after the not so important, but highly-emotional post..

I have to delete messages from my phone.. masyadong marami nagmamahal saken kaya marami ng laman ang inbox ko.. ^_^

Pero dahil mahal ko rin sila, their messages won’t go unnoticed.. and I want to share those messages with you.. they’ve touched my heart.. I hope they’ll touch yours too..

**We cry when our hearts couldn’t hide the pain anymore.. cry if you want.. THAT’S NOT A WEAKNESS. It actually heals the wounds that laughter can’t cure.

**Law of Reality: Never ever argue with UGLY people. They have literally and figuratively NOTHING TO LOSE. *wink* [I’m sorry, nakakarelate talaga ako.. haha.. ang dami kasing ugly people sa paligid ko e.. hehe.. ugly as in, hindi maganda ang ugali..]

**Don’t go for someone who’s always telling you how perfect you are, because you’re not. Find someone who will tell you exactly what he/she thinks of you. Someone who will tell you how irritating and impossible you can be. Someone who gives compliments at the right time. Someone who will laugh at your clumsiness, but will still love you for it. Someone who won’t be afraid in telling you the truth. Because only those can be honest and loyal up to the very end.

**A big jar full of water gets emptied by just a small hole. Even a little ANGER or PRIDE will drain all the nobility of a good heart. Stay humble. [enough said.]

**The measure of a matured person is not how well they prepare for everything to go right.. but on how they stand up and move on after everything went wrong.

**Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you don’t have. Rather, remember that what you have now was once among the things you only hoped for.

**Love is.. when my granny had arthritis, and couldn’t paint her nails.. my grandpa did it for her.. even though he had arthritis too. [cute^_^]

**Age appears to be the best in some things.. old wood – best to burn.. old authors – best to read.. old wine – best to drink.. and old friends – still, the best to keep. [agree!]

**People are like stained glass windows, they sparkle and shine when the sun is out. But when darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within. [Elizabeth Kübler-Ross]

**In life, always remember one thing before doing something good or bad.. what you do is what defines you.

**A broken trust can be best described as a crumpled piece of paper – no matter how hard you try to straighten it out, it will never return on its true form.

**A GUY WHO TRULY LOVES HIS GIRL DOES NOT NEED TO UNBUTTON HER SHIRT TO HAVE A BETTER VIEW OF HER HEART. [attention: guys! ^_^]

**When you feel like quitting, ask this question: did God ever stop doing good things in my life? If not, why give up?

**NO MATTER HOW BAD YOU FEEL, LONELINESS WILL FADE AND EVEN DISAPPEAR WHEN YOU FOCUS YOUR ATTENTION ON THINGS YOU’D LIKE TO EXPLORE. THERE’S A WHOLE WORLD OUT THERE. SOMETIMES, IT’S BETTER TO HAVE TIME ALONE, TO HAVE THE COMPLETE FREEDOM TO DO THINGS, WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT WHAT OTHER PEOPLE WILL SAY. IN THE END, YOU DON’T REALLY HAVE TO THINK OF YOURSELF AS A LONELY PERSON.. JUST SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN GIVEN ENOUGH SPACE TO GROW. [I’m someone who has been given so much space to grow. ^_^]

**It’s never the tears that measure the pain.. sometimes, it’s the smile we fake just to show others we’re ok.

**Everybody wants happiness. No one wants pain. But how can you make a rainbow without a little rain? ^_^

**God uses the opposite situation of each fruit to allow us a choice. You can’t claim to be good if you’ve never been tempted to be bad. You can’t claim to be faithful if you’ve never had the opportunity to be unfaithful. Integrity is built by defeating the temptation to be dishonest. Humility grows when we refuse to be prideful. And endurance develops every time you reject the temptation to give up. Every time you defeat a temptation, you become more like Jesus.

**The best feeling in the world is realizing you’re perfectly happy without the thing you thought you needed the most. [super agree! I thought he was everything I needed and the only thing that’s lacking in my life.. I was devastated when our story ended that soon.. but now I can say that I am truly happy even without him.. oh yeah! ^_^]

While writing this blog post, ang daming pumapasok sa utak ko.. naisip ko pa ngang baka masyadong mayabang ang maging dating ng nauna kong post.. pero anong magagawa ko, yun ang nararamdaman ko e.. I’d rather be true than pretend to be someone ideal.. again, this is me.. whatever you think or say about me doesn’t change who I really am.. and I won’t change just to gain your approval.

God bless everyone! May you find the peace and the happiness just as I have. ^_^

chapter teaching 022208

Chapter Teaching

22 February 2008

Lifehomes Subd. Chapel

FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Talk 1: The Image of God

Speaker: Kuya Bernie Benedicto

The call to us in SFC is:

· To be holy as God is Holy

· To be Christlike

· To be filled with the Holy Spirit

*More and more, we ought to manifest the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.

· Galatians 5:22-23

o “But the fruit of the Spirit is charity, joy, peace, patience and understanding of others, kindness and fidelity, gentleness and self-control. For such things, there is no law or punishment.”

· As Singles for Christ, we are called to bear fruits.

*God’s original intent was that we be just like Him.

· Genesis 1:26-27

o “God said, ‘Let us make man in Our image, to our likeness..’”

The Concept of Sonship

*The term ‘sonship’ is used because it is faithful to the Biblical metaphor, but it refers to a relationship available to both men and women.

· Sonship had a specific meaning in Jesus’ culture that we might miss.

· The son was cared for by the mother until age 5-7.

· Then he went, not to school, but under the direct care of the father, whose job was to raise him up to be a man.

o The father taught the son the law, a trade, basic life skills, Godly character, and found him a wife.

· The son was the father’s heir. Everything the father had was his.

· The son represented the father, succeeded to his position, and carried on his name.

· The son became sort of the ‘replica’ of the father. There was one ‘identity’ between them.

Sonship in Adam

· Luke 3:23-28 [Genealogy of Jesus]

o Verse 38 says: ‘the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God’

· Adam was God’s son. Not of biological descent, but of the total relationship of Sonship.

· God related to Adam as a father related to his son.

o He taught him the law.

§ Genesis 2:16-17

o He established him in an occupation.

§ Genesis 1:26b

o He got him a wife.

§ Genesis 2:22

· Adam’s sonship gives us some clues as to what God had in mind for us.

o “image and likeness’

§ Man shares God’s nature and character.

o “dominion”

§ Man shares God’s role and responsibility

· We should reach out to God. (Refer to Michelangelo’s painting at the Sistine Chapel: God is reaching for us. Let’s make an effort to reach out to Him.)

· Adam: a specific person (Genesis 2:18) or entire human race (Genesis 1:28)

· The story of Adam is not just of an individual, but of the entire human race.

· Thus, God created Adam as His son; God created the human race as His son.

· But man turned away from God and forfeited his sonship.

· God needed a way to bring man back to his original purpose.

· God’s way was Jesus.

Sonship in Jesus

· Jesus is the new Adam.

o Romans 5:14-17

o 1 Corinthians 15:45, 47-49

· God decided to re-create the human race to counter Adam’s fall and achieve His original purpose. He does it the same way through one man [Jesus Christ] who begins a new race.

God’s Purpose for our Lives Now

1. To make us mature sons and daughters.

· We are God’s sons and daughters, but are still babies. We need to grow spiritually.

· Galatians 4:19

o “…until Christ be formed in you”

o A process.

· We need to know God more, to experience Him personally in our lives.

· We are “work in progress.”

· An enduring relationship.

· We confuse ‘son/daughter’ with ‘little child’.

· In Jewish culture, sonship was an identity and a relationship that remained lifelong.

· We represent Christians/SFC in our daily lives.

· How does growth to maturity take place?

o Colossians 3:9-10, 12-13

§ Old self (old nature) vs. new man (new nature) – the creation of a new human race.

§ We trade in our old humanity for the new humanity offered us in Christ.

o An active process.

§ Matthew 5:43-45, 48

· “Do this so that you may be sons.”

· Though in one sense, we already are sons and daughters, we still need to become sons and daughters in another sense by learning to act like our Father and reflect His character.

2. To make us spiritual men and women.

· Concentrate not on the physical but on the spiritual.

· 1 Corinthians 3:1-3

o The Corinthians already had the Holy Spirit but are still not spiritual.

· To be spiritual is not to manifest the gifts of the Spirit, but to manifest the fruit of the Spirit.

· True spiritually consists in living as God’s sons and daughters, reflecting the character of Jesus.

· Matthew 7:21-23

o True spirituality consists not in displays of charismatic activity, but in life of Holiness.

· Galatians 5:19-23

o Paul contrasts the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit.

o Refers not to feelings but to characteristics.

· Four Principles of Spiritual Growth

o The New Life Principle

o The Communion with God Principle

§ Stay with God, always be in God’s presence.

§ Try to be closer to God so that slowly, but surely, you’ll be like Him.

o The Imitation of Christ Principle

§ In order to grow spiritually, we need to imitate Christ (but before we can imitate Christ, we must first know Him)

o The Discipline Principle

§ God corrects us so that when we grow up, we would be like Him.

*Go and bear much fruit.*

the best RJA song i've heard so far..

CAT AND MOUSE [Red Jumpsuit Apparatus]

Softly we tremble tonight,
picture perfect fading smiles are all that's left in sight,
I said I'd never leave, you'll never change
I'm not satisfied with where I'm at in life.

Am I supposed to be happy?
when all I ever wanted, it comes with a price.
Am I supposed to be happy?
when all I ever wanted, it comes with a price.
You said, you said that you would die for me...

We made plans to grow old,
believe me there was truth in all those stories that I told.
Lost in a simple game cat and mouse are we the same people as before this came to light?

Am I supposed to be happy?
when all I ever wanted, it comes with a price.
Am I supposed to be happy?
when all I ever wanted, it comes with a price.
You said, you said that you would die for me...

You must live for me too...
For me too....

yeah, yeah....

You said that you would die for me....

Am I supposed to be happy?
when all I ever wanted, it comes with a price.
Am I supposed to be happy?
when all I ever wanted, it comes with a price
You said, you said that you would die for me....

>>wala lang.. hehe.. by the way, can't help but share this.. a guy friend sent me a message which goes like this: if only i'm an angel, i'll protect you.. lend you my wings.. watch over you.. but what can i do? e demonyo ako! so pano, patayin ko na lang magpapaiyak sayo? =) i replied back: marami ka na pa lang papatayin kung ganun.. hehe.. and his reply was: ganun? ok lang.. kaya ko naman mag-massacre e.. hehe.. wala lang uli.. na-touch lang ako.. at least i know there are people who are willing to kill for me.. hehe.. what i mean is, there are people who love me deeply.. people who accept me for who i am.. so why would i care about the people who can't appreciate me? i'm being loved.. not just by one, but by many.. and most of all, i'm being loved by God.. is there anything better than that? none i guess.. ^_^

GROWTH..

I'm sorry, I forgot the 'T' in my last post..

T-rust God for every detail of your life.

Again, GROWTH stands for:

G-o to God daily in prayer.

R-ead God’s word daily.

O-bey (even when it’s difficult, even when it’s out of our comfort zones).

W-itness.

T-rust God for every detail of your life.

H-oly Spirit: to control and guide us daily.

@HOME

15^th Singles for Christ International Leaders’ Conference

Expo Filipino, Clark Field Pampanga

February 15-17, 2008

@HOME

Singles in God’s Heart

It’s my first conference since I’ve been in the community, and I swear, it won’t be my last!

It was everything I needed and it’s an affirmation of God’s love and power. I can’t help but share the experience that I had. It was overwhelming, something I’ve never had before.

Sidh and I arrived on Friday night, and sad to say, the praisefest has already ended. Not much has happened. After the talk show, which was really fun, I decided to just rest. There were activities outside – party, acoustic night, movies, etc – but I was too tired to enjoy.

The following day, Saturday, we woke up at 3am and headed to the shower area. After taking a bath, we went back to sleep. We woke up [again] at around 6am to attend the mass. Then, we had breakfast. And the best part of every SFC event – worship. After singing our praises to the Almighty, we had the first session, followed by the second. The third session was on Saturday night, and the fourth was on Sunday.

Every session was awesome, powerful, significant, and most importantly, worthwhile sharing.

Session 1: At Home in God’s Heart [Tito Melo]

Home is a place close to our heart. It is where we can be our true selves and know we will be loved for who we are. Home is where we find refuge from the worries and cares of the world. It is a personal part of ourselves that reveals who we are.

1 John 4:16 says, “And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in Him.”

What kind of love does God offer? Unfailing. Unconditional. The kind of love we cannot grasp.

The safest place to be is in God’s hands, under His care.

God expresses His love to us in very human ways: His healing touch, His guiding hand, and His warm embrace.

And having experienced this kind of love, what must our response be?

Ephesians 5:2 states, “And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”

And according to 1 John 4:11, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

Tito Melo mentioned about the “power hug.” It’s a quick hug to brighten up someone else’s day. Studies have shown that hugging reduces stress. And personally, I love hugs. I prefer hugs than kisses. The warmth of a hug touches the soul, soothes the heart, and eases every pain. That’s what we’re asked to give others: a hug of encouragement, of comfort, of genuine love.

Because we’re at home in God’s heart and in God’s love, we must in turn, be God’s touching hand to others.

Session 2: Journeying Home [Tita Sam]

Our journey home begins with loving ourselves, simply because God made us and therefore we must be beautiful and lovable. He created us because He wants to love us and He has planned a wonderful purpose for our existence.

We were asked to close our eyes and think of the happiest place we’ve been to. And guess what? Most of us thought of home.

These are the things I would never forget about Tita Sam’s talk.

*We cannot change what we are in nature, but we can enhance it. A person who is not good inside would never look good outside. Inner beauty is all that matters.

*If we measure our self-worth based on the standards of this world, we will never be satisfied.

*Only God can complete you. The all-time favorite line from the movie Jerry Maguire, “you complete me”, will never be true. It’s more appropriate to say, “you compliment me.” First and foremost, you must already be complete before you give yourself to someone.

Matthew 10:29-31 say, “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

We are more important than the sparrows, and God cares for us more than he does for the sparrows.

*Choose well and pray about whom to love and how to love.

1 John 4:9 says, “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.”

*Forgive yourself. [Need I say more? I’ve done this already, and it liberated me. Truly, forgiving myself was the first step to achieve peace.]

*Prayer is the answer. If you want answers, talk to God.

*See life and see yourself as God sees you. Never undermine your worth.

Workshop: Is it You God… Or Is It Me?

How do we recognize the voice of God?

1. Believe that God reveals Himself to us [because He wants to create a relationship with us].

-God is always present.

Revelation 3:20-21 say, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”

-God wants to have union with us.

2. God wants to reveal to us our true identity.

-Our true identity is based on our relationship with God.

1 John 3:11 says, “For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another”

3. God wants to heal us, to remove the blocks to his revelations.

-blocks could include fears, troubles, anger, etc

-two main blocks to God’s revelation within our hearts: sin & unforgiveness

-forgiveness is divine; by the power of God

-as we forgive, we experience healing

4. We need the power of the Holy Spirit.

-seven Isaiah gifts

Session 3: Home (Bitter)Sweet Home [Tita Joy Katigbak]

Our decision to see ourselves as God sees us empowers us to love others. Love, however, is not without its hurts and pains, and this is a reality we gear ourselves up for.

Love, in God’s definition, may cause us pain, grief, and sufferings, but will assure us to eternal happiness.

Anything worthwhile takes time, takes pain. But emotional pain has its own share of benefits. It teaches us humility and endurance. It helps us learn lessons from our mistakes.

Trials lead to patience. Patience leads to merit. Merit leads to hope.

Pain is real.

Are you LOST?

L-eague of single men and women

O-n call to do God’s will but

S-piritually and emotionally unstable and

T-remendously in pain

Am I LOST? Yes, I once have been. But I’m healing now. And as I always say, I’m getting better every day. ^_^

Jesus wants to strengthen us. He cares about our hurts.

Forgiveness is the key to healing. Forgiveness is a deliberate choice. It is an act of will. You should not wait for the pain to go away before you decide to forgive. It should come to our mind before it can come to our heart. Forgiveness is saying, “I am setting you free.” Forgiveness is required. It’s something we need to do. [Enough said. I tell you, the whole of Saturday, God had but one message for me: FORGIVE. And I listened to Him.]

Healing is a continuous process. And yes, I’m still undergoing that process.

Hand over to God all the broken pieces of your life. Experience GROWTH.

G-o to God daily in prayer.

R-ead God’s word daily.

O-bey (even when it’s difficult, even when it’s out of our comfort zones).

W-itness.

H-oly Spirit: to control and guide us daily.

From the Homily of the Bishop of Pampanga

*In order for you to climb the mountain, you must pass through the meandering road of nothingness.

*When you are in full communion with God, you can’t help but be beautiful.

Session 4: Lead Them Home [Tito Taffy Ledesma]

Having experienced God’s love and healing in our lives, and having made our home in His heart, we realize that we will never experience the fullness of His love if we do not live as a disciple of Christ to others. We now take on the mission of allowing others be at home in the love of God. We lead them to experience His welcoming, intimate, and personal love.

We may be the only Bible a person can ever read. Be a living testimony. Grab every opportunity to evangelize and win souls for the Lord. Reach out to the poor (in spirit, and in material possessions) and the blind (by false ideologies, prejudices, etc).

We are known because we are Disciples of Christ. Let us be ever enduring fishers of men.

Our battle cry: LOVE DEEPLY. LIVE FULLY.

I remember Tita Joy said in her talk that loving entails getting hurt. And while it’s true that true love shouldn’t hurt, pain is something inevitable. But love anyway. The real measure of love is the amount of pain you were able to endure. She said, if we feel that something is lacking in our lives, we should try love. And I realized this: I’m loving too much then. I’ve had more than enough share of pains and sufferings. Therefore, my life is already overloaded. Nothing is missing; in fact, the cup of my life is already overflowing. And Kuya Pip told me to be thankful. Consider the pains as blessings…

“I’m so blessed, I can’t contain it.. so much, I got to give it away.”

The ILC has been truly a great experience for me. And it’s something I look forward to next year. For all that had happened in my 3-day sort-of retreat, I am more determined to be the best me, the best for God.

I AM HOME. I’M BACK INTO GOD’S LOVE. AND I’M LEADING OTHERS HOME AS WELL. INDEED, THERE’S NO BETTER PLACE THAN HOME.

I AM SINGLE…

… SINGLE IN GOD’S HEART!

grounded

i went to visit my doctor yesterday.. it seems that he misses me already.. i'm having ulcer attacks again.. and they're getting worse each day..

he told me that if i don't get better in one month, i have to undergo some weird, freaky thing.. i forgot what he called it.. i never paid attention to it because i just don't wanna think about having to go through that.. whatever that is.. and judging from the expression on his face, it seemed a little painful.. and i believe it costs a lot too..

my ulcer, according to him, is stress-induced.. and therefore, i must do less and rest more..

you could guess how my parents reacted to the news.. i was given two choices.. quit this.. or stop that.. none of which i would like to do.. i'm facing a dilemma right now.. i don't want to leave and i don't wanna stop either.. but i don't wanna die just yet.. neither do i want to suffer from illness..

so i'm making a choice.. the ILC would be the last SFC event that i would attend to.. anyway, i could no longer back out because i've already registered..

it's hard.. damn hard to leave something which has been part of your life for more than a year now.. just the thought that i would no longer get to hangout with them, sing with them, laugh with them.. every little thing hurts.. and in fact, kills me..

it's like i'm losing a loved one, more painful than losing a boyfriend..

i don't wanna do it.. i never want to.. but i have to.. it won't be long.. i promise to get better.. soon..

i was given one month.. one month to gain weight, to heal.. it's either i get better or.. you would never want to hear the worst that could happen..

i'm advised, and in fact, required to get eight hours of sleep daily.. bawal magutom, bawal mapagod, bawal magpuyat, bawal ang matinding emosyon, anything stressful.. bawal!

no coffee, milk, juice, soda, anything but water..

i'm grounded, in simplest terms..

i'm taking a break.. but again, i swear it won't be long.. one month.. just one month..

bothered..

i came to school late only to find out that our instructor isn't around.. maybe he's watching the senate hearing too.. haha..

i'm bothered..

bothered at what is happening..

i watched the senate hearing on the ZTE broadband deal.. and it's really alarming.. i admire Mr. Jun Lozada for deciding to do the right thing.. i remember Sir Jim's favorite line: 'a principle is not a principle until it costs you something.'

Mr. Lozada's principle is to do the right thing.. and it costs him his and his family's life.

but i strongly believe that every right thing is worth the risk. because in the end, the truth will always prevail.. and the good shall always overcome evil..

i'm still bothered..

bothered at what i have just done.. there he was telling me why i should smile and some really nice things.. but because i was having a bad mood, i told him 'like you care!'.. of course he was upset.. and so was i.. i realized that i was so mean.. damn mean.. [sigh] but i can't take my words back.. the only thing that i could do is to make sure i won't make the same mistake again..

it's not healthy for me either.. i worried all night and all day.. i guess it's true that the softest pillow is a clear conscience.. and because i did something really bad, i found it hard to sleep last night.. and even harder to go through this day.. it's hard to be bad.. i'm just not used to it..

i resolve to live each day as if it's going to be my last.. and part of living my life to the full is enjoying every moment i spend with the people i love.. i don't have enough time to make up to them.. so i better treat them nice..

[i'm sorry.. that's the last time..]