Everybody has transitions

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How to be a tennis fan (this is actually not about that)

From mirror.co.uk

Tennis season.

I never really got the chance to be big on tennis before my formal tennis training. Now, as I got more and more addicted to Business Insider, I see tennis headlines every day, and read them every day, and click on some slide shows about them every single day.

My tennis training is similar to my training in French. Sporadic, self-motivated and resilient. I think I am made for challenges more than I am made for create a great color palate on my face (or match pieces of clothing).

Seeing the tennis players outdo each other in the US Open 2011 still makes me wonder how in the world will I reach their stage. I want to take tennis seriously (that's why I blindly signed up for a 5-hour tennis marathon this Saturday) and want to win a match (at least a match) against other players from the other churches.

So far, I feel like I've been left out by my batchmates in the game because of lack of time for drills. I never skipped a Saturday schedule, but the weekdays are hard for me to commit to.

I saw some cool-looking racquet carried by players in the US Open. I was wondering how much will it cost me to acquire those. And whether my skills will increase Nadal-like if I buy something that the stars use.

I have a long way to go. But my mind over winning a match is so powerful that I type this in my sleep.

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God' timing

from foreverchurch.com

God's timing is not the same as ours. In Greek, it is called the Kairos time - the divind time wherein everything falls into place.


I often see man's common struggle is time. Some people think "There's not much time" do to anything or that "time is too slow" for anything to pass.


2 Peter 3:9 shows us how God's timing is different from us. There are moments when a loved one is too slow in  getting converted, or that the "one" you're praying for has not arrived yet - and you think you're been praying for it for far too long!


God's timing is there already. In Ecclesiastis and Isaiah, we see this well pointed out.


Everything has its perfect timing. God never delays (Habakkuk). Prayer for financial breakthrough is outdated already because God has already blessed us! Prayer for healing is just as outdated, because we have been healed two thousant years ago. Oftentimes, the only thing that "slows" things down is you.

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The curse of being good

 Recently, my dad and I had a simple conversation on FIBA and the Philippines’ lost chance of making it to the finals because of team Iran. “We didn’t win, Dad,” I muttered as he was saying the game was really good. “Yes, but at least we showed them we can. We almost made it.”

Almost.

I was astonished at how my dad accepted the defeat as if it was victory. He even continued by saying that we should take pride in being good at basketball despite our height deficiencies.  

A few months ago, the Azkals made a name by defeating the defending champion, Vietnam, in the Suzuki Cup. People got suddenly interested with the team. They made headlines everywhere – something only Pacquiao does regularly. But during the play against Indonesia, my heart burned as I saw the promising young team got defeated. People, though hurt, celebrated the Azkals’ defeat like it was all the team’s worth – making it to the semi-finals. I wallowed in dismay, honestly, because I saw the game and it was so heartbreaking. I was never really a football fan until a friend showed me how left out the Filipinos are in terms of the most popular sport in the universe.

The conversation with my dad brought me to remember the quote I often hear in the church. “The good is the worst enemy of the best.”

Onyok Velasco

People often get contented with being the second best, and as I have observed, the Filipinos are all too excited for it, like we know we are good, but always only second to something better. When Onyok Velasco lost the gold in the 1996 Olympics, we tried to contest we deserved the win, but we slowly sank in the reality that we can always be cheated at – after all, we’re just a third world country with a booming population of achievers who always almost make it.

Miriam misses the title

We have a long list of “Almost-but-not-quite’s.” We have Marian Quiambao, in a win I know she deserved so well. It was followed by Venus Raj, losing to the title of Ms Universe by a (couple of) notch. The list is endless (though I can't seem to find them all hehe). Our history has been bombarded with seconds that being first is too alien, too farfetched that upon achievement, we create demi-gods, a testament to our seemingly unbelief for our talents.

Venus Raj

I think one of the things we should get out of is our acceptance at being second. Second is never first. Never forget that. I was asked by my boss who the second best golf player in the world is. I said I didn’t know. I had no idea. He said, “Exactly.”

Filipinos are good. We deserve to be number one. This is not being arrogant, this is being truthful. Facts that we are second continue to plague our lives that I get tired of hearing it. The truth is that we are good - and I pray for the day that when asked again by my boss who the best person in the world is now, I can proudly say, a Filipino, “that’s why you hired me.” Then he can unabashedly say, “Exactly.”

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Healing and Miracle Festival

Every last Sunday of the month, our church, The Lord’s Hand Ministries, is conducting the Healing and Miracle Festival in Valenzuela to invite anyone – rich or poor, learned and unlearned – to experience the power of God through divine healing.

For more information, you may PM me directly or post in a comment for the present schedule and venue.

Be part of the Lord’s movement on earth. Listen and be healed.

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There's no other way

Yesterday, when my colleague experienced the re-baptism of the Holy Spirit during our praise and worship, I suddenly realized one thing – LIFE HAS NO OTHER WAY BUT GOD’S WAY.

I have seen cases like this: One gets “converted” then backslides for a reason or two, then after years of going nowhere and proving nothing to God, the path God has set for them is once again revisited.

This recalls to mind Jonah’s story (found in the Book of Jonah, of course) and how Jonah ran away from God’s assignment only to realize that he can never outrun God. The Book of Jonah reminds us that God is a big god, and His ways are beyond our ways, His thoughts higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9) and we can never really do anything “of our own accord” to outlast Him. His patience is supreme, His righteousness abound, and His love for us really is beyond human measure.

I submit to His divine says, and for whatever reason God has last night for showing things we never expected - but hoping for anyway – makes me more in awe of His power and ways.

To God be the glory.

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When God Ran

This song is particularly special for me because it made me realise that no matter what - that despite all our failures - God gives second chances to us. If only we respond the right way, if only we surrender and embrace what He was in store for us, then our lives will never be the same.

Lyrics of When God Ran

Almighty God, the great I am 

Immovable rock, omnipotent, powerful, awesome Lord
Victorious warrior, commanding King of Kings
Mighty conqueror, and the only time
the only time I ever saw Him run

CHORUS:
Was when He ran to me, He took me in His arms
Held my head to His chest, said “My son’s come home again”
Lifted my face, wiped the tears from my eyes
With forgiveness in His voice He said,
“Son do you know I still love you?”
He caught me by surprise when God ran

The day I left home I knew I’d broken His heart
And I wondered then if things could ever be the same
Then one night I remembered His love for me
And down that dusty road ahead I could see
It was the only time – it was the only time I ever saw Him run

And then He ran to me, He took me in His arms
Held my head to His chest, said “My son’s come home again”
Lifted my face, wiped the tears from my eyes
With forgiveness in His voice He said,
“Son do you know I still love you?”
He caught me by surprise as He brought me to my knees
When God ran – I saw Him run to me

BRIDGE:
I was so ashamed, all alone and so far away
But now I know He’s been waiting for this day

I saw Him run to me, He took me in His arms
Held my head to His chest, said “My son’s come home again”
Lifted my face, wiped the tears from my eyes
With forgiveness in His voice I felt His love for me again

He ran to me, He took me in His arms
Held my head to His chest, said “My son’s come home again”
Lifted my face, wiped the tears from my eyes
With forgiveness in His voice He said, “Son”, He called me Son
He said, “Son do you know I still love you?”
He ran to me and then I ran to Him
When God ran

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