If Jesus Can, Why Can’t We?

5th Sunday of Lent. Pls Read God’s Silent Message: JN 12:20-33

 

Are there people in your life that have hurt you and you have not yet forgiven?

Yong mga taong kinakasamaan mo ng loob kasi ang sabi mo nasaktan ka nila …

Yong mga taong sabi mo nakasakit sayo kaya nagalit ka sa kanila …

Pero ang tanong Friend … nalaman kaya nila na sumama loob mo sa kanila?

Nalaman kaya nila kung bakit at kung ano ang iyong ikinagalit?

And kung nalaman man nila, napag-usapan nyo po kaya ng tama where to draw the line of reconciliation?

Hanggang kailan ka po kaya magagalit?  Hanggang kailan hindi magagawang magpapatawad?

Just some of the questions we could reflect on. Sometimes it’s not really all about them – but about nobody than US!

Minsan kasi, kailangan din nating masaktan para maisip natin kung kailan din natin hindi sinasadyang makapanakit. Stories always have two sides of the coin. Supposedly, when we commit, we admit; when we omit, we submit! – but in reality, when one commits mistake & omits to ask for forgiveness, we normally judge & condemn – sacrificing the relationship to death.

Pero alam mo friend, what makes us uneasy to forgive is the fact that the real enemy that Jesus came to overcome was Satan who tempts the human race to create their own destiny through sinful pride and disobedience. In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds:

“Amen, amen, I say to you, unless the grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies,

it remains alone. But if it dies, it will bear much fruit.”  – John 12.24

Only when the seed is destroyed by burying it in the ground, can it rise to new life and bear fruit. What it means is that, sometimes we have to die to our self-satisfaction of justifying why we’re mad.

If Jesus took our sins upon himself and nailed them to the cross to set us free from destruction, why can we not give up our pride and futility?

Friend, ayaw ni God na laging mabigat ang pakiramdam mo dahil galit ka dahil sa pagkukulang ng iba!

God has been striving to bring us into an inseparable bond of love & unity with Him. Only if we would be one with God would we be able to “free others from our unforgiveness” – then it would eventually free us to extend more love and bear much fruit of encouraging relationships! #sunset

 

published in The Feast San Lorenzo Weekly Bulletin. Issue #15. 18 March 2018. UNLEASHED Series. Talk 3: Freeing Yourself.

 

 

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

“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, MILLENIALS!

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

============================================================================

Article published in: The Feast San Lorenzo Bulletin. Issue #12. 25 February 2018. The Light of Jesus Family in San Lorenzo, Sta Rosa, Laguna. The Feast San Lorenzo

6 Ways to Be Your Own Best Friend

Hi, Friends, sharing with you again in gratitude, my personal notes on the 3rd Talk of the Series: MAGNETIC by our Feast Builder Bro Dreus Cosio @ The Feast SM Santa Rosa, Cinema 1,  two weeks ago.  

Sorry for posting this late; I just had to accomplish a lot lately — but  I don’t wanna miss this chance because being a mother of three daughters, I dearly hope this would be something they can always go back to when they come to the RIGHT TIME of finding their “Mr. Right”.  I sure do hope that this would also help a lot of parents out there while they fervently desire for their child’s best future. 

SERIES:  MAGNETIC

How to Attract The Right Person Into Your Life

Talk 3: The Bond

When you try to look for the right person,

“Hanapin mo yong taong gagawin kang priority, hindi temporary.”

Basically, both men and women — some, if not all — do not really know how to attract the right person in their life. 

Why? — because people are getting confused in their love story and with the way they look at themselves.  

Unconscious as they are, there is that tendency to carelessly submit or comply with the  3 Laws of Romantic Attraction:

  

1st law.  You don’t attract who you deserve.  You attract who you think you deserve.

Subconsciously, you see yourself in a very low way.   You’ve got to consider that your perception is your reality.  If you perceive yourself as somebody who is broken, you will be looking for another broken person. 

The perfect formula for a toxic relationship is a toxic self.

2nd law.  You don’t attract who you want. You attract who you are.

A wounded person will attract another wounded person. An emotionally healthy person will attract another healthy person.

3rd law.  You don’t attract how you want to be treated.  You attract how you treat yourself.

Long before he treated her as garbage, she already treated herself as garbage.To her, abuse felt like love.

Broken people attracts broken people.  “If you don’t do the inner work to heal yourself, your unhealed wounds will attract another wounded person.”

 “If you don’t heal your own wounds, you’ll go into a relationship, seeking for someone else to heal your wounds.”

credits to http://www.lightfam.com/images/talkslides/Magnetic%203.pdf

You get attracted to many wrong people because you don’t really think of your self too well.  

TO ATTRACT THE RIGHT PERSON, you’ve got “WORK ON YOUR SELF FIRST!”  Unless you have a healthy relationship with yourself, you’ll never have a healthy relationship with others.

Its ok for you to declare that you are wonderfully made.  You have to love yourself!

photo credits:  amendesigns.com

 

You’ve got to BE YOUR OWN BEST FRIEND! 

How? 

Here are these 6 WAYS  to be your own BEST FRIEND:

1. Forgive your faults.

    Imagine yourself at the end of the day and forgive yourself.

2. Fix your fences.

    Fix your defense system — your boundaries.  Protect yourself from meanness. 

3.  Feel your feelings.

    All emotions are valid but not all expressions.  Affirming your feelings is respecting yourself. 

    Put a gap between emotion and expression. 

4. Focus on your fantasies.

    What do you picture in your mind? 

    Stop thinking about the bad stuff that’s happening in your life.  

5. Follow your fun.

    Don’t take yourself too seriously. “tumawa ka naman!” 🙂 

    Laugh more often! 

6. Find your flow.

    Go on, pursue your passion as a person!

    If you find your flow — your “zone” — you feel alive. 

                  

Go back to yourself.  Be comfortable with one thing in life — be comfortable with God’s love.

The bond simply means you have to fix your relationships at home by fixing your self first.  You have to love your self every day.  You have to feel good about yourself because it all boils down on how you see yourself!

Bro Dreus concluded with this advice:

“Everyday, start declaring the wonderful characters that you are!  Couples as well, you could start to embrace your differences and start fixing your relationship.”

Pwedeng may part ng buhay mo na hindi ka sanay

But you need to be comfortable in that place— how? 

Magpamahal ka kay God.

Allow God to tell you how much He loves you! 

#sunset

https://gailmontero.blogspot.com/2017/06/6-ways-to-be-your-own-best-friend.html

 

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://profgail67.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!”

Miracles Happen There “Within”.

Some of us may have all the unanswered questions that may shatter us instead of making us whole again.

But why? … maybe because we just tend to stop rising above our weaknesses that tend to pull us down, then we delimit all the opportunities that are given to us to believe that we could actually perform our own miracles with the love and mercy of God.

Sometimes, situations tend to paralyze us in our own comforts — that we are almost blinded to see how we can touch others’ lives. Sometimes some of us are reluctant to use our sensitivity to others’ needs; yet, some of us are persistent and keep on striving for SURVIVAL just to inspire others who are already losing hope.

Friends, we may be at our weakest at this point in time. It may be more comfortable to just give in to whatever difficulty we’ve incurred because of our own lapses; it may even be easier to close our eyes and never fight against any pain – BUT it’s not God’s original design in our life!

When occurrences make us broken, we need to strive to be WHOLE AGAIN. For the times when we’re right there at the edge of giving up, we should have all the humility to seek for an ounce of Miracle — if we want to still be there for the ones we love who would never want to see us just giving up.

Yes friends, MIRACLES ARE JUST THERE IN THE DOORSTEPS OF OUR HEART – we just need to make it happen there “within” – then declare in our actions that we’re giving our battle a good fight because we want to give hope to those who are also struggling to live for some missions yet to accomplish. “Laban lang!” #sunset

photo credits:http://www.thequotepedia.com/images/102/its-not-about-what-god-gives-to-you-its-about-how-you-handle-what-god-gives-to-you-miracles-quote.jpg

 

Earphones.

Cor Dei. 19^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Pls Read God’s Silent Message: LK 12:32-48

 Dear Child,

I was speaking with you but you didn’t hear me.

I wonder if you ever looked at me while I speak

— but because you didn’t even respond,

maybe you’ve set your earphones on high volume

that you shun your ears to the pleading of my intentions

to tell you how much I care,

with the words that you didn’t want to hear.

But even then, hopefully next time,

even if you have your earphones on,

you wouldn’t shun your heart to my gestures

which are hoping to reach out to make you learn the right things.

Hopefully next time, you will consider my “utmost concern”

even if you opted not to listen by now.

And with any chance,

I hope you would eventually hear me “with your heart”.

Could you relate if God would send you this letter? Would we be humble enough to admit that occasionally, we are “that child” who, at times innovate with gadgets over some “speck of respect” just because we feel that we are being hindered to enjoy whatever we think will bring us happiness?

Could you guess how God feels while composing that letter for us?

Amidst our MODERNIZED world, we should be reminded: “Don’t confuse Innovation with Morality!” Everything else may change but whatever used to be right as to God’s Commandments should never be altered & regarded “old fashioned”.

We may never be aware that God might have been *in tears* while speaking to us everyday – yet if we will only open up our heart, we would realize that no matter how repeatedly we shun our ears to His commands, He will keep on *embracing us* with His unchangeable LOVE. #sunset

*published in The Feast Bulletin. Series of 2016. 7 August 2016 Issue. PERFECT 10 Series of Light of Jesus Family. Talk 1. Unchangeable.

*photocredits: wallpaperscristaos.com

 

 

When we almost forfeit what we really “don’t want to lose”!

Cor Dei: My Gospel Reflections

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Pls Read God’s Silent Message: Luke 11:1-13

photo credits to cross map.com

Sabi nila, kapag ang isang bagay daw ay nasira na, ayusin mo man ito, sigurado kesa sa malamang, kapag nasira pa ito ulit, mag-gi-give up na ito ng tuluyan; hindi na muling mabubuo, “goodbye na lang”!

The last thing na pwede mo na lang sabihin ay: “sayang!”

And in your thoughts, madaming “sana”!

“Sana kasi, di mo ito masyadong inabuso, ‘di mo winalang bahala, — sana kasi iningatan mo!

Restoration. Along life’s journey, madalas ito ‘yong hindi natin nagagawa until such time that we almost forfeit what we don’t really want to lose. Yong pagkasira ng isang bagay, it could also happen to us in different areas of our life: in health, in finances and in everything else.

There are times that we don’t understand why things are happening to us — there may be a lot in life that may make us “wanna give up” and just allow “goodbyes” kasi akala natin hindi na talaga maaayos ‘yong nasira na. But you know what, the truth is: “WE CAN NEVER RUN FROM GOD’S LOVE” no matter how much we’ve neglected His “being near” just to make us feel complete.

For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. – Luke 11:10

Friend, God wants us to FLOURISH in every aspect if only we will PUT GOD FIRST in our life. Despite the many risks and challenges of feeling so down, so low and dead hopeless, He wants us to STRIVE FOR RELEVANCE and enrich everything else in OUR BEING –so that we will have that FULLNESS OF LIFE.

All that it should take is for us to STRIVE TO BE WHOLE: humbly ASK, SEEK, KNOCK and GOD WILL ADD MORE TO OUR LIFE than allow “goodbyes”! 🐬😊 #sunset

Published in The Feast SM Sta Rosa Bulletin. 2016 Series. FSMSRB Issue of 24 July 2016. BELOVED Series. Talk 2: Be Whole

 

 

 

 

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