Success According to Psalm 37

I always want an answer when I ask. However, the answer has to be specific and direct to the point. I hate it when I have to wait for an answer because time is running out. Before I attended the prayer and fasting last weekend, I have a lot of questions about my life on what I should do to be successful. My personality also affects my decision making in life. I've always needed affirmation from people that I'm doing the right thing. However, most of the time, I encountered negative responses. That's why, I don't know whether I'm doing the right thing or not. Because when I do something right, it seems wrong and when I'm doing the wrong thing, I will be shamed. It's hard for me because I wanted to do the right thing but most people around me never knew how to appreciate the things that I do. I honestly am confused.

During the prayer and fasting weekend, God spoke to me loud and clear through Psalm 37. Hanged on my bathroom door is the verse 4. I never saw its significance until I studied that Psalm. He simply gave me direct answers to all my questions by just following His commands. They are:

• Don't fret and don't be envious of the evil men (v. 1, 27)
• Trust and commit my ways to Him (v. 3, 5, 40)
• Delight myself in Him (v. 4)
• Be still and wait for Him (v. 7, 34)
• Do good and keep His way (v. 3, 27, 34)
• Refrain from anger and wrath (v. 8)
• Hope in the Lord (v. 9)

It looks easy but it's not especially when I'm aggravated or sense of doubt creeps in my mind. That's why He also tied His commands with overwhelming promises:

• He will give me the desires of my heart (v. 4)
• I will inherit the land (vs. 9, 11, 22, 29, 34)
• My enemies will soon wither (v. 2)
• He will make my righteousness shine and uphold me (v. 6, 17, 24)
• I will enjoy great peace (v. 11, 37)
• Power of the wicked will be broken (v. 17)
• He will remember my days and my inheritance will endure forever (v. 18)
• I will not wither in times of disaster and my days of famine, I will be plenty (v. 19)
• He makes my steps firm (v. 23)
• I will not be forgotten to the next generations
• I will be not be forsaken and will be protected forever (v. 28)
• He will help me and deliver me from the evil one (v. 40)

It's comforting to know that His promises are beyond my expectation. The bottom line is, just do what pleases Him regardless of what others will say. I know I will be successful one day as long as I follow His commands and I will live it up one day at a time. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! (Philippians 4:13) And His grace is sufficient for me and His power is made perfect in my weakness! (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Speical Date with My Lover

Last weekend, I was being asked out on a date by Someone special in my life. Prior to that, He kept on asking me out but since I was so busy, I couldn't find time to be with Him. It was a good thing that He's very patient with me. But He made sure that our date last weekend should push through because He told me that He prepared something special for me. At first, I declined because I have an important work-related activity during that day but He made sure that our date will not be postponed. He allowed our stocks not to arrive on time so, I have no choice but to cancel the activity. And, I was not so happy about it but eventually, I gave in and told Him, "Ok, I will go."

Days before that special day, as usual, I was so busy with work but I was excited on what will happen during our date. In fact, I'm looking forward more on the surprise that He had prepared. I kept on telling Him about my problems in the workplace and my life but all He said was to wait for our special day. Finally, March 27 came and mixed feelings came upon me. I was excited, scared, worried etc. But everything turned out well...I became inspired by Him. He just wanted to be with me so that I could know Him better. I've always thought that I know Him already but I was wrong. I dicovered that He's more than what I expected because my perspective of Him was that He should please me that whatever I ask, He should grant if for me and He should make things better for me.

It was amazing because He plainly revealed Himself to me through the surroundings of that place and also through His love letter to me. And, what's more amazing was I didn't give in to my physical satisfaction and this allowed my to feel His presence more. Just by being quiet and listening to Him speak, I was revived. I saw His light through the sun, moon and stars. I saw His life through the trees and grass that surrounded me. I saw His majesty through the mountains from the horizon. I heard Him sing to me His love songs through the chirpping of the birds. I felt His embrace through the wind that blows my hair. I smelled His sweet aroma through the flowers that blooms everywhere. I have tasted His supplement through the water that satisfied my thirst. After these two days of dating with Him, I hungered for Him more. I wanted to know Him more because by knowing Him, I could love Him more and the more that I want to do things for His glory. It's Him I want to please, not the other way around.

I know that He's just waiting for this day that I would surrender back my life to Him and let Him control my life. And, I'm glad that our date became a fruitful one and the more that I want to seek Him. All I can say is, He is so good and I thank Him that He never gets tired of pursuing me. From this day on, I will not ignore and let go of Him anymore. Jesus, lover of my soul, my best friend, my dad and everything.

Fruit of the Spirit: Joy

Are you happy with your life? If your answer is yes, how can you say that you are happy? Probably, it's easy for you to answer the first question, however, the second one seems like a million dollar question. True happiness is joy. It seems the same but it's not. I would define happiness as temporary but joy, it is something eternal and no one can take that away from you. For example, I am HAPPY because I ate my favorite food today but I am JOYFUL because I savoured every bite of it.

To be honest, it's really hard to find joy but joy is just around the corner. It's basically how you look at the things surrounding you. It is simply appreciating every detail of your life rather than complaining about it. It is being content of what you have and not what you want in your life. If riches or material things would make someone joyful, why are there a lot of rich people who are lonely? How about power? It still, won't make you joyful because a lot of those who have power are threatened to go out on their own. Intelligence? I don't think so, because most of these people have a hard time "surviving in the woods" and they get frustrated. Probably religion, if it is, why are there a lot of religious people still looking for pleasures in life?

What then makes people joyful? For me, it's having a simple lifestyle. Appreciating the air that we breathe, being able to see the sun rising and setting, being with our loved ones and most of all, having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Knowing that when Jesus is in my life, I know I don't have to worry about anything because He will provide for all my needs. And if I learn how to be content, joy will eventually fill my heart. As the Bible says, "Rejoice in the Lord always. And again I say REJOICE!" (Philippians 4:4) Imagine, Paul wrote this verse when he was in prison. Therefore, the bottom line is, joy means seeing something positive in a negative situation.

Fruit of the Spirit: Love

"All you need is love, all you need is love love, love is all you need." The Beatles were totally right. We all need love. It is someting we crave for but we don't know where to get it. That's why most of us have superficial understanding of what love is. We often define love as an emotion when we feel the chemistry and the spark towards another person. Or we also definde love as blind because we don't "see" the other person. Sometimes, we say that we love someone because we need them to supplicate us with our needs. Also, we define love as "you complete me."

The question now is, what really is love? We were taught that there are categories of love such as: phileo - friendship, eros - passionate or romantic, storge - affection or parental kind of love and agape - unconditional love. We have different arguments on how to define love but the Bible clearly states what it is. We don't need Merriam-Webster or Wiki to define it for us. In 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, it says:

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."

I think it is clearly stated what love is. Bottom line is, whatever relationships that we have, if we truly love them, all these traits must manifest. For example, I like the part "love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth", because it shows that when we truly love someone, we will not tolerate the wrong things he/she has done but rather, we should correct him/her in love. Although they will get hurt but when we love, we just want the right things for them. The best example is Jesus Christ. If you look at the verse again, He actually did manifest all those traits. To the point that He died on the cross for all of us, to save us from our sins. "Greater love has no one than this, that He lay down His life for His friends." (John 15:12). Also, Jesus commanded us to love one another...not just those who are lovable but also those who are not.

Well, since love is again a virtue, it's easier said than done. And, it's sad to know that the true meaning of love is now deteriorating. Let's remind ourselves what true love is by looking at the cross. So that, when we are with people, we can also manifest the traits of true love.

The Easy Way Out

This is a blog I imported from my multiply site. I was compelled to re-post this because I believe God wants to speak to you through this blog. I hope you enjoy it! :)

It’s easier to take revenge than to turn the other cheek

It’s easier gossip than to confront

It’s easier to judge than to understand

It’s easier to talk than to listen

It’s easier to tell a lie than to tell the truth

It’s easier to let out all our emotions than to use our minds

It’s easier to mind other people’s business than our own business

It’s easier to put up a fight than to bring peace

It’s easier to make a big deal than keeping it small

It’s easier to create a problem than to solve them

It’s easier to react than to respond to a situation

It’s easier to see the negative than the positive

It’s easier to discipline than to deal

It’s easier to hold on to our pride than to be humble

It’s easier to worry than to pray

It’s easier to be distracted than to stay focused

It’s easier to love the sin than the sinner

It’s easier to doubt than to have faith

It’s easier to question God than obey Him

It’s easier to fear man than to fear God

The list goes on…Where do you place yourself? The easy way or the hard way? Who do you please? God or man? Would you go for what everybody wants or what God wants from you? Above all these, it’s actually easier to please God than man…He just have one standard…To love him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength then all the hard part will become easy. We just don’t love Him enough. Remember, He loved us SO MUCH that He sent Jesus Christ to DIE and save us from our “easy way out” but we still choose to stay in our “comfort zone” and do them than to follow Christ. How come we can’t love Him back? He has done so much for us, sinners and undeserving of His love. He has the choice to condemn us, leave us behind and be bondage of sin forever but He chose to love us instead! Think about it…it’s already in front of you but it’s easier to ignore it than to recognize it…It’s your choice anyway…

Fruit of the Spirit: Patience

I'm the kind of person who's very aggressive. I hate waiting and I want things to be done right away. But one thing I learned is that being still can help me do things better. They say that patience is a virtue and since it's a virtue, it's something easier said than done. Being still can help you focus on what you should do and do it in an orderly manner. Else, you will be like a headless chicken always on the run.

This afternoon, I was on my way to meet someone. I thought I won't make it on time because I left something in the office that I have to go back and get it. Although, I was just a few meters away, but still, time is running fast. If I got pissed off at myself for forgetting it, then waiting for the bus under the sun won't be fun. However, I said to myself that maybe there was a purpose why I left my stuff. And, true enough, that short delay became perfect timing. It was amazing because I was able to catch the bus right on time (seated on the window side too!), reached my destination earlier than my scheduled appointment and was able to have a quick and very cheap lunch. Then, the meeting went on smoothly and got a positive call. When I was about to go home, the person's colleague offered me a ride and dropped me off near my house. God is so amazing! I know that His hands are moving today. So, again, I would claim that "this is the day that the Lord has made!"

It's hard to be still especially if you have a time frame or a deadline. But when you claim that God will rule this day, He will put all the puzzle pieces together in a perfect timing. You may seem not to understand it at first, but at the end of the day, you will realize that delays happen for a reason. And if I got impatient during the day, I might not be able talk to the person properly and might end up giving him a bad impression.

Closed Door, Open Windows

Opportunities are everywhere. It's just a matter of how sensitive you are to them. There are some good and bad ones but you will never know what it is until you took the risk to grab it. That's why you need to have the discernment whether you will grab it or not.

Most of the time, I aspire to have a better life and career. When a door is closed, windows would suddenly open. I had a lot of offers from different people and I have to filter everything to grab the best one that would also be beneficial to me. There are also times when I have to force a door to be closed because it's becoming toxic and suffocating. Sometimes, a window may look good but it would turn out that it's not right for me so, I have to close it too. For example, I had suppliers who would offer me very good products but since I don't need them, I'll have to turn them down. But there are times when they offer me products, I would grab it...not because I need it now but it would help me in the future.

One realization I had about opportunities is that if you can not hold everything in your hands, better give it away. And those you gave away will be compensated with something better and something you need. I remember a quote that says: "Your garbage is someone else's treasure." The Bible also says, "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Luke 6:38). As a human being, I'm naturally selfish but as a Christian, "my cup will overflow" if I give. Besides, how can I receive more blessings if my hands are full? Imagine our world if we all give...life would be far better!  

Graduation: Beginning of a New Chapter

It's graduation season again! Yesterday lunch, I was eating at Shakey's and it was fun to see the students so happy and relieved after another school year. I can't help but reminisce the time when I was a kid and can't wait for the graduation. I thought that "at last! it's finally over!" But, when I started working, I realized I was wrong. Graduations are beginnings of a new chapter in life. It is a preparation for all of us to face the real world. From an elementary graduate's point of view, high school is a time of independence. From the high school's college is the reality. Then from the college's working is the "real" reality.

In life, graduations are never ending because everyday, we learn something and we move on to the next level. Unless, he or she stops from learning and becomes a "dead wood". A successful person always keeps his/her feet on the ground and has a mind that's ready to absorb information. If someone will prevent you from learning then, he or she doesn't want you to graduate or become successful. I pity those who are like that because they would put down people so that no one can surpass them. But looking at the bright side, I thank God for them because they challenge me to do better and give off my best. Since I want to continue to learn, I won't allow others to put me down...I'll just have to go on and move on with my life.

As for the Graduates of 2010, it's just the beginning. Congratulations and don't stop learning!

Final Exam

Imagine yourself in a court room walking down the aisle towards the judge. He then asked you, "How did you live your life?" At this time, you're confused of the question because you know you had a good life and you did everything you can to live life to the fullest but at the back of your mind, it seems you have not lived it well. After a few seconds, you confidently answered, "Sir, I'm pretty sure that my life was lived to the fullest! And if I have to live my life again, I would live it the same way too!" The Judge then asked you, "Are you sure? Have you lived your life according to my will? Since you have committed to follow me, have you REALLY lived your life to the fullest for my sake?" I'm sure, cold sweat would start to fall all over your body.

In the future, this scenario will happen in our life. We will all go down His judgement seat and be interrogated. It's like an oral exam where in we will be given a chance to ansewer everyhing correctly to get our final grade. It will also be the time whether you'd be able to get a reward or not, based on our answers. I honestly hate oral exams especially if I'm not sure of the answer or if I didn't study well. It would be very shameful if I didn't answer correctly then I won't deserve a very good grade. Since I want to have good grades in my final report card, I need to prepare for it. This is exactly what we should do prior to the judgement seat of Christ. We need to prepare for it to deserve the statement "you're a good and faithful servant" and be crowned as a symbol of the reward. I honestly have not been preparing well and I am not yet ready to face Jesus in His judgement seat. But I have re-committed and will re-live my life from this day on so that I could pass my final exam. How about you, are you ready?

A Girl's Dream

Every girl has her own ideal wedding. Her wedding will always be the most memorable event in her lifetime. And it is the time when all eyes will be on her. This afternoon, I attended a Wedding Expo to support a friend who has a photography booth there. Almost 60% of the exhibitors were photographers...it just means that 1. we Pinoys love to have "Kodak" moments and 2. the perfect wedding has to have documented memories.

It's just amazing to see that the focus of most pictures were of the bride's. She's at her best from pre-nup to the wedding preparation to the ceremony and the reception. While looking at those pictures, I can't help but think when will my wedding day be? If I would be given a chance to practice my own wedding, just for the sake of experiencing it, I would grab that opportunity! I already have a motif, ideal wedding gown, venue etc. except for the groom. Although I don't know whether I'd be able to get married or not but I can't help smiling everytime I imagine myself walking down the "sandy" aisle listening to "Love Moves in Mysterious Ways".

Anyway, I'm sure that every bride will have her perfect wedding and this is just a once in a lifetime experience. However, when she becomes a wife, she will then experience imperfect marriages which will last a lifetime. Weddings may be the end of the single life but it is a start of a life with a partner. It's just sad that there are a lot of couples today who forgot about their wedding vows..."for better of worse, for richer or poorer, til death do us part..." that they end up having an annulment or divorce all because of a simple problem. What happened to their vows? My prayer, that each couple refresh their love for each other by looking at the wedding photos once in a while. Maybe, just maybe, this could help lessen the break-ups. Besides, they paid for the documentation of memories. And to all my friends and families who will get married this year, cheers to you!

There's No Place Like BORACAY!

"Don't you just love BORACAY?!" This was the statement of Tito Mito when we met him last year during our trip there. Although it was a business trip but I'd consider that trip as one of my best Boracay trip ever! This was the trip when I was able to make lots of friends, celebrated my birthday and at the same time, learn new things...such as trying out skim boarding. Now that I have my Boracay friends, there's more reason for me to go back. If going there would be as cheap as going to Makati then, I'll be going there every weekend!

Boracay has always been my first love when it comes to beaches. The clear blue sea, the white soft sand, the breath taking sunset and the beautiful people...it's my perfect place to rest. And I'd say, my perfect home. I've been there three times but there's always an urge to go back.

Remembering the first time I went there, I was with a friend, just the two of us and we had all the time on the world! We didn't even bother to look at our watches back then. We didn't even realize that we already skipped lunch or dinner! Perfect vacation! (Too bad can't find those pictures anymore...)

The second time I went there was with my family. The best word that described it was "chaotic fun adventure". We were ten and a lot of mishaps happened but it was fun because we were together as a family and just enjoyed the company of each other. This was also the trip when I get to really go to other islands --- especially the well known Crystal Cove --- and also, ride the banana boat. FUN FUN FUN! Then, the third time was the business trip.

This year, I was given a privilege to go back to Boracay all because I filled out a form in Summer Expo last week. I got a free accommodation for 3 Days and 2 Nights. Well, I don't know what will happen during my fourth trip but I am looking forward to a simple and relaxing vacation. Also, a time for me to catch up with my Boracay friends. After all is said and done, bottom line is...There's really NO PLACE LIKE BORACAY!!!

Have a Break...

Getting sick could be the worst or the best time of my life. I honestly hate it when I get sick because I need to do a lot of stuff and I can't function well. But thinking about it, getting sick turned out to be a blessing for me. I was able to rest. I slept almost the whole morning and never thought of any time table or agenda. Although I had to do some report but I practically had the whole afternoon to slowly do it and really think about the right words to say. It's not that I hate being in the office but there are really times that my mind could be functional when I don't feel any pressure around the four walls of the office.

My friends know me as being always on the go but taking a time to rest gives me the opportunity to see things clearly and from another perspective. It's also the time when I could stop and stare at the trees outside my window without anyone telling me "what are you staring at?!" or "get up on your feet and get going!" Rest is very important especially in a fast paced society. One realization I made today was there's nothing wrong if I take some time off because to function well means to get enough rest. Don't let sickness be a reason for you to rest but it's important to find time to relax and unwind. Vacation is just around the corner, so plan ahead and enjoy a couple of days off!

Truth About Responsibility

Spiderman once said, "Great power comes with great responsibility." The higher one goes up the success ladder, more responsibilities will come. Although most of the time, it may seem he or she is doing "nothing" but when the organization falls apart, that person is to be blamed. We love responsibilities when everything goes smoothly but when everything is not turning out right, we blame others.

A good leader takes responsibility whether the situation is good or bad. He or she is, most of the time, the troubleshooter in each situation and should keep a cool head. Most of the time a good leader is being mocked by a lot of people because they can't seem to find anything wrong about him/her. And, if he/she did something wrong, the people around him/her will be treated as if he/she did a henous crime. Well, that's what life is all about...it's already our nature that we envy people who are ahead of us and we try to bring them down.

This is a lesson that hit me hard today. I had some misunderstanding with one of our sales people about our sampling date. It could have been easier for me to blame him by not clarifying the date with me but since I'm a Christian and also one of the leaders, I have to swallow my pride and take responsibility. I know that in one way or another, I'd hear some people around me making a big deal out of this but I have to keep my word. I'll just make a solution out of it rather than sulk about the problem. Besides, we all learn from our mistakes and failures are healthy tools for a successful career. Therefore, my quotation now would be: "Great power comes with great responsibility and failures make us a successful person."

Old Dogs vs. Young Eagles

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." 1 Timothy 4:12

It's really hard to be the youngest in an organization especially if most of your colleagues are at least 10 years older than you. The normal treatment would always be: they look down on you. Whether you did the right thing or not, you will always be wrong in their sight. They can't stand the fact that someone younger than them can be way ahead of them and can achieve more than what they had in their stay in the company. The root cause of office politics is, almost always, about jealousy. They are probably jealous of all the benefits and training you're getting. Or probably, the big boss favors you more than them because you are still flexible to learn.

Having that first hand experience, it affected my working capabilities. On one hand, I want to give up and just go with the flow. But on the other hand, I will continue to do my best in my job regardless of what they will say. However, most of the time I'm just caught in the middle don't know what to do. I have also met a lot of my friends who are in the same situation as I have. Or probably, it's just the era of the 20-something where in we're in the hype of our career and wanting to learn but the "old dogs" would just not allow us to "spread our wings". A good freind of mine once told me that if I want to grow in my career, I need to resign from my current job. Well, that friend of mine has a point...because if I don't resign and stopped allowing myself to learn, I will just end up like a "dead wood". Then again, as long as I am employed, I will continue to apply 1 Timothy 4:12 and in God's time, He will just let me spread my wings and "soar like an eagle".

Dream the Impossible Dream

This morning, I met with a few students who will make a feasiblility study in their school. It was nice to see that they have programs like this to challenge them to create new ideas especially in the business world. I'm sure that most of the students are doing this for the sake of their grades. Well, maybe if I will be in their shoes, most likely I would have the same mentality too. But I was given the opportunity to meet these students so that I'd be able to share with them some of my insights and recommendations in putting up a business. Although I myself don't have my own business yet, my meeting with them challenged me to have my own business. We'll never know what will happen next in my life but maybe, just maybe, in the near future, I'd be able to put up something I can call my own.

Here are some guidelines that I learned during my two yars of stay in my current company that would help me and maybe, you in putting up a business:

1. Never Stop Dreaming. Dreaming is for free and no one can take that away from you. Try putting your dream on your business plan just like how kids imitate their favorite cartoon characters. The problem with us adults is we are so negative and we take too much reality in our plan. I don't see combining both dream and reality together as long as they are mixed properly.

2. Cost Everything. This is the reality part of your business. Money talks. You want to put up a business because you want to earn. But make sure to separate investments and expenses. A balanced costing will help your business grow. A growing business has to spend more but the return of investment will be doubled or tripled.

3. Take the First Step. This is the risk most people are afraid of. Just ask yourself, how will you know that the water is cold if you haven't dipped your foot in?

4. Research. Do a lot of research before putting up a business. Talk to people. Look at it from different perspectives. Ask questions. And as the brilliant philosopher, Socrates once said: "The only real wisdom is knowing you know nothing."

5. The Customer is Always Right. This is very self explanatory...therefore, when putting up a business, be a consumer first. Always ask yourself, if I'm the customer, would I come back? Why or why not? A simple question but will help you troubleshoot any problems and improve your business. If you know how to relate to them, they will be loyal to you and sales will come after.

These are just simple guidelines. But I do hope that this will help you on how to start your own business and probably, mine too. And, this blog might also be our key to success!

10,000 Rule

"Practice makes perfect." It's a common saying for all of us. Malcom Gladwell in his book, "Outliers", described that a lot of people became successful because of the 10,000 Rule. He wrote that these people practiced their skills at least 10,000 hours to reach the success that they have today. One example he gave was The Beatles. They were not really the best when they started but they were very hard working in exploring different kinds of music in different bars. They were rejected and not appreciated but this didn't stop them from playing more music. When they became "The Beatles", they have already consumed 10,000 hours of practicing and up until now, we still continue to sing their songs.

This morning, I was talking to a friend about this and since he is a photographer, he told me that he realized that the pre-nup shots was his "10,000 hours". He didn't realized it until he listened to Outliers - Audiobook. This also made me think, what is my "10,000 hours"? I'm glad that my friend opened my eyes and told me that my "10,000 hours" is my learning and gathering of new information. Come to think of it, it's really true. Ever since I was a kid, I love to explore and learn new things. I've always loved trivia games and I secretly like watching documentaries. So, I have decided that from now on, I will focus on my "10,000 hours"....to read more and do a lot of research then post my learnings on this blog. Now I understand why I can't stand being idle. Once I stop feeding my mind, then that's the end of my line. Well, this might be my hidden passion after all...maybe I should follow the career path of doing research.

Humans: Social Beings of the Real and "Unreal"

Our world becomes smaller because of the advanced technology today. People will be able to interact with everybody by just a click of the mouse. Giordano is right in putting the tagline that says, "World Without Strangers" because someone can socialize with anyone around the world. Eventually, every stranger we meet might be someone we have already talked to via the internet.

As you can see, we have been bombarded with different social sites...from Friendster to MySpace to Facebook to Twitter (if you would consider that one). These are just a few of the many social networking sites today. We are also upgrading our communication via emails, chat servers, cellphones etc. These are great technologies in the 21st century because it helps us to keep in touch with our families, friends, and business partners just underneath our fingers. Even I myself am hooked to this kind of technology. However, the downside of this is that all relationships became shallow and possible "not real". Why? Because one can easily manipulate his/her own identity and everything can be filtered already.

For the past few weeks, I've been doing a lot of work and my social life was going down. So, I just catch up with my friends via Facebook and email. After a few weeks of being in the virtual world to socialize, I realized that it's becoming "un-human". I missed to see the reactions of their faces, the hugs, the conversations without much filtering, the wrong grammars, the laughing out loud and all the emotions that I sense when I'm with my friends. I'm glad because early this evening, I had a dinner with a good friend and we just talked almost about anything. If it was not late, no problems with transportation and no work the next day, we might be talking all night long until we felt sleepy. Nothing beats a night out with friends and talking to someone who is physically there with you. Relationships can truly go deeper when you see the real person and when you are connected through the five senses. Well, at least I can proudly say that I'm still human afterall because I can still find some time catch up with friends by being with them.

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Success Beyond Your Expectation

No matter who you are or what you do, you strive hard to reach a successful life. I was able to receive a quotation that says, "the only way to fail is to please everybody, and the way to success is to keep your eyes on Jesus". Well, this is true afterall.


I was a people pleaser especially during my younger days. I thought that if I please them, they would accept me but I was wrong. The more I please them, the more they became unhappy with me, I became frustrated and unhappy with my life. I have never lived my life for myself but for the people around me. Until one day, I get sick and tired of it to the point that I didn't want to be with people anymore...I became a loner. But I'd say that that was my best moment. Ironic? But it's true. Because, that was the time when God spoke to me. He reminded me that I have to  "work willingly at whatever I do, as though I were working for the Lord rather than for people." (Colossians 3:23; New Living Translation). Although, at first it was hard to do it but eventually, I get the hang of working for the Lord and not for men.

From that day on, I learned to stand up for what I believe and be honest with what I feel without worrying about what others will say. Of course, as long as what I was fighting for is right and would not compromise my beliefs in the Bible. I have also learned how to look at a situation from different perspectives. My point of view and knowledge became wider to the point that I now know how to appreciate even the small things. Yes, there are still some people who are criticizing me because I don't conform but just like what my good friend told me, I just dared to be different. Even though I "stay away from the crowd", I can now proudly say that I am successful beyond my expectation because it's Jesus whom I now please.

What on Earth is Going On???

We heard the news. Earthquakes. Storm. Snow Storm. Tsunami. Flood. Drought. Famine. Have you ever wondered, "what is going on nowadays?" It's bad news all over the world. When will these stop? What will the future be? We all want answers to these questions. In Matthew 24, Jesus told His disciples about the signs of the end times:

Matthew 24:3-8
3As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"
4Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 5For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,[a]' and will deceive many. 6You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All these are the beginning of birth pains.

Do these verses sound familiar and something we see on the headlines? Well, I guess we're now really living in the end times as the signs are already showing. Come to think of it, we have more calamities these days than the days of our forefathers. Why is that? I believe this is God's way of telling us to repent and turn back to Him. All we have to do is to accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior and have a relationship with Him. It's not about how good we are nor what our religion is...it's all about having a relationship with Him. It's about time that we re-evaluate our lives and repent of our sins. Being a Christian does not mean that we'll have a smooth sailing life but it's is going to be a life with peace amidst of the storm. Jesus is the ONLY answer in our life's troubles. Think about it...