Indeed He's amazing

She is a cancer patient; he was an eloquent politician who changed the world. She battles illness, fears, growing sickness and emotional pain of seeing her loved ones affected by her condition, while he fought against the opposition, made up speeches and strategies to abolish what was then the prevailing inhumane system of slave trade. She physically looks frail and very ill but her strength is double than mine. He was continuously discouraged by people and politics, and by the disapproval of the bill he passed, but those did not stop him to pursue justice and his lifetime crusade to free the African slaves.

She was Sister Jane. He was William Wilberforce. Both I have known yesterday and both created an impact in my life and in my faith.

Sister Jane is my church mate in FCCD (Filipino Christian Church of Dubai) and I already saw her before but was not given the chance to talk to her lengthily as she belongs to another cell group and ministry. Never did I took notice that she's quite thinner than among other women in our church. Her attendance dwindled and the church pastors often ask prayers for a certain 'sister Jane'. I did not know he is mentioning this jolly-eyed woman not until yesterday that sister Jane was requested to give a brief testimony for the Light Bearer's Ministry's afternoon fellowship. It was indeed brief, but every word struck me to my inner senses, every single detail astonishing, and each emphasis powerful. This woman has gone life's adversities, and is going through it everyday.

She went through an operation for her ovarian cancer and at the same time her family suffered a great deal of financial problem due to the cost of the operation. There's the possibility that she'll loss her job too. Albeit all these circumstances she voiced praises to the God who provided her the strength to go to church and testify before us that death has not scared her a bit and her life and strength is with God and most importantly, God is alive and in control. This kind of faith always swept me off my feet and makes me shed understanding tears of praises to a living God.

The second greatest person I was so blessed to get acquainted with was Mr. Wilber.
William Wilberforce (played with justice by Ioan Gruffudd) was a man of big heart, of faith so enormous and meaningful I feel as though I've been introduce to Christian faith the very first time. He gave faith a face I haven't known before.

His life is filmed in a movie entitled "Amazing Grace". Yes, it's the popular hymn originally written by John Newton, Wilberforce's, I conclude favorite, preacher. Later on, one more stanza was added to it in Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin. Addition to the lyrics was penned by John Rees.

The movie Amazing Grace centers on the life and anti-slavery campaigns of Wilberforce. He was indeed a talented public speaker of the House of Commons and one of the MP's (Members of the Parliament). Together with his lifetime friend, William Pitt 'the younger' (Benedict Cumberbatch) who also happened to be the Prime Minister of Great Britain, the youngest one ever, and the other co-antislavery trade such as Oloudaqh Equiano(Youssou N'Dour) a slave before himself, Thomas Clarkson (Rufus Sewell, "A Knight's Tale"), and Lord Charles Fox (Michael Gambon, Harry Potter's Dumbledore), they changed the history of Great Britain towards people's to enslave mindset.

Their victories haven’t come off so easy. They have to struggle and contend against many issues like those ship owners and other Members of the Parliament who were not so convinced on putting halt to slavery thus the bill Abolition of Slave Trade had not gathered so much sympathy. Praise God these guys were so creative I think marketing strategy's notion wasn't so popular until their strategies we're implemented to the public and to the other MP’s. They planned and stood steadfast on the sole purpose of their committee: to stop slave trade.

"In April 1791, Wilberforce introduced the first Parliamentary Bill to abolish the slave trade, which was easily defeated by 163 votes to 88. As Wilberforce continued to bring the issue of the slave trade before Parliament, Clarkson continued to travel and write. Between them, Clarkson and Wilberforce were responsible for generating and sustaining a national movement which mobilised public opinion as never before." (Wikipedia)


Everyone experiences at a certain point of his life when he/she was so down. Everything. Emotionally, physically, and morally. Everything seems to be in the verge of dying and one typically wallows in the hopelessness of the situation. This most of all happens when the one greatest motivation of your life seems to become a failure. Wilber was not an exception though. Famous and rich he was but his campaign was not winning and one of the members of the committee died. Everything seems to be falling in wrong places. His health deteriorated. His songs were lost to the abyss of ruination.

But what can be impossible to human terms can be possible to a living God! As one of the original lyrics of the song Amazing Grace says:

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call’d me here below,
Will be forever mine.

With this kind of faith Wilber still possesses and his long talk overnight with beautiful wife to be- Barbara- a believer of his cause, a grand twist of events took place. Wilber saw the light of hope once again and his strength was renewed by fresh events God is unfolding in his life.

Attempts to abolish the bill continued until its declaration roared a mighty approval from the Speaker of the House. Certainly, after years and years of the seemingly life-long saga, slavery in Britain was finished.

When people speak of great men, they think of men like Napoleon - men of violence. Rarely do they think of peaceful men. But contrast the reception they will receive when they return home from their battles. Napoleon will arrive in pomp and in power, a man who's achieved the very summit of earthly ambition. And yet his dreams will be haunted by the oppressions of war. William Wilberforce, however, will return to his family, lay his head on his pillow and remembers: the slave trade is no more.

---- Lord Charles Fox in Amazing Grace

"Amazing Grace"

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That sav’d a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev’d;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believ’d!

Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promis’d good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease;
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call’d me here below,
Will be forever mine.

John New­ton, Ol­ney Hymns (Lon­don: W. Ol­i­ver, 1779)

Written by John Newton - a ship captain of a transatlantic slave trade turn preacher...

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Life Lessons From A Butterfly!

Life Lessons from a Butterfly

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this did not suit his taste :-(

What’s eating up your time?
Icesx

APPETIZER

T.G.I.T. Thank God it’s Thursday.

The long wait is finally over (once again). As the clock inches its way towards shouting 6:00 (or it may vary depending on your HR Manager’s or simply manager’s temper, or policies, and don’t forget the workload buddy!), the notion of a day off simply takes one’s breath away. Say bye bye to dear PC Monitor, ruined computer keyboard (this is the result of pouring out your angst on that poor board, you should have seen the lost Ctrl key, it went underneath the table to escape your wrath), jolly and almost-insane colleagues (Say genius! Isn’t it there’s a thin line between genius and insanity? So maybe the correct term must be almost genius), ok, almost-genius-colleagues for that matter, and to the path most trodden, you can say farewell to the ever loving bus stop where you wait for almost one hour for Bus No. 6 to take you to your beloved office…Bid now your Sayonara... Au revoir... Adios…Goodbye – for two days. Cease smiling just for a moment otherwise they might think you’re ‘almost a genius’ (*grin*). Now, breathe, relax, and enjoy each passing seconds of pressure-free and tension-stripped time. Float in the world of Friday (and Saturday, if you are blessed with two-day rest day) for at this very moment, you’re a breathing human again and not some mechanical android.

Now, this article is devoted to make you happy. Really. Don’t be too pessimistic and join me to make this ‘free time’ -- of yours and mine-- absolutely worthwhile. (*wink*)

Ideally, your free time will start by Thursday night. And most likely, you have devoted 30 and 2 minutes all weekday afternoon thinking of what activities to embark on or in which shopping mall has the biggest sale to go to on this most anticipated day (or night perhaps?) of the week. You also are considering your friend’s scoop of a newly opened stand up comedy bar. Or maybe a movie treat and a popcorn. Or a dinner date at… blah. I don’t want to pretend I know the places. I just dunno. (Perhaps I’m just not a dinner date-goer, or I consider eating at McDonalds a dinner date as long as it’s dinner time and as long as you’re with special someone or after all, I’m just a romantic that doesn’t believe on a dinner date, whatever.) You can also delight on your Magic Sing Karaoke Microphone & Song Chips and sing you heart out. Show off your singing prowess! Reach a high note! Achieve a head tone like what Rachel Anne Go is fond of doing. (TFC subscribers, I know so well your eagerness to watch ASAP Face off or The Champs segment of ASAP for R.A. GO sing on the top of her lungs.) Come on dude! Filipinos are not musically gifted for nothing. Just be sure you don’t go bashing someone else’s eardrums. That’s cruelty. They too want to enjoy their Thursday night in the comfort of their own homes and not in some pocket-emptying hospital you know.

The list can be endless. There’s too much you want to accomplish aside from sewing your torn sleeves, sweeping the million fallen hairs in the living room and cooking Adobo (*adobo, yum yum!*). You want to treat yourself of something extraordinary. Extra special. Exceptionally enjoyable that’s ... loads of fun and memorable. I have one cool activity in my mind that really matches these criteria you’re looking for. Hold your breath…. Tadah! Attending a cell group!


MAIN COURSE

So much for my introduction, (sorry, it’s relatively lengthy) let’s get down to top three reasons why you should join a cell group.

Extraordinary.

I met quite a lot of people since I was on my kindergarten school. A number of them are really interesting. Some just plainly smile; others would perform strange stunts such as jumping, wrestling, rock climbing and mountain climbing. (Jumping? Strange? Duh.) A lot of people want to always talk and talk and talk and simply talk. Few speak of substance. There are also those who hear from the talker. Few are listeners. Only handfuls are doers. Some are very active. Some are meek. For me, I would never get tired of observing people. Diversity of attitude, personalities and characters is one of the most interesting and extraordinary thing that exists in this world. And I tell you dear readers, the jewels lie in groups called cell group who are of diverse and distinctive personalities but united with one burning passion: Jesus. Know them. They are worth your effort.

Extra Special

Want to attain a special power? (Ding, ang bato!!! Hehehe…)

Here’s the extra special power you can always have: God’s Word.

"The Word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires." Hebrews 4:12 NLT

People who have joined cell groups delve on subjects that talk about their passion. Those topics come from the full authority of God’s own words, His precious message to His children, the Bible. Flipping the pages is entirely different from imbibing it. I always find God’s word empowering and refreshing my tired soul and mind. The world, your boss, your work, problems, and worst broken relationships could certainly zap energy out of you, but in God’s word, you will find yourself restored, alive and excited. Our daily devotions should not be forgotten, but the bond with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ can as well bring forth birth of a new understanding, a wider perspective and never heard before yet sensible and helpful Christ-centered point of views.


Exceptionally enjoyable + fun + memorable experience = Cell group

Rather than wracking your brain coming up with ideas on how to spend your Thursday night, I urge you to run to the nearest cell group in your place (ours is in Satwa, Tita Nena’s place… this is the coolest cell group I tell you, if you think I’m lying, then I challenge you to attend at least four consecutive Thursday nights to prove your accusation, and let’s see… Well, if it ain’t cool enough, you can contribute by bringing one gallon of Haagen-Dazs, then let’s talk about how to make the group cool enough to suit your taste). I remember a game Jing ‘the Golden voice’ had let us play. It’s Trivia or a Quiz regarding the Bible. Quite interesting and informative.





DESSERT

(Personally, I’ll opt for caramel or mocha-flavored cakes. I will appreciate if you can give me one. Haha!)

“Ikaw ba ay nalolongkot, nalolombay at walang magawa sa bohay?”

This was an MTV Ad in the year 1999 or 2000… I forgot. This made me laugh in its first appearance on TV. But observing the girl who was holding a phone in her right hand, boringly dialing numbers of whoever reflected a badly dull and monotonous life. (The eyes, pare, the eyes! They are freaky haunting!)

My final words would be, well… Each of us has a choice. We could spend time on things as dull, monotonous, now-happy-but-tomorrow-broke, absurd, futile time of our life just like what the girl in the ad represents. On the other hand, we can also choose to enjoy time which will let us grow spiritually, as to studying and living out God’s words in our life.

Finally, I want to quote this verse most of us, I assume, have heard before. My challenge to you, readers, is to answer one whole book of Sodoku. Hehe. Kidding. Just simply meditate on this verse and then decide on this day forward, what you are going to do on Thursday nights. I pray you had a good time pondering.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

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MY SOUL WAITS FOR THE LORD

Psalm 130
My Soul Waits for the Lord
A Song of Ascents.

130:1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!
2 O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleas for mercy!

3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be feared.

5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
6 my soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.

7 O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is plentiful redemption.
8 And he will redeem Israel
from all his iniquities.

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aN aWesomE eXperience

Many times in my life I believe or make myself believed into something I've learned from other people. I 'go with the flow' as we say. There are also situations in which I don't respond immediately because I know I really don't get the exact point or essence of those. But last Friday, during the church service, I've had revelations from the Lord. Revelation of Himself and talked to me. Though inaudible because I believed the Holy Spirit was the one at work, I felt He communicated to me something that cleared the question that's been troubling me these days. And God let me recall in my mind these verses:

Romans10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and
believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be
saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are
justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.


Ephesians2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and
this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—

Because of AM, I must admit, my question on Jesus' deity had been fueled by his non-stop depicting of Jesus' questionable position as being the Lord. To riposte his belief, I researched quite seriously to point out to him that he is wrong. Becoming busy gathering proofs of my belief, I forgot the faith that is one of the factors that saved me from eternal death. The grace of God, His gift of salvation is the reason why He had chosen me to be saved. And without acknowledging His Son's blood at the cross to redeem me from my sins, I will not be saved. Yes, I wrote in one of my posts that I met Christ when I was third year high school, but did I since then did not doubt of His majesty and power to saved me from Hell in where I rightfully belong? I am admitting that I have questions as to the how's and why's of Jesus' and the Bible contains the information I needed. But it is only bounded in my mind, because I just know these things. But did I believed wholeheartedly? I don't want to boast in the eyes of our Lord because even if I don't speak on such matters, I know my heart contains doubts and fears, but then, our Lord is overflowing with grace and mercy that He didn't allow me to forever endure the troubling thoughts inside my head. The answers are in the Bible. God's revelation of Himself is there. And salvation comes when we acknowledge the truth that He laid before us. The trinity is so hard to comprehend with the human mind but it is only by faith we can grasp it. Mystery it is but is there any verse that points out there's no such thing as trinity in the Bible? Many had already tried to oppose the truth but God is at work. He had laid the truth already. Now I know the primary truth, I believed on it with all my mind, heart and soul. There are many things I still ought to learn through the word and push the complacency out of me.

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written by my bestfriend best buddy boyfriend. glory be to the King!

Sa mga mkakatanggap ng sulat na ito, i-print mo ito at ibahagi sa
kapatiran, papurihan ang Panginoon sa pag-kilos nya sa lahat ng dako.

Araw-araw, ibat't ibang bagay ang nararanasan naming dito sa Dubai,
isang lugar na malayo sa piling nyo, kakaiba, kagulat-gulat at minsan
ay malungkot na istorya ang naririnig niyo mula dito, subalit higit sa
mga ito, mayroon ding di mabilang na kuwento ng pagpapala ang hindi pa
naisasalaysay sa inyo. Hayaan niyong simulan ko ang kuwento ng di
natatapos na pagpapala ng Diyos sa buhay namn dito.



Maraming magandang bagay sa Pilipinas, kapag nagsipag ka sa trabaho
siguradong may perang darating sa' iyo. Negosyante man o empleyado,
siguradong makakaraos din ang bawat araw mo. Simpleng simple,
pagkatapos ng nakakapagod na trabaho, okay lang kasi pag-uwi mo,
siguradong may pamilyang nag-aabang para sa'yo at salu-salo kayong
kakain ng hapunan. Kapag Sabado o Linggo, pwedeng gumala at magsimba
kasama ang pamilya… Pwede na… Yan ang sabi ko. Di ko na kailangan
umalis ng bansa, simple lang naman ang kinabukasan na gusto ko. Kaya
lang sa tuwing katapusan, isang araw lang nagiging masaya, nagsisimula
ng humarap sa amin ang Bill ng kuryente at tubig, hindi naman
kalakihan ang nakokonsumo namin, kaya lang halos sakto lang sa
kinikita namin para sa bayarin. Maya't maya ay sinisilip ko ang
lagayan ng pera – unti unting nababawasan, nauubos… Ang buong isang
libong papel kapag nabaryahan na, naku! Siguradong mamaya lang ay ubos
na. Kahit kailan hindi kami pinababayaan ng Panginoon, araw-araw
literal naming nararanasan ang pagkilos ng Panginoon. Isang bagay ang
aking napag-isipan. Tanong ng ilang kakilala at kapamilya… "Hindi ka
ba mag-aabroad?" Yan ang tanong nila. 'Hindi pa po, paghahandaan ko po
muna siguro.' Muli kong sinulyapan ang aking taguan ng pera, kinuha ko
at binilang, wala pang sampung segundo tapos na bilang ko, di man lang
nagtagal. Napaisip ako, mukhang wala akong naiipon, hindi naman ako
maluho o palabili. Halos wala pang isang libo ang naitatabi ko sa
mahigit na pitong buwan ngpagtatrabaho ko. Anong nangyari? San na
napunta sweldo ko? Ahhhhhh! Sweldo ko… Sweldo ko san ka nagpunta?!

Alam ko nung mga panahon na yun di ko man makita ang ipon ko na
inaasahan ko, ang katibayan ng pagpapala ng Panginoon ay nakapaligid
nga pala sa buong bahay namin. Sa pamamagitan ng Panginoon at
pagtutulungan namin ng aking ama't ina at kapatid, TV, Ref, DVD at iba
pa ang nagsilbing paalala ng katapatan ng Diyos sa amin. Kahit kailan
laging naisin ng Panginoon sa atin ay young Da Best, laging yung
pinaka… hindi ko lang alam kung bakit natin pinipili lagi yung simple,
yug pwede na… Buti na lang mabait ang Panginoon dahl higit pa sa
inaasahan natin ang nais niyang ibigay sa atin. Binalikan ko ang
tanong sa akin… 'Wala ka bang balak mag-abroad?' Wala pa yung sagot
ko… Minsan pa nag-isip ako at muling sinulyapan ang ipon… wala pa rin…
Nanalangin, nanalangin at nag-abang. Naikwento ko itong pinag-iisipan
ko kay Aiza (Gf). Kinuwento nya nagbabalak siyang mangibang bansa
upang tumulong sa Ate niya para sa pamilya nila. Naisip ko na lang…
buti pa siya… Makalipas ang ilang araw,naisip ko na bakit hindi pa
kaya ako sumabay sa kanya, pwede naman… kahit saan talaga gumagawa ng
paraan ang Panginoon… Tapos na ang pag-iisip, gusto ko ng mag-abroad,
sa Dubai, excited na ako, pati ama't ina at kapatid ko saka si Aiza
excited na… kaya lang… yung… yung… bulsa ko hindi excited, walang
laman, wala talaga, kaya simula naman ng bagong prayer item… 'Lord,
gawan nyo po ng paraan upang magkaroon ako ng pamasahe at pocket money
papuntang Dubai. Nagsimula akong makarinig ng magagandang kuwento
tungkol sa mga trabaho sa Dubai, ang laki daw ng sweldo sa Dubai,
minsan doble, minsan triple ng sweldo natin sa Pinas. Napakaraming
kuwento rin ng mga di pinalad sa Dubai, mga inabot na ng isang taon
wala pa rng pirmihang trabaho at di makauwi sa Pinas. Hindi katagalan,
sumagot ang Diyos at may nagpahiram sa amin ng pera pamasahe at iba
pang kailangan. Kumilos din ang Panginoon at may tumulong sa akin na
kakilala (ngayo'y kaibigan) sa Dubai, sila ang nag-sponsor sa amin ng
Visa at matutuluyan pagdating sa Dubai. Hanggang sa takdang oras ng
pag-alis ko sa Pinas, sari-sari, kaliwa't kanan ang natanggap kong
tulong mula sa mga kaibigan lalong lalo na sa mga kapamiya ko. Damit,
gamot, pera, at makabuluhang mga paalala at higit sa lahat ang mga
panalangin ng mga pamilya ko sa simbahan (TBC), maging ng ilang mga
malapit na kaibigan sa BAFEM.

Hindi lang maleta ko ang punong puno, maging ang puso ko ay
nag-uumapaw sa lahat ng mga pabaon nyo sa amin.

Sa mga gusto mag-break muna, yung gustong uminom o kumuha ng pagkain o
yung mga naiiihi na, sige break time muna tayo bago ko ikwento ang
pagtungtong namin ng Dubai…

Oh, ano? Tapos na? Ang bilis naman… sige tuloy ko na ang kwento…
Ooppss Teka… sabi ng utak ko ikwento ko muna kung saan ako nanggaling
bago ko pagpatuloy ang sulat na ito. Nakaupo ako ngayon sa kama,
nagpapahinga, kagagaling ko lang sa Kish Island sa Iran, nag-exit ako.
Yan ang tawag pagtapos na yung visit visa mo dito sa Dubai at kukuha
ka na uli ng bagong visa mo for 2 months. Pero sa katulad ko,
nag-exit ako para sa Employment Visa ko. Ibig sabihin, pwede na kong
magwork sa Dubai ng maraming taon. (para ito sa kaalaman ng mga nasa
Pinas). Ayan nasabi ko na, itutuloy ko na ang kwento.

Kahit napanuod ko na ang pelikulang Dubai, at tinitigan ko na ang mga
larawan ng mga taong nagpunta sa Dubai, napakaraming bagay pa rin ang
bumubuo sa imahinasyon ko sa hitsura ng Dubai.

(Mapapansin nyong iba na ang daloy ng kwento ko kumpara sa simula ng
sulat na ito.)

Hongkong muna kami bago Dubai. Wow! Ang laki ng Airport ng Dubai, ang
ganda! Ang lawak! Ang saya… Medyo malungkot, malayo na ako sa walang
katulagd na bayan ko, mahal na Pilipinas. First time ko makasakay ng
eroplano, ang sarap ng feeling, di ko nga lang alam ang lasa. Sa loob
ng airport, may ilang Question and Answer Portion parang sa
Immigration sa Pinas. Isang mabilisang panalangin muna bago ako
humarap sa taga-tanong. Tinanong ako! 'What is your name?' Ayos! Buti
na lang alam ko ang pangalan ko. Tinanong yung address ng titirhan ko…
lagot! Di ko kabisado, idinikta na lang sa akin ng sinundan kong
kaibigan. Okay na, WELCOME TO DUBAI. Gabi yata o madaling araw kami
dumating kaya lang ramdam na namin ang init ng panahon dito. May
sasakyang sumundo sa amin mula sa Airport at hinatid kami sa munting
bahay na kasya ang humigit kumulang na 10 tao. Kumain kami at
nagpahinga. Sumunod na araw, nagmagandang loob ang pinsan ni Aiza na
i-xerox kami ng napakaraming Resume na maari naming ipasa sa mga
Company. (Sa katunayan, inaasahan ko na literal na maikukuha agad kami
ng trabaho, subalit di pala ganun, tutulungan pala kami sa paghahanap
ng trabaho, hindi ikukuha).

Araw-araw masipag nilang ipinapasa ang resume namin sa mga fax numbers
na kinukuha namin mula sa Diyaryo at Phone Directory. Kami naman nila
Aiza ay nagpapasa sa pamamagitan ng e-mail dahil ito ang karaniwang
paraan upang makakuha ng trabaho. Nag-walk-in din kami sa iba't ibang
kompanya sa mga buildings. Makalipas ang isang linggo, makakasiguro
ako na lagpas na sa 100 na kumpanya ang napagpasahan namin ng resume.
Nanalangin kami at naghintay, makalipas ang ilang araw ay nakatanggap
ng isang tawag si Aiza para sa interview. Sumabay na 'kami'(kapatid ni
Aiza na kasama rin naming pumunta ng Dubai) sa kanya at nagpasa sa
kalapit kumpanya. Mga ilang linggo pa ay unti-unti na naming
nakasanayan ang buhay dito, mula sa mga kalye, sakayan, bus, taxi, at
amoy ng mga Indiano (Pana) at Pakistan (Pakistani) na nakakasalubong
namin. Sa mga sumunod pang mga araw may mga ilan pang tawag ang
natanggap ni Aiza para sa interview, mukhang puro sa kanya na lang
yata. Bakit wala pa para sa akin. Sa bagay, Magna Cum Laude nga pala
siya. Sumunod, nagkaroon siya ng interview at agarang pinagsimula for
training, ako wala pa din. Walang nagrerespond sa mga pinasahan ko. Ok
lang mahaba pa naman ang panahon. Sinubukan kong magpasa sa kumpanya
na nagte-training si Aiza, kinabukasan pinag-training din ako
pagkatapos ng maikling interview. After two days, wag na raw akong
magtraining. Si Aiza na lang daw. Balik uli ako sa paghahanap ng
trabaho at pag-aabang ng tawag. Si Aiza naman,kahit may training na,
may mga tumatawag pa rin at nagpapasa pa rin siya ng resume. Ng
puntong ito dala ng aking pagka-inip at pagka-inggit, medyo nainis na
ako sa kanya, ang tingin ko noon sa kanya ay sobrang Bibo, lahat ng
interview pinupuntahan, lahat sinusubukan, kahit may training na sige
pa rin ng sige. Napakapursigido niyang makakuha ng mahusay at
maasahang trabaho. Inggit na inggit ako nun. Nalungkot ako at medyo
nanghina, nawalan ng ganang maghanap g trabaho, wala namang nagrerespond.

Ano bang ginagawa ko dito sa Dubai? Bilang ang bawat araw dito na
walang trabaho, mga araw na unti-unti ng nauubos ang pocket money para
sa dalawang buwan. Tama ba ang desisyon kong magpunta sa Dubai? May
kasiguraduhan ba ang kinabukasan ko dito?

Naalala ko ang bahag ng Bible Study namin sa G3 nila Pastor Erwin, isa
sa mga pinakamusay na desisyon sa buhay ay yung desisyon na hindi
sigurado, walang kumpletong plano, planong hindi plantsado. Madalas sa
atin hindi natin pipiliin ang ganitong klaseng desisyon. Mahirap
mangahas, masyadong illogical gawin ang bagay na di mo alam ang
mangyayari. Sinong tao ang tatalon sa isang balon na hindi mo alam ang
hangganan. Technically, hindi pwede ang ganitong klaseng desisyon,
hindi praktikal. Hindi biro ang humiram ng libo-libong pera at umuwi
sa Pilipinas na butas ang bulsa. Ang desisyonh pinili ko, alam kong
alam ninyo na, na di ito lubusang sigurado. Subalit alam na alam ko na
sa butas kong desisyon, may malaking lugar ang Panginoon para
kumilos., gumawa at ipamalas ang walang tigil niyang pagpapala. Ito
ang mahusay na desisyon na maaring kumilos ang Panginoon, sa ating
Pananalangin at pagtitiwala sa Kanya, makakaasa kang ang kinabukasan
mo at ng pamilya mo ay hawak Niya. At bakit nga ba ako malulungkot?
Bakit ako manghihina? Sabi ng pangako ng Diyos, 'Tumawag ka at
diringgin kita, at aking ipapamalas sa iyo ang mga bagay na higit pa
sa inaasahan mo'. Mula sa Pinas, baon namin ang panalangin ng buong
simbahan maging sa mga taga-Bafem may nanalangin, pati aking pamilya.
Sabihin mo sa akin, sinong tatalo sa kapangyarihan ng ating Panginoon.
Pagkatapos mabuksan ang isip ko, kinabukasan nakatanggap ako ng tawag
para sa isang interview. Yehey!! Eto na 'to!Kinuha ko yung address at
pinuntahan ko. Sa interview, british ang nakausap ko sa Advertising
Company. Kaya lang 10 years experience daw ang hanap nila. Tinignan
niya ang ilan sa mga gawa ko, di niya type, parang baguhan daw. So
iyon ang unang interview ko. Ok lang. Mabait naman siyang magsalita at
marahan niyang sinabi… 'you're not the one we're looking for…
goodbye…' Pagkalabas ng building, may tumawag sa akin na intereview
daw. Ngayon na agad. Nang tinanong ko yung lugar, hindi ko alam. Medyo
malayo yata. sabi ko tomorrow na lang. Pumayag naman para daw
makapagtanong ako paano pumunta dun. Kinabukasan nakabihis na ko at
paalis nam tumawag ang mag-iinterview at sinabing wala daw ang
pinaka-mag iinterview sa akin. Nasa Singapore daw at nasa meeting. So
sabi niya next week na lang daw. After 30 minutes, di na siya
nakapagpigil, tinawagan niya ako at siya na daw ang mag-iinterview sa
akin. Muli akong nagbihis at nagdala ng Resume. Oo, ako ang may dala
ng resume, wala siyang kopya ng resume ko at di ko alam kung paano
niya nalaman ang cellphone number ko. Pagdating sa interview, masaya
siya. Tinanong ako kung ako kung ano ang dati kong trabaho, at kung
paano ako nagtatrabaho, sinagot ko ang tanong niya at maya maya
tinanong niya ako kung marunong daw akong tumugtog ng instrumento.
Sabi ko marunong, keyboards at drums. Sabi niya nakita daw niya ang
blog ko sa internet (parang small website) at nakita niya na member
ako ng prais team. (www.portfolio.dave.blogspot.com) sab ko lang Yes.
Pagkatapos nun tinanong ako kung handa akong iwanan ang pag-dedesign.
Sabi ko, ito ang pinakahilig ko pero handa naman akong sumubok ng mga
bagong bagay. Ilalagay daw nya ako sa Marketing Department. Tinanong
niya ako ng inaasahan kong salary, sinabi ko na gusto ko yung gusto ko
at tinapatan niya ng higit pa sa expected ko. Bago matapos ang
interview, magsimula na daw ako ng training for 1 week. Sobrang iba sa
alam kong trabaho pero may mga ilang design pa rin akong ginagawa.
Pagkalipas ng ilang araw, nalaman ko na lang na Born Again pala yung
boss ko, naririnig ko siyang kumakanta ng Christian Song, tinanong ko
kung bakit alam nya yon, sabi nya bakit hindi, 'eh Born Again ako'.
Nang dumating yung pinaka-boss, ininterview uli ako at finally,
official na akong tinanggap sa company. Ng sumunod na araw, pumirma na
ako ng contract. MAY TRABAHO NA 'KO! Sobra ang saya ko, nagpunta na
agad ako sa CR at duon nanalangin.

Mula ng dumating ako sa Dubai, regulatr akong nagsisimba sa Christian
Church. Minsan, nakasalubong ko yung pinaka-boss ko sa company sa may
hagdan ng simbahan. Christian din pala siya, Deacon ng simbahan.
Nagkakuwentuhan kami at masaya siya para sa akin. Balak daw niyang
magkaroon ng Bible Study sa opisina.

Walang katulad mgpala ang Panginoon. Pag nagbuhos Siyam tuloy tuloy.
Dahil sa Marketing Department ako naka-assign, ayon sa contract, ang
position ko sa Company ay Marketing Coordinator, next to the Marketing
Manager. Halos nabisita ko na ang karamihan sa mga major malls in
Dubai, maging sa mga mall sa Abu Dhabi nakapunta na din ako. Major
distributor kasi ng MATTEL toys ang company namin. Toys gaya ng
Barbie, Matchbox, Hotwheels, Power Ranger at iba pa. Itong buwan ng
May ay nagkaroon kami ng Events na Power Ranger Show sa mga malls.
Dalawa sa mga show na ito ay ako ang naging HOST. Sa tulong ng
Panginoon, na-impress lahat ng mga katrabaho maging ang pinaka-bossing
namin. Sabi nila, 'I'm proud of you…'

Hindi ito ang inaasahan kong buhay sa Dubai, di ko inakala na
pagpapalain ako ng sobra. Nag-exit ako sa Iran upang palitan ng
Employment Visa yung Visit Visa k. Napunta ako sa pangit na hotel ng
una, marumi, sira-sira, subalit pinakita lang pala ng Panginoon yon.
Kinabukasan, nalipat ako sa isa sa pinakamagandang hotel sa Iran, at
napakabilis ko na nakuha ang New visa ko. Nandito na uli ako sa Dubai,
patuloy na namamangha sa kadakilaan ng ating mapagmahal na Ama.

Itong kwentong ito ang dapat na malaman niyo dahil ito ang ginagawa ng
Diyos sa buhay namin dito. Marami pang di sguradong mga bagay ang
haharapin ko dito, pero handa na ako, walang tatalo sa Panginoong
Hesu-Kristo.

Sa Panginoon ang lahat ng papuri

Chris

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FAITH...

Still
Words and Music by Reuben Morgan

Hide me now
Under your wings
Cover me
within your mighty hand

When the oceans rise and thunders roar
I will soar with you above the storm
Father you are king over the flood
I will be still and know you are God

Find rest my soul
In Christ alone
Know his power
In quietness and trust


Natural VS Right


You wake up one sunny glorious morning. You think you are the most gifted person in the world. You blink. Then think otherwise. Now, you feel you are in pain, in numbing grief, in oblivion. In a steep cliff called “I–don’t know-what-will-happen-tomorrow-please-give-me-reassurance-I-beg-you situation”. You soliloquized. You tell yourself: “Hey! Stop! That won’t give you any good at all.” You felt better in a millisecond, but halfway to the next millisecond you thought you are not convinced.

Then you break down and cry.


Did you ever get yourself into such situation? I do. Not voluntary though. Right now, at this very moment, I am filled with enormous fear of getting dumped outside this country, the UAE. The thought of returning in my home, yes the lovely Philippines indeed, but poorer by thousands of pesos and with a broken heart sends tremors to my already wracked brain.

The news yesterday came out, as Gulf News (the widest circulating newspaper and the most known in the Middle East) gladly informed the readers about this brand new law (rumors say that there’s always a new one being implemented from time to time) that is being (or will be?) implemented in UAE by their Immigration telling Filipinas below 25 years old will not be issued a working/residence visa anymore ( Ice then runs amuck shouting to the Gabriela’s of Information Age: “Mga pinay! Punitin ang mga sedula!!!”).

I am enraged. I raved. I ranted. But no, sorry, I did not curse.

I just wept. And kept on weeping and worrying and asking God, “Why me?” (So Ice, you can stop joking here…change to a more serious tone I implore you.)

Seriously, what am I doing at present is asking and seeking our Lord’s will. But because of my insistent attitude (and yes, lack of faith, admit it…), I am continuously adding more worries to myself by asking so many people via e-mail, phone, mobile (and one on one, think of the gravity of the problem) of this heartbreaking news. More on confirming from them, actually. But hey man, I am only 21, so can I now bid farewell to Dubai? (Since residence/working visa turned its face against me.)

Will that be the case? But isn’t it I’ve gotten so many job interviews, quite a number of offers, only to end up jobless? Penniless? Isn’t it I am showered with blessings, and prayers and wisdom before this voyage? Is this all? Will this be the end of Dubai High?

Answers to those I do not know. What am I trying to do here is to tell you my testimony. It’s true that there are so many problems that one could come across, and it’s equally true that the test of one’s faith begins as problems flooded his or her way.

I planned to go here to Dubai. I prayed for it. Voila! I’m already here (If you haven’t seen my latest pics, you may visit my Friendster account and be surprised on how many pounds did I lose, which in reality, there’s none). I prayed for a job and a good job offer as a Marketing Officer of a blooming television network is given to me. I am confident that there will be other companies which will be interested to hire me and can offer me a higher salary. So then I decided I will just attend as many interviews as I can then choose the best among these companies.

Everything seems to be falling into their proper places, except my heart. Amidst the seemingly assured future come the Lord knocking and asking me, “My daughter, are you still yearning to be with me? Are your plans aligned with mine? You look so sure of everything.” And so He intervenes and gave a ‘little excitement” to my ordinary, assured life. And so the new law came out.

I prayed once again, asking Him to please, please, please, make me stay here in Dubai, to make everything all right, for my qualifications to be considered by the Immigration. I prayed. But I kept on worrying. (This is the natural reaction, but is this the right reaction?) I certainly made myself a bad example of a Christian. I almost forgot what James told us in James 1:6 until I stumbled upon it recently, as recent as today (*wink*). It says,

“6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.”

What I am doing contradicts what I am praying. I ask for peace and reassurance from the Lord but I am also the one who’s the culprit for my agitations. The realization struck me. I am lacking of faith. A searing pain bludgeoned my heart upon knowing this truth. And I ask for forgiveness about of this. Now I know faith is not only a word you just throw up in the air or the gush of wind coming from your mouth or the tears that fell from your eyes or the amount of words you’ve said in your prayers.

Faith means a lot more than that.

Faith is about living at peace because you know someone is in charge. Faith is also about knowing there is an Almighty God who will answer your prayer in ways that are most of the time far better than you expected. It is asking and praying wholeheartedly and believing what you have asked has been heard and answered accordingly. It’s not easy to have this kind of faith. That’s why He told us in Matthew 17:20, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Because having faith is lot much harder than solving a series of tests in advanced calculus, then we should resolve to have this extra ordinary faith.

To have this kind of faith takes up a lot of prayers, devotion to the Word, and practicing it in one’s daily life. Yup! Practice the faith! (Sounds cool noh?) Practicing faith starts when one stop saying words of doubt and defeat. Instead our words should reflect that we, Christians, have a victorious God who can do everything and surpass everything. Unless we prayed with a mountain-moving faith, our prayers will not be answered.

“James 1:7-8 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.”.


And lastly, we can always be reminded of James’ simple but practical approach:

James1:22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

The following is a good prayer I have read from a daily devotional online which we can utter when we feel we are about to waver from our faith.

Lord, please forgive me for the times I prayed about a matter and then spoke words of unbelief over it. Grant me revelation from heaven about the power of my words, and help me to control my speech. Thank You that as I speak words of faith and gratitude, I will witness You working mightily on my behalf!


ADDY: (coined term for additional.. harharhar)

Philippians 4:6 (NIV)
6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
I was singing this song this morning and stream of tears flowed as my heart sings too. I feel the love of God and His reassuring words through this song… May you be also blessed through this.
Still
Words and Music by Reuben Morgan

Hide me now
Under your wings
Cover me
within your mighty hand

When the oceans rise and thunders roar
I will soar with you above the storm
Father you are king over the flood
I will be still and know you are God

Find rest my soul
In Christ alone
Know his power
In quietness and trust

Read more!

Masaya ang mabuhay para sa Lord.... Totoo yan.

Blog ko naman ito di bah? Kaya may karapatan akong magsulat dito ng gusto kong ilagay! Bwahahahaa!!! Walang makakapigil!

Pwera joke, o sige seryoso na po... Masarap at masayang mabuhay na may Panginoon sa buhay mo.

Tinanggap ko si Jesus nung ako'y third year high school, sa Bulacan pa nga ko nakatira nun. Sa isang youth camp ng aming simbahan. Tinanggap ko Siya upang maging Panginoon ng aking buhay at upang maging aking Tagapagligtas. Naluha ako noon, ang message pa nga ay tungkol kay Esau at Jacob, at kung paanong ipinagpalit ni Esau ang kanyang birthright kay Jacob para lamang sa pagkain. (Ang babaw noh? Pero eto talaga ang human nature, pinagpapalit natin ang ating dapat sana'y pagiging anak ng Lord over wordly things... over pleasures that the world can offer... na hindi naman dapat...)

Grabe! Nakakamangha nga kung paanong nangusap sa akin ang preaching na iyon. Kakaiba talaga. Alam nyo yung sinasabi nila na, "before I'm blind but now I can see", parang ganun ang nangyari sa akin. Little by little, things in my life suddenly unfolded before me. It was such an awesome, indescribable encounter of the Lord. I just found myself asking for forgiveness from the Lord because of the sins I have committed . Nasabi ko sa Kanya, Panginoon, hindi ko kayang mabuhay ng wala Ka sa buhay ko, at hindi Ikaw ang may control nito. Napakasarap lumaya sa sarili mong pag co-control sa buhay mo. Ang sarap ng may in charge sa buhay mo. Bawian ka man ng buhay sa lupang katawan, magkakaroon naman ako ng buhay na walang hanggan, hindi na maghihirap, hindi na mapapagod, maligayang magpupuri sa Panginoon magpakailanman.

Nabaptized naman ako sa Taguig Baptist Church, ang aking mahal na mahal na church. May mga mapagmahal na nanay, Matulunging mga tatay, Magaganda at masisipag na youth, mababait na kuya't ate, mga the best na mga pastors! Kaya naman masasabi ko naman talaga na I'm so happy with my church.

Ayun nga lang, kailangan kong pumunta ng ibang bansa for several reasons: career, family, future, and also, it's really my desire to help my church. Nagpapa-renovate ngayon kasi ang TBC at siyempre pa may mga projects ang TBC para sa lalo pang pag-abot sa mga unchurched. Napakagagandang mga plano na gusto ka sanang maging bahagi... Kaya andito ngayon ang inyong chubby blog author sa Dubai.

Sa work ko ngayon as Marketing and Sales Coordinator cum Secretary cum Receptionist cum All around assistant ng isang nagpapasimula pa lamang na TV Station, kinikilala ko pang lalo ang sarili ko at ang Lord.

May ka-officemate akong M. (Sa mga kapatiran, lam nyo na ang M di ba? Isa sila sa ating mga inaabot para sa Panginoon.)Pinapanalangin ko nga na sana ma-win ko ang ka-oofficemate kong ito. Ang totoo pa nga nyan, sort of nag wiwitness rin siya sa akin. Ang gara noh? (Parang nakaka-challenge nga eh. Kasi ngayon, talagang nag-dedevotion na ko at nag-aaral ng matindi, una para makilala pa ng lubusan si Jesus, at syempre, para naman ma-win kay Lord ang ka-officemate kong ito. Prayer request ko po ito.)

Hehehe... Well, I keep all the progress posted here in my blog.
Pano? Till next post! See yah!

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