Navigator Star

Lovers, warriors, navigators, sages, prophets and even loners have always looked up the stars for signs. Stars have brightened countless nights and dawns.

Among the zillion stars in heaven, however, there's one prominent star that's saved thousands of lives. This star would appear even in the darkest night. It always points to the right direction. That's why it's called the navigator star.


In our lives, there are people who would seem to brighten our days, but would be gone during the darkest part of our lives. These people are called false stars.

On the other hand, there are people in our lives who have brightened not only our days, but our darkest nights as well. Their lights are consistent even when we're not. They may not always agree with us, but they’ll stay and sit with us to listen to our trivial complaints in life. They make us better persons and help us find our ways.  Oftentimes, gazing at the sky doing nothing is already heaven with them. You may not always see them, but you know they’re there. These people are our navigator stars.

In the sky, there's only one navigator star. In life, we have more than one. God has given me three, and they're more than enough…  :)

Who are the navigator stars in your life?
Do others consider you their navigator star?

Post this on the walls of the people whom you consider your navigator star :)

 

Father,
Thank You for giving us
The brightest of the stars, Jesus.
Make us navigator's stars for others as well,
In Jesus' Name.
Amen.

photo: otaku_narasan @ flickr

You’re Ok

Among the most insightful learning I got from my private reading is from the 'Four Life Positions.'

This is an idiot-proof, straightforward approach on relationships. While some psychology manuals need a college degree or even a master to interpret and apply, this one does not. It's down to earth, practical and very much consistent.


Early in life a person takes a certain position which he may maintain throughout a lifetime. The good news is we could change this position if we re-decide. Although the process is not easy, it is always rewarding and life changing.


Life Positions
I am ok, you are not ok ~ Hitler : "We're the super race, you're inferior." 
~ Fundamentalist: "We're saved, you're not."
~ Terrorist "We live, you die."
I am not ok, you are not ok
~ Thieves: "I'm bad, you're selfish."
~ Corrupt employees: "Everybody does it."
I am not ok, you are ok
~ Beggars: "You're lucky, I'm not."
~ Forever followers: "You're great, I can't do it."
~ Losers: "Why me?"
I am ok, you are ok
~ Prophet Muhammad: "Women are the twin halves of men.”
~ Gandhi: "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others..."
~ Jesus: “There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends." John 15:13

And the best insightful question I got from this is:
“What are your position in life...?”

  

Father,
You gave us the freedom
To direct our lives;
Give us enough strength to change to course
Of our life towards Your Son,
Jesus Christ.
Amen.

photos: first, second, third

I Wish I Could Have Written This

Here is one of the stories I really like that I wish I could have written it myself…


The Parable Of The Pencil

The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box. There are five things you need to know, he told the pencil, before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be.

1. 
   
   You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in Someone's hand.
2. 
   
   You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you'll need it to become a better pencil.
3. 
   
   You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.
4. 
   
   The most important part of you will always be what's inside.
5. 
   
   On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write.

The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.

Now replacing the place of the pencil with you; always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best person you can be.

1. 
   
   You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in God's hand. And allow other human beings to access you for the many gifts you possess.
2. 
   
   You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various problems, but you'll need it to become a stronger person.
3. 
   
   You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.
4. 
   
   The most important part of you will always be what's on the inside.
5. 
   
   On every surface you walk through, you must leave your mark. No matter what the situation, you must continue to do your duties.

By understanding and remembering, let us proceed with our life on this earth having a meaningful purpose in our heart.
~~ Author Unknown ~~

 

Father,
Thank You
For this wonderful gift of pencil.Help us leave a good mark in this life,
In Jesus’ Name.
Amen.

photo: guillermopdc @ flickr

What Does ‘Being Your Self’ Really Mean?

When the lazy anti-social Survivor Series outcast was asked for her reaction to the decision of the tribe, her answer was:
'So what? That's the way I am.
I am not 'plastic'.
I am just being MY SELF."


Sounds cool. But, was she really 'being herself?"
A lot of people thought that just by being assertive and 'honest' with what they feel makes them true to themselves. 
The truth is we are more than our primordial feelings and emotions. We are more than what we want or hate. We are intelligent beings.

*Being YOUR SELF means being true to who we really are.
Man is basically good. This is the fundamental fact. Being mean or evil, therefore, is not us. It is a negation of who we really are.
When Dave chose to save Dianne from being robbed in spite of her previous treacherous attacks on him in the office, he was not being 'plastic' or fake. Dave was only being true to himSELF, which is good.

*Being YOUR SELF means owning our feelings then responding to them rather than reacting.

*Being YOUR SELF means being in control of YOUR SELF. I pitied a friend who was at the mercy of cigarettes. He said he tried several times to quit but ended up smoking again the next day. Nicotine has controlled his life.

*Being YOUR SELF means being authentic. Authentic people don't waste their time becoming somebody else. They don't waste their time pleasing others for they know that nobody can please everybody. They are heretics who are not afraid to be different.

As Frederick Perls said:
"I am not in this world to live up to your expectations, and you are not in this world to live up to mine. You are you and I am I, and if by chance we find each other, then it is beautiful. If not, then it’s not.”

 

Father,
Thank You for giving us
The freedom to be ourselves.
Give us the courage to live our own true identity,
In Jesus’ Name.
Amen

photo: @ Movie Poster

The Next Level

Last time we talked about 'true friendship.' we also described it as non-sexual, agape, non-erotic.

Ideally, when this kind of relationship grows, in the case of a male and a female, they become lovers: Eros.


There's  nothing wrong with it. In fact it could be a perfect relationship. Imagine, your best friend becomes your lover too. Although there is no perfect relationship; this kind of relationship stands on a solid foundation.

But, the transition is oftentimes risky. I've seen friends became aloof with each other after a failed transition.

On the other hand, lovers could be best friends too. So in either case, that's ideal. In fact, all couples should be.

This time, married couples are obliged to consummate their marriage into a sweet love making. And... the more they do this the more they are fulfilling the most pleasurable mandate, the more they contribute to the wonders of creation. Ahhh... the good of marriage.

Father,
Thank You for the gift of friendship,
And we thank all the more for the
Gift of loving relationship.
Make us better lovers everyday
In Jesus’ Name.
Amen.

photo: movie screenshot Titanic

True Friends

True Friends are priceless.
So what does true friendship really mean? How can we consider a person  a true friend? 

A true friend is the person who’d make you proud of yourself because you did the right thing, but is also the first person who'd dare confront you when you're wrong.


A true friend may give you his own life but would not force you what to do with it. True friendship does not manipulate.

True friends are not loyal to each other, but rather to the principle of what is true, good and beautiful. A true friend is your mirror when you don't want to see the truth.

True friends guard each other’s thoughts not to be consumed by their own sexual desires. True friendship is agape, rather than erotic. It is intimate but non-sexual; close but not exclusive; caring but not possessive.
True friendship is altruistic. It does not make you choose whether him or her or others. It chooses  what would make one  happy.

True friendship is indeed priceless. But like true love, friendship is also letting go. We could not hold and protect our friends forever. Each has his own path to walk, a battle to fight, a world to create. Friends come. Friends go.

“There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends.” ~ John 15:13

 

Father,
Thank You
For Giving us Jesus
Our true Friend Who gave
His Life for Us.
Amen.

photo: @ jnxp313

Stranger Than Fiction

I was answering a participant's question about atheism when she came out from nowhere and burst out, "Don't talk about us, atheists, as though you know us. You know nothing about us!
Days after that, that scene kept replaying in mind, vivid with her facial contortions and harsh contemptuous voice.



Atheist are strange creatures. No, I don't abhor them. What I have about them is more of a fascination of how they think.

Consider this:
These people would be amazed by the great minds behind any architectural design like those of The Great Pyramids of Egypt and Dubai's Atlantis The Palm. They would readily acknowledge that those works of arts needed great minds to create.

BUT, when they are confronted with the wonder of the human body and the fantastic order in the universe, they would simply slap you with the roaring answer,  “it's the Big Bang which was responsible for those. Everything happened through evolution. NOBODY DESIGNED IT!

Even the famous people in the field of science are awed with the wonder of the human body and great design of the universe. Isaac Asimov said, 'The human brain is ‘ …the most complex and orderly arrangement of matter in the universe’. 

Albert Einstein remarked, “We see the universe marvelously arranged and obeying certain laws but only dimly understand these laws.”

If the human body is the greatest MASTERpiece in the universe, isn't it logical too to conclude that there is a Master who designed it?

 

Father,
We praise You for the wonder of Your creation.
We thank You for the wonder of our
Human body which You carefully made.
In Jesus’ Name.
Amen.

photo: via open.salon.com

Black Widows

Black Widows are spiders that kill their mates during or right after a glorious sperm deposit.

I haven't seen one yet, and not wanting to; they're highly venomous. But I've seen people who lived their lives  like Black Widows do.




Black Widow people are those who have killed their partners several times, not physically but verbally and emotionally. They talk about their partners' 'hideous' failures and weaknesses to whomever they are talking with. They call from the dead all issues from the past and sing about them in their minds and with their audience. But in their eyes, they are the underdogs.

My sister was a victim of physical abuses. I condemned such act. But, I condemned as well any abuse done by women to their partners. We should condemn any kind of violence either physical or emotional; against women, children AND MEN.

No family is perfect, nor any relationship. We live in the world where the only certain thing is uncertainty. From time to time either one of us fall, but what matters at the end is our commitment:  we stick with the people we decided to spend our life with 'til the end of time and make things work out.

Some people asked me why I got married. I told them one of the reasons: "I believe that a happy family is possible to achieve..."

It’s said that ‘we’re all angels with only one wing, so that we need another to fly…’

 

Father,
We thank You for the people you’ve given to us.
Sustain us with your love,
In Jesus’ Name.
Amen.

photo: @ desertusa

Heaven’s Warrior

Movies like Nightmare on Elm Street and The Exorcist have given us a grim yet entertaining face of  the devil.

BUT, ‘are demons real?’ The answer is 'YES.
Are there proof of their existence aside from the Bible and other religious experiences?

The answer is 'YES.
~“Psychiatrist M. Scott Peck, the author of the book The Road Less Travelled,  for instance, conducted a research  in an effort to disprove demonic possession. At the end, after conducting two exorcisms  himself, concluded that the Christian concept of possession was a genuine phenomenon.”

Obsessed or Possessed?
“When the devil attacks the body of a human being from the outside, we call this obsession. When, however, the evil spirit assumes control of a human soul from within, we call that possession." 

Obsession usually attacks people who are involved in the spreading the Good News.
Possession is much severe, but it is rare since it needs the consent (will) of the person to be possessed. Obsession, on the other hand is much more frequent than we usually thought.


In the previous days, I felt a kind of obsession. It was a series of emotional and moral attacks, rather than physical. It crept in through the lives of the people I love. I say, it sent me sprawling in my own desperation.

That's what the devil wants: to discredit us, for us to feel unworthy, despair and abandon God.  But the grace of God is more than enough. Once we understand what's happening, it's 50% of the battle won.

Hollywood has made us more afraid of demons, but we shouldn’t be. Jesus taught and empowered us to exorcise demons. The Name of Jesus is much powerful than any obsessions or possessions.

The best way to fight the devil is:
First, prevent an encounter: don’t give it a chance to take a form in our lives through sin…
Second, always try to live in the grace of God.
And lastly, be His active warrior.  Actively spread the Word of God…

 

Dear God,
Thank You for keeping us safe until this day.
Send us your angels to dwell in our homes.
And always gather us in Your Love,
In Jesus’ Name.
Amen.

photo: @ movie screen shot

Life Is Not Like a Billiard

One of the most dangerous philosophies we could fall into is determinism. For determinists, our behavior, action and decision are just the result of the previous events.

When Mila slapped Lane, she reasoned out that it was only because Lane previously flirted with her boyfriend.

Rico and Nicole were getting married because they had 'no choice': she was already pregnant .


For determinists, life is like a billiard: the reason why the black ball number 8 went into the basket was because it’s hit by the cue ball.

The truth is ... we are not like billiard balls. We are not ‘like’ any other thing. We are human.  We, humans are free to respond to a stimulus. Mila could have chosen NOT to slap Lane. Rico and Nicole could have chosen to re-think marriage if their only reason was because she was pregnant.

Each of us has the power to choose our way of action. We have the choice either to stay depressed after a failure or to get back up and fight again.  Each of us has the power to say 'no' to any malicious invitation. Each of us has the power to forgive.

Both Peter and Judas betrayed Jesus. But Judas chose to hate himself and to take his own life. Peter on the other hand, chose to forgive himself and to die on the cross too, proclaiming God's love...

Father,
Thank You for the gift
To shape our own destiny.
Thank You as well for the Gift of Your Son
Who brought us back to You.
Amen.

photo:  cartoonstock

Life Is Not Like a Billiard

One of the most dangerous philosophies we could fall into is determinism. For determinists, our behavior, action and decision are just the result of the previous events.

When Mila slapped Lane, she reasoned out that it was only because Lane previously flirted with her boyfriend.

Rico and Nicole were getting married because they had 'no choice': she was already pregnant .

For determinists, life is like a billiard: the reason why the black ball number 8 went into the basket was because it’s hit by the cue ball.

The truth is ... we are not like billiard balls. We are not ‘like’ any other thing. We are human.  We, humans are free to respond to a stimulus. Mila could have chosen NOT to slap Lane. Rico and Nicole could have chosen to re-think marriage if their only reason was because she was pregnant.

Each of us has the power to choose our way of action. We have the choice either to stay depressed after a failure or to get back up and fight again.  Each of us has the power to say 'no' to any malicious invitation. Each of us has the power to forgive.

Both Peter and Judas betrayed Jesus. But Judas chose to hate himself and to take his own life. Peter on the other hand, chose to forgive himself and to die on the cross too, proclaiming God's love...

Father,
Thank You for the gift
To shape our own destiny.
Thank You as well for the Gift of Your Son
Who brought us back to You.
Amen.

Love Is not Blind

Before Facebook, there were these famous slam books going around. And one of the questions you needed to answer was: "What is love?" Most answers I saw were: "Love is blind."



Is love really blind?





Love is not blind. In fact, it is all seeing. It sees what others refused to see. It sees the beauty in the person beyond those 'ugliness'. It sees the reason behind those awkward actions. It sees the person behind those masks...



Love sees all the faults and shortcomings of the person, but it also sees the real person behind those shortcomings. Love sees through even after we close our eyes. Love believes.



Ignoring somebody’s shortcomings is not love at all. Love goes further by acknowledging and forgiving those shortcomings. But love does not mean keeping the person in spite of those shortcomings. Love is also letting go; especially if the relationship does not make each person a better one.



Love is the equalizer between the rich and the poor. Love is the bridge between two distant people. Love is the reason why one should wait until marriage before sex. Love is a decision to do good in spite of…



Love is when Jesus Christ died on the Cross to save us…

Father,
Thank You for giving us Your Son.
Help us to see our neighbors
As opportunities to love You more,
In Jesus’ Name.
Amen.

photo: gangsterg @ deviantart