9 Things To Keep In Mind Daily

“Dear friends, you are like visitors and strangers in this world. So I beg you to keep your lives free from the evil things you want to do, those desires that fight against your true selves. People who don’t believe are living all around you. They may say that you are doing wrong. So live such good lives that they will see the good you do, and they will give glory to God on the day he comes. Be willing to serve the people who have authority in this world. Do this for the Lord. Obey the king, the highest authority. And obey the leaders who are sent by the king. They are sent to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do good. When you do good, you stop ignorant people from saying foolish things about you. This is what God wants. Live like free people, but don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Live as those who are serving God. Show respect for all people. Love your brothers and sisters in God’s family. Respect God, and honor the king.” 1 Peter 2:11-17 ERV

I love to read books especially a book that can help me become a better person. In my bookshelf are books on leadership, motivation, discipline, psychology, Christianity etc. One time I was helping a friend who was suffering from “panic attacks”. I did not know that this psychological dilemma ever existed. Try to search the web about the subject if you really want to know what it is. I could not give a friendly counsel at that time since I did not even know or aware of the disorder. All I did was open my ears and listen for hours about his story. So the next day, I went to a bookstore (Half Price Bookstore, my favorite place) and picked a $9.99 book entitled “When Panic Attacks” by Dr. David Burns. I finished reading the thick book in a week and took a lot of notes. I felt like I was so educated after reading the entire book. (If you are suffering from panic attacks or some form of panic symptoms, you might want to read this book). It’s not a ‘cure it all’ book but at least you will learn about the psychology of the disorder and some remedies to help you to get back on your feet. It’s good to know the inner workings of the illness. The reason why I’ve mentioned it here is not to promote the book or psychology but to share what happened after reading the book.

No, I did not cure my friend with it and I have not even heard from him for months.

Ive learned that panic attacks are the effect of the things that we do and think. It is like a hidden underground volcano which are collecting enough energy later to be released to the surface of the earth. Our mind is very tricky, elusive and deceiving and even neuroscientists are still puzzled by what our minds can think and produce. Try to do something bad for a week and do it repeatedly and you will realize that your peaceful mind will disappear. Try to think of negative things all day like – the world is going to end, or think that you will lose your job, or think that you will have cancer or think that you will suffer a severe medical illness or try to think that you really is a bad person and you are worthless and has no value and purpose in life. Or try to think that you cannot succeed since you failed more than once already. By the end of the day, I promise that you will end up panicky, frightened, terrified and down. Repeat this step the rest of your life and you will have a 100% chance of getting a “panic attack” disorder and you will always feel miserable and bitter and angry towards yourself, others and to the whole world.

After reading the book, I sat down in a prayerful mood and contemplated and ask God to enlighten me and give me wisdom on how to deal with the panic disorder. I waited for hours for God’s enlightenment and out of nowhere these words came to my heart “my Words is enough”. At first it was not clear to me of what it means. I could not comprehend or connect it to what I was asking about. Later in the day, the meaning of the statement becomes clearer. The Holy Spirit was telling me that life’s difficult issues was already addressed in His Words – the Bible.

I spent hours digging information to help someone but the answer to the issue was just right there in Bible.

I could not disagree. Even until now, every time I opened my Bible every morning, I can see that it is telling me something. The Bible indeed contains all the answers but the problem with the message of the Bible is not so clearly stated and even if it is translated to a very common language, still the message is hidden in a layer of confusion that only a receptive and open heart can comprehend.

As for a counsel to a troubled friend, from now on, I will stick with this statement — What the Word says about your issues? Then the next step is just to obey what is written. That’s it and you will be all healed and restored. Of course this takes time, but from the bottom of my heart, the fix to our troubled life is already written and is ready for us to take in.

For a micro life improvement activity, even by just executing #2 below is more than enough to get us out from a bad situation. Evil things includes: lying, cheating, not being honest to self and others, holding grudges, unforgivingness , violating the law of the land etc.

Here’s a few list of things to study and do. I believe that the message/context of each sentence is already clear. Feel free to study each line and then tell yourself to do it.

1. Live like visitors and strangers

2. Keep away from doing evil things

3. Be willing to serve to those above you.

4. Obey your superiors or authority

5. Live like free people

6. Live to serve God (not man)

7. Show respect for all people (don’t be selective)

8. Love your brothers and sisters (this is the hardest)

9. Respect and Honor God (#9 overrides #1-8)

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/1pe.2.11.erv

Someone is Paying Attention

“I love the Lord for hearing me, for listening to my prayers. Yes, he paid attention to me, so I will always call to him whenever I need help.” Psalm 116:1, 2 ERV

2013 is a challenging year for me and my family. There were work changes, kids going to college, rising cost of living, budget etc. Then there is my health risk. It’s been 1151 days since my stent #2 but the more days added to the count, the more I anticipate that stent #3 is coming although I am in perfect health and has been keeping up with my weekly 40miles bike ride and 2 mile swim and running. I know that I don’t really have a real problem but as a normal human being, I feel burdened at times about life in general. As for now, my focus is long term planning for the kids. Brent is going to college next year and I had been influencing him to stay at UT Austin for the undergrad and he can go out of state for the med school later. We already setup his Texas Tomorrow Fund for 4 years and he can use that with less cost for us since the tuition is already paid off.

As I contemplate on these matters daily, I’m always reminded that I worship a God in heaven that can manipulate my circumstance to make it favorable for me.

I don’t really know what the future holds for me but I know that in every move I make, someone is watching over me.

I will remain faithful regardless of what I see, hear, feel or experience because I know that in my heart someone is paying attention.

To some of you who has far greater issues in life, hang in there. Be patient, be still. Don’t make a lot of big changes in life without consulting God in prayers. Sit down for hours and get a piece of paper and a pen and ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten you on your next move. I don’t believe that roses will drop from the sky into our lap but I do believe that God imparts us with wisdom to handle any difficult situation in life. Write them down for deeper study.

My 2-week mandatory vacation is coming to an end and as I look back in the things that I planned (me and the Holy Spirit) to do for the two weeks of downtime, I made some great advances. I gave credit to God’s enlightenment as He guided me in every step. So far, things has been a little different. I’ll enumerate the wise things that I came up during the 2-week downtime later on. Some ideas were brilliant that I would not have thought about it without the Wisdom from God.

I know that when things get so difficult, we tend to run away from our beliefs and faith and we start to doubt of everything we believe in. We imagine that we might just had a hallucination of the things that our faith brought us. Sometimes I feel that way when I see an impossibility in front of me. I think it is normal for us to doubt. Without it, then our journey of faith does not produce excitement and anticipation. It’s ok to doubt because even the Bible is filled with stories of people who tends to question the presence of God. One thing that I’ve seen throughout the Bible are the stories of struggles and despair but one thing common to all those stories are the triumph at the end.

Please know in your heart that all these tiny life difficulties are just “a setup/prelude” for your triumphant victory at the end.

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/psa.116.1.erv

Always Payback With Goodness

“Be sure that no one pays back wrong for wrong. But always try to do what is good for each other and for all people.” 1 Thessalonians 5:15 ERV

“Goodness-that which is pleasing, valuable and useful; moral excellence or admirableness”

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/1th.5.15.erv

If You Suffer

“But if you suffer because you are a “Christ-follower,” don’t be ashamed. You should praise God for that name.” 1 Peter 4:16 ERV

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/1pe.4.16.erv

Our Unseen Influence is our Legacy

“There is a very sad thing that I have seen happen in this life. People save their money for the future. Then something bad happens and they lose everything. So they have nothing to give to their children. People come into the world with nothing. And when they die, they leave with nothing. They might work hard to get things, but they cannot take anything with them when they die. It is very sad that people leave the world just as they came. So what does a person gain from “trying to catch the wind”? They only get days that are filled with sadness and sorrow. In the end, they are troubled, sick, and angry.” Ecclesiastes 5:13-17 ERV

“Legacy-a gift of personal property by will”

At an early age of 16, (I’m now 46) I’ve experienced a horrifying separation from someone very close to me. My father died at the age of 55 of kidney failure. He was a diabetic and I’ve known him that way since I can remember. I was at his bedside when he passed away. At his early years, he was doing well in life. He finished his Electrical Engineering degree with honors sometime in the 1950’s but an event in his life took place which led him to join the US Navy. When he was done with the Navy, he met my mother and that is how our family started. I don’t know much about him then because I was growing up emotionally distant and I thought that my friends and the world was the best thing in life.

Looking back now, I find it so amazing how he lived his life. Financially, he left us with something to survive. My mother was able to send us to college (5 of us) and managed the family needs on her own and plenty of left over.

When I’m trying to ask this question, “What did my father left me?” — these comes to mind (It was not the materials things that matters most)

1. Patience

2. Hardwork

3. Never complains about any bad situation

4. Being quite

5. Being a thinker

6. Writing a journal

7. Photography (life documentation)

One thing funny about these items is he did not even showed me or trying to teach me these. I’ve only noticed it when I tried to recollect in my mind on how he lived his life.

Our unseen influence is our legacy and it can be transferred to the next generation.

To Brittney and Brent, I do hope that in some ways I can deliver the same good stuff to you — an invisible but lasting legacy.

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/ecc.5.13.erv

Open Invitation: Be Reconciled To God

“that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:19, 20 NKJV

“Reconciliation-the reestablishing of cordial relation; getting two things to correspond”

“Cordial-diffusing warmth and friendliness; politely warm and friendly; sincerely or intensely felt”

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/114/2co.5.19.nkjv

Being Forgiven

““Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18 NKJV

“Forgiven-absolve from payment; let off the hook; not anymore responsible to pay/repay; being excused of a mistake”

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/114/isa.1.18.nkjv

Reprogram Your Desires

“With my soul I have desired You in the night, Yes, by my spirit within me I will seek You early; For when Your judgments are in the earth, The inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.” Isaiah 26:9 NKJV

1. Desire God — Think about Him

2. Desire Righteousness

3. Seek God before going to bed

4. Seek God right after getting up.

5. Find God in everything you do.

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/114/isa.26.9.nkjv

You Are Not Alone

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31 NKJV

“When things go wrong, as they sometimes will. When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill, when care is pressing you down a bit — rest if you must, but don’t quit”

I can recite the whole poem anytime. These words are embedded in my heart and it is really a good encouragement for everyone. Please find time to read and reread and memorize the whole text.

I just want to add another sentence at the very end of the poem.

“If God is for us, who can be against us”

That is the reason why we cannot quit — because when God is leading us, there is nothing but success. Yes, we will experience hardships, tears, pains, frustrations, doubt, physical illness, and impossibilities but in the end, we are designed to be victorious because He already wrote our destiny long before we existed. We are over comers, always victorious and triumphant because we fight our battle with Somebody who manages the heavens and the earth.

Who really can be against us.

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/114/rom.8.31.nkjv

5 Keys to Fortunate Circumstances

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Joshua 1:8 NKJV

“Prosperous-in fortunate circumstances financially; moderately rich; very lively and profitable”

“Success-an event that accomplishes its intended purpose”

1. Establish the Bible as the answer to all your life questions (life roadmap)
2. Study and meditate daily making the habit a part of your existence.
3. Take notes when you can and reflect to your present circumstance and events
4. Speak about it
5. Do what you confess
6. Repeat step #1 to step #5.

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/114/jos.1.8.nkjv

Doorkeeper or A Dweller?

“For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.” Psalm 84:10 NKJV

“Doorkeeper – a person guarding access to an important or restricted place; the stewards of the treasures of the sanctuary; someone who guards at the entrance”

“Dweller – a person who inhabits a particular place”

“Wickedness – morally objectionable behavior; absence of moral or spiritual values; Estrangement from God; the quality of being disgusting to the senses and emotions”

Which one are you?

Or are you the one who is coming to the tent — an outsider who have not decided yet on what to do in your life.

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/114/psa.84.10

16 Attributes of a Sound Mind

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

“Fear-an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger; and anxious feeling”

“Sound mind-a mind in excellent condition, free from defect, damage or decay; showing good judgment”

16 Attributes of a Sound Mind

1. No fear, No worry, No anxiety
2. Extremely Generous
3. Verbal response is always appropriate
4. Emotional response to negative events is always positive
5. Never runs out of hope
6. Not selfish
7. Not envious or jealous
8. Does not keep a record of wrong; forget/forgives easily
9. Very Super Patient
10. Exceedingly Kind
11. Never happy when others do wrong
12. Always happy with the truth
13. Never gives up on people
14. Never stops trusting
15. Never loses hope
16. Never quits

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/114/2ti.1.7.nkjv

One Source, One Strength, One Truth

“You accepted Christ Jesus as Lord, so continue to live following him. You must depend on Christ only, drawing life and strength from him. Just as you were taught the truth, continue to grow stronger in your understanding of it. And never stop giving thanks to God.” Colossians 2:6, 7 ERV

“Depend-be contingent upon; have faith or confidence in”

“Draw-get or derive in mind”

“Only-and nothing more; without any other being included or involved”

Life sometimes become much simpler if we only have one choice. Having too many choices in front of us can take out the decision making to a slower pace and confusion. When it comes to a handbook for life, don’t mix anything other than your faith in Christ.

Sometimes we mix our personal foundation with many other things such as philosophy, religion, science, medicine, psychology, humanitarian etc. There ought to be one source that we draw upon, but sometimes we are clouded by the invitation of “the others” on how to live our life abundantly.

I am aware that the other sources just work as well but in the long run, when we are at end of our time here on earth, we loses those material things and its benefits and then we realize ” oh, I need to find my faith in Christ.

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/col.2.6.erv

Words=Good; Actions=Better

“My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” 1 John 3:18 NKJV

“Deed-something that people do or cause to happen”

“Truth-a fact that has been verified; conformity to reality or actuality; a true statement”

We can say a thousand words that we love them (spouse, our children, boyfriend, girlfriend, people, neighbor, humanity, boss, superiors, leaders, job) but one action done at the right moment can mean a million times. It’s our action that counts and not the words we say.

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/114/1jn.3.18.nkjv

What Keeps Us Going?

“I will love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Psalm 18:1, 2 NKJV

“Strength – the property of being physically or mentally strong; physical energy or intensity”

There will be times that nothing else will work and we need a drop of hope to help and encourage us to take one more step to go on.

It’s not our own strength, knowledge, wisdom, wealth, health, mind, power, experience, luck, connections, family, friends, talent, resources, vision.

Know that our fellowship with God is what keeps us going.

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/114/psa.18.1.nkjv

Faith in the Simplest Term

“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.” Mark 12:30 NKJV

“Love-have great affection or liking for”

“Heart-the locus of feelings and intuition”

“Soul-the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life”

“Mind-that which is responsible for one’s thought and feelings; the seat of the faculty of reason”

Sometimes faith can be confusing and complicated, but it can be summarized into one thought – loving God and loving our neighbor.

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/114/mrk.12.30.nkjv

Endurance Secret-Waiting

“Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:30, 31 NKJV

“Endurance-the power to withstand hardship”

“Waiting-to remain inactive in one place while expecting something; remaining ready and available for use”

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/114/isa.40.30.nkjv

Live For Righteousness

“who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness— by whose stripes you were healed.” 1 Peter 2:24 NKJV

“Righteousness-adhering to moral principles”.

“Principle-a rule or standard especially of good behavior”

Knowledge comes first before actions. One cannot adhere to proper learning if knowledge is not imparted. We get our knowledge from studying the Bible through self study or from the church or though group study or through reading a book or reading a blog which studies the Word or at least explain it plainly. We have to hear the Word or else nothing gets embedded into our heart.

When it comes to knowledge of moral principles, where can we get it? What will be our source of standard of living? How can we know that we are doing the right things. Do I need to be checking the Bible every time I do something and contrast my actions with what is written? Is there a measuring stick to tell me every time I do something?

The moral detectors of our actions are implanted in the deepest part of our heart when we gave our life to Christ and through studying His Word. So when we do something, we are guided by the Holy Spirit. When we disobey the message from our heart, a negative consequence is provided for us to remind us to get back on track. This comes with experience. The mature we are in our walk with God, the clearer these inner voices are.

Living for righteousness is a process of learning and doing and obedience. It is a lifetime daily process. We are not perfect, sometimes we are tempted to cross the line and we give in to some temptations. Please don’t abandon ship immediately, knowledge of our disobedience is a sign or a reminder that we need to get back in the path of righteousness. Do so without questioning and start over again.

Reminders are close loop feedback system of the Holy Spirit, to keep us attached to Him.

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/114/1pe.2.24.nkjv

Our Personal Life Is Our Worship

“So I beg you, brothers and sisters, because of the great mercy God has shown us, offer your lives as a living sacrifice to him—an offering that is only for God and pleasing to him. Considering what he has done, it is only right that you should worship him in this way.” Romans 12:1 ERV

“Worship-show devotion; love unquestioningly and uncritically or to excess; adore; revere”

I’m a little tired today and I’ve tried to think of something to write about today’s verse but nothing comes to mind except for the title.

Can someone out there fill in for me?

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/rom.12.1.erv

Delete “Should Syndrome”

“Try to live in peace with everyone. And try to keep your lives free from sin. Anyone whose life is not holy will never see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14 ERV

“Peace-harmonious relations; freed from disputes; the absence of mental stress or anxiety”

“Sin-an act that is regarded as a transgression of God’s will”

“Holy-consecrated; committing righteous acts; a sacred place of pilgrimage”

It is easy to live a holy life when you are living in a community with holy people. It is easy to be peaceful when you are surrounded by people with peaceful attitude. It is even easier to live a “sin-free” life if your environment is rich in spiritual activities like prayer, Bible studies, praise and worship and fellowship with our fellow brothers and sisters.

But reality is not even close to those ideal Christian living conditions. We are still partakers in this world, we are still bound by the earthly rules where both good and evil kingdom exist. We exist to touch the heart of the nation or the world and we are not to be isolated from anyone else. As Christians, our new life does not end our relationship with others who does not share the same views with us when we gave our life to God. We are expected to go on with our lives as normal but with a different heart, different eyes and different ears and different perspective.

I have a regular job just like everyone else. I wake up in the morning, do my morning routines and mingle with coworkers everyday for 8 hours. I interact with people almost every minute while I’m at work. With these interaction with people, I’ve noticed a few commonalities or theme of why people are drowned so deep into their troubles and problems. Some of the statements/stories I’ve heard are the following: I should have not gone out last night, I should have left early, I should have went home straight, I should have not drink last night, I should have said ‘no’ when they asked me to go with them, I should not have over ate, I should have exercised, I should have read a book instead of watching tv all night, I should have not talked to that girl or guy, I should not have said that word. You get the point … those are the “should syndrome” of life. It occurs when you do things that you know is not right and you did it anyway.

There is a shortcut to peace. When we engaged in activities driven by peer pressure or impulse, we usually end up with regrets. Cracking the code of life is not rocket science. Do things which are based in moral and ethical standards and you will not have to worry about regrets later. Violate the moral standards and you will end up with so many “shoulds”.

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/heb.12.14.erv

Share: Permission Slip-Part3-The Horn, The Sword & The Robe

http://elevationchurch.org/sermons/this-is-your-permission-slip#

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God’s Guiding System

“The Lord says, “I will teach you and guide you in the way you should live. I will watch over you and be your guide.” Psalm 32:8 ERV

“Teacher – one who impart skills or knowledge”

“Guide – one who accompany somebody somewhere to show them the way”

“Watcher – one who observe with attention; one who look attentively”

Have you asked yourself how did you end up reading this journal today? Who told you to click a certain Internet link and then end up reading this random post?

Life is filled with connections. If you study your past carefully, you will learn that most of the events in your life are interconnected. It might look like it is a coincidence or some form of a “perfect timing” but in reality it is not. In my own experience, I’ve seen hundreds of those those coincidences already and after so many occurrences I got tired of calling it as coincidences and I started calling it “God’s Guiding System”.

One of my favorite one was after my cycling accident, I stayed home for 3 weeks to recover my wounds. While at the house just flipping channels on tv, this guy on tv (a preacher) was pointing his finger towards the camera and said “your accident is not an accident”. Later on, I learned that that particular event was a turning point of my life – I gave my life to Christ.

Another one was my miraculous survival of the 1991 flood in Ormoc City, Leyte Philippines, I was in a bus terminal when the rain started to pour. The water in the street rose to about 4 inches and then I prayed, “Lord, tell me where to go”. There was really no voice guiding me to a certain spot in the city but I end up in the corner of the building where the water was blocked. That day in the spot where I parked, the water rose to 8 feet but the car was untouched. 5000 people died that day and when I surveyed the bus terminal where I was originally, the place was ruined and received all the impact of the flood.

Another one was my enlistment to the US Army, I did not have a job in New York in 1991 and I just got reunited with my wife who is an RN. I was searching for a job but none was for me and so I went to a local Army recruiting station and signed up. The night before I left for boot camp, we found out that my wife was pregnant. One of the heaviest part of my life was leaving a pregnant wife while I embarked to a new place and environment. Boot camp was not too easy for me because of those circumstances but I kept going. I received my military orders for a one-year South Korea assignment and then was reassigned to Fort Hood Texas. Looking back now, my enlistment in the Army brought me to where I am now. I’m now on my 15th year at Samsung Austin and my wife and kids are enjoying the effects of a one time decision that I made many years ago.

Was that a coincidence?

Before, I thought it was but when so many of those events showed up in your life, you realize that someone was making those adjustments for me so that I will end up in the place where my heart wanted to be.

It’s your turn, why don’t you look back in your life’s history and connect the dots. You will be amazed of how much great things were laid out in your paths. Yeah, you got sick or lost your job one time or incurred debts or lost a relationship. But think of it this way, God has something better for you.

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/psa.32.8.erv

Imperfect But Complete

“I say this because all of God lives in Christ fully, even in his life on earth. And because you belong to Christ you are complete, having everything you need. Christ is ruler over every other power and authority.” Colossians 2:9, 10 ERV

“COMPLETE-perfect in every respect; having all necessary qualities; having every necessary or normal part or component or step; having everything that is needed”

Part of the mystery of our walk in faith is the feeling or state of completeness. Although we are not perfect as we are far from perfection, there is this a state inside us or maybe a quality – we are made complete.

Yesterday was a stressful day for the family. A family member was recommended to see an endocrinologist due to an abnormal levels of insulin after the yearly health checkup. In my life, there are so many little things like these popping up. Last month, Britta lost her job after taking a vacation to the Philippines because she failed to submit a paperwork. A few years ago, I had my MI. Lately, the stability of my work is shaken and we have to take a mandatory vacation till the end of 2013.

Am I shaken? A little bit but I know that our Lord comes before us and that He already laid out the great path for me and my family.

Same as you are, our world is not perfect. We have issues, we have little inconveniences, we have medical and psychological cases. We don’t know what is next. But all what the Bible said that we are complete and so we are.

We are not perfect but we are made complete through Christ. That’s all it matters. The world can take away all that we have but there is a greater promise ahead of us. In the end, we are already a “finish product” and declared complete.

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/col.2.9.erv

Delay Tolerance (patience); Dream

“You must be patient too. Never stop hoping. The Lord is coming soon.” James 5:8 ERV

“Patience-good natured tolerance of delay or incompetence”

“Hope-expect and wish; intend with some possibility of fulfillment”

Many years ago, a close friend of mine decided to separate from each other. I did not know when they separated at that time until he was always late in coming to work. He moved to a small town 50 miles away from our workplace . One time, he did not show up for work and a week later, he came in with a bandage on his head, he fell asleep on his way home after a 12-hr shift and flipped his car on the side of the road. He was fortunate enough that no car was behind him or it could have been a fatal accident. This guy is a very quite guy and won’t even open up his situation to me. After having spent time with him, he finally opened up his heart without my prying. He told me that he and his wife decided to get a divorce and that he was living with a new girlfriend from a small town 50 miles away (compared to his current home which was 12 miles away from our workplace). Our conversation was about 2 years late already but I tried to listen to him without judgment. They had 2 children about the same age as mine – all girls. They were married for 7 years already at the juncture. They had a very nice home and both of them worked at a good high tech company in Austin, TX. They were Asian from the same country and culturally there were no differences. Age gap was about 2 years, he was older. I’m not an inquisitive person but I am always curious why couples separate. So I asked a simple question as I always do to any type of failure investigation. I made it sound scientific to him to imply that I was not really prying too much about his situation. “What was the cause of failure?”, “Was it infidelity?, “Was it money?”

He told me that one day, they were arguing about a small thing and then from his mouth came out “do you want to separate?”. That moment, he decided to distance himself from her and then rented an apartment. Fast forward a few weeks, they started the dreadful paperwork. And to my amazement, I asked him loudly “that’s it?”. Yup, that was their separation. A simple out of place words being delivered at the wrong time and the wrong place.

It’s not rocket science to pinpoint the cause of failure of my friend’s failed marriage – tolerance for someone, impatience of the situation. He did not give the situation an extra few days, weeks, or years. He instantly decided to end the relationship. The consequences were very fatal, he lost his wife and 2 children, lost his house, had to pay a child support, had a fatal accident just because his patience ran out and then later he quit from our workplace for good. I will always remember him because our date of hire were the same. I just had my 15 years of service award from Samsung last month and I wonder what could have been the outcome if he only was extra tolerant of his situation.

The most common action when we are impatient of an event or a situation or a relationship or solving a problem is to use the TRIZ principle #2, Taking Out. It means to separate an interfering part from an object. Common examples are: amputate that leg, remove a bothersome tooth, arrest the criminal and put them in jail, replace a tire if it is flat, trade-in that malfunctioning car for a new one, divorce. Taking out principle is the “shotgun approach” of problem solving. Normally, if “taking out” is not carried out, the problem solving can take a long time to reach resolution. When I’m pressed for time, I am quick to using this principle but seldom I use this as my initial troubleshooting step. As normal human being, we love quick fixes and instant gratification. We normally resort to replacing the whole system because we don’t have time to deal with the current issue. We want an instant fix and so we press the “delete” button without calculating the enormous undesirable effect that follows from an instant and impulsive decision.

How do you get patience? Can I train my patience?

Yes, like doing repeated physical exercise, our mind can adapt to a new trait. Do some reading about “brain plasticity” in your spare time. Why don’t you start with your impulses, try to suppress it. Examples, “I would like to use the Internet now-Fb, twitter, read news etc”, tell yourself that you can’t for now. While driving, calm yourself down and don’t react to those aggressive drivers. While talking to your spouse or girlfriend/boyfriend or child, try to listen more and hear them speak from the bottom of your heart. While worrying for a diagnosis, tell yourself that I will trust my doctors and God Almighty for my healing and not put too much emphasis of the “what ifs”. While going to college and you are confused and lost focus and direction, keep going no matter what even if your dreams are hazy and not even visibly possible. While at work, give yourself time to climb up the ladder by doing honest hard work and always waiting for your time to move up without stepping other people’s shoulder to get your glory. While alone, don’t pull your smartphone to read something or do something, instead open your eyes and ears and ask God to show you something you have not seen before.

Sometimes, a delay is there for our own benefit. Delay tolerance is patience. A daily dose can go along way to a better you and me.

Next time you are mad at someone, go tell them “Thank you for training my patience”.

Dream#1-A co-worker who lost her job a few months ago was in my mother’s home. She had one suitcase with ropes tied to it to secure the luggage safely. She was hired at a local company where my sister is currently working. I was wondering what she was doing there and was silently inquiring where she will be staying. I end up with a statement to her that she can stay in my room upstairs.

The only thing weird about this dream is I am here living in Texas and the dream happened in my hometown where I grow up in Merida, Leyte Philippines.

Hmmm, I love dreams.

Today is my last day of the 6-day vacation. I think I spent more time writing than anything else. Time to get back to work and fix technical/electronic/robotic problems. At least I know now what to do when I retire in 10 years-daily typing exercise using a smartphone.

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/jas.5.8.erv

(not full) is Empty

“A thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I came to give life—life that is full and good.” John 10:10 ERV

“Full-containing as much or as many as is possible or normal; constituting the full quantity or extent; complete; filled to the satisfaction”

There are two forces on earth in operation, evil and good. There are two kingdoms, the kingdom of darkness and the Kingdom of Light. If I have to give an account of each kingdom and describe each and what it does or what it can do to your life, which one would you choose?

Many of us are deceived or do not fully know what the Kingdom of Light looks like or know what are the perks of living in the light. From the surface, we know that it does not make a difference or make any sense. The enemy clouds our minds that there is no such thing as a good life or a life filled with goodness. Some of us will say “I’m OK, I’m not a bad person, I don’t cheat, I don’t lie or I don’t abuse people, I follow the rules of the land, I help the poor, I attend to the weary, I give to those who are in need, I’m honest at work, I’m a good father, I’m a model parent, I’m an obedient child”. If you are doing all these things then you are living a good life already. But there is something that you are missing. Feel inside you, even though you are doing all the good stuff and you are prosperous and has everything you can ever imagined – family, friends, possession, life status, job security, career, material things, success, beauty, sharp mind; you still feel that your life is empty (not full).

There is a longing in the human heart that we experience that can only be filled with the touch of God. We are always searching for it in terms of a missing person or a life partner, it is an endless search of a soul mate or a forever partner in life. In other forms, we seek the fullness through our career – we want to be the super worker. Seeking achievement and feeding our ego that we have made a difference in this world though our accomplishments is one indicator of unfulfilled life, we longed for top surface pleasure of human appreciation but even if we have all those, we come home and lie in bed feeling unfulfilled . Until that moment arrives, you will always be searching for something. Observe your personal life. Do you feel fulfilled? Are you satisfied with what you have? Do you want more? Are you seeking for a better “something”? If you really study and pay attention and ask yourself what are you searching, I can assure you that never really know and your answer will always be “something”.

You are missing something and until you find it, your life will never be full. There is a spiritual component of a man – the body, mind and spirit. Man also is a spirit being. Until that spirit entity in us comes alive, we can never experience the fullness of life.

So what am I am searching? How can I fill this void in my life?

I’m going to give you a homework. Find it. It is better for you to find it for yourself. There is a greater satisfaction in the end when you are able to figure it out yourself. It’s like finding a treasure or climbing the highest mountain by yourself – you feel satisfied and accomplished when you reached the summit and you say to yourself, I’ll pass for anything else, I’m done searching – I am already full.

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/jhn.10.10.erv

3 Special Toolkit: Grace, Love and Presence

“The grace (favor and spiritual blessing) of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the presence and fellowship (the communion and sharing together, and participation) in the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (so be it).” 2 Corinthians 13:14 AMP

1. Grace of Christ

2. Love of God

3. Presence and fellowship of the Holy Spirit

I was planning to write something about today’s verse before heading out for my Saturday 40-mile weekly cycling training but I slept late Friday and had to stay a few hours extra in bed to get my daily 5-hour sleep. The temperature was already at 70’F at 0900 and when I left the house, the outside temperature was already creeping to around the 80’s. I am we’ll aware that by the time I’ll finish my 40 miles, the temperature will be near 100’F. I normally take with me 2 water bottles, one with Gatorade and one with just plain water. I also take with me one Clif bar and one bag of power gel. In my back jersey pocket are my cycling tools, tire repair kit, an iPhone, a map, a spare tube and 2 canister of CO2 and a dispenser and a $20.00 for a taxi cab if needed although in my route (there is none). In short, I am 100% prepared for any cycling disaster. The ride normally is about 3 hours to finish and at the first 20 miles, the journey is pretty normal and easy and I can be whistling or singing along the route. The real challenge is when I’m at mile25 that no matter how I hydrate and take food and water, my energy starts to deteriorate and it is always a struggle going home.

This is when the my survival strategy starts to kick in. I have something with me that are more useful than the tools that I carry. When difficult times shows up, I dig deeper on those special toolkit.

For some of you that are new to this blog, I am also a cardiac patient. I had my first heart attack in December 2008 (age 42) after my indoor cycling training.

So going out there for 3 hours in a hot weather is not guaranteed that I will be back home safely. My life is already at the end as I imagined that I will disappear one day for good, it is just a matter of time. I’ve accepted the facts of my health. Although I’ve recovered fully after the cardiac event, I know that my body is not perfect anymore and I know how much risk I am taking when I jumped on my bike for a long ride.

Many of my close friends and family members had been asking me why I’m doing what I’m doing even if I know the dangers.

My short answer is always simple – I still can do it, so why not.

The other true answer is a I have a special toolkit with me. I don’t normally tell that verbally. It’s something that I hide like a cheating athlete who is taking extra illegal pill to boost performance. (It is a well guarded secret… until now).

Seriously, it’s not arrogance nor it is a suicidal thought, I am just exercising my faith and my beliefs as a Christian. If I isolate myself within the boundaries of my safe environment, then I will not know if God’s promises are real. I’m not testing or challenging God but I am just claiming the promises in the Bible that He will always be with me. Also, He said that He will give me a long life and also He said that I will have a great life and will have it abundantly.

Back to the basic toolkit, I can bring all the things that I need for my 3-hour journey but those material tools or food or water can only go so far. The water I brought with me will run out eventually, the Clif bar will disappear in a few hours, my cycling tools can be lost. What I’m implying is that those material things that I have in my possession will not propel or help me when I’m really in a big trouble.

What if the journey that I’m taking is a journey of having lost a job. What if the journey is about a failing or a failed relationship or a stage 4 cancer or a rebelling daughter or a son who is addicted to drugs. What if the journey is about a betrayal of a love one. What about a psychological issue like depression, panic attacks, worry, anxiety and hopelessness. What if the journey is about a failed career or a shattered dream or a lost expectation. What kind of toolkit should I have in my backpack?

Sometimes the message from the church is not so clear and straightforward that it produces confusion to those who don’t know anything about Christianity yet. True Christianity is really a simple concept.

In modern Christianity, we multiply and complicate things. We placed rules and guidelines. We create groups and committees just to manage the so called church. We invent all kinds of worship enhancements and spend valuable times in stage preparation and rehearsals. In creating sermons, pastors uses so many materials to aid them to create a sermon that can touch the people. One can listen to sermons online or pickup a book about faith or come to church with a friend but sometimes you end up more confused about God and who He really is and what or who the Holy Spirit is.

I don’t want to confuse you much more than ever. Read and understand what Apostle Paul had mentioned in this verse. Think and meditate on these verses until it becomes clear to you. This is bottom line Christianity.

1. Christ is merciful. He sees our struggle and always willing to reach out to us no matter what. Let Him in.

2. God loves us. It means that He is not mad at us when we make a terrible mistake. It means that He is on our side. He is not against us. He does not carry a whip or a belt that when we cross the line, He is ready to punish us.

3. The presence of the Holy Spirit is real. He is a person who is with us 24/7. This is more than the gut feeling or your intuition or your sixth sense.

Know these 3 things about God and any difficult journey becomes an enjoyable experience.

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/8/2co.13.14.amp

3 Indicators: True Prophet

“BELOVED, DO not put faith in every spirit, but prove (test) the spirits to discover whether they proceed from God; for many false prophets have gone forth into the world. By this you may know (perceive and recognize) the Spirit of God: every spirit which acknowledges and confesses [the fact] that Jesus Christ (the Messiah) [actually] has become man and has come in the flesh is of God [has God for its source]; And every spirit which does not acknowledge and confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh [but would annul, destroy, sever, disunite Him] is not of God [does not proceed from Him]. This [nonconfession] is the [spirit] of the antichrist, [of] which you heard that it was coming, and now it is already in the world. Little children, you are of God [you belong to Him] and have [already] defeated and overcome them [the agents of the antichrist], because He Who lives in you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world. They proceed from the world and are of the world; therefore it is out of the world [its whole economy morally considered] that they speak, and the world listens (pays attention) to them. We are [children] of God. Whoever is learning to know God [progressively to perceive, recognize, and understand God by observation and experience, and to get an ever-clearer knowledge of Him] listens to us; and he who is not of God does not listen or pay attention to us. By this we know (recognize) the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of error.” 1 John 4:1-6 AMP

“False prophet-one who falsely claims the gift of prophecy or divine inspiration or who uses that gift for evil purposes; someone who perfectly promotes a theory but the theory is false.”

The other day, a friend of my daughter came to the house and I had the opportunity to asked her about the church and how she felt. I was just looking for a reaction if she would continue to come on a regular basis. Two weeks ago, she came to the church with us. It was a very rare occasion because even my wife and kids does not come very often with me on Sundays and there she was with us.

She told me that she used to go to the same church a long time ago but never really liked the church or the pastor. But that weekend, she said she will give it a try but then her conclusion was – she does not like the pastor (again). But as soon as she ended her dislike statement, she pulled out her iPad mini and told me “but I’m listening to this guy in North Carolina and I’m really enjoying and connecting to his teachings”. Then she showed me the Elevation Apps and the contents of the site, “see these, I’ve watched almost all the videos”, she interestingly pointing out all the free video sermons to me. (She is by the way 21, a college student but also works at the same time).

Honestly, I enjoyed watching her hunger for God. It looks like my footsteps when I was still at the beginning of my Kingdom journey. To my daughter’s friend, please keep going and don’t stop!

Later, I looked up Elevation Church on the web and even watched two sermons in one setting (I was just curious). Indeed, she was right, this pastor is gifted to preach. I’ve watched two sermons only and I kinda’ know why she was so excited to listen or watched him online. We are in Texas and North Carolina is thousand miles away from us. Me too, how I wish I am with that church. There were so many things I’ve learned in just two sermons. Please visit their website at http://elevationchurch.org/sermons , your cup will be filled. Watch the “Permission Slip” first.

Let me count the churches that I’ve attended in my lifetime. The Protestant church (very early age), the Catholic Church (my high school was a Catholic school), Maranatha Christian Fellowship in Cebu Philippines (the place where I started my journey), then I immigrated to the US in 1991 and attended The Time Square Church, the Military Chapel in US Forces Korea, Potter’s House in Ft Hood, Victory Christian Center, Shoreline Christian Center then lastly Celebration Church. So the count is almost a handful.

There were a few geographical reasons why I changed venues but also there were reasons that I considered unique in terms of my liking and preferences and so I choose to be where I am right now and will continue to be with this church until further notice.

The reason why I’m telling you all these “church liking stuff” is to let you know that this is normal. Just think of it us a “school selection”, you just want to learn something from that particular school and I prefer to go to this school. The learning or education is the same – the Gospel of Christ.

Will I get offended that you stopped coming with me to church? Will I get offended when you say “I don’t like your worship team or the songs they sings or the people or the message or the sermon or the length of the service or the clapping and raising of hands or the quietness or the taking of the offering and tithing or the building or the parking or the air conditioning is too cold or too hot. Absolutely not, because the church of Christ is not the building or the structure or the institution that man built, the church of Christ is “us”, the members and no single building can contain us, it will be too small. The church is the movement of the Gospel in us and it comprises not just our beliefs in Christ but also the ways in which we respond to his movement and the way we reach out to others. So if you are in a different school out there but yet studying the same thing then I am glad because we are expanding the Kingdom by learning His ways (just in a different school)

You will sometimes say or hear this from someone, “oh, he is a false prophet or a false teacher or a false leader”.

How can you know that your pastor or priest or leader or the author of the book that you are reading is a genuine messenger for Christ and not a false prophet?

Reading and studying the passages today brought me these 3 indicators. Many Bible scholars might be able to crack more but with my humble and limited scholarly Biblical knowledge, I came up with these:

1. He/she clearly confesses or declares that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God

2. He/she uses the Bible as “the source” of information

3. He/she loves God so much and also loves his/her brother so dearly.

I believed that #3 would be the greatest test. The first two are just inputs – meaning the direction is towards self. The #3 is more comparable to an output signal – meaning it is coming out from you and it is directed as a reflection of #1 and #2 which is towards others. All 3 indicators must be there though.

The mathematical formula is:

1 x 2 x 3 = true prophet; if one item is zero, then the equation is false, therefore false prophet.

Ok, it 9am in the morning, Day003 of my 6 days vacation. Let me get some of my todo moving.

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/8/1jn.4.1.amp

Good Things Will Happen To You; UTSA Relocation Mini Storage

“Lord GOD, you are God, and I can trust what you say. And you said that these good things would happen to me, your servant.” 2 Samuel 7:28 ERV

The life of King David was not all that great and perfect. Please read the whole story of his life to understand why, especially the Bathsheba incident and his cover up of the incident with more wrong actions. To some, he was a perfect example of a great leader who failed during the pinnacle of his military command, a mighty king who misused his authority and most of all a perfect example of why infidelity in marriage is not a good thing.

But David had good side that I admired. He was an excellent writer and was not afraid/ashamed to show/declare his emotions to anyone especially when he is talking to God in prayer. I do believe that his life story was meant to be an example to us in a good way. I wish we are like him in our daily prayers or the way we write in our journal or blog- his writings comes from his heart and even if it was written many years ago, his message are still so relevant even up to this day.

May his prayers becomes yours. May good things happen to you. Even if you are in the middle of a storm, believe in your heart and see the goodness of the Lord unfolds in front of you.

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.us/406/2sa.7.28.erv