We Can Still Align: The Antidote to Future Regrets

2^nd Sunday of Lent

Pls Read God’s Silent Message: Mk 9:2–10

 

Hello, MILLENNIALS!

Have you heard some at your age, with these lines?

Sana pala, I didn’t give in that much, di sana ako na-broken hearted!

Sana pala, I didn’t keep secrets from my parents, na-guide sana ako!

Sana pala, di ako nagmadali, na-enjoy ko pa sana ang pagka-bata ko!

Sana pala, nakinig ako, di sana …

Guess what, would you know that your parents share the same sentiments with you?

Kung sana lang nasabihan namin sya, di sana sya nasasaktan ngayon!

Kung sana lang nalaman namin, di naman nya kailangang maramdamang mag-isa sya!

Kung sala lang di kami na-awkward na masabihang stage parents, we could have enjoyed TIMES TOGETHER!

Kung sana lang, nakinig sya at napakinggan namin sya, di sana…

 

Ang daming “sana”, ang daming time na parang nasayang na!

If dadating ka sa point na parang kulang na ‘yong time, saka mo lang masasabi sa sarili mo:

“Sayang, ‘di sana ako naghesitate na tingnan ang dapat kong makita,

di sana ako nagdalawang isip na sabihin ‘yong dapat kong sabihin;

naging humble sana akong ipakita at iparamdam na kailangan ko ng tulong;

kailangan kong maramdamang di ako nag-iisa.”

Millenials and “Me-linya” … come to think of it, “to each his own!” … sometimes, we just don’t realize and recognize that we both share the same sentiments towards each other in the so-called “generational gap.”

Madalas kesa minsan, we fail to make “both ends meet” kasi we are focused on our own emotions and expectations.

Today’s Gospel is reminding us to be spiritually awake and not miss God’s glory in action:

“The Lord Jesus not only wants us to see His glory – 

He wants to share this glory with us.

And Jesus shows us the way to the Father’s glory: follow me – obey my words – take the path I have chosen for you and you will receive the blessings of my Father’s kingdom – your name will be written in heaven.”

We would miss  God’s glory and action if we wouldn’t strive to obey “as children” and submit to the path that God has chosen for us “as parents.” The Antidote to future regret is to align as parents & child NOW!

Life is too short, we should maximize time, appreciating and enjoying “having each other” while we still have all the opportunity to “make things up with each other”. #sunset

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Article Published in: The Feast San Lorenzo Bulletin. Issue #12. 25 February 2018. The Light of Jesus Family in San Lorenzo, Sta Rosa, Laguna. https://www.facebook.com/thefeastsanlorenzo/

Keep, Drop, Change!

Gospel Reflection for 7 January 2018

The Epiphany of the Lord

Pls Read God’s Silent Message: Gospel of Matthew 2:1-12

“When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.“

It’s NEW YEAR once more!

“Picture-picture!” … selfie dito, groupie don! – natapos ang taon na maraming ganon – at nagsimula na ulit ang taon, GANON PA DIN! … at isa na ako don! “eto na naman si picture-picture!” – ganito lagi ang kantyaw sa akin kapag may “moments”!  Nagkamali nga daw ako ng course na kinuha – dapat daw ay Photography!

True enough! I have always loved “photography” because I have always loved “life & every bit of chance in it”!  Thanks to the leveled-up technology kasi digital na tayo ngayon … gone were the days na “kailangan ipa-develop mo muna ang film bago mo pa makita ang image”! – tapos saka mo pa lang makikita na ang epic-fail pala ang shots mo, gumastos ka pa sa developing charge!

Each picture tells “a thousand words” & God’s messages & signals are in-to-it! Images may be kept in the heart but God has given us another alternative to make us “see beyond” when we “take another glance” at those shots in our solitude.

God has always been great for creating great minds that brought us this “digital advantage” where we can easily keep good-to-see pics, drop unpleasant scenarios & elements and change some effects before we post pics that would gather many “likes” in social sites –- all because we’ve INSPIRED life!

What we do in photography, we do to “life”! – but let us be like those three WISE men who CONSIDERED God’s SIGNS which made them decide to take another route & save themselves from unseeming destruction.

So, my dear friends,  let’s reflect on this: what can we “keep, drop & change” in our life as we welcome 2018?

Happy & Blessed New Year po! #sunset

What to do When You Are Broken

Nakatambay ka ba?

Nakatambay ka ba sa problema na dapat ay dinadaanan mo lang?

 

Friend, if you sometimes feel so broken, here’s what God wants you to do:

https://gailmontero.blogspot.com/2017/07/what-to-do-when-you-are-broken.html

 

At the end of it all, ‘di mo kailangang tumambay in your brokenness. Your scars will connect with others’ stories if you let your learnings from it FLOW!

photo credits: http://www.lightfam.com/index.php/the-feast/feast-teachings

Don’t Dilly-Dally

Cor Dei 1.  3^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Pls Read God’s Silent Message: MT4:12-23

 “the people living in darkness have seen a great light…” — Matthew 4:16

photo credits: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com

CHANCES … grab or drop it! 

Once in a while we’ll first have to be despicable before we’d realize that we’ve already missed a chance!  Sometimes we fall short of foresight that we overlook what should have been done at a certain required time.

I was recently bereaved by a friend who had been sick. I wasn’t able to visit her again when I started battling against mine.  I had her in my mind several times last December. I planned to call her up too, but scheds and events had just piled up until I ended receiving that sad news; Facebook feeds were filled with posts, mourning for her.  I felt so guilty; I should have told her, “let’s fight together!”; I should have made her feel stronger knowing that she’s not struggling alone. I cried hard in regret; I was just consoled when a friend told me, “marami pa kami!; we also want to hear from you!”

When you come to that breaking point that you wouldn’t want to miss chances, your only choice would be to MAXIMIZE TIME! Each time we wake up for a day, God is giving us “that invitation” to come after Him and leave our comfort zones of excuses.

Friends, today let’s IMPLEMENT that decision: REACH OUT, DO NOT DELAY!

Days may be dark at times, but if we will only consider God’s calling to “come after Him”, we will surely see the LIGHT that will mark the turning point in our life. More Dreams & Plans will materialize which will make our BEST YEAR EVER! #sunset

==========================================================================Published in FeastSMStaRosaBulletin. Series of 2017. Issue #2, 22 January 2017. Light of Jesus’ BEST YEAR EVER: Imagine Your Future Now Series. Talk 3: Implementation

also posted in: http://gailmontero.blogspot.com/2017/01/dont-dilly-dally.html?spref=fb & https://trendingprof47.wordpress.com/2017/01/24/dont-dilly-dally/

 

“True Character is who you are and what you do — even when no one is watching you!”

Avoid the Temperament TRAP!

Avoid the Temperament TRAP!.

You can make your Temperament “a melody”!

That “{Yes” Called Humility

No one would see the pain when things and people are not fair & when situations doesn’t favor us; but if we will say “YES” and be more “charitable along the timeline of relationships, and we will TRUST na “KAYA KO” ang “magpakumbaba”, we are being “meek” to our Father and that is ONE BIG CONFIDENCE that we’re not alone in fighting our battles, because God will fight our battles for us….

http://profgailinspires.com/2013/09/02/that-yes-called-humility/

#heartshift “We just need to do that Heart-Shift”

“How sad that the bread which we mostly want to enjoy are those which feed only the body and not the soul — – here today, gone the day after 😦 ” #breadforthesoul

It hurts the heart so much that there is more weight on the lack of money — than the value of the relationship which needs to be nurtured the most!

Hopefully today, we would feel challenged to do that HEART-SHIFT for us to see what is SPIRITUAL!

#”No Gift is Too Small”#

Love is like five loaves & two fishes…it never multiplies until you give it away…

How true is it that “we cannot give what we don’t have!”?

He who has little has given greatly … the little was made many;  the limited became “much”! He did not worry that he might possibly run out of what would sustain him; instead, selflessly, he shared the little that he had, saying: “take my five loaves & two fishes, do with it as You will, I surrender! You can use it all, I hope it’s not too small.”

That little boy in today’s gospel: because he saw the kindness in Jesus’ smile and the gladness of the people who were listening to Him,  he didn’t think twice to be a channel of blessing to others. ‘buti pa sya … limited lang ang meron, pero kinayang magbigay? Hindi nagdamot mag-offer. Kung gaanong “kapiraso lang” ang meron sya ay nadagdagan ng higit pa, kesa sa dami ng kinailangan, dahil sa laki ng “willingness” na meron sya sa puso nya.

Sounds ideal? … I hope not!

Thus far, this actuality bother me: bakit silang mga “can afford” naman sana, napipilitan lang  magbigay?; bakit kung sino pa ang meron, sila pa ang nagwo-worry na baka kapusin kapag nag-share sila?; bakit kung sino pa ang may siguradong kita, sila pa ang namo-mroblema sa kung magkano na lang ang matitira? May mga pagkakataon na ini-enjoy na sana ng pamilya ang kinitang pera, ibinili ng kailangan at di naman winaldas; pero mas natatabunan ng pagka-STRESS ang enjoyment dahil bigla na lang, mas na-prioritize ang “kaba” sa mga susunod pang gastusin. Laging may halong alinlangan tuwing nagsi-share. Parang lagi na lang, may katapat na halagang mababawas sa budget when they give … always reluctant to exert effort to something that wouldn’t yield a benefit to them, or their family.

Fears, inhibitions, worries,  all the burdens, mas lalong nagiging mabigat kasi sinosolo! — instead of lifting things up to God. As if they do not trust that God will reward every loving service that they do —  kaya ang sinasabi, “you can only give what you have!” – parang laging galing lang sa bulsa ang kayang ibigay!

Yes, partly true: we need to know what’s in the budget, much that we need to recognize our current limits – BUT we don’t need to be limited by them kasi, si God, mas sinusubukan nya ang laman ng puso mo kapag paubos na ang laman ng bulsa mo.

True that it’s tediously difficult to share when we almost have nothing. Struggle ito! Yet, we flourish even when we struggle! Times may be hard, but it is during these tough times when “God meets our needs — all the time!”

Our WORTH which made people consider us, as a blessing to them, plus the worth of the person/s whose friendship already means something to us, will then be “what we can give” because that’s what we have!

If and only if we will be like that boy who gave without hesitation, our GRANDEST act of kindness would not go unnoticed by the abundance of God’s love.  Only if we  surrender all of our reservations and trust Jesus that much, God will also multiply a million-folds whatever we have planted today – soon for us to reap! — sunset 

‘Got to Experience that Gulliver’s Travel :)

Can we not be like Gulliver
in the vastness of this life?
He lied, put them in such a state of “make-believe”
but he did everything to “make it up” to them
not because they were small …
but because they’ve grown part of him!

Yes, relationships, when it flourish and conquered the heart, anything so small can never be disregarded … because they are already a BIG, BIG part of us 🙂

So, can you not be like Gulliver who can’t just turn his back from small people?