Wednesday, 23 March 2011
Sunday, 20 March 2011
Time to Change
- When you turn back to him with all your heart, to do what is right before him, Then he will turn back to you, and no longer hide his face from you. So now consider what he has done for you, and praise him with full voice. Bless the Lord of righteousness, and exalt the King of the ages. In the land of my exile I praise him, and show his power and majesty to a sinful nation. "Turn back, you sinners! do the right before him: perhaps he may look with favor upon you and show you mercy. (Tobit 13:6)
There are times in life that change befalls us, we either take the decision to change or we stay where we are. Most of us are scared of change, many of us would not want to, some of us will change, others will go back to where we were because we don't like the change and still there are a few who would stick it out and work with the change.
I've always loved the book "who moved my cheese" , main reason? Its the story of our life. We either stick to a routine and do the same thing everyday at the same time or we rush around looking for something else to do or in time of need we move on and search for the next step.
I have reached the point in my life where I feel change is needed, I have sensed it for some time now but it was and still is very hard to make that move to change. The last three years of my life has all been for the youth of TnT, the Caribbean and my ministry of CFC Youth for Christ. How could I turn away, how could I move and leave them alone, how could I how could I. After many adoration times, tears, days of desolation I realised that I was not leaving anyone behind but my movements, my change was actually helping these same youths. How? well I was giving them the opportunity to stand up on their own, the opportunity to let the seed that was planted grow, I have to now just continue to water them. Too much water drowns plants, too little dries them up, just the right amount ensures they flourish. So I have to let them flourish.
This change would also give me time to continue my renewal, renewal of body, mind and especially Spirit. I must take care of my body inside and out. The way I eat, sleep,exercise and groom, I must continue to build up my mental capabilities and keep the brain waves active. I sure must continue to grow in the Spirit. Deepen my prayer life even more, keep the word afresh in my mind, fast and pray for that growth and continue to share my simple wealth of time, treasure and talent with all.
That time is now...so I challenge you!! Do you think its time for that change in your life? Its time to get out of that desolation and find your consolation...find that place that He is calling you to....time for change
I leave with a chant made up by two dynamic persons who I look up to in different ways (guess they may know now after this blog if they read it)
Time to Change
Time to Change
Tobit 13:6
Time to give Satan real licks
Power his own, Majesty Shown
Sinful Nations overthrown
Kali
Thursday, 10 March 2011
Renewed!!!
<This was written in 2009 before I returned home from mission training in the Philippines, I made a few grammar changes>
I sit and wonder why does my heart beat so fast, why do I smile even when I'm doing the worst job or tired, how come I am happy and cheerful and love life. There has been alot changes in my life. I have grown patient, I have accepted things with ease, I have become closer to God and He has allowed me to love more, love deeply and love unconditionally. Tears flow, smiles are formed, yes is shouted out and No is shut in, I have come a long way since January 4 2009 and I know I have a long way still to go.
I returned home from the Philippines renewed and ready, ready for any challenge that may come my way. I returned ready to teach and learn, learn from my past how to move on in the future, I returned ready to forgive and love, love like Jesus said too.
The hard part about returning home is that I returned home changed but home may not of changed. I returned to reality where time did not stop or change may not of taken place. I returned home to the biggest challenge ever.....not trying to change home but showing home how I have changed.
Relationships may be tested cause of this and I may not see it at first because I was away for so long, but my prayer right now is that my change would just bring love to all around me, love so that I may not feel better or worst than others, love so that I may help others and accept help from them, love so that I may grow with them as God wants me to. Love so that I may love them unconditionally.
This may be hard but I am ready for the challenge, I am Renewed!!!
I sit and wonder why does my heart beat so fast, why do I smile even when I'm doing the worst job or tired, how come I am happy and cheerful and love life. There has been alot changes in my life. I have grown patient, I have accepted things with ease, I have become closer to God and He has allowed me to love more, love deeply and love unconditionally. Tears flow, smiles are formed, yes is shouted out and No is shut in, I have come a long way since January 4 2009 and I know I have a long way still to go.
I returned home from the Philippines renewed and ready, ready for any challenge that may come my way. I returned ready to teach and learn, learn from my past how to move on in the future, I returned ready to forgive and love, love like Jesus said too.
The hard part about returning home is that I returned home changed but home may not of changed. I returned to reality where time did not stop or change may not of taken place. I returned home to the biggest challenge ever.....not trying to change home but showing home how I have changed.
Relationships may be tested cause of this and I may not see it at first because I was away for so long, but my prayer right now is that my change would just bring love to all around me, love so that I may not feel better or worst than others, love so that I may help others and accept help from them, love so that I may grow with them as God wants me to. Love so that I may love them unconditionally.
This may be hard but I am ready for the challenge, I am Renewed!!!
 |
| overlooking the China Sea |
Wednesday, 9 March 2011
More for the Poor...Less for the Rich
Sad eyes watch me as I exit the car, hands outstretch the tiny voice begs me. We will watch the car the voice says. My heart bleeds, my eyes water, my voice trembles as I want to just give. I want to give my all to them. I want to open the car and say come in, look take these clothes, take this food, just take, please take, take it all….sigh
Then reality sets in, this is their world. They sleep on the streets, they beg and they huddle together or on cardboard for warmth. They know no school, they know no home, and some know no parents, but these streets they sure know. Street Children they are called but they are God’s Children. They are our brothers and sisters and they need to be treated so. I want to hold them all and say it is okay, let us go home.
The streets of Philippines are filled with them, and they walk the streets as we walk our bedrooms. This is their home, their bedroom. There is hope though, there has been change, cause as we were told to Love one another as He loved us, we are also told to ‘Forget what lies behind, and strain forward for what lies ahead, to continue our pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus’. We were told to Move forward in Christ. To hold these little children and with Christ we would be able to move forward.
Jesus told us that unless we accept the kingdom of God as a child we would not enter into it. We must humble ourselves. So instead of feeling sorry and sad for them, I behave like them. I beg my God, I ask my papa to give me what I need in this world, what he wants of me. I look to him with child like eyes and in a trembling voice I ask him “Please papa please… I honour you and come to you just as the children in the street came to me”
There is hope in all things, as God answered prayers through Gawad Kalinga (Giving care). GK is a social ministry under Couples for Christ and has been working with various partner groups to ensure that they can give care to persons all over Philippines. It is also established in the US as well as Papa New Guinea and other CFC countries. I was told before I left TnT that I would want to do all for these children and it would hurt my heart just seeing them. It sure did, but I also wanted to do more for my country, for my sweet TnT. For the children who can not go to school because they have to go look for food, for the families that do not know where their next meal is coming from. For the youths who do not know where to turn and end up in the hands of the drug dealers, I have hope and I know I can bring hope, may or may not be in my life time, but surely in God’s time.
I am ready for the challenge; I am ready to help that little child who cried out to me, I am ready to save my sweet TnT. God was always ready, so now let us be ready.
More for the poor, less for the rich and for sure there would be enough for everyone. Let us do our part now!
Then reality sets in, this is their world. They sleep on the streets, they beg and they huddle together or on cardboard for warmth. They know no school, they know no home, and some know no parents, but these streets they sure know. Street Children they are called but they are God’s Children. They are our brothers and sisters and they need to be treated so. I want to hold them all and say it is okay, let us go home.
The streets of Philippines are filled with them, and they walk the streets as we walk our bedrooms. This is their home, their bedroom. There is hope though, there has been change, cause as we were told to Love one another as He loved us, we are also told to ‘Forget what lies behind, and strain forward for what lies ahead, to continue our pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus’. We were told to Move forward in Christ. To hold these little children and with Christ we would be able to move forward.
Jesus told us that unless we accept the kingdom of God as a child we would not enter into it. We must humble ourselves. So instead of feeling sorry and sad for them, I behave like them. I beg my God, I ask my papa to give me what I need in this world, what he wants of me. I look to him with child like eyes and in a trembling voice I ask him “Please papa please… I honour you and come to you just as the children in the street came to me”
There is hope in all things, as God answered prayers through Gawad Kalinga (Giving care). GK is a social ministry under Couples for Christ and has been working with various partner groups to ensure that they can give care to persons all over Philippines. It is also established in the US as well as Papa New Guinea and other CFC countries. I was told before I left TnT that I would want to do all for these children and it would hurt my heart just seeing them. It sure did, but I also wanted to do more for my country, for my sweet TnT. For the children who can not go to school because they have to go look for food, for the families that do not know where their next meal is coming from. For the youths who do not know where to turn and end up in the hands of the drug dealers, I have hope and I know I can bring hope, may or may not be in my life time, but surely in God’s time.
I am ready for the challenge; I am ready to help that little child who cried out to me, I am ready to save my sweet TnT. God was always ready, so now let us be ready.
More for the poor, less for the rich and for sure there would be enough for everyone. Let us do our part now!
To the Ends of the Eath-My Story
We are closing off leaders retreat, and we started to sing a song we just learnt. I sang my heart out, and while hugging some of the other leaders, comforting them I felt it. I knelt and here it was. My heart began to ache and the song was etched in my heart forever. I became ‘still and listened’:
Love unfailing
Overtaking my heart
You take me in
Finding peace again
Fear is lost
In all you are
And I would give the world to tell Your story
Cause I know that You've called me
I know that You've called me
I've lost myself for good within Your promise
I won't hide it
I won't hide it
Jesus, I believe in You
And I would go to the ends of the earth
To the ends of the earth
For You alone are the Son of God
And all the world will see
That You are God
You are God
My mind was made up. There on Mount Saint Benedict 2 years ago I said my first yes and was nicknamed MI2..Missionary in two years. We laughed at it, we said yea man once University over with. I left that weekend with that first yes instilled in me. I helped anyway I could even while in school, which can be so hard with all the school work while planning camps and conferences.
My first yes was not forgotten. At a youth leaders and coordinators meeting, we once again ended the day with that song. This time tears were in my eyes, I really listened to the words and with the voice of an angel next to me singing (Kwasi ..RIP) I fell again. This time in the silence of my heart I said my second yes.
“I would go to the ends of the earth for you” – not literally I said after claiming the song as my all time favorite song. Just so that YFC TnT would flourish as best as it can, that I’ll help out in my parish, that I’ll make myself available to the Catholic Youth Secretariat to help in any event they need me for. Yes! My second yes was fulfilled. God probably said “Ok your wish is my command”, because my oh my the work never stopped since then. I complained and got stressed, but I realized that because of the work I did, when I did not complain school work was easy and when I let the work consume me it took a toll on the work and I was stressed out by the projects, and my oh my I had projects.
May 14th 2008 my last exam for my BSc at the University of the West Indies. A few days vacation with my girls, then it was on to my true mission. June 1st 2008 I officially became a Full Time Worker (FTW) with Couples for Christ and its family Ministries. In July 2008 I was on my way to St Lucia to help out for CFC Caribbean Conference and YFC Conference. There I faced ups and downs, with culture, my life, my spirituality, and my relationships. That is where another yes was made and I wrote a short affirmation:
“My mission here on earth? No not to take over the world like Pinkie and the Brain, but to let God take over my world. I have started my year service doing mission and today was the first day I felt like screaming and crying. The tears were in my heart but it was to be tears of joy as I realised that what I was feeling was God's affirmation of what is to come. "Change" happens and through that we have to 'Hope in the Lord' and with 'Loving one another as he loves us' we would make our "Mark in Christ". So I'll "Speak the word and Live the Faith" and trust in my Lord my God as I Shout, Cry and Praise OUT LOUD.”
One again God said “Your wish is my command” …”you asked for it so I’ll hand you on a platter”……Geeze He really listens boy. Cause that third yes lead to the ultimate Yes yet. The one that would have me leaving my comfort zone and going ‘To the end of the earth’, this time literally. YFC Conference was themed “Marked by Christ” and my word that has been the best Conference I have ever been a part of. 90+ youth from St Lucia, St Maarten, St Vincent and Trinidad filled the school hall, singing, clapping, and showing love to each other. The last day of our conference my first mission partner (unofficially) and first male Filipino Missionary to the Caribbean, Jonathan, asked us to forgive those in our presence who may of hurt us. Even though it pertained to some of us present we were hugging everyone and imagine all these youths crying and hugging because the presence of God was within us. The word that made me say this forth yes, this ultimate yes was said to me by my Co-Conference head partner “Look after the Caribbean”. With tears in my tears I shouted out my fourth yes in my heart.
So from two years to now, I’ve been saying yes and everything has been flowing with minor ups and downs. I now know that nothing ever goes smoothly, because we look at it from our eyes and how we want it and not through God’s eyes and how he wants it. I leave January 3rd 2009 to go to Mission Training in the Philippines and it has never been a smooth ride since the day I sat with my country head and told them I said yes. Embassies, Visa applications, airlines, tickets…nothing went how we wanted it. I was stressed, I had headaches, I cried, I said why? On December 31st 2008 at 10.20am everything fell in place, I had everything I needed in hand, visas, tickets etc. On January 3rd 2009 at 8am, I leave TnT not sad but overwhelmed, excited, a bit scared and yes ok a bit sad, but I leave TnT to fulfill that first Yes when I said to God “I’ll go to the End of the Earth for you”
Love unfailing
Overtaking my heart
You take me in
Finding peace again
Fear is lost
In all you are
And I would give the world to tell Your story
Cause I know that You've called me
I know that You've called me
I've lost myself for good within Your promise
I won't hide it
I won't hide it
Jesus, I believe in You
And I would go to the ends of the earth
To the ends of the earth
For You alone are the Son of God
And all the world will see
That You are God
You are God
My mind was made up. There on Mount Saint Benedict 2 years ago I said my first yes and was nicknamed MI2..Missionary in two years. We laughed at it, we said yea man once University over with. I left that weekend with that first yes instilled in me. I helped anyway I could even while in school, which can be so hard with all the school work while planning camps and conferences.
My first yes was not forgotten. At a youth leaders and coordinators meeting, we once again ended the day with that song. This time tears were in my eyes, I really listened to the words and with the voice of an angel next to me singing (Kwasi ..RIP) I fell again. This time in the silence of my heart I said my second yes.
“I would go to the ends of the earth for you” – not literally I said after claiming the song as my all time favorite song. Just so that YFC TnT would flourish as best as it can, that I’ll help out in my parish, that I’ll make myself available to the Catholic Youth Secretariat to help in any event they need me for. Yes! My second yes was fulfilled. God probably said “Ok your wish is my command”, because my oh my the work never stopped since then. I complained and got stressed, but I realized that because of the work I did, when I did not complain school work was easy and when I let the work consume me it took a toll on the work and I was stressed out by the projects, and my oh my I had projects.
May 14th 2008 my last exam for my BSc at the University of the West Indies. A few days vacation with my girls, then it was on to my true mission. June 1st 2008 I officially became a Full Time Worker (FTW) with Couples for Christ and its family Ministries. In July 2008 I was on my way to St Lucia to help out for CFC Caribbean Conference and YFC Conference. There I faced ups and downs, with culture, my life, my spirituality, and my relationships. That is where another yes was made and I wrote a short affirmation:
“My mission here on earth? No not to take over the world like Pinkie and the Brain, but to let God take over my world. I have started my year service doing mission and today was the first day I felt like screaming and crying. The tears were in my heart but it was to be tears of joy as I realised that what I was feeling was God's affirmation of what is to come. "Change" happens and through that we have to 'Hope in the Lord' and with 'Loving one another as he loves us' we would make our "Mark in Christ". So I'll "Speak the word and Live the Faith" and trust in my Lord my God as I Shout, Cry and Praise OUT LOUD.”
One again God said “Your wish is my command” …”you asked for it so I’ll hand you on a platter”……Geeze He really listens boy. Cause that third yes lead to the ultimate Yes yet. The one that would have me leaving my comfort zone and going ‘To the end of the earth’, this time literally. YFC Conference was themed “Marked by Christ” and my word that has been the best Conference I have ever been a part of. 90+ youth from St Lucia, St Maarten, St Vincent and Trinidad filled the school hall, singing, clapping, and showing love to each other. The last day of our conference my first mission partner (unofficially) and first male Filipino Missionary to the Caribbean, Jonathan, asked us to forgive those in our presence who may of hurt us. Even though it pertained to some of us present we were hugging everyone and imagine all these youths crying and hugging because the presence of God was within us. The word that made me say this forth yes, this ultimate yes was said to me by my Co-Conference head partner “Look after the Caribbean”. With tears in my tears I shouted out my fourth yes in my heart.
So from two years to now, I’ve been saying yes and everything has been flowing with minor ups and downs. I now know that nothing ever goes smoothly, because we look at it from our eyes and how we want it and not through God’s eyes and how he wants it. I leave January 3rd 2009 to go to Mission Training in the Philippines and it has never been a smooth ride since the day I sat with my country head and told them I said yes. Embassies, Visa applications, airlines, tickets…nothing went how we wanted it. I was stressed, I had headaches, I cried, I said why? On December 31st 2008 at 10.20am everything fell in place, I had everything I needed in hand, visas, tickets etc. On January 3rd 2009 at 8am, I leave TnT not sad but overwhelmed, excited, a bit scared and yes ok a bit sad, but I leave TnT to fulfill that first Yes when I said to God “I’ll go to the End of the Earth for you”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)