The signs of time

Do you think what are happening in the world today are signs of the end of time?

Surely, earthquake and tsunami in Japan, earthquake in New Zealand and Haiti, floods in Australia, Mexico, and other places, and wars in the Middle East are apocalyptic signs laid down in the Bible. But let us be reminded that these catastrophes co-exist with mankind in every generation increasing in magnitude such that the current generation would say, 'this is the worst.'

This only reminds us that the end-time would come to every individual in designated times. Along with such reminder we should understand that we are called to repent our sins now and not when we see the "signs.

In my silent moments I came to realize that this year's "major disturbances" happened mostly in rich countries. The Philippines had always been a center of different calamities in the past and we are still in the developing stage, short of becoming a rich country. But Japan, New Zealand, Australia, and others could attest what happened recently are their worst.  This certainly mean that God spares no one from suffering the consequences because this world is destined to end. What God promised long before is to save those who called Him and join His path of righteousness.

Life is a constant change

Its been said that the only constant in life is change. This is the reason why a straight path may not be the best way to achieve glory even in ordinary life situations.

In carrying out projects and activities the rationalist always develops plan. But along the way, seldom it is carried out 100% according to what was laid out. Engineers always have "as planned" and "as built" drawings of their projects to highlight changes made along the way. What we think is good today may become bad the next time around and vice-versa. Everything changes and no identical activity even those accurately programmed in computers to occur 100% the same. The element of difference is of course - time. To give a concrete illustration, this season is another Christmas for Christians like us. But its not the same as past Christmases. Its Christmas of 2010 and the only Christmas within this year.

Since everything changes, our ways always change daily and what we achieve in life is a result of many left and right turns. The message is simple. Do not be afraid to change if that change is for the better.

In my life I had so many bad turns, but one good right turn I could remember was turning to Jesus. There are many trials ahead, yet I am confident I made a good change. If you are having trouble right now, try calling Him. He will change you for the better.

Merry Christmas.

About Trademarks

Every maker has its own trademark. You may just wonder, what is the trademark of God?

It amazed me to realize that from the smallest part of every matter to the largest system in the universe the trademark of the Lord is apparently seen. I am referring to the structure of the atom where electrons revolve around the nucleus. The same structure is seen in solar systems. Surprisingly this is also observable in societies. To become a strong society it must revolve around commonly accepted ideals and leadership. The same is true with every individual. Something or someone is in the middle of our life where our actions and our ways revolve.

The arrangement of having a source of strength and power in the center is and must have been the ideal arrangement. The atom become unstable if some part of its constituents are taken out. A society without a respected leader will be in chaos. When an electron is lost from the bonds of the central force it goes astray. And when a member of society detach himself from the accepted morals, he becomes renegade.

In my personal reflection, if I am a creation of God how does his trademark manifest in me? What or who rules in the center of my life. Well, I can humbly say that beginning from the time I accepted Jesus, He becomes the center of my life. And until this moment I still feel the pull of His loving force when I revolve around Him. There are times I am weak but His strength made me survive. And I thank the Lord for that.

How about you? You may choose to revolve around something material with temporal power or choose to revolve around God with omnipotence.

image taken from www.school-for-champions.com

Disbelief out of Unpreparedness

The recently concluded national elections in the Philippines had brought me several new records and "first times." It was the first national elections that uses automation. And it was the first time I was able to serve not just a voter but as operator of the electronic consolidation and canvassing system.

"The May 10 Elections, had been fast compared to the previous elections," says my Election Officer and many people would agree. Its quickness even rendered most losers unprepared to accept their fate. It would be hard for candidates who spent more than what is required by law during the campaign period to know quickly just overnight that they lost. The surge of emotions of unpreparedness and disbelief even resulted to massive complains and protests. There are doubts even as to the technical capabilities of the machines to count the votes 100% correctly. Well, they have the right to request the Commission on Elections for a manual count and see if the result is really correct. Since this is the first time it would be wise to show the public the manual count tallies with the machine count. But to what extent the COMELEC should allow this depends on the Lawyers.

I have personally experienced the canvassing and consolidation as a system operator. I was awake for the entire 48hrs since the the Board of Canvassers' initialized the system at about 12:00 noon on May 10 until the next day when every reports had to be printed and the local winners proclaimed. I personally did it for the sake of history and nothing else. The pay is even less than the risk and pressures, but the record is priceless.

Reports however came into my ear that some losing camps resort to putting colors on everything, even on my humble intentions. But I don't blame them because I knew sooner or later they would accept that a coin always has two faces. There's only one thing I can attest to myself that as a System Operator, it was impossible for me to have direct influence on the numbers in the final result.

Lifestyle change

Changing the way of life we had been used to is not a simple task. It requires dedication and willpower.

Physically speaking, today's lifestyle is the main contributors to many illnesses. In fact this leads to the birth of the term "lifestyle diseases." Your health conditions show how you treat your life: the way you eat, work, play, and everything. To combat this is changing lifestyle for the better.

Despite lifestyle shift being a hard thing it becomes easy when you have to choose between life and death. Many people say its hard to quit smoking, but studies show majority if not all do when lung cancer and related diseases strike.

I have been diagnosed recently of having hypertension and required to take maintenance medicine. But lifestyle change is what the doctor said as the best maintenance if not cure. Well, I have to do it or else I have to bear the consequences. The best choice of course is "no other choice."

There is one greater lifestyle change, however, that is most beneficial not only physically but spiritually. That is changing the life of sinfulness to righteousness. Living in sin leads to death and life in Jesus Christ is everlasting. We have no other choice.

Having the right choice

Sometimes we face the predicament of choosing between two things that both matter in our lives. A choice between a woman and another woman, the wife or the mother, go or stay, career or family, and many other similar situations.

During one of our prayer meetings. We lighted a candle in an altar and made sure it was lit throughout the entire session. But the host felt it was hot so he put on the electric fan. As the air blew from the fan the candle was put off by the gust. We lit it again as a requirement to the ceremony, but the air threatened it once more. We could not put off the fan either lest we feel more uncomfortable. What we did was to cover the fan's air flow to the candle. And so we completed the session with both the candle and the fan on. The point is, when there is a way to balance everything, why put off the fan or the candle when you can have them both.

God made every situations and problems surmountable for us. Let us not forget that when things turned out to be tough to decide, God is always there to guide and lead us the way. Always offer your decisions to the Lord and choose whichever is under God's command over that of man. Take the examples of David. When asked which penalty to take from God, David said "...I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.(1 Chronicles 21:13)"

The right choice may not be the best one, but it should be that pleases the Lord more. So ask the Lord and discern for the most righteous decisions.

On love, friendship, and good values

You may never know what other people think and do and how they behave by just their name and their looks. You can never understand what are the motives of kind people in helping others even if they don't know them personally. But for me, kindness don't need reasons. It is anchored on the principles of love.

The Apostle Paul once wrote to the Corinthians saying "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing." (1 Corinthians 12:3). Helping outside the context of love for others is useless. Moral and social obligations could not be perfectly exercised unless a person feels the need to care for others, out of his love for others. "Teaching a man how to fish,"is an exercise of moral and social responsibility. But "giving man a fish" is an act of kindness bound with love that doesn't question all the other consequences. Many people would disagree this point yet it is one of the virtues, Jesus wanted to inculcate into those who wants to follow him.

Last June 27 I met a newfound friend for the first time, we had known each other through the net for several months. I haven't known him personally yet I have heard of his generosity. The challenge he brought into my life is tremendous since it promised a life changing situation, it proposes a new twist in the chapter of my career, it even threatens to rearrange the easy lifestyle and routine I had been used to, and furthermore it puts me into other predicaments in the aspects of physical, spiritual, and financial management. I don't want to talk about the details of the business proposal here for personal reasons.

Well, its no big deal! I can just choose to step out of the project and make myself comfortable again. Don't think about the career, the business, and the opportunity. But there is something within that pushes me to continue - that is the social and moral obligations anchored on love for others. I felt this pressure from the thought of Sir Art, the man I met recently. I firmly believe that if I may not be able to do my task, this man is really bound to pursue his plans with or without me. I salute him for his generosity, kindness, and love for others.

Today is Friday the 13th

Today is Friday the 13th. But what's in the date?

Many people associate the date to bad luck. Among the many explanations is that 13 is considered an unlucky number and Friday is unlucky day. Combining both compounds the bad things. There are no legitimate accepted origin however yet the fear is always there.

I myself usually don't believe on myth but I developed a sort of paraskevidekatriaphobia, or the fear of Friday the 13th, because some major accidents in my life happened in a Friday the 13th. Our boarding house in college was hit by lightning on a Friday the 13th. I had my first bus accident on a Friday the 13th. In one of my trips going to work the public utility bus I was riding lost its brakes in a sharp curve and rolled over where many were injured. My wife, who was supposed to have a normal delivery got a Caesarean section for our third child on a Friday the 13th.

My explanation for this is that when people's mind whose negative vibrations merge during this particular day, it could create a negative energy that would result to unwanted events. That's why it is necessary to forget the idea and focus on the regular and normal flow of works. If in case you remember the fear, just counter it with positive thinking and prayers.

God always listens so let your fears go, and pray.

Searching for valuable information

Researching for information is one crucial factor in the conduct of actual preparation of research papers and even design, development, and conduct of actual experimental research.

The internet had been my friendly companion in the search for information. I have noticed though that related research articles in the net are sold and accessed with minimal costs. They are hosted in different sites, library and information sites that require registration with a reasonable cost. Information via this means are highly reliable because they are peer reviewed and are published by recognized institutions.

However, I have used a technique to search for valuable articles in the internet by adding the letter pdf when I search in any search engines, google, yahoo, or other pdf search engine. The techniques would yield free complete articles in downloadable forms.

Why not try it yourself?

Coming back fresh

Hello friends!

Home of goods ideas is back in circulation again. We have resolved some technical issues by now. And as we have returned I am glad to announce that our ideas have expanded to a wider coverage to make this site more relevant to its visitors.

This time we will be sharing more information in addition to religious topics and commentaries. From time to time we will be sharing information relevant to home and lifestyle with a Filipino touch. As much as practicable we will focus on the following daily topics:

Monday - Cooking ideas (recipes and others)
Tuesday - Family and Health issues
Wednesday - Home improvements (the physical side)
Thursday - Life experiences (stories of Christian experiences)
Friday - Whatever comes
Saturday and Sunday - Gospels

We also invite your suggestions for any relevant topics and prayer and counseling requests.

Thank you.

Notice to Readers

We are currently having some technical problems with the site and we are doing maintenance works to make the site accessible again. Thanks for bearing with us.

Prayers are not enough

There are certain situations in our lives when prayers are not enough to exercise our faith. There are times when we know the answer yet we still ask God for aide.

The case in point here is the recent calamity that happened in Manila (The Philippines capital) and nearby regions. Many of those affected were praying they would be spared from the calamity but they were not. Many prayed to be reached quickly during the height of flooding but were not. Many of those not affected even prayed: in churches, in homes, during mass offerings, and in whatever place they deem fit. Yet still, the damage is tremendous.

Devastation could have been prevented in the first place if we just listen to what God is telling us. Damages and cost of relief could have been used in more progressive ways if we just followed the Creator's warning. Why did I say so? Years or decades back there was already information from experts that these flooded area is really prune to such flooding because of its location. But the stakeholders, whoever they are, didn't care. Time again it is proven that negligence of God's will would cause us to suffer. And yet we pray God spare us!

Read this related story about discerning.

God had sent His answers long before these things happened. We should have responded with better urban planning and environmental management.

I agree, this is not a time of blaming. This is a time to learn our mistakes. We humans are really good at learning. Yet we repeat the same mistakes again and again and again.

Finally we salute every individuals who responded the call to help beyond prayers by sending financial, material, and other contributions for the victims of typhoon "Ondoy."

image from http://news.sympatico.ca

Manila floods: the message behind

The recent flooding in Manila has brought a considerable loss of lives and property. Experts considered them as a direct proof of the effects of changes in environmental conditions such as global warming. But have we considered another angle beyond what is human perspective?

Events like this happened in the past and there are direct natural causes ruled out. Seldom do we give or decipher if the Creator has something to do with this. I don't want to sound pessimistic about this but I sensed there is some message far more than what is perceived by our eyes.

God promised Noah He will not wipe humans with a devastating flood again. Perhaps no rainbow ever appeared on the Friday when waters were poured from up high in the Philippines capital. Did God forget His promise? Absolutely not, even without the rainbow appearing in the sky. As evidence a lot of us are still alive.

This event is just a sign, a reminder that: it is not for man to limit population by legalizing abortion (through whatever means deceptive)-because if God wills it He can do it in a day; development must be carried with due respect on God's gifts (nature-man and earth) not at the expense of it-you can prosper economically but you should take control of the environment with proper zonal planning, drainage systems, etc.

We are now reminded that we have nothing to be proud of as an intelligent race, our leader should not shout to the world that they made us progressive because of their efforts, because God owns everything, He directs everything.

image taken from bbc.co.uk

Coping with setbacks

Sometimes in the course of our journey in life we meet some interruptions which would make us feel we are back in the starting line.

Setbacks come in different forms and magnitude. Small ones may happen regularly and make up some of the common challenges in our lives. But big blows may dampen our enthusiasm to go on the fight. The weak will falter, in some worse case with suicide.

But life is meant to be lived this way. And so we are encouraged to be strong and to "rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance" (Romans 5:3, New International Version).

Just as gold is policed by fire; as the finest wood art is made by severe polishing; and the straight road can be carved out of the mountains let us stand firm with faith in God.

To those who are facing setbacks today you may say this little prayer, "Lord, show me the way of your love amidst these troubles. For your light is the way to salvation. Amen."

photo taken from black-collegian.com

Principles of Association

"Birds of the same feathers flock together." It sounds familiar, and it sounds obsolete. Yes, so many of the old societies' sayings and traditions are becoming outdated with the coming advancement in information and communications, electronics, fashion, and others. But there is one existing tradition that remained strong despite the challenges of the social "structures and arrangements" and that is "the principles of association."

The need for connection among others in a society composed of different segments, functions, likes, needs, and other things is felt in order to become relevant and recognized. "No man is an island" is the common saying that goes with it. Take for example the lawyers, the athletes, the writers, and many other homogeneous social groups; they associate because of purpose and commonality. By so doing, it make them agree on things easier for their common good. Then, within this specialized group comes other division in so far as sex, age, and racial backgrounds.

We take a specific look at the cyberspace, forum groups are also divided and associated as far as age, sex, and likes are concerned. By means of specialized group chats, people of the same needs can share their concerns, problems, and ideas that would help one another. For seniors, problems like health, companionship, finances, and others can be discussed.

No doubt, the principles of association would stand the test of time.

Coping up with single parenting

The basic element of the social structure - the family is under severe transformation in today's world. One of these changes is the reshaping of its organic structure, which is traditionally a mother, father, and children composition, to single parent family and others.

Since God did not design it this way, people within this type of arrangements may find it hard to cope with the demands of added responsibility. Imagine a single parent working by day and nursing at night. In some cases when time element is tight, the parent-child bonding is jeopardized in exchange of earning for living.

Without support, people in a situation of single parenting may suffer emotional trauma and stress that would lead to depression. To echo out sentiments and feelings is a way to relieve stress and this can be obtained through community support groups whether religious, civil, or other types.

When social structure is under attack, the best way to survive the rain is to hold hand with others who got rained on too. Much more, let the Lord hold you and believe that there's no storm so dark, He cannot calm.

Fellowship of the net

Last weekend we were with another fellowship. This time a new kind of fellowship which I call "fellowship of the net."

As usual brothers and sisters of the community were gathered not with the regular beach, swimming pool, or falls, or whatever resorts but in a sports compound. Everyone were allowed to chose any ball games with a net (volleyball, badminton, lawn tennis, table tennis, etc) and enjoy their time with brothers and sisters.

I took the pleasure with table tennis and it made me sweat. I burned calories and had fun together with my Christian brothers and sisters. It was a unique experience and we thought of doing it too often.

photo taken from: http://students.washington.edu

Web hosting and security

Why do most site owners care to have their sites hosted by competent we hosts? For a blogger like me, or us whose concern is just to share our thoughts and our daily activities we deem worth sharing with, a free domain is enough. But for a publisher who shares products and services in the net having a domain name is a plus factor but requires an investment. Along the quest of finding information about web hosting I encountered several concerns that turned out to be just misconceptions. These involve the issue on security and cost.

There are five major managed hosting misconceptions but I specifically touch on the issue on security and cost. It is a misconception that a managed hosting provider is secure. In the real world, we should understand that no server or web hosting system is ever 100% protected. Hackers and malwares evolved daily like a natural virus. The best web host must be sophisticated enough to adapt to these changes. You as the publisher must also be aware of the security measure your host implements.

For a publisher who sells products and services in the net, it is a misconception to think that hosting is cost prohibitive. In the real sense hosting spares you from added investment on hardware and upgrades, software, security maintenance, and even on personnel. That therefore redounds to cost saving.

Once again, there are added benefits for hosting as there are disadvantages. For better understanding I would like to refer you to a prominent site that discusses intensively about web hosting, the Web Hosting Geeks and its blog site. You can find a lot of information that would guide you about the topic.

The Good Shepherd

I was sort of emotional last week when I came to a household prayer meeting with my small group and found out it was only me (and my wife) and the host couple attending the session. I felt sad and deeply concerned because as a servant it is my responsibility to gather the flock assigned to us. I was hesitant to open the worship, although it was already 8:00 in the evening one hour past our regular schedule of 7:00pm. My ego told me to cancel the meeting, but my wife was insistent I should compensate the efforts I made earlier just to attend the meeting. What seemed to be the problem? Is it me?

My group is a vibrant household group of 5 couples. We have a great fellowship with members strong in their faith and devotions. Each couple served their local church, aside from our own Christian community service, with strong dedication. I am sure my household group members are real practicing Christians both in words and works. No doubt, they have no problem. Could it be me?

I tried the one last move to contact every member, I called them by cellular phone. One was out of town, another was on a special family event, while one is unreachable. So I decided to proceed with the opening worship. And as I close my eyes and begun to sing praises, three voices joined me: my wife's and that of the host couple's. As my emotion rises with submission to God, a set of two new voices joined the chorus. My heart leaped for joy with tears clotting my eyelids as I felt the warm embrace of God and His whispers saying "Go on my son, I am with you even if you are alone. But if you need the company of other faithfuls, I will send my Angels to join you!" I almost stop singing by then, I could not even hit the right chords of the guitar. When I open my eyes, I saw another couple servant who came to join us, to make the session more lively despite the absence of others.

The meeting was a success and the fellowship ran until 11:00pm. The best thing I realized that night was that the Good Shepherd reassured me, there is no problem. Not with my members, not me. Sometimes there are just circumstances beyond physical control which would lead to the absence of a warm body. By faith is always there, as long as the shepherd does not fail.

Thinking of a break

After so much work I am thinking of some place to hang out, so out of nothing at all I passed by a site about Switzerland.

You might be interested to move or visit Switzerland, so I am sharing here some important information about the place. Here is a comprehensive site about Switzerland. It features travel and other information about places inside the country.Click here