I Choose You
Point of Grace
All our mind's attention
All our hearts affection
Every heart-cry, every rhyme
Everybody's worshipping something
All our life's devotion
Has been set in motion
Religions dozen for a dime
Everybody's worshipping something
'Cause that's what we were made to do
Chorus
And I choose You
All my attention, affection
And all my devotion's for You
If everybody's worshipping something
I choose You
You are beyond conception
Defying definition
And You knew me before time
Centuries of pagans
Idols fill the nations
But You are Lord to me and mine
Everybody's worshipping something
'Cause that's what we were made to do...oh oh
Chorus
Before I chose You, You first chose me
I worship You, You alone are worthy
You alone deserve it-all of my worship
Lord I choose You
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Sunday, August 27, 2006
The Parish of St. Benedict
Today August 27, 2006 I attended the Eucharistic Celebration for the Canonical erection of the Parish of St. Benedict (Don Antonio Heights, QC) and the Installation of its first parish priest, Fr. Steven Tynan of the Missionaries of God’s Love. It was a well-attended mass, celebrated by Rev. Bishop Antonio Tobias and concelebrated by Fr. Geoffrey Coombe and the other priests serving in the diocese of Novaliches.
There was a short program afterwards wherein we heard Fr. Steve’s vision for the new parish as well as some messages from the presidents of the sub-parishes in Don Antonio, Don Enrique, Isidora Hills, and the other areas covered by our newly-erected parish. The guests, which numbered by the hundreds, were then entertained by a lively and colorful dance number from the officers of the sub-parish pastoral council.
A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned to a young brother who visited us at the Lingkod Office that I belonged to the parish of Saint Benedict. He pulled out from his pocket a medal and handed it to me. I was surprised, but accepted his simple gift. I had a very interesting conversation with that brother but that story belongs to another day. Now I want to write about our patron saint. Curious about the medal which I now carry with me always, I got this from the Catholic Encyclopedia:
Medal of Saint Benedict
A medal, originally a cross, dedicated to the devotion in honour of St. Benedict.
One side of the medal bears an image of St. Benedict, holding a cross in the right hand and the Holy Rule in the left. On the one side of the image is a cup, on the other a raven, and above the cup and the raven are inscribed the words: "Crux Sancti Patris Benedicti" (Cross of the Holy Father Benedict). Round the margin of the medal stands the legend "Ejus in obitu nro praesentia muniamus" (May we at our death be fortified by his presence). The reverse of the medal bears a cross with the initial letters of the words: "Crux Sacra Sit Mihi Lux" (The Holy Cross be my light), written downward on the perpendicular bar; the initial letters of the words, "Non Draco Sit Mihi Dux" (Let not the dragon be my guide), on the horizontal bar; and the initial letters of "Crux Sancti Patris Benedicti" in the angles of the cross. Round the margin stand the initial letters of the distich: "Vade Retro Satana, Nunquam Suade Mihi Vana — Sunt Mala Quae Libas, Ipse Venena Bibas" (Begone, Satan, do not suggest to me thy vanities — evil are the things thou profferest, drink thou thy own poison). At the top of the cross usually stands the word Pax (peace) or the monogram I H S (Jesus).
The medal just described is the so-called jubilee medal, which was struck first in 1880, to commemorate the fourteenth centenary of St. Benedict's birth. The Archabbey of Monte Cassino has the exclusive right to strike this medal. The ordinary medal of St. Benedict usually differs from the preceding in the omission of the words "Ejus in obitu etc.", and in a few minor details. (For the indulgences connected with it see Beringer, "Die Ablässe", Paderborn, 1906, p. 404-6.) The habitual wearer of the jubilee medal can gain all the indulgences connected with the ordinary medal and, in addition: (1) all the indulgences that could be gained by visiting the basilica, crypt, and tower of St. Benedict at Monte Cassino (Pius IX, 31 December, 1877); (2) a plenary indulgence on the feast of All Souls (from about two o'clock in the afternoon of 1 November to sunset of 2 November), as often as (toties quoties), after confession and Holy Communion, he visits any church or public oratory, praying there according to the intention of the pope, provided that he is hindered from visiting a church or public oratory of the Benedictines by sickness, monastic enclosure or a distance of at least 1000 steps. (Decr. 27 February, 1907, in Acta S. Sedis, LX, 246.) Any priest may receive the faculties to bless these medals.
More details on this medal can be found at the following site: http://webpages.charter.net/wjpbr/benedict.html.
As written by Fr Steve in the invitation to this occasion, St. Benedict was the son of a Roman noble and according to tradition, the twin of St. Scholastica. He was born about 480 in Umbria, Italy. St. Benedict was canonized in 1220 and has been declared as the Patron Saint of Europe and the founder of Western Monasticism. He wrote a rule for the monastic life, which Fr. Steve said laid the foundation for most of the principles of political and societal life as we know it today. He said that the Benedictine motto ora et labore – prayer and work – ought to find an important place in all of our lives.
Prayer attributed to St. Benedict:
Gracious and Holy Father give me
wisdom to perceive you,
diligence to seek you,
patience to wait for you,
eyes to behold you,
a heart to meditate on you,
and a life to proclaim you;
through the power
of the Spirit of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer to St. Benedict
O glorious St. Benedict, sublime model of all virtues, pure vessel of God's grace! Behold me, humbly kneeling at thy feet. I implore thy loving heart to pray for me before the throne of God. To thee I have recourse in all the dangers which daily surround me. Shield me against my enemies, inspire me to imitate thee in all things. May thy blessing be with me always, so that I may shun whatever God forbids and avoid the occasions of sin.
Graciously obtain for me from God those favors and graces of which I stand so much in need, in the trials, miseries and afflictions of life. Thy heart was always so full of love, compassion, and mercy toward those who were afflicted or troubled in any way. Thou didst never dismiss without consolation and assistance anyone who had recourse to thee. I therefore invoke thy powerful intercession, in the confident hope that thou wilt hear my prayers and obtain for me the special grace and favor I so earnestly implore (mention it), if it be for the greater glory of God and the welfare of my soul.
Help me, O great St. Benedict, to live and die as a faithful child of God, to be ever submissive to His holy will, and to attain the eternal happiness of heaven. Amen.
There was a short program afterwards wherein we heard Fr. Steve’s vision for the new parish as well as some messages from the presidents of the sub-parishes in Don Antonio, Don Enrique, Isidora Hills, and the other areas covered by our newly-erected parish. The guests, which numbered by the hundreds, were then entertained by a lively and colorful dance number from the officers of the sub-parish pastoral council.
A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned to a young brother who visited us at the Lingkod Office that I belonged to the parish of Saint Benedict. He pulled out from his pocket a medal and handed it to me. I was surprised, but accepted his simple gift. I had a very interesting conversation with that brother but that story belongs to another day. Now I want to write about our patron saint. Curious about the medal which I now carry with me always, I got this from the Catholic Encyclopedia:
Medal of Saint Benedict
A medal, originally a cross, dedicated to the devotion in honour of St. Benedict.
One side of the medal bears an image of St. Benedict, holding a cross in the right hand and the Holy Rule in the left. On the one side of the image is a cup, on the other a raven, and above the cup and the raven are inscribed the words: "Crux Sancti Patris Benedicti" (Cross of the Holy Father Benedict). Round the margin of the medal stands the legend "Ejus in obitu nro praesentia muniamus" (May we at our death be fortified by his presence). The reverse of the medal bears a cross with the initial letters of the words: "Crux Sacra Sit Mihi Lux" (The Holy Cross be my light), written downward on the perpendicular bar; the initial letters of the words, "Non Draco Sit Mihi Dux" (Let not the dragon be my guide), on the horizontal bar; and the initial letters of "Crux Sancti Patris Benedicti" in the angles of the cross. Round the margin stand the initial letters of the distich: "Vade Retro Satana, Nunquam Suade Mihi Vana — Sunt Mala Quae Libas, Ipse Venena Bibas" (Begone, Satan, do not suggest to me thy vanities — evil are the things thou profferest, drink thou thy own poison). At the top of the cross usually stands the word Pax (peace) or the monogram I H S (Jesus).
The medal just described is the so-called jubilee medal, which was struck first in 1880, to commemorate the fourteenth centenary of St. Benedict's birth. The Archabbey of Monte Cassino has the exclusive right to strike this medal. The ordinary medal of St. Benedict usually differs from the preceding in the omission of the words "Ejus in obitu etc.", and in a few minor details. (For the indulgences connected with it see Beringer, "Die Ablässe", Paderborn, 1906, p. 404-6.) The habitual wearer of the jubilee medal can gain all the indulgences connected with the ordinary medal and, in addition: (1) all the indulgences that could be gained by visiting the basilica, crypt, and tower of St. Benedict at Monte Cassino (Pius IX, 31 December, 1877); (2) a plenary indulgence on the feast of All Souls (from about two o'clock in the afternoon of 1 November to sunset of 2 November), as often as (toties quoties), after confession and Holy Communion, he visits any church or public oratory, praying there according to the intention of the pope, provided that he is hindered from visiting a church or public oratory of the Benedictines by sickness, monastic enclosure or a distance of at least 1000 steps. (Decr. 27 February, 1907, in Acta S. Sedis, LX, 246.) Any priest may receive the faculties to bless these medals.
More details on this medal can be found at the following site: http://webpages.charter.net/wjpbr/benedict.html.
As written by Fr Steve in the invitation to this occasion, St. Benedict was the son of a Roman noble and according to tradition, the twin of St. Scholastica. He was born about 480 in Umbria, Italy. St. Benedict was canonized in 1220 and has been declared as the Patron Saint of Europe and the founder of Western Monasticism. He wrote a rule for the monastic life, which Fr. Steve said laid the foundation for most of the principles of political and societal life as we know it today. He said that the Benedictine motto ora et labore – prayer and work – ought to find an important place in all of our lives.
Prayer attributed to St. Benedict:
Gracious and Holy Father give me
wisdom to perceive you,
diligence to seek you,
patience to wait for you,
eyes to behold you,
a heart to meditate on you,
and a life to proclaim you;
through the power
of the Spirit of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer to St. Benedict
O glorious St. Benedict, sublime model of all virtues, pure vessel of God's grace! Behold me, humbly kneeling at thy feet. I implore thy loving heart to pray for me before the throne of God. To thee I have recourse in all the dangers which daily surround me. Shield me against my enemies, inspire me to imitate thee in all things. May thy blessing be with me always, so that I may shun whatever God forbids and avoid the occasions of sin.
Graciously obtain for me from God those favors and graces of which I stand so much in need, in the trials, miseries and afflictions of life. Thy heart was always so full of love, compassion, and mercy toward those who were afflicted or troubled in any way. Thou didst never dismiss without consolation and assistance anyone who had recourse to thee. I therefore invoke thy powerful intercession, in the confident hope that thou wilt hear my prayers and obtain for me the special grace and favor I so earnestly implore (mention it), if it be for the greater glory of God and the welfare of my soul.
Help me, O great St. Benedict, to live and die as a faithful child of God, to be ever submissive to His holy will, and to attain the eternal happiness of heaven. Amen.
Friday, August 25, 2006
Bloggart
When people blog because you blog, it's not exactly something to blog about.
Today, however, as yet another friend informed me that she was inspired to start her own (we)blog after reading my blog posts, I was made to think about it. Maybe this could be my alternative career number 2: Encourager (see previous post sometime last June yata, on my Alternative Career No. 1: Tour Guide). So why am I looking for alternative careers? It's because I'm still singing Que Sera Sera, after all this journeying. The list is actually longer than I allow myself to write about. ;)
I'm happy when more people unleash their inner writer and just get down to it, and get even happier when they tell me that I had something to do with it. I do wish that visitors to this site would say hi by posting a comment somewhere, though. I didn't put a tag board here because, one I don't know how, and two, even if I could learn how, I wouldn't know the first thing about monitoring the tags to keep to the wholesome image of this blog. But it's ok if people prefer to lurk, like any writer my ultimate goal is simply to be read, and hopefully, to influence my readers in some way. I learned the hard way while in law school (yes, that late in life) that I can't please everybody, so readers may disagree with what I write, get bored, irritated, or even infuriated, but the bottom line is still accomplished, and that is, this blog has allowed me to express myself responsibly.
To bloggers who are born almost every minute, may you find what it is that you could contribute to the world, and be extremely blessed in the process. Through my lessons in waiting, I have shared in a lot of people's difficulties and written about the Lord's triumphs in this area of my life. To say I have found this fulfilling is an understatement.
Why do I sound like I'm spreading my wings and going somewhere else?
Today, however, as yet another friend informed me that she was inspired to start her own (we)blog after reading my blog posts, I was made to think about it. Maybe this could be my alternative career number 2: Encourager (see previous post sometime last June yata, on my Alternative Career No. 1: Tour Guide). So why am I looking for alternative careers? It's because I'm still singing Que Sera Sera, after all this journeying. The list is actually longer than I allow myself to write about. ;)
I'm happy when more people unleash their inner writer and just get down to it, and get even happier when they tell me that I had something to do with it. I do wish that visitors to this site would say hi by posting a comment somewhere, though. I didn't put a tag board here because, one I don't know how, and two, even if I could learn how, I wouldn't know the first thing about monitoring the tags to keep to the wholesome image of this blog. But it's ok if people prefer to lurk, like any writer my ultimate goal is simply to be read, and hopefully, to influence my readers in some way. I learned the hard way while in law school (yes, that late in life) that I can't please everybody, so readers may disagree with what I write, get bored, irritated, or even infuriated, but the bottom line is still accomplished, and that is, this blog has allowed me to express myself responsibly.
To bloggers who are born almost every minute, may you find what it is that you could contribute to the world, and be extremely blessed in the process. Through my lessons in waiting, I have shared in a lot of people's difficulties and written about the Lord's triumphs in this area of my life. To say I have found this fulfilling is an understatement.
Why do I sound like I'm spreading my wings and going somewhere else?
Now Playing: All Shall be Well
One of the best songs recorded by the Bukas Palad Music Ministry, I sing this now with joy and gladness. I'm not surprised that the words were written by my favorite lyricist, Fr. Johnny Go, S.J., and the music composed by Fr. Manoling V. Francisco, S.J. The refrain of this song was said to be inspired by "Revelations of Divine Love" by Julian of Norwich, quoted below.
All Shall be Well
Bukas Palad feat. Laine Laudico-Santana
Something More; All Shall be Well; Let Your Praises be Heard
Too many sunsets have we seen, too may mornings far between
Too soon the clouds have passed us by, too soon the sun died in our eyes
Too many broken forevers, too long has been this stormy weather
No more rainbows after rain, and no more healing from the pain
REFRAIN:
Yet all shall be well, all shall be well
You'll see, all shall soon be well
All things, all men, all the world shall be well
Broken wings that cannot mend. Are we afraid to dream again?
The world is full of passing faces. Our hearts are bruised in many places (REFRAIN)
I know, you'll see, through all the pain and sadness
All things, all men, all the world shall be well
"It is true that sin is the cause of all this pain, but all shall be well; and all shall be well; and all manner of things shall be well. These words were said most tenderly, with never a hint of blame either to me or to any of those to be saved." -- Julian of Norwich
"Hope is definitely not the same thing as optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out." -- Vaclav Havel
All Shall be Well
Bukas Palad feat. Laine Laudico-Santana
Something More; All Shall be Well; Let Your Praises be Heard
Too many sunsets have we seen, too may mornings far between
Too soon the clouds have passed us by, too soon the sun died in our eyes
Too many broken forevers, too long has been this stormy weather
No more rainbows after rain, and no more healing from the pain
REFRAIN:
Yet all shall be well, all shall be well
You'll see, all shall soon be well
All things, all men, all the world shall be well
Broken wings that cannot mend. Are we afraid to dream again?
The world is full of passing faces. Our hearts are bruised in many places (REFRAIN)
I know, you'll see, through all the pain and sadness
All things, all men, all the world shall be well
"It is true that sin is the cause of all this pain, but all shall be well; and all shall be well; and all manner of things shall be well. These words were said most tenderly, with never a hint of blame either to me or to any of those to be saved." -- Julian of Norwich
"Hope is definitely not the same thing as optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out." -- Vaclav Havel
Saan Ka Patutungo?
I would like to invite single Catholic professionals and working people to a weekend retreat sponsored by Ang Lingkod ng Panginoon - Quezon City. Email me at lau_one@yahoo.com for details. God bless!
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Where I'm At
I will write what I’ve been up to in snippets.
The Blind Leading the Blind
Sometimes I say yes to service and then later on realize how much God is teaching me in the particular areas where I’m supposed to lead.
I’m helping a sister with her discernment now and as we journey in prayer together, I find that I have to plow through my own heart and be discerning in major areas of my life for me to be able to pray with her. I’ve had to face my own ghosts, unknown to her, and I’ve gone back to my previous journals to see how God had led me and where He might be taking me. My own waiting had been brought to the fore of my prayer time once more. And we have a long way to go, God and I.
Another thing I said yes to was to serve in the bible study/sharing ministry for sisters. Although I would love to formally study Theology someday, all I had attended so far were short bible study courses. So when the women signed up, hungry to study God’s word and apply it in their lives, I felt some pressure and asked for help. Thankfully, priests came to the rescue. They gave me study materials and said they’re available for consultation anytime. They also said I’m not blind, that I could do this if I just kept things simple. This was something that I did for love – of God, His Word, and my Lingkod QC sisters. Now I’m reading up to prepare and thinking of our lesson plan. It’s a new and interesting ministry.
As the parish of St. Benedict is being formed, I was asked to serve there in a ministry. Being clueless about serving in a parish, yet unable to say no, I said yes but to put me in any ministry except finance. I have yet to find out where I’ll end up serving but I would like to think that building a parish with the Missionaries of God’s Love would be inspiring and exciting. At least in this area, I would be a follower and those who are leading me are not blind. Fr Steve, who would be installed as Parish Priest on August 27, and Fr. Geoffrey, who would become Assistant Parish Priest, certainly know what they are doing. And I would be happy to follow them as they in turn follow Jesus’ call for them to serve here in the Philippines.
Three Mountains
For three weeks (with one weekend’s interval) now, Lingkod QC has been singing praises to God on top of a mountain. It's a different mountain each time.
Last Aug 4-6, we were up in Antipolo serving in the RLTC. It was an exciting, albeit exhausting, weekend full of surprises. Our cup was filled to overflowing, so much so that last August 12-13, the Music Ministry decided to go up to Baguio to celebrate the many blessings in our service. There we went to all the major tourist spots and had the time of our lives in pure fellowship. Then on August 21, the RLTC service team went up to Tagaytay for a half-day of prayer at the Don Bosco Chapel on the Hill and for the requisite visits to Leslie’s and Bag of Beans. We were filled with the gift of joy all throughout that trip, discovering who among us were most knowledgeable about Philippine movies. We exchanged movie trivia and were delightfully surprised that shy and quiet Leah beat all of us in answering Doc Jun’s most trivial questions about movies and stars from way back the ‘70’s. Going home, we listened to Ted’s CD, the tribute to the Apo Hiking Society, over and over again. I particularly liked the remake of their famous song “Ewan”.
All of us were in high spirits as we went back to work today.
Rest in Various Forms
I was able to rest last Sunday too as my high school best friends and a particular family from there adopted me for a weekend getaway at Canyonwoods Resort. I was able to do the most basic fun things with them – eat, swim, drink, and sleep. The Jacuzzi and the spa also added to the restfulness of our short vacation. A bonus was that I was able to memorize the songs from “High School Musical” as the two girls, one of them my inaanak, repeatedly played the movie on their portable DVD inside the car. I couldn’t get the songs out of my head! Disney lyrics! When I listened to my own music later on, the Apo songs, they reminded me of my own childhood.
Happiness versus Joy
Rick Warren explains this better. Basta happiness is external while joy is internal. Happiness is based on happenings, while joy is based on the truth that the Lord is near no matter what happens.
A friend asked me if I’m happy with what I’m doing. She who remembers me from the time I was a driven student, acing Algebra and English, running for student council, joining the choir and the school paper, entering U.P. and all that. She had to ask if I was sure I was where I was supposed to be. I said I could not explain to her, just as I could not explain to my own mother, that true, I might not be happy all the time – due to my own weaknesses, or even other people's- but that does not mean I’m not joyful, just at the knowledge that I was called, and I followed, and I have faith that the One who called me would never let me down, even if His ways are not my ways and His time is not my time.
It’s so hard to make my loved ones understand this because they don’t want to see me struggle, and I know they worry for me. But when I myself am not sure of my plans, when I myself am not in control, and I’m ok with this as this is the only way God can truly take the lead and steer my life at this point, the contradiction is something I cannot explain yet. So I leave even this up to God to explain. It’s within His expertise anyway. Maybe someday the clouds will open up and reveal to me my future. Or maybe they will not. I have just enough light for the step I’m on.
I just came home from our Action Group (my support group) meeting, and there we discussed verses in the bible that speak of joy, to check our hearts on where we were in this area. I was reminded that Jesus wants our joy to be complete (John 15); that He could turn my mourning into dancing (Psalm 30); that I should rejoice in all circumstances and let my gladness be evident to all (Philippians 4). All these, because the Holy Spirit is in me already, and love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control is the fruit of the Spirit that is in me (Galatians 5:22-23).
I would like to bear that kind of fruit in my life, but sometimes I falter. So each time, I will go as Jesus did, up to the mountain to pray, to get some rest, and to be reminded of my joy and of who truly leads me: the Son of Man, who makes even the blind see.
The Blind Leading the Blind
Sometimes I say yes to service and then later on realize how much God is teaching me in the particular areas where I’m supposed to lead.
I’m helping a sister with her discernment now and as we journey in prayer together, I find that I have to plow through my own heart and be discerning in major areas of my life for me to be able to pray with her. I’ve had to face my own ghosts, unknown to her, and I’ve gone back to my previous journals to see how God had led me and where He might be taking me. My own waiting had been brought to the fore of my prayer time once more. And we have a long way to go, God and I.
Another thing I said yes to was to serve in the bible study/sharing ministry for sisters. Although I would love to formally study Theology someday, all I had attended so far were short bible study courses. So when the women signed up, hungry to study God’s word and apply it in their lives, I felt some pressure and asked for help. Thankfully, priests came to the rescue. They gave me study materials and said they’re available for consultation anytime. They also said I’m not blind, that I could do this if I just kept things simple. This was something that I did for love – of God, His Word, and my Lingkod QC sisters. Now I’m reading up to prepare and thinking of our lesson plan. It’s a new and interesting ministry.
As the parish of St. Benedict is being formed, I was asked to serve there in a ministry. Being clueless about serving in a parish, yet unable to say no, I said yes but to put me in any ministry except finance. I have yet to find out where I’ll end up serving but I would like to think that building a parish with the Missionaries of God’s Love would be inspiring and exciting. At least in this area, I would be a follower and those who are leading me are not blind. Fr Steve, who would be installed as Parish Priest on August 27, and Fr. Geoffrey, who would become Assistant Parish Priest, certainly know what they are doing. And I would be happy to follow them as they in turn follow Jesus’ call for them to serve here in the Philippines.
Three Mountains
For three weeks (with one weekend’s interval) now, Lingkod QC has been singing praises to God on top of a mountain. It's a different mountain each time.
Last Aug 4-6, we were up in Antipolo serving in the RLTC. It was an exciting, albeit exhausting, weekend full of surprises. Our cup was filled to overflowing, so much so that last August 12-13, the Music Ministry decided to go up to Baguio to celebrate the many blessings in our service. There we went to all the major tourist spots and had the time of our lives in pure fellowship. Then on August 21, the RLTC service team went up to Tagaytay for a half-day of prayer at the Don Bosco Chapel on the Hill and for the requisite visits to Leslie’s and Bag of Beans. We were filled with the gift of joy all throughout that trip, discovering who among us were most knowledgeable about Philippine movies. We exchanged movie trivia and were delightfully surprised that shy and quiet Leah beat all of us in answering Doc Jun’s most trivial questions about movies and stars from way back the ‘70’s. Going home, we listened to Ted’s CD, the tribute to the Apo Hiking Society, over and over again. I particularly liked the remake of their famous song “Ewan”.
All of us were in high spirits as we went back to work today.
Rest in Various Forms
I was able to rest last Sunday too as my high school best friends and a particular family from there adopted me for a weekend getaway at Canyonwoods Resort. I was able to do the most basic fun things with them – eat, swim, drink, and sleep. The Jacuzzi and the spa also added to the restfulness of our short vacation. A bonus was that I was able to memorize the songs from “High School Musical” as the two girls, one of them my inaanak, repeatedly played the movie on their portable DVD inside the car. I couldn’t get the songs out of my head! Disney lyrics! When I listened to my own music later on, the Apo songs, they reminded me of my own childhood.
Happiness versus Joy
Rick Warren explains this better. Basta happiness is external while joy is internal. Happiness is based on happenings, while joy is based on the truth that the Lord is near no matter what happens.
A friend asked me if I’m happy with what I’m doing. She who remembers me from the time I was a driven student, acing Algebra and English, running for student council, joining the choir and the school paper, entering U.P. and all that. She had to ask if I was sure I was where I was supposed to be. I said I could not explain to her, just as I could not explain to my own mother, that true, I might not be happy all the time – due to my own weaknesses, or even other people's- but that does not mean I’m not joyful, just at the knowledge that I was called, and I followed, and I have faith that the One who called me would never let me down, even if His ways are not my ways and His time is not my time.
It’s so hard to make my loved ones understand this because they don’t want to see me struggle, and I know they worry for me. But when I myself am not sure of my plans, when I myself am not in control, and I’m ok with this as this is the only way God can truly take the lead and steer my life at this point, the contradiction is something I cannot explain yet. So I leave even this up to God to explain. It’s within His expertise anyway. Maybe someday the clouds will open up and reveal to me my future. Or maybe they will not. I have just enough light for the step I’m on.
I just came home from our Action Group (my support group) meeting, and there we discussed verses in the bible that speak of joy, to check our hearts on where we were in this area. I was reminded that Jesus wants our joy to be complete (John 15); that He could turn my mourning into dancing (Psalm 30); that I should rejoice in all circumstances and let my gladness be evident to all (Philippians 4). All these, because the Holy Spirit is in me already, and love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control is the fruit of the Spirit that is in me (Galatians 5:22-23).
I would like to bear that kind of fruit in my life, but sometimes I falter. So each time, I will go as Jesus did, up to the mountain to pray, to get some rest, and to be reminded of my joy and of who truly leads me: the Son of Man, who makes even the blind see.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Monday, August 14, 2006
The Mansion
My Shot of The Mansion with some QTs in the foreground. We're egging Manny to write a song about our weekend entitled "Sa Session Road". We must have seen it twenty times in a span of two days! Until the next session, music min!
The Baguio Cathedral
We could have been in Europe. Abby and Nenen's thrill at seeing everything for the first time was contagious. We loved every minute!
Mines View Park
The Lingkod QC Music Ministry a.k.a. Quezon City on a Hill(Song) spent a perfect weekend in Baguio. The sisters posed. The brothers took our pictures, drove the cars, manned the oars, built the fire, and carried our bags. Perfect!
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