Keeping the Hope Alive

Have you ever asked yourself the question “Kaninong buhay ang babaguhin ko?" or “Why am I here on earth?”’. For me, it can only be good to open the repository of joy, share to others and refill it once in a while. Some people fear doing this kind of act because they are suspicious of the concept. They somehow believe that there are people who can do it better or they don’t simply fit with the situations, as if the very act means the abandonment of their career, duties and obligations for themselves. I’m always moved by the efforts of the many good people who have responded to the call for help of other. I catch myself choking on my tears whenever I see or read about the great suffering of many and the heroic compassionate work being done by people to alleviate the pain of others, giving them hope. It is truly awesome and inspiring.

I believe that we only have to respond to the challenges to become extraordinary. The lives of countless ‘ordinary’ people who said ‘yes’ to the challenge change the course of history. By saying ‘yes’ and carrying it through, they became greater than what they were. They became at the very least, ‘extraordinary’. Being one, do not necessarily mean that you’ll be popular, rich or whatsoever, it only depicts the fulfillment and joy that once in you life you became a blessing to other people. Di naman kailangang mayaman ka para makatulong o maging extraordinary, yung talento, malasakit, oras, at pagiging inspirasyon mo ay mas malaking bagay para mabago ang buhay ng iba. Material thing fades, but hope never abandons you. I’ll be the happiest person in the world if someday, at least one person will approach me and said “Thank you, you touched my life”. That's why I'm grateful that I have been blessed with a great circle of friends and relatives that definitely are my support system and act as my crutches in times of need. They are the “extraordinary” in my life.

I know that when I am happy, I am able to imbue situations I find myself in with happiness and even share it with everyone. While there is something good and heroic about giving and sharing to others, I know, in the end, it is simply sustainable and that’s why I will do it not just once in a while but in every situation. Because, when we replenish the well-spring of the goodness from which we shower the world with, we feel better and more empowered. And we must not forget that the hope we give to ourselves is a necessary ingredient if we are to fulfill our obligations and duties to others with joy and with constancy. I remember someone said that you can live for 30 days without food. Eight days without water, and about eight minutes without air, but never for a second without hope.

At the end of the day, we can mess up all we want and as often as we want, it’s our choice. But one thing we can be sure of is there are events, people and missions thrown our way from time to time that open our eyes and remind us that there is good in us, and in everyone. To all of you, who have made a difference in my life, thank you! To my friends and family, I don't get around to saying it much, but you know how much I love you. Ever since I decided to live up the compassion of reaching out the needy and serve others, not only I found a renewed vigor, hope and spirit in living but also an enthusiasm for the work God and found it to be joyful and priceless.

With hope, anything's possible.  Without hope life is meaningless.

Learning From Experience

When you're biking down a gravel-strewn road and you slam into a tree, you learn something. You learn for example, not to look at the cute girls or guys on the sidewalk, but instead pay attention to the road. When you're strutting leisurely along the corridors of your school and you fall flat on your butt, you learn something. You learn not to daydream while you're walking to the library.

Obviously, we can learn lots of things from our everyday experieces. it may not be everyday that we experience something extraordinary. But it's everyday that each of us is molded into what we will be tomorrow.  

Once memories have remained and years have formed every fabric of your being, you realize that growing up has served its purpose.

Somewhere in the Middle

Have you ever been somewhere you didn’t want to be? Maybe it was a job, a town, or a marriage. Maybe it was a stage in life, like singlehood, or a state in life, like a disability. It’s very possible that as you read this, you’re wishing you were somewhere else – anywhere else – living a different life, but you know it’s not likely that anything is going to change any time soon.

It’s the same word he gave a group of people when they were stuck in another country, exiled from their homeland. They’d folded their arms and said, “We’re going to wait this thing out, and when we get home, we’ll start living our lives.”

Don’t invest your energy in hopes of leaving; instead invest your energy in the people around you. The Christian martyr Jim Eliot expressed it this way: “Wherever you are, be all there.” Don’t be physically present but mentally somewhere else, thinking of the future or the past, thinking of someplace else. Our journey with Christ requires that we be fully present in the present.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer called it “this worldliness,” and said, “It is only by living completely in this world that one learns to live by faith.” This focus allows you to see that your life is centered in God and not the place you live or work, not the person you’re married to – or not married to – not how you feel or how you look.

Investing in the people around you is exactly how you find life. So it was God’s plan all along to push them to the edge of their existence, so they would end up centered solely on God.

You may feel like you’re in exile too, but God is still working in your life; and his message to you is: Dig in and fully embrace the life around you.

Center your life in God, not in your circumstances. God is constant; your circumstances are temporary. Ask God, “What do you want me to learn or to do in these present circumstances.”

Change me, God – Instead of asking God to change your circumstances, ask him to change you in the circumstances.

Practice being in the present – Today, whenever you find your mind drifting to another place, bring it back to the present, and ask God to help you stay in the present.

Determine to be a good steward of what you have, instead of focusing on what you don’t have. Make the most of what God has given you.

Whom can I serve?

Whose needs can I meet? Where can I serve? What can I give you? Why are you doing that all by yourself? Who needs something that I can give? When do you need me? Are you OK? Can I get you something?

What’s common about all these questions? They are all seeking a way to serve without waiting to be asked. We were put on earth to make a contribution, but no assignments are given out. Part of serving is looking for and finding the need so you can do something about it before it becomes an issue.

A lot of this is in how we think. It’s all about becoming other-conscious versus self-conscious. Being self-conscious is what happens without any effort. It’s the natural human way of going about our lives. Becoming other-conscious is what happens with some effort and the Spirit of God to empower us.

We were not made to go at it alone. We were made to serve each other so that in community, we all get our needs met. It’s a little like saying, “I’ll scratch your back, and you scratch mine,” but more complicated in that we are all gifted to meet each other’s needs in different areas and different ways that only the Holy Spirit could arrange.

It’s the consciousness that is the key. That and the commitment that once we become aware of a need we can meet, we will immediately do something about it.

It’s always been interesting to me that he didn’t tell us to go out and do good. He said to be eager to do good. That means we are consciously aware of opportunities to serve. If you weren’t thinking along these lines you might miss all kinds of opportunities to serve. But anyone who is eager to do something is looking for it.

If you’re eager to go fishing, you’re going to be looking for the next free day on your calendar. If you are eager to play tennis, you will be on the lookout for a suitable partner to play with. In the same way, if you are eager to do good, you will be keenly aware of opportunities to serve others as they arise. It’s all in our awareness.

You might want to go over the questions again at the beginning of this blog and see if anyone comes to mind as you go through them. Then make a plan to reach out to that person in some way. And finally, think about how you can get into an other-conscious groove. Anticipate needs. Be eager to serve. Ask God to bring these things to mind at all times, that becoming aware of those around you might become a habit you just can’t shake!

Eliminate Negative Self-Talk

Long before psychology came around, God said your thoughts determine your feelings and your feelings determine your actions. If you want to change your life, you've got to control the way you think.

Our minds are really an amazing creation. It would take a computer the size of a small city just to carry out the basic functions of your brain. Your brain contains over one hundred billion nerve cells. Each individual cell is connected with ten thousand other neurons.

In addition, you're constantly talking to yourself--all the time. Your mind is talking to you! You're talking to yourself right now. Research indicates that most people speak at a rate of 150 to 200 words per minute, but the mind can listen to about 500-600 words a minute. That's why you can listen to me and plan today's dinner at the same time.

In fact, our internal dialogue--the conversation we have with ourselves--is at a rate of 1,300 words per minute. How? Because our mind sees in pictures, and you can see a thought in a nano-second!

The problem is a lot of us are like Job, who says, "Everything I say seems to condemn me" (Job 9:20 GN). He is saying, in effect, "Everything I say puts me down." If you are typical to the human race, you are your own worst critic.

We're always putting ourselves down. We walk into a room smiling, but inside we're thinking, "I’m fat. I'm dumb. I'm ugly. And I'm always late!"

God wants us to stop putting ourselves down. When you put yourself down, who are you really putting down? When you say, "I'm fat. I'm dumb. I'm ugly. I'm no good. I have no talent," you're really pointing to the Creator who made you. When you say, "God, I'm worthless. I'm no good. I can't do anything," you're saying, "God, you blew it with me." That's why God says it's wrong to put yourself down.

How do you eliminate negative self-talk so you can become a more confident person?

The Bible teaches the principle of replacement:

"Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right . . . Think about all you can thank God for and be glad about" (Philippians 4:8 TLB).

In other words, don't think about all those weaknesses in your life. Focus on who God wants you want to be and on what God wants to do in your life. I don't know any better antidote to low self-esteem (or to facing your hurts, habits, and hang-ups) than to read God's word every day: study it, memorize it, meditate on it, and apply it in your life.
There isn't a better thing you can do to raise your confidence level than to start believing what God says about you. As I read through the Bible, chapter by chapter, I find a verse that speaks to me. I write it down on a card, memorize it, and then I start affirming it back to God. "Father, thank you that I am valuable; I am significant; I am forgivable; I am capable." Let God renew your mind because "your life is shaped by your thoughts" 


(Adapted from Purpose Driven Connection"

The Best Investment

"The best investments you ever make are investments in yourself - and your education. Those investments always pay big dividends." - Donald J. Trump


Oftentimes people ask me what is a good investment? How to invest in real estate? What business makes is profitable? I always answered back that I do not give investment and business advice because we do not have any relationships yet. I only mentor those in the core team.

In the core team we do not give cheap advice. The information we got and the system we are using can make any ordinary person wealthy and achieve time and financial freedom from zero to 3 years. We give mentoring because we have done it and succeeded.

OVERCOMING THE NEGATIVE

OVERCOMING THE NEGATIVE

Quotes to keep you going:-)

“Man's greatest actions are performed in minor struggles. Life, misfortune, isolation, abandonment and poverty are battlefields which have their heroes - obscure heroes who are at times greater than illustrious heroes.” -- Victor Hugo

"People become attached to their burdens sometimes more than the burdens are attached to them." -- George Bernard Shaw

"We were not created to be eaten by anxiety, but to walk erect, free, unafraid in a world where there is work to do, truth to seek, love to give and win." -- Joseph Ford Newton

"One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn't pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself." -- Lucille Ball

Bringing Pleasure to God

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men" (Colossians 3:23 NIV).

When I first fell in love with my wife, I thought of her constantly: while eating breakfast, driving to school, attending class, waiting in line at the market, pumping gas—I could not stop thinking about this woman! I often talked to myself about her and thought about all the things I loved about her. I felt close to Kay even though we lived several hundred miles apart and attended different colleges!

Just like my love for Kay transformed everything I did, love for God can transform every activity of our daily lives.

Martin Luther once said, "A dairymaid can milk cows to the glory of God." Does that strike you as a strange thing to say? How can an "un-sacred" chore like milking a cow be an act of worshiping God?

Worship is far more than church services with singing, praying, and listening to a sermon. Worship is anything you do that brings pleasure to God. The Bible says, "The Lord is pleased with those who worship him and trust his love" (Psalm 147:11 CEV).

In the Bible, people praised God at work, at home, in battle, in jail, and even in bed! Anything you do can be an act of worship when you do it for the praise, glory, and pleasure of God.

How is that possible? By doing everything as if you were doing it for Jesus and by carrying on a continual conversation with him while you do it! The Bible says, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV). And then: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men" (Colossians 3:23 NIV).

The Message paraphrase says, "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).

Worship is not a part of your life, it is your life.

Registered NURSE na ako!!

All the glory and praises are due to JESUS who gave me wisdom, strenghts and faith to believe in the power of my dreams. I am now a step higher...

Praise GOD!!

Roll of Successful Examinees in the NURSE LICENSURE EXAMINATION Held on JUNE 6 & 7, 2009 Page:275 of 655 Released on JULY 23, 2009 Seq. No. N a m e 13651 GAMBOA, WILLETH LYCHE CRUZ 13652 GAMBOA, ZYRILLE ALLAN ATIJERA 13653 GAMBOL, CHRISTIAN CYRUS BUSTAMANTE 13654 GAMBONG, CHONA ARAO-ARAO 13655 GAMBONG, LIEZEL DAPITAN 13656 GAMBUTA, ORGEMMA GAMAS 13657 GAMELO, TIFFANY JOY FLORENTO 13658 GAMET, VON IRWIN MON 13659 GAMIAO, GHENHIS GAYLE SAGUID 13660 GAMIAO, JOMARIE BENIGNO 13661 GAMIAO, MARY ROSE NICOLAS 13662 GAMIDO, CATHERINE JOY PAREL 13663 GAMIDO, MARJOFEL ORIA 13664 GAMIER, MARIE KRYSTLE ATIENZA 13665 GAMIL, IAN CARLO VILLOSO 13666 GAMIL, LOVELYN DALAODAO 13667 GAMINO, ROELLE ABALOS 13668 GAMISERA, HERVIC FAGELA 13669 GAMIT, ALLELIE DE LEON 13670 GAMIT, LEONALDO LABASAN 13671 GAMIT, MARY JOY LACADEN 13672 GAMIT, ROOSEVELT IDMILAO 13673 GAMIZ, NELSON JR SOMERA 13674 GAMMAD, DIANA FRANCES PAGULAYAN 13675 GAMMAD, GREGG GARCIA 13676 GAMMAD, JEMAROSE PAGULAYAN 13677 GAMMAD, KRISTINE LUZ CABANIT 13678 GAMO, GEMENI MIRASOL 13679 GAMO, MARY GRACE ARMEDILLA 13680 GAMOL, SHERNAN FAJUTNAO 13681 GAMOLO, JOSEPH RYAN COSTALES 13682 GAMONGAN, CHERILYN MALAGA 13683 GAMOS, CATHERINE BAGALAY 13684 GAMOS, GUSTINE MARIE MONCADA 13685 GAMOS, MA KRISTINE LOUISE WALAG 13686 GAMOTIN, JODELLE IRISH CAGAPE 13687 GAMOZA, CHRISTENSEN DELCO 13688 GAMUEDA, RACHELLE ESPOSO 13689 GAMUL, JOURNIEL EVIDA 13690 GAMUTAN, ROSANNA NUNAG

Playing Second Fiddle

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy,

to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God

– this is your spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1 NIV)

Next time you bite into a hamburger, I want you to think about

how your trip to the fast-food-burger-barn can become a

“spiritual act of worship.”

Yes, really.

The Apostle Paul calls us to be living sacrifices, alive in Christ –

moment-by-moment being conformed by the Holy Spirit into

]the image of Christ. Our spiritual act of worship includes grate

fully acknowledging that our heavenly Father is still on the throne

of grace and that he has the right to guide us, lead us, and prompt

us about any particular thing we do or any specific decision we

make throughout the day, no matter how insignificant it may seem.

Eugene Peterson, in The Message, paraphrases Paul’s words this

way: “So here's what I want you to do, God helping you:

Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping,

eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life –

and place it before God as an offering ….” (Romans 12:1a MSG)

In other words, your whole life becomes an act of

constant worship when you live, work, and breathe

as unto the Lord. (Colossians 3:23)

Paul’s language in Romans 12 refers to the

work required by priests to prepare the temple

for worship; he’s suggesting that the mundane

tasks of the temple are acts of worship equal to

the seemingly more spiritual moments of community worship.

Time warp into the present and think of it like this

: God can be worshiped as well when you vacuum the carpet

in the worship center as when you stand in the same

place during a worship service.

Paul continues in his letter to outline specific

and practical behaviors that can be offered to

God as acts of worship as we, living sacrifices,

move from self-centeredness to other-centeredness.

By giving up our own choices and preferences in

deference to others, we please and worship God.

Now, you may be thinking, What does this have to

do with ordering a burger and fries at the fast-food-burger-barn?

Let’s step into that answer with a confession about myself:

You could say I’m in recovery for impatience, a sin I took

my sweet time to confess before God. (Meaning God showed

patience at my impatience!) When you get honest about it,

impatience is a form of pride. It says: “I require immediate

attention (because I’m too childish to wait).” “My time is mor

important than the time of others.” “I know better than

anyone else what must be done.” “My need is urgent;

everyone else, get in the slow line.”

Yet Paul says that when we sacrifice our own choices

and preferences in deference to others – when we honor

others over ourselves – we please and worship God.

(Romans 12:1, 10) Eugene Peterson suggests Paul is saying,

“Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing

second fiddle.”(Romans 12:10 MSG)

As I read this passage, I felt the Holy Spirit’s nudging – you

know how that goes – “Hey, this passage is about you

and your impatience; now what are you going to do about it?”

My immediate answer was ... to head off to the

fast-food-burger-barn for some “comfort food.”

It was lunch time, and as I was walking into the burger barn,

I started jockeying for position, trying to get through the door

before any slow looking people got in front of me. As I grabbed

for the door, the words “Practice playing second fiddle” lit up my

French fry-deprived mind like neon sign

energized by the Holy Spirit. And in that moment,

God spoke into my thoughts: “What does it matter

in eternity if I get my Big Burger Deluxe 35 seconds

later than someone else?” I stopped and opened the

door so the people behind me could go through in front of me.

Here’s my point: Allowing others to go before me when I was in such

a rush went against my natural inclinations, but God was

telling me to sacrifice my natural tendencies, to lay

them on the altar before him so the Holy Spirit could

energize my actions. As Ian Thomas teaches, God

replaces our instincts with the Holy Spirit.

By practicing at playing second fiddle, this mundane

moment became an act of worship: “God, I have failed so

often to honor others over myself, but I want to start now.

I acknowledge you are my God, and I am submitted to you.

You are a great and gracious God, and you will take care of me,

so it does not matter when I get to the front of the line,

or if I even miss this one meal.”

This thought of worshiping God in all we do, think, and say is a

difficult truth to handle, and I am way at the back of the line in

understanding it and living it out. In fact, it seems quite impossible.

I can’t, but God can.

So what?

· Honor God in all you do – “So here's what I want you to do,

God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life –

your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life –

and place it before God as an offering ….” (Romans 12:1a MSG)

· Go with faith, not fear – As God guides you to places in your

life where you’re still not living in sacrifice (that is, being a

living sacrifice), ask him to show you what specific fear is

keeping you from the faith of your living your everyday,

ordinary life before God as an offering.

· I can’t or I won’t – When God confronts you with a natural

instinct – a portion of your life where you tend to be self-

centered instead of other-centered – ask him to show you

the difference between “I can’t change ….” and “I won’t change ….”

· Pick one behavior – Read through Romans 12:6-17 and

pick one behavior that you need to offer before God as part

of your living sacrifice. Chose an area where you are weak

but willing to submit to God’s great and gracious strength.

Don't Fear Authentic Relationships "But if we live in the light, as God is in the light, we can share fellowship with each other. Then the blood of Jesus, God's Son, cleanses us from every sin. If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:7-8 NCV).
Authentic fellowship is not superficial, surface-level chit-chat. It's genuine, heart-to-heart, sometimes gut-level sharing. It happens when people get honest about who they are and what is happening in their lives. They share their hurts, reveal their feelings, confess their failures, disclose their doubts, admit their fears, acknowledge their weaknesses, and ask for help and prayer. Authenticity is the exact opposite of what you find in many churches. Instead of an atmosphere of honesty and humility, there is pretending, role-playing, politicking, and superficial politeness, but shallow conversation. People wear masks, keep their guard up, and act as if everything is rosy in their lives. These attitudes are the death of real friendship. It's only as we become open about our lives that we experience authentic fellowship. The Bible says, "If we live in the light, as God is in the light, we can share fellowship with each other . . . If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves" (1 John 1:7-8 NCV). The world thinks intimacy occurs in the dark, but God says it happens in the light. We tend to use darkness to hide our hurts, faults, fears, failures, and flaws. But in the light, we bring them all out into the open and admit who we really are. Of course, being authentic requires both courage and humility. It means facing our fear of exposure, rejection, and being hurt again. Why would anyone take such a risk? Because it's the only way to grow spiritually and be emotionally healthy. The Bible says, "Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed" (James 5:16 MSG).

We Know God's Truth Through Creation

We Know God's Truth Through Creation "But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is!" (Romans 1:19 MSG)
About thirty-five years ago, I was at a camp in the mountains. Alone in a room, I prayed, "God, if there is a God, I'm open. If You're real, I want to know You're real. And, Jesus Christ, if You can change my life, if there is a purpose for my life, I want to know it." You know what happened? I didn't get goose bumps. I didn't cry. No bright lights shown down. Nothing like that. Yet, still, it was the turning point in my life—because I was no longer biasing myself against God. I wanted to know the truth, even if it was inconvenient. Truth can be discovered, but first we have to have an attitude of openness that says, "I want the truth more than anything else." Once you choose that attitude, you can discover the truth. How? First, through creation. We learn a lot about God, a lot about truth, just by looking at nature. This is why science is so important. It helps us understand God and His universe. For instance, by knowing that there are 60,000 varieties of beetles, we learn God likes variety. By seeing a volcano, a tidal wave, or an earthquake, we learn God is powerful. From the delicately balanced ecosystem, we can observe God is incredibly organized. The Bible says, "The basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can't see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of His divine being. So nobody has a good excuse" (Romans 1:19-20 MSG). In the coming days, we'll look at how God also leads us to the truth through conscience, careful consideration, His commandments, and through Jesus Christ.

ako mismo

Ako mismo tutuparin ang ipinangako ko.

Do your part as a Filipino.

Be the hope of this nation and be an inspiration of our generation.

Pledge now. Do it now.


www.akomismo.org

Love with them

OR nurse
My bro

flaming Fingers...

mirror

lens ahead..

KEEP THE FAITH

Keep The Faith

"Let me explain the problem science has with Jesus Christ."The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new students to stand."You're a Christian, aren't you, son?" "Yes sir," the student says."So you believe in God?" "Absolutely.""Is God good?" "Sure! God's good, and I will Keep The Faith.""Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?" "Yes.""Are you good or evil?" "The Bible says I'm evil."The professor grins knowingly. "Aha! The Bible!" He considers for a moment. "Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help them? Would you try?" "Yes sir, I would.""So you're good...!" "I wouldn't say that.""But why not say that? You'd help a sick and maimed person if you could. Most of us would if we could. But God doesn't." The student does not answer, so the professor continues. "He doesn't, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Hmmm? Can you answer that one?" The student remains silent."No, you can't, can you?" the professor says. He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax. "Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?" "Er... Yes," the student says."Is Satan good?" The student doesn't hesitate on this one. "No." "Then where does Satan come from?" The student falters. "From... God..."That's right. God made Satan, didn't he? Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?" "Yes, sir.""Evil's everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything correct?" "Yes.""So who created evil?" Again, the student has no answer."Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness. All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?" The student squirms on his feet. "Yes.""So who created them?" The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his question, "Who created them? " There is still no answer. Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace in front of the classroom. The class is mesmerized. "Tell me," he continues. "Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?" The student's voice betrays him and cracks. "Yes, professor. I do." The old man stops pacing. "Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?" "No sir. I've never seen Him.""Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?" "No, sir. I have not.""Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus? Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for that matter." "No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't.""Yet you still believe in him?" "Yes.""According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that son?" "Nothing," the student replies. "I only have my faith." "Yes, faith," the professor repeats. "And that is the problem science has with God. There is no evidence, only faith." The student stands quietly for a moment, before asking a question of his own."Professor, is there such thing as heat?""Yes," the professor replies. "There's heat." "And is there such a thing as cold?""Yes, son, there's cold too." "No sir, there isn't."The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested. The room suddenly becomes very quiet. The student begins to explain. "You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold; otherwise we would be able to go colder than - 458 degrees. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it."Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom, sounding like a hammer."What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?""Yes," the professor replies without hesitation. "What is night if it isn't darkness?" "You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light... but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word. In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?"The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be a good semester."So what point are you making, young man?" "Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with and so your conclusion must also be flawed."The professor's face cannot hide his surprise this time. "Flawed? Can you explain how?" "You are working on the premise of duality," the student explains. "You argue that there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it. Now tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?""If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do." "Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?"The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes where the argument is going. A very good semester indeed. "Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a preacher?"The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion has subsided."To continue the point you were making earlier, let me give you an example of what I mean?" The student looks around the room."Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor's brain?"The class breaks out into laughter."Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain, felt the professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, with all due respect, sir." So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your lectures, sir?"Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, his face unreadable.Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers. "I guess you'll have to take them on faith."

---at home----

This are my siblings Rieza, Aimee, Mon, Ivy, and Tyrone

Our House, Our Home

We play at our house and have all sorts of fun,

An’ there’s always a game when supper is done;

An’ at our house there’s marks on the walls an’ the stairs,

An’ some terrible scratches on some of the chairs;

An’ ma says that our house is surely a fright,

But pa and I say that our house is all right.
At our house we laugh an’ we sing an’ we shout,

An’ whirl all the chairs and the tables about,

An’ I rassle my pa an’ I get him down too,

An’ he’s all out of breath when the fightin’ is through;

Am’ ma says our house is surely a sight,

But pa an’ I say that our house is all right.
I’ve been to houses with pa where I had To sit in a chair like a good little lad,

An’ there wasn’t a mark on the walls an’ the chairs,

An’ the stuff that we have couldn’t come up to theirs;

An’ pa said to ma that for all of their joy

He wouldn’t change places and give up his boy.
They never have races nor rassles nor fights.

Coz they have no children to play with at nights;

An’ their walls are all clean and their curtains hang straight,

An’ everthing’s shiny an’ right up to date;But pa says with all of its racket an’ fuss,

He’d rather by far live at our house with us.

Radiant Certainty

I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” (John 16:20-22 NIV)
There are some days when, frankly, I don’t feel much like worshiping God. There are probably more days like that than I’d care to admit.
But usually those are days when I’m staring at my circumstances and making faithless judgments about what I see around me. And I struggle with the God-truth that he is in the circumstances surrounding my life – all the circumstances.
Have you ever considered that heartbreak is part of God’s “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”? (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV) We put so much energy into avoiding the hurt, when God would have us embrace it. He wants us to know he can heal our hurts, even use them for his benefit. He wants us to faithfully believe that the circumstances we think are harming us are actually positive situations God is engineering.
God, who is omnipotent, sees the breadth and depth of our circumstances, and he knows his plans for our lives. Thinking, then, like Christ, we can slowly – perhaps ever so slowly – begin to understand that avoiding the pain in our lives is actually an act of faithlessness. God calls us to faith in him during difficult circumstances; we’d rather place our faith in avoiding the circumstances.
As always, Jesus shows us the way – because he is the Way. Jesus embraced the pain of God’s plan for his life, and he did it with full faith that God was still working the plan to bring a “hope and a future” to your life and mine. (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV) Christ was so sure his grief would turn to joy that he showed a radiant certainty in God’s faithfulness (“Radiant certainty” is a phrase William Barclay uses to describe the attitude of Jesus at the Last Supper).
Our Brother Jesus, who is also our King, was heading into a crisis that would cost him his life, yet he was so certain – radiantly certain – of God’s faithfulness that not one of his disciples even discerned the gravity of the crisis! Jesus was so certain of God’s faithfulness that it radiated throughout his whole being.
And we also can have this radiant certainty about God’s hand in our lives. We can say, when it comes to God’s faithfulness, “I know because I know that I know.” That’s radiant certainty! The cross was Christ’s glory, not his penalty – and the same is true of difficult circumstances in our lives.
What now?
· God’s faithful character – You will develop this radiant certainty in God when you learn to trust in his faithful character. Your daily worship of God is irrevocably tied to your faith in God.
· Praise God anyway – You must choose to praise and worship God every day, no matter what the circumstances of your life. Developing a radiant certainty in God begins with simple steps of faith and obedience.
· Respond to God, not your circumstances – When faced with a painful or difficult circumstance, ask God, “How do you want me to respond to this?” Keep your eyes wise for the “Why me?” traps that lie about your circumstances.
· You can be radiantly certain of this: Difficult circumstances are opportunities for you to intentionally focus your faith in God and see what he will do to give you hope and healing.