One thing remains

               It's been a while since the last time that I have updated this blog site of mine. I've been wondering so much in life that I' ve almost do not know which things I need to focus on. For the last year of my life, I've made huge choices and decisions that really changes my state of mind drastically. I've resigned to my part time job, stop studying as well, then decided to find a full time job that would somehow be suited my passion and drive, which I successfully did. With all those those things, a summary of my experience lies to these realizations of mine... Just as this world changes everyday, every week, every month and year. Your best friend could be your enemy. You may lose your stable job, which will no longer considered stable at all. Your family could despise you. You may become sick and unhealthy. You can lose your love one's and lose your motivation at the same time. You can be rich or poor. You can have everything and lose everything after...Theres only one thing that always remains  the same, it is the love of God. The most powerful force on the earth. No one can change it. Even demons and angels can't. Even the course time. Because from generation to generation, He is the same. You circumstances and even your state of mind will not identify the love of God. He loves you and will love you whatever happens, and that's a promise! You can only expect of greater things to come. Other people will say, we exist because of time, it is the only measurement. But I will exert, we exist because of Love, and there is no measurement.

Trying to Stop the Rain

              As I have written in my past article, I have said that happiness is solely depends only on our environment. Well, it's so very temporal that I saw another proof of it this week. I am so in love with the rain, that even it's raining hardly here in the Philippines, I was still able to relax myself in watching news while eating piatos. Not that I also enjoy watching families being washed away by floods and forcefully evacuated from their lovely homes. It's in another context. Rain reminds me of my childhood memories. The cold breeze of the air, the ambiance of the surroundings, the sound of raindrops in the roof, everything associated with it seems inspiring to me. And that makes me happy.
             But as I am about to go to sleep the evening yesterday, a friend whom I am acquainted with texted me saying, "Bumaha sa amin hanggang bewang, ayoko ng ganito. Sana tumigil na ang ulan yung iba tuwang tuwa pa, nakakainis yung ganun." ( we were flooded ,almost waistline, I hate situations like this, hope the rain will stop. Some seems happy, it's so provoking.) I honestly was being hit by that message. Though I know that it was supposed for everyone because it is a group message,I felt like I was the one she was addressing. Before the message, I am sending messages every now and then about what rain seems to me. And so that makes me think she's targeting me with that.
              Well, before anything else, I am not guilty. I just want for all of us to know what our attitudes can accomplish with different situations we are facing in our lives. Most of the time, we are annoyed, aggravated or provoked. And in those times we almost forget to celebrate good things that we have. The Philippines is located in what geographers called the pacific ring of fire, thus making us the pathway of many typhoons and tropical storms. What shall we do? Migrate in some country where freedom is not that significant? To Finland where the temperature drops to almost negative degrees? Blame God that He had placed us in this location? Or what? Every occurrences has an associated effects to us. It's so natural to express feelings, but it's not natural to resent the feelings of others. If your neighbor is happy because he has a new television, be it. Don't expect him to be sad just because you are using your old rusty television.
               What Am I trying to point here? Way back the story I have shared. This friend of mine got provoked because some people are happy. It seems like she wanted everyone to get sad because they were flooded. Does it right? No, because happiness is a matter of geography. Some are sad because they become the victim of the devastating monsoon. But some are happy because they get fresh sleeps because of the cold weather which seldom experienced in the country. The matter here is acceptance and attitude. If you are  just going to accept your situation in rational way, then you will be happy indeed (like the others), and that's what we called rejoicing. After all, the situation does not cause you death. Some of us always try to change everything, even the world. But changing the world will not change your character in facing trials either unless you do it yourself. As a Pastor close to my heart wrote: "Do not try to change the world, change yourself first." And it's so much true. Trying to change the situation will not do anything, but trying to accept what happens will make a big difference. Everything is always a matter of attitude and acceptance.So, if you find yourself in cloudy situations where the rain is about to ruin you, do not try to stop the rain, enjoy it! That's the best thing you can do. Keep calm and dance in the rain.

time to learn the expertise of teaching

 All we need is care

     

      I am a frustrated learner. Well that would not mean to say that I am an ignorant and no knowledge at all. It just mean I crave for more. I love new insights about new things, stuffs which I am not familiar of and that is the reason why I love studying. But things were really hard.. you know hard, really hard. Because learning is a two way process in which the matter of giving and taking should most likely be involved. You cannot learn by your own, I mean you can learn too, but learning with friends and someone you can work with can really make a big difference most especially if they care for you.Thus it makes me very disappointed knowing that there are so many so-called professors and educators who look at themselves as knowledgeable but do not know the expertise of understanding those students that highly depend in them for learning.  It just so much true what John Maxwell had asserted "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." You treat your students as imbeciles, you look at your friends as ignorant, you despise those who ask for assistance and you look at yourself proud because of what you have known and accomplished. Yes, people had nothing to do with what you know. They had nothing to do with your degree and diploma. Because all they need is care for them to know what they ought to know. So I can safely say that the most ignorant, imbecile and despicable person in the world are those who do not care to those who knows nothing. 
         The true essence of teaching is caring. And caring is expanded in many ways. It is not by the way you speak with your mouth, but by the way you speak with your heart. It is not by giving principles and laws, but by giving reasons and significance to live. It is not by excellence and leadership, but by humbleness and service. And it is not by loudness, but by meekness. Nothing more could give you the most precious honor of having a caring heart in teaching than having a degree diploma ,masteral, doctorate which even combined cannot exceeds the true expertise of teaching. Now, learn the true expertise of teaching.

Rethink Happiness

               
"I deserve to be happy"

          Our culture has placed too much emphasis on happiness as a birthright like something which everyone deserves. In all probability, young men and women explore the fallen world in finding fulfillment out of their wrong perception of what real happiness is. The widespread dogma that God intended humans to be as always happy is blinding and voiding us through believing that there is something missing when we are not happy, something is wrong.
                  Thus, it makes us work hard to bring to pass that delusion.
                  I can't help but imagine the undertakings where a wife chooses to divorce her abusive husband because she would have thought a better life separated to him. Where a bunch of students indulging in fraternities traded for future chances and perhaps for bearing certain protection. Where a dedicated Christian  pleases to turn away from God for the fitting satisfaction of society where he lives. Where a teenage girl, in her state of unwanted pregnancy, decides to abandon the fetus in her womb for the sake of keeping up her dignity which she all bound to lose. All those pictures that loomed with a success-but-a-failure scenes are simply because of reality that everyone wants to be happy. People chase fulfillment in all possible means even doing things they know are wrong. And if you would ask them why they do what they are doing, someone might assert, "I deserve to be happy, that's it," or "I think now is the right time for me to go for my own happiness." Worth the question I just thought. But is that really the way it is? Do we really deserve happiness and live our lives pursuing it? Or, does God planned it necessarily to express our completeness?

"Happiness is what?"

              The worlds perception of happiness is a chronic malady that imbeciles us towards God's view of it. It is so apparent that many people even Christians have been convinced that attaining power, wealth, relationships and acquiring things associated with happiness was God ultimate plan. And to think of that, it became the measurement of how you go well in life and God's favor on you, tsk. Well, let me assert that God has nothing to do with happiness. It even does not scale His favor towards anybody and you. Though, I could say that God does wants us to be happy, but making your happiness the core pursuit of life absolutely does not, why? Let me state it here clearly;
               
                God does not want us to pursue happiness because...
                 Happiness is temporary. The famous aphorism that says, "the only permanent thing on earth is change," is definitely factual. Nothing lasts forever. You may become happy for some time but not always. And God wants us to have more than temporary which happiness cannot go through.
                  Happiness is conditional. It is so dependent in situation, circumstances and environment. It is like you are about to hang your newly washed clothes but suddenly the sky turns gray and heavy rain pours out then you become unhappy and mad. Elsewhere inverting that situation, if the sun smile and get participated in freeing your clothes from moisture then you will become happy indeed. You may exhort me, "What a shallow analogy!" Yep, but that's what happiness in reality. In his authored book "Joyfully Single" Dr. Harold Sala relates how conditional most people view happiness this way, he contends "we make everything depends on the conditional 'if': 'if this would happen' or 'if I could have (whatever) I'd be happy.'" I think you can go on that very well. Some of us already experienced whipping "if I had," or "if only this would happen" syndrome which is an undeniable omen of how conditional happiness is.
                   Happiness is material. How many times have you wish to change your cellphone? Buy branded apparels and designer's perfume? How about longing for a house and lot with sports car? Those are just specific examples of stuff we hope for in satisfying our desire for happiness. Things which surely be deteriorated by moths and termites. Was that the kind of happiness God  wants for us? Happiness that lies in thermodynamics and will someday degrades like battery and turn obsolete? Surely no.
                     Happiness is the world's appendage for joy. God wants us more than happiness and that is joy. Let me assert this statement again, "happiness is the world's appendage for joy." The world blindfolds us to the real entity of fulfillment that joy gives.Just like how the Easter eggs and bunnies obscure the resurrection or Santa Claus replaces baby Jesus in the manger during Christmas, likewise, happiness substitutes joy. Happiness is the world's biggest deception. That is the reason why joy must be our prior precedence in life. Because unlike happiness, joy abides and remains even matters are worst and good things fade away. It is even not material but rather spiritual. It is unconditional, you can still be joyful even you are not happy. And most especially joy comes from within, because it springs from the heart.

Rethink happiness
                    
                 Knowing that God never wants us to pursue happiness does mean He also never wants us to be happy?
                  There was a story I have read about monks who isolated themselves to live with people. They dress plainly, talk less, eat only grass and wheat and washed themselves with mud and filth. They preferred to live their life wretched, believing that the more miserable they are, the more happier God is. But, is that the way God wants us to be? To live miserable and lonely life just to please Him? I don't think so.

                  Rethinking happiness, I pondered with the lives of those servants of God whose lives were being chronicled in the Bible. There was Daniel who became captive of Babylon empire and dumped to the lion's den but still survive while trusting God. There was Joseph who was being bullied by his brothers, sold to Egyptians, became servant and subsequently prisoner but surpassed it all while trusting God. Take Paul for instance who suffered so much in life that he wrote to the Corinthians what's in his heart, " I am pressed but not crushed, persecuted not abandoned, stuck down but not destroyed," but still able to say " We do not lose heart." Do they live a happy life? No. In fact, if happiness is their pursuit, would you think they will allow those things to happen? Daniel could have been enjoyed living in luxury being the apple of the eye of the Babylon king. Joseph could do vengeance to his brothers offensive treaty to him. Paul could write inspirational books and sell it to buy a house and guards who would protect him. And so Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, St. Augustine and all those so-called martyrs that transformed human history. These people never live a happy life but they never lose heart because the joy they had with God gives them all the contentment and peace of saying "Your will be done." It is joy that God wants for you and so for me and others. Joy necessitates you to do the right thing even your life is at stake doing it. Joy transcends occurrences in a larger view to where you can decipher the purpose of it. Joy provides you all the peace and fulfillment of heeding the fact that we are all about as happy as we decide to be. Joy will make you say, "Your will be done," in every aspects of your life. So let me point it this: Pursuing happiness is not the goal of our lives but rather joy. Because joy will provides you all the strength and confidence you need to holiness and godliness. Now, rethink happiness and be filled with joy.

The joy of Jesus

               Jesus is the best example of a life in pursuance  of joy. He suffered in pain and torture bringing to pass the salvation of humanities. And it is through by joy that He died and rose again, ascended in heaven and will someday comeback again to take those who by the joy becomes victorious in a race He laid upon.



                     












           

Break up or be broken?

"What is the right time to be in a relationship?"

     This question was mostly heard on common juveniles of this generation. Many young people were being trapped to a mesh of searching for a good partner which later makes them end up broken! Through this world of "instants" the rush hour modern community stirs up pressure at our young hearts which causes us to indulge in just a "jiffy relationship" without any rational reason. Nowadays, much of teens used to enter risky relationships with purpose only based on meager knowledge of what's, why's and how's. They would simply excuse" I just loved and I want it badly," without even knowing the love that they'd knew could bring them joy and lasting happiness would lead them to a ditch of pain, loneliness and eternal darkness.


"Am I ready for the right time?"


     I could say that it is the right time to enter a relationship when you are seriously thinking about getting married. So, the real question you should ask yourself is " Am I ready for the right time?" Are you prepared to get married? This might be weird but should be considered most specially to some guys out there who is planning to court a girl intentionally. Why? Because, what is the sense of having a girlfriend unless you are seriously thinking about getting married? Do you just wanted to court a girl so that you can have someone to show off? Or you just need someone to give you full emotional security? Or maybe, you are just pressure by peers and surroundings? If your answer is YES, you are in a mere disaster. Before saying "I love you" you have to be reasonably certain about it. You should mean it by being ready to say "Will you marry me" at any time and moment if time requires it.


Snap out before time is up!


     I honestly disagree from going out or "dating" not because I'd never experience such thing but just because in this two little words, "too early." As a Christian I highly recognize the teachings of the Bible about relationship and it has mush more to say about developing a good friendship but not about dating. Friendship before relationship.But as we grow into a more mature individuals and good friendship gradually develops into a more intimate relationship, be aware to keep things in the right track.
     You are maybe one of those young people who are confuse if their relationship is still "driving out smoothly" or not. I have listed here signs of which apparently you should consider if you are going to snap out or not in your present relationship. The decision is yours. all you have to do is to read whether to break up or end up broken. The former is painful, but the latter is severe. 


     Here's my list:

• Pressure- If you feel like you were running out of space because of him/her, you are under pressure. In physics, you can actually get the level of pressure through the amount of space.  It is said that the smaller the area, the greater the pressure. In the same way,  if your relationship with each other is too close to the point of only "me and you" direction, it will perhaps build pressure between you and your partner. The most dominant pressure in a relationship is in the subject of intimacy. You should be conscious to this. If you are being pressured by you partner to take the relationship to a "physical level" get rid off it right away.
• Abuse- This one comes in many variants. This could be verbally, mentally and physically. If your partner beats you, hurts you or even despises you to death, you should pause and think for a moment. Do you feel loved in a way he/she treats you? Absolutely no! He cannot say "I love you" while beating and take advantage of you all at once. Stick this to your mind, "True love cares -not scares."
• Superficiality- From the root word "superficial" meaning "shallow"- or mababaw. If the foundation of your relationship only comes from petty reasons like, "I loved her because she is cute," "I loved him because he always treats me," "He's wealthy," "She has a blush white skin," etc.,the relationship is not well rooted. It will eventually nip from the bud when those things will alter. What if he/she becomes poor black and chubby? Physical world changes in due time and it cannot be restored and preserved. Be sure the person loves you for who you are and vice versa. Do not rely on both of you have. Always remember that a material based relationship will never be beneficial to both parties.
• Unloved- If you feel unloved by your partner, you have to let go.Love cannot be professed, it cannot be forced and changed the person as a whole. It is only by the transforming power of Christ that someone can change, and you are not Him, so move on! There's a lot of fish in the sea to catch up and you may just gotten rid of "jaws."
• Spiritual Immaturity- Spiritual drive in a relationship is very important. If you find your partner does not show christian attributes that you know are necessary to be strong in Christ, it's time to let go. We are incomplete without Christ, so how can he/she loves you completely if he/she is not complete at all? Be guarded by your faith. Your most important relationship is with God.

     If you are experiencing any of signs that I have listed here, then, my message is clear, "Snap out before time is up."

True Love

     No person in this world could ever imitate the love of God for us. He shows us the true meaning of love by sending His Son Jesus Christ, to die for our sins. We are undeserving with His unconditional love, but He still gives it freely. If you really want to experience true love, Christ is the answer. You can invite Him to come into your life today. This was already tested, without Him , we will always come up short in love and in many ways.

" There is no fear in love, but perfect love cast out fears"