Tomorrow is NOT promised to anyone, but Grace is freely given by God (Inner Ramblings etc.)

Disclaimer:  This blog entry is not written for me to preach.  These things below are real life conversations that are not so private, and some of my inner ramblings because I am ill at the moment, along with my mother and father. Sometimes I am ashamed to ask for blessings because I know I have sinned and I am afraid to abuse His mercy...

Merry CHRISTmas and Happy Birthday to the real REASON for the season!

The word 'grace' (CHEN in Hebrew, CHARIS in Greek), as it is used in the scriptures, literally means 'favour', to bend or stoop in kindness to another as a superior to an inferior. ... His grace has been termed 'unmerited favour' but it is more than an attitude of favour or mercy. -Wayne Jackson

Grace is a gift from above, whether we deserve it or not.  If Grace was only given to those deserving, then a lot of people would never receive it or any kind of blessing.

Earlier dad asked me this question, "How come some people get blessed even without asking?" (Matthew 7:7)

"We are blessed even if we don't deserve to be blessed because it is by His Grace..."

He cut me short, "The bad people, I mean."(Where is my dad coming from? He has this Sandigan Bayan case because he signed a voucher(funds that should have been reverted to surplus that someone used for the Navy) that others signed already---most are dead already and of the seniors, four of them are left. It's not that he has not sinned all his life, but he was just wondering why BIG criminals are getting filthy rich without getting caught, etc. I have tons of opinions and researched about the matter, but Dad's already writing a brief about it and it is also included in his memoirs, so I don't want to preempt anything. Why mention it at all? Dad and some of his friends have nothing to hide. One of them is not even worried at all.)

"Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away."(Psalm 1:4)

"Do not be envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them."(Proverbs 24:1)

"Dad, I know we are not SOLO SCRIPTURA and we rely on the deposit of faith, but the words of the Holy Bible are important, as you well know."

Thank goodness the conversation about that ended, because I am NOT a Theologian and I might run out of things to say.  

IT'S NOT THE FIRST TIME WE CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS AT SICK BAY

We have many reasons to celebrate even if the three of us are not well.  We have been through this before. Besides, there are people in worse to worst situations and still, they could smile because they have hope. So who are we not to praise Him when He has given much?  It's His birthday(stop reminding us please that it is not really His birthday, but the sanctified feast of the Sun god Ra---thank you!), but we are the ones expecting to receive gifts from Him.

Let's praise HIS Name and be eternally GRATEFUL to HIM!

NO ONE IS PROMISED TOMORROW

This week alone God took a lot of people we know(Tito Pabling---dad's classmate and good friend, Tito Danny Llamas, Tito Joe Cabatuando among others), close or not. Someone holy said that though all of us are broken hearted because they died this season, near HIS birthday, it is actually a blessing and they are highly favoured. We may never understand why our loved ones are taken away from us during this time of merriment, but we must trust that He knows best.

MICO'S INURNMENT


We miss Mico so much, but we thank God for those beautiful twenty-six years HE lent him to all of us...that he was able to spread joy to people all over the Philippines...and probably even all over the globe.

WE ARE NOT A SMALL NATION, PHILIPPINES.  LEARN TO LOVE YOUR COUNTRY...OUR COUNTRY

Nineteen years ago, especially when I attended a wedding of a long time friend in Singapore, I kept defending our country to a lot of people not knowing that by doing so, I was actually being ashamed of our country because I was so defensive.

We are not nationalistic and being nationalistic does not end by speaking the vernacular or whatever.  It is more than that.  

If we love our country, we should be proud of her without being defensive.  Whether we are here or there, she should be in our heart.  We can defend her without being defensive.  It is possible.

Why is our mentality this way? It is because we were given the lie that we are a small nation.

MINDANAO(97,530 km²) alone is bigger than 125 countries in the world.  Check it out for yourself.  Davao City, believe it or not is bigger than New York City in LAND area.  I have to be clear with that.  It pales in comparison to NYC if we are talking about population and income.

We have to stop looking down at ourselves.  Let's not let language barriers pull us down.  

💚💙💜

I still have a lot more to say, but maybe I'll just set it for later.  This is getting long now. I will miss singing with my choir tonight, but I will be there in Spirit. I hope to be able to sing tomorrow during the Christmas morning mass.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, everyone!