True North Missionaries Journal

“Slow me down, Lord!
Ease the pounding of my heart by the quieting of my mind.

Steady my hurried pace with a vision of the eternal reach of time.
Give me, amidst the confusion of my day, the calmness of the everlasting hills.

Break the tension of my nerves and muscles with the soothing music of the singing streams that live in my memory.
Help me to know the magical, restoring power of sleep.

Teach me the art of making minute vacations… of slowing down to look at a flower, to chat with a friend, to pat a dog, to read a few lines from a good book.

Remind me each day of the fable of the hare and the tortoise that I may know that the race is not always to the swift, that there is more to life than increasing its speed.

Let me look upward into the branches of the towering oak and know that it grew great and strong because it grew slowly and well.

Slow me down, Lord, and inspire me to send my roots deep into the soil of life’s enduring values that I may grow toward the stars of my greater destiny.

In Jesus’ name. Amen”

– Wilfred Arlan Peterson (Straight from the Heart)

Thank you Lord for granting me rest in the simplest of blessings.

I am in Las Vegas right now for the SFC Conference. Las Vegas is known as the Sin City. It’s as if when you are in Vegas, you sin.

The other night, we get to drive through the strip. All the structures and the designs of the building are very nice. The whole city is covered with lights. There are a lot of people walking, it feels like there is a street party everyday. As we were driving along, I started asking myself. What made this city sin city?

I realized that it is the people that made it sinful. Our actions, intentions, posture and thoughts. The city and what it can give is the temptation. The decision is still in us. We cannot be dictated to sin. We will not tolerate anything that is not of God. What is essential is that each of us should be firm on what the Lord is asking us to do. The conference verse then is very fitting “Do whatever He tells you.”

“As for you, always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry”        2 Timothy 4:5

What else can we do but endure what the Lord gave to us.  Sometimes we will be placed into things that make us uncomfortable.  Like Simon of Cyrene who was just watching in the crowd but then suddenly was carrying the Lord’s cross, which we all know he did not want to do it.  What we can imagine and picture is, although he was carrying a heavy cross, the Lord was right next to him carrying it with him.

We too must remember that our Lord is with us carrying our cross.  If the Lord’s plan for salvation was to bridge us right to our God, then we know that is the same mission that we are to take on each and every day.  This is the beauty of our community as it teaches us so much about mission and service and how fruitful it is.

@itsmetimmm

 

I have come to set the world on fire and how I wish it were already blazing. –Luke 12:49

If we want to set the world on fire, we first must be on fire.

As missionaries, why do we need to be “on fire”?

Because His Spirit is strong.

Because the love of our Lord is too great for us to contain within ourselves.

Because only through the power of the Holy Spirit, can we proclaim the goodness of the Lord.

Because it is by the fire of the Spirit that sets us ablaze for mission.

We are called to proclaim the Good News. We are called to share in the love of our Heavenly Father. We are called to set ourselves aside, and put Christ at the centre. We are called to bring hope for this generation. We are brothers and sisters, journeying together to our true Home. We are friends seeking the Good in one another. We are visionaries, working towards a new creation. We are His hands, His feet, going to the ends of the earth for that one lost sheep. We are on fire missionaries, seeking to continue the mission of Christ by setting the world on fire.

 

In your nature, eternal Godhead, I shall come to know my nature. And what is my nature, boundless love? It is fire, because you are nothing but a fire of love. And you have given humankind a share in this nature, for by the fire of love you created us. And so with all other people and every created thing; you made them out of love. O ungrateful people! What nature has your God given you? His very own nature! Are you not ashamed to cut yourself off from such a noble thing through the guilt of deadly sin? O eternal Trinity, my sweet love! You, light, give us light. You, wisdom, give us wisdom. You, supreme strength, strengthen us. Today, eternal God, let our cloud be dissipated so that we may perfectly know and follow your Truth in truth, with a free and simple heart. God, come to our assistance! Lord, make haste to help us! Amen. (St. Catherine of Siena)

 

Ite, omnia incendite et inflammate.

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor 13:13)

Love..
easy said than done. agree? disagree? po hehe

there are many times or moments in our day to day life when we are challenged to love above all
and in most situations or scenarios.. loving is the hardest thing to do..
For example with a co-workers, with friends and even family..
though we share the same blood.. our personalities are so different and sometimes clashes occur, right po? hehe
that’s why I admire people who are patient, compassionate, open and above all loving in such high tension situations or with complicated people..

Like how Jesus did.. well He is God so anything is possible po hehe 😛
but like the apostles (I think)..or the saints..
their actions and beliefs were outside the “norm” of society..
and not only was society butting heads with them..
but most of the time.. their families challenged them and their faith too..
..but no matter what above all.. they loved.
that’s mind blasting yo po haha

it’s so hard too.. but it is possible..
man.. truly if the Lord is with you..anything is possible..
Lord was their source of Love..right?
if the Lord is Love..
it was the Lord to begin with..
wahhhhh hahaha

I don’t know if I’m making sense here po hehe..
but this journey of life and constant discernment has guided me to discover and learn one thing.. Love.
it’s hard but it is possible.
and it’s also exciting to know that learning about Love is endless..
the sub topics that follow it is infinite..
maybe that’s one thing I’m excited for about fulltime or whatever lies ahead..
and that is.. Love will exist and is waiting to be discovered and shared 🙂 po hehe
wahhhhhhhhh kiligs to the bone po hehe #kilighunters #LordgivesmeKiligs

Lord, you are the source of Love and the definition of Love.
Show and Guide us how to Love above all