Friday, March 31, 2017

Without Explanation


It’s difficult not having an explanation. (Ang hirap ng walang paliwanag.) Your mind ends up creating scenarios. But the bible says, “Be still and know that He is God.” There are things that have no explanation and we just have to take it as it is. This is a mystery and that’s what makes it beautiful. If everything is explained what else is there to know? Life is a constant search for answers and sometimes the answer is a question. As a whole, life is still good.

No Answer

Sometimes we don’t understand why things happen the way it is. We are left wondering why it is like this now and we ended up wandering, lost in our mind, beaten in our heart.

You were good in the evening and bad in the morning. You slumbered in peace in the fading voice of beauty and woke up in a walled exchange. Why is this so? There is only silence. Maybe, silence is the best answer for the moment. And the moment itself will tell its story. “There is always an appointed time for everything,” says the Ecclesiastes.

So while it is, we close our eyes and like Joseph, sleep with faith fully knowing that God knows what is stirring in our hearts. We will wake up like him, probably still with questions, but with certainty of what He desire for us. Joseph in his humanity desired to be with the woman he loves but God went further, His desire for him was to be the foster father of Jesus. Both desire crossed and Gods grace flowed.


The truth is: our human frailty is a window to Gods grace.

by aats

Monday, March 27, 2017

Oasis in the Desert

This morning in our regular monday meeting, we were having a Lectio Divina. We were reflecting on the temptation of Jesus in the desert (wilderness) in the Gospel of Matthew 4:1-11. Our reflection question was, “What is my oasis in the desert?”

What came into my mind upon imagining a desert was mirage.

According to Merriam-Webster a mirage is an optical illusion caused by atmospheric conditions, especially the appearance of a sheet of water in a desert or on a hot road caused by the refraction of light from the sky by heated air.

In short mirage is – “it seems like but it’s not. “

Because you want it so badly, you create an image in your mind, but it turns out a mirage. When you have physical wants, you are thirsty, hungry, anything can come into your mind, imagination flourishes. When you arrive, it’s not there.

Jesus is not a mirage; He is real. He is not just imagined; He is there when you arrive. He is not false hope.

My oasis is the truth that Jesus is real. I have someone I can hold on to. My desert in life is not forever.

by aats

Monday, March 13, 2017

On Leading


Our problem is not that we lack good people; our problem is that there are few good people who want lead! They are afraid to be judge and be told that they are sinful and weak and unworthy. Well, who are not? No one is perfect! If no one will lead, then who will? We’d rather have weak and sinful leaders who are willing to lead and stumble but humble enough to be transformed along the way than having none because those “few good men” are shrinking on the side.

We are blessed that there are people who are willing to take risks, people who despite of personal inadequacies and seeming weakness and sinfulness are willing to stand up and be a leader.

by aats

Sunday, March 12, 2017

Leadership


When a leader refuses to lead, the flock scatters and when he inhibits, we are doomed. A leader cannot have a “hands off mentality” or else the organization he is leading will go nowhere. When we say yes to a leadership role we must take on our role. In leadership, we just don’t facilitate, we dream and convince others to have a united effort to fulfill that dream.

by aats