Everything happens for a reason.

You were made by God and for God, and until you understand that, life will never make sense. – Rick Warren

Hey, did you miss me? I’m back after 4 years of sleep… YES!

Maybe your drinking a cup of coffee and you got into this page and you ask yourself…

Why am I reading this blog?

Where do I came from?

Where am I going?

Why did the chicken lay an egg?

I don’t know where the chicken and the egg came from, but I will tell you what this blog is not. It is not usual serious stuff with science and the use of highfalutin words. I’m going to write fun blogs and maybe add some stories.

I’m an ordinary, college undergraduate with simple words and ideas to share. I keep things real.

I don’t believe that it’s coincidence you are reading this blog. Everything happens for a reason and there is always purpose to it, just like our lives… do you agree?

Buffet Of Blessings!

A friend once asked me why I am so blessed.  Is God playing favorites?  Am I blessed because I serve a lot in my community?

I believe that blessings are equally given to all.  God knows no partiality.  It is all up to us how we can have the blessings we want!

Let me share a story on how we can access the unlimited blessings of God.

There was a man named Peter who lived in the farm all his life.

One day, he decided to go to the city to experience eating in an eat all you can buffet.  The next morning, he got on a bus and went off to the city.  Upon arriving, he went to the best eat all you can buffet in town.  He entered the restaurant and sat on the chair and then he waited for a waiter to take his order.  After 30 minutes, a waiter approached him and said, “Sir, why are you not eating?”

In frustration, Peter replied, “What kind of a restaurant is this!  I have been sitting here for 30 minutes and no one is taking my order.” The waiter told him, “sir, this is an eat all you can buffet. All you need to do is take your plate and go to the buffet table and get food.”

Peter replied, “Oh, I thought ‘buffet’ was a kind of food!”

Anyway, before going to the buffet table Peter asked the waiter, “Is it okay for me to get a slice of roast beef, a piece of crab, two pieces of fried chicken leg, and because I am Filipino, a cup of rice?”

The waiter answered, “Yes sir!  You can get as much as you can.”

To his amazement, Peter said, “Are you saying I can fill my plate with food and if I want more I just go back and fill my plate again?”

The waiter said, “Sir, whatever you see in the table is potentially yours.  You can get whatever you want as much as you want and you can go back again and again even without my permission.”  The end.

I know you’re wondering how the story ended. It doesn’t really matter because I’m sure Peter is overjoyed by his experience and no doubt, he will be telling all his friends about it.

By the way, can you guess the moral lesson of the story?

The moral lesson is – if you want a waiter to serve you, do not eat in an eat all you can buffet!

Kidding aside, I believe God’s blessings is like food prepared in a buffet table.

If you are hungry for blessings, you need to act like standing up and go to the table.  The scripture says ask and you shall receive.  Asking is an action verb.  You cannot receive if you do not act and faith without action is death faith.

When you find yourself complaining everyday as to why you are not receiving God’s blessings, you may want to ask yourself, am I just like Peter sitting down in this grand buffet of blessings?

It’s sad when people always complain about their life and yet, they are unwilling to do something.

The table is set and the food is prepared, all you need to do is stand up, walk to the table, and fill your plate with the food.

Don’t ask why others have more in their plates because how much you put in your plate is all up to you.

There will also be times when the food you want to eat is not in the table.

I remember a time when I was craving for snow crabs.  We went to a seafood buffet expecting to eat all the crabs I can.  I got disappointment at the buffet table because the dish that hold the snow crabs was empty!

Despite my disappointed, my attention was caught by the newly poured fried shrimps and deep fried fish fillet! Yes!

It’s frustrating when our expectations are not met.  When we get overwhelmed by frustrations, we tend to focus on what’s not there and we miss the opportunity to enjoy what is there – what is already in front of us!

If you missed the opportunity of having the blessings you want, try again.  Maybe it’s not yet time for you to have it.  Everything has its own time.  If that blessing is really meant for you, it will be given to you in a perfect time.

“There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

In our lives, there will be times when the blessings that we have been praying for a long time are not there.

Be patient because God’s abundance is everlasting.  The whole universe can never consume the blessings of God. There is more than enough for each and every one of us.

Do not despair if the food you want is not in the buffet table. There is only one reason why it is not yet there – it’s still being cooked in the kitchen.

In my case, that was true enough.  When I got back in the buffet table, there it was, newly cooked king crabs being poured in the dish! (I expected snow crabs and I got king crabs!)

Enjoy the blessings that you have while waiting for that blessing you’ve been praying for.  God is preparing in His grand kitchen the blessing that is intended for you.  He prepares only the best for you.

So, what are we waiting for?

The next time you want a great job, stand up and get the best job for you!  If the best job is not yet there, do the best and enjoy what you are doing.

If you want a good family life, stand up and create the best memories!  If your family is separated, never lose hope because God creates your happy endings.

If you need money, stand up and build a sustainable income stream!  If nothing seems to work for you, keep asking for guidance because with God, nothing is impossible.

God can make everything good for you.  His plans are all for our own good but, whatever the outcome of your life, it is all up to you.

Finally, in a buffet, there is always dessert.  Make sure to leave some space for dessert because desserts are the best part of your meal.

Just like in life, our God prepares the best for last.  Make sure you have room for it!

God is the greatest!

Give All You Can

What will you do once you achieve your financial dreams?

This is what Jesus has to say to a rich man, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”  (Matthew 19:21)

If you worked all your life to be wealthy, this doesn’t sound right.  I mean, give away all that you worked for to be complete?

The bible says we have to give everything to be complete but the world today teaches the opposite. So, if you have great possessions, are you doomed to be incomplete?

Okay, before giving away all you have, let us examine what rich people have when Jesus spoke these words about 2000 years ago. They have lands, farms, livestock, crops, herds, servants and gold.

Today, rich people have lands, farms, livestock, crops, herds, butlers and maids, and hedge funds plus mansions, exotic cars, luxury yacht, private jet, private island and so on.

An average person today would own a house, a car, a smartphone, a computer and a wifi for posting pictures in Facebook.

Question: Are you willing to give up all these things to be complete?

Using my limited wisdom, I don’t think God wants us to literally sell all our possessions to be complete.  Depending on your vocation in life, this will determine your interpretation on the meaning of this verse.  A Benedictine monk can literally follow this teaching without any difficulty but for a family man, this is difficult to discern.

As a family man myself, my primary vocation is to be a good provider for my family.  I also have big dreams in life and one of them is to empower the next generation and leave a good legacy behind.  To be able to do this, I need resources and one of them are my possessions.

If you ask me, when your possessions are the reason why you could not follow God, that’s the time when you can never be complete.  If you are too attached to your material things, your possessions, you won’t have treasures in heaven.

For me, I chose to gain all I can, I choose to save all I can so I can give as much as I can.  If I keep all my possession for myself, I’m just building a wall that will eventually prevent me to see what is most important in my life.  Every time I give, a brick is removed from that wall and I begin to see the true beauty of life. I believe this is God’s purpose for me.

When you give, expect nothing in return.  Give with your whole heart and give cheerfully!

You give because you know it is the right thing to do.

Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”

What inspires me to give all I can to God is found in the book of Malachi.  In this book, God challenged the Israelites (all of us) to test Him. It says, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the LORD of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. Then I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes,” says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:10-11)

By tithing, God opens the windows of heaven for us!  And there’s more — it guarantees the protection and preservation of what we are building here in earth!

“Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure – pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” (Luke 6:38)

There you go!

Don’t worry how much you will give, because the more you give, the more you will receive.

Earlier in my life, I was not a very generous person. I say this because true generosity is completely selfless.  I thought I am better off spending my money for myself rather than sharing it.  I was so attached with money.

True giving comes with no strings attached.  You focus on the needs of others while leaving your own desires behind.

Giving is not only about sharing your possessions. You can also share your time and talents.

In my case, I use my time and talent by blessing others through my blogs (considering it’s my birthday – Oct 22, I should be having a good time but instead I’m writing for you).  For more than 6 years, I’m very blessed to say that it has been a source of inspiration for many people around the world.

When you find fulfillment in giving using your time, talent and resources, your world will never be the same again.

A lot of people are terrified to give because giving requires you to take away something from yourself.  But you know what, I wish I could share something about the benefits of hoarding your wealth but I still have to find a person who have self-worth by being selfish.  Greedy people may have net worth but zero self-worth. They will never have contentment.

“But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.  For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.  Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.”  (1 Timothy 6:6-7, 17-19)

Give all you can for God and everything will be added unto you!

“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:31-33)

May God open the windows of heaven and pour out His abundant blessings into your life until it overflows.

God is the greatest!