manila traffic. It took forever to make a u-turn (or left or right for that matter). And, being the manly driver that I was, I hate to stop and ask for directions. I even ignored the turn signs and kept going straight. Hoping that I'll get to somewhere eventually.

You see, It was around my fourth year in St. Stephen's High School when I decided to become a Christian. But back then, it was purely for friendship and fun. I never really had a personal relationship with the Lord. And it was only a matter of time before I got tired of the faith, and began looking for other means of fulfillment.

Also, what discouraged me most from going to church then, was hearing about politics among Christians in the church, and seeing an elder Christian deliberately encouraging my friend to lie to her parents just so she can be with us. Now, I don't want to be self righteous, because I've had my own share of successful escape missions from parents. But for me, if I can't be discouraged from doing what I am already doing wrong, then what's the point of staying?

It was during the next few years after that, when I became good at being bad. And by that, I mean doing bad and insensitive things. I played around and didn't care if I've hurt anyone's feelings. There was a tiny sense of guilt after each encounter, but I soon learned to ignore it. I was also good at cleaning up the evidence, so I didn't get caught... Well, not until one of my sisters spies on my cellphone and gets to read a surprising little message that I haven't deleted yet, that is. But that's invalid evidence because of the illegal nature of it's acquisition. Hahaha!

I also looked for other faiths in other churches (or temples to put it more correctly). They were attempts to put direction into my life. Because no matter what I did, whatever endeavor I took, I always ended back in square one. Honestly, I don't really believe in tiyanaks1, but I felt like natiyatiyanak ako!2 I was going in circles!

I can honestly say that it sucked to be me that time. I was inviting all the wrong people, and all the wrong circumstances into my life.

It was during a “non-denominational” service as part of a business seminar agenda around 2007 when God called me back. The “non-denominational” service turned out to be a Christian service, and the speaker's message was about God calling out to His children to come back.

I don't know why, but there was a burden in my heart to heed the call. I was already crying the time we got to the closing prayer.

Now, I had a church going girlfriend that time, who, upon hearing the good news, encouraged me to go to church with her during Sundays, and instilled in me that habit.

So anyway, long story short. Girlfriend cheated on me, girlfriend gone, habit stayed, don't want to go to her church, tried other churches, and finally found my way back to St. Stephen's Parish. But don't get me wrong, though... St. Stephen's Parish was not my last choice. It was here where I finally felt most at home with.

And in my walk now, I also figured that it's not really what God gave you, but how you react to what is given to you.

Lastly, think about this: We may have gotten angry with God for giving us hardships, or sending the wrong people or circumstances to us. But if we haven't experienced those wrongs, we wouldn't be closer to the right us now. That's why we're a work in progress.

Be strong in the Lord and thank you!

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1 A small monster that makes you lose your sense of direction

2 I'm losing my sense of direction because of the tiyanak