Road Not Taken… But you did.

The Road Not Taken
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
—-Robert Frost—-

My Dear Britta:

Since July when we’ve known of Papa’s illness, I’ve been educating myself about GRIEF. I’m not an expert but I know just enough to understand the process of GRIEF. What you will be experiencing soon is the thing called GRIEF and I want to expose that word as much as I could so that once identified, we can classify your feelings and actions that is related to GRIEF and the repair work is much easier to handle. The objective is for you to go through the lengthy process as slow and efficient as possible. When you are done, you will feel like you’ve climbed Mt. Everest or conquered a 100 miles bike ride.

I could not cry anymore…. I wanted to but I just don’t. But I felt it deep inside me GRIEF which I don’t really understand why, I’m not that close to Papa yet his circumstance affects me as it affected you. Papa’s illness somehow triggers old memories regarding my own experience in 1983 and for some reason I felt grief with you in your situation. I guess… somehow we are connected to each other mentally, emotionally and psychologically [obviously].

The reason why I am writing is because I want to paint a picture of you making the right decision at the right moment. I somehow felt that you are confused, bothered, double minded, doubting – if you’ve made the right choices at the specific moment in time. I would say you made the right choice and please don’t look back.

These are the doubts that you’ve conveyed to me that signifies that you were unsure whether you’ve made the right choice.

1. Not taking home Papa and let him recover in Round Rock, it could have been a different outcome.
   
2. If we did DNR, we will not be in this predicament.
   
3. I’m in between my job and my father. If I decide to stay with Papa, I will lose my job in Round Rock.
   
4. And many more…
   

First of all, I want to tell you honestly that all the decisions you’ve made were appropriate to every circumstance. Don’t doubt your instincts, it’s there for a reason. Doubting does not serve a purpose, the outcome of the decision that you’ve made were irrevocable and cannot be undone and has no more value that will help your current situation.

Before I go, I want you to shift your focus to Mama. Ensure that her emotional, mental and physical well-being is healthy. The way you describe me her actions are signs that she is already overwhelmed by all the new things that are coming her way – just like you. But remember, you have Rigel that constantly giving you positive things to look forward and putting thing is the right perspective. You need to do the same to Mama. You are her “GRIEF therapist”. She needs encouragement, she needs reassurance, and she needs “future thinking”. I know that she is strong but it is always nice to have someone you can depend on – that’s you [it showed]. Cherish the moment that you are with her. Yes, Papa needs attention but so does Mama. Losing a spouse for so many years is not a simple matter. Even if you see her so strong emotionally and faithfully, don’t assume that she is ok. Grief is a very complicated process that you have to go through – I repeat, you have to go through GRIEF. How do you avoid grief? You don’t… you go through it and it will vanish.

1. Ensure you have a company or a trusted friend to talk to [you are not alone]
   
2. Remembering good old memories
   
3. A little look to the future [but not much]
   
4. Watch for odd behavior but just observe, don’t try to heal or fix a problem
   
5. Give her a reason to go on.
   
6. Help other people experiencing hardship. Helping Mama will heal you also.
   

Lastly, back home is all in the right order of things. Financially we are ok. The kids are doing just fine. Please shift your focus in your current situation. Think of us in terms of giving yourself a “reward” after all these “hardship matters” end – you will be back here in Round Rock and living a good life. Yes, we are waiting for you but we also understand your situation. Focus on Papa and Mama for now. Nothing has changed her since you left. Yeah, you might lose your Lone Star job but as per our history, a shift of circumstance always prove to be a greener pasture.

Today, I came across a poem called “The Road Not Taken”. Read the poem 3x focusing more on the last verse.

“You made a difference for Papa and Mama.” and that’s all it matters.

Always,
ra

Simplest Relationship

An action that does not requires much effort yet it is so hard to execute.

Can you try?

Say, “I love you Lord” and mean it.

““Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭6:4-5‬ ‭ESV‬‬
http://bible.com/59/deu.6.4-5.esv

Hurt? You Are Chosen and Precious

Yesterday, a young lady came to me crying and told me that she ended the relationship because the other person was not reciprocating the love that she gave.  There was no exchange of mutual respect and love.  It seems like it was a one-way relationship as she relates some examples.  It’s really hard to get a good picture of the event but all I can do was empathize [I’m not judging].  I deployed my knowledge and skills on empathy [view empathy lesson]  immediately and for good 30 minutes or so gave my  2cents “cheap counsel” with less words and just more of a back rub, silence and prayer.

I gave her the “nice girl syndrome” NGS test and fortunately she does not have it. 

Nice Girl/Guy Syndrome
10 False Beliefs
1. Other people’s feelings and needs are far more important than my own.
2. If I am nice (and fair) to other people, they will be nice (and fair) to me.
3. What other people think about me is more important than my self-esteem, my health, or even my safety.
4. If I am good and perfect, I will be accepted and loved.
5. If I act naive and innocent, people will take care of me and I won’t have to grow up.
6. I don’t have the right to stand up for myself or act on my own behalf.
7. Anger is a destructive emotion and shouldn’t be expressed, especially directly to those with whom you are angry.
8. It is better to avoid conflict at all costs.
9. There is good in everyone, and if you give someone enough chances, he or she will eventually show it to you.
10.Women need men to protect them and support them financially.

But I forgot to mention something to her last night which is the “true counsel”.  

The best counsel not just for her but to anyone and everyone. Psychology can only touch our emotions, spiritual counsel does more than touch our heart.  It touches our spirit.

Pain and hurts in our daily life is not an “end” but a “beginning”. Go with grieving.  Cry to the deepest but then know that you were chosen.

A Living Stone and a Holy People
1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.
2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—
3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious,
5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6 For it stands in Scripture:  “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,  “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”
8 and  “A stone of stumbling,  and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.
12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. https://www.bible.com/bible/59/1pe.2

Cure for Disagreement – “soft answer” plus Boundaries

“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭15:1‬ ‭ESV‬‬
http://bible.com/59/pro.15.1.esv

There is an outbreak of “degraded family connection” in the entire world. We are surrounded with people who has relationship problems.  Sometimes I wonder what’s going on with the world?  Why now? What is the catalyst?  Is it the internet? Is it the social media?  Is the being away from God?  Is it the nation? Is it culture? Is it gender based?  Is it financial status?

Abundance of the heart
The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45

My daughter [23] was showing symptoms of decay in her speech and language and I have to give a 2-minute lecture regarding “good speech” last night.  She still lives with us because she is attending college and we are supporting her educational needs plus rent.  The roof that covers her bed is still from the construction of our original house – meaning, mom and dad still has 99.27% control of her life.  The money in her purse are still coming from mom and dad’s bank account. When she is startled or facing difficulties, my wife informed me that some “unnecessary words” automatically discharges from her mouth and the sound and the tone is not pleasant.  I have not experienced this phenomena with her maybe because I am normally in a peaceful mood most of the time or maybe I just don’t spend time with her.

This is my 2-minute lecture: [summarized version for brevity]
1. This discharges of unpleasant words are symptoms
2. I asked her if has personal problems, the answer is no.
3. I asked her why? I already know the answer – influence from the world.
4. How can you fix the unpleasant mouth? – It is a “heart” problem, the virtual heart and explained the meaning of Luke 6:45.  Any anger expression always comes from the heart.  When our heart is full of anger, it will manifest and comes out in our mouth or actions or expressions.
5. Why this unpleasant mouth pandemic important? Because of the following: It’s a habit and most habits are hard to get rid of when it takes a good foundation inside us.  “It is better to remove the tumor early” than deal with a full body cancer cells later.  When we are angry to the world, we carry the anger inside us and no matter where we are – at work, school, friends, spouse – we silently infect the relationship little by little with poison.  Kept uncheck – it becomes a disagreement then separation of the mind then physical separation.
5. What boundaries are involved when we are angry?  Mostly “emotional boundary”.  We hurt people and we violate their emotional boundaries.

The cure for disagreement is a “soft answer”.  The source of the “soft answer is from the heart.  Fix the heart. [feelings, emotions, views, perceptions etc].

Types of Boundaries [Article]
1. Material boundaries determine whether you give or lend things, such as your money, car, clothes, books, food, or toothbrush.

2. Physical boundaries pertain to your personal space, privacy, and body. Do you give a handshake or a hug – to whom and when? How do you feel about loud music, nudity, and locked doors?

3. Mental boundaries apply to your thoughts, values, and opinions. Are you easily suggestible? Do you know what you believe, and can you hold onto your opinions? Can you listen with an open mind to someone else’s opinion without becoming rigid? If you become highly emotional, argumentative, or defensive, you may have weak emotional boundaries.

4. Emotional boundaries distinguish separating your emotions and responsibility for them from someone else’s. It’s like an imaginary line or force field that separates you and others. Healthy boundaries prevent you from giving advice, blaming or accepting blame. They protect you from feeling guilty for someone else’s negative feelings or problems and taking others’ comments personally. High reactivity suggests weak emotional boundaries. Healthy emotional boundaries require clear internal boundaries – knowing your feelings and your responsibilities to yourself and others.

5. Sexual boundaries protect your comfort level with sexual touch and activity – what, where, when, and with whom.

6. Spiritual boundaries relate to your beliefs and experiences in connection with God or a higher power.

Delete Revenge and Retaliation

I was dealing with heartaches lately, not me personally but a close person to me. I am not a trained counsellor (I fix software and hardware issues and not emotions) so I have to read and research stuff for this type of situation. I discovered these simple principles to fix heartaches.

1. Delete revenge thinking.
2. Do not retaliate
3. Live well (the best revenge). Body, Mind, spirit, finances, work, friends, knowledge etc) 4. Devalue the person offending you
5. Create value within you
6. Continue your journey in life, proving to yourself that your life has meaning and purpose.
7. Share your agony and triumph, you can’t put your life experiences inside a bottle and place it on the shelf. Write a journal, write a book, tell a friend.

“See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.” ‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:15‬ ‭ESV‬‬
http://bible.com/59/1th.5.15.esv

Moment of Joy

Austin Bergstrom International Airport, 20150510 Sunday.

I’m dropping off someone close to me who is currently experiencing a difficulty in life – 2 to be exact. It’s hard to enjoy a 30day international vacation when you are facing an issue.

How do you counsel someone in this situation when all the person talked about is the problem at hand.

Can someone really experience joy in the midst of adversity?

The answer – it depends.

I will not know the answer to this question until I see the person after 30 days.

My parting words:
1. Think “the now”
2. Delete “the yesterday”
3. Don’t think of “the future” which is a surgery (lumpectomy) and the empty home.
4. Be courageous when you come back. Know that people intentionally climbs Mount Everest for no good reason but to satisfy the thirst of thrill. 5. Know that we are here with you.
6. Think that life is like this airport baggage claim carousel, sometimes this place is full of people and sometimes empty. Troubles in life – they come and go. Problems are dynamic in nature, give it a few months or years, it won’t be there anymore. 7. Enjoy the moment, every moment!

“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3:15‬ ‭ESV‬‬
http://bible.com/59/col.3.15.esv

Effect of Righteousness

No matter what happened or what will happen, stand up for righteousness. All we have left.

“And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭32:17‬ ‭ESV‬‬
http://bible.com/59/isa.32.17.esv

undo “Zero Social Contact”

Two years ago or so, I declared here in my journal that I will decrease my desire for “social contact” and I did it – diligently. I was happy, content and fulfilled and very peaceful. I would wake up in the morning, get my cup of coffee, put my headphones on, read and meditate and then write something in my journal. Then I go to work, speak less and be quite all day and speak only when spoken to. In the evening, I will exercise for 1 hour, eat, then put my headphones on and listen to Christian music and read until tired and then sleep. On the weekends, I bike for 3-4 hours on Saturday and then swim 2.4 miles on Sunday (without talking to anyone). I did that for many months.

In those times, I learned a lot. I’ve gained the skill of freedom, autonomy and self sufficiency. I learned that one does not really need anyone to be happy and peaceful. I learned that a person can really be at peace without social contact. In fact “social contact” is mostly the root cause of unhappiness. Think for instance how those broken relationships started, it started with a simple connection.

But 4 days ago, my mindset of “zero social contact” changed. I was at the local pool doing my usual 2.4swim when a whisper in my heart says “connection”. I could not comprehend at first why the word “connection” flashes in my mind. I kept swimming until my 2.4 was completed, a total of 1 hour and 20 minutes of thinking about “connection”. When I was done and heading for the showers, I saw this lifeguard who had been watching me for years swim at this local pool. I had 30 seconds to decide to connect before I will pass her position at the poolside which I normally just nod and smile and say goodbye. This time , I changed my goodby routine. I stopped by her lifeguard chair and directly a level 4 question “How many times a person forgives?” She was shocked at first but then in a few minutes she answered my question in a very elaborate way. That moment, we became instant friends.

In our conversation, a topic about connection came up and then she told me about an author named Brene Brown who had done a comprehensive research on connection. I googled the name and then watch her briefly on TED.

I came home, look up my booklist and found “Gift of Imperfection”. In the first few pages, courage, compassion and connection were explained well and how vulnerability and wholehearted are related. I’m not done with the book yet but I want to let you all know that the topic about “vulnerability” is worth investigating.

New ToDo:

I have to undo my “zero social contact” project. I need to connect to people once again because I can’t just love myself, I have to love my neighbor as Apostle Paul mentioned below.

Here’s the link of the book sampler for the Gift of Imperfection.

https://www.hazelden.org/HAZ_MEDIA/2545_GiftsofImperfection.pdf

“For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.””
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5:14‬ ‭ESV‬‬
http://bible.com/59/gal.5.14.esv

Life Data Analysis – Not Needed

It is difficult to perform a life data analysis at the present moment but give yourself a few years and look back and analyze each event and actions in your life in details, you can visually see a bigger picture. You will see events that took place at a specific moment of your existence so that you can encounter and connect to a specific person whom the course of your life changes. The force is like an imaginary wind pushing/forcing you to move to a specific direction. Some may wonder why they were allowed to experience such an uncomfortable situation.

No matter what it is and how hard the uphill battle, know that you are not alone in your journey. And you don’t really need to know why, just embrace the life detour with gratitude.

“for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2:13‬ ‭ESV‬‬
http://bible.com/59/php.2.13.esv

Looking For An Explanation?

I said something to someone yesterday that was so sincere, authentic but wrong and it bothers me.

I had been away from my original path lately and the wheel is falling off literally. I feel like I’m bound for a deep disaster season of my life. Although I am in control somewhat of my life, I feel that I need to make some realignment of my guiding principles.

Today is the start and verse of the day seems so fitting. Please read, understand below what Apostle Paul is talking about. It is the bigger picture that matters.

To the one: it was sincere speech but understand that I am aware that I’m crossing boundaries. No taking back of what I said but I will turn this energy into something special … I don’t know yet.

“Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” ‭Romans‬ ‭15:7‬ ‭ESV‬‬
http://bible.com/59/rom.15.7.esv

Hypothetical cure for HIV

Someone sent me this picture soliciting for my opinion.

Cc IMHO:
I don’t believe in the statement in the blue circle. Need to go deeper than the material use.

People do things because they have desires (wrong or misplaced) . Wrong desire or misplaced desire = HIV.

The true fix of HIV is to teach the human race the desire for “honor”. Being faithful to the spouse, no activities outside marriage. Teach this at an early age and people will be living hiv free. HIV is a consequence, an ill effect and the issue lies in the heart of every man.

So why do you think I don’t have HIV?

It’s because I don’t even engage in activities that leads to that situation. I don’t go to bars and meet people for excitement. When people live like an “enthusiast” Type7 personality, they will in some way live a life of destruction because all they are looking in life is excitement and excitement normally leads to an unfortunate consequence/s.

No HIV = teach the human race to be honorable and honest.

Walk Wisely Every Moment

‭

“Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” Proverbs‬ ‭13‬:‭20‬ ESV

See it at Bible.com:

http://bible.com/59/pro.13.20.esv

Simplified “Get What You Desire Strategy”

‭

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm‬ ‭37‬:‭4‬ ESV

See it at Bible.com:

http://bible.com/59/psa.37.4.esv

Mistakes Countermeasure

‭”I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” Psalm‬ ‭119‬:‭11‬ ESV

See it at Bible.com:

http://bible.com/59/psa.119.11.esv

Simple Duties of Man

‭1. Fear God
2. Keep His commandments

“The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” Ecclesiastes‬ ‭12‬:‭13‬ ESV

See it at Bible.com:

http://bible.com/59/ecc.12.13.esv

Desire / Temptation Relationship

‭

“Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.” James‬ ‭1‬:‭13-14‬ ESV

See it at Bible.com:

http://bible.com/59/jas.1.13-14.esv

Delete “need to please”

‭

“For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Galatians‬ ‭1‬:‭10‬ ESV

See it at Bible.com:

http://bible.com/59/gal.1.10.esv

Remembering You!

Dear Ate,
I did not realize how close we were when we were kids. These days, I have plenty of time contemplating about life and retirement and it so happen that when I tried to bring back my younger years, I remembered that we were staying together for 20 years or so. We shared the same kitchen and dinner table all those years.

Brittney and Brent are the same way and it seems that school life and personal goals starts to separate them apart. There are no more kids in the house. The same thing that happened to our family will also happen to our kids. They too will get busy with their own endeavors, therefore the gap begins to unfold.

Being unknown/distant to each other can be a good thing also – it creates an excitement on our part. I’m always excited and curious about you because of all the close people I have in my circle, you are the least to say random things.

I don’t call or email very often but I want you and everyone else at home to know that my heart belongs to my home and family. One day I will spend more time with everyone back home. I do miss home a lot (everyday) but I have to take care of some things here for now. Once the kids life are fully autonomous and self sustaining, then I will pack my bags and come home. It’s different to live in a country other than your own. I would say, despite the economic situations, calamities and infrastructure in our place, I’m still determined to spend my retirement in the tiny island.

How are you these days?

I just wanted to say happy birthday. I have to use a calculator to get it right.
2014 – 1964 = ? I’ll leave it blank for now.

Dongding

Regarding my health,( i know that you are going to ask), I’m fine and healthy. Please read my field report below, it determines the full status of my heart function. My cardiologist ordered me to delete my Effient medication a week ago and I hope that the change will not affect my health equilibrium. My cholesterol report came back last week but the nurse failed to say the exact #, she just told me that my cardiologist’s advice after seeing the results – “keep doing what I’m doing”. Anyway, short report – I am healthy as I can be.

I dislike to say “stay healthy” since you are the one that went to medical school. I do hope that you too is taking care of your body.

https://blindcaveman.wordpress.com/2014/10/12/field-report-2014-outlaw-100-miles-day1561year4-2/

Success and the Will of God

It is week04 since you left the base camp for your own journey in life. I have little influence in your life anymore but I will continue to mentor you and show you ways to improve your life so that the mistakes that I’ve done in the past can be avoided in your own personal journey in life. Someone said the roles of our past are statistics, predictor and influencer of the future. Let us use our past experiences for our own good.

‭Engrain the following in your way of life. You don’t have to be perfect at all times, but always remember that above all else, above all the excitement and arousal of new things in life, there is always a fundamental principle to follow. Remember, rewards always at the end of every journey and it has been promised. Always believe that these hardships you are facing are only temporary.

1. Confidence in God
2. Your Endurance always comes from God and nowhere else.
3. Always do the will of God wherever you.

“Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.” Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭35-36‬ ESV

See it at Bible.com:

http://bible.com/59/heb.10.35-36.esv

Secret Message For You

"He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not." Isaiah 53:3 ESV

I could never comprehend this passage before until one day when I was reading it with an open heart, it was revealed to me as if it was just a very simple text.  Many people tried to explain it in words, they grab fragments of it and then tried to explain and the more I was confused.  I guess that is how the devil operates, they put a veil in our face so that whenever we read something obscure or complex, we will never understand the intended meaning. 

I am not going to explain the passage.  I think it is a special gift for you whenever you find out whom the author is referring to. 

Here’s your homework:
1. Read the full chapter Isaiah 53:1-12
2. Close your eyes
3. Ask the Holy Spirit for revelation  [please don’t use google]

1  WHO HAS believed (trusted in, relied upon, and clung to) our message [of that which was revealed to us]? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been disclosed? [John 12:38-41; Rom. 10:16.]

2 For [the Servant of God] grew up before Him like a tender plant, and like a root out of dry ground; He has no form or comeliness [royal, kingly pomp], that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him.

3 He was despised and rejected and forsaken by men, a Man of sorrows and pains, and acquainted with grief and sickness; and like One from Whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we did not appreciate His worth or have any esteem for Him.

4 Surely He has borne our grief (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment], yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God [as if with leprosy]. [Matt. 8:17.]

5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has made to light upon Him the guilt and iniquity of us all. [I Pet. 2:24, 25.]

7 He was oppressed, [yet when] He was afflicted, He was submissive and opened not His mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth.

8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who among them considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living [stricken to His death] for the transgression of my [Isaiah’s] people, to whom the stroke was due?

9 And they assigned Him a grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in His death, although He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth. [Matt. 27:57-60; I Pet. 2:22, 23.]

10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief and made Him sick. When You and He make His life an offering for sin [and He has risen from the dead, in time to come], He shall see His [spiritual] offspring, He shall prolong His days, and the will and pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.

11 He shall see [the fruit] of the travail of His soul and be satisfied; by His knowledge of Himself [which He possesses and imparts to others] shall My [uncompromisingly] righteous One, My Servant, justify many and make many righteous (upright and in right standing with God), for He shall bear their iniquities and their guilt [with the consequences, says the Lord].

12 Therefore will I divide Him a portion with the great [kings and rulers], and He shall divide the spoil with the mighty, because He poured out His life unto death, and [He let Himself] be regarded as a criminal and be numbered with the transgressors; yet He bore [and took away] the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors (the rebellious). [Luke 22:37.]”

The Creator?

"Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations," Deuteronomy 7:9 ESV

http://bible.com/59/deu.7.9.esv

Me and my wife watched the movie “Noah” last weekend.  There are many Christian critics out there trying to say “negative things” about the movie but I like it because at least the Bible message is invading the big screen.  We watched at the Flix Brewhouse – go figure, there were people ordering alcoholic beverages while watching Noah and how he built the ark because he heard from God.  Where can you get a Bible study of the life of Noah in that type of environment?  Just remember, the movie had a disclaimer “inspired by the story of Noah” the story is not the actual chapters of Genesis where the pages is so limited.  Read the Story of Noah here: https://www.bible.com/bible/59/gen.4.esv . 

Imagine in your whole life that you never knew, heard or encountered God.  This movie will tell you the following:
1. There is a creator, Russell Crowe refer God as “The Creator”
2. There is a part in the movie where the 7 Days of creation was mentioned.
3. Before the movie starts, there is also a sort of review of the life of Noah, the Bible, history.

There you go, you just had a very visual Bible Study that you did not even know it.  Don’t watch the movie, it might change your life.

Some question
Was God really mad to man when He destroyed the earth and wipe out all inhabitants?
Was there really a flood?
Was there really a guy named Noah?
Was there really an ark of Noah?
How did the earth’s population replenished after the flood?
Will you come to my ark if I say that “I am building an ark” because the great flood is coming?
Will you believe that there is a creator?

Keep Going No Matter What

“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12 ESV

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/59/jas.1.12.esv

Precepts-Rule of Personal Conduct

I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have given me life. http://bible.com/59/psa119.93.esv

"precepts-a rule of personal conduct; a doctrine that is taught"
commandments
maxims
principles
teachings

When I was around 18 years old, [yup, long time ago] I was drawn to Aikido. Aikido is not a martial art, it is a self-defense art. It is all about defending yourself and not attacking. The Principles of Aikido evolves on the following principles:

True Victory is Victory Over Oneself
Principle of Oneness
Principle of Circular Motion
Range of Effectiveness
Principle of Ki
Keep One-Point
Controlled Relaxation
Settle Down
Let Your Ki Flow

I practiced Aikido for at least 5 years. In Cebu, Philippines [1988], we were the few pioneers of the art. At that time, there were few practitioners because the art is very boring at first and most beginners will quit on the first lesson. One of my classmate is now an instructor and running his own school. Personally, I really like the principles that Aikido taught me for years and even up to now, it somehow blended to my Christian principles.

When I gave my life to Christ, I had a dream and the message of the dream was so clear – "give up Aikido because I have more than Aikido for you". I could never understand the message at that time but when I look back now, I saw the actual meaning of the dream.

The founder of Aikido was not a Christian but was immersed in eastern religion of Buddhism. Maybe because the gospel had not reached his home town yet or maybe because of his tradition. I don’t have facts on this, but having studied Aikido and Christianity, I’ve found some similarities of the two principles that I practiced in life.

It was not easy to give up the things that you love to do specially when it was beneficial to your life. But I heard the message and I had to obey.

"give up Aikido because I have more than Aikido for you"

In the Bible, there are a lot principles that is hidden and if a person follows the principle, the outcome is guaranteed to be positive.

Some examples:
1. Love God with all your heart, mind and soul – that principle covers a wide aspect in our life. – we become a child of God and can be connected to his Knowledge, Wisdom and Power. Imagine the creativity that you can have with God. You sit down in your porch or coffee table and able to create ideas randomly or write something inspiring for the world to consume.

2. Love you neighbor as yourself – with this principle alone, we will have no enemies because "all" our neighbor are our friends [they hate you, you love them back]. So when you come to work today and you see the face of a coworker or a boss and you dislike that person so much that you hated even by just thinking that you are coming to work – it makes you angry. Principle #2 dissolves that anger because it says "love your neighbor as yourself" unless, you don’t love yourself… that is another post.

More principles here: http://blindcaveman.wordpress.com/tag/principle/

A Doorman by Choice

For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. http://bible.com/59/psa84.10.esv

wickedness
”Morally objectionable behavior”
”Absence of moral or spiritual values”
”The quality of being wicked”
”Estrangement from God”
”The quality of being disgusting to the senses or emotions”
dark
darkness
evil
immorality
iniquity
loathsomeness
repulsiveness
sin
sinfulness

Wickedness is a choice and so is righteousness.

What happens when/if you open the door?

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. http://bible.com/59/rev3.20.esv

"curiosity-a state in which you want to learn more about something"

Man is always skeptic, we normally doubt whenever/whatever something good or bad is presented to us. Like dealing with a telemarketer or an expert fast talker salesperson, or even a specialist in a certain field, we always say in our mind "I’m not interested".

I read a lot of books and currently the topics that I am researching is about "failure analysis, quality, leadership, sex, learning, education, psychology, medicine [cardio] etc. When I read, I learn something from it and I take good notes and post it here in my journal. I’m always watchful not to pretend to be an expert on a subject because I am not. I read because I am curious and I am not planning to become an expert on any particular subject. I just want to know what it is – that is my personal objective.

I’ve recently finished reading the following books but I have not made a short summary or mindmap yet because I have other business to take care of. Taking notes while reading slows me down. I’ll share later. Here’s the list
1. Brief: Make an Impact by Saying Less
2. The Execution Premium
3. Failure Analysis at p99
4. Collection of NASA, FAA and NTSB Hanbooks

(if you love to read and do not have the resources, please let me know)

So, when I am in a conversation regarding the topics that I previously mentioned, I sometimes respond to a conversation in a different way and then the other person starts saying in their mind "oh because you read a book or article, now you are now an expert".

Please forgive me if I sometimes sounded like that here in my journal. Hey, this is my journal and honestly I am assuming no one is reading.

I can’t help myself if I sometimes talks like an expert in a field. The knowledge that I’ve collected has to go somewhere. There are physical laws postulated by man like gravity, speed, liquid, gas, pressure etc. Medicine also discovered something that helped mankind to fight heart disease, cancer, plague and common diseases. Medical field discovered new procedures to augment an ailing body. But then there are also spiritual stuff that looks like "untrue" like heaven, God, Christ, The Bible, Holy Spirit.

Aren’t they all the same at first – unknown to man?

I want to throw a question at you.

Pause…

What will happen if you open your heart to Christ?

My curiosity to this question led me to something special and I wish I’ve started early in life.

It’s 0645, I have to get dressed for the 65Miles bike ride today.

Mindset: Service

"For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." Galatians 5:13 ESV http://bible.com/59/gal.5.13.esv

"Service-an act of help or assistance"

I wonder what will happen to the world if the mindset of each person professing to love God will start the day thinking "how can I help someone today?"…instead of thinking "how can my world benefit me today?".

It’s "not normal" not to think of "self" first in our society. I think man is born with the nature of self preservation. Me first, others second.

A person has to be taught to not necessarily neglect self but instead think more of others also as we enjoy the luxuries of life [or the convenience of our resources].

There is no other textbook in the world that teaches "love of others" instead of "love of self" except the teachings implied here in the Bible. Knowing the truth that loving others can benefit yourself in a deeper sense.

We all know that selfishness is not a good thing. It does hurt when someone calls you selfish yet we do it all the time.

When we go to work, we complain too much about our company, the management,about our superiors etc that there is too much work to do with so little time to execute yet on every other week a paycheck is deposited to our bank account without fail.

What about changing the way we think – that instead of complaining about workloads, we think about "how can I help my workplace get better".

I honestly don’t complain much. I think I got this from my 4-year service in the US Army. We are told to do something and we cannot talk back to our superiors or else we will get an "insubordination charge" and with negative consequences. Somehow, that mindset of mine to "just do it" without complaining is still in my system. With the reinforcement of the Bible teachings that I’ve receive over the years, I’ve come to realize that doing "service to others" comes automatic.

I’m not expecting the world to turn everyone like me. I just want to convey the message that there is more joy in doing service to others than to self.

It’s like watching someone eat a chocolate cookie because you gave it up for him/her.

Try it, it is fulfilling.

Life After; Day 1357

for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. http://bible.com/59/1ti4.8.esv

It is hard to imagine yourself without life. It is hard to imagine life without death. It is hard to imagine death without heaven. It is hard to imagine heaven if no one mentioned that there is life to come.

We are going to face death by choice. Our body has a life span. There is a beginning and there is an end. Thinking about it is mind boggling and depressing at times. Imagine that you will be gone forever – meaning forever.

Yesterday, I’m reminded again that I need to prepare. I am currently experiencing a pain in my left arm during exercise, a symptom that showed up before my stent#2 in July 2010. It’s been Day1357 now since that dreadful day. I did not choose my body to have a heart problem. All the things that I do on a regular basis are healthy stuff. I personally call it "being chosen" to have blockage in my LAD so that I will be motivated to live a great life in my adversities. By chance a cardiac patient, by choice – a motivated person. Every morning since 2008, I try to find ways to wake up motivated and alive. Even when I’m faithful to God, I still sometimes feel sad about my situation. I know that God is in control and He knows what He is doing in my life. But how do I motivate myself to look at life beautifully even if I know that at any moment – my heart can fail.

I’ve been back with my long distance swimming and cycling. I’ve added a 25-yard subsurface swim in my swimming routine where I swim underwater for 25 yards holding my breath. Yes, I’m that crazy. Right before I do my 1-mile swim workout, I will meditate for 3-5 minutes and do breathing exercise and fill my lungs with air as much as I could and then slowly dive-in underwater without using much effort and execute an gentle underwater dolphin kick while I blow tiny bubbles out from my lungs for 25 seconds until I reach at the end of the pool.

My family is not comfortable knowing the things I do physically. Honestly, in my mind, I’m already dead and everyday that I wake up is just a life extension. A life extension that I cherished because it is a left over- a gift.

But how do I really motivate myself to face life with courage and optimism?

The Bible mentioned this thing called "heaven". Looking at the things to come, what’s out there, what it’s like and what will I do there – that motivates me and gets me excited.

I think heaven is much better than life here on earth.

Why some people can’t decode the message?

Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
http://bible.com/59/jhn14.23.esv

Please read the 14th Chapter of John https://www.bible.com/bible/59/jhn.14.esv to see the whole story.

In verse 22, Jesus was asked by one of His disciples:
“Lord, how is it that You will reveal Yourself [make Yourself real] to us and not to the world?”

When I was 12 or 13 years old, I remember reading my Bible moments before going to school. I was attending a private school in Ormoc where I was new to the city and new to the school. I did not have a lot friends at first and reading the Bible before going to school was just a habit that helped me focus for the day and I will try to remember what I’ve read throughout the day and of course I will forget. No one ever told me to do it and I was just going through the motion of opening the pages, read a few words then off to school. At that time, I have no clue of what I was reading. It seems like I was reading a book from the library…just a book with no hidden and special message for me.

Now, reading the Bible is different. It seems so real.

When I read a passage in the Bible, the message will just jump off the screen in my computer and start speaking to my heart and I don’t even struggle trying to understand what the message for me for that day.

If Christianity, The Bible, The Holy Spirit were made up by some ancient authors then the story of Jesus might have won an award for creativity.

Imagine for a moment the following:
1. God, the Father in the Old Testament.
2. God sent His Son Jesus in the New Testament.
3. But before He did that, He told some Prophets to write about His coming
4. Then Jesus was born
5. Jesus live with His disciples and trained them
6. Jesus predicted His Death and Resurrection
7. Jesus told His disciples about the Holy Spirit [here in Chapter 14]
8. Jesus died and resurrected but left us His Word, The Bible
9. Holy Spirit took over Jesus’ place
10. Holy Spirit dwells in us on a daily basis.

God-Jesus-Training-Bible-Holy Spirit. What a great story!

The story is very interesting and if only people can understand the big picture about the Kingdom, the full story of the Gospel and how the Holy Spirit is communicating with us moment by moment.

But why can’t we decode the message of the Bible?
Why sometimes He is not real?
Why sometimes we don’t fully understand our hardship?
Why sometimes I am lost and don’t know what to do?

The answer to all these questions are mentioned in verse 23.
Read it again, it’s there.

Desire To Be Fully Developed

Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. http://bible.com/59/col1.28.esv

"Mature-Fully developed and ready to be used"
"Maturity-The period of time in your life after your physical growth has stopped and you are fully developed"

Our faith journey is like a journey of a soldier who knows nothing about the battlefield at the beginning. Right after enlistment, a recruit is trained 24/7 for 8-12 weeks and then undergoes a specialty training for another 13 weeks and then goes to his/her unit for the "first assignment". Then in a few years, he/she will undergo further specialty training until the soldier is fully developed and then sent to the battlefield.

Although sometimes, a soldier is sent to the battlefield right after training, one must remember that all he/she got is the rigid training and discipline but no experience but somehow surrounded with fully trained individuals [brothers/sisters] who will assist him/her in any way possible to survive in the battlefield.

Our objective as a Christian is maturity in faith. We can not just be the new trainee forever. With the passing of years, we grow stronger and stronger in faith. Our patience are tested to the max, our perseverance is tested along the way where sometimes we say "Where are you God?", "Are you real?"and we must understand that hardship will always be there because we have an enemy called the devil and he is just waiting for an opportunity to attack.

We don’t need to be in full time ministry to do that, we just need to be fully connected to the Lord’s bigger vision for mankind and always listening to the move/enlightenment of the Holy Spirit.

I am not perfect. I failed most of the time everyday but I know what I know about Christ and His resurrection and I desire to be fully matured so that in due season I can help build a brother or a sister in faith.

Inner Voice To Follow

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground! http://bible.com/59/psa143.10.esv

To my 3 closest friends at 1801 plus WP:

Before I started my Christian journey as a believer, I used to do things that were not pleasing to God or my mother. I know it was not right for my body or my mind or my future but I did it anyway because I have no control over it – I just gave in to my cravings. I was already in my >30-day journey in attending church, reading the Bible and prayer but occasionally I reverted back to my old habits and I struggled dealing with it.

But as the days progressed to months, I began to see the change in me and then at some point in time, the bad vices just disappeared in the air. At that time I did not know why. That was 25 years ago and I have not gone back to the old “me”.

The Now!
I come home straight from work.
I don’t socialize much.
I don’t party.
I don’t drink.
I don’t smoke.
I don’t do drugs.
I don’t even know what 6th Street in Austin, Texas looks like at night.
I don’t go to bars and hangout.
I don’t go out with friends and co-workers.
I don’t party on Friday or Saturday
I don’t call people [they call me]
I don’t write to people
I don’t have a text mate
I don’t socialize in FB [of course I have Worpdpress and Twitter]

You might say that I have a boring life or a weird life. Of course if you live close by, you know that I am perfectly normal. Yes, I am perfectly normal, happy and contented person and living this life to the fullest. I have everything I need and want and I could not ask for more. Besides all the material gains, I have inner peace and joy.

My daily schedule:
1. Aeropress coffee in the morning.
2. Bible reading and prayer
3. Write This journal
4. Go to work [K-cups coffee after lunch]
5. Swim/Bike/Run [alternate days]
6. Read [Psychology, Medicine, Computer, Leadership, Management, Failure Analysis, Problem Solving]
7. Watch Netflix or DVR’ed show [to decompress]
8. Prayer
9. Sleep

I am not proposing to my kids and the world to “model” this life. We have our own “life journey”. It is important that you follow your own path. What I am trying to point out here is that there is a better life out there for you. If you kept saying to yourself the word “I should…” upon waking up, like:
I should exercise…
I should stop drinking …
I should not have gone out…
I should not have engage with …
I should have read more … instead of …
I should study more …
I should avoid those people …
I should separate myself from …
I should quit my job and find another …

I think it is time for you to try something else.

There are a lot of self help books out there. Some of them are really good , informative and powerful but the problem with “how to” books are they are just “howto’s” and there is no power behind them. What I mean by “power” is that there is no “spiritual power” behind it, it is bound for failure.

Human problems are mostly spiritual matters, read and study the Bible diligently and apply the knowledge and wisdom to your own life, introspection, prayers and definitely the course of your life will change. Of course, someone can tell you, do this, or do that but it takes more than a simple procedural instruction on how to develop a great way of life.

So what is the best advice?

“Be led by the Holy Spirit”.

As you read this journal, you are already being led by the Spirit. There is no next step. The Spirit will take you minute by minute and create your new ‘You”.

NOTE: If a still small voice is whispering you, follow the instructions. Just do it. That is the Holy Spirit leading you.

To my daughter who is in Phase 3.1, I’m not going to tell you what to do next. It’s your life, create – it but be led by the Spirit.

It’s 0900H, I’m leaving for a 40mile bike ride outdoor. Indoor training is over!

BC

Reason Not To Quit

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. http://bible.com/59/php1.6.esv

Growing up as a kid I can always remember this quote in our wall that says "The Greatest Mistake Is Giving Up". At that time I did not have a clue where it came from. Reading today’s verse reminded me of the quote. It is such a fulfilling thought that sometimes we are placed in a very difficult situation and sometimes the only way out was a press of a button called "get me out of here".

I was in boot camp in 1992, Fort Leonard Wood Missouri and I was having difficulties mentally due to my wife being pregnant with our first baby when I left for boot camp. I could not backed out from my training since I’ve already took the oath of enlistment. But when I arrived at boot camp, the whisper in my ears kept coming back "you can give up now during training". On the 3rd week, the thought of giving up was so severe that I went to my chain of command and demanded that I want to get out for "hardship" reason due to family. That did not work. For some reason, the US Army knows that that reason was used a lot in the past and denied my request. I either have to fail a drug test or break my leg to be discharged. I ended up serving 4 great years in the Army.

Fast forward a few years from that milestone and looking back now, my life could have been so different.

I would not have lived in South Korea for 1 year, I’ve made some close friends.
I would not have lived in Fort Hood and Brent would not have been conceived.
I would not have been employed by AMD which led to my employment at Samsung for 15 years.
I would not have brought my sister and sister in law in Texas.
I would not have helped a friend from New York to work at Samsung,
I would not have helped a cousin from Florida to work at Samsung.

Looking back, I would not be writing this journal and you not reading it.

See the difference?

Giving up what you have started, your journey in life, the job you hated, the people you’ve met along the way. Those are mini milestones that can contribute to your fulfilling journey.

When you start something, finish it because there is a reason behind it, We are not bound for failures. Our calling is very specific and the end is very well made – it is made for success.

Defeat Mistakes

“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
http://bible.com/59/1co15.55-57.esv

1. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.
2. "Love your neighbor as yourself.’There is no commandment greater than these.”

Firm and Dependable Love

But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. http://bible.com/59/psa103.17-18.esv

steadfast love
not shakable love
marked by firm determination love
firm love
dependable love
steady love
unbendable love
unshakable love
unswerving love
unwavering love

Will I be able to enter His Gate?

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

http://bible.com/59/psa100.4-5.esv

There are gates in heaven?

It all started when man wrote the Bible. Some may say that it is being made up through creative imagination of various writers in the early days. Some say it was written with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. People think that the Holy Spirit is made up too.

Made up or not, the message is worth examining.

I want you to think for a moment that the Bible is true (just pretend for a moment). Faith will start from that premise. “In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God and the Word was God”. When you read a passage in the Bible, what you are reading is the Word of God – that is God speaking to you.

When our generation discovered the power of the Bible, some highly motivated and curious individuals conducted a deeper study of the Book, made some commentaries and wrote books about it to explain what it means and created some powerful doctrines. These doctrines later became the foundation of religion. From a high level perspective, the church appeared to be successful in evangelism and reaching the unreachable part of the continent.

I’ve shared the Gospel to the poor, the needy and the uneducated and when I told them about the story of Jesus, their eyes sparked with enthusiasm and reception. Without thinking too deeply, they understood and heard the message and processed the teaching without hesitation. But when I shared the gospel here in the US, where people has everything, the reception of the Gospel is different.

God wants us to reach out to all the nation. We can do that easily now … Blog about faith, study the Word openly in forums, online sermons, mobile application, websites, build a huge church building and people will come and hear the word.

But there is a bigger issue.

There are people that are “not easy” to convince about the gospel. They are skeptics, they want proofs and they want evidence that what they are hearing and reading is the truth. They want to see a miracle, a lame walking in front of them, eyes being opened, thousands being fed. Some want their problems fixed with one command like the storm in the Sea of Galilee where Jesus calmed the storm.

To some, believing in God is put on hold. “I don’t need it right now”. “I’ll get to it later”.

How to tell a 21st century intellectual that there is heaven without confusion? How to tell your coworker that Jesus is real without making them uncomfortable and hate you? How to tell your teenager son or daughter that there is such thing as eternity without driving them away from the truth? How to tell your non-Christian blog follower that there is God and God has a Son called Jesus and also there is the third person of God called the Holy Spirit without offending their own beliefs and personal doctrines and philosophy. How to explain to your readers about the wisdom of God and it’s benefits? How to explain here the power of the peace of God without being so elaborate and mind boggling?

From the perspective of a non Bible believer, the whole thing about faith becomes so confusing. No wonder they are not excited to read and study the Bible every morning.

When a human being is living a good life, healthy and full of vigor, the question of eternity is irrelevant. But when you are near the end of life or maybe you’ve experienced a near death situation or maybe you have a family member who is about to depart to the next phase in life – then your mind begins to question about the validity of heaven. Is heaven real? What it’s like? How to get in? What shall I do? Shall I go to church? Shall I do good and change my heart? Shall I deprive myself with material things and devote myself to spirituality? Shall I stop watching tv? Shall I turn off the internet? Shall I stop using my social media app? Shall I give away my money to the poor? Shall I sell all I have and go to a solitary place where I can communicate with God in the purest sense?

The short answer is NO. The answers to those questions are the effect of your faith. You don’t have to do a lot of things.

When we believe in God, our whole life will change direction and some of us will not anymore do things “the usual way”, hence our friend will think that we are weird or become weird.

The purpose and mission of Christianity is to build the Kingdom of God. Going to heaven is the after effect, the perks or the reward. I did not believe in God because I want to go to heaven. I believe in God because at some point in my life it was revealed to me. Without too much intellectual processing, one day I decided that I will start believing His existence. It was a decision that I made and so far the benefits outweighs the negative.

It does not benefit me when I recruit people to Christ or share a long journal about Him or my faith therefore I am not recruiting people to join me. I do not get points for heaven when I tell my wife, my children, my extended family, my friends, my blog followers . (If you’ve discovered or invented something marvelous, wouldn’t you like to tell the world about it?)

Back to the “gate” topic.

So how can you enter the gate?

The actual process is very simple. I dislike using the word “simple” because it implies “how come you have not figured it out yet”. The reason why to some people it is complicated is because the devil is making it hard for us to see. Sometimes he creates a scenario where it is impossible for us to see the truth. If you are reading this far, you’ve overcome the obstacle that the enemy had provided.

Simply:
1. Believe that there is God.
2. Start a conversation with God.

Once step 1 and 2 are established, the next instruction will follow.

I am not an expert on faith and Christianity. I am just an ordinary person who live a simple life. I am not a Bible scholar either. Join me in building this Kingdom in a different perspective. You don’t have to actually do anything.

Just say in your heart that you are in and you want to be a part of this silent movement of faith.

It’s not about entering the gates of heaven. It’s about enjoying/watching the people you’ve influenced with the Gospel as they enter the gates is what matters most.

The gates will always be open for us – to those who believe.

Marked By Meekness

if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7.14

There is a fine line between humility and conceit. Knowing that line is not easy to detect especially when all in life is going well – that is, you are winning the race, ahead of the game, has a lot of knowledge, has a lot of resources, has a lot of financial reserve, has great health, has beauty and brains, has a lot to write about and share, has two or three letters added before or after your name, has no big issues in life, kids are obedient and on the road to success, work is natural and you are able to tackle every task thrown at you.

How can you apply humility to your life when all around you is something to be proud of?

I’m not the fastest swimmer in my local pool but I am a distance swimmer who can last forever for a while. I normally swim a mile every other day. Sometimes, there are fast swimmers who try to compete with me on a few laps. They try to pass over me and then slow down and hold the pace and then manipulate the pace up or down and they know that I am slower. Sometimes I took the challenge and try to race with them but then in a few minutes, I will suffer and could not keep up with the higher pace. So what I learned is that I have my limitations and decided to ignore those invites for speed racing.

I’m by heart – humble with low profile but sometimes I have to keep reminding myself of humility – not to give in to pride and vanity and I’ve learned that there is really no point of being so full of pride because I am marked for meekness. I can have a little but not excessive.

I still crosses the meekness/prideful line once in a while. I am a work in progress.

http://bible.com/59/2ch7.14.esv

Favored For Everlasting Joy

“Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion; instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot; therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion; they shall have everlasting joy.” Isaiah 61:7 ESV

See it at YouVersion.com:

Please read the full chapter here before you continue reading: http://bible.com/59/isa.61.7.esv and think that God is talking to you personally as you read. Read it a few times and then close your eyes and feel the Words that is spoken to your heart. Verses 1-4 are instructions [ your to do list] but when you get to verse 5 onwards, that is the promise.

If I am salesman for God, and I am trying to convince you to buy my product, what can you lose? Instead of a loss, you gained a double portion and an everlasting favor.

Christianity is not like a business marketing strategy that He is trying to convince you to believe on His existence. Christianity is having faith, trusting that you are believing something in your heart without self benefits. It is either you choose to believe or not.

Sometimes I tried to think scientifically about God and many times I have my doubts. I think about evolution, creation, medicine, psychology, engineering advances and life itself and many times it confuses me if His existence is really just my imagination. I’ve read many books, learned many new things but somehow I could not convinced myself that the Words in the Bible were made up by someone else. Reading through passages every day gave me more insights why the contents of the Bible speaks to the present day. How can Paul knows about love and jealousy when during his time the society was still very primitive. If you replace the psychology handbook DSM IV or 5 with a Bible, I truly believe that human issues can be fixed too.

So then, I asked myself, why not just believe in God. I can still believe in science but also will be receiving everlasting joy.

Why not?

Everlasting Good News

“for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.” 1 Peter 1:24, 25 ESV

To my new [virtual] friends:
I want to welcome you!

I want to explain briefly how I study Bible. I noticed that the followers on this blog is increasing and new viewers are coming daily.

First, I am not preaching Christianity to you. I have no intention of trying to transform and convert you into some beliefs that I’ve found insightful and encouraging. I respect your own beliefs. Besides, I’m no Bible expert, I’m just a simple believer with no standing role in the church nor I belong to any group. I read the Bible daily because the message speaks to my heart and the message somehow sticks to the deepest part of my soul and sustains me daily as I face hardships discovering the new things in front of me.

Second, I just want to share with you the things, ideas and insights daily by reflecting to the message as it applies to the real life. You too can reply and make comments freely if my reflection is out of line.

Everlasting Good News
The world is filled with bad news. Look at the CNN headlines or your favorite newspaper, 90% of the information is not going to benefit you nor encourage you as you move through your daily life. Even at work, check your inbox, mostly it is filled with more burdens than a great message for you to say “I want to go on”.

But.

There is good news for you. Open a page in the Bible and reflect. Let the message soak in your heart and you will feel that something different.
It is an everlasting good news.

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/59/1pe.1.24.esv

Beyond Doing Good

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”
Galatians 6:9, 10 ESV

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/59/gal.6.9.esv

Mystery Revealed

“making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” Ephesians 1:9, 10 ESV

Mystery
-His Will
-Purpose
-Plan
At Perfect time

“To unite all things in Him”

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/59/eph.1.9.esv

Medicine For The Troubled Mind

“Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds.”

Philippians 4:6, 7 ERV

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/php.4.6.erv

Source of Placidity

“So, as a prisoner for the Lord, I beg you to live the way God’s people should live, because he chose you to be his. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient and accept each other with love. You are joined together with peace through the Spirit. Do all you can to continue as you are, letting peace hold you together.” Ephesians 4:1-3 ERV

Source of Placidity – The Holy Spirit

Noun: placidity
|plu’si‑di‑tee|
A feeling of calmness; a quiet and undisturbed feeling
=placidness
A disposition free from stress or emotion
=quiet, repose, serenity, tranquility, tranquillity
Derived
Adjective: placid

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/eph.4.1.erv

Principle: Staying Pure

“If your thinking is controlled by your sinful self, there is spiritual death. But if your thinking is controlled by the Spirit, there is life and peace. Why is this true? Because anyone whose thinking is controlled by their sinful self is against God. They refuse to obey God’s law. And really they are not able to obey it. Those who are ruled by their sinful selves cannot please God.” Romans 8:6-8 ERV

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/rom.8.6.erv

The Reason Why…

“Our fight is not against people on earth. We are fighting against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world’s darkness. We are fighting against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12 ERV

It’s been many years that I had been searching for answers as to why people do bad things or have an evil desire to hurt or offend someone or inflict pain to humanity or why people lacks a desire for true spirituality or why someone is filled with hatred or anger or why sometimes I feel bad and down and distraught.

Our enemy is real and we must be constantly aware of the fact that “they” are always searching for people whom they may devour. They use temptations to lure us to do something rightful at first but then in the end we are heading for destruction. There is no need to explain much on this subject – try going out with the wrong crowd if you are a family person and later you realize that you are doing things that your spouse will not be happy. Then later on small problems arises as a consequence of your indiscretion.

Our enemy [the devil] is real.

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/eph.6.12.erv

Think The Unthinkable

“because I am doing something new! Now you will grow like a new plant. Surely you know this is true. I will even make a road in the desert, and rivers will flow through that dry land.” Isaiah 43:19 ERV

I’d like to start my year thinking the impossibilities and the unthinkable so that by the end of this year, I can say to myself that I am able to overcome the hardships. I am an optimist but I am also practical. I am aware that even if I think that 2014 will be an easy year, I am also practical that there will be “unknown hardships” along the way. But then the Bible promised “a road in the desert and rivers in the dry land” and it gives me hope imagining the unthinkable — that surely it can be overcome.

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/isa.43.19.erv

Difficult Times?

“Don’t worry—I am with you. Don’t be afraid—I am your God. I will make you strong and help you. I will support you with my right hand that brings victory.” Isaiah 41:10 ERV

2014 has not started yet but I can sense that this is going to be a breakthrough year – too many unknowns and too many solo times ahead spiritually but the meaning of this verse is assuring me that He is going to be by my side.

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/isa.41.10.erv

A Promise of Desirable State

“I pray that God will open your minds to see his truth. Then you will know the hope that he has chosen us to have. You will know that the blessings God has promised his holy people are rich and glorious.” Ephesians 1:18 ERV

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/eph.1.18.erv

Second Circle

ta/gin/cc,
Here’s the link to the Second Circle sermon from the series I Don’t Know What I Believe. I found listening through my headphones much better. In my journal, I wrote an instructions on how to download the podcast to your smartphone so that you can listen anywhere.

I’ve listened to the podcast again early this morning [2am, i slept too early], such an inspiring message about being in control and trying to be in control of our life but there will be times that we can sense that we are not in control as we try to gain control of a difficult situation and we wonder what else is there to hope and wait. This is where the ‘second circle" comes…. I don’t want to spoil the message with my own interpretation. … please listen with full engagement.

http://elevationchurch.org/sermons/i-dont-know-what-i-believe – Part3 is the Second Circle Sermon

http://blindcaveman.wordpress.com/tag/elevation/

dongding

What is better than training?

“Training your body helps you in some ways. But devotion to God helps you in every way. It brings you blessings in this life and in the future life too.” 1 Timothy 4:8 ERV

Devotion to God.

“Devotion-commitment to some purpose; religious zeal; the willingness to serve God”

“Zeal-a feeling of strong eagerness; prompt willingness; excessive fervor to do something”

“Fervor-feelings of great warmth and intensity”

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/1ti.4.8.erv

Always A Successful Ending

“But we thank God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” 1 Corinthians 15:57 ERV

“Victory-a successful ending of a struggle or contest”

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/1co.15.57.erv

Source: Genuine Peace

“God, you give true peace to people who depend on you, to those who trust in you.” Isaiah 26:3 ERV

“Peace-the absence of mental stress or anxiety”

“Genuine – not fake or counterfeit; not pretended; sincerely felt or expressed”

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/isa.26.3.erv

A Higher Thought

“The Lord says, “My thoughts are not like yours. Your ways are not like mine. Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts are higher than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8, 9 ERV

“Higher-advanced in complexity or elaboration; greater than normal in degree, intensity or amount”

I am currently reading a book called Design for Reliability by Raheia/Gullo. In their book, they proposed that in order to design a better system or a product, the success criteria of a system or product has to be measured not by MTBF (mean time between failure) but by the amount of failure that occurs throughout the lifetime of the product. They proposed that for a product to be considered successful, the criteria should be “zero failure” – meaning that your car should not break or fail throughout a set of a lifetime (for cars it is 10 years). I kinda like the idea and I hope that every product manufacturer in the world will cater the same mindset.

Designing a product with “zero failure” in mind is possible nowadays. I’ve seen that in action inside my home like my refrigerator, washer and dryer etc. It is possible.

But what about God’s design. I’m hoping that a few of you here believed that God is behind all these designs — the non-man made stuff in life –the human body, the earth, the sun, stars, moon, wind, water etc.

Are God’s creations designed for reliability? Will it stand to the newly formed paradigm of “zero failure”?

How did God came up with the design? Take for example a river or a lake, how did He figured out that He need to design water in the river and lake so that people can water their crops and grow a healthy agricultural system to sustain the food supply in the world. What about the sun? Why didn’t He made two so that there will always be sunlight? Why just one?

I stopped asking those questions a long time ago. I could never comprehend why He gave me a brain that thinks and not the rest of the animal kingdom. Would it be nice to have a good conversation with a bird or a dog or a fish? Of course God has His own reasons – His thoughts are higher than ours…

What about our own thoughts? Is it still needed to be able to function flawlessly and enjoyably in this earth? We know that God’s thoughts are better than ours, what’s the point of learning and studying? Why not just tapped in to God’s thoughts and these complicated and complex problems in life can be demystified in a blink of an eye.

Our thoughts + God’s thoughts = His will. If He does everything for us then what good it is for man to experience the triumph of victory without effort. It will be a shallow life.

We go to school and learn something, we read books and we acquire a little bit of insights of the subject. We attend seminars and lectures and we absorb a slight understanding of the topic at hand. We study and read about a specific topic and we become a specialist in the area.

In terms of acquiring knowledge nowadays, you don’t need to leave home. Fire up your favorite search engine and you will have millions of information ready to be stored in your memory. Do we really need all these digital information stuff?

I have the time and resources to do all that [for now] – gathering information on any subject that I am interested in. But there is one problem — I am overloaded and I don’t even know what to do with it. My brain capacity is limited. Yes, I’ve bookmarked all the good sites, took notes, blog about it, write summaries, place it in my OneNote software where it is accessible on any device I have available. In a few swipes in my smartphone, I can extract the information that I stored for later use.

But having all the information readily available anywhere/anytime does not make me smarter than anyone else. There is only so much things humans can do. There is a limit to our own capacity.

What is the better alternative to our own approach to knowledge and wisdom? Shall I ditch all my self learned knowledge and skills and wait for the angels of God to hand me down His own Wisdom and Understanding? Do I need to just lay back and minimize my own effort/doing to be able to pursue the greatest of all God’s Wisdom and Knowledge?

The short answer is NO.

We need to continue in our own pursuit to the things/concerns of this world but we have to take one step further — know and acknowledge that our own personal resources are limited. Add God’s thoughts in our own thinking and in that manner you and me can tapped into a world of countless possibilities.

It is really hard to explain the thoughts of God.

Why God’s thoughts is higher than ours?
How can we incorporate His thoughts?
How can we decode the things that He is thinking and planning for us?

That question will remain a mystery. He will later prove to us that whatever we are doing is a part of His bigger and elaborate plan. Even just to know that His ways is higher than ours is already a great encouragement to us because in retrospect, the idea is giving us a glimpse of what He can do with our own endeavor in addition to His plans.

God does not gave us a temporary and mindless idea to find our destiny by handing out a finish product to us. He wants us to learn on our own and find creative ways in dealing with life’s challenges and then later offer us a game changing idea somewhere in the middle of our journey – He reveals a higher thought.

And then in the end we see a connection and piece together the puzzle of His own elaborate plans merging to what we currently are doing.

His thoughts + Our Thoughts = Higher Thought

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/isa.55.8.erv

Time Without End; 100 Miles

“Give thanks to the Lord because he is good. His faithful love will last forever.” 1 Chronicles 16:34 ERV

“Infinity-time without end”

In less than an hour, the Outlaw 100 will start. Everything is set and ready go. I had 8 hours of sleep and carbo loaded in the last 3 meals. Not much excitement since I prepared for this event all year long.

Stent#1-Day1755
Stent#2-Day1198

I just want to be grateful that this day has come. It could have been no Day000 in December of 2008.

Today is one of the many reasons why I rely so much on God. Indeed, His love is timeless.

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/1ch.16.34.erv

No One Like You

“Lord GOD, this is why you are so great! There is no one like you. There is no god except you! We know that because of what we ourselves have heard about what you did. “2 Samuel 7:22 ERV

As I get to know You everyday, I can honestly say “There is no one like You”

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/2sa.7.22.erv

When (If) You Want Serenity

““Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 ERV

“Serenity-a disposition free from stress or emotion; the absence of mental stress or anxiety.”

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/mat.11.28.erv

Infinite Knowledge, Power and Strength

“Surely you know the truth. Surely you have heard. The Lord is the God who lives forever! He created all the faraway places on earth. He does not get tired and weary. You cannot learn all he knows. He helps tired people be strong. He gives power to those without it.” Isaiah 40:28, 29 ERV

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/isa.40.28.erv

Good News!

“How wonderful it is to see someone coming over the hills to tell good news. How wonderful to hear him announce, “There is peace! We have been saved!” and to hear him say to Zion, “Your God is the king!”” Isaiah 52:7 ERV

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/isa.52.7.erv

His Purpose-To Save

“Here is a true statement that should be accepted without question: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and I am the worst of them.”
1 Timothy 1:15 ERV

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/1ti.1.15.erv

Change your life forever?

“Anyone who says, “I believe that Jesus is the Son of God,” is a person who lives in God, and God lives in that person.” 1 John 4:15 ERV

Believe Jesus is the Son of God.

Pause for a moment and think about that for 5 minutes.

I never thought doing so – believing Jesus – will forever change my life.

I have a story to backup that claim but I’m not going to repeat that here. (It is in this journal somewhere). It is your own journey now and I want you to experience it with your own life.

I don’t like to discredit other people’s view of transformation – the scientific part of change, how people can adapt to a new habit, form a new mindset and forge a new way of life. I know that it can be done. But there is an easy way to do it.

I used to engaged in a disastrous lifestyle of drinking with friends, going out at night looking for all kinds of excitement, damage my body with unhealthy materials that I know it can really harm my internal organs physically. I’ve noticed that every time I wake up after doing those harmful activities, I will always tell myself “I will never do it again”. But then when the opportunity comes, here I go again -repeating the same disastrous cycle.

I’ve found an explanation why we are like that. Neuroscience explained it well. We seek 2 things primarily, excitement and satisfaction – dopamine and endorphins. Just search the web to get good explanation about it (that’s your homework ;-)). When the activities that we engaged on does not produce satisfaction, we always end up repeating the cycle – we search for more. The more we do it, the more dissatisfied we become.

Many of you will say, “I’m still young and I want to enjoy my life for now”. Fine, it’s your choice but I just want you to be aware that there is another way to obtain satisfaction in life. You don’t need to get it by means of engaging yourself into such wild activities in your surroundings.

Satisfaction in life is what you are seeking. Until you find true satisfaction, you will always end up in your daily life seeking for something that you forever wanted.

The short name for it is “emptiness” – when you keep pouring something in your life – but at the end of the day, you feel something is still missing inside your heart. Your heart is empty.

Honestly, I’m not there yet but at least I don’t seek out for wild, disastrous excitement anymore. I’m contented with my life now. I’d go to work, solve a problem, come home, read a book, watch a decent show or a movie, relax, spend time with the wife, talk to my son shortly, swim, bike, run, write a blog, share to the world my thoughts and feelings and experiences and most of all imagining that someone out there had stumbled upon what I shared here and took a positive action.

When that happens, “God being in me” fulfilled His ultimate purpose.

“God in us”. that is how we are going to change.

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/1jn.4.15.erv

Teaching The {Only} Way To Live

You, however, must tell everyone how to live in a way that agrees with the true teaching. Teach the older men to have self-control, to be serious, and to be wise. They must be strong in faith, in love, and in patience. Also, teach the older women to live the way those who serve the Lord should live. They should not go around saying bad things about others or be in the habit of drinking too much. They should teach what is good. By doing this they will teach the younger women to love their husbands and children. They will teach them to be wise and pure, to take care of their homes, to be kind, and to be willing to serve their husbands. Then no one will be able to criticize the teaching God gave us. In the same way, tell the young men to be wise. You should be an example for them in every way by the good things you do. When you teach, be honest and serious. And your teaching should be clearly right so that you cannot be criticized. Then anyone who is against you will be ashamed. There will not be anything bad they can say about us. And tell this to those who are slaves: They should be willing to serve their masters at all times; they should try to please them, not argue with them; they should not steal from them; and they should show their masters that they can be trusted. Then, in everything they do, they will show that the teaching of God our Savior is good. That is the way we should live, because God’s grace has come. That grace can save everyone. It teaches us not to live against God and not to do the bad things the world wants to do. It teaches us to live on earth now in a wise and right way—a way that shows true devotion to God. We should live like that while we are waiting for the coming of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. He is our great hope, and he will come with glory. He gave himself for us. He died to free us from all evil. He died to make us pure—people who belong only to him and who always want to do good. These are the things you should tell people. Encourage them, and when they are wrong, correct them. You have full authority to do this, so don’t let anyone think they can ignore you. (Titus 2:1-15 ERV)

1. Teach everyone to live in a way that agrees with the true teaching

2. Teach men to have self control, to be serious, to be wise

3. Teach everyone to be strong in faith, love and patience.

4. Teach women to live the way a servant of The Lord should live

5. Teach everyone not to gossip

6. Teach everyone not to be involve in drinking

7. Teach what is good.

8. Teach them how to love their spouse and children

9. Teach them to be wise and pure

10. Teach them how to take care of their homes

11. Teach them how to be kind and willing to serve.

12. Teach them to be good examples.

13. Teach them to be honest and serious

14. Teach clearly

15. Teach them to be willing to serve their superiors

16. Teach them that the teaching of God is good.

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/tit.2.11.erv

The Only Way To Be Stronger

“But you, dear friends, use your most holy faith to build yourselves up even stronger. Pray with the help of the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves safe in God’s love, as you wait for the Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy to give you eternal life.” Jude 1:20, 21 ERV

Faith and Holy Spirit.

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/jud.1.20.erv

God’s Infinite Love and Kindness

““So remember that the Lord your God is the only God, and you can trust him! He keeps his agreement. He shows his love and kindness to all people who love him and obey his commands. He continues to show his love and kindness through a thousand generations,” Deuteronomy 7:9 ERV

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/deu.7.9.erv