Author: Candy

Lord, give me an involuntary muscle for praying

Everyday I still have to decide that I am going to read the bible and talk to God. It is still not automatic for me to reach that state of prayer where I can just focus immediately to the Lord, to talk and listen to Him.  Although there is already a pattern or routine or certain process that helps me to be one with Him, the very first step of deciding to pray is still an everyday decision to make.

I asked the Lord one time (since I always have a constant longing for Him) to make the act of prayer an output of an involuntary muscle. According to biology-online an involuntary muscle is a “type of muscle that is not consciously controlled by an organism and reacts ‘involuntarily’ to nerve system signals” I was thinking that it will be good for me if there is that muscle that will automatically tell my whole being to pray and I will be right away praying. In this way I will not miss a second of my prayer time, I don’t have to settle myself, I don’t have to stop what I am doing, I don’t have to think about it, and most of all I will not have to decide to pray coz it will just happen.

However in my prayer time, this is not the case. When things are involuntary we forget that we have it and sometimes forget how important it is. The Lord reminded me that being in a relationship is a personal experience. Everyday is a unique encounter of /with Him because everyday is a new revelation of Him. The everyday decision to pray is a decision to choose God everyday. He wants me to choose Him because He doesn’t enforce anything on me. It is only in this decision to pray that I am growing in my faith and act accordingly to glorify Him.

 

“Lord you are great and magnificent! You are full of wisdom and might. I thank you for waiting for me especially when I still have to decide to pray. Thank you for always listening to me and talking to me. Thank you for constantly revealing Yourself to me. Teach me Lord to be strong and firm enough to call on You when it is hard to pray. May I always consciously seek you everyday. Amen”

 

Candy (Philippians 1:29)

Wear Jesus

I took the bus going to downtown to hear the noon time mass. As I was walking to the bus stop, the people waiting there were staring at me but I did not make a big deal of it. Then while waiting for the train a lot more people were looking at me and it continued on when I got on the train as people were coming in and out. Lastly, walking from the train station to the church, which was 3 blocks away, around 80% of the people’s gaze was following me.

I’ve never been so eager to get inside the church as that moment. I was wondering why people were staring at me or just looking at me weirdly. When I got in the church I sat on my usual spot and that’s when I realized. It’s my shirt! I am wearing the new shirt from Ablaze which has a huge face of Jesus printed in front and the word Saviour (with a definition) printed at the back.

Candy in JC shirt2

Praise GOD that I was not conscious of wearing this shirt. Coz if I was, I may not be walking as confidently as I was. Why does it feel like I should be more careful so as not to offend someone? When in fact I am just being truthful of our real identity.

 

“Lord Jesus, God of everything. I praise you for revealing your greatness to me. May I always seek you in every way and reflect you in every situation. May your Holy Spirit grant me the boldness and courage to not be afraid to always bring you to other people in whatever way it will be.  

Lent-look

It’s not yet even two weeks since the holy week passed. It went by so fast that right now you cannot feel that we just celebrated the greatest victory in the world – the victory over sin so we can be reconciled with the Lord.

The holy week is the peak of all Catholic Celebration. Everything we celebrated before that is geared towards Holy Week. Christmas is also for the fulfillment of the Holy Week.

However, since Ash Wednesday, the start of lent there was not much symbols or decorations that will remind us of the Season of Lent.

Why is it on Christmas, everyone puts up Christmas decorations and radio stations even play Christmas songs all throughout the day? Why is it during Christmas, everyone seems very happy and excited? Why do people give gifts to each other? Why is everyone just extra nice to everyone else? Why is there an “obligatory” Christmas dinner? We give so much importance to Advent Season (which is also good). These things are there as a reminder of the reason of the season.

On the contrary, the Season of Lent has only a few if not none at all. We do not put on nor even have a specific – decoration for Lent; radio stations don’t play Lent songs or even; no one except the Christians are excited to celebrate lent; we do not give gifts to each other; Everyone treats lent as just one of those regular weeks; and there is no such thing as Lent Dinner.

Yet the bigger question (aside from all the tangible material things) is that the Season of Lent should start within us – our heart, mind, and soul should be transformed so that we will be the living reminder of Lent.

 

“Oh Dear God the Father, thank you for showing your unfathomable love to us. Thank you for sending your only Son. Thank you for allowing us to celebrate the greatest victory won by Jesus Christ. We pray that we will have a conscious effort to always bring your Son where the people are. May we never get tired of living out a truly-like life. May we always reflect you to other people.”

For Sale: Jesus Christ

Last Wednesday’s homily was very memorable to me.  The priest shared that everytime we sin that’s how much the cost we trade Christ for. When I tell a lie, then I sold Christ with my lie and this is the same with the rest of the sins I committed.  Everyday of the year Christ is selling Himself to me, so I will always choose Him. Yet, the opposite always happens, I am selling Him.  Holy week seems to be the only time of the year that I am extra conscious not to sell Christ.

Why is it in Holy Week I have more time in solitude? Why are the themes of the tv shows all about miracles and goodness? Why are there more people going to church for adoration? Why do people try to stay at home? Why are the malls close? Why is everyone extra kind and quiet?

Holy Week is a reminder that this is how I am supposed to live my life everyday. Christ is not just easily sold, instead it is surrendering to Him because He has already bought me with His life.

“Lord of unconditional love and total surrender, I thank you for giving us the season of Lent. You are God who truly loves us, always offering Yourself to us everyday. You are God reaching out to us even if we are not moving forward. You are God walking beside us so we are always on track. You are God staying behind us to catch us when we fall more so clean up our past.

Lord, may I be able to carry out my posture this Holy Week for the rest of the year. May I be extra conscious not to trade You. May I always surrender myself for you have already paid for me.”

 

 

Candy

Philippians 1:29

Compliment than Complain

There are a lot of times that I want to be mad and angry with the situation of our power outage here in the province. Our province is the source of the hydroelectric power here in the whole island of Mindanao. There are a lot of issues that caused the power shortage but that is not what I want to share.

Coming from Canada which has enough power supply, I haven’t experienced power blackout for the last 2 and half years. There was always wifi, mild weather every season, on the dot arrival of buses, a pretty convenient life. I experienced everything 24/7 for at least 2 and half years straight and if there were interruptions it was a valid and short one.

Coming home here in Iligan, there were several days that we have no power for straight 12 hours but the usual is 4 hours everyday. This means no wifi, hot weather especially that it is already summer here (29◦C but feels like 37◦C), longer exposure to the sun’s heat while waiting for bus/jeepney, and a not so convenient life.

While this is happening for the past 12 days, the Lord showed me a different kind of convenient life. Everytime there is power outage, I would go to my Dad and we eat lunch together almost everyday, even if he’s at work; my parents and I just stay home, catch up, talk about the community and share about anything (no wifi, no telenovelas, no movie); my mom and I help each other cook since everything is cooked using gas; and most of all we are always doing things together.

Lord Jesus the ultimate source of power and energy, thank you for allowing me to see the blessings in this power outage. You always know what is the best situation for me. May I always see you in every situation that I will learn to compliment than complain. Praise be to God!

 

Candy

Relationship Flow

My relationship with the Lord was started by the Lord and not with me. It is initiated by the Lord. He loved me first, He chose me first. He created me with this intention – a relationship with Him so that He can just love me unconditionally. He supplied all my needs and this includes my family and all the people around me. It was because of my relationship with Him that I have my relationship with other people. If He did not start this then I will just be existing and not living.

I realized that in order for these relationships to be nurturing, these have to be founded on God – the God who is in 3 persons. It is the dynamics and the mystery of the 3 persons that best exemplify the fullness of a relationship. If ever I am challenged in any of it, the best way to get back on track is to look at the Trinitarian love make it the basis.

“Lord, thank you for coming in 3 persons, thank you for loving me first. May I always allow you to love me in whatever situation I am in; may I see your love in every second of my journey and may I experience your love through the people that you have surrounded me with. Lord, teach me to consecrate all my relationships to you. ”

WITNESS

I just got home from the first day of SFC ICON. This year’s conference was entitled “Witness”. When I heard of the title I already told myself that the conference would talk about how SFC could be better witnesses.  I assumed that what I will hear, will be all about going out and being a missionary. This was my preconceived posture going to the conference.

When I got to the venue for the international delegates’ welcome party, I was immediately expecting to learn about how to be a witness, but Kuya Shok did not say anything about it. It was the opening worship that made a mark on me and felt like the worship was already enough for me.  I felt the excitement and the movement of the Spirit within and among everyone.

Then we went to the main conference venue where I saw some of the same delegates waiting to get in the hall. That’s when the excitement continued to build- up. Then we had Mass, and that only increased my excitement.

Then came session 1 which was an interactive worship session. It was like a liveloud concert. The whole time during the session, I just worshipped and sang praises to the Lord. I thanked God the whole time.

He allowed me to witness His greatness to the community, the people around me, and most especially to me. Another realization was that – the Lord was the first to witness for me. He made himself accountable to me. He witnessed for me because He loves me and He will do it everyday for me.

The title “Witness” is no just being able to witness for others but accepting and acknowledging how Jesus witnessed for me – just allowing Him to love me.