There are times in our lives when we feel as if we’re too far from God. No matter how much time you spend kneeling in front of the altar or praying and meditating, the empty feeling doesn’t seem to want to go away. I have that feeling today. Maybe because Summer is almost over and Fall is fast approaching. I do get that feeling at the end of the summer and it’s quite normal for me.

I went to hear mass today. I prayed for a friend of mine who suddenly passed away two weeks ago. He’s still very young. I also prayed for my uncle who recently underwent a heart bypass. I prayed for my friend’s dad who’s ill and getting very weak as the time goes by. And to my brother who died twenty years ago – I pray for your soul as well. There are so many people to pray for and I know in my heart that Someone up there is listening to my prayers.

Life is a journey and we would normally have ups and downs. We will not always have that feeling of ecstasy that we once knew when we first accepted the Lord as our personal Lord and Savior. We will experience feelings of loneliness and hopelessness but we should always continue to praise Him and magnify His Holy Name. We will get through tough times. Remember, He is always with us. That idea alone comforts me.

Have a nice week everyone.

There was a time in my life when I listened to nothing else but Christian music.  My taste in Christan music varied from contemporary to traditional to gospel music.  I love the likes of Amy Grant, Sandi Patti, Larnell Harris, Steven Curtis Chapman, Michael W. Smith, Steve Green and many more.

Listening to Christian music inspires me.  The message, the lyrics – they all  affect my being.  I was listening to Don Moen on my way to work the other day and from what I could tell you, the music changed the direction of my day.

Just like what St. Augustine said, “When you sing, you pray twice.” – I felt like I pray twice every time I am surrounded with Christian music.  My spirit jumps up with joy and for some reason, my earthly body follows suit.

One of the music that inspired me during my infant days as a Christian is Christian music for kids.  Believe it or not, the simplicity in these songs resounded with “Unless you become like children, you shall not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”  One of my favorites is the I Am God’s Project album by Linda Gray. The songs are short but the messages are clear and profound.

Believe it or not, I was looking for a CD of the album I bought more than 20 years ago and I found Linda Gray’s website.  It stated on her website that she doesn’t sell the CDs but would be glad to send a free one to whomever requests for one.  I did and voila!  I received one in the mail with a bonus Christmas album as well.

When you’re feeling low and not quite in tune spiritually, try and listen to Christian music.  You will be surprised on how it turns your day around.

Let’s pray for one another.  Better yet – let’s use music to pray for each other.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

I must thank God today.  I don’t know how or why but I knew somehow that even when I wasn’t following the footsteps of Christ, that he was and have always been watching me.  He gave me many reasons to forgive, to love, and to always remain positive regardless of any situation.

It must be because I wasn’t borne to prominent wealth.  Both my parents had to work hard all their lives in order to provide for us, their children.  Equally, we were taught to conserve, be frugal and even with abundance – to always know that someone else is hungry in the world.

My mom was a social worker and she did many amazing things during her lifetime.  She would take us to see her in action when they volunteer in orphanages and mental clinics.  She showed us how the world is and that we can never be too proud.

There are moments in my life where I feel that I deserved what I have.  Everything that I have is something that I worked hard for.  No one gave me a free ride.  Really?

I now realize that all I have is through the grace of God and I thank Him every day for the blessings and abundance that He’s given me.   Many people out there have very little or have nothing.

So, whenever I feel depressed and I don’t think that I’m worthy of anyone’s love or that I don’t have enough of anything – I think of the passage above.   What is it really that gives me joy?   It’s not really the material things that surround me that gives me happiness.

I am happy when I see and know that my family is well and healthy.  I am happy when I spend time with friends.  I am happy when I feel the cool afternoon breeze during a very hot day like today.  I am happy when I am able to help someone.  I am happy when I hear beautiful music.   I am happy when…. I know that God loves me.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7

We all know that story. Abraham heard the voice of God asking him to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering by taking him to the mountains and killing him.  However traumatic or troubling the story was, we still find out in the end that it is simply a lesson about one thing and one thing only. Obedience.

12He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” (Gen. 22:11-12)

Read the newer version of the translated verse and see how much it has changed by changing the word FEAR to TRUST.

12The angel said, “Don’t kill your son or hurt him in any way. Now I can see that you trust God and that you have not kept your son, your only son, from me.” (Gen. 22:12, New Century Version)

What came afterwards is what GOD will do for Abraham simply for obeying His will…

[15] The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time [16] and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, [17] I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, [18] and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

I’m sure you know that for every commandment that God asks, He also provides a blessing right after it.   It’s like saying, if you do this – I will do this. That is how God commands us.

A sister in Christ (let’s call her Nelly) was telling me a story about a blessing she received simply by obeying God’s commandment. Nelly hasn’t worked for over 12 years.   She has totally offered her life to serve God.  Somehow she has survived. Little donations here and there, gifts abound – - and she hasn’t begged for any support at all. Nelly is truly a living proof that God provides.

Anyway, even though Nelly has survived, she still has to manage finances. If a gift is given to her, she makes sure that 10% of that gift goes directly to the church.  That is her promise to God.

One day, she received a gift of $500.00 from an anonymous donor to help her out with her expenses. She was very glad to have received the gift.  She was in church (she goes to church daily) when she thought she felt a prompting in her heart to call one of her friends (let’s call her Elizabeth)  and tellher  that God wants her to have the $500.00  Nelly received.  Nelly thought, “God, that seems a little too much. Can I bargain with you? How about $250.00?”, Nelly responded. But the prompting still said $500.00. “How about $300.00?”, Nelly continued to ask. “No, $500.00.” was the answer.

She finally gave in and said, “Alright Lord, I will call Elizabeth and give her $500.00.”

When Nelly got home, she immediately called Elilzabeth.  Elizabeth’s roommate answered the phone and said, “She’s not at home right now but I’m glad you called.  She quit her job recently and has decided to go back to school full-time.  She’s currently in school.”

“Sure,” Nelly replied. “Have her call me please when she gets home.”  **Click**

Nellly thought, “Maybe that’s why God wants me to give the money to Elizabeth.  She lost her job and probably needs the money to help her pay the rent or whatever. Now, I understand.”  At least she thought so.

When Nelly received the call back from Elizabeth later that evening, she understood what it was all about. It turns out that Elizabeth (for some personal reason, I cannot disclose the reason why) is now financially set for life. When Nelly told her that she was calling her to give her $500.00 because that is what God asked her to do, Elizabeth was touched and said… “Now, I know that you are a true friend indeed. You have always been by my side whenever I needed help. You were always there to cheer me up. I am set for life now and I would not need the $500.00 you have for me.  Keep it. And in the meantime, I’m planning a European cruise next year and I would like to take you – ALL EXPENSES PAID. This, as a gesture of thanks to your friendship.”

Imagine that! The real lesson there is this – - Are you willing to accept God’s grace and his infinite mercy? – - If so, all you have to do is ‘trust’ and ‘obey’ Him.

God Bless you my friends and I hope you all have a wonderful Easter!!

“Therefore, be on the alert– for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning

– Mark 13:35

The disasters that have occurred in the last six months has got me thinking. The ravaging storm Ondoy in the Philippines, earthquake in Haiti, Chile, Taiwan and just today – Indonesia and Sumatra. What is going on folks? These are natural disasters that nobody expected. The people weren’t prepared because there is no way you can prepare for it.  It’s like a thief in the night.  Many lives were lost.

I write about this tonight because I am a man of faith. And my faith leads me to believe that having Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior, I will be okay. Yet, when things like these happen, I start thinking. Have I been faithful to God? Have I kept my side of the bargain with him. What if in His eyes, I didn’t and when He returns he catches me unprepared. Will I lose my own soul?

I strive to be a better person every day. I try to be kind in any way I can. But I don’t know if I should be kind. How am I fulfilling His will by being kind. Should I be kind to murderers? Child molesters? Gay bashers? What is kindness?

In all of these, one prayer comes to mind. A prayer that meant so much to me that a photo copy given to me while I was still in my teens is still with me today. I want to share it with you as well. If you’re thinking the same way I am thinking right now, this prayer would definitely help. It’s a prayer by Thomas Merton.

My Lord God

I have no idea where I am going.

I do not see the road ahead of me.

I cannot know for certain where it will end.

Nor do I really know myself,

and the fact that I think I am following

your will does not mean

that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that my desire to please you

does in fact please you.

And I hope that I have that desire

in all that I am doing.

I hope that I will never do anything

apart from that desire.

And I know that if I do this

you will lead me by the right road

though I may know nothing about it.

Therefore will I trust you always

though I may seem to be lost

and in the shadow of death.

I will not fear,

for you are ever with me,

and you will never leave me

to face my perils alone. – Thomas Merton (1915-1968)

Feeling kinda cold? No fire in your stomach? I feel that once in a while. I feel like I’m not connected to God or that I’ve gone so far away from Him that I can’t feel the love that He has for me.

It’s normal. For us who strive to be like Christ, there will be times when we can’t feel His love. It’s not because He’s not there – - it’s because we’ve pushed Him away. And you know what, even if we did – He is only an arms length away because we’re the only one who can push away. He’s still there, watching and waiting for us.

I love this song so much and whenever I listen to it, I imagine God saying the words to me. It’s comforting to know that He is always near…always there to comfort me.

Listen and maybe if you’re feeling like it – - join in the song.

Artwork credit: Source

You’ve heard it before. ““I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” – Luke 19:40. And it’s true. We have to be cognizant of the fact that praising God is not for His benefit but ours.

I remember a story about a farmer who has put all his savings for the harvest that he was expecting. I can’t remember if it was a corn field or whatever but that is not important. All I remember is that he has put all his effort into the field and is expecting a great harvest. He recently became a Christian and learned about praising God and how it benefits US by praising Him.

His crops got infested with worms. He has done everything to get rid of the worms to save his crop but to no avail. He heard about how God blesses you when you praise Him so he said, “I’m not about to lose my crops to these worms. God said that if I praise Him, He will bless me.” In one way or another, he challenged God. He wanted to find out what God can do for him.

One sunny afternoon, he brought a little stool with him and he went into the middle of the field. He placed the stool down, stepped on it and at the top of his lungs he cried out, “Praise the Lord!! Praise be His Holy Name!! Wonderful Counselor, Almighty God!!”. He repeated these words several times when he noticed that the sky grew dark all of a sudden. In his mind he thought, “I thought praising works! Now I am about to get soaked with this storm and I have nothing to show for it.”

He took the stool and started running back to the house. He looked back to check and he noticed something weird. The sky grew dim not because of a storm but rather thousands and thousands of black birds that descended on his farm. The birds ate the worms that were destroying his crop and didn’t leave the field until the very last single worm was gone.

I heard that this was a true story that happened in a small town in the Philippines. I couldn’t verify it but regardless, it is still a very good story.

Sometimes, when all is said and done, we need to lift our praises to Him. Whether we’re going through something that is weighing us down or maybe when we’re simply happy that everything is going well. Praise Him. He has abundant blessings that He would like us to have only if we praise Him.

It’s Monday today and I am stressed out at work. Very much so that I am getting very little sleep every night. I know what I’ll be doing before I go to bed tonight and when I wake up first thing tomorrow. I’m going to praise Him. Sometimes, what seems to be dark clouds hovering over us could be the very thing that will save us…. let the birds come and eat every worm of worry within us. God bless you!

Whether you’re a Christian or not, you must have heard of life after death experiences. It could be someone you know or something you saw in a movie or television.

I’ve heard many stories and I even read books about it. As a Christian, I cannot help but believe that there is life after this life. There has to be. Christ spoke of it many times.

The very thing that I like about those stories is the emotion that these people experience at the time. They feel peace, they feel love, happiness. But most of all, they feel the presence of God.

I saw this clip on NBC’s Today Show about a scientific study on Life After Death. A book called, “Evidence of the After Life” written by Dr. Jeffrey Long. And with him was one of the 1300 subjects is Mary Jo who stated her story. What caught me was what she believe God said to her when she reached heaven. She resisted and wanted to stay because of the love and the peace that she felt. God told her that she couldn’t stay and when she asked why, God said, “Have you ever loved anyone on earth with the way that you have been loved here?”

That struck me. Because somehow, I felt that it is the real measure of God’s yard stick on how we can enter heaven. Like what I’ve always said, I only follow one commandment. That commandment is to “Love God with all my heart, with all my mind and with all my soul…and my neighbor as myself.”

That in itself is the most difficult of all. I am too selfish to love my neighbor as myself. But Christ wants me to do that. I strive everyday to follow His will and I fail constantly. Yet, if you sum it all up – He forgives me constantly as well.

Watch the video below:

I am a work in progress. I don’t claim to be perfect and although I try my best to be honest in every little way possible, sometimes I still fall into the “white lie” trap. It’s not easy to follow Jesus’ footsteps but I know that He forgives and every time He forgives, he puts a caveat after it. “Neither do I condemn you; go your way; from now on sin no more“.

Yes, we are forgiven but we have to learn from it.  We have to say to ourselves the very next time the same situation presents itself that we can’t go the same way that we did in the past.

I try to learn from my mistakes and after I have been forgiven, I try not to thread the same path as before.  Jesus knows that we may/will fall again and He’s ready to forgive “again”.  However, the constant lesson is to listen to that little voice in our head saying, “No.  I have been healed and I cannot do this again.”

Talking to a friend tonight made me feel like I was being self-righteous when I said to her after she had admitted to me that she cheated on her girlfriend, “Avoid the situation.  If you fall into that pit, you will lose sight of who you are.  You will continue to lie.  One lie leads to many lies. If you let your character and self-esteem fall into the same situation, lying next time will be easier and easier.”  I didn’t mean to condemn, I just want her to know that there is hope for her to leave that situation.

I was forced to look inwardly in my life and there are certain situations that I could have avoided yet I didn’t.  But I do believe that we are God’s project.  We are a work in progress.  If we believe and we try to follow what God wants us to do, “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” – we will be okay.

God loves you, and so do I.

I wasn’t feeling very good today. I am not sick or anything, I simply feel down and not in the mood for anything. The rain wasn’t helping either. It’s very rare for me to feel this way but when I do, it’s quite heavy. I can’t put my finger on it and I can’t even say that I am depressed for there is no reason to be.

I would guess that it is part of life. I recently attended a wedding, a friend just had a baby and another friend graduated from college. Could it be that I am trying to assess what I’ve done with my life? Is it because I think that I will never get married or have children? I don’t know what my subconscious is saying but I feel really sad.

I would normally be the person who people reach out to when they’re sad. They come to me because I am really a clown! You many not get it from the way I write in this blog, but I’m really a crazy person. Ha! Whoah! I feel better already.

Anyway, I decided to blog hop because I was looking for some kind of an inspiration to lift me up. I found this video posted on one of the blogs that I normally visit and it brought a tear to my eyes. I hope that some day, when all is said and done – someone’s going to sing this song for me the way she did. And when she’s done, I would stand up and clap my hands until it hurts. It actually made me feel good.

I wish everyone had a great weekend – I apologize, I just had to let things out. I needed to vent.