The Prayer of Courage

Dear Jesus,
This morning, I pray not for me,
But for the men and women I am about to meet today.

May they be more blessed than I am,
May they be more humble than I am,
May they be more generous than I am,
May they be more pious than I am;

I pray that:
They may have more friends than I have,
They may have more happy memories than I have,
They may have more good deeds than I have,
They may have more patience than I have;

Jesus,
May all the men and women I meet today
See You in each other
Love You in each other.

Amen.

 

photo: wallpaper collection | posted by john b. bejo

Luminous People

One of my most memorable childhood vacations was with my nanny's family. They lived by the sea: no TV, no electricity, no immediate neighbors. At night, we had two sources of light: one came from torches; the other came from the moon, stars and insects.
Yeah, insects.

Fireflies were all over!

Fireflies are a wonderful creation. Their lights don't burn. It's called "cold light." There's always light wherever they go. Their glows give life even to the darkest nights. They could not help it. It's in their nature.

In the human colony, there are several insects too. Some are like cockroaches: they shun the light. Some are like bedbugs: they feast at their hosts' blood. But some are like fireflies, luminous and shining. They bring hope wherever they go.

Luminous people are gifts to the community. They're not perfect, but they consciously struggle to be a positive presence in the midst of the crowd. They're not afraid to bring their faith in public places: in vehicles, dining places, in sports and walls. They shine and their glow soothes the ambience around them.

Luminous people are a source of hope, inspiration and life. They carry The Light with them even if they don't speak of Him...

 

Father,
We bless You for bringing us to light.
Rekindle and use us to illuminate the dark places of life.
Bless and purify our deeds so that others may see The Light in us.
In Jesus Name, The Light of the World.
Amen.

photo: vandelaydesign.com | posted by john b. bejo

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~FiReFlieS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Tourist Guide

At age 15, I became a tourist guide by accident. Ivan, an Aussie, visited our place and we became friends for almost two years. One afternoon, we ended up talking about God. "What do I need for God for?" He said,  "I have a good job, we can have picnics on weekends, I can go wherever I want. Why do I need God for?"

Who needs God? People who thought they have everything don't need God.

Mel said, "I don't know what to say to my father anymore. He’s an atheist. He never changed." I looked at her and said, "Well, you did what you can. This time let God prove Himself to him..."

There's no amount of argument or evidence could convince people to believe in Him. “Faith is a gift, and God gives it to whomever He pleases..." It is a privilege to know Him.

So, whenever we experience doubts or being abandoned, the first thing we should do is pray for the gift of faith.

Pray. Don't under estimate the power of prayer. Pray. Pray for yourself. Pray for your loved ones. Pray for your detractors. Pray for humility: be in need of Him.

God loves a cheerful prayer:)

 

Father,
Today, I pray for the gift of faith.
Open not only my mind, but my heart as well.
When I feel abandoned and lost, carry me
And let me feel Your presence
In Jesus’ Name.
Amen.

photo: Namie| posted by john b. bejo

Man’s UnCreation

In the beginning was the earth.
And it was beautiful.
And man lived upon the earth.
And man said: “Let’s build skyscrapers and express ways.”
And man said:  “It is good.”

On the second day, man looked upon the clear blue waters on the earth.
And man said: "Let’s dump our sewage and waste into the waters."
And man did.
The waters became dark and murky.
And man said:  “It is good.”

On the third day, man gazed at the forest of the earth and they were tall and green.
And man said:  “Let’s cut the trees and build things for ourselves."
And man did.
And the forest grew thin.
And man said:  “It is good.”

On the fourth day, man saw animals leaping in the fields and praying in the sun.
And man said:  “Let’s trap the animals for money and shoot them for sports.”
And man did.
And the animals became scarce.
And man said: “It is good.”

On the fifth day, man felt the cool breeze in his nostrils.
And man said:
“Let’s burn leaves and fuels, let the wind blow away the smoke and debris.”
And man did.
And the air became dense with smoke and carbon.
And man said while smoking: “It is good.”

On the sixth day, man saw many kind of people on earth---
And man feared and said:
“It’s overpopulation! Let’s convince people to stop having children.”
“Let’s make guns, bombs and missiles in case misunderstanding arise.”
And man did.
And guns killed many, missiles and bombs checkered the landscape.
And man said: “ It is good.”

On the seventh day,  man rested.
And the earth was quite and deathly still.
For man was no more.
And it was good…

 

Text: Anonymous | photo: dark.pozadia.org|edited & posted by john b. bejo

A Prayer From Dried Lips

Grant me, O Lord,
A jolly but thoughtful heart;
A curious but open and nimble mind;
An audacious but humble spirit;
A tenacious but warm soul.


Grant me, O Lord,
A few but true friends;
A long but meaningful journey;
A big but well nurtured family;
An imperfect but faithful mate.

Grant us, O Lord,
Steady but humble knees to bend;
Powerful but gentle hands to hold each other;
Courageous but prudent lips to correct or praise;
Soft but dependable shoulders to lean on.
Amen...

UnHoly Week

 

WITHOUT God our week would be: Sinday, Mournday, Tearsday, Wasteday, Thirstday, Fightday, and Shatterday….Seven days without God makes one Weak.

I Am Number 40

FORTY (40) is a magnificent number. The Bible  has exhausting events bound with this number. Here are a few of those:

~  It rained for 40 days and 40 nights when God wanted to cleanse the 
      world and start over. (Gen 7:12)
~ Moses was on the mountain with God for 40 days (Exo 24:18 )
~ Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness (Mat 3:17)
~ Jesus was seen in the earth 40 days after His crucifixion (Acts 1:3)

Lenten Season brings us into the heart of this FORTY DAY miracle. God wants us to savor the beauty of this journey towards the glory of the Resurrection. He wants us to walk with Him. He wants  us to sit with Him in silence and appreciation.

Lenten Season is not about suffering. Lenten Season is about YOU. Yes, it is about you for whom Jesus suffered and died… All of these celebrations, silence and signs were designed and executed to remind you of His great love for YOU…

Look at the cross. Jesus is telling you, “Child, I won’t be tired of extending my arms. I will wait for you until the day you’re ready to embrace me as well…”

Father,
We’re grateful for these forty days of love and friendship.
Sit with us in silence, and walk with us towards forgiveness.
We may not be tired of extending our arms in accepting
Those people you’ve given us,
In Jesus’ Name.
Amen.

photo: rhymeandreasonpoetry.com | posted by john b. bejo

The Bond That Binds

The strongest family bonding is prayer.
Bring your family together in prayer.

Pray before meal.
Pray before leaving.
Pray as soon as you come home.
Pray before sleeping.

Pray when you're happy or sad.
Pray when you're weak or strong.
Pray when you're inside your room,
Or even in the marketplace.

Prayer brings light even in our darkest moment.
Prayer heals and stitches wounds.
It melts distrust and grows hope.
It binds everyone and brings us to Light.

Pray together.
It costs nothing...

 

photo: photobucket.com| posted by john b. bejo

Sex, Knowing and Intimacy

We presumed that Adam and Eve made love, but some said that the Bible did not explicitly mention the act itself. Well, it actually does. According to scholars, the line 'Adam knew Eve...' ~(Gen. 4:1) can be better translated in today's language as 'and Adam made love with Eve.'

Some said it's a kind of euphemism, "The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit." Well, I don't think so. --- The line 'Adam knew Eve' brings the true meaning of how human sex should be. This line speaks of the profound and existential meaning of true sexual union.

The line tells us that Adam did not simply have sex with Eve. It means that Adam and Eve intelligently knew each other, and this mystical knowing culminated and was consummated in their heavenly bodily union.

Sex is not only a beautiful gift of God to humankind. It is pleasurable and mystical as well. But this gift can only and truly be consummated when two people would really care to know each other, body and soul, making each other's pain, suffering, joy and aspirations become their own.

Love making is a process of honestly knowing each other, soul to soul, body to body, heart to heart.

 

Heavenly Father,
We thank You for the gift of intimacy and pleasurable bodily union.
We may be more honest each day
As we struggle to enter into each other’s universe.
May each relationship we make,
Bring us closer to Your Son, Jesus Christ,
Amen.

photo: Lea Vivot | posted by john b. bejo

Simple Things, Simple Life

Some interesting signage
I read in my daughter's school

Along the corridor:

~ No shouting out
~ Walk only
~ Observe silence
~ No running
~ Use your garbage containers properly

Inside the classroom:

~ Listen
~ Wait for your turn
~ Pray
~ Keep your things in order
~ Always be a blessing to others
~ Aim high
~ Be on time
~ Let us read and count

At the Comfort Room:

~ Don't urinate on the floor
~ Don't step on the bowl
~ Conserve water

On the classroom door:

~ The God in me welcomes the God in you :) ~

 

photo: valgal | posted by john b. bejo

Add Up ~ An Online Buying Experience

I made my first online purchase last year. The transaction was a breeze; it melted my unfounded fear in online shopping. The only time I made a phone call was to thank the seller.

One of the good news my brother told me last week was a surprise commission he got from simply posting a house for sale. “Just as I was about to put down the phone” he said, “my friend told me to pick up my check!”

In 1999, when I was a real estate agent, we needed to bring pictures, leaflets and other materials to showcase our products, but now the market is changing for the better. Both the sellers and the buyers experience easier ways of finding each other. And the best thing about it is it offers free ads for both.

Another thing I like with some of these sites is that they give valuable and comprehensive information regarding your business interest. Take ‘houses for sale by auction’, for example, ezinearticles.com has extensive valuable articles designed to really help both buyers and sellers.

So, what’s so inspiring about all these? Resources are easier to find, things are more doable than a decade ago. Things are getting better and better for all. Everyone is striving to add value to each other. That matters! As what I used to say, "In our world where everything is a number, struggle to be a plus to anybody, rather than a minus."

photo: web search | posted by john b. bejo