field trips

i was a zombie at work yesterday (kahiya), still recovering from last week. I’ll blog about my marvelous week soon.

For the meantime, I want to tell you guys that I’m going on the 60-60 Experiment. I stumbled upon a book called Soul Revolution last week in OMF and browsed through it, getting that feeling that I usually do when I know I should get the book. Anyway, I bought it last night and just started on it before stopping to send you an invite to join me.

See, I’ve been a Christian all my life (and became a Christ-follower as well when I was eight years old) and every day since then has been a great and awesome journey. Well, I’m nearly thirty now (grabe no?) and I’ve seen God do wonders in my life and in other people’s lives as well. Every day, God’s been showing me just how much bigger He is compared to my concept of BIG (and I thought I already thought He’s BIG). Well, I want to see how much BIGGER He could get  but stepping it up with my faith even a bit more.

Anyway, I’m inviting you guys to do it with me. Can’t go on an awesome journey by myself right? Check out the website for more information on the 60-60 Experiment and let me know. I’ll be updating my blog as I go along, but it would be great to have some people with me so we can swap stories. Leave a comment and a link to your blog if you have decided to commit to this.

For the people who miss Truth Thursdays, I’ll be posting the questions and insights on Thursdays in lieu of our tradition so you can hop in.

Ready?

Back to work! It’s so funny how the line to the parking lot here in ABS-CBN is a whole block long when I got in! Normally, there’s still no lines at this time (9am). I guess, after Holy Week, everyone felt the work and deadlines piling up already. But I don’t want to leave Holy Week just yet for today’s reflection. After all, I was in camp for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Black Saturday.

So let me tell you about camp– we called it Re-Creation. Not just because it was at Caliraya Re-creation center, hehe. But we focused on the transformative power of Salvation. These kids are mostly church-grown and have been going to Sunday School, only a few of them know what it’s like not to be a Christian. Their age range is from 12-16, with the college volunteers (that I handled) are 18-24. In our small groups, I was surprised how most of them aren’t even sure if they’re saved or not. And despite the lecture sessions (we had four- rebirth, regeneration, refocus, re-creation), some of them still have the wrong idea about how they could be saved. I was rather concerned when my college volunteer small group leader confessed to her group that she’s “not saved yet, but in the process of being saved.”

I wonder if some of us still think of our salvation is like that.

Anyway, that was my cue to swoop in and clarify that we get saved when we repent from our sins and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, the moment we do that– that’s when we receive salvation, then the sanctification process follows. (Of course, I didn’t use the technical terms.) Salvation is not a process of years, like a college course, where if we fail, we won’t get a diploma.

But ultimately, who am I to say who is saved or not? It’s between the person’s heart and God, right? But shouldn’t it be seen in our lives if Jesus is in it or not? What’s the use of a relationship with the God of the Universe if we’re going to keep it private or just scheduled on Sundays?!

So what do you think?

To some, God is discoverable everywhere; to others, nowhere. Those who do not find Him on earth are unlikely to find Him in space. (Hang it all, we’re in space already; every year we go a huge circular tour in space.) But send a saint up in a spaceship and he’ll find God in space as he found God on earth. Much depends on the seeing eye.

(C.S. Lewis)

I found this quote from C.S. Lewis’ The Joyful Christian just this morning and it’s so cool to see that even one of my favorite writers acknowledge Godspotting.

Yes, it does depends on the seeing eye. God is always there, His hand orchestrating things, even if we don’t understand what’s happening at first. I have to admit that there are really days when I’m too down or too busy or just too tired to muster up the energy to Godspot. Yes, sometimes it does require some effort, but there are days too when you just see Him there, right in front of your nose and there’s no denying it.

Yesterday was one of those days.

Yesterday was hard. I just got back from a relaxing weekend in Batangas and I get to work expecting that all the work that we’ve put in last week would be done– because we really should have been done already. But just as we were about to turn in the magazine for printing, one of the bosses of the boss intercepted it, didn’t like what she saw and now wants to do an overhaul.

And we thought we’re a week ahead of the deadline for the very first time. I thought I was doing a good job.

So… our deadline was extended so we can work on this issue some more. It’s really frustrating because we worked our butts off to meet their crazy deadlines and now looks like we’ll be late once more.

But on the train on my way home, I found myself, instead of complaining to God about my bosses, really joyful and grateful. Because, for some strange, and seemingly masochistic, reason I welcome their corrections and comments that require even more work and effort for us. Because I know that it will make for a better product. I guess once we’re past our automatic reaction and rejection to anything that requires more effort than what we’ve already put in, it’s by God’s grace that we can see beyond all the work to something really great coming out of it.

Plus, as a person who has a predilection to laziness, I welcome anything that keeps me from my just sitting on my ass all day.

It reminded me of how my parents used to expect and demand more from us because they know that we’re better than what we’re settling for. I’m glad that even as I’m now an adult, God’s still on my case, cheering and oftentimes pushing me to excellence, because He knows what I’m capable of. He’s the one who made me after all.

“I don’t want to go and see things that will make me change,” I heard one lady say in a video at the International Care Ministries dinner this evening. I think she speaks for most of us today.

As images of poverty and sickness flashed in half dozen projector screens in the Rizal ballroom of Makati Shangri-la, the irony was not lost to the audience, who were dressed to the nines, eating an expensive dinner. But, as Marietta Santos, the grand lady who had invited us there, said, “I brought you here so you would be aware of what’s happening, and to get you to help.”

photo by Jorem/Sheila Catilo for Moms for Moms

“I don’t like seeing these kinds of things,” I heard the lady mutter from across the table from me. I watched her as she just kept her eyes on the table while the rest of her friends murmured and gasped at how most of our fellow Filipinos live.

Even my stomach couldn’t help feel queasy at the site of the squalor people actually live in.

photo by Espen Rasmussen / Panos for MSF

I get overwhelmed whenever I see images like these. There are just so many people in need! How can I– or anyone– help them? Even with all the organizations, volunteers, donations, there doesn’t seem to be an end to the poverty. There will always be people who are sick, hungry, poor, with hands outstretched for help, any help they could get.

I work in a magazine that features luxury, high society, exclusivity and high-end goodies that only a few can afford. Most of the time, I find myself surrounded by these few people, with their shoes that I can afford if I don’t eat for a month, and bags that cost a year’s salary of a managing editor. It’s part of the job. At the other end of the spectrum, but still my job, I see the ugly, the poor and the broken in society. And I meet people who are helping, and looking for more people to help, other people.

I often make this half-meant joke, “Lord, can you give me enough money to give away?” But so far, still not much money is left to give away after the bills. I’m thinking that maybe God wants me to help in some other way.

Because why else would He make me see these things?

from my_sarisari_store.typepad.com

“What does God think about poverty and injustice?” I remember that question raised by a speaker in Station One last year. With so much in the world that is going wrong, God must want to make it right! But how? What is the church doing about it?

I believe that truth does not become really true to us unless it affects the way we live. Truth moves people– often out of our comfort zones and into a place that is smelly, ugly, and in need. So we see these people in need and we feel pity for them. But that’s not enough. That’s not true enough. We have to move. We have to do something.

But what can I do? I don’t have anything, I don’t have much money to give, I’m so busy with work and other things that  barely have enough to sleep as is…

Then God asks, “What’s that in your hand?”

——

p.s. I’m compiling a list of charities for people to donate to this Christmas. If you have a recommendation, just leave a comment below, preferrably with contact details, or even just a website. Thanks!

nope. not my photo. that’s my sister and my niece on their trip to the ocean park last week (or was it the other week?). but i went back there today (sans camera) for press conference of Hands On Manila’s launch of their Hands on Volunteer Vacations, which is kinda awesome, and you’ll be hearing more about that soon.

i love the sea and all the stuff in it (except for pollution) and I’ve always enjoyed going to aquariums, snorkeling and scuba diving. i love watching the fishes moving gracefully in the water. and yes, i even like sharks. the under sea world is such a colorful alien place that i get to visit once in a while. and once again, i am reminded of how crazy creative our Creator is.

because even in the midst of the beauty of creation, we sometimes we forget.

“But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
or the birds of the air, and they will tell you;

or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
or let the fish of the sea inform you.

Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the LORD has done this?

In his hand is the life of every creature
and the breath of all mankind.”

(Job 12: 7-10)

He's got the whole world in His hands

found in Angelus Eternal Gardens in Imus, Cavite. It was noon, the sun was just right, i looked up and snapped this with my fisheye camera. we used to play softball in the shadow of this statue. the scratches on the film gives an awesome weird lightning effect.

i was pleasantly surprised how this shot turned out. it looks like Christ is carrying the sky on His shoulders.

I know that my Redeemer lives and in the end He will stand upon the earth. (Job19:25)