Let it be...

I woke up today with my thoughts asking if what I was planning and desiring to do in the coming year really comes from God. The task seems so huge! Planning is easy for me to do, but putting it into action and reality would take a lot of effort and resources which I may not have.

Yet as I read the Bible, angel Gabriel's message to Virgin Mary: "For with God nothing will be impossible" (Luke 1:37) is telling me also that if the dreams and plans that I have really originated from God then it will not be impossible for Him to fulfill it through me.

Like Mary, I want to respond to His call with faith.

"Behold the maid-servant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." (Luke 1:38)

If Your Presence...

The year-end brings with it uncertain emotions and mixed feelings. I feel excited as I think that this may be my last Christmas in Thailand and next year if I graduate then I will be back home. Yet I feel on tiptoe as I walk through the next year... as I anticipate the possibility of many teaching and non-teaching tasks awaiting for my return in the university... in addition to the ministry dreams and plans that have been flashing back and forth in my thoughts this year.

Inspite of the difficulty and challeges as a student in a foreign country, being here in Thailand is still like a big holiday package to me. However, going back home and serving my countrymen is the reality that I have to face after a long vacation...

I can almost identify with Moses' feelings as he was commanded to leave Sinai (Exodus 33). Like Moses I want to tell God, "If your Presence does not go with me, do not send me up from here." (Exodus 33:15)

But the LORD has already promised "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest" (Exodus 33:14)

Lord, let me be always in your presence, going only where you want me to go and doing only what you want me to do...

Christmas in Pala-U

It's supposed to be cold here, but it's not! It's a warm and sunny day. Made especially warmer as I share the Christmas message to Karen villagers. I began sweating as I started to talk... it's a strange feeling because this year I've been presenting papers several times already in international workshops and conferences and I never felt that way!

They said it was very short. I don't know how many understood what I was talking about. Anyway, I thank God for such an opportunity. Later on I learned that a child told her mom that she welcomed Jesus into her heart after listening to the message.

I learned from Dahlay of Tha Ye the Karen translation of the song "Into My Heart":
La ya tha pu (2x)
He nue lu yu tha sa Yeshu
He nue ka e
He nue ta ke
He nue lu yu tha sa Yeshu

Good news and healing

Good news! How often do we hear that?

Everyday the newspaper, television, internet shows us news of disasters and tragedies which may either be man-made or natural calamities.

How do you feel after hearing or seeing such news? Of course, sad and sorry, right? Nobody in the right mind would be happy being under such circumstances or knowing about it. Sometimes just thinking about bad news could also make one sad, weak and sick...

Is there a connection between bad news and illness?

When I checked the old testament I found these verses...

"A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health." (Proverbs 15:30, NLT)

"Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land." (Proverbs 25:25, NIV)

And when I looked at what Jesus did it was both telling good news and healing disease and sickness... both go together.

The prophecy in Isaiah says, "The Spirit of GOD, the Master, is on me because GOD anointed me. He sent me to preach good news to the poor, heal the heartbroken, Announce freedom to all captives, pardon all prisoners. GOD sent me to announce the year of his grace- a celebration of God's destruction of our enemies- and to comfort all who mourn, To care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion, give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes, Messages of joy instead of news of doom, a praising heart instead of a languid spirit. Rename them "Oaks of Righteousness" planted by GOD to display his glory." (Isaiah 61:1-3, The Message)

Matthew 4:23 (NIV) tells us that Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.

Similarly, Matthew 9:35 (NIV) also states that Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.

Matthew 11:5 (NIV) says "The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor."

How could hearing good news and physical health be related? Or bad news and diseases be linked? I think bad news causes stress. When a person is under stress, there is tendency to later on have weak body resistance. When the resistance is weak, then it is easy to be attacked by illness and diseases.

No wonder St. Paul tells us: "Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious--the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse." Philippians 4:8 (The Message)

O Lord, help me to bring good news and healing to those that I meet and encounter every moment of my life...

Congratulations to the winners during the Summer 2005 Coloring Contest held at B2b Student Center. ..

What is Worship?

This morning's message by Pastor Shane (Emmanuel Evangelical Free Church) based on Romans 12:1-2...

"Take your everyday, ordinary life - your sleeping, eating, going-to-work,

and walking-around life--and place it before God as an offering..."

(Romans 12:1, The Message)

2 Fundamental Points:
1. Worship is the way we live, not just what we do on Sunday morning
2. Worship that pleases God is 'informed'

What does it mean to present our bodies as living sacrifice?
@ Offer all that you are
@ Offer all that you own
@ Offer all that you do
@ Offer all whom you love

This is your reasonable service. Why is it reasonable?
@ Because of what God has done
@ Because of what God is continuing to do
@ Because God is worthy of our very best
@ Because only spiritual things will last

"All work done and all life lived for God's sake is worship"

My Journey

I am an adventurous person. I like to go to different places and meet other people! But I have problems in doing that - because I am shy and I am afraid to venture on my own.

So, when I was a young child, books served as my means of seeing places and meeting people. I read a lot of materials (comics, novels, books) on any kind of subjects (and even tried learning other languages, such as Spanish and Chinese, on my own through reading books). This make believe world confined me at home and in my room most of the time. But this also allowed me to read books and stories about God which made me more and more curious to know more about Him.

When I reached high school, I started attending Sunday School. During such a class, one verse that caught my attention was Isaiah 55:6 "seek the Lord while He may be found… call upon Him while He is near”. God who seemed a distant somebody before was becoming more real each day as I read the Bible and other Christian literatures and as I listen to Christian teachings. Finally, God seemed like a friend who accompanied me to get out of my daily routine of home and school and encouraged me to explore the world and people around our community. Little by little, I was overcoming my shyness - by joining the choir and teaching children in Sunday School.

However, during one of our Youth Fellowship during my senior year in High School, the speaker explained to us that being active in church by joining all activities or being kind and good does not make us real Christians. I have memorized since childhood John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” that I did not even think of its meaning anymore. I learned that believing in Him means to truly confess my sins to God, ask Him to forgive and cleanse me, accept Jesus as the Lord and King of my life and love and obey Him. By understanding this truth, my shyness to pray publicly was removed and I was able to thank Him for His love by dying on the cross and suffering in my place.

As a child, I dreamed of being a doctor because my mother worked in the hospital and I admired looking at them and how they help people. However, I realized that my parents can’t afford that. So, I decided to apply for a school that offers instead Veterinary Medicine. I got a scholarship there but the degree was not approved/offered yet at that time. So, I ended up taking a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science. It seemed like I missed one of my desired destination in life – not becoming what I wanted to be.

In college, I was still shy and afraid to travel alone. In fact, my father would travel 4 hrs. to get me during weekends whenever I wanted to go home and he would bring me back to school again the following day. It was only during my junior years, when I had friends that I could travel with that he stopped getting and sending me to school. Being in a school far away from home, taught me to trust in God and to depend on Him for provision of my daily basic needs and for guidance in plans and decisions. He also gave me friends who share the same interest as I do and accompanied me in my faith’s journey.

Now, I am a student again pursuing a doctoral in technical science degree. Whereas I dreamed to be a medical doctor, then an animal doctor, I realized now that God’s will for me is not to be those kinds of doctor. I am still shy around many people and afraid to travel alone. But I can testify that I am where I am now because of God who enabled me to overcome my shyness and fear when I am facing it. I realized that there are parts of my nature that I struggle with but God has allowed ito make me unique from the others and so that I would keep trusting upon Him alone not in my own strength. He has been gracious enough to give me the courage and ability to overcome them at the right moment. I have talked infront of many people and I have travelled to far places and meet people from other cultures and backgrounds because He taught me not to focus at my weaknesses but to trust and depend in Him alone. He keeps on encouraging me with His command and promise in Matthew 28:19-20 to “Go… and… I am with you always…”

Personal Mission Statement

On January 23, 2002 while attending a Participatory Rural Appraisal Training Workshop at the Regional Integrated Agriculture Research Center in Balinsasayaw, Abuyog, Leyte I had the luxury of time to think and write down my personal mission statement. Opps, I did not do it while the sessions were going on. I worked on it in the evening at the Ladies Dorm as I was alone in the room. I am putting it down here so that I will always be reminded, since I open the internet more often now than my notebook. And what's written in my notes have already faded! With this blog, it's not going to be a problem anymore.

To live life to the fullest, pursuing God's design for me, I will...

LEAD a life centered around the principles of:
excellence, integrity, service and enjoyment

REMEMBER what's important in life is:
health, relationship, peace of mind, travel and spiritual fulfillment

RECOGNIZE my strengths and develop talents as a person who is:
adaptable, confident, imaginative, a teacher, trustworthy, and an initiator

HUMBLE myself by acknowledging that I can be:
fearful, uncommunicative and overly critical,
and by constantly striving to transform my weaknesses into strengths

ENVISION myself becoming a person who:

• my bestfriend thinks is trustworthy, fun-loving and loyal
• my parents think is responsible, careful and caring
• my brother and sister think is dependable, generous and respectful
• my officemates think is principle-centered, organized and transparent

it's coming back...

i'm not yet very old, but my memory has been rather slow these past few years... i guess, it's just like my cpu - needs an upgrade!

well, today the Lord did just that using Haggai 1.

seven years ago, He impressed upon my heart the vision of putting up a student center in E. Samar which would serve as a venue for students and youths to have access to Christian literature and trainings. It would be something like a "tambayan" where they can learn more about God and how to make Him known.

Looking back, I saw how God has blessed me so much in the past 7 yrs. - by giving me a permanent teaching job, allowing me to travel and study abroad twice and having my own house.

Yet, the student center - which was the real reason and purpose of my going to E. Samar is still renting a small place. I repent of this mistake and ask God to help me make it a priority to establish a permanent spacious place for the student center.

I have almost forgotten that God brought me there in the first place not to live in comfort and luxury for my own enjoyment but to do what He has called me to do. What I enjoy now are just the blessings that He gives in response to obedience to Him.

May I keep on obeying Him, that His blessings may keep flowing on and on... not only for me, but to all youth & students of E. Samar and other parts of the world...

Lord, keep reminding me and bringing back to my memory the reason and purpose for being here and there!

Haggai 1:3-11
Then the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: "Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?" Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it." This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored," says the LORD. "You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?" declares the LORD Almighty. "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the oil and whatever the ground produces, on men and cattle, and on the labor of your hands."

My life

My life is a journey through a long and winding road. The road is sometimes smooth & comfortable but at other times it can be either rough, rocky, dusty or muddy. Sometimes I walk, sometimes I crawl, sometimes I run, sometimes I slide down and sometimes I swim. Someday I will fly too!

My life now is a dream, a dream that I create and turn into reality through every decisions and actions that I make. Sometimes it's a happy dream, sometimes it's sad and lonely, sometimes it's scary and sometimes it's just nothing! Hopefully, I await that day when I will wake up and when all journeys will lead me to that perfect destination where there is no pain, no hunger, no poverty and no more tears...

.

2005-Onwards FOCUS

2005-Onwards FOCUS: VOLUNTEERISM AND GIVING

The Blessed to be a Blessing Student Center (B2bSC) will be celebrating its 2nd year anniversary this August! Yet, our involvement with the youths/students in Maydolong actually began in 1998 with the Y2k Student Center. B2bSC evolved into what it is now as a result of our previous experiences and learnings. We used to target high school students of Maydolong National High School (MNAS) which later on was outnumbered by young children because older brothers and sisters brought them along. Such a diverse mix of ages was not easy to handle and manage! That’s why we decided in 2003 that with B2bSC, the focus will be college students. We targeted the freshmen students of Eastern Samar State College who used to join us when they were still in their Elementary or High School level.

Thus, the focus of B2bSC during its 1st two years of existence was to “help BRING college students closer to God by LINKING them with believers and EQUIPping them to lovingly SHARE their talents and joyfully SURRENDER their lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.” We have acronymed it as BLESS because our target is for them to be blessed by God so that they would also be a blessing to others. B2bSC will continue to help students in Eastern Samar become followers of Jesus Christ who will make a positive contribution to their family, school and community in the coming years.

In the past few years we held youth gatherings in Maydolong and weekend retreats in Borongan. A few youths and young professionals were also able to participate in national and regional youth gatherings in Cebu, Cagayan De Oro and Bataan. Funding for participation in such activities came from the generous support of family and friends as well as from income derived from sales of various items like school supplies, books, gift items, and computer services. This year, B2bSC will change approach in fund raising for attendance to major events like retreats and regional/national youth gatherings. There will no longer be solicitation letters. Instead students will be encouraged to plan and implement several entrepreneurial fund raising activities.

Thus, B2bSC’s focus starting this year is volunteerism and giving. We aim to teach them to be active participants and givers, not just passive receivers. If we are to become real blessings to others then we must experience how to be blessed. And how could we become blessed? The Bible tells us clearly in Deuteronomy 28:11-13 (NLV) “The Lord will open for you His good store-house, the heavens. He will give rain to your land at the right time. He will bring good to all the work you do. You will give to many nations. But you will not use anything that belongs to them. The Lord will make you the head and not the tail. If you listen to the Laws of the Lord your God which I tell you today and be careful to obey them, you will only be above and not below.” The Lord promised to bless those who obey Him by providing for whatever is needed in the work that he/she is doing, by making him/her work successful, by making him/her a giver instead of a receiver, and by making him/her a leader instead of just a follower of other people.

This shift in approach is not going to be an easy task, yet we believe that this is the right time to start doing it. We observe more and more Estehanon youths who are either out-of-school or may be pretending to be in school in big cities of the country but only wasting time and money in vices, while their parents way back home are struggling to make ends meet and to support their children. Maybe this is the result of the dole-out mentality that is common in many rural areas and the dependence upon local leaders, politicians and relatives abroad who gives financial support. However, we do believe that ingrained in the Estehanon is the value of hard work, resilience and community self-help or sharing. In the past, people worked hard to eat, live and study due to the fact that it was located in a remote area that was usually battered by natural calamities and typhoons in the past. B2bSC therefore hopes to reclaim back those values to our present generation of students by teaching and helping them raise their own funds to support their participation in major events, by working and not by asking financial support from their parents and other people. Hopefully, through this activity they will also learn and develop skills for their future livelihood activities.

St. Paul commands us that the proper way to live is to earn our own living. He himself showed that example by working as a tent maker. In 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 (NLT) he stated: “And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command with the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from any Christian who lives in idleness and doesn't follow the tradition of hard work we gave you. For you know that you ought to follow our example. We were never lazy when we were with you. We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so that we would not be a burden to any of you. It wasn't that we didn't have the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. Even while we were with you, we gave you this rule: "Whoever does not work should not eat." Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and wasting time meddling in other people's business. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we appeal to such people--no, we command them: Settle down and get to work. Earn your own living. And I say to the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good.”

B2bSC will not only teach and encourage its youth contacts to work hard but also to share and give to others. In the coming months, several options will be provided for them to share their talents, skills and financial resources. Whereas in the past few years, young professionals have been leading and facilitating in group activities. This time, students will be encouraged to facilitate and lead in certain activities. We shall also search out and offer opportunities for outreach activities and volunteer work either within the community or outside. In Acts 20:35 (CEV) St. Paul said that, “By everything I did, I showed how you should work to help everyone who is weak. Remember that our Lord Jesus said, ‘More blessings come from giving than from receiving’.”

Therefore, starting this year, we will choose to be givers instead of receivers. We will choose to be channels of blessings instead of being burdens to our family & community...

Willingly with his heart?

Finally, Moses learned how God wants to be worshipped! While in Mount Sinai, God gave the order and He specified the offerings that are acceptable to Him...

Exodus 25:2 "Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering..."

Is that a request? Or a command from God? It does not seem like a request. Then, it must be an order! So, is that a requirement or an obligation that must be followed?

Let's see... God tells Moses to accept the offering that is given willingly with the heart. Opps, that means not all offerings will be accepted? Hmmm... how could Moses tell if the offering is given willingly or not? Can he see the people's heart? Maybe he looks at their facial expression or their body language or at the quality of their gifts.

Makes me wonder about the offerings I have given in the past... well, the church accepted it! So far, I have not yet met a church or a church worker who would not accept a gift or a donation from me. But did God accept it?

Lord, forgive me for the offerings that were unwillingly given! Teach me to give willingly with my heart, without grumbling or murmurings. Make me a cheerful giver who would give to you and to my neighbors only the best gift (not of poor quality or second-hand or unwanted). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

no shortcut...

If there is a shorter way, people would prefer going that way. And sometimes if there is no way, people would create a short cut to get to their destination.

I remember when I was an undergraduate student, going to the market from our dormitory was a very long walk because we have to go around if we follow the road. So, to get there fast and in less than half the time spent if you walk in the right road, we would take the "short cut" by walking along the rice field, then into the canal and go under the fence. Not an easy task though, during rainy seasons and in the evening. But, we did not mind getting wet or getting dirty!

However, Exodus 13:17 tells that "...God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near" and in v. 18 "God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea".

I guess if I was there, I would have complained! Why go to around by way of the wilderness when there is a shorter way? Of course, God has a reason for that as recorded in v. 17.

In this age of "instant" everything, it can be frustrating to wait or take time going round and round. Yet, that's how God seems to lead me. Just when I think I know where He wants me to go, suddenly there are distractions, detours and wanderings in the wilderness. The long way is oftentimes confusing and difficult but it's where I learn more to trust in His leading and not in my own. It's during those times that I experience more of His grace, mercy and provision.

Thank you Lord for keeping me away from the short cuts!

Do not know with what..

While reading through Exodus 10 today, my attention was grabbed by Moses words in v. 26 "... and even we do not know with what we must serve the Lord until we arrive there."

God tells us to GO... Serve and Worship Him! But sometimes He does not give us all the details. It can be frustrating sometimes when somebody tells us to do something or go somewhere but without explaining clearly the instructions, isn't it?

Now why would God do that? Why does He sometimes show us blurred pictures or unclear instructions?

Maybe that is just His way of teaching me how to trust Him moment by moment and step by step. Maybe if He tells me all the specific things I should do, I would no longer call upon Him and ask Him because I already know.

Or for someone with a short term memory loss, such information overload would be dissastrous! It's easy to forget but difficult to admit that I forgot to remember everything as instructed.

So, I'd better be just READY all the time, with whatever I have to serve and worship the Lord, wherever He may lead me...