Monday, February 27, 2017

Mingawon Ba Ang Mga Langgam? (Do Birds Get Lonely?)

Look for the bird!
Sa miaging adlaw naghigda-higda ko sa duyan sa likod sa among balay. Nagpahangin ug nagnanawnaw sa palibot. Pagka-anindot sa kinaiyahan! Simple ra ang kalipay. Wala magkinahanglan sa mga dagkong butang kay bisan sa gagmayng butang makalipay man. (The other day I was lying on a hammock in our backyard, feeling the freshness of the air and looking at things around me. O nature, how beautiful! Happiness is simple. It doesn’t need big things because even little things can make us happy.)

Bisan pa sa kalipay, gibati pud nako ang kamingaw. Ambot ngano. Samtang kining duha nga mga pagbati nag away sa akong dughan ug huna-huna, ang akong mga mata nahitanaw sa puno-an sa tambis. Didto nakita nako ang usa ka langgam, nag-inusara nga nitugpa sa usa ka sanga niini. Nikalit ang pangutana nga nitunga sa akong huna-huna, ‘Mingawon ba ang langgam’? (Even with the joy I was feeling, I also felt loneliness at the same time. I don’t know why. While these feelings were clashing in my heart and mind, my eyes were led towards the Tambis (A tropical fruit tree). There I saw a bird, alone in one of its branches. Suddenly a question came into my mind, ‘Do birds get lonely?’)

Ako nalamdagan nga walay gipili ang kamingaw, apan ang langgam wala mingawa kay kini hingpit man nga nahiusa sa kinaiyahan. Ang kalipay diay matagamtam kung kita mahiusa sa kinaiyahan. Ang atong mga gipangita ug gipangandoy sa kinabuhi usa lamang sa paagi nga malipay kita apan hangtod wala pa makab-ot ang mga pangandoy nga atong gitanaw nga makalipay kanato, tanawa ang palibot, simhota ang kahumot sa mga dahon ug bati-a ang kalami sa hangin. Pagka-anindot sa mga ginama sa Ginoo! Mao kini ang makapalipay sa gimingaw nga balatian. (I realized that loneliness does not discriminate, however the bird did not get lonely because it was deeply united with nature. Happiness then can be felt when we are one with nature. The things we are looking and dreaming for are just one of the things that can make us happy. However, while we haven’t reached our dreams that we think can make us happy, look at your surroundings, smell the fragrance of the leaves, and feel the goodness of the air. How beautiful are the works of the Lord! This is what can bring joy to a lonely heart.)

“Tan-awa ang mga langgam: wala sila magpugas ug mag-ani aron ilang tigumon sa kamalig. Apan giatiman sila sa inyong Amahan nga atua sa langit! Dili ba mas bililhon pa man kamo kay sa mga langgam?” – Mateo 6:26 (Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? – Matthew 6:26)


Ang Ginoo nahibalo sa atong mga gibati. Gihatagan kita sa kinaiyahan aron makita nato ang mga tubag sa uban natong mga pangutana. (The Lord knows what we feel. He gave us nature as an answer to some of our questions.)


by aats


Friday, February 24, 2017

What Makes Us Rich

I’ve been back here in the Philippines for few weeks now. I am still amazed at how in tropical countries like ours land are fertile to the point that even a small soil on the roadside can grow plants. I was walking at our backyard and still astonished seeing plants just growing everywhere, life springing forth out of nothing, what a sight to behold! It made me realize, what makes us rich is when we are able to bring forth life. Money will not make us rich if it does not bring life and that goes with other possessions or positions we might have. We are poor no matter how rich we are if we cannot bring life out of what we have.


Is what I have and what I do brings life?

Without Minding The Cost

With so many Telenovelas/Teleseryes (Filipino Soap Operas) come and go, we had been bombarded with ideas of what love should be. We have seen the different characters playing their part and the main character fighting for love. Along the way, many obstacles come and yet love triumphs in the end. Most of the time, I find it not so much in touch with reality, but even then, we can still get something on it. One is that when we love we don’t mind the cost.

A classic Filipino song aptly describes this, Kahit na ilang tinik ay kaya kong tapakan, kung yan ang paraan upang landas mo'y masundan. Kahit ilang ulit ako'y iyong saktan, hindi kita maaaring iwanan. Kahit ilang awit ay aking aawitin, hanggang ang himig ko'y maging himig mo na rin. Kahit ilang dagat ang dapat tawirin. Higit pa riyan ang aking gagawin. (It won't matter how many thorns I'd have to walk on, if that's the only way for me to follow your path. Even if you'd hurt me, I'd never leave you. It won’t matter how many songs I'd have to sing, I'd sing until my voice becomes yours. I'd cross countless seas, even more than that, I would do.)

Isn’t it beautiful that our Christian faith have this kind of love and much more?

by aats

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Love Makes Us Generous

When we love we become generous. The “no time” is now “all the time” and the “no budget” is now “we can find a way”. This is the beauty of love, it inspires us to think more and do good for the other.

The bible reading from Matthew 5:38-42, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you,” becomes more sensible in the light of love.


Without love this reading is hard to swallow but with love it makes sense. Only in love can we comprehend what is incomprehensible.

by aats