Who's afraid of the big bad tiger?

disclaimer: no bad intentions or impressions meant on tigers...

At KIDS church last Sunday, one of the teachers asked five-year old Abby if she was afraid of tigers.

Teacher: Are you afraid of tigers?

Abby (intent on her drawing): No.

Teacher (surprised): You're not afraid of tigers?

Abby: Uhm...maybe only a little. 

(shows teacher how teeny-small little is by making a tiny space between her forefinger and thumb..then gives a big smile before triumphantly declaring...)

Because Jesus is with me!

Abby may be unsure of the intentions of the tigers that could come into her life, but she is certain of  her God.  Is my faith like that of Abby's?

lesson from a 6-year-old

Yesterday was Easter egg hunting day in KIDS Church.  As expected, the kids were all excited and kept asking us, their teachers, when the egg hunt would start.  One of the kids told me on the onset that she didn't like Easter egg hunting. Later on, however, she was just like every other kid on the egg hunt, excitedly running about trying to find a colorful egg filled with chocolate.  Sadly, she was also one of the few who wasn't able to find any. Unlike some kids who would resort to tantrums, this kid just quietly told me, "Teacher, I didn't find an egg."  I told her it's okay; we had something else for her.  I could feel though that she was disappointed about not finding a prize herself.  One of the other kids, a six-year-old named Elise, overheard her and told us, "Teacher, she can have my egg."  Hearing this, the kid who didn't find any eggs visibly perked up, said thank you, and happily clutched the gift.  Elise didn't seem regretful at all about giving her prize away. She was smiling as she took her younger sister's hand and went back to KIDS Church room.

I and the other teacher were so touched by this exchange.  How many times have I found it hard to let go of things I find pleasure in so that I could bless another person's life?  Would I have displayed the same humility  to accept if offered such a gift?  Why was it so easy for a six-year old to just give away something that was rightfully hers? I may not know the answer, but seeing the smile on Elise' face tells me that for this six-year old, there are more important things in life than eating a small piece of chocolate for herself. 

How to Help Typhoon Sendong Victims in the Philippines

update as of December 21, 2011 2pm, Sendong death toll tops 1,000

The Sendong death toll has risen to 652 as of 6:00 pm yesterday, with 800 more missing. We can add "help Sendong victims" to our Christmas to-do-lists, aside from the usual gift-buying and Christmas parties.  Here's one way for you to help the 8,000 families in the Philippines who were affected by Typhoon Sendong.

 Right Start Foundation, a non-profit, non-stock NGO that supports underprivileged children, will be holding relief operations in CDO next week, according to the blog of Pastor Dennis Sy of Victory Greenhills.  Right Start is one of the foundations supported by Victory Christian Fellowship.

photo from Rock Ed Philippines on facebook

They need our help.  Photo from Arlene Sy.

from Twitter #Sendong

More Sendong photos:

Donations can be sent to:

Bank of Philippine Islands (BPI) account under RIGHT START COMMUNITY DEV’T INC. 

Account Number: 004021-0129-42

Banco de Oro account under RIGHT START COMMUNITY DEV’T INC. 

Account Number: 2030132221

DOLLAR ACCOUNT:
Banco de Oro under account name Right Start Community Dev’t Inc.
Account number: 102030129115

Typhoon Sendong is the worst typhoon to hit the Philippines in 25 years.  Spread the word and send your help now.  


Update: Filipinos abroad, send your donations to credible and recognized organizations. Be wary of donation scams for Sendong victims.

why we find it hard to be generous- GREED

Do you find it hard to give?  I know I can be selfish when "the situation calls for it". For example, I sometimes feel that I don't or won't have enough.  I guess this is why I was so blessed with the message on generosity last Sunday service in Victory Malate.    

The "10 percent crew" brought the house down with a special number during the tithes and offering

We're asked to give our 10 percent in tithes. What is this compared to God's 100 percent?

I felt privileged to attend two services and hear the message delivered by Pastors Rev Araneta and Nixon Ng. This was the last installment in the 4-part series entitled "Abraham's School of Finance". 

Pastor Rev 

I won't be able to recreate the humor of Pastor Nixon or the strong conviction of Pastor Rev, but I hope this summary will minister to you. You can listen to the podcasts on Generosity yourself when they're uploaded.  This message was so timely for me, and I'm sure you'll be able to relate to this too.

WE FIND IT HARD TO BE GENEROUS BECAUSE OF GREED

Sometimes, it's hard to give because we want more.  It is not wrong to desire something, but what is wrong is when our desires are not led by God. Sample case is Lot.

Genesis 13:10-13
Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) ¹¹ So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: ¹² Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. ¹³ Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the LORD.

In Genesis 13, Lot looked up (Hebrew word is nasa, meaning to take up, carry, lift up) and saw the land.  This is parallel to Eve who looked up and saw the fruit from the tree of good and evil.  Lot craved for (or was carried away by) the land in as much as Eve craved for the forbidden fruit. Lot craved for this land even though it was near a wicked city and was beyond God's promised land.

In contrast, Abram's eyes were lifted by God and he saw the promised land prepared by God. This is why he was blessed by God.

Lot was willing to go beyond what God wants. Abraham's desires were God's desires.

Our source determines our course.  Abraham's source was God.  Lot's source was the land.   Lot decided to live near wickedness, because he craved for the land more than he craved for God.  Lot's course was towards wickedness. Lot's greed separated him from God.  At this point, I was asking myself, what is my land? What things are taking my eyes away from God?

For Abraham, God was more important than the land. Because Abraham knew that His source was a covenant-keeping God, he was able to gain God's promises.  God told Abraham:

“Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. ¹⁵ All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. ¹⁶ I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. ¹⁷ Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.”

Isn't God generous?  Most of the time, we compromise God and become greedy because we feel that God will not provide.  For example, some of us may want to marry established, handsome/beautiful, and "nice guys" or "nice girls" even though these guys/girls aren't Christians. We argue with God and insist on our own way because of our misguided desires.   But just because something looks good does not mean that it is God's best for you. God does not want to make us poor in any way! He wants to bless us!  Isn't this amazing?

Sometimes we may feel that we are being punished by God. But are we?  Or is our  poverty a result of our own bad decisions, a giving in to temptation?

 The good news is that we can repent.  God wants us back.  God wants you back.  God wants to bless you.
God's blessings will also allow us to be generous to others.  As God promised Abraham in Genesis 12:2:

"I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing."  

Be blessed!

Birthday treats

I turned 30 something yesterday!  I say that with all the surprise of a girl who thinks she's still in her early 20s. Here's a glimpse of my special day <3

Facebook greetings from acquaintances, best friends, family, former students, former teachers, and celebrity contacts. hehe. thanks everyone!

Gifts from family, friends and from myself *huge grin*

Aside from charcoal-cooked sinukmani from my supervisor and Starbucks chocolate cake from my sister (sorry, gobbled them all before picture-taking); I also got inspiring Papemelroti words from officemate Tala, a new dress from myself haha, slobbery kisses from Shobe and Chichi, and these other yummy and crazy and beautiful things!

crazy photoshop thingy from our SEO specialist. 

Lindt Dark Chocolate from Chris and Olive. My fave brand and choco.

A new hardbound book of poems.
I don't like the title, but this is one of the best collections of poetry ever!
Louis Gluck, Margaret Atwood, William Carlos Williams, Gwendolyn Brooks, Pablo Neruda...and more!

New jeans (now in the laundry)  and shoes from my Mom.

Alice in Wonderland necklace from Ching. LOVE!

I absolutely love this!  The pages are smooth and nice to write on.
An eco-friendly journal for my quiet time with God :) 

Best parts of my day were my feel-as-fat-as-you-want KFC lunch with family and special moments like these...

My bestfriend's baby's 1st birthday.  Also Tanya's and her brothers' baby dedication.  

This darling cute boy over here is my inaanak, and his super mom is one of my bestfriends.

Juju singing  "I Will Rise" by Chris Tomlin. Love this song.
I will rise on eagle's wings/before my God/fall on my knees...

Look at all the preps she did and tell me she doesn't deserve to be awarded Birthday Mom of the Year! (thanks to Tita Beth for these pictures)

hard-at-work mommy

Finished products

Flower Power pompoms...from the love of a mom.

 Enjoyed a cool day with my high school friends at the La Mesa Dam guest house.  'twas also the first time I met Bitoy's fiancee Jackie. Welcome to the barkada girl-in-yellow Jackie! I could tell she fits right in with all our craziness.

Jackie, Bitoy, Ella and baby Gaby, Ting and Tanya, Chris, Me, Dek

Bea was in Baguio and Olive was at home studying. And Ven...she had just given birth the day before! So many nice things happening on my birthday!

Welcome to the world baby Claire! pic by Abby Venida

I spent part of the night playing with baby Gaby in the car and ended the whole day the best way possible...




WORSHIP.  
 Listen to this podcast 'Faith" by Pastor Noel Landicho.VCF Ortigas.
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. Who Was and Is and Is to come.
With all creation I sing, Praise to the King of Kings! You are my everything. And I will adore You. ~Revelation Song


Thank you God, for a great birthday.


And to you who's reading this, I leave you with this poem by a favorite poet from my new poetry book.

i thank You God for most this amazing
e.e. cummings

i thank you God for most this amazing
day: for the leaping greenly sprites of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun's birthday; this is the birth
day of life and of love and wings: and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth.)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any -- lifted from the no
of all nothing -- human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

Worship song: Panginoon by Sesa

The worship song "Panginoon" performed by Yeng Constantino and Acel Van Ommen's new band Sesa really ministered to me during the Ignite 2011 conference.

Sesa (short for Prinsesa, that is, God's Princess) was formed by these young two singers/songwriters. Acel is Yeng's Victory Group leader in Victory Christian Fellowship. Yeng, of course, is popular in mainstream Filipino music for the song, Hawak Kamay.

I was particularly touched during the Ignite Conference when Yeng cut her performance towards the end and said this:


"Pag Siya yung kinantahan ko sabi ko kay God: God ikaw lang ang kakantahan ko ng ganito. at deserve niya yun! Deserve niya yun, kahit sintunado ka pa. Kaya naman, TARA NA!

Panginoon was also performed by Yeng and Acel during the Victory@25 celebration at the Araneta Coliseum and the Leaders Convergence 2009 at the Ultra.

For Yeng's solo acoustic version of this song, click this

Lyrics

Ako’y walang saysay

Akala ko ako ay tunay

Pilit na nilalakbay

Ang aking buhay

Ngunit nag-iingay

Ang aking kahapon

Paulit ulit bumabalik

Nakikita ang sarili

Lumalangoy muli sa putik

Ngunit iba Ka

Paano Mo ‘ko nakita?

Pinulot Mo ako

Noong akala kong ako’y nag-iisa

Kulang pa ang tinig ko

Para awitan at purihin Ka

Panginoon

Panginoon

Panginoon

Ngayon alam ko na

Ang ibig sabihin ng mabuhay

Ngayong kapiling Ka

Hinding-hindi na magiisa

Dahil Ikaw ang liwanag

Sa gabi kapag ako’y tumatangis

At Ikaw ang umagang

Sa pagmulat ko’y nakangiti

Ako’y nasasabik sa Iyong pagbabalik

Pinulot mo ako

Nong akaala kong akoy nag-iisa

Kulang pa ang tinig ko

Para awitan at purihin Ka

Kulang pa kahit ibigay ko ang lahat

Maging ang buhay ko’y hindi pa sapat

Pero hayaan Mong ibigay kong lahat

Nang ang puso ko saYo’y maging tapat

Oh oh

Panginoon

Pinulot Mo ako

Noong akaala kong ako’y nag-iisa

Kulang pa ang tinig ko

Para awitan at purihin Ka

Panginoon

Pinulot Mo ako

Noong akala kong ako’y nag-iisa

Kulang pa ang tinig ko

Para sabihin kong mahal Kita

Mahal Kita

Panginoon, Panginoon

Panginoon, Panginoon

Panginoon, Panginoon

Panginoon, Panginoon

Sesa will be performing in a free gig for freshies in UPLB on July 5.

Sesa:

Vocals: Acel Bisa-van Ommen

Vocals and Rhythm Guitar: Yeng Constantino

Lead Guitar: Julie Samonte

Bass: Edrei Olarte

Drums: Karmi Santiago

http://sesamusic.com/

Thanks to the following for the extra info on Sesa:

Ignite video- meibu@youtube

Lyrics - the dot12@wordpress

For more about sesa in the ignite con-thr33strandedcord@blogspot