Love Is a Sacrifice. Really?

To some, the phrase "Love is a sacrifice" may sound cliché and masochistically romantic, it connotes sweet suffering and pain.

For those who understand the true meaning of this phrase, however, understand love in its profoundest sense.

To sacrifice means to make something 'sacred'
(sacer + facere). To make something sacred means to make something 'SPECIAL', cut from the rest, from the ordinary. So, when we say that this place is sacred, we mean this place is not ordinary: it's special, it deserves respect and not anybody could just touch it.

Now then, there are people whom we considered special, therefore sacred. These are the people who have special places in our hearts which we don't want anybody to touch. And so, this bond makes anything connected to this person sacred as well: things, places, experiences.

As we know, however, some experiences and  memories connected with this sacred person are painful to keep, but we keep them anyway. Those experiences of pain and suffering have become "SACRED". They become parts of our story.

So, when we say, "Love is a sacrifice" we mean to say: "Our love is not perfect. We have struggles and pains, we've hurt each other in one way or another, BUT, we consider those ‘sacred’ and necessary ingredients of our genuine and profound love..."

 

Father,
We acknowledge the SUPREME SACRIFICE
Your Son has made to save us,
When He died on the cross.
May we always have the courage
To make sacrifices for the people
You’ve given to us,
In Jesus’ Name.
Amen.

photo: Google image| posted by john b. bejo

Marshmallows and Timing

 

I don't know if Kyle was influenced by my story about the ‘marshmallow research’, but he would always save the best for last: be it when eating cake or pizza.

The ‘marshmallow research's finding is not something new. In fact, thousand years ago the Book of Ecclesiastes had a lengthy chapter on that where it reads, "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven..." ~ Ecclesiastes 3:1

We heard, "Timing is everything." My former classmate's favorite quotation in Facebook reads: "Definition of HELL: when true love is wasted in the wrong time, wrong place and with the VERY WRONG and UNWORTHY person"

Good timing takes real patience; and real patience can only be acquired by people who have the courage to win.

Impatient people are insecure, deprived, betrayed in the past. That’s why they grabbed the first person who would come into their lives. Studies show that teenage pregnancy is a strong indicator of poverty.

Patient people are most of the time lucky, blessed. They’re productive and successful. Why? It’s because they’re confident and wise. It's because they believe in their hearts that God fulfills His promise at the right time and proper place, with the right person.

Patience is all about FAITH in His PROMISE...

Father,
Thank You for Your patience,
And most of all thank You for fulfilling Your Promises.
Make us secure in Your love
So that we'll be more courageous
In waiting for Your great promise,
Jesus Christ, Your Son.
Amen.

photos Google image: | posted by john b. bejo

The Price of Impatience

One of the greatest marital blunders in the world was committed by Abram and Sarah. It happened when Sarah got impatient of God's promise of a son, decided to give her husband Abraham her maidservant who eventually gave birth to Ismael. The complication came when Sarah got pregnant of Isaac.

The question of who is the true First Born, heir of Abraham, is one of the root causes of the age old war in the middle East. Israel, the direct descendants of  Isaac, claimed they’re the true heir of the Land. The Arab people, the direct descendants of Ismael, on the other hand, claimed otherwise; thus, the bloody sibling rivalry.

Impatience in the Biblical context means 'overtaking God.'
When we pray, God takes time to answer our prayers. It's like saying: "All right child, let me save for your toy."  When we have  little faith in His promise, however, we tend to go ahead and buy it on our own. – Thus, we loaned ahead and over our expected salaries, piled up credit cards, and some resorted to office cheating to get ahead.


God is not deaf.
He is an active God who respects the law of natural process.
So, when you pray, expect for answers.
God makes all things beautiful… in His own time…

Father,
We’re grateful for everything
You’ve given us even without asking.
Give us patience and faith to wait for
The fulfillment of your Promises
In Jesus’ Name.
Amen.

photos Google image: | posted by john b. bejo

Time Warped

Fast is fun, but not always. Hitting the gas is not an instinct specific only to driving. People tend to love speed. Speed in driving. Speed in computing. Speed in gaming. Speed in promotion. Speed in getting a 'yes'. Speed in dying.

I met a lot of people who woke up one day wanting to go back in time. They said they missed those times when their children were still learning to walk, learning to cross the street, learning to dance. Everything seemed so fast.

Yesterday, I was eating beef jalapeno burrito... for 30 minutes. Gosh, I loved the smell and every bite of it slowly exploding in my mouth.

Don't you think, life is like eating burrito? We say in Latin, “Vita brevis”, life is short, therefore we should savor every moment of it.

Life is simple and the rules should be simple too:

When you eat, eat.
When you walk, walk.
When you read, read.
When you dance, dance.
When you laugh, laugh.
When you pray, pray.
When you make love, love.

Live in the present for each moment is a gift.
That's why it is called present.

 

Father,
Thank You for the gift of time.
Bless us to live in the here and now,
To be present wherever we are and
Enjoy whatever we have,
In Jesus’ Name.
Amen.

Posted by john b. bejo

Cracked and Broken

In 1957, the clay Buddha, softened by the rain, was accidentally cracked while the monks was moving it into another location. Driven by concern and curiosity, the head monk chiseled out the clay and found out the Golden Buddha underneath.*

True enough, each one of us has a golden Buddha inside: precious, majestic, respectable, waiting to be cracked open.

But like the clay Buddha, we must be willing to be softened with humility and be broken with the chisel and hammer of life.

Setbacks, responsibilities, failures,  cracked relationships are hammers and chisels of life. The process is painful and oftentimes boring, but with patience, endurance and humility our true power is born.

This is the meaning Jesus was telling us when He broke the bread. The breaking of the bread is a symbol of sacrifice and humility; a process of revelation of our true identity: precious, majestic and respectable. ~ Matthew 26:26

Each of us has a Golden Buddha inside.
Each of us is a piece of bread which needs to be broken so that we can be Jesus to others...

 

Good day, my Father in Heaven,
Thank You for this another day of revelation.
Indeed, the process of being cracked and broken is painful.
Help us to be patient and humble during this process.
Assist us as we allow ourselves to be broken
So that we could be Jesus to others.
Amen.

*Story: Jack Canfield | photo: doctony | posted by john b. bejo

“V” as in Balance

The most prominent letter during Valentine's Day is "V".
V for Valentine. V for loVe. V for Vow.

I do believe that the fixation of Saint Valentine's name with both word and shape 'HEART' is no coincidence.  Letter 'V' signifies balance and decisiveness. Among the letters in the alphabet, letter 'V' has the sharpest base which perfectly balances both wings.

There is no perfect relationship; neither there are perfect lovers. But there's a perfect balance. In fact, relationship is all about lifelong struggle for balance.

Balance is love in action.
Love tips the balance between the rich and the poor;
the beautiful and the ugly;
the sexy and the obese;
the thinker and the emotional;
the awkward and the fashionist.

8 Centuries ago, St. Francis has stricken the best balance with this prayer:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen.

Happy Valentine’s Day :)

photo: wellsphere | posted by john b. bejo

Piece of Cake

While we were sharing a piece of cake Joy brought home, my eldest son, Hans remarked: "Dad, I feel bored with cakes already; I wish there were more icing than the cake itself."

I told my son: “ Dear, don't you think you miss the point?  Life is like that. Some people would run after the icing and forgot the cake.” My confused but curious 9 year old son said: “ I never thought it's even connected with life.”

Today, most people are very much updated with new gadgets, gigs, gossips and politics. People want to have more; but like Megamind, find life meaningless even after having everything.

Titles, clothes, cars, gadgets, connections: these things may make our lives colorful, but these things are just icing. The essence is the cake. At the end of the day, it's our relationship with other people that counts; it's our relationship with God that matters.

Valentine's Day is not about roses and chocolates. It's about the true meaning of relationship.
Relationship that heals, rather than wounds.
Relationship that paints smiles, rather than hatred.
Relationship that brings people to God, rather than destroys...

As Jesus asks:
"For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world but loses his soul?"
~Mark 8:36

Life is like a piece of cake… and God is the Master Baker…

 

Father,
Thank You for the cake!
And for the icing as well.
Remind us always that
It’s our relationship with our neighbors,
With You, with Jesus Christ Your Son and the Holy Spirit
that really matters.
Amen.

photo: Megamind| posted by john b. bejo

Out of the Way

One old navy story goes that at around 23:40 (11:40 pm) a great battle ship during WWII was sailing head on with another ship-like entity in the ocean. Right away the Capt. ordered to send a morse code. It said: "Get out of the way." The other side responded, "No, I won't; you’re out of the way. "

The Capt. got so furious and readied all their munitions to fire in case the other side wouldn’t budge. He ordered to send another signal: "Get out of the way. I am a USS BATTLESHIP!" After a while, the other side replied, "Change your course. I am a LIGHTHOUSE!

Life has several lighthouses too. But oftentimes, people hate them and would rather run over them to get what they want. 

Lighthouses are signs and laws around us.  They are not enemies, but rather aids for us to know which way to go. The Bible houses the fundamentals of these lights.

The source of these lighthouses is a Great Light, Jesus Christ Himself. “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” ~ John 8:12

Following the Light is a choice.  Staying in the darkness is a choice as well…

Jesus is constantly waiting for us…

 

Father,
Thank You for showing us the Light.
When we lost our way, however,
Please, find and lead us back again,
Through Your Son, Jesus Christ.
Amen.

photo: web | posted by john b. bejo

The Magnificent Engine

This engine pumps an average of six liters of fluid every minute, and in one day pumps enough fluid to fill more than forty 200-liter drums. This engine works 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year non stop for an average of 80 years. *

Science calls this masterpiece, Cardiac Muscle.  We simply call it the Human Heart...

This February we will be flooded with heart shapes of different sizes and probably with different colors, but mostly red. But bear in mind also that this shape symbolizes not only romantic love. More than anything else, this heart shape symbolizes courage and forgiveness. For only the heart that has courage is able to truly love and forgive.

The human heart is made to love and forgive,
but it's impotent if it does not have courage: 
courage to say ‘sorry’,
courage to say ‘ Please, forgive me’,
courage to say ‘I love you’,
courage to kiss,
courage to hold her or his hands,
courage to propose,
courage to hug,
courage to say ‘I'll marry you’,
courage to say ‘yes...’

This month or in any other time of the year,
you could say it with flowers or chocolates,
or with a ring, or  hugs and kisses...
but most importantly,  say it, mean it and do it... ~ someone is waiting…

 

Father,
Thank You for loving us
And for giving us the capacity to love and forgive.
May your Son’s sacrifice make us courageous
To mean it, say it and do it…
In Jesus’
Amen.

* source | photo: layoutsparks.com| posted by john b. bejo