You go on a long vacation out of town. On your way back, you are already planning your next vacation.

You enter into a romantic relationship and try to nurture it for years only to wake up one day, heartbroken and pondering on how you can bounce back.

Yes, the world can fill a need for a while but only God can satisfy for a lifetime.

The Samaritan Woman at Jacob’s well knew that.

Zacchaeus will attest to it.

The rich young man learned his lesson.

And yours truly? Years ago, as a young man addicted to pornography, and was constantly drunk, I was familiar with the empty promises of the world. I knew how the world can lure you into its arms and then leave you eating the dust by its feet.I can still smell the stench of deception and feel the pain of broken dreams.

My friend, if you are restless, looking for purpose and longing for peace, why don’t you try Jesus?

He alone suffices. He alone satisfies.

Have blessed weekend!

Bobby

The reason may be because many of these dreams are really just wishes, and not really those dreams that are planted by God in your heart, otherwise known as hopes.

In the bible, hope is more than just wishful thinking. It is confidence not on the dream itself, but in Him who fulfills the dream. In the letter to the Hebrews, it says: “Let us hold unswervingly to the HOPE we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23)

It is therefore important that we distinguish wishful thinking from a firm hope.

Wishful thinking comes solely from your desires.

Firm hope comes from God’s desires that are planted in your heart.

Wishful thinking seeks to satisfy the dreamer alone.

Firm hope seeks to satisfy even the dreams of others.

Wishful thinking is fueled by one’s quest for fulfillment.

Firm hope is fueled by one’s quest to fulfill God’s will.

Wishful thinking is pursued independent of God.

Firm hope is pursued together with God.

Wishful thinking usually has no plan of action.

Firm hope makes use of God’s plan of action.

Wishful thinking is left on the air.

Firm hope is engraved in the heart.

What are your dreams this year?

I suggest you take time to pray and seek the mind of God. Know His heart. Pursue His will. Make sure your dreams are not yours alone.

Because only those dreams that you share with God are truly worth pursuing.

Then I was completely floored when my wife told me that our sun is considered only as an average-sized sun. If this is true, can you imagine how big a giant-sized sun would be?

Now, consider further that if our sun is just one of the billions of stars in the milky way galaxy and that there are billions of galaxies in our universe. Can you imagine how big our universe is?

Perhaps this kind of thinking led a bunch of atheistic scientists aboard a space shuttle some decades ago to arrive at one unanimous conclusion: Gazing at the expansive and seemingly endless space before them, they all concluded, albeit hesitatingly, that for such a massive and unthinkable reality, there has to be a Creator out there, somewhere, somehow. And this Creator, they argued, has to be far bigger than what he created.

But this unthinkable conclusion, isn’t the most remarkable.

You see, this big, massive, large, colossal, and immensely-huge Creator they referred to, isn’t an impersonal force confined in the heavens, like an over-stuffed giant ala “Jack and the Beanstalk” perched idly on the clouds gleefully observing our day-to-day mundane and pitiful existence.

Two thousand years ago, in one ordinary and cold December evening, this enormously huge and powerful Creator, moved by so much love for His creation, dismounted his throne in the heavens and quitely slipped into human history, enveloped himself in human flesh — bald and toothless with a chubby cheek and stubby fingers and toes and all — wrapped in swaddling clothes, in a stingy stable, in a prickly manger, surrounded, not with glory, but with animal manure, and made Himself completely vulnerable to the unavoidable discomfort attached to our distressful human condition in this hopelessly fallen world.

That is what Christmas Day is all about.

It is not about a chubby guy on a red suit. Or about Frosty. Or about mommy waiting for her kiss under the mistletoe. Or about your 13th month pay. Or reunions with old friends. Not even about long awaited family get-togethers.

The aforementioned are not bad things, mind you. But they do not make Christmas, Christmas.

Christmas is about the extraordinary becoming ordinary. It is about the glorious becoming plain. The pristine becoming sullen. The untouchable becoming an arms-reach away.

This is about a big God becoming small for you and me.

So the next time you hear “Jingle Bells” booming through the mall speakers, pause for awhile and remind yourself of what Christmas is all about.

It is all about Jesus. And He is Emmanuel — God is with us!

A blessed Christmas to all of you!

            But that “feel good” brand of Christianity is just one side of the coin.

            On the other hand, there is also a great need to preach about the pain of the cross of Christ. The pain of Christ’s cross includes the need for sacrifice, repentance, acceptance and suffering. Christ never preached a “bed of roses” Christianity. He, Himself, had to go through the pain of the cross before He reaped its promises. He had to endure Good Friday before he triumphed on Easter Sunday. This is the story of our faith. This is the story of each and every person who chooses to follow the way of our Savior.

            I know of a very good woman who is beset with an incurable illness. Her faith in the good Lord is unquestionable. Her dedication to her Master is doubtless. Her commitment to her Savior is infallible. One time, someone who subscribed to the “feel good” Christianity mindset sincerely but carelessly remarked to her, “Maybe you don’t have enough faith that you will get healed…”.

            Unfair? Unjust? Insensitive?

            For how can one equate one’s fate with one’s faith? Isn’t God free to decide independent of our will? Can He not choose to allow pain to come into our lives if He knows it will bring us closer to heaven? Our role is not to dictate on God with the use of our faith but for us to dictate on our faith for the use of our God.

            Rick Warren, author of the book “Purpose Driven Life”, once said: God is after your character more than your comfort.

            Remember this: We need to embrace both the promises as well as the pain of the cross in order to receive its power. And only then will we know what it truly means to be a Christian.

Which one are you?

Happy contentment is a reward. Mediocrity is a curse.

Happy contentment is a gift to one who has given his all but failed. Mediocrity is a title granted to those who could have given more but didn’t.

Happy contentment is fulfillment in the honest attempt for real success. Mediocrity is satisfaction in the poor effort of trying to attain it.

Happy contentment has no regrets because there is nothing left to do. Mediocrity is filled with it because more could have still been done.

Happy contentment is standing before God exhausted but victorious. Mediocrity is standing before God refreshed but defeated.

For Christians, knowing that we have given our all in loving and serving our God is the measuring rod of our contentment. Not success. Not the praise of men. Not the accolades from others.

At the end of his life, the Apostle Paul was in a state of happy contentment when he said: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).

If this is our goal for ourselves, then at the end of our lives, we shall surely rest in indescribable peace!

A blessed All Souls and All Saints Days to all of you!

Bobby

Different people will have different answers.

As a Christian, my knee-jerk reply is, of course, daily prayer and meditation. But not until this morning did I find the scriptural basis for that.

Psalm 1:2-3 says: “…his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”

Whoa! I’ve read this Psalm and pondered on it so many times before and yet I missed it. Yet there it was this morning. Leaping from the page was a multi-million dollar nugget of wisdom. A priceless lesson for all those who desire to prosper in everything he does.

The secret to real success whether in business, or career, or ministry or in family is to be rooted in God’s word and to be immersed in God’s presence. Sure, there will be good and bad times, as in anything. And yes, you will have to do your work, and give your best to it. But at the end of the day, there is one thing that spells the greatest difference in your endeavors: your deep and constant union with God.

“Sure Bob,” you might say. “I knew that all along.”

Yes, but do we do it? Isn’t it the case that sometimes, surfing the internet or reading the newspaper or rushing to meet a deadline or preparing for a talk comes first before we sit still, open our bible and pray? Think about it.

This lesson is truly a secret of success, not because God is hiding it from us, but because we often look at the wrong places.

God’s law has all the secrets to life —- even success!

            I read today’s Gospel in the 12^th chapter of Luke about being rich before God, and it got me thinking: What does it really mean to be rich before God?

            Allow me to share with you some of my thoughts on how one can be rich before God…

1. W – ork for God

People have this notion that only priests, nuns, pastors and missionaries are working for God. The truth of the matter is this: each person, whether holding a religious or a secular job, can work for God. You may be a streetsweeper living in the slums of Payatas or a millionare residing in the mansions ofForbesPark, it doesn’t matter. You see, working for God has nothing to do with your social status or job description but with your heart condition. This “heart condition” is called MOTIVE. You may be a doctor, or a businessman, or a teacher, or a security guard and you can be working for God, for as long as your motive in your daily grind is to honor and glorify God.

2. E-vangelize.

God has a bias — for the last, the least, and the lost. He loves them. His heart scampers after them. He is busy each day trying to find them, and bless them and win them over. If we want to be rich before God, then we should share this burden with Him. St. Francis ofAssisionce said: “Preach at all times and when necessary, use words.” You need not be a preacher like me to evangelize. You just have to witness God’s love with your life and when the occasion presents itself, speak about it to whoever God sends your way.

3. A – ccept who you are.

I know of people who wake up each day not liking the person they see in the mirror. Not liking yourself is an affront to God’s creativity. The Psalmist says that we have been “fearfully and wonderfully made by God”. God never makes mistakes. And He made you just the way you are. To be rich before God is to celebrate His creation — yes, including you! Accepting who you are does not mean, though, that you no longer strive to become better. Just like building a house…God gave you the materials that you need. Accept them with joy. Then start using them to build the best house that you can make. Do the same with your life.

4. L – ive simply. 

Simplicity is bliss. It is the opposite of complicated. It is the reverse of convoluted. It is the exact converse of complex. A simple life is an uncluttered life, free from the non-essentials. Simplicity is being teary-eyed over a beautiful sunset. Simplicity is finding delight in a quiet evening with your spouse. Simplicity is exuding joy as you immerse yourself in daily prayer. Simplicity doesn’t mean not aspiring for great material things. On the contrary, simplicity is aiming for the stars but with feet firmly planted on the ground. Simplicity is finding fulfillment in the things that really matter most in life.

5. T – rust God at all cost.

It is one thing to trust God. It is another thing to trust God AT ALL COST — when the diagnosis is bad; when the funds are depleted; when your teenager runs away from home; when the husband betrays; when your business fails… Being rich before God is holding on when everything within you says let go. Being rich before God is having faith when you have no more reason to. Being rich before God is believing, not in the certainty of deliverance, but in the faithfulness of the Deliverer.

6. H – elp until it hurts. 

Helping others comes easy especially to practicing Christians. But helping until it hurts — when it is inconvenient, when it is costly, when it is beyond what is required —- that’s when one becomes truly a millionaire in the eyes of God.

            My friend, what do you think, are you truly WEALTHY in the eyes of God?

“Sorry, ma’am” he said, “you have excess baggage. Either you pay extra or you just have to leave some of your things behind”.

The lady was fidgety, “But I need those things. And the ATM machine is offline. I can’t…” Her voice faded in total resignation. Near tears, she mustered one final appeal, “If I can find someone to take on my luggage for me, will I get to board?”

That was all I needed to hear. I stepped forward from behind her and said, “Ma’am, I only have one hand carry baggage. I can accommodate your excess baggage in my baggage accommodations.”

She turned to me with an incredulous look, perhaps trying to see if I look familiar or if the offer was genuine. I smiled. She gasped, “Really, sir? Will you?”. I turned to the airport personnel, “Place her excess baggage weight on my baggage capacity. Will that be enough?” The airport personnel shrugged his shoulders, “More than enough, sir… Ma’am,” he turned to her, “you may now board the plane.”

*————————————————*

            I remember this experience as I reflected today on the state of my soul. Just like her, I, too, have a lot of excess baggage in my life. With the weight of my sins, I know I will not be allowed to board the plane for the journey to heaven. But just like her, I, too, have a Deliverer. Every time heaven’s doors are about to be shut close before my face, He steps forward and offers to take on my excess baggage. He comes. He rescues. He saves. And with pierced hands he always offers, “Be brave, Child. Let me carry the weight of your sins for you.”

He does it for you, too, my friend.

When cancer knocks on your door…When debts pile up…When relationships turn sour…When the future looks bleak…When the pain becomes unbearable…When tears are about to fall or when they refuse to dry up….All you have to do is turn to Him, your Deliverer.

Scriptures says: “He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.” (1Peter 2:24)

He can accommodate your burdens, endure your hardships, bear your pains and take on your guilt. And He does that to you now as you read this.

With pierced hands he offers, “Be brave, Child, Let me carry that burden for you!” Go ahead, give it all to Him. He is your Deliverer.

For only with His merits can you freely board the plane.

I politely inquired, “Manong, mukhang mali yata yung daan natin.”

He gave me a toothless grin and replied, “Mas ok itong daan na ito, sir.”

I wanted to protest but decided against it. I decided to just trust this driver that he knows where he was going. In less than ten minutes, I was amazed to see us emerge in the main highway. I was pleasantly surprised. We got to where we wanted to go more or less 20 minutes earlier than usual.

I uttered, “Galing, manong. Bilis natin ah.”

He smiled, “Sabi sa ‘yo, sir. Shortcut yun e.”

Sometimes, in life, we also find a lot of detours — when things don’t turn out the way we planned them to.

For instance, you may have been planning for a nice retirement when the company you’ve been working in for almost 40 years decided to terminate you on trumped up charges of misconduct. Or you may be expecting your daughter to finally graduate from college when she broke the news to you: she was unexpectedly pregnant with no idea who the father is. Or you may be getting ready for marriage when your fiancee was suddenly diagnosed to have cancer.

Life’s detours, we call them. Also known as “plan breakers”. Might as well call them “back breakers” because they give no warning and break your spirits. They take you off the main highway, and outside of your expected route. They push you out of your routine and force you to re-calculate your figures. They move you back to the drawing board and re-chart your course.

But are life’s detours really that bad?

For men and women whose lives are in God’s hands, life’s detours are ways by which God re-directs us to the right path. Sure, they disrupt your plans. But the fact that God allowed them could only mean one thing: God has a better route for you!

So much like the incident with the taxi driver who took a different route from the one I usually take. Had I not trusted him, I would have insisted that we take my usual route. Good thing I decided to shut my mouth and let him do the driving because, obviously, he knew a better way!

We can say the same thing of God. God is motivated by pure love. And when he allows life’s detours to come upon you, it means that He knows a better way for you towards His wonderful plans for your life. The bible says:

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

When we surrender life’s detours in God’s hands, we can be assured that God will use them to get us back on track.

So the next time you are hit with life’s detours, try to trust Him. He surely knows the way!

I remain,

Bobby Q.

We utter this sentence like “give-away samples” handed out by mall merchandisers on a busy Sunday afternoon. We text it. We email it. During birthdays. Anniversaries. Wakes.

“I will pray for you…” we often say.

But very few really do.

Or maybe it’s just me. Shame on me accusing you of what I am most guilty of. But last Tuesday was an eye-opener for me — like a cold shower, a real wake-up call.

Our one-year old son Franco began to have a fever accompanied by cough and cold on Sunday afternoon. By Monday, he started to lose his appetite. By Tuesday, the fever didn’t cease and he began to grow steadily weaker. On our way to the doctor, Jeng began texting our brothers and sisters in Ligaya ng Panginoon, our Catholic Community. I also texted my friends from other prayer groups asking for their prayers. Pretty soon, messages from well-wishers promising us of their prayers flooded our inbox. And we took comfort in these assurances from our friends.

Jeng and I were a little pessimistic. We looked at Franco’s condition and we were almost sure the doctor would insist that we admit him in the hospital. And yet, looking back today, I remember that there was a glimmer of hope behind the gloom which accompanied us to the clinic that day. Somehow, we felt a certain assurance deep in our hearts that things will turn out fine.

True enough, the doctor prescribed a list of medicines for Franco but allowed us to bring him home. No emergency rooms. No tests. No admission. But that was just the first miracle.

The next 24 hours were an amazing display of God’s action. As soon as Franco took the meds, he was able to sleep and rest at home. His incessant coughing, for some reason didn’t bother him. He woke up a few hours later with a smile and was in a jolly mood to play with Jeng. He even ventured to go down from the bed and play with his sisters. A few more hours passed and Franco started to dance again with his favorite “Hi-5” video. We shook our heads in utter amazement at the unexpected surge of energy in Franco. The next day, his appetite returned. And Franco, at his age, is already legendary when it comes to gobbling food. The fever did not return. The smiles were back. Except for some mild coughing, Franco was back to his normal self.

So how do you explain Franco’s healing in less than twenty-fours?

Some will call it “the wonders of modern medicine”. Others will refer to it as the “healing love of family”. For me, I label it simply as the “underrated power of prayer”.

Prayer is power.

When sincere hearts turn to the Lord, holy hands lifted  in worship and petitions uttered in faith, God moves. And when God moves, the earth trembles. Governments are toppled. Cancer cells defeated. Broken relationships miraculously restored.

Today, I thank those who prayed for Franco not only for his healing but also for the lesson learned. My perspective of how important prayer really is has been radically changed. Not that I don’t believe in prayer before. I do. But I believe now in its power more than ever.

So the next time I utter the phrase, “I will pray for you”, I will remember that people really expect me to do so. And so I will bend my knees and raise my voice to heaven. It will not just be a mechanical exercise of Christian duty but a real crusade for the fulfillment of God’s good and perfect will for His beloved.

May you do the same.