Garden of Blessings

When we were planning our house, I told my architect-husband I wanted a big garden. He cut our lot in half, positioned our house on one side and left the rest for the garden.

Our garden is big enough for several fruit trees. Which we have. We have a mango tree that has grown quite huge. It is the landmark for guests & delivery boys looking for our house. We also have a duhat tree. Out back there’s chico, balimbing (star fruit), kamias and kalamansi (native lemon). We even had an atis (sweet sop) tree that loyally bore fruits with thick, creamy pulp until it got diseased and died.

In summer, we have so much fruits my family can’t eat them all. My boys don’t even like eating them anymore. I sometimes force feed my twentysomething sons just to make them taste our garden produce. They must have had too much (the mango especially) when they were small they want no more. I remember their shirts turning yellow because they were sweating out mango from eating fresh mango, mango ice box cake, mango tart, mango ice candy and drinking mango juice. Now, they’d rather eat store bought fruits.

When the fruits are in season, there’s a mad scramble to give them away to relatives, friends and even strangers. If we don’t share them, they end up rotten and cluttered in our garden.

Looking out to my garden this morning made me think that our life is a lot like owning a garden filled with fruit trees. When our eyes are open to the blessings, we pick the fruits, enjoy them and thank God for what He has given. We see the rare privilege that others don’t have and use what we are gifted with.

Other times we don’t see and appreciate the rich blessings around us. We’d rather pine for something else rather than be nourished with what we already have. Like manna that is abundant and free, the blessings that we have are sometimes taken for granted.

When the harvest is plentiful, we should not keep the treasures for ourselves. We have to share them with others who are not as lucky to have what we have. A blessing kept, like those fruits, will rot in our hearts.

We need to take care of our gifts. We have to nurture and nourish them so they will bear more fruit. Time has to be spent with God and our loved ones so relationships grow. Time has to be given to our work and our passions in life – for study and training so our craft improves. Otherwise, like that atis tree whose sweet fruit we can no longer eat, we lose a very precious gift.

It’s also nice to swap with friends who have other types of fruit trees in their house. We enjoy a variety. Like the people who serve in our community, we are all blessed with different talents and abilities. When we bring what we have to the table no matter how small, everyone enjoys a feast.

My life is a garden of blessings. In it are my three trees: time, talent and treasure. I have to nurture, share and appreciate them so my garden will grow, bloom and bear more fruit.

(Want to know how to make your garden of blessings grow? Learn the Secret of Big Returns at the Feast Alabang. Come to the Feast Alabang Center, 2^nd Level, X-site entrance, Festival Mall, Alabang every Sunday. First session at 11:00 am after the 10:00 am mass. Second session at 3:00 pm before the 5:00 pm mass)

Voiceless Worship and A Healing Miracle

COUNTDOWN TO FEAST ALABANG CENTER OPENING

Friday, July 30, 2010 (9 days to go)

Music Ministry practice. Sharp pain in my throat as I tried to reach a high note. Uh-oh. Not good.

Sunday, Aug. 1, 2010 (7 days to go)

Last day of the South Feast in Cinema 10. Excitement in the whole theater – we’re finally moving after a week’s delay. But my excitement mixed with worry. I hope I can sing at the opening. That spike-haired bug was still frolicking in my throat at worship.

Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2010 (5 days to go)

Off to Divisoria with the other committee members to buy Music Ministry outfits. A hot, tiring day of walking, searching and haggling (a.k.a. harassing store owners to death.) After a quick shower, it was off to the South Feast Council meeting. My cough was having a field day – firecrackers in August.

Thursday, Aug. 5, 2010 (3 days to go)

Spent the whole day looking for South Feast servants’ pictures for the bulletin. I got a headache and was feverish. I missed Music Ministry practice.

Friday, Aug. 6, 2010 (2 days to go)

Second choir practice. I attended even if the infection had turned my voice from Alto 1 to Bass 2. I didn’t want to be clueless about the mechanics on opening day. So I lip synched it.

Saturday, Aug. 7, 2010 (1 day to go)

Jericho march at the center. Dust, dust and more dust greeted us. We must have been a sight. Bro Arun onstage with his guitar and about a hundred servants marching and singing – all wearing masks.

On to Music Ministry practice. Thank God it was just for program flow and blocking.

On to stage décor set-up. Thank God for the help. My Creatives Ministry angels: Jacq, Khaki, Charisse and Ernst who made the stage as dreamy as a wedding gown; Krisanne and Maan with their parents who made the festive balloons for the entrance. And of course, there were our ever-helpful brothers of the Facilities Ministry.

Sunday, Aug. 8, 2010 (D Day!!!)

All I could croak out that morning was a monotone. For the life of me, I couldn’t manage a string of notes that remotely resembled a tune. But I wanted so much to be with the choir in worshipping God on this historic day. So tune or no tune, voice or no voice, I decided to sing praises to my God. It was a worship of the heart.

Already positioned onstage, we witnessed the ribbon-cutting from afar. What a sight to see all our loyal attendees there dressed in their Sunday’s best for the occasion. This is our family celebrating the opening of our new home.

The enthronement of the Bible, the Crucifix and the Blessed Mother was so touching. It moved many people to tears. They were enthroned not just in the altar but in our proudly Catholic hearts.

Bro Arun’s talk was brilliant, hilarious and inspiring, as usual. His talk is the key that keeps people coming back for more. So we were secretly watching the city councilor who pinch-hit for the mayor at the ribbon cutting. Obviously not a charismatic member, she was stick-stiff even when the whole house was already jumping to the great worship. We wanted to see her reaction to the talk. It thawed her out. By the time Bro Arun asked us to sing after his talk, there she was with her hands up in the air like the rest of us.

And the worship! As I said, it was great in the morning session. But the worship in the afternoon was awesome. And that is an understatement. The Holy Spirit was an almost visible presence. He must have decided to sit and stay when Bishop Jesse Mercado blessed the center.

The excitement was as thick as the artificial haze we used for effects. Our beloved leader, Bro Bo Sanchez, was in the house with his family. With the Kerygma 5 Preachers. With our Light of Jesus elders. With the other Feast Builders.

So the spirit-led worship leaders (even those from the morning session joined in) and the whole Music Ministry were inspired to literally rock the stage. And the attendees rocked the rest of the center with singing and dancing. Someone remarked it felt like a KCon high (to the unfamiliar that’s the Kerygma Conference – our annual community gathering). A community elder complained with a big smile we made his knees hurt from dancing.

A POSTCRIPT, A MIRACLE

The following week, fatigue and inhaling more dust in the center during our Tuesday night Council meeting brought on a relapse. By Wednesday I was running a fever. I prayed that it will be gone by Saturday so I can attend to my duties at the Feast on Sunday. But by 10:00 Saturday night, I had a 37.6 temperature. I texted Bro Joey & Sis Myrna, my heads in Events, that I was still sick. I heard the text alert on my phone. Before reading the message, I decided to clear my nose. Pardon the grossness. It seemed all the infection clogged up in my head flowed out. I was surprised because I had spent a week almost bursting my eardrums trying to expel the blockage with no results. This time I breathed freely.

When I read the reply from Bro Joey, I got goose bumps. His text message read: “May the most precious blood of Jesus wash away the cause of your fever. May God heal you right now. In Jesus’ name we pray.” At that moment, I realized the cause of my fever had been washed out. I claimed healing and made a deal with God. If I wake up the next morning without a fever and my chest congestion cleared, I was attending the Feast.

Early Sunday morning after a restful sleep, I checked my temperature. To my disappointment the thermometer read 37.6. But wait, that was my temperature last night! I forgot to shake down the thermometer. I took it again – it was 36.7 this time.

I joyfully proclaimed God’s healing at the Feast. After that, every time, I took my temperature, I would naughtily remind God that I had boasted about His miracle. “Pag nabinat ako, mapapahiya tayo, Lord.” (If I get a relapse, we will be shame-faced, Lord.) I can see Him smiling indulgently as He keeps my temperature below 37.

God is so good. He is worthy of our worship – even if it's a voiceless one.

Of Pink Laptops and Sweet Bell Peppers

I gave myself two merit badges recently. If I could have real badges made, one would have a pink laptop. The other, a plump red bell pepper.

I’m a balanced life advocate. I set goals for my family life, my spiritual & community life, my health, my finances. I even have “pamper me” objectives just to keep me sane and happy. Once in a while, I backslide. Or my resolve gets tested.

PINK LAPTOP

First test – financial literacy.

Basyang destroyed my precious laptop. And I helped. My mechanically-challenged brain did not pause to think that turning on a wet laptop would fry the motherboard. So there I was a blogger with only a pen and a notebook. A Media Ministry head with no access to the internet. Of course I had sons with computers to harass or cajole but it was getting difficult to borrow the computer. After a few days, I was getting scowls or deep sighs.

I scouted around for a laptop. P20,000 plus for one like mine. I was especially tempted when I saw a pretty pink laptop sitting in the store waving at me, “We belong together. Buy me!” But the P23,000 would have put a nasty dent in my savings.

So I dug my heels in and decided to make do with cast-offs. By God’s grace my son’s old computer just needed a new cable. This my other son had plus an extra mouse. My cousin sold me her son’s bulky old monitor. The new things I invested in were a keyboard, a voltage surge protector and a wireless USB dongle. All in all, I spent P2,749.75 for my set. About a tenth of that pretty pink laptop.

Test passed. My badge? The pink laptop still sitting in the computer store. It will sit there until I can really afford it. Or maybe heaven will send me one.

SWEET BELL PEPPER

Second test – health.

I have a treat day every week. I indulge in chocolate (the only health food that I honestly like) and potato chips (no amount of justification will make that a health food –baked not fried vegetable?)

Lately my indulgence expanded from the usual Monday to Tuesday (“I’m stressed – I need a treat”), to Wednesday (“I worked hard – I need a treat”) till I was finding an excuse every day. After listening to “Awaken the Healer in You” series at the South Feast, I had to shake myself out of this guilty pleasure and find something good for my body.

Thank God for TV cooking shows, I stumbled upon a healthy dish which I altered a bit. It’s supposed to be a kebab but we were out of barbecue sticks.

Grilled Tuna Fillet

Tuna Fillet drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper.

Big & plump red bell pepper, sliced

Broccoli stalks, peeled and cut into sticks (the broccoli head I stir fried in lots of garlic)

Dipping Sauce: unflavored yogurt & lemon.

I grilled the bell pepper and broccoli stalks with the fish for a healthy treat. Junk food bingeing junked. My badge? The red bell pepper. I was surprised I liked it. It was really sweet.