Why?

So, yes. Here I am again after months of not updating this blog. No excuses this time :)

Why? A simple and short question that we always use, ask and hear. We are used to use the question 'why' whenever we can't understand things that are happening. We usually ask 'why' whenever we want an explanation. We actually use it whenever we are not satisfied with the answer given to us. We usually see questions answerable with yes or no with 'why' that follows after. Why is there need for an explanation? To know the worth of our answer? To defend our answer? Or just to convince the reader to believe you? But we never realize that most of the times, the question 'why' aren't that important.

In this phase of my life, I learned not to ask 'why' too often. Of course, I still do but I just realized that in this life, I don't have to question everything around me. Instead, I have to understand that things happens for a purpose. In fact, I am glad that upon looking back, I can't remember any chance that I question God about anything. Maybe I am just lucky or I just learn to be grateful for whatever it is that I have in my life. 

Trials may come. We may feel down at times. Things may not go our way but trusting instead of asking why is better. There really are times when we will not understand what is going on but believing that we are strong and we can make it will keep us going. Yes, it may be hard but soon, it will be worth it. 

While asking why is what we are used to do when we don't understand things, it is still and will always be good to do something and stop asking. Everything will pass but having one God will always remain.

And yes, I can feel my age while typing this. For sure, as I continue my journey, more realizations will come and I'll always be glad to share it here.

xoxo

Let's Pray for Japan

Everyone knows what happened to Japan. The tsunami and the earthquake with 8.9 magnitude. Actually, I decided not to blog about the disaster but early this morning, while I was at work, I saw my friend's status (who is in Japan) in facebook saying that there are still aftershocks in their place which made me do this one.

Last Sunday, while I was listening to a homily that tackles about the said disaster, the pastor said that all that is happening is written in the bible and we must not fear. In the homily, we read about this verses in the bible:

Matthew 24:4-14 states that:

Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.

“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Yes, it is written and it will happen. God's word is always true and everything that He says will happen so we must not be afraid. In fact, we must be stronger. There are many questions that will come into our minds but those will only be answered at the right time. All we can do now is to pray and pray and have faith that whatever happens in every part of the world has a purpose. 

We must also be responsible of our brothers and sisters all over the world. In line with this, I want to share this prayer (Source: Paulo Coelho's Blog) that I hope, every reader (of this blog) must pray as a sign of our concern for our neighbors in Japan and in other places who are suffering from disasters and other calamities:

Lord, protect our planet, because we live here, and here we dwell with our daily tragedies.

May our daily reconstruction be the result of the very best that we carry within us.

Give us the courage to be able to reconstruct what was destroyed to be able to recover what was lost, to be able to accept what was gone forever.

May you give us courage to look ahead, may we never look back nor allow our soul to be discouraged.

Lord, give us enthusiasm, because Enthusiasm reaffirms to us that everything is possible, as long as we are totally committed to what we are doing.

Lord, may the Earth continue to transform seeds into wheat, may we continue to transmute wheat into bread. Do not leave us in solitude.

Have compassion on us, Lord. For we often think we are dressed when we are naked.

Do not forget, in your mercy, our friends in Japan, who are now teaching us the meaning of Courage, Reconstruction, Solidarity and Enthusiasm. 

Amen

Strong faith and good communication with God is what we need right now. Slowly, we can see that we can do nothing but pray when something like this happen. Also, let us be responsible with each other, have concern for those who are in need. Give help if we can. And if not, the best help that we can give them is our prayers. Let us practice a neighborly love as Luke 10:27 says "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself."

Lady Gaga designed a "we pray for Japan" bracelet as her way of helping Japan

Let us also remember that we can talk to God and tell everything to Him anytime. He is always there to listen whenever we want to talk to Him. He is just waiting for us to call. 

Again and again, I will say, maybe, it is the time to go back to basics. Let's read and spread God's word for us to understand even just a bit of what is happening around us.

And to our brothers and sisters in Japan, we will all pray for you.

     xoxo

One Dollar and Eleven Cents plus FAITH

I received an email few minutes ago and as I expected, it was a chain message that I must pass to my friends through e-mail. Honestly, I'm not the kind of person who does such kind of things. May it be a chain text message, the old-type letter, or the kind like this. But as I read the message, though it still didn't encouraged me to do chain message, it gave me the urge to share it with others and this is my way.

Here's the message/story:

A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet. She poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even.. The total had to be exactly perfect.. No chance here for mistakes. Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door.

She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention, but he was too busy at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good. Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!

'And what do you want?' the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice... I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages,' he said without waiting for a reply to his question.

'Well, I want to talk to you about my brother,' Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. 'He's really, really sick....and I want to buy a miracle.'

'I beg your pardon?' said the pharmacist.

'His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?'

'We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but I can't help you,' the pharmacist said, softening a little.

'Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs.'

The pharmacist's brother was a well dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, 'What kind of a
miracle does your brother need?'

' I don't know,' Tess replied with her eyes welling up. I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation.. But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money..'

'How much do you have?' asked the man from Chicago .

'One dollar and eleven cents,' Tess answered barely audible.

'And it's all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to.' 'Well, what a coincidence,' smiled the man. 'A dollar and eleven cents---the exact price of a miracle for little brothers.'

He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said 'Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents.. Let's see if I have the miracle you need.'

That well-dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed free of charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well.

Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place.. 'That surgery,' her Mom whispered. 'was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?'

Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost....one dollar and eleven cents...plus the faith of a little child.

In our lives, we never know how many miracles we will need. A miracle is not the suspension of natural law, but the operation of a higher law.

 

Yes, it's true. We never know how many miracles we will need in order to survive in our lives. Many will say that miracle is just a word but for me, miracles do happen. And when you need to receive one, it doesn't cost that much. You only need FAITH.

just a thought.

      xoxo