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I'm just a person who sees God thru life, photography, diving, music, service, friends, travel, movies and living in a sinister place called Earth. Just a person striving to be a man after God's own heart.

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Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor

 

Exploring Manila with my old and only standing camera - D70 with 50mm. Photography, you are terribly missed…

When was the last time God shook me? I think the last time was when I looked at my resources and I realized that they’re not enough to fund the radiation therapy of mom.  With God’s help, I survived that. Praise God!  From then on, things started to change. Slowly, I was able to close one debt and I was able to keep a portion of my salary for savings. Not that much but just enough to prepare for ‘rainy days’.The second half of 2011 was a joyful one and I felt that most things are back to normal again. Less worries, service life was great, work life was great as well. Or should I say things went from being normal to something extraordinary. I guess my definition now of having a normal life is a life with so many ‘adventures’ and ‘surprises’. Any life not confined by that definition is either be boring or extraordinary one. The second half of 2011 is indeed my block leave from life ‘adventures’ and that block leave just ended because it’s time to journey again. The cooling process is over and the heating process is about to start, similar to the cycle to which precious metals need to pass to be refined. God shook me and I allowed myself to be shaken. If I am to measure the turmoils that happened in my life so far, mom’s diagnosis of Stage 4 breast cancer could be intensity 10. The latest turmoil can be considered only intensity 3 or 4. It may not be as half of the total scale but it’s strong enough to shake my core and to release the vibes of worries. God shook me and I realize I’m still human and the strata of humanity is still underneath my armour of so-called ‘strong person’. At first, it was daunting. But human as I am, my initial reaction was to worry and to fear. I had some questions and ‘what ifs.’ 5 calls for mom yesterday were not enough to ease the tension in my heart. The pounding is good enough to wake me up in the middle of my sleep. The adventure and surprises had resumed and God asked me to carry my backpack again with nothing else inside but prayers and hopes (and a little money, just in case). I forced myself to say ‘Lord, we can do this. I can do this. I’ll just hold on’ then tried to walk again. Times like these, the Lord and I have the same drill - trust and surrender - and I must admit that I’m still a work in progress regarding this exercise. I guess it will take me a lifetime to master this. At this point of my life, I realized that my refining is still in progress. God may have given me a rest time but I guess it’s for the ‘preciousness’ in me to cool down and let the shape to set and to prepare for another round of refinement. The time has come to undergo refinement again. Today, I realized, God taught me not to be so complacent. I let myself be relaxed and I almost forgot our lifetime covenant - that I will let myself be driven by the One who can help me live the life of holiness. I am so humbled. God really knows me too well. He may have allowed me to see the glimpse of His great plans for me and the great future He has for me, but still He wants to make sure that I won’t allow myself to be the god of my own life and ignore Him ungratefully. God shook me again and it ignited the ‘functioning Christian’ in me again. He woke my blood, my spirit and my mind and woke every aspect of my life – the prayerful in me, the trustful in me, the courageous in me, the humble in me, His image in me – and the wakeup call made me to stand up again. I praise and thank the Lord because He made me realize that I’m still human, still susceptible to pains, worries and fears. He reminded me not to be so overly confident with regards to my spiritual journey. I praise and thank Him because He never allowed pride, self-confidence and self-righteousness to tarnish my heart and He don’t want my heart to be less pure, less malleable and less usable.I praise and thank the Lord for showing me and reminding me the past events where He never abandoned me and assured me that the Father who saved, graced, loved and carried me will be the same Father who will save, who will grace, who will love, who will bless and who will carry and embrace me forever inspite of my sinfulness.I praise and thank the Lord because He prepared me for this. He allowed me to hear the Gospel of the ‘4 men and the paralytic’ and made me realize that it’s not all the time, I get to carry and lead people but there will always be times that I am also the paralytic - someone who needs to be carried and be led by other people as well. I praise and thank God for all the people who helped me and for continuously providing me the blanket of prayers and the stretcher of love, comfort and support as they help me descent from the roof of worries and fears, down to the arms of the Lord. ‘Niyanig ako ng Diyos at nagpayanig ako.’ Praise God for that!

When was the last time God shook me? I think the last time was when I looked at my resources and I realized that they’re not enough to fund the radiation therapy of mom.  With God’s help, I survived that. Praise God! 

From then on, things started to change. Slowly, I was able to close one debt and I was able to keep a portion of my salary for savings. Not that much but just enough to prepare for ‘rainy days’.

The second half of 2011 was a joyful one and I felt that most things are back to normal again. Less worries, service life was great, work life was great as well. Or should I say things went from being normal to something extraordinary. I guess my definition now of having a normal life is a life with so many ‘adventures’ and ‘surprises’. Any life not confined by that definition is either be boring or extraordinary one.


The second half of 2011 is indeed my block leave from life ‘adventures’ and that block leave just ended because it’s time to journey again. The cooling process is over and the heating process is about to start, similar to the cycle to which precious metals need to pass to be refined.

God shook me and I allowed myself to be shaken. If I am to measure the turmoils that happened in my life so far, mom’s diagnosis of Stage 4 breast cancer could be intensity 10. The latest turmoil can be considered only intensity 3 or 4. It may not be as half of the total scale but it’s strong enough to shake my core and to release the vibes of worries. God shook me and I realize I’m still human and the strata of humanity is still underneath my armour of so-called ‘strong person’.

At first, it was daunting. But human as I am, my initial reaction was to worry and to fear. I had some questions and ‘what ifs.’ 5 calls for mom yesterday were not enough to ease the tension in my heart. The pounding is good enough to wake me up in the middle of my sleep. The adventure and surprises had resumed and God asked me to carry my backpack again with nothing else inside but prayers and hopes (and a little money, just in case).

I forced myself to say ‘Lord, we can do this. I can do this. I’ll just hold on’ then tried to walk again. Times like these, the Lord and I have the same drill - trust and surrender - and I must admit that I’m still a work in progress regarding this exercise. I guess it will take me a lifetime to master this.

At this point of my life, I realized that my refining is still in progress. God may have given me a rest time but I guess it’s for the ‘preciousness’ in me to cool down and let the shape to set and to prepare for another round of refinement. The time has come to undergo refinement again.

Today, I realized, God taught me not to be so complacent. I let myself be relaxed and I almost forgot our lifetime covenant - that I will let myself be driven by the One who can help me live the life of holiness. I am so humbled. God really knows me too well. He may have allowed me to see the glimpse of His great plans for me and the great future He has for me, but still He wants to make sure that I won’t allow myself to be the god of my own life and ignore Him ungratefully.

God shook me again and it ignited the ‘functioning Christian’ in me again. He woke my blood, my spirit and my mind and woke every aspect of my life – the prayerful in me, the trustful in me, the courageous in me, the humble in me, His image in me – and the wakeup call made me to stand up again.

I praise and thank the Lord because He made me realize that I’m still human, still susceptible to pains, worries and fears. He reminded me not to be so overly confident with regards to my spiritual journey. I praise and thank Him because He never allowed pride, self-confidence and self-righteousness to tarnish my heart and He don’t want my heart to be less pure, less malleable and less usable.

I praise and thank the Lord for showing me and reminding me the past events where He never abandoned me and assured me that the Father who saved, graced, loved and carried me will be the same Father who will save, who will grace, who will love, who will bless and who will carry and embrace me forever inspite of my sinfulness.

I praise and thank the Lord because He prepared me for this. He allowed me to hear the Gospel of the ‘4 men and the paralytic’ and made me realize that it’s not all the time, I get to carry and lead people but there will always be times that I am also the paralytic - someone who needs to be carried and be led by other people as well. I praise and thank God for all the people who helped me and for continuously providing me the blanket of prayers and the stretcher of love, comfort and support as they help me descent from the roof of worries and fears, down to the arms of the Lord.

‘Niyanig ako ng Diyos at nagpayanig ako.’ Praise God for that!

Mark and I drove to Tagaytay to meet our bestfriend, Keith, who is on vacation from the US. The last time we had this great portrait of reunion was during Keith’s wedding a few years back.We had a-bit hard time looking for the spa place where Keith and his family checked in but it was fun roaming around Tagaytay looking for that place. It’s great to have a friend with a still-brand-new car. Haha! I personally missed having a very heartwarming conversation with Mark and I am overwhelmed with the affirmations I got from Mark and affirmations I shared to Mark. We talked about our service lives and our SFC lives (Mark is now serving SFC Makati and I’m serving in SFC Singapore) and had some exchanges of thoughts about leading the Music Ministries of the both since both of us are heads of Music Ministries as well.After finding Keith’s place, we picked him up and started to roadtrip while thinking what to do. So we decided to have some bulalo. We almost reached Nasugbu just to find a still-opened bulalo restaurant. After taking the same highway twice, we found one. We had a great chat, catching up, what’s life in US and in SG, no other topics but us and laughing on the things we did in our own lives so far. We shared our struggles, oppressions and trials. We then shared our victories, how Keith and his family survived US and how I managed to live in SG.Making use of our bonding time, we went to Starbucks Tagaytay. We talked about college life, the bloopers, the trials and struggles we faced during college life and the things we missed when we were all in college (oo kasama dyan ung ultimate refillable Hepa-B lugaw sa Teresa, tapsilogan, pansit canton sa JJS, mga kalokohan nung PUPILS days). Sarap tumawa and it was also good laughing on the things we did during our college life. Mark also shared how God blessed him after he came back to Manila from Singapore.It’s almost dawn when we sent Keith to his place. We took some photos and the best moment of the bonding time is when Keith gave me and Mark a shoulder embrace and did the closing prayer, praising God for the brotherhood that we have after so many years and asking the Lord to be our beacon of light in our friendship. Very overwhelming bonding experience.Indeed, my best Christmas vacation so far. Thank You, Lord!

Mark and I drove to Tagaytay to meet our bestfriend, Keith, who is on vacation from the US. The last time we had this great portrait of reunion was during Keith’s wedding a few years back.

We had a-bit hard time looking for the spa place where Keith and his family checked in but it was fun roaming around Tagaytay looking for that place. It’s great to have a friend with a still-brand-new car. Haha! I personally missed having a very heartwarming conversation with Mark and I am overwhelmed with the affirmations I got from Mark and affirmations I shared to Mark. We talked about our service lives and our SFC lives (Mark is now serving SFC Makati and I’m serving in SFC Singapore) and had some exchanges of thoughts about leading the Music Ministries of the both since both of us are heads of Music Ministries as well.

After finding Keith’s place, we picked him up and started to roadtrip while thinking what to do. So we decided to have some bulalo. We almost reached Nasugbu just to find a still-opened bulalo restaurant. After taking the same highway twice, we found one. We had a great chat, catching up, what’s life in US and in SG, no other topics but us and laughing on the things we did in our own lives so far. We shared our struggles, oppressions and trials. We then shared our victories, how Keith and his family survived US and how I managed to live in SG.

Making use of our bonding time, we went to Starbucks Tagaytay. We talked about college life, the bloopers, the trials and struggles we faced during college life and the things we missed when we were all in college (oo kasama dyan ung ultimate refillable Hepa-B lugaw sa Teresa, tapsilogan, pansit canton sa JJS, mga kalokohan nung PUPILS days). Sarap tumawa and it was also good laughing on the things we did during our college life. Mark also shared how God blessed him after he came back to Manila from Singapore.

It’s almost dawn when we sent Keith to his place. We took some photos and the best moment of the bonding time is when Keith gave me and Mark a shoulder embrace and did the closing prayer, praising God for the brotherhood that we have after so many years and asking the Lord to be our beacon of light in our friendship. Very overwhelming bonding experience.

Indeed, my best Christmas vacation so far. Thank You, Lord!

St. Patrick’s Breastplate - An Excerpt…

I arise today Through God’s strength to pilot me; God’s might to uphold me, God’s wisdom to guide me, God’s eye to look before me, God’s ear to hear me, God’s word to speak for me, God’s hand to guard me, God’s way to lie before me, God’s shield to protect me, God’s hosts to save me From snares of the devil, From temptations of vices, From every one who desires me ill, Afar and anear, Alone or in a mulitude. Christ shield me today Against poison, against burning, Against drowning, against wounding, So that reward may come to me in abundance. Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me, Christ in the eye that sees me, Christ in the ear that hears me.

Blessed are those who for love of the Lord plunge headlong into trials and troubles without anger or sadness; when they escape, they soon reach safety in the harbor of the divinity, and through their good works come to God’s home and have rest from their troubles, rejoicing in their hope. Those who run the race of life in hope, are not frightened by the trials on the way … On reaching the end of their course they see the Lord, and praise him for having saved them from perdition.


John Moschus

Lord, when You said that it is done, You only mean that You already saved us, that Your greatest gift to mankind is salvation. All we need to do is walk the path towards it. Lord, when You said that it is done, You only mean that You’re done planning all the great things for us. You’re just waiting for us to ask and discern for them; that all we need to do is follow Your will, which is the only way to have them. Lord, when You said that it is done, You only mean that the mission of our Father has already been founded when You told the apostles about the great commission and it’s now our turn to continue the call - to let everyone all over the world experience You.Lord, when You said that it is done, You’re just telling us not to live in despair and shame because You willingly accepted death for us as the completion of God’s plan so that we can always have a victorious cry, and not defeat.Lord, when You said that it is done, You only mean that You loved us first and all we have to do is acknowledge it, accept it, live thru it and share it.-Title is derived from the ”At The Cross” by Hillsong


Lord, when You said that it is done, You only mean that You already saved us, that Your greatest gift to mankind is salvation. All we need to do is walk the path towards it. 

Lord, when You said that it is done, You only mean that You’re done planning all the great things for us. You’re just waiting for us to ask and discern for them; that all we need to do is follow Your will, which is the only way to have them. 

Lord, when You said that it is done, You only mean that the mission of our Father has already been founded when You told the apostles about the great commission and it’s now our turn to continue the call - to let everyone all over the world experience You.

Lord, when You said that it is done, You’re just telling us not to live in despair and shame because You willingly accepted death for us as the completion of God’s plan so that we can always have a victorious cry, and not defeat.

Lord, when You said that it is done, You only mean that You loved us first and all we have to do is acknowledge it, accept it, live thru it and share it.


-Title is derived from the ”At The Cross” by Hillsong

Our Father in heaven, I thank You that You have led me into the light. I thank You for sending the Savior to call me from death to life. I confess that I was dead in sin before I heard Jesus’ call, but when I heard Him, like Lazarus, I arose. But O my Father, the grave clothes bind me still. Old habits that I cannot throw off, old customs that are so much a part of my life that I am helpless to live the new life that You call me to live. Give me strength, O Father to break the bonds; give me courage to live a new life in You.

Anonymous (From Daily Reflection)

‎”This is the secret to possessing peace of mind, heart and soul: to see ourselves, everything and every one in faith as embraced by the all-encompassing and all-powerful love of God… You can choose the way you see yourself and the rest of reality. Choose to see reality as God wants you to see it… It is the first step to happiness and peace.

Bishop Ted Bacani, Jr
Kerygma - April

Twice heard the ‘Imno ng Lungsod Quezon’…Twice heard the ‘Imno ng Sangay ng Lungsod Quezon’…Twice heard the ‘Imno ng NCR’…Once heard the Ramon Magsaysay Cubao High School Hymn…Once heard the Toro Hills Elementary School Hymn…Twice wore the ‘PARENT’ ribbon…Many times, I heard the words ‘Thank You, Tito!!!’…Many times, I had warm and tight embrases…Many times, I smiled and became teary-eyed…One unexpected turn of event…Seven days of irreplaceable moments… moments made by God…Seven days of experiencing genuine love…Seven days of a good reminder, ‘To whom you wake up everyday‘…One unattended build for a cause…But seven days of happy memories were built… Lord, thank You for giving me all the opportunities to be Your bearer of love and blessings. Thank You for all the days You gave me to be with my family. Thank You for every perfect moment we spent together – to laugh, to play, to embrace each other, to be grateful for each other’s presence. I’ll be leaving Manila with a smile, with loads of happy memories. Thank You for allowing me to have a wonderful mother, a niece and nephews. Thank You for every moment well spent with the people I truly love and the reasons of my homesickness and I can’t wait to be in Manila again and to experience extreme extravagant love.


Twice heard the ‘Imno ng Lungsod Quezon’…
Twice heard the ‘Imno ng Sangay ng Lungsod Quezon’…
Twice heard the ‘Imno ng NCR’…
Once heard the Ramon Magsaysay Cubao High School Hymn…
Once heard the Toro Hills Elementary School Hymn…
Twice wore the ‘PARENT’ ribbon…
Many times, I heard the words ‘Thank You, Tito!!!’…
Many times, I had warm and tight embrases…
Many times, I smiled and became teary-eyed…
One unexpected turn of event…
Seven days of irreplaceable moments… moments made by God…
Seven days of experiencing genuine love…
Seven days of a good reminder, ‘To whom you wake up everyday‘…
One unattended build for a cause…
But seven days of happy memories were built…

Lord, thank You for giving me all the opportunities to be Your bearer of love and blessings. Thank You for all the days You gave me to be with my family. Thank You for every perfect moment we spent together – to laugh, to play, to embrace each other, to be grateful for each other’s presence. I’ll be leaving Manila with a smile, with loads of happy memories. Thank You for allowing me to have a wonderful mother, a niece and nephews. Thank You for every moment well spent with the people I truly love and the reasons of my homesickness and I can’t wait to be in Manila again and to experience extreme extravagant love.

Father, we will to share everything with your Son, his life, his divine glory, and therefore his suffering and his death. Only with the cross, give us the strength to bear it. Cause us to experience in the cross, its blessing also. Give us the cross which your wisdom knows is for our salvation and not our ruin. Son of the Father, Christ who lives in us, you are our hope of glory. Live in us, bring our life under the laws of your life, make our life like to yours. Live in me, pray in me, suffer in me, more I do not ask. For if I have you I am rich; those who find you have found the power and the victory of their life. Amen

Karl Rahner


“If today was your last day, would you make your mark by mending a broken heart? You know it’s never too late to shoot for the stars, regardless of who you are. So do whatever it takes, ’cause you can’t rewind a moment in this life. Let nothing stand in your way, ’cause the hands of time are never on your side. If today was your last day and tomorrow was too late, could you say goodbye to yesterday? Would you live each moment like your last? Leave old pictures in the past? Donate every dime you had? And would you call those friends you never see? Reminisce old memories? Would you forgive your enemies? And would you find that one you’re dreaming of, swear up and down to God above that you’d finally fall in love if today was your last day?”

If Today Was Your Last Day
Nickelback

Be as Christ's Light

(Source: jboygonzalessj)


I praise and thank You, Lord, because You manifested Your great love to them in so many ways…

We must be ready to carry the burden of anyone whom we meet on our way, and who clearly needs help - not only those who deserve or seem to deserve help. Everyone is our business and Christ in everyone, potentially or actually, has a first claim on us, a claim that comes before all else. We are here on earth to help carry the cross of Christ, the Christ hidden in other men, and to help in whatever way we can. We may, like Simon, have literally a strong arm to give; we may help to do hard work, we may have material goods to give; we may have time, which we desperately want for our self, but which we must sacrifice for Christ in man; we may have only suffering…We do not look for Christ only in saints; we look for him, perceive him by faith, and try to help him, most of all in sinners. It is in sinners that Christ suffers most today, in them that his need is most urgent.

- Caryll Houselander

Lord, lead me to a meditation on life eternal. The fulfillment I seek can never be found amid the fragments of earthly existence… I need meditation to keep my passing days in mortal perspective - to hear, in worldly sounds, Your voice most pure. Lord, in quiet meditation I wait upon Your word. I meet You to whom in silence I shall one day return. Without You, I accomplish nothing. Only when Your spirit guides me can I be Your faithful servant.

Susan Muto