Birthday Blessings

“He shall receive a blessing from the Lord, a reward from God his savior.” – Psalm 24:5

The table at the far end beckoned me to sit and peruse the letters tucked beneath its glass top. The low armchair cuddled me in its comfortable embrace. This spot seemed to have been reserved especially for me.

Café Mary Grace ATC with its rustic ambiance was the perfect place for my solo birthday lunch. I ordered Caesar Salad, Wild Raspberry iced tea and Mango Bene for dessert. The selection matched my persona – a trying hard health buff with a sweet tooth.

This was my birthday blessing from the Lord. A crack in time in the frenetic hours spent on community service. It’s Kerygma Conference time and I was in the thick of preparations for our stream aside from my usual Saturday Feast Alabang and Media Ministry duties.

I actually had to force myself to eat leisurely. No need for the customary rush. I had an hour before The Spa opened. There’s time enough to savor the food and go window shopping. 

As I licked the cream off my fork, I thanked the Lord for my solo celebration. It was not lonely as one may think. It was actually my choice and already Day 3 of my birthday bash. The past two days were spent with people I love and who cared for me. 

On Day 1, I was kidnapped by my FAMMily (Feast Alabang Media Ministy) for a surprise celebration. It was a simple pizza, Krispy Kreme chillers and cake affair highlighted by laughter and singing. It was so much fun that we only left the place because the guard was threatening to turn off the lights.

On Day 2, my family and I gorged (and I say that literally) on Japanese-Korean food in the newly opened Sambo Kojin in Southmall. We had to gingerly walk out of the restaurant afraid that any sudden move will dislodge the strategic position the sushi, the yakiniku, the tempura and their gang mates have taken in our overstuffed bellies.

So on Day 3, which was my actual birthday, I planned for a “Me day”. I heard mass with my parents (a concession because I wanted to thank the Lord for the life they gave me) and then headed for the gym to Zumba away the extra calories from the night before.

And then there I was just hanging out with myself at lunch time, looking forward to the indulgence and pampering I would soon experience – a dip in the Jacuzzi and a 90-minute massage at The Spa which was my son’s gift.  There’s also the Tous Le Jours birthday cake I had wished for and unexpectedly got. Candle blowing at dinner time. 

I’d like to think that these birthday blessings are God’s rewards for my service. Thank you, Lord.

Tough Love for People-Pleasers

“For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.” 
– Matthew 23:27

What do you call utter denial of a bad situation? Or glossing over someone’s mistake/bad behavior so that the illusion of perfection is not jeopardized.

My son would probably call the first: sweet lemon-ing (“mixing lemons with cuploads of sugar until they actually taste sweet.”) It’s trying to justify a bad life event by searching for the “silver lining” even if it’s as tiny as a silver needle in a haystack. 

The passage above from the Bible calls the second: whitewashing. 

Last Saturday, I was feeling angry about a wrongdoing that was not properly handled. I felt that “lemon” was being dredged in tons of sugar and then getting spray-painted. 

I was amazed at how quickly God assuaged my feelings and how He affirmed my anger. In my prayer time this morning, I read in Companion a reprint of Bo Sanchez’s article “How to Have Necessary Conflicts”. It was sub-titled: Sometimes, You Just Have to Pick a Fight. 

In a nutshell, the article said it’s alright to be angry when you see that something wrong is being done. In this situation “anger is a gift from God…Because anger or its other name – tough love – can be the only thing that can wake them up.” 

The article was about abusive people and how their co-dependents (a.k.a victims of their abuse) help them to go on sinning by being silent doormats. 

Initially, I couldn’t relate. First, the examples in the article were an abused wife and parents dealing with drug dependent children. Second, I cannot picture myself quietly suffering as I’m quite opinionated and I always try to speak my mind or at least write about it (obvious ba?). 

What struck me was that part about tough love and people-pleasers. Bo said, “If we don’t use anger or tough love, we actually need the people in our lives more than we love them. And that’s selfishness.”

He ends the article thus, “If you have no conflicts, then that means 3 things:
• You’re a people-pleaser, wanting to please everyone.
• You’ve compromised your convictions, not wanting to offend anyone.
• You’re a sissy. A coward. Therefore, a selfish person. 
But a genuine, loving person will have a few conflicts.
And he’ll get angry a few times because it’s the loving thing to do.
So be a loving person today.”

I was relieved by this article. It showed that feigning that nothing is wrong is being a people-pleaser.  We cannot right a wrong when we pretend it’s non-existent. 

Yes, it’s always a good thing to find the silver lining in our trials but when it becomes a needle that pricks our eyes and blinds us, it serves as an instrument that perpetuates the wrong that’s being done. 

Power Tripped

Happy and sad do not always exist together on the same plane. Usually, it’s one or the other.  Last month, this mixed emotion was felt at the Saturday Feast Alabang (SFA) because of the change in leadership.

Sad because we said good-bye to Randy Borromeo, our first Feast Builder, who had been nurturing us for four months. We had “borrowed” him from Feast Makati while our Feast Builder was undergoing training.

Happy because our permanent Saturday Feast Builder, James Nicolas, was finally installed. He is also Feast Alabang’s Evangelism Pillar head and we had been happily serving under him and his wife, Jinky, since last year.

The excitement was high the first time Bro James was going to give the talk as SFA Builder. It was also the week-end of Feast Alabang’s third anniversary so there were many things going on.

A few minutes into Bro James’ talk, the power in Festival Mall suddenly went out. Everything was pitch black. Fortunately, or so we thought, it only lasted for a while. The lights went back on but the microphones remained silent.

I froze. I couldn’t even feel the panic any Events head should be going through at that moment. Our sound mixer (at least I think that’s what it’s called) had blown a fuse when the power went out. I could only look helplessly on as our Tech Ministry tried to fix it to no avail.

Four months of handling SFA Events did not prepare me for this. But God never puts us in a situation without providing for our needs.

Sis Myrna, Events Pillar head and a three-year veteran of countless stress-inducing glitches in the Sunday Feast, was there. So was Bro Dom who is a really dependable guy especially in stage management. They’re normally not around on Saturdays. They were just at the center preparing for the anniversary the next day.

They moved faster than the speed of light to have the portable sound system set up and to have a new fuse procured. In my catatonic state, I couldn’t think of doing those things.  All I could do to help was to shoo the choir off the riser where the mics for the portable sound system were kept.

There are things in life that we just have to learn so we can become better at what we do. Sometimes the experience is as painful as a scraped knee. I was blessed that God provided me that day with people who cushioned the blows of my learning experience.


Saturday Feast Alabang is held on Saturdays at 6:00 pm with anticipated mass at 7:30 pm.
Visit www.feastalabang.com for the complete schedule of the sessions (Wednesdays & Sundays) and Sunday masses. 

SFA Photo by Ysza Bianca Pineda

How to Reject Your One True Love

It’s been quite a while since I wrote a blog here. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t been receiving regular doses of miracles that I should be thankful for. I was actually busy with a new blessing – my new blog, Happy Faith. Anyway, as I promised to complete the Love Someone Today series, here’s Lesson 2: God Loves You More Than You Can Imagine. 

Lesson 2 says: “God delights in you” and you don’t have to do anything to earn His love. Many people have a hard time believing this. Maybe because they “were raised by unloving parents or in broken homes.” Or maybe they grew up with different beliefs or mindsets that block out this truth.

God loves us so much that even if we sin, He still showers us with love. But sin acts like an umbrella that prevents that downpour of love from drenching us. This in effect becomes a rejection of the One who truly loves us and who should be our One True Love, Jesus. 

The umbrella analogy reminds me of someone who gave our community quite a big headache. When he came to us, everybody tried to love him as we do with all people who come through our doors. We were also quite impressed with the way he tries to better himself.

But he had a great neediness to be loved and accepted maybe because of his disability and a painful past. That neediness soon became an umbrella that prevented him from receiving the love God wanted to shower him with through our members.

When he didn’t get his way, he slandered the people he felt were responsible. He took offense at the most miniscule or even non-existent reason. He would text blast a barrage of insults and complaints. 

People began shying away for fear they would become the next target of his attacks. It also became too much for their blood pressures to handle him. He sabotaged the very same relationships that he craved like a real estate agent who priced his property too high as if he didn’t want to sell. 

If, like this person, you are in a situation where your hard-heartedness or hard-headedness is repelling God’s outpouring of love or if your umbrella of sin is causing you to reject God, close it. Come to Jesus as you are. Let His love wash you clean. Don't reject His love; instead let it soak you. 

Dear Sir, I pray you’re dumb instead of twisted

An Open Letter to CJ Corona


Dear Sir,


I’m not a lawyer nor do I claim to have much knowledge of the law. I only had a couple of Business Law classes under you in Ateneo. What legal matters I know about your impeachment have been gleaned from my lawyer-father.


I’m writing this open letter to you because I am saddened about the images I have seen of you these past two weeks. I remember you to be a jolly person. Learning Business Law under you was quite fun. A terror professor you were not. 


I remember the last time I saw you was when my boss brought me on a client call to Combank to meet with you. You were still your jolly self even showing me that you kept your class record where my name was listed. And here’s what saddens me. You used to work in a bank so you can’t claim ignorance of the FCDU law. 


But if you misinterpreted that then I pray you truly didn’t know it rather than have you twist the law for your benefit. I believe the Lord looks more kindly on dumb people rather than on crooked ones.  


Now that the verdict has been handed down, I pray that you will find it in you to accept your fate gracefully for the benefit of our country. I believe this historic moment will start our nation in building up its moral integrity. Please don’t destroy it by having your team create a constitutional crisis with their legal maneuverings.


In Ateneo, we were taught to be a person for others. This is your chance to show how blue your blood is by doing something you have failed to do since you accepted your midnight appointment. Be a man for others. Leave your office with grace and dignity. Maybe, with your gesture, our country can start walking on the road to greatness. 


Sincerely,
Your student

Pampered by God (Part 2)

Blessing #2: Queen Margarette’s Asha Spa


Like I said in my last blog, our trip to Quezon was filled with blessings. Blessing #2 was our stay in Queen Margarette Hotel. What a luxury to be able to stay in Lucena’s finest. 


After lunch in Silangang Nayon, we went back to the hotel to relax. Belle and I discovered that the hotel serves a humongous halo-halo in their restaurants (Kimsuy and Emerald Garden Café) which was perfect merienda for a hot afternoon. Actually we also had it for dinner and lunch the next day. It was that good – even our kids enjoyed it.

Half  of the humongous halo-halo

My cousin, Edna Dy who owns Queen Margarette, had been inviting us to try out their new spa. So we (Belle, her daughter, my two boys & I) booked an appointment at 5:00 for some spa-mpering.


The lobby of Asha Spa was dripping with elegance – from the décor to the subdued lighting. After registering, the boys went on their way to the men’s section while we proceeded to the ladies’ changing room. It was another elegant room, so we couldn’t resist taking pictures even if we were already clad in the white robe and floral slippers they provided.

Elegant changing room

Actually we ran true to our Pinoy nature (you know that saying: whenever two or more Pinoys are gathered there’s picture-taking?) by having shots taken all over this stylish place to record our rejuvenating experience. 


We wanted to hang out awhile in the tempting waters of the jacuzzi but sadly we weren’t prepared and too modest to bare it all even if there were just the 3 of us. So off we went for our Royal Asha massage. 


After the 1hour massage that removed all the stress kinks from our muscles, we were ushered to the lounge for tea. We waited for quite a while – it’s a good thing the seats were so comfortable and the ambiance relaxing – because the boys took time to enjoy all the facilities (jacuzzi, steam bath and sauna) before their massage. 

Drinking tea in the comfortable lounge

Belle told me that she kept thanking God for this treat with every soothing stroke of the therapist’s hand. And I second the motion. It was God’s pampering for his tired servants. 

My blessing: Asha Gift Certificate No. 001

Pampered by God (Part 1)

May 6, 2012 


Blessing #1: Lunch in Silangang Nayon


The cool sea breeze and blue waters welcomed me like a  hug from God. It was an answer to my prayer for a vacation with my sons. We haven’t gone on a family outing for quite a long time and I prayed for this time together. 


It wasn’t even an official vacation.  We were going to apply for new passports in Lucena and thought we’d turn the trip into an outing. 


Orchestrating this wasn’t a snap. There were schedules that didn’t match (my community service, their work) and health concerns (my elder son had fever 2 days before). My cousin Belle and her family, who were coming with us, had the same scheduling and health problems. But with prayers, it all worked out and here we were in Quezon. 

When I first came to Silangang Nayon about 2 years ago, I wished I could bring my children to this seaside park and restaurant. It’s a treat we city folks don’t often get: enjoying delicious native cuisine like sizzling scallops as we lazed in a “bamboo” cottage perched above the sea on the side of a cliff. 

While waiting for our order, we went down to the bridge connecting to the huts in the middle of the sea. I showed my niece, Angeli, the small plane on cable that brought food to the guests who preferred to dine over the water. After lunch we relaxed and enjoyed a bit more of the scenery. 


What a blessing it was for us to unwind from the rigors of work and community service in this place. More blessings were in store for us later in the afternoon and the next day including a hassle-free time (no appointment, shorter lines) applying for our passports. 


I can’t thank the Lord enough for this treat.

Love Someone Today Lesson 1

God Has a Great Purpose for Your Life

I spent the better part of my morning rummaging through old issues of Kerygma Magazine. There’s this story about a disabled girl I was looking for. 


I can’t recall what her disability was. All I remember is that she can’t move around like a normal person does. What was remarkable about her was that she blesses so many people from her bed. She is a prayer warrior. People text her their petitions and she prays for them. That’s what she spends most of her waking time on.


I wasn’t able to find the article. It’s a good thing this month’s (May 2012) issue of Kerygma featured another amazing girl with a disability, Jessica Cox. Jessica was born without any arms but she can do everything a person with hands can do. More than that, she plays the piano, has 2 black belts in Taekwondo and is listed in Guinness as the first armless person to get a pilot’s certification.  (I have two hands and forearms and triceps and biceps and I can’t do any of that.)


In the KMag article by Tess Atienza, Jessica admitted she did go through times when she questioned God and pitied herself. If I remember right, the other girl did too. But they did not waste their time whining about their lot, throwing tantrums when they can’t have their way (read in the article how Jessica dealt creatively with her desire to have a TV) and cursing the womb that bore them. Instead they rose above their disabilities to serve as inspiration to others.


Lesson 1 of Bo Sanchez’s book Love Someone Today is “God Has a Great Purpose for Your Life.” God has a plan for you no matter what shape or form or color or status you were brought into this world. Just look at these two girls. 


Bo said: “I believe your most important purpose is to be one with God – because from your oneness with God, you’ll be able to share His love to the world through the gifts and talents He has given you.” No matter how physically, economically, emotionally challenged you are, YOU HAVE A GIFT AND A PURPOSE. 


Some friends and I faced a challenge this week via a barrage of text messages. I’ve said it before and I say it again: God uses ingenious ways (yes, even exasperation) to inspire my blogs. These are some thoughts He prodded me to write:

The acceptance of your disability, character flaw or misfortune in life is the start of accepting yourself. Once you learn to accept yourself, you can start “fulfilling God’s design for your life.” The feeling of rejection comes from focusing on your neediness for other people’s acceptance. 

When you look beyond yourself and serve others with joy, other people will naturally gravitate to you. A person who exudes love for others is easy to like and difficult to reject. Looking outward (what can I do to make other people happy) instead of looking inward (what should other people do to make me happy) is the key to acceptance and the antidote to rejection. 

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For my cyber-friends to whom I dedicate this LST series to, let me share this tip from the book: “As you begin your relationship with Jesus, start with J.O.Y.


Join a weekly Prayer Meeting (such as The Feast) and Small Groups for personal discipleship.


Obey God’s Word by reading the Bible every day. You may use the assigned Mass Readings of the day or read 3 chapters of the Bible daily.


Yield to the Holy Spirit so you can share Jesus to others.”

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By the way, thank you Jennet (one of the cyber-friends I mentioned in my last blog) . I made this Strawberry Cheesecake with the luscious strawberries you sent.

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Postscript:


I found the KMag article (April 2007) I was looking for thanks to Tess who also wrote it. The  differently-abled girl's name is Ann Martha Padilla and she has cerebral palsy. She is “a prayer warrior of the Regina Rosarii Contemplative Association.” 


Like Jessica, she uses her toes to do things particularly texting her advice to the many people who send her messages. She said, “I would ask God what he wanted me to do given my condition.” Through her disability, she is performing God’s great purpose for her life – to “offer encouragement and prayer for His troubled people.”



Photo of Jessica from Jessica Cox Motivational Services http://rightfooted.com/photos/

Let Me Love You Today

I have a confession and I hope none of my community elders will read this. I’m being disobedient about something we were instructed to do. But before I get booted out of the community for being pigheaded, let me explain (or justify) my insubordination.

THE MISSION

The Light of Jesus Family’s mission is to “Make Disciples”. Our leader, Bo Sanchez, wrote the book Love Someone Today, a One-to-One Discipleship for Catholics. This is the tool given to the servants of the Feast to use in our evangelization. It’s a small but powerful book that can and is already touching lives.

We were given marching orders to seek one person to love and eventually disciple. This meant approaching a Feast attendee, starting a relationship and going through 7 lessons with her (or him for the brothers).

THE PROBLEM

Easy enough? Not quite. Last night in our meeting, we were grouped and asked to discuss our experiences in doing one-to-one discipleship.

True, there were inspiring stories from some members. Without a doubt, there are disciples in the making.

But there were stories not shared in the assembly but only discussed in the groups.

A brother shared that he was totally ignored by an attendee he tried to connect with. The man pointedly kept his earphones on.

A sister sensed that the person she tried to disciple got freaked out. Initially, the woman tried to hide from her during the Feast. Eventually, she stopped attending altogether.

And my personal problem? I just haven’t had the time to scout around for a prospect much less squeeze in a face-to-face encounter over a cup of coffee or tea (for me, since I rarely like coffee). Considering the myriad of duties I have, I may never have time to sit and talk.

MY SOLUTION

During our Love Someone Today (LST) workshop, I already knew I wouldn’t be able to do this. I lightheartedly said that I will just blog about it.

But seriously thinking about our mission, I felt that we each have our own way of making disciples. Since I’m a writer, my blog is a tool I can use to accomplish the task I was given. (I sometimes kid that if I get mad I will duel with my blog as my weapon of choice. Since this time it's all for love, it will be used to reach out and hopefully touch lives.)

Considering the advancements in technology, it is no longer strange to form relationships in cyberspace. My niece, for instance, met a guy from China online. Their romance blossomed via the internet. Now she’s married to him and awaiting the birth of their first child. So who’s to say disciples can’t be made online?

FINDING FRIENDS ONLINE

As a Didache and Gabay* writer, I often get messages from people who were touched by my reflection. Some have become cyber-buddies that I exchange emails with.

So here’s what I commit to do. I will write about each chapter of the LST booklet and do online discipleship. (I’m not encouraging others to do this. This is just me because writing is my gift. I say, “Go find your own thing” :) lest I be taken to task for being a bad influence.)

It may not exactly be what we were tasked to do but I feel I have God’s blessings on this one. I got His confirmation just this morning as I was praying about my plan:

“Go and take your place in the temple area, and tell the people everything about this life.” – Acts 5:20

The passage said “take your place” and my place is to write…here in my blog. I take it that “this life” refers to the life in community, a life following Jesus.

By writing about the lessons in this book I hope to deepen friendships with 3 ladies I met online:

I got to know Jennet because she would comment on my articles in our now-defunct website, Proudly Filipina. We reconnected through Didache and became online friends. I regularly send her my blogs.

May sent an email to all Didache writers about her job problem in Australia and I responded. After an exchange of emails, she visited us in Feast Alabang when she came home. She got a wonderful miracle a few weeks after – she and her husband got jobs in the U.S. We kept in touch for a while after she left. I hope through this online LST, we can continue the friendship.

I “met” Erma also because of my Didache reflection. She is planning a trip to Manila soon and I’ve invited her to visit me at the Feast Alabang. In the meantime, I have connected her to Feast Cagayan de Oro.

But I’m not limiting the interaction to these three ladies. If you can relate, become touched or would just like to reflect on what I will write about the LST, be my cyber-friend and drop me a line.

See you all soon for my take on the Intro to Love Someone Today.

*Didache and Gabay are daily bible reflections for Catholics.

Spiritual Warfare

Two years ago, I wrote the following reflection about a spiritual warfare that we in the Feast Alabang Media Ministry experienced. It was featured as the April 2 reflection for Didache 2012.

“BACK OFF!”

“Here is my servant, whom I strengthen.” – Isaiah 42:1

“Back off!” Piurie heard a male voice from out of nowhere. It was Saturday night. She was alone editing the video to launch the Caring Groups at our Feast the next day. This was the last incident in a string of spiritual harassments that our Media Ministry experienced that week.

Osy, who conceptualized the presentation, figured in a three-vehicle smash-up. My monitor, which was working fine, suddenly flat-lined. Our videographers with their high-tech cameras and our talent were unavailable. One member was hospitalized due to asthma and severe back pains.

The thought that we were being attacked by evil forces to prevent the video from being used to harvest souls was chilling. But God provided and God protected. Tin, usually busy, was free to make the presentation. She roped in her friend, Piurie, to volunteer. Mike was able to borrow a camera. AJ from the youth ministry agreed to do the funny poses we needed to shoot.

When we asked for prayers, we were assured that God had sent His angels to cover us. Backed by the strength of God’s forces, it was our turn to say to the devil, “Back off, we’re showing this!” And we did.

The night before the reflection came out, our AVP Team Head Noemi texted me to ask for prayers. She was making the Awesome Kids AVP that will be used for ASK, our Holy Week Recollection.

Technical problems were hampering her efforts. Not only that, she felt a presence when she was typing in the words “Who is God for you?” She decided to stop.

She later said that when she attempted to do it again the following night, her son asked her to sleep beside him. He felt someone touching him when there was nobody there.

When I got her text, the first thing that popped into my head was that my reflection was coming out the next day. It was creepy that it was happening at this time. I prayed a spiritual warfare prayer for Noemi.

Things like this are scary especially because when you serve God you are in the forefront of the battle.

But it is also a firm affirmation of two truths. One: that the devil is also afraid of us, of the things we can do as warriors for the Lord. Two: that the Lord is our vanguard and our rear guard in this spiritual warfare. When you have the most powerful force with you, how can you lose?

Noemi’s story ended like Piurie’s. She too completed her task by the power of prayer. God will always help us to be victorious. All we have to do is ASK!

ASK, Feast Alabang’s Lenten Recollection, will be held on April 5, 6 & 7, 2012 (Holy Thursday to Black Saturday) from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon at the Bellevue Hotel, Alabang, Muntinlupa City. Entrance is free, so if you’re free, come and join us.

A Memory Loss

So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “What I told you from the beginning. I have much to say about you in condemnation…” – John 8:25-26

Sometimes we experience temporary memory loss at the most embarrassing times. You meet a person you know and when you attempt to introduce this person to your companion, you draw a mental blank. You absolutely cannot remember his or her name and you cannot do the unthinkable and ask, “Who are you?”

This happened to me a couple of times. The most embarrassing was when I remembered the name of the person I met on the street and forgot the name of my companion. I had to endure the embarrassment longer as we were taking the ride home together.

Physical memory loss, at most, is just embarrassing. Spiritual memory loss is tragic as you lose more than just your “face”. What causes spiritual memory loss? I’d say pride does.

Let me tell you 2 stories to illustrate my point:

• My Papa had a town mate who knew him quite well. She even used to call him kuya. Papa was a friend of her sibling. She migrated to the U.S.A. and made it big there. When Papa introduced himself to her when they saw each other again in the States, she said, “Who are you? Do I know you?”

• I have a friend who used to be thoughtful and nice. As he rose in stature, he seemed to have experienced a severe memory loss about how he got to where he was and the other people who made a mark before him. Now I want to throttle him until the bad spirits depart and ask him, “Who are you and what have you done to my friend?”

There are times when we act like the Pharisees, like we do not know Jesus at all. We fail to recognize His hand in the good fortune that comes our way. We forget that all the success and blessings in our lives came from Him. Let us always remember who Jesus is and live like Him so that when we meet Him at the pearly gates He will not ask, “Who are you? Do I know you?”

Bearers of the Cross, the Bible and the Virgin Mary

A Refreshing Dose of Spirituality at The SFA

I was washing breakfast dishes when the impression from the Lord hit me. I felt ridiculous trying to wipe away my tears with soapy, rubber-gloved hands but I couldn’t control the overwhelming feeling.

We had to do something special for the launch of the Saturday Feast Alabang or what we half-jokingly call The SFA (pronounced like spa but with F instead). The enthronement was a tradition. It was done for the center’s inauguration and for the Wednesday Feast launch.

We were going to do it again. But how do we make it different? For one thing we had nothing to enthrone that had not been enthroned before.

When the inspiration struck, I was awed by the significance. The Lord impressed on me that the people we should ask to be the bearers of the Bible, the image of the Virgin Mary and the Cross should be families whose lives and spirituality were dramatically changed at the Feast.

Two people and their families came to mind quickly.

Lilibeth started attending the Feast Alabang with her family shortly after it was launched. Her husband died of cancer and she was left to care for 2 young sons. Her elder son, Junpol has cerebral palsy and epilepsy. I used to see her husband carrying him as they dropped their love offering in the basket.

She stopped attending for a while because of her burdens but came back and joined a Caring Group. She happened to mention to her CG mates her dearest wish to buy a wheelchair for Junpol so that he can attend the Feast with them. One generous sister immediately bought him one. Lilibeth shared in our website and bulletin about the great love she experienced at the Feast.

Nina is a girl in her early teens who used to attend the Feast in a wheel chair. She had End Stage Renal Disease. In the beginning, she looked so sad and would just sit quietly with her parents and brother through the sessions. Many of us were pleased to see her get better over time. She now attends minus the wheelchair looking perky in her trendy outfits. (Watch out for her mother’s testimony in Kerygma Magazine’s May issue).

Two down one to go. Then I remembered Jun whom my cousin, Belle, had to cajole and badger into attending. He made a 180-degree turnaround from being a reluctant Feast attendee.

Thinking about these three families brought home the point that the Feast was really blessing lives and refreshing troubled souls. Their lives changed because of the healing and love they experienced.

Not only that, members of these families are now happy servants at the Feast Alabang: Lilibeth and Junpol (when he feels up to it) serve with the Warmth Ministry; Nina is one of our social networkers in Media, her mom Winnie is with the Warmth and Food Ministries, and I know her brother Earl volunteered for Tech; and Jun sings with the Music Ministry – not just for the Sunday Feast sessions but also the WFA (our Wednesday session), now the SFA and also supports Feast Sucat.

I felt they were the perfect people to bear the symbols of our Faith. The tears still flowed as I watched them during the enthronement. A sister shared she got goose bumps. The Spirit’s presence that we felt affirmed the impression that the Lord wanted these families to take part in the enthronement. The Lord moved people to give us a memorable launch.

Just as our Feast Builder for SFA, Randy Borromeo, said, “If it is the Lord’s will for this session to happen we will have the anointing of ease and things will just come together.” And they did. All the ministries who worked for the launch were excited and it showed in the wonderful service they gave.

Our Creatives and Food Ministries gave the SFA a relaxing ambiance to enhance the feeling that this is the harassed Christian’s weekend getaway with the Lord. We hope and pray that many souls will be refreshed in this spiritual spa.

The Saturday Feast Alabang is held at the Feast Alabang Center, 2nd Level, X-site Entrance, Festival Mall (right above National Bookstore). Session starts at 6:00 pm with anticipated mass at 7:30 pm.

Photos by Mike & Mai Togle, IC de Guzman & ReyMark Cristobal. Thanks FAMMily!

My Sweet Valentine

I just have to write this about my Valentine B.A.G of Miracles. And I have 2 hours and 14 minutes left before the Love Month ends so sorry if this is rushed.

Anyway, let me start with my B (blessing). My son bought 16 white roses the day before Valentine’s which he said he will give to the ladies in the school where he works. So thoughtful of him.

The best thing was he had one for me and my Mama too. Now, isn’t that the sweetest thing. I thought we weren’t included in his list.

My A (achievement) and G (good done for others) are in one package – I cooked a special dinner for my family. Achievement because I successfully cooked 3 new dishes. Well, let me put it this way - according to the Board of Judges, the Sausage Pasta was approved for “Party Menu”. The Chicken Chardon needs a tad more flavor but it was okay in the look and feel department.

The Bacon Wrapped Dynamite got mixed reviews. Papa and younger son liked it. Elder son’s comment was, “When did we ever like hot & spicy food?” Mama and I ate it with extreme caution considering the “accident” I had preparing it.

Word of advice: NEVER EVER AS IN EVER handle the seeds of the jalapeño pepper with bare hands. Nobody told me I needed to wear industrial gloves to take the seeds out (or to simply use a spoon and knife). Well, now I know, after getting my hands burnt while preparing that dynamite dish. I felt like my hands were on fire for about 2 hours.

But it was all worth it as my family enjoyed the dinner. It was a romantic-less way to spend Valentine’s Day but it was love-filled nevertheless.

Overwhelmed? Train Duplicates

Guideline # 8: Raise leaders after you

My world has just been shaken and stirred. Things are moving at such a fast pace. ZOOM, the event name of the Light of Jesus Family Leadership Assembly on Jan. 28, 2012, is such an apt description for the way things are moving in my ministry life.

Activities in Feast Alabang are on overdrive. There’s A.S.K. (our Lenten Recollection which will be held in Bellevue on April 5 to 7); there’s Loveoke (our post Valentine activity this coming Saturday); there’s a million and one formation activities and meetings and tasks.

And here’s the clincher: I’ve just been asked to handle the Events for our latest session, the Saturday Feast Alabang (SFA), that will be launched on March 10. Overwhelmed? You bet I am. Conflicted? That I am too, because I just love my FAMMily (Feast Alabang Media Ministry) and I would hate to leave them.

But as servants, one of the important virtues we were taught is obedience. If this is where God calls, I must follow. Besides, this will be in support of my Pillar heads who have also been very supportive of us.

After committing to obey the Lord’s leading, He proved once again that He cannot be out-given. I got 3 blessings in return. First, I get to stay with my FAMMily. Having efficient and capable team heads granted me the facility to just oversee the ministry. They can competently manage their own teams.

With my FAMMily Team Heads

The next blessing I got was a fresh dose of passion to serve. I must confess that this new assignment came in the throes of a burn-out. Lately, conflicts and fatigue have been taxing me. I felt it was time to balance my life and focus on the other areas that have been neglected.

When I was first asked to head Events, I said this prayer: “Lord, if this is where you want me to go, I will obey but please renew my passion for service.” The morning after our meeting to discuss the SFA among other things, the Lord answered my prayer. Like a dam that broke, ideas overflowed bringing with it excitement that refreshed my dry soul.

My third blessing is the inspiration to write a new guideline for my Manual for Servant Leaders Who Insanely Love to Serve God Despite Harassments and Frustrations. Guideline #8: Raise leaders after you.

These two principles that I applied with my Media Ministry team heads gave me the confidence to step back:

1. Trust the leaders you are tasked to train.

2. Take a risk – you will never know how good they can handle things unless you give them the chance.

These are principles I plan to take with me in my new assignment with a new set of leaders to work with. There are no perfect leaders so things will not always be smooth. But we have a perfect God who makes everything work for the good of those who serve Him.

Bo Sanchez telling LOJ leaders to be like the smallest Matryoshka doll and raise up

bigger and better next generation leaders.

The Saturday Feast Alabang will be held at the Feast Alabang Center, 2nd Level, X-site Entrance, Festival Mall (right above National Bookstore). Session starts at 6:00 pm. Plans for anticipated mass at 7:30 pm are being finalized.

Photos courtesy of Emy Cañete and IC de Guzman.

Discordant Notes

“Discord is the devil’s tool to prevent service for God from being delivered.”

This message clanged like a gong ripping through the quiet of my prayer time. It was a call to action and God’s prodding for me to write another guideline.

(Yes, Lord, I get it already. You let these things happen to hustle me into writing.)

I ignored His first poke to write this blog. The blessing of cool-headed and supportive leaders stilled turbulent waters so there was not much compulsion to write. Besides I had just written #6. God usually lets me catch my breath before He zaps me with the next guideline.

But then He sent a second poke, no erase that…call it a shake that rattled my teeth a bit (when I have to forego my rare chance of going to the gym, it’s a teeth-rattling experience). Plans for the gym were scrapped as I needed to exercise my peacemaking abilities instead.

I had to step in right away because it happened before. It was probably my fault it recurred because I was too busy to really sit down and talk with the parties involved right after the last incident.

Lesson learned: resolve issues as early as possible. When resolution is delayed or the conflict is glossed over, there is a danger that bad feelings will fester. Discord will erupt and prevent people from working together to do God’s appointed task.

John Maxwell cited St. Paul’s message from Philippians 4:2 in his Leadership devotional to stress the importance of teamwork: “I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.” Maxwell said,” The term he uses connotes harmony. Singing in harmony doesn’t mean singing in unison. Players should play different positions on a team. Harmony means their efforts complement the efforts of others, rather than conflict with them.”

But even with the best intentions and hearts for service, discord will erupt in a community because of the human factor. There is no perfect community with perfect servants. It is then the servant leader’s task to spot discordant notes early on and take measures to restore harmony ASAP.

And there you have Guideline #7 for my Manual for Servant Leaders Who Insanely Love to Serve God Despite Harassments and Frustrations: Guard against discord by nipping it in the bud.

Plan, Prepare, Pray

This is supposed to be Guideline #6 for my Manual for Servant Leaders Who Insanely Love to Serve God Despite Harassments and Frustrations. But for the moment it will be a theory or a tentative guideline at best. I need to observe where it goes before I declare this to be a solid principle.

Let me explain.

When I took up my Masters in Entrepreneurship we were taught that for a business strategy to be successful one has to make plans, set objectives, assess the resources (human and financial) needed and set targets. That’s in a nutshell of course (I have to clarify or my professors might take back my diploma if they think that’s all I learned).

In “Gatherings on Fire”, a seminar I attended given by Bro Arun Gogna, it was also stressed that planning and preparation are important. The first step he gave when preparing for a big event is to brainstorm. He advised that we “gather leaders or representatives from each ministry that will implement the Big Idea” twelve months before the date. A timetable is used to map specific tasks that have to be done before the big day.

Both of these sources of knowledge stress that we have to PLAN and PREPARE for any project to be effective. I included PRAY because as a people of faith who belong to a community, servant leaders must pray for even the tiniest task they have to undertake.

Something as innocuous as a Christmas party proves this guideline to be sound. I’m sure all the 4 teams in our community prayed for success. We all planned and prepared for the presentation and games. But the Blue Team won because they planned more and prepared more. They were ready with glittery name tags and labels; they had more props and costumes; they met more often; and they probably practiced more too.

These form the foundation of my theory. What throws me off is that there are events or activities that fall short on the planning and preparation side but can be rated as successful: the Holy Spirit visibly moves the attendees, things come together in the nick of time, servants are suddenly available on that date and many more happenings that obviously took place because of prayers.

So my dilemma for Guideline #6 is: do I state that “Servant leaders must plan, prepare and pray before undertaking big activities” or do I say “Servant leaders must pray before undertaking big activities and just throw proper planning and preparation to the wind hoping they will land on God’s lap (Bahala na si Lord)”?

I will hazard a guess that planning and preparation are still very important because when we are ready, more blessings will come. To use a story Bro Arun mentioned in his article in the Feast Alabang bulletin last Sunday in a different light, the man who brought a truck was able to get more food than the man who brought a sack. Both were blessed, but one got immensely more because he was better prepared.

Let me get back to you on this guideline after I find out without a doubt which statement God and time favored.

* Thanks to IC de Guzman for the Blue Team photos.