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.