Feb
5
2010
Changed Lives By Rich | Comments

Laser-like Focus

hedgehog

Reading Craig Groeschel’s book It, I’m reminded of the “hedgehog principle”, which I originally read from the book Simple Church two years ago.

Groeschel shares about the scheming fox in its desire to attack the hedgehog. And though the fox had a lot of tricks up on its sleeves, in the end, she couldn’t subdue the hedgehog because all the latter needs to do is roll over into a ball of rolling pins, thus forming an impenetrable defense. That sure, is what the hedgehog does best.

In short, the hedgehog knew how to capitalize on her one big strength, thus neutralizing the cunning fox’s many plans with her laser-like focus.

Each day, I’m tempted to do a lot of things for my family, ministry, finances, among others.

But if I try to accomplish a lot of things all in one day or in one week, I’l surely end up burned out or spent.

So to keep me fresh and my sanity intact each day, I’m reminding myself to focus on the most important things in my life:

1. Relationship with God

2. Relationship my wife and kids

3. Ministry among the Filipino-Chinese in Binondo

As Groeschel points out in chapter of his book, The clearer your vision becomes, the easier it is to guard what God calls you to do.

Photo Source: http://reflexivepractice.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/hedgehog.jpg


Jan
14
2010
Changed Lives By Rich | Comments

Big Faith In Our Big God

The past seven days of prayer and fasting has been awesome for me and Ava. 

impossible-is-nothing

In our nightly prayer time before we go to sleep, we just felt God’s presence. Beyond the personal stuffs we’re believing God for, it’s the experience of just having His peace, the security we get from His presence and His promises contained from the Bible that we enjoyed.

Both of us could honestly say that this year’s prayer and fasting is one of a kind.

Our passion for prayer and word have increased even more this year. 

2009 has been like a season of dryness at times in terms of the word, but this year, it’s as if God’s sledgehammer smashed through the “iron curtain” that tend to bring dryness from within us.

In Matthew 21:21, 21Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 

What’s your mountain this year? 

You don’t have to be overwhelmed. With God on your side, everything is possible!

Jan
8
2010
Changed Lives By Rich | Comments

Fasting And Road Repair

road repair

The last three months of 2009 wasn’t kind for commuters, drivers of cars, jeeps and trucks because of the numerous potholes and deep excavation.

Dust, discomfort, and traffic are the results of these excavations.

Certainly these excavations are not pleasant for regular commuters or for people with vehicles because they get trapped in traffic, especially at the onset of the Holiday Season.

The main street leading to our house in Mandaluyong wasn’t spared by the major road repairs, too.

Since the main street connecting to Boni Avenue in Mandaluyong is a regular route for tricycle and cars, we were forced to pass through a narrow street that served as the only alternate route going to our place, thus the traffic for two months.

However, after enduring the traffic and dust for three months, the main street was finally opened to tricycles and vehicles, and boy, I could drive smoothly now going home.

Fasting takes somewhat a similar route like these deep excavations vehicles encountered last year.

Today marks the first of our 7-Day Prayer and Fasting Victory-wide.

Fasting goes beyond the skipping of meals for the next seven days.

Fasting isn’t just depriving oneself of your favorite food and drink.

But fasting allows the Holy Spirit to “unearth or excavate” our hearts with the purpose of removing unwanted attitudes and habits that often prevent us from experiencing breakthroughs and victories.

Fasting connects us further to Jesus, strengthening our relationship with Him as we seek Him wholeheartedly.

May this period of consecration be a time for us to seek Him more, for the Lord to give us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so we could know Him better and be sensitive to know what He desires for us to do this year.

Happy fasting!

Jan
7
2010
Family By Rich | Comments

What We Desire For Our Kids…

ava and kids rob

One of Bea’s most awaited times, of the day was before her sleeping time.

I see to it that I put her to sleep each night, tickle her feet, which is part of our playtime at night, before laying my hands on her to pray a prayer of blessing.

Ava and I are happy that she is beginning to pray simple prayers like praying for our meal, point to David (my youngest child) that Jesus lives in her heart and is starting to ask more questions about God.

Even before we had kids, Ava and I had been praying that they would know the Lord and have a genuine relationship with Him even at a very young age.

It’s every parent’s dream to see their children grow up with a deep yearning for God rather than just for the material things this world has to offer.

It’s still a long way to go, but our life-long prayer is for our kids to grow up with an all-out devotion for Jesus, unafraid and unashamed to declare their faith in this fallen world and speaking life and hope wherever God brings them.

This world may be in chaos now. But wait! There’s hope. Our kids, your little brother or little sister, your little cousins, your neighbor’s toddlers—they all represent the future.

Let God use you and me to lead these precious kids to a growing relationship with God. It’s not too late.

Jan
6
2010
Changed Lives By Rich | Comments

The Crowd Is Back!

crowd

I took the Metro Rail Transit yesterday afternoon going to Every Nation Fort. One thing noticeable was the crowd is back now that the Holiday Season is over.

I normally take the middle part of the train coach of the MRT or the LRT going to Manila, but surprisingly, at 2:30 in the afternoon, the Southbound train (that is going to EDSA-Taft station) was packed with commuters like me.

Honestly, I hate crowded places–public transports like trains, buses or jeeps, but these things I mentioned will NEVER RUN OUT of people because they all are public transports.

As I reached Ayala station in Makati, a huge group of people filed out of the train, giving commuters like me some breathing room and finally, enjoy the train’s cool aircondition.

Jesus’ encounter with the crowd was normal for his everyday ministry life.

Matthew 4:23-24 gave us a picture of what a day was with Jesus.

“Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the Good News of the Kingdom and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases.”

The crowd was there when he went up on a mountainside to preach. There were around five thousand men when Jesus broke the five loaves of bread and few small fish and had them multiplied miraculously.

It would have been easy for Jesus to just turn the crowd away in times he was physically exhausted after teaching for days, skipping meals or spending little time to rest and sleep.

It would have been easy as well for Jesus to reject the crowd because he could discern their dark, sinful past, their motives and intentions.

Yet, Jesus took the time to be with the crowd to teach them, to love them and heal them.

“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36)

The crowds–you’ll see them everywhere–public places, shopping malls, government buildings, hospitals, universities and colleges–they are all there.

In God’s eyes, each individual that collectively form the large mass of people are valuable to God.

And what’s valuable to God should be valuable to us, too.

Let’s go and make disciples.

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