Thursday, November 17, 2005

Contact Story

Brenda was a young woman who was invited to go rock climbing. Although she was scared to death, she went with her group to a tremendous granite cliff.

In spite of her fear, she put on the gear, took a hold on the rope, and started up the face of that rock. Well, she got to a ledge where she could take a breather. As she was hanging on there, the safety rope snapped against Brenda's eye and knocked out her Contact lens. Well, here she is on a rock ledge, with hundreds of feet below Her and hundreds of feet above her. Of course, she looked and looked and looked, hoping it had landed on the ledge, but it just wasn't there.

Here she was, far from home, her sight now blurry. She was desperate and began to get upset, so she prayed to the Lord to help her to find it. When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye and her clothing for the lens, but there was no contact lens to be found. She sat down, despondent, with the rest of the party, waiting for the rest of them to make it up the face of the cliff.

She looked out across range after range of mountains, thinking of that Bible verse that says, "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole Earth." She thought, "Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know every stone and leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens is. Please help me."

Finally, they walked down the trail to the bottom. At the bottom there was a new party of climbers just starting up the face of the cliff. One of them shouted out, "Hey, you guys! Anybody lose a contact lens?"

Well, that would be startling enough, but you know why the climber saw it? An ant was moving slowly across the face of the rock, carrying it!

Brenda told me that her father is a cartoonist. When she told him the incredible story of the ant, the prayer, and the contact lens, he drew a picture of an ant lugging that contact lens with the words, "Lord, I don't know why you want me to carry this thing. I can't eat it, and it's awfully heavy. But if this is what you want me to do, I'll carry it for you."

I think it would probably do some of us good to occasionally say, "God, I don't know why you want me to carry this load. I can see no good in it and It's awfully heavy. But, if you want me to carry it, I will."

God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.


The original source is the 1995 book Keep a Quiet Heart, by Elisabeth Elliot, where it appeared in a chapter entitled "Lost and Found." Ms. Elliot attributes the story to a first-person account sent to her by Brenda Foltz of Princeton, Minnesota, who maintained she wrote it based upon an event that occurred during her first rock-climbing experience.


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"We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems."
--John Gardner)

Thursday, November 10, 2005

Memories

The following is a poem composed by Ms. Jona Tabago of Kingsland Village, Palapala, Dasmariñas, Cavite. I have edited it for brevity. Ayos ba?

Memories
Every story comes to an end;
Memories remain, always
for sad and happy moments─
laughters shared,
teardrops shed.
in our hearts they wait for quickening.
Instances of sharing, laughing, strengthening,
each recollection chasing one another;
For every promise planted,
a prayer of hope that it be granted.
See weakness, see helpless, let courage rise!
No matter the future distant, His answer comes in just an instant.
So now this end—is thus our destiny?
Catastrophe or comedy, we shall see.


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"Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength."
-- Corrie ten Boom, Dutch humanitarian (1892-1983)

Daygon ta si Jesus Ginoo!

Friday, October 21, 2005

And God said, "Sagot kita."

I'm going to dig into this one of these days. This has three points:

  1. Nangako ako.
  2. Sagot kita
  3. Ang galing-galing ko!


Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Tatay and son

Lord, I find the genealogy of my
Savior strangely checkered with
four remarkable changes in four
generations.

Rehoboam begat Abia:
a bad father begat a bad son.
Abia begat Asa:
a bad father and a good son.
Asa begat Jehoshaphat:
a good father and a good son.
Jehoshaphat begat Joram:
a good father and a bad son.

I see, Lord, from hence,
that my father's piety cannot be
entailed;
that is bad news for me.
But I see also
that actual impiety is not
hereditary;
that is good news for my son.

-- Thomas Fuller (1608-1661)


Friday, July 01, 2005

Naghahabol sa Hangin

The following was forwarded to me by a colleague, Ms. Christine Caroline Santos, (naks!) from her friend Mike Co who forwarded it to her. I believe the piece speaks like Qoheleth, if you know what I mean. Food for thought…

Gising, Tol.

Tumatanda ka na, tol.

Nasa Friday Magic Madness na yung mga paborito mong kanta. Nakaka-relate ka na sa Classic MTV. Lesbiana na yung kinaaaliwan mong child star dati. Nanay na lagi ang role ng crush na crush mong matinee idol noon.

Dati, pag may panot, sisigaw ka agad ng “PENDONG!”. Ngayon, pag may sumisigaw nun, ikaw na yung napapraning. Parang botika na ang cabinet mo. May multivitamins, vitamin E, vitamin C, royal jelly, tsaka ginkgo biloba.

Dati, laging may inuman. Sa inuman, may lechon, sisig, kaldereta, inihaw na liempo, pusit, at kung anu-ano pa. Ngayon, nagkukumpulan na lang kayo ng mga kasama mo sa Starbucks at oorder ng tea.

Wala na ang mga kaibigan mo noon. Ang dating masasayang tawanan ng barkada sa canteen, napalitan na ng walang katapusang pagrereklamo tungkol sa kumpanya ninyo. Wala na ang best friend mo na lagi mong pinupuntahan kapag may problema ka. Ang lagi mo na lang kausap ngayon e ang kaopisina mong hindi ka sigurado kung binebenta ka sa iba pag nakatalikod ka. Ang hirap nang magtiwala.

Mahirap nang makahanap ng totoong kaibigan. Hindi mo kayang pagkatiwalaan ang kasama mo araw-araw sa opisina. Kung sabagay, nagkakilala lang kayo dahil gusto ninyong kumita ng pera at umakyat sa tinatawag nilang “corporate ladder”. Anumang pagkakaibigang umusbong galing sa pera at ambisyon ay hindi talaga totoong pagkakaibigan. Pera din at ambisyon ang sisira sa inyong dalawa.

Pera. Pera na ang nagpapatakbo ng buhay mo. Alipin ka na ng Meralco, PLDT, SkyCable, Globe, Smart, at Sun. Alipin ka ng Midnight Madness. Alipin ka ng tollgate sa expressway. Alipin ka ng credit card mo. Alipin ka ng ATM. Alipin ka ng BIR.

Dati-rati masaya ka na sa isang platong instant pancit canton. Ngayon, dapat may kasamang italian chicken ang fettucine alfredo mo. Masaya ka na noon pag nakakapag-ober-da-bakod kayo para makapagswimming. Ngayon, ayaw mong lumangoy kung hindi Boracay o Puerto Galera ang lugar. Dati, sulit na sulit na sa yo ang gin pomelo. Ngayon, pagkatapos ng ilang bote ng red wine, maghahanap ka ng San Mig Light o Vodka Cruiser.

Wala ka nang magawa. Sumasabay ang lifestyle mo sa income mo. Nagtataka ka kung bakit hindi ka pa rin nakakaipon kahit tumataas ang sweldo mo. Yung mga bagay na gusto mong bilhin dati na sinasabi mong hindi mo kailangan, abot-kamay mo na. Pero kahit nasa iyo na ang mga gusto mong bilhin, hindi ka pa rin makuntento.

Saan ka ba papunta?

Tol, gumising ka. Hindi ka nabuhay sa mundong ito para maging isa lang sa mga baterya ng mga machines sa Matrix. Hanapin mo ang dahilan kung bakit nilagay ka rito. Kung ang buhay mo ngayon ay uulit-ulit lang hanggang maging singkwenta anyos ka na, magsisisi ka. Lumingon ka kung paano ka nagsimula, isipin ang mga tao at mga bagay na nagpasaya sa yo. Balikan mo sila.

Ikaw ang nagbago, hindi ang mundo.

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"It is better to do one thing for God than to promise to do forty things you can't do."

Daygon ta si Jesus Ginoo!

Wednesday, June 29, 2005

SUPERPEOPLE

The following is taken from a email from Preaching.com. For you guys in leadership:

As you look ahead to the fall and possible administrative changes, feel free to consult this handy church leadership guide, with helpful job descriptions:

SENIOR PASTOR:
Leaps tall building in a single bound
Is more powerful than a locomotive
Is faster than a speeding bullet
Walks on water
Discusses policy with God

EXECUTIVE PASTOR:
Leaps short buildings in a single bound
Is more powerful than a switch engine
Is just as fast as a speeding bullet
Walks on water if the sea is calm
Talks with God

ASSOCIATE PASTOR:
Leaps short buildings with a running start and favorable winds
Is almost as powerful as a switch engine
Is faster than a speeding BB
Walks on water in an indoor swimming pool
Talks with God if special request is approved

MINISTER OF MUSIC:
Barely clears a Quonset hut
Loses tug-of-war with a locomotive
Can fire a speeding bullet
Swims well
Is occasionally addressed by God

CHRISTIAN ED DIRECTOR:
Makes high marks on the wall when trying to leap buildings
Is run over by locomotive
Can sometimes handle a gun without inflicting self-injury
Dog paddles
Talks to animals

YOUTH MINISTER:
Runs into buildings
Recognizes locomotive two out of three times
Is not issued ammunition
Can't stay afloat with a life preserver
Talks to walls

CHURCH SECRETARY:
Lifts buildings and walks under them
Kicks locomotives off the tracks
Catches speeding bullets in her teeth
Freezes water with a single glance
Is the closest being to God

Michael Duduit, Editor
michael@preaching.com
www.michaelduduit.com


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"Any fine morning, a power saw can fell a tree that took a thousand years to grow." -- Edwin Teale

Daygon ta si Jesus Ginoo!

http://kandila.blogspot.com/

Monday, March 14, 2005

Ama Namin

“The Ama Namin in the Doctrina Christiana of 1593 from the Perspective of Inculturation.” Dr. José M. De Mesa, Professor of Applied Systematic Theology, De La Salle University-Manila.

Doing theology from a Filipino cultural perspective is imperative if we are to develop our own understanding of Christianity. The largely forgotten text of the 1593 version of the Ama Namin provides especially useful insights for doing theology in the Filipino cultural context. Not only does it illustrate the positive values of the Filipino culture in general, it also shows the capability of the Filipino language to articulate the faith in particular.

ANG AMA NAMIN[1]

Ama namin na sa langit ca
ypasamba mo ang ngalan mo,
moui sa amin ang pagcahari mo.
Ypa sonod mo ang loob mo dito sa lupa parang sa langit,
bigyan mo cami ngaion nang amin cacanin, para nang sa araoarao,
at pacaualin mo ang aming casalanan,
ya iang uinaualan bahala namin sa loob
ang casalanan nang nagcasasala sa amin.
Houag mo caming aeun nang di cami matalo nang tocso.
Datapouat yadia mo cami sa dilan masama.
Amen, Jesus.

Source: “Doctrina Christiana”, Manila, 1593.
Contributed by Wolfgang Kuhl - E-mail: WKuhl44238@aol.com

My loose translation into English,

Our Father you are in heaven,
Make us worship your name,
Let your kingship come home to us,
Make us conform to your “loob” here on earth like in heaven
Give us today our rice[2], for everyday
And let go of our sin,
Like we consider as nothing in our “loob”
The sin of those who sin against us
Do not abandon us so temptation will not defeat us.
However set us free/protect us from the evil “diwa”.
Amen. Jesus.

Some concepts seeking attention are:

1.God’s actions in the prayer—ipasamba, ipasunod
2.
The challenge for a response in those who pray
3.
God’s kingdom or will in terms of “loob”
4.
God’s kingdom “coming home” to us
5.
The concept of physical needs using the metaphor of rice—kanin
6.
The concept of forgiveness through an act going on in our “loob”
7.
The plea not to be left alone—iwan
8.
The idea of evil which uses “diwa”

Implications:

Based on the concepts enumerated above, there is a rich source of theology in the concepts and ideas of the Filipino culture. Our works should use these untapped concepts to articulate a Filipino theology. More to follow.


[2] Rice is a good metaphor for our lives. We have terms like binhi, palay, bigas, sinaing, sinangag, lugaw, am, bahaw, biko, bibingka, suman, puto, etc. which correspond roughly to different life stages. In addition, eating rice connotes fellowship and celebration. Filipinos find the flimsiest of reasons to eat together.


Saturday, January 15, 2005

In Tatay's Eyes

The following is a letter that I would imagine to send to each of my sons as they reach a certain age, di ko sure exactly.

I look at you and wish that you had more time with your Lolo, my Tatay. You would have learned much wisdom from him, for he led a full life. From an isolated Pacific seacoast little town in Surigao del Sur, he set out to discover and grab what life had in store for him. His years were full and rich and overflowing with experiences and adventures. After 74 years, God called him home to heaven. So, I'€™m going to tell you one of those things he told me to teach you at your dedication.

(The rest of this article can be seen in an upcoming book Legacy to be released by CSM Publishing on September 2005. Because of this, I regret to remove the article from this blog.) 6/28/2005

Friday, January 14, 2005

A Man in Tatay’s Eyes

What is a man? What is the measure of a man? Boys will tell you this, girls will tell you that. But what is a man? I sure hope I have shown you by example what a man is by this time. I’m no authority on being a macho, because I am macho-norin. Just ask your mother.

(This article will appear in the book Legacy that will come September 2005 by publisher CSM. In this regard, I have to remove this item from this blog.) 6/26/2005


Tuesday, January 04, 2005

Basbas 2005

Humayo kayo sa mundo.

Baunin ninyo and alaala ng kaunting panahon

ng pagpapanibago ng inyong mga kaluluwa

sa presensya ng Diyos at ng kanyang mga anak.

Baunin ninyo ang pagnanasang maging tapat kay Jesus

sa pamamagitan ng pagmamahal na ipadadama ninyo

sa inyong pamilya,

mga kaibigan,

at iba pang masasalubong ninyo

na mangangailangan nito.

Baunin ninyo ang tatag ng loob,

ng panindigang hindi susuko sa kasalanan.

At sa huli, baunin ninyo ang pananabik sa muling pagbabalik ni Jesus anumang oras.

Sa ngalan ng Ama, ng Anak, at ng Espiritu Santo, nawa’y pagpalain kayo.” AMEN



Another shot... Posted by Hello

The Montenegro's Posted by Hello

From left: Jojo, Joy2, JJ, Jed Posted by Hello