PRAYER AND THE INDOMITABLE SPIRIT OF MAN

I sit here glued to watching CNN with its update on 'Sandy'. Flooded streets, dark homes, snowed-in houses, fallen trees blocking roads, explosions and the fires after..... but my thoughts and heart goes inside those homes. Can you feel what they feel? Oh yes, we have been through the same perhaps much stronger with a 200kph typhoon .. not 85kph. But it's the same. It's a catastrophe. Mother nature is having a temper... a bad temper.. and we puny mortals are made helpless in its sway. That's the catastrophe.

But as my mother would tell me.... 'sometimes we are brought down to our knees to make us realize that we are nothing... but... for a very good reason'  We come to realize this that we are all the same no matter from what part of the globe you are... we fear, cry, go hungry, go thirsty, want warmth and shelter, seek safety and protection, seek help and healing, feel disappointed and frustrated, and pray to our God whatever his name be to us. I can see myself just like that if I were in their shoes.

And too that we are the same in wanting to rise up and build our lives anew with what's left for us to build on with the strength and courage we find within our souls. The indomitable spirit of man.  And that has or knows no color, race, or creed. By God's design.

From where we are we may seem powerless to help them. But nothing can restrain the power of PRAYER. Even God can't say no to that. Pray. He will listen. So let's send a deluge of prayer in their direction. Right now.

BOOKS CONNECT US WITH ALL OF CREATION

One day a cousin of a friend came up to me at a gathering with friends and said in jest... 'ang lalim ng mga sinusulat mo' (translated...'it's hard reading you').

I looked at her and replied... 'try it from here' (pointing to her heart) in jest too. 

'Baliw ka talaga!' (translated....'you're crazy') she replied with a laugh. 

To which I countered....'O diba, nasa puso ang kabaliwan' (translated.... 'yup, crazy is right there in the heart'). 

Don't worry when among friends, close friends, you get the privilege of being crazily straightforward and funny and come out of it in one piece. In our group we do it all the time.

Books fall in different categories, don't we know that. Correspondingly we either read with the mind or with the heart. In most of my reading I lean towards those which tug gently or fiercely at any of the strings in my heart. Stories which tell of human struggles, heartaches, foolishness or sometimes stupidity, passion, inspiration, spiritual growth and everything else which resonates with my own in my tiny niche of life and the world. I want to be reminded that I am not alone in my humanity - that out there in the big wide world there is or are other souls going through the same things I do. I want to feel this connection, this oneness with the rest of creation. So I read. And, so I write.

May God pour out blessings upon you today and in the week up ahead. God bless.

STAY AND LISTEN

It's early evening and just got back from a lovely lunch and day with my daughter Christine and son-in-law Daniel who celebrated their 2nd anniversary. Imagine what lovely time it was with two families (from Las Pinas and Antipolo) sharing a sumptuous meal at Vikings!  Such wonderful blessings and a memorable day from a loving Father above. Thanks, Dad!

Then of course I'd check the blog; don't want to miss comments from my readers-friends -- replying to them promptly as I can make it. Next checked the inbox for emails. Hmmm... the usual things except for this one... one lovely person, a friend for quite a long time now, from the blog pouring out her heart so burdened by troubles. I don't think she wanted to find solutions from me but rather it was more just wanting a listening ear to her woes. I replied and sent off an earnest prayer in her direction. God will take care of her. I am sure. Positively!

You know what, we go through something similar to that at some point or other in our lives. And in those moments we sometimes long for or need someone who would be there for us, perhaps guide us walk through misery, lend us strength where ours has gone, or simply listen.

And if one day you find yourself being that person or being called for such Divine work..... stay and listen. But also remember this as you stay there and listen ......... it's not you but GOD who works in you or through you WHO is blessing your friend's soul.

Hope you're all having a wonderful weekend. Blessings!!

(Thanks to my friend, Mr. Quote Man, for the wonderful picture above.)

GROW YOURSELF

 

I sit here sipping a glass of warm water thinking of a friend. By the way, have read that a warm glass of water is good to start the day with upon waking. The point? Warm water does not jar or shock your system to wakefulness but does it better with a gentle nudge. Well that said, this friend whom I love dearly images that part of us -- that part which contributes to the misery of the self and the misery of our lives.

You know it's not acceptable to allow yourself to wallow in pity, hopelessness, fear, bitterness, anger, unforgiving, resentment because these are like ground bugs (anay) which literally gnaw at your strength, courage, self-esteem, confidence, hope, faith, and joy. It punctures holes in your character, your mind, your heart, and soul. Bit by bit you are reduced to a person engulfed by this dark power of negativity no longer recognizable from your true self.

But we are told to fight it! So You must do the best that you can with life; you give it your best shot. Don't give yourself permission to be miserable. When life hits you with trials, punch back with incremental changes which can alter your internal landscape. Change from within (internal) guarantees change from without (external). Be consistent, persistent, vigorous, determined, and resolute in wanting change. And you begin TODAY! Nobody can do that for you. It's just you and you owe that to yourself. GROW YOURSELF. It's tough work (who sez change is easy?!) but tell yourself that you deserve nothing less than the best!

And last but certainly not the least, ask God our FATHER to recreate you, to restore you to whole again. He WILL!!

Have a blessed Sunday. Love your family. Love yourself. Always love GOD.

EVERYDAY IS A NEW DAY OF LEARNING

‘Everyday is a new day of learning’ – I like that line. Each day brings with it the wonder and awe of new things. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to know them, savor them, and enjoy them-- To be there side by side with it and to know that by its experience our lives are further enriched. To know that learning transforms our minds and hearts; thereby leading us to becoming better versions of our old selves. To discover too that even in the nothingness of a day there is a tiny seed of learning somewhere there that is simply waiting to be unfurled.

Don’t we go through all lengths to better ourselves through education, a thriving career, lofty positions, or a string of achievements or connections – so then why don’t we use that same energy to better ourselves in the arena of our humanity? Wealth or the best of schools does not necessarily produce people for the world but people of the world.

It’s not who we are or what we have but rather what we do with ourselves or of our god-given talents which define us. Because who we are or what we have do not really belong to us although they seem to -- the truth is it is not given us for our sole use alone. But rather it’s given us to serve others with and to try making our world a better place. In the end it redounds to making our lives better (within) enabling us to create a happier world (without).

Behind every new experience is the opportunity to grow even bigger and better, to like and know ourselves more, to appreciate our gifts and to understand how better to use it, to see and appreciate the work of God’s hands in everything around us, to be kinder and compassionate to others, to appreciate the beauty of a person regardless of color, race, or creed and to respect that person for his contribution to life and to the world, and if I may add, to appreciate his contribution to our own little corner of that same world. Those things can come with each day God brings to us.

Let’s seize the day not because life is precious (It is!) but also because the day contains tremendous learning treasures for you and me. For to help us better understand our rightful place in the bigger scheme of things, is by God's design.

Blessings to you all.

LIVING A LIFE THAT MATTERS

Heard from someone this tiny wish -- to live a life that would be remembered long after they have gone. Or live the present meaningfully.

 

 It can be done. No need to search far and wide for the key. Because it's right there within us. It's the basic good which a loving FATHER and GOD placed in our hearts when HE created us.

 Connect with that good within -- let it shine through and out to the world -- and your life indeed will be a life that truly matters.

God bless you!

(Thank you to Mr. Quote Man for the pictures)

POWER OF INCREMENTAL CHANGE

It's that time of the day when the birds have stopped chirping, the dogs have settled down to their nap, the morning chores done with, and the school buses have taken off with the neighbors' kids. And everything is quiet.

And you begin to look around you and think 'there's nothing to do'. Maybe... maybe not because I don't buy that. Even if sometimes I too use those same lines to my day and to which I bonk myself on the head with 'you can't be serious!!'.

If someone asks you 'what word is it that never runs out of anything?' The answer is --- the word 'Do!'.

You can .... do this, do that, do it now, do it later, do big, do small, do something, do anything, do everything. And even if you said 'do nothing'... still there is an energy attached to it (but that isn't what we're talking about here). The whole point meant is that the word 'do' is synonymous to 'act' ....and 'act' gives birth to 'change'.... and 'change' is the cousin of 'improve'. So then it penultimately or ultimately will lead you to some amount of improvement which could in the long run take you to whatever it is that you want to achieve.

The small do's of today added up to the small do's of tomorrow will add up to create something which you thought couldn't be ...or have believed for so long wouldn't matter. Do it everyday or every chance you can get and you will be surprised one day to see how far you have traveled or how close you are to a goal or dream. Small is the start of all big things.

To quote......

"Small and consistent actions tend to 

create small and consistent improvements." 

-- Robert Pagliarini

Do have a lovely and productive Monday. With God's blessings.