If Jesus Can, Why Can't We?

5^th Sunday of Lent

Pls Read God’s Silent Message: JN 12:20-33

Are there people in your life that have hurt you and you have not yet forgiven?

Yong mga taong kinakasamaan mo ng loob kasi ang sabi mo nasaktan ka nila …

Yong mga taong sabi mo nakasakit sayo kaya nagalit ka sa kanila …

Pero ang tanong Friend … nalaman kaya nila na sumama loob mo sa kanila?

Nalaman kaya nila kung bakit at kung ano ang iyong ikinagalit?

And kung nalaman man nila, napag-usapan nyo po kaya ng tama where to draw the line of reconciliation?

         Hanggang kailan ka po kaya magagalit?

         Hanggang kailan hindi magagawang magpapatawad?

Just some of the questions we could reflect on. Sometimes it’s not really all about them – but about nobody than US! 

Minsan kasi, kailangan din nating masaktan para maisip natin kung kailan din natin hindi sinasadyang makapanakit. Stories always have two sides of the coin. Supposedly, when we commit, we admit; when we omit, we submit! – but in reality, when one commits mistake & omits to ask for forgiveness, we normally judge & condemn – sacrificing the relationship to death.

Pero alam mo friend, what makes us uneasy to forgive is the fact that the real enemy that Jesus came to overcome was Satan who tempts the human race to create their own destiny through sinful pride and disobedience. In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds:

“Amen, amen, I say to you, unless the grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies,

it remains alone. But if it dies, it will bear much fruit.”  – John 12.24

Only when the seed is destroyed by burying it in the ground, can it rise to new life and bear fruit. What it means is that, sometimes we have to die to our self-satisfaction of justifying why we’re mad.

If Jesus took our sins upon himself and nailed them to the cross to set us free from destruction, why can we not give up our pride and futility?

Friend, ayaw ni God na laging mabigat ang pakiramdam mo dahil galit ka sa pagkukulang ng iba! 

God has been striving to bring us into an inseparable bond of love & unity with Him. Only if we would be one with God would we be able to “free others from our unforgiveness” – then it would eventually free us to extend more love and bear much fruit of encouraging relationships!  #sunset

*** published in The Feast San Lorenzo Weekly Bulletin. Issue #15. 18 March 2018.  UNLEASHED Series. Talk 3: Freeing Others. 

*** also published in the following sites:

https://profgail67.wordpress.com/2018/03/18/if-jesus-can-why-cant-we/

https://trendingprof47.wordpress.com/2018/03/18/if-jesus-can-why-cant-we/

We Can Still Align: The Antidote to Future Regrets

2^nd Sunday of Lent

Pls Read God’s Silent Message: Mk 9:2–10

Hello, MILLENIALS!

Have you heard some at your age, with these lines?

Sana pala, I didn’t give in that much, di sana ako na-broken hearted!

Sana pala, I didn’t keep secrets from my parents, na-guide sana ako!

Sana pala, di ako nagmadali, na-enjoy ko pa sana ang pagka-bata ko!

Sana pala, nakinig ako, di sana …

Guess what, would you know that your parents share the same sentiments with you?

Kung sana lang nasabihan namin sya, di sana sya nasasaktan ngayon!

Kung sana lang nalaman namin, di naman nya kailangang maramdamang mag-isa sya!

Kung sala lang di kami na-awkward na masabihang stage parents, we could have enjoyed TIMES TOGETHER!

Kung sana lang, nakinig sya at napakinggan namin sya, di sana…

Ang daming “sana”, ang daming time na parang nasayang na!

If dadating ka sa point na parang kulang na ‘yong time, saka mo lang masasabi sa sarili mo:

“Sayang, ‘di sana ako naghesitate na tingnan ang dapat kong makita,

di sana ako nagdalawang isip na sabihin ‘yong dapat kong sabihin;

naging humble sana akong ipakita at iparamdam na kailangan ko ng tulong;

kailangan kong maramdamang di ako nag-iisa.”

Millennials and “Me-linya” … come to think of it, “to each his own!” … sometimes, we just don’t realize and recognize that we both share the same sentiments towards each other in the so-called “generational gap.”

Madalas kesa minsan, we fail to make “both ends meet” kasi we are focused on our own emotions and expectations.

Today’s Gospel is reminding us to be spiritually awake and not miss God’s glory in action:

“The Lord Jesus not only wants us to see His glory - He wants to share this glory with us.

And Jesus shows us the way to the Father's glory: follow me - obey my words - take the path I have chosen for you and you will receive the blessings of my Father's kingdom - your name will be written in heaven.”

We would miss  God's glory and action if we wouldn’t strive to obey “as children” and submit to the path that God has chosen for us “as parents.” The Antidote to future regret is to align "as parents" and "as a child" NOW!   

Life is too short, we should maximize time, appreciating and enjoying “having each other” while we still have all the opportunity to “make things up with each other”. J #sunset

========================================================================
Article Published in: The Feast San Lorenzo Bulletin. Issue #12. 25 February 2018. The Light of Jesus Family in San Lorenzo, Sta Rosa, Laguna. https://www.facebook.com/thefeastsanlorenzo/

Happiness is a Choice

Minsan kailangan mong babawan ang kaligayahan mo para maging masaya ka!

Happy is he who delights in little things -- so that he becomes happier when big things come.

If only we will learn to appreciate the littlest of things accorded to us,
we won't have to look for happiness all the days of our life.

For it's only when we strive to open our heart to those who intend to make us happy that we will feel the amount of gratitude that we should give back.

Happiness is a choice -- and only those who never close their heart to little things find it.

photo credits: http://kjpwg.com/quotes-happiness/

Imagine your Reality!

photo credits to http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/22/03/7c/22037cdc1ce0132654bf67ca9f401309.jpg

You’ve been pained? … You felt small? 

Once, twice, so many times? and Somebody caused it?

BOUNCE! Be harder than you never thought you would be!

The person who caused you the pain could be the ground you fall in. But the harder you are, You will just bounce and never will stay where somebody made you feel down.

Strive to IMAGINE …

Paint a beautiful picture of you, overcoming that “feeling small”. No one could really bring you down if you wouldn’t allow yourself to feel so low!

Plan how to produce the dream that God has placed in your heart and trust that God’s anointing would eventually heal the pain of being belittled. Imagine your dream becoming a reality!

Claim that 2017 will be your BEST YEAR EVER!

#payitforward from #feastsmstarosa #thankyouBroDreus #gratefulgail #bestyearever

Never to Feel Small Again!

THAT NIGHT!

photo credits: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com

When you have so much desire in your heart to give -- but you just can't because you don't have any! 

THIS MORNING as i awoke to this brand new day -- I lifted up to God this pain in my heart. 

I DON'T WANT TO HAVE THIS KIND OF FEELING AGAIN!

Never will this happen again -- ever! 

Never will I cry myself to sleep again -- feeling pained because i've felt SO LIMITED!

When i want so much to share but i don't have my own resources to give out. 

I may have all the immaterial things i could promise to give 

but sometimes, it's not all there is! 

Sometimes you also want tangible things to prove what you have "there within"! 

That boy who shared to thousand people his "five loaves and two fishes" 

I AM HIM with this desire that I have RIGHT NOW!

For now, i may just be giving LITTLE ...

but AS I TELL THIS TO MYSELF NOW while GOD is healing this pain,

GOD WILL WORK HIS MIRACLE!

He will bring me to MY BREAKTHROUGH of earning to share THAT MUCH!

That night will never happen again!

On Our Third Decade!

WE'VE COME HOME! 

Na excite akong umuwi!
Na excite akong bumallik!
Umuwi sa kung saan ako nag umpisa.
Bumalik sa kung saan ko nakilala ang "ako" ngayon na dala ko saan man magpunta.
Yong naging "ako" nang "dahil sa kanila."

Sila na matiyagang nakinig sa bawat sharing ko na may paiyak iyak pa.
Sila na nag strategize ng mga activities na hanggang ngayon ay walang kupas ang epekto sa aking pagkatao.

Si Ma'am Myra Dizon Nicolas na mae-excite ka sa mga comments sa journal ko na hanggang ngayon ay itinatago ko pa.
Si Ma'am Twila Punsalan na sa bawat tanong ay talagang mapapaisip ka ng isasagot na magpapangiti at magpapaganda ng aura nya.
Si Ma'am Wilma Reyes na ramdam mong sumisimpatya sa bawat hugot mo in effect sa mga kwento nya.
Si Ma'am Kelly Fulgencio na naniwala sa mga kaya kong gawin noong practicum days.

Iilan lang sila dati na nagtaguyod ng aming pagpapakatao
-- at si Ma'am Tway ang pasimuno! ... hehehh :)
Nagtatag ng STEP Organization ... at pinilit palakasin Batch-after-batch kung saan na-challenge kaming 22 VE Majors : 3rd Batch, 1992!  

Hindi dapat sa amin huminto ang paglaganap ng Samahan; kaya naman bilang President kapit lang ang naging peg ko sa suporta ng mga mga ka-Batch ko ... laban sa pagtaguyod ng Samahan ng mga Tagapagpalaganap ng Edukasyon sa Pagpapahalaga! STEP!

Nakakakonsensyang hindi mo sila balikan para pasalamatan!
Kasi malaking parte sila ng kung ano ako ngayon.
At syempre, nakakapanghinayang na di mo gustuhing makasamang muli
ang mga classmate mong naging karamay mo sa hirap at sarap ng college life.
Sa bawat iyakan, tawanan, tambay sa "malaking puno ng mangga" 

-- yong katotohanan na malaking parte sila kung paano mo kinaya!

30 years na! On our Third Decade ... tuloy pa din ang advocacy bilang Values Education Major kasi dito ako nagsimula! Masarap lumingon sa pinanggalingan! -- an ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE ika nga!

Masarap lumingon sa pinanggalingan! An ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE ika nga!

At sa inyong lahat who made this day possible, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!

you can also view this post in
https://profgail67.wordpress.com/2016/11/28/on-our-third-decade/

A Mom's Late Post Letter

Today, you're about to leave for school and came to me to bless ... 'not sure if it's to your own will or again, just because your dad told you so.

at the middle of a task, i hesitated giving you my hand because i feel too pained with all of your "disrespects" to me.

I've already had a lot from you almost the whole of 2015 and i feel so sad that afterall the reaching outs that i did to you, after all the "forgiveness" i've accorded to you even if you didn't sincerely asked for,  you were never able to rule over your negative thoughts at the start of 2016 ...

You've already had a lot of sister-fights because of wearing and taking over something which is not yours -- but when i called your attention  upon seeing you again wearing your sister's dress, Surprisingly i just reacted: "oh, bakit mo suot yan?" ... i didn't even shout at you nor did i tell anything bad but you reacted negatively saying "bakit, masama?"  And so i went on saying "galing na tayo dyan, wag na natin uling gawin kasi alam na natin ang kasunod..." A humble heart should have just said:"okey po mommy, hindi na po." ... but instead you said "oo na!"

Just because you didn't want to get corrected from your mistake, --  there you go saying there was something wrong with my reaction! AS ALWAYS, THERE YOU GO WITH YOUR DIVERSION TACTICS -- just to COVER-UP, you'll keep on ANSWERING BACK DISRESPECTFULLY because you've diverted the issue, NO LONGER to what you've triggered at.

You can't imagine how much you're hurting your mother for ANSWERING BACK after diverting.  I never did hurt you physically just to impose on my being a mother to you.

Malaki ka na para paluin pa kita sa tuwing sumasagot ka. Hindi kita kayang saktan pero i had to say things THAT YOU NEED TO REALIZE.  Tama naman ang Dad mo, hindi kita dapat binibigyan ng pagkakataong sagutin ako.  Dapat nga siguro sinasampal kita tuwing ginagawa mo yon, at tama nga na dapat ini-impose ko sayo na WAG KANG SASAGOT DAHIL MAGULANG MO AKO ... pero mali ako dahil hindi ko nagagawa yon; DAHIL WHAT RULES OVER ME IS TO TELL YOU WHAT YOU NEED TO REALIZE AT SUCH MOMENT.

Habang hindi kita kayang saktan, YOUR PRIDE AGAINST ME AS YOUR MOTHER has already created a path ... me, away from you! Pero dahil i don't want to give up on you being your mother, nandito pa din ako, HOPING TO BE RESPECTED and my concerns, NOT MISINTERPRETED!

PAKIUSAP: DON'T GAZE YOUR EYES ON ME EACH TIME, JUST TO SEE MY MISTAKES & ANNOUNCE IT TO YOUR DAD as if i am one of your competitors! There are things na kahit kulang or kahit wala, or kahit di ko masyadong achieve, i'll just need to breathe & slow down, keep it to myself & internally process deep within until i'm ok again; ang tawag don "sacrifice" -- pero kahit don sa mga moments na 'yon, you don't pay me due respect; kung sitahin mo ako, parang ka-level mo lang ako. ENOUGH!

I cannot give you all of your demands which in the long run 'wont actually help you; neither all the material things that you need.  I would NO LONGER STRIVE TO PLEASE YOU just to ease your comparisons over your other siblings.  I also won't tolerate your lavish unwise use of time! PURE LOVE -- YON LANG ANG KAYA KONG IBIGAY!

ONE DAY, the path that you have created will be a road kasi 'yon yong lagi mong dinadaanan kahit di naman 'yon yong totoong daan. The mess that you create in your room each day is also a reflection that you never mind any of your mom's intention to TRAIN YOU TO HOW YOU SHOULD BE: AN ORGANIZED ARCHITECT IN THE MAKING.

SORRY, I AM NOT A PERFECT MOTHER, I HAVE A LOT OF MISTAKES SA PANINGIN MO! This is just me, no longer confident to voice out to you my being "a mom" BECAUSE EACH TIME, I AM WRONG!  SORRY FOR THAT!

You are More than Enough!

Source: You are More than Enough!

http://wortheet.com/slider-videos/everyone-of-us-must-realize-one-thing-i-am-enough

Sometimes we've got to pause for a while and give ourselves the benefit of looking "at our SELF" in the mirror!

Have you tried this? Try watching this video http://wortheet.com/slider-videos/everyone-of-us-must-realize-one-thing-i-am-enough ... or even if this video is not or no longer available by the time you read this, GO GRAB THAT CHANCE, LOOK AT YOUR SELF IN THE MIRROR!

What can you say about what you see?

How do you feel about what you see?

What then can you tell TO WHAT YOU SEE?

Not everyone will tell US the appreciation that we want to hear from people around us, specially from the ones we love. It would take a lot of "self mending" to still GO ON living a life of good deeds for others; yet, it would take a lot "paying forward" what God have given us if we could tell ourselves "I AM ENOUGH" while we still grab all the chances to get better each day amidst whatever difficulties.

So, GUYZZZ, LADIES & GENTS, let's grab telling this to ourselves: "I AM ENOUGH!" and KEEP HOLDING ON, NEVER EVER GIVE UP, there's more to life than that money-problem, there's more to life than whatever tough times! God has always been backing us up, we only need to feel it deep within our heart.

How we think about ourselves will make us FIND ALL THE REASON TO LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST.

                                                               Sometimes we've got to tell this to our "SELF"!

*.* credits to http://wortheet.com/slider-videos/everyone-of-us-must-realize-one-thing-i-am-enough for this video and captured image. Thank you so much for the inspiration. 

In our Present Lifetime

Our paths had to meet for reasons we may not understand; and then  "Two by Two" -- AS PARTNERS, God sent us TO FULFIL A MISSION and @ that, we need some alignments & compromise!

Gone should be the days when we "do things on our own, for our own"! 

Gone should be the days when all that we consider is our own feelings and disregard what & how others would feel because we assert the "SELF" that we are. Normal as it usually is, along the journey, we're bringing with us our BACK PACKS: fully loaded with reasons why we think, act & talk the way we do -- some are our strengths; and some are our weaknesses which both make us Beautiful, endowed with the image and likeness of God.   

Relationships matter! It could never be true that "lone nomads" never yearned to have somebody by their side! We may not be aware, but let's be more ALERT of such "pretences" -- for more often than not, we may just be too proud to make amends but the truth of the matter is that: we're actually in unspeakable need of acceptance and concern and approval and praises and commendations and the likes -- all of which would actually give us that sense of belongingness and worth as a person. Well, this is normal & there's nothing to be ashamed of -- BUT, we may tend to become egocentric if we would yearn to receive these favours "at the expense of", or "in disregard of" the other's equal needs like ours. 

Family is the most important relationship we should STRIVE TO WORK FOR!

Sometimes, a Husband may not understand why his wife would get mad at him when out of his anger, he already forgot to be considerate in his actuations toward their kids. In the same way, Kids may not be able to fully grasp or may resist the many things their parents want them to understand.  Sometimes too, parents may not perceive the intended meaning of where their kids are coming from with the reactions that they give.  MANY TIMES AMIDST ALL THE MISUNDERSTANDINGS, "a Wife and a Mother at the same time" could only absorb and tolerate and manage that much.  Without everybody being sensible enough, some hearts could STRIVE TO MEND  -- but yearning for an answer: how would we ever BREAKTHROUGH?

"Two by two" HE MADE US "PARTNERS"! -- but why You and why Me? -- Only God knows!

It could never be anybody's fault why it had to be us! 

So TWO-GETHER, we should never be each other's opponent! 

The He made us PARENTS! 

It will never be easy! -- it actually never is!

Individually, we both have our own PASTS. our own USED-TO-BEs. our own good and bad EXPERIENCES which explain "THE WHO THAT WE ARE TODAY!"

We may justify that HABITS & ATTITUDES throughout those years have already been something we can never do without. -- But the thing is, while Jesus is sending us off at PRESENT TIME, He doesn't want us to bring anything -- not anything from our past -- except A PIECE OF STICK: OUR FAITH -- GOD'S ASSURANCE that He would be with us every step of the way.  

God wants our YOKE to be easy as we deal "hearts-on" to the Mission that He wants us to accomplish in OUR PRESENT LIFETIME -- for it's not only us whom He declared "partners" -- but the "two of us" as His partners! 

HOPEFULLY, may we see eye to eye &  feel heart to heart with Him  in all HUMILITY for us to willingly GROW IN-LOVE: THE KEY that would make EACH HOME one of the DOORS OF GOD'S UNFAILING LOVE! 

GOD Sent us "Two by Two"!

Our paths had to meet for reasons we may not understand; and then  "Two by Two" -- AS PARTNERS, God sent us TO FULFIL A MISSION and @ that, we need some alignments & compromise!

Gone should be the days when we "do things on our own, for our own"! Gone should be the days when all that we consider is our own feelings and disregard what & how others would feel because we assert the "SELF" that we are. Normal as it usually is, along the journey, we're bringing with us our BACK PACKS: fully loaded with reasons why we think, act & talk the way we do -- some are our strengths; but some are our weaknesses.  

Relationships matter! It could never be true that "lone nomads" never yearned to have somebody by their side! We may not be aware, but let's be more ALERT of such "pretences" -- for more often than not, we may just be too proud to make amends but the truth of the matter is that: we're actually in unspeakable need of acceptance and concern and approval and praises and commendations and the likes -- all of which would actually give us that sense of belongingness and worth as a person. Well, this is normal & there's nothing to be ashamed of -- BUT, we may tend to become egocentric if we would yearn to receive these favours "at the expense of", or "in disregard of" the other people's equal needs like ours. 

Family is the most important relationship we should STRIVE TO WORK FOR!

Sometimes, a Husband may not understand why his wife would actually get mad at him when out of his anger, he already forgot to be considerate in his actuations toward their kids. In the same way, Kids may not be able to fully grasp or may resist the many things parents want them to understand.  Sometimes too, parents may not perceive the intended meaning of where their kids are coming from with the reactions that they give. WHILE MANY TIMES AMIDST ALL THE MISUNDERSTANDINGS, a Wife and a Mother at the same time could only absorb and tolerate and manage that much.  Without everybody being sensible enough, some hearts could STRIVE TO MEND  -- but yearning for an answer: HOW LONG WOULD IT LAST ... WOULD WE EVER 

"Two by two" makes us PARENTS! 

It will never be easy! -- it actually never is!

Individually, we both have our own PASTS. our own USED-TO-BEs. our own EXPERIENCES 

Your Symbol is an Alternative

https://trendingprof47.wordpress.com/2015/07/07/your-symbol-is-an-alternative/

"LIFE IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES ...

YOU'LL NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU WILL GET!" -- Forest Gump

Then here goes YOUR BOX:

Your SYMBOL could be an ALTERNATIVE!

Out of any BLANK SHEET, you were asked to CREATE SOMETHING -- A SYMBOL that would tell  ABOUT YOU! Then you had to PONDER: "why such a symbol?" -- what does it INDICATE?

And YOU, thriving through the course "Management of Alternative Learning System", you just need to THINK FURTHER ... why did we have to START WITH YOU?

With this captured-lecture to help you out, feel free to THINK, FEEL & VOICE OUT: "what do you have in YOUR BOX OF CHOCOLATES"?

What is it that you can give?