PAANO MO PINAPAKITA KAY GOD NA LOVE MO SYA?

                                 the Love of God is not a question, it is always available. 
                                  But how do we respond to God is our responsibility. - Bro Joe Dean

Early today, an eager little girl asked me. 'Ate, me tanong ako. Everyday, paano mo pinapakita kay God na love mo sya?' Series of explanations prompts me at that moment and make me wanted to open my Bible and send a Bible message. But I paused and asked the same question to myself. 'Oo nga anu, paano nga ba?' (puzzled by my own complexity) It was a question of a child. How can you even make a simple practical explanation, she would readily understand?

 I paused and reflect on today. 

'We love because God loved us first.' - 1 John 4:19

God is love.I am loved. Therefore I love.

God is Love. Love? its definition is limitless. There is a discovery in every experience. Intimacy in Prayer and His Word.  

I am loved. Giving thanks and praise is acknowledging His presence in my life TODAY, as in now.  Count your blessings today, it is more than 5 for sure. Blessings such as hearing a beautiful melody, was not late for work, someone smiled to me today, I woke up happy today. All the things that can make you smile or feel loved from the world and from people. For me this is filling up love tank. It should never ran out!

Therefore I love. How do I respond to God's love?

 And because I am loved, I can love others. Others in general term referring to what we can sense - what we see, hear, feel, smell, do! Not just people, but absolutely everything.

Simple question expects a simple answer.

How do I show God that I love Him?

Dear child, personally.. when I feel loved. I smile. I look at God that way also. I am sure He smile too when He feel loved. =)

Therefore eto lang din ang tinatry ko itanong everyday,

At the start  and throughout the day I ask, 'How did God made me smile today? How can I make others smile today?'

At the end of the day I ask Him, 'Did I make you smile today?'

Today I was reminded of His love through an angel. Today I was reminded also of that everyday question. Today I begin again. Today I smiled. 

Hope this answer you, my dear child. =)

Friend..I am passing to you the same question, 

' Pano mo pinapakita kay God na love mo sya, Everyday?'

LOVE LIBERATES YOU.....

October 23, 2013

Dearest,

Since Sunday, I had been counting all the love I received or more so love given to me by a lot of people, especially from the Bacolod people. Oh, God. It was so much. I was overwhelmed..because last week. I was love-filled. But I realized I had lots of love neglected consciously or unconsciously because I gave only to a few people in my circle, admitting...that I expect also to receive love back only from few also.  Yes, I received love. But I did not accept love coming back to me, through other people even outside of my circle.

I am loved...

Love is not an idea, it is an experience. Love is indescribable, as lovers might say. Love is....

LOVE EXISTS IN DIFFERENT FORMS. When we give love, it comes back to us not from those people we give but through other people and through different forms.

Love exists and manifests itself in many different forms...through kindness, smiles, laughter, words of affirmation, a friendly gesture, a friend who gave his/her attention to what we have to say, or a sincere words of praise, a pat on a back and a time spent.  It is not exclusive to a care, to expression of thoughtfulness or words we are familiar of like 'I love you', 'I like you', 'I care for you', 'you are important to me', I adore you'

I thought I know so much about love, but now I realized that I only knew so little..

I haven't recognized love at all most of the time! I focused only on what I knew about love. Love had become a common term. An ordinary thing. But I am glad of the loving experieve.. I had a little knowledge about love. But it means for me to learn more, do so much more! Give so much more! Receive so much more!

LOVE LIBERATES YOU BECAUSE IT WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE EXCLUSIVE. Because all the while (in terms of the opposite sex or a male), I give and expect a lot from a certain person. I expect a lot or hope so much, to change...to be a better person for me and for other people (according to my definition of better person).  Having that thought, it was never free love – it was selfish love.  My love became limited for other male beings, because I gave to him a lot. I failed to recognize the love given to me by other male species. 

QUALITY OF GIVEN LOVE IS NEVER DIMINISHED. But something is amazing about love.  The love we had not received, are just there...waiting, ready when we are ready to recognize and accept it. Dearest, I thank you so much for all the love you gave me through people I love and through other people.  Love is never diminished though it can never be quantified. 

LOVE IS UNLIMITED, I AM A LIMITLESS BEING.It is a liberating experience, because love is not limited.  I can love more.  I am capable of accepting love from anyone, from another being. Love in so many different forms..love given by God, and the world. I felt grateful, I am loved.

taken at Carbin Reef, Sagay, Negros Occidental

You are an awesome God, my dearest Father. I'm sorry for the times i failed to recognize You or acknowledge your presence.  You are love, love yourself. You are a being, an energy, a force that I need. I love you with all the love i received and can give. No matter how much I want to give you, I can never outgive you. Everyday...you gave me all that I need. All the reasons I can give to the world comes to one...I love you with all that I am. 

Love liberated me, because I am limitless.....you made me limitless capable of receiving, being loved and giving more. =)

SHY MOMENTS

orioto.deviantart.com

Oh my, those shy moments I have..

When I could have said something to brighten you up

but I choose not to.

Could have seen your face, and gave you a smile

Could have looked straight at you,

but too afraid my eyes would tell you

so much more than I can ever tell

Those shy, sweet moments..

I bother to let you see..

Those shy sweet moments..

I was scared for you to walk away..

And never, oh never mind...

I could have told you, you're amazing!

I could have listened to everything you have to say...

I could have, but was so damn..shy!

2 PIECES OF CHOCO WAFER

'I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.'- Matthew25:35

This happened over a year ago-It was my first time to join a regular street mission activity of my friends in Pasay. It is their late afternoon activity after the PICC Feast. They offer not just food, but friendship and God's consolation.

Since it rained that day, my friends decided to visit streetfriends in their (I cannot very well define it) but its a home or an area where they rest. They live in an identified environment of high social stature - like almost beside the lobby of Traders Hotel, CCP grounds, along the gates of PICC and below a bridge which served as roof near World Trade Center.  Streetfriends are very simple people, yet a life of poverty , makes their situation worst. Looking at them, I felt pity. That surge of emotion which says, "kawawa naman sila" (poor them).

Everytime we visit another home, I felt more and more hungry...even thirsty.(the fact that it was already past dinner time) I was a mere observer but not quiet.I expressed my sentiment of exhaustion from that long walk under the rain, feeling of pity and HUNGER.

One person frrom the group (I can't consider him a total stranger, but neither a friend yet), he gave me 2 pieces of Choco Nissin Wafer and told me, 'Dont let them see you eat or else they might even beg that out of you.' I never hesitated the offer eventhough I felt inconsiderate of my companions.How could I, I was honestly hungry!

(note: choco nissin wafer is actually my "hungry food". I always have a pack at home, office and especially during travel. Something to eat, or give away when someone asks, or share to a stranger on a bus ride. I always make sure I have a biscuit ir a wafer in my bag for hyperacidity. But none that day)

While my friends are busy ministering, I opened one and slipped the other on my bag, then ate at a "shadowed area". I had only a few munches and yes, that mere stranger was right. A kid beg the rest. Maybe, he thought what I am eating was more special. (I guess, indeed!) It may never  had made me feel physically full, but it made me smile. My soul was fed by a mere gesture of kindness.

Not long after that, we had dinner :)

The following day at the office, I told myself, 'I'll never eat you (wafer) unless I'm really really hungry'. But alas! A cat or maybe a rat ate it! Oh well, maybe they need it , more than I do.

Still, I reflected... that night, he gave more than 2 pieces of choco wafer. He gave me a taste of an understanding on compassion.'How can I ever repay him?' I don't know if he needed anything, with all the gratefulness I felt, I wanted to be an angel for that person. I can never offer him enough but friendship, prayers to protect his good soul and a smile.

 I am blessed to have him as one of my great friends today. There may be times when things seems harsh, but I am always lead back to this very day. 'I was hungry and he gave me two pieces of choco nissin wafer to eat. That's Kindness.' My friend, I can never thank you enough. =)

SIMPLY GIVE...Unknowingly, you're being an angel in human disguise for that person. It may be little giving for you, but for the heart of the one who receives compassion...little is not even a word.

 God bless you! 

Caridad - a daughter of Grace

May 19, 2013 -  I consider this day as a day, full of gift and grace.

It a day we celebrate the birthday of the church - the "beginning anew in faith" setting again our hearts afire. My cousin and I decided to celebrate Pentecost sunday at St. Padre Pio center in Libis, QC. We planned to meet there before the mass, and since I arrived few minutes before the mass began we were seated separately. We decided to meet at a Jollibee outside the church after the mass.  We only had a quick chat, because she had to attend a birthday party. I requested if I could join her. But she insisted, it is a family affair. Shortly after she left, a nun joined me for lunch.

She is Sis Caridad, of the Augustinian sisters all the way from Bicol. She is also an ilongga like me and a Padre Pio devotee. She had few days in Manila for her eye check-up, and part of her routine in her visit is to celebrate mass at St. Padre Pio center.We shared what we do.

She smiled and asked me, "What did you pray for?"(since St. Pio Center is a place of prayer and many people visit the place and leave prayer petitions)
I told her,  "I prayed for myself and my friends today."
She replied, "Our prayer should always be simple."'

'Lord, I know 

you already know what I need 

before I come to you. 

I pray for what is best.

According to you alone.' 

Because sometimes, when we pray, we become dictator instead of a listener.  We dictate God what He should do, or what He should give us, even if sometimes for Him, it is not the best for us. I bet she emphasized the words again. 'Lord, please give me the best, according to you.'

"Sometimes, we pray more for material things, and things that manifest in us physically. God grants those, IF its best. :)" she continued "Always remember never to put any attachment to anything or anyone. So that when it has to go, it has to go. We should always be dependent on His grace."

She told me."I can see in you that you enjoy whatever you are doing. We serve in response to God's grace.  It is always fortunate when you discover the gift of mission." (I shared to her what we do in Prayer and Life Workshops (PLW), stories and the vision of our founder) "God bless you and Fr. Ignacio Larannaga"

Before we parted, I asked for prayers for a dear friend, who was at that time in PGH.
She held my hand and said, "Simply asking for prayers for someone is not an ordinary thing. It is also a mission. Asking for grace. Transform a heart for Christ.  Everything we do, we encounter, we experience has a purpose, like this meeting and having Padre Pio as a spiritual friend."

We went back together to St. Pio Center to spend enjoy moments of prayer and silence.  I thanked God for that special opportunity to hear words from a humble daughter of Grace.  It was indeed a special day.

I always get excited because in my own belief,the Holy Spirit and the church has a special gift for everyone. I received the gift of GRACE, HUMILITY IN PRAYER, AFFIRMATION OF WHAT I DO, A SPECIAL BLESSING and A FRIEND. =)

A COMMON GOAL – COMPASSION

“It is not by chance that we choose He Cares to be a beneficiary. I call this a serendipitous event. We are here because of a similar goal - COMPASSION. Compassion in Japanese Buddhism is ‘jihi’ composed of two Chinese characters, ji meaning to give happiness and ‘hi’ means to remove suffering. For Christians it is called LOVE.” - ITO Supporting Comity (ISC) chairperson shared during their visit at the He Cares Foundation center on September 18, 2013. 

COMPASSION. When they asked Bro Joe Dean Sola, founder of He Cares Foundation, what motivates him to pursue the mission work, his answer was simple. "I felt God loved me so much, and I can't contain it, I must share it with others also. It is our desire to help them get out of the street, therefore we dream of creating a building for the homeless street children and help them lessen their suffering, help them get out of poverty."  I guess a part of us also has this dream, right?

photo credits to Judith Enriquez

What is the reward? I was moved to tears as the Japanese guests shared their joyous encounter with the kids, especially the part where the kids welcomed them gladly with smiles and said 'mano po' (a Filipino gesture of respect, placing the hands of an elder to forehead of a young one).  Their reward was simple - the He Cares experience from the kids...a spark of  hope through their eyes...a simple song of thanksgiving AND.. dried mangoes (which is really a favorite Filipino pasalubong by Japanese)

As a volunteer, I realized something new that day. Compassion or Mercy is not exclusive to Christians alone, but we are united in God by virtues He planted in every human heart. God is behind everything and He uses different ways and people of different beliefs to express His love to His beloved children. God is a God of all. No more questions. No more motives. No religion. But LOVE.

May God continue to bless them and grant them so much Love that they may be filled and continue to pour out more to others. Through them, the face of Christ shines as they spread happiness and ease suffering. How great our God is -  He exists, lovingly in every good deed they do. Amen.

(ISC is an active social organization from Japan, supporting various humanitarian and international social organizations across the globe. Some of their activities include giving financial aid and support to programs like women in crisis, development programs for the poor,health, education and child welfare.)

Want to have the He Cares experience? know more how you can be part of the solution (click here)

oh, tupa..kay tagal kitang hinintay

"The Lord is my shepherd... (I am His sheep)"- Psalm 23

During PLW desert day, most participants share about the "tupa" (sheeps), palaging bida bukod sa mga langgam. But for me? I haven't seen one. Eh nakailang visit na ako dito sa Sacred Heart Novitiate, Novaliches, Quezon City) I always exclaim, i haven't seen even a single tupa. since they say they're a herd and they're almost everywhere. Before leaving home, I sighed to sis connie, my partner, "magpapakita na kaya sakin ang mga tupa ngayon?"

I was preparing some materials for the closing ceremony when I was distracted by baby-like noises. Wow, there just across the pathway near our room were baby sheeps.

(excerpt from my PLW journal)

June 1, 2013

I feel that I am the happiest creature today.  Not only did I saw the sheeps the baby sheeps waited for me. I was so excited to hear them. They called to me like crying babies.  Thank you Lord. Kay tagal ko silang hinintay. Dati kasi ang kanta ko,saan ka man naroroon tupa. After they posed for me,looked at me, we smiled at each other face to face. ahhh, they did not smile. They maah-ed at me. Then they got back to their family na. So totoo nga ang sinasabi ng mga plw attendees. Ang daming tupa!

    

PLW Attendees - QC Bago Bantay Group January 2013

Know more about PLW ( Prayer and Life Workshop) : Visit http://www.plwphil.com/