Its Time to Free Yourself

What is your picture of God in you?

Today at The Feast San Lorenzo, we realized that our merciful God does not want us to be the greatest punisher of our self because of our mistakes in the past.

Friend, pwede tayong maglambing kay God by confessing our sins so that we can free ourself from the shadows of our own unforgiveness. Minsan kasi ang yabang natin, we keep on running away from God’s love kaya we dont get what we deserve; instead, we get what we think we deserve because of the guilt that we have in our heart kasi we do not humbly confess to God kung saan tayo nagkamali. We also do not forgive ourself the way God wants us to kasi sometimes our disorientations are being mixed up, specially when we are already guilty.

God has that magic detergent that would wash away our sins which is called “forgiveness!” Out of His great love, He is telling us now that WE HAVE NOTHING TO PAY — for there at the cross, He already paid for our sins.

Kaya friend, wag na tayong pakipot, let’s free ourselves na from that thing that has been punishing us for the longest time! God loves us so much that He wants us to change our picture of Him in our life. Let us forgive ourself because God has already forgiven us. 🙂

That time we change our picture of God,

Would be the moment we will appreciate and enjoy God’s love. God will protect us from any sort of dirt in pir life and asure us that WE HAVE NOTHING TO PAY because He loves us unconditionally.

#youareloved #cometogether #thefeastsanlorenzo #unleashed #freeingself

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!

Your Cross is a Symbol of Life

Are you having difficult time right now?  Do you feel that you’re carrying a cross at this point in time? 

Don’t feel too low Dear Friend, God can transform your difficulties to grace!  

In today’s Gospel, Jesus challenged His disciples to collaborate with His mission by carrying their cross. 

In our life, we too are called to carry our cross and to follow Jesus. 

That cross which is a symbol of life and of our being saved. 

“We will not die forever bec we do not belong to death, we belong to God.” — Fr. Erwin dela Cruz

The call is for us to keep on trusting our God — for if we do, nothing could keep us apart from Him. 

Walang pagsubok at paghihirap na hindi natin kayang paglabanan because our weapon is the ressureccion of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Paying this forward, to you dear friend,  as inspired by Fr. Erwin Dela Cruz’s homily during the Mass @ The Feast SM Sta Rosa this morning, July 2, 2017. 

Photo credits: Earl Pascua, The Feast SM Sta Rosa

You Can Heal Your Own Wounds

6^th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Pls Read God’s Silent Message: Mt 5:17-37

photo credits: http://www.stephaniedaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Forgive-Yourself.jpg

 

Would you know one of the reasons why some wounds don’t heal?

May mga sugat na halos ayaw mong gamutin kasi masakit kapag nililinis; to the point na magagalit ka pa sa naglilinis ng sugat mo kasi nasasaktan ka!

We have doctors all around to tell us how to heal our wound; we have nurses to assist and loved ones to care for us while we’re hurting…yet we end up offending them; we don’t listen to the doctor’s instructions because we’ve focused on our pain and we kept on doing the wrong thing.

What we do not realize is, we can actually HEAL OUR OWN WOUND if we would be brave enough to CLEAN IT UP BY OURSELVES by following how we were instructed.

In today’s Gospel, God  wants us to understand His intention for giving us His commandments which He yearn to be fulfilled in us. All that He expects is for us is to strive to do the right thing: overcome negativity with possibilities; triumph against every temptation to be weak; reach out to forgive those who’ve offended us and look within to forgive our own self from our wrong doings.

Our heart is the seat of our motivations. If only we will find that inspiration deep within to allow God’s love to move in our life, we would then comply as directed, follow as instructed! We won’t have to hold back the pains caused upon us, as we will no longer offend carelessly – then we wont have to endure our wounds at all! #sunset

Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow.  But I say to you, do not swear at all.  Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’  Anything more is from the evil one.”   

How to Shift from Poverty to Prosperity Mindset

photo credits: https://www.instagram.com/brotherbosanchez/

 

In gratitude, I would like to share with you my personal notes on our Feast Builder Bro Dreus Cosio’s Talk @ The Feast SM Santa Rosa, Cinema 1, 9:00am & 11:00am Sessions.

SERIES:

Money Pakyaw:  Knocking Down Your Biggest Financial Problems

Talk 2: Prosperity.  I Have Everything I Need

ONE BIG MESSAGE: “Blessings are chasing after me.”

 

Psalm 23 : God’s message of prosperity & peace to us.

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.”

We have everything that we need.

When we recognize that we are complete, there is peace.

We’ve got to know the difference between our wants & needs.

We have to weigh our  financial capacity and discern to buy only what we need without struggling “just to conform” with “what’s IN”.

“He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.”

People who thinks they are poor “feels the lack”.

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

God wants to bless us forever.

We have to know that God’s goodness & love will be with us all our life.

The causes of poverty are multidimensional!
There should be a shift from Poverty Mindset to Prosperity Mindset!

We need to BREAK that “feeling of lack” in terms of:

Psychology

Don’t reinforce poverty mindset
Poverty mindset pleases people.
Prosperity mindset loves people.
Our psychology about money matters.

Theology

How do you see money?
How is your “Psychological Wallet”? We have to be comfortable in earning bec we have to be comforted in giving.

God blesses people to bless people
How do you see God?

Economy

When you start believing that blessings are chasing you, you become rich.

While there are times in your life that things are difficult, believe that God can transform any problem into the biggest blessing in your life.

The purpose of  money is love
God is our model of generosity.

Be a blessing builder!

A Psalm of David.

1 The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 

3 He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. 

4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,I will fear no evil, for You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 

6 Surely Your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

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

Not an Ounce of Hope will Perish!

Those moments when you can’t understand where pain is coming from, basta may masakit but you can’t identify kung saan kasi maraming pwedeng panggalingan as to your condition — buti na lang “pwede ka namang umiyak” just to burst out such sting.

Di naman gamot lang ang pwedeng makapagpagaan ng bawat sakit na nararamdaman mo…

You endure  — kasi it’s your choice na lumaban PARA SA MGA TAONG MAHAL MO dahil di mo sila kayang masaktan kapag nakita nilang di ka na lumalaban.

It helps a lot to have that gratitude in your heart!

Amidst suffering, many are praying for you — some would even come to pray over and send notes to delight your heart. Amidst discomforts, you can see that your family has been striving to manage things with you.  Most specially, amidst every single pain, you have God’s Cross which you can hold — to assure you that nothing can separate God’s love from you.

You can give it another good fight because YOU LOVE!

Kaya mong sabihin sa sarili mong “laban lang!” kasi ‘yon yong pwede mong ibalik na gratitude kay God for sending you people who physically, morally & spiritually support you in your plight.

Recurrence, kahit stage 4 pa yan — you can always choose to embrace God’s cross because that cross will BREAKTHROUGH any pain to again bring you the healing that you need.

There within your HEART, you feel that BIG WHY: “you’ve got to BE STILL” not only because of God’s Jeremiah 29:11 for you — but initially because you don’t want to hurt the ones you love kapag nakita nilang mas pinili mong hindi na lumaban.

Its always worth the sacrifice for the sake of the people you love — much more, it is exciting to experience God’s healing while holding His Cross IN QUIETNESS & IN TRUST, for you have yet a lot of God’s tasks to accomplish.  #sunset

BE HELD IN GOD’S HANDS!

Cancer is limited! 

This has been my “motivational tagline” as I discerned to bring God’s silent messages to words. I was on my 2^nd year of “struggling to survive” when I was offered to write Gospel Reflections by our Feast Builder Bro. Jon Escoto for our Feast Bulletin. I was still quite weak then – yet, each time I ponder, God kept me firm with His healing light & love.

BUT “AS IT IS”, sometimes we get too pained when some people tell us to STOP doing what God tells us to fulfill. At some extent we may also choose to just give-up when we’ve given much, yet some would tend to be unaware that their inclinations “not to listen with their heart” seem to inflict another round of battle to endure.

BUT THEN NO! After seven years, right at that point when I pleaded in tears that I would never want to go through that same pain again, here goes our LIMITLESS GOD, affirming to me His promise: 

¹⁸ But not a hair of your head will perish.

¹⁹ Stand firm, and you will win life! –Luke 21:17-18

Our adversaries’ intolerance & persecution could be malignant — but not a speck of such malignancy could defeat us — if only we will persevere trusting God’s unbounded love & wisdom!

Reflection:

Our perseverance may consume us like a pencil experiencing pain when sharpened — but the words we’ve written will leave a mark because we allowed ourselves to be held in God’s hands!

Prayer:

I claim it Lord: “not a hair of my head will again perish” because your assurance of being in my life makes cancer limited and makes me endure to fulfill your given mission!

 

 DTO for 2017, Gail S. Montero. gailmontero@gmail.com

 

Is your Mom your Leader?

“A parent is a leader. It’s the most important leader in the world.”

Reading this from Bro. Bo Sanchez’ message made my mind ask so many things to myself.

I have not been so “me” lately!  I’ve been physically weak, ‘been wanting to still do a lot of things the usual that I used to, but there is this stinging unexplained pain somewhere that makes me stop just to give my body the chance to recuperate.

Good thing though, every time I stop, I ignite myself to claim for God’s healing. Humbly it would bring me to sobs because no matter how strong I want to remain, God might have been giving me such leeway for me to have that “breathing space” which would also give my kids the chance to affirm now that God is giving them “their turn” to make visible — the things that they’ve learned from their mom.

Parent as I am, I then ask myself: “had I been a good leader to my kids?”; “did I accomplish a task having been sent as a mother to them?”; “would my leadership make our kids whom God wants them to be?”

Too early as of yet to get some answer maybe … but I may just represent all the other parents out there who strive to keep that SPARK the best we could, no matter how much sacrifice we have to overcome each day; yet, just as Jesus said to his disciples, we parents do cry out for this too:

“Whoever loves me will keep my word; Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me.” — JN 14:23-29

So for YOUths out there, as much as your parents strive to kindle their light to lead your way to God’s wisdom, may you also strive to ignite your “heart” not only to hear your parents’ voice but most importantly to “listen” to that “inspiration” coming from their deepest intention to make you a Very Inspired Person who would in turn be regarded as Very Inspiring Persons to others too – because there within your HOME, you’ve met your very first VIPs: Very Inspired & Inspiring Parents!

And to us parents, WE MAY BE WEAK AT TIMES but so long as we never turn “that spark OFF” we will always be God’s follower and our kids’ influencer! #sunset

“Leadership is intentional influence.” — Michael McKinne

Why Jesus had to “write on the sand”

photo credits to https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/

We can do our personal reflection on this God’s Silent Message: John 8:1-11

When was the last time you listened to your loved ones’ stories?

— the last time you deeply appreciated that person for listening to yours & for commending “your being great”?

When was that last time you sat down in full attention to that person who longs to hear “even that simplest boost & affirmation” from you?

OR, WHEN WAS THE FIRST TIME you did not condemn — that first time you did not believe your own assumptions against that person?

Because of forgetfulness, we commit sin! –Velden Lim #Didache3.2.16

When we don’t remember anything good, we care “less”, we hate more!  When we don’t overcome that “hate”, it clutters both our mind and our heart!  It makes us DISTANT and gives us all the reason “not to make someone feel their WORTH”.  We forget occasions, we forget to fill-in our love tanks and we no longer see the opportunities where we can reciprocate those simple reaching outs.

When we capitalize on our “I”, our self becomes numb: Self Is Numb because we no longer feel for others – only for our “self”.

“Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her!”

Two times in today’s gospel, JESUS BENT DOWN to write on the ground with His finger while He waited for people to respond “in realization”.

For the many times you’ve written down what you hope people to realize, yet they still don’t, your safest choice is to “just be the one to bend and break and forgive because you love them so much”.

But sometimes, we are caught between tough love and resilience – for even if we love so much, we should not forget that it’s also our responsibility to save our loved ones from dying softly to forgetfulness. At some point, we’ve got to grant them the “benefit of the doubt” which should lead them to be a reflective person – until they realize that “it’s not too late to say I’m sorry”!

Today, may we realize why Jesus had to “write on the sand”!

When we commit sin, yet, like that woman we “strive to have that chance to be ALONE WITH JESUS”, our humility will make us REMEMBER DEEP WITHIN how much Jesus entrusted us to sin no more!” Only if we don’t forget such GRATITUDE, shall our heart remember what the mind usually forgets! #sunset

“When someone hurts us, we should write it down in the sand,                                                                where the winds of forgiveness can erase it!”

/@ProfGail67[twitter]/@gailmontero.47

 

Just “Allow GOD!”

Pls Read God’s Silent Message: Luke 4:21-30

Wag kang “umasa lang” … kasi baka masaktan ka!

Kung meron kang mga “sana” sa puso mo, MANIWALA KA!

— “maniwala ka” na pwedeng maging totoo ang bawat pagkakataon na

     gusto mong may mangyaring maganda, kesa sabihin mong “ayoko na!”

End of January na – THE DOOR of the YEAR!

For some of us, baka kakaumpisa pa lang ng 2016, parang ang dami na agad nangyari!

‘yong ni-#wish mo na i-#wow ka ng mga tao sa paligid mo dahil all the while alam mo sa sarili mo na you did #work the best you could – pero feeling mo NOBODY LIKED nor appreciated you — parang si Jesus lang in today’s Gospel – rejected in His own community:

And he said, “Amen, I say to you,
no prophet is accepted in his own native place.

This month — which is named after the two-faced Roman god Janus for his simultaneous capability to look back, yet look ahead – could have been spent for deep reflections on how 2015 has been so that we would be able to identify our “for keeps”, for “let-go” and for “move-ons” in 2016 – otherwise, we would be cluttering on disorganized thoughts which would eventually show in our decision-making all throughout another year.

When despised and situations turn weary and “wackos” prevail, “Jesus passed through the midst of them and went away!” And you know what He did instead? — He went on cleansing, healing, curing and building bridges to the hearts of “those who believe and who open the door for progressive healing of their body & soul” – from then ‘till now!

Si Jesus, nasaktan din pero hindi sya “umasa lang” – HE DIVERTED POSITIVELY and NANIWALA Sya that HE HAD TO OVERCOME THE PAIN because many would want to be #blessed until this very year – all because of His “unfailing love”!

Sana kasama ka sa naniniwala na magkakaroon ka ng AMAZING 2016 habang sinasabi mo sa sarili mo na hindi ka “umaasa lang” dahil you are WOWED, you WISH and WORK with God’s heart. #sunset