BETWEEN THE LINES

I dont believe in disposable relationships. Does friendship need to end if things do not work out right? There's nothing even final. I still believe friendship matters the most in any kind of relationship. But does one have to stop to give way to the other? Can't they not co-exist? Shouldn't they thrive despite of uncertainty? Shouldn't it continue to flow like a river? Shouldn't it last till the end? Should there be choosing?

Pains, hurts and uncertainties in life comes. Escape is the best medicine. At least for some. But the strong one's stand up and believe for the best. A friend always hopes, always trust, always protects, does not keep a record of wrong and it always perseveres. A friend is a person who loves at all times. Not because of something to be received in return. But a friend is a personification of love. A friend always loves. That is why we have a friend in Jesus.

When everything else goes out of bounce. When something else will be greater than friendship. I doubt it will last. Friendship must interweave every relationship. It must flow. It must be normative. It must be found in sports teams, churches, companies and marriages. It's the best relationship we can share with the person till the end. Nothing could be best. That's why I dont believe in "I hope we can be more than friends." A friend has no agenda. A friend is always there. Always trust, always hope, always persevere. It never fails. Friendship must not leave in pursuit of the other. For it to be understood one must read between the lines. 1 Corithians 13 "A friend."

WHERE?

Lately, I realize something new and something strange. I don't know if it is reliable or not but this one I can deny not. I tried shaking it off my mind and it won't go. I did not see this coming. I did not see this happening. I don't know if in the process I am aware or not. But this something I really don't entirely see coming to me this time in unexpected way. I don't know if I like it. But I do.

What started to be just ordinary years back I did not see could affect me this way. Am I over analyzing? Or I'm already caught? I smile at the thought of writing this. She's a good friend. So kind, so thoughtful, so fun to be with, just every friend you could ask for. I enjoyed her company. I know she enjoys too. She knows all my secrets, my frustrations, she listens to every little silly details, she knows my dreams, she knows my plans, she doesn't complain, she bears all through, she doesn't object, she is amazing. I think she loves me telling her all that's in my mind, all my life.

Along the way, we hit a hard road! A very hard road that almost changed it all. Unguarded, immature, reckless, giving into. Our road must separate. It did! We lived lives on different sides of the world. Totally unknown, shut down, drowned. We both conceded for what is right. Counting days, counting weeks, counting months. Though totally silent yet I know never forgotten. She crosses my mind more than a dozen times. But I choose to shake it off. Maybe there is a new life for us both apart from each other. Life must go on. Life must roll. Cherish the second chance. There must be something different.

Life after the hard road finally found a safer harbor. The world we lived in is but just small. Common friends, common spheres common interest. Life could never stretch us both apart into total oblivion. So situation brought us closer again. So we saw the silent moments taught us. We saw time healed. Time changes things. The hard road did not really yield an irreversible effect. But it really did not change what we have for each other after all. We were still the same friends. I still enjoy her company. And I know she does too. I love her. She loves someone else!

Another hard road! I was insensitive I know I become in the years past. I was selfish and I was reckless. So someone came into the picture. She got her eyes to someone else. At first, it really did not bother me at all-atleast emotionally. Aside from the fact that she really had a very, very bad pick! Laughing through her choice I found something inside of me strange. Could this be I am losing my guards. Why does it pain me like an arrow into my chest? This is crazy! I become overly affected.

Her plans met few challenges enough at least for her to have it all halted. Will she forever stay with me or again leave for i dont know? From here the story gets blurry. I know the idea of us being together now is not atleast the best. What will be the next part of this story? Where will our friendship lead? Only time can tell. Only heaven knows. For now I have to be satisfied with the idea that The Lord will lead us closer to His will. Atleast make it right this time. For now, I watch the clock click time out to reveal where this more than five years of friendship find its place in our lives. At least for now,

this time....I have something for her. I'm fine.

Where does the road meet for both of us? 

Time Well Wasted

Why you need downtime and how to spend it?

Most pastors don't waste enough time. At least that's my conviction. But wasting time well is an acquired skill, because there is good wasting and there is bad wasting. Bad time wasting is the hang around/watch TV/perform random online search kind that leaves you with less life than you started with. You may be doing it right now. I don't need to say any more about that, except to stop. The good kind of time-wasting will actually lead you to be more connected with God and more full of life. But it's hard to engage in, because there are always more pressing matters. This isn't really wasting time, of course, but our culture makes it feel as though it is.

There are three categories for these well-wasted times.

1. The discipline of solitude.

I used to think that solitude would involve pure, unadulterated prayer and intense spiritual activity; and because it is not, I never do solitude without a sense of wasting time. I have learned that wasting time is fundamental to solitude. People often want to know what you're supposed to do when you go into solitude. But this is the wrong question. The point of solitude is what you don't do.

Spiritual disciplines can be categorized as practices of abstinence and practices of engagement. In abstinence I refrain from doing what I normally do. In engagement I practice what I normally do not do.

Solitude is essentially a discipline of abstinence. In solitude I withdraw from relationships and noise and stimulation and see what there is when I am alone with God. The point of solitude is not what I do—it is what I don't do. I get away from all the voices and demands of my life and find out about what my little life is like when all the distractions are removed. The primary gift I find in solitude is freedom. After time alone, I begin to remember that what other people think of me really matters very little. Those people all have their own lives; they will all die one day and take their applause and criticisms with them. I'm always aware of this, but in solitude I come to feel it deeply. I feel a sense of peace that I treasure. A Bible or a journal may be fine for solitude, but they are not necessary. The primary thing to remember about solitude is just don't do anything.

(Interestingly enough, the Sabbath was described in Exodus in terms of "not-doing"— "on it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals … ")

2. Musing.

A second form of time-wasting is musing, or listening. Here I bring before God what I am concerned about. Often for me it involves either family or ministry. I am worried about one of my children. I am concerned about the health of my team. I am unsure about whether our ministry is functioning well. I spread these out before God, and then I listen. This listening is a form of prayer, but it is prayer than involves thinking and imagination and asking questions. Often I will ask God at the beginning of it for wisdom regarding next steps to take. I might write some ideas down. It will often lead to plans. It's important not to mix up solitude as a discipline with planning or musing. When I plan, I am hoping for an outcome. But by its nature, solitude as a practice requires letting go of all outcomes. When I am engaging in solitude for God's sake, I am not trying to get anything out of it; the pressure of wanting something keeps me from the very freedom God wants to give. But when I am musing over a concern, I am very much hoping for some next step to take.

3. Production enhancement.

The best example of this third kind of time wasting is a cow. A cow is a miracle on four legs, producing milk that fuels all kinds of people. But if you look carefully at a cow through the day, it looks remarkably unproductive. It spends hours chewing and then re-chewing. It takes less than five minutes to download the milk that it took 24 hours to produce. But when you're creating milk, you just can't make it go any faster. There are limits in the creativity game. If you are going to create, you need some time to chew the grass and stare into space.

In my experience, the more creative people are, the more space-staring they need to do. You can make instant coffee. But milk takes time. For me, production-enhancement time wasting usually involves some activity that I love just for its own sake. I read history. I go to the ocean and stare at the waves. I do a crossword puzzle. I call up a friend. I put a fire in the fire pit outside. I play the piano. How do you waste time badly? How do you waste time well? Are you wasting time adequately? If you find yourself feeling inwardly free, if you find yourself with all the ideas you need for planning, if you find yourself in a creative ferment, then you should probably stick to your current schedule. If not, you might want to re-think how you're wasting time. Enough for today; time to go back to work.

Written by:John Ortberg 

Editor at large of Leadership and pastor of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in California.

RANDOM REVELATIONS - DAY 1 Prayer and Fasting

I was writing this with lights-off in my Green Apple notepad as I'm talking with Lord during my seclusion time in our Day 1 Prayer and Fasting. May this edify and encourage you church as it did to me. I categorize each message for. 

CHURCH

I am seeing two services to happen at ATS this year, morning and afternoon services. There will be a great harvest from the community who are really serious and committed about God and a handful of harvest from the workplaces and campuses.

God wants us to prepare our basket for the great harvest. He wants the leaders ready, the facilities ready, the workers ready, the hearts ready, the passions burning, the compassion on high levels, hearts are broken and engaged for the lost. Leaders who are selfless and ready to serve. Leaders who are passionate about the cause of Christ and to Jesus Christ Himself. We should ready our basket and train our leaders in heart, in intimacy with God, in holy living, becoming salt and light, to have a servants heart and all out for God!

I'm seeing two services filled with people passionately worshipping God. I see an excellent worship team Spirit-filled and playing excellently engaging the hearts of people to connect to God through singing songs. I dont know why I am seeing Kath Gadjamil leading worship at ATS in full room attendance!I see a Spirit-filled church. I sense a church that is so sensitive to the heart of Jesus. I see a church that lives a life of modesty that reflects the character of Jesus Christ as a community of faith.

COMMUNITY

 I see ATS chapel filled with people in both morning  and afternoon services. I see people from the talents who truly encountered God and they go to church not anymore because of food but because they are impacted by the love of God and desire to commit and surrender their live to Him. I see families with their children coming to church! I see leaders rising up in the communities and lead community groups!

WORKPLACE

I see faces from the young professionals group from the workplaces whose lives have been impacted and hooked by the Gospel and teachings of Jesus. They are led by leaders who model a life that reflect Jesus. I see a handful of them coming  from Eastwood. I see them engaging and serving in the church and growing in their relationship with God. I see them holding to their faith in Jesus not giving up in the challenges of life, trials and persecution. They will be a new batch of those who will rise up winning the workplaces. From among them will rise the next batch who would give up professions and careers and join the full time force because they see the beauty and potential of the local church that far more outweighs any job and career in this world. From among them will rise the future pastors, passionate preachers, leaders and world changers!

CAMPUS

I see a harvest of students from Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) and University of Makati(UMak). I see students joining the force! I sense a little struggle but the leaders will be willing to pay the price and soon conquer the universities and take their portion! The vision for the campus will be birthed and captured by these leaders. From among them will rise dreamers and history makers!

I need to level up. i need to be equipped more. I need more of God! I pray to be a better leader. One who understands the culture and engage it without compromise. I will lead leaders who are even older than I am from the business sector. I pray God will do more equipping in me and have a greater grasp of the vision! By the Grace of God and for His Glory!

#2013yearofgreaterthings!