The One with the Pencil

Image via Wikipedia

I have read an article by a renowned Filipino preacher (in blue jeans), Brother Bo Sanchez, and I would like to share it with you. I happen to have received this via email subscription. I hope you’ll find this article useful in your daily life, as much as I do. 🙂

Here are the five things that are common between you (us) and a pencil:

1. A Pencil Has Purpose

God made a pencil to make its mark in this world. Early on, it must establish its purpose—it’s not a backscratcher, or a toy that you twirl around your finger, or a can opener, or (sorry for the grossness) an ear cleaner…

       If a pencil diverts its purpose, it will destroy its very existence. It you use it for something else, it will endanger its life. The pencil gets broken and you won’t be able to write anymore.

       In the same way, you need to establish your purpose. You can’t be distracted, or you endanger your very existence. You must be focused on one thing. What is your one thing?

       I don’t know about you, but I like to be with people of purpose. Who know their one thing. Because they are focused on one thing, they are excellent people. They move with direction.

       I ask you again: What’s your one thing?

2. A Pencil Has Priority

The inside of a pencil is more important than the outside of the pencil. Because the insides are connected to its purpose. On the outside, it could be have dirt, have bite marks, have chipped paint, but that doesn’t matter as long as its insides are working.

       Like the pencil, your purpose is connected to what’s inside you, not what’s outside you.

What am I saying? Your money or your house or your car or your watch or your cell phone won’t make you happy. It’s what’s inside you that will make you happy.

       The Divine imprint is in you. Inside you is the image and likeness of God. The Bible says “Christ dwells in you.” (Colossians 1:27) and that you are the “Temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 3:16).

       Value what’s in you more than what’s outside you!

3. A Pencil Needs Pain

A pencil has to go through painful sharpening if it’s to be useful. If it doesn’t go through pain, it won’t be able to fulfill its purpose.

In the same way, you need to prepare yourself to go through painful sharpening—if you want God to use you. You will go through trials to test you, teach you, and train you to be better than you were before.

Look back into your life.

There must be a reason why you went through what you went through. There’s a reason why you went through that molestation, that separation, that abortion, that deprivation, isolation, that temptation, that purgation, that tribulation…

I was molested as a child. I will not wish it on my worst enemy. Yet I am able to speak words of healing today because of the pain that I went through.

4. A Pencil Needs Perseverance

If it makes a mistake, the pencil doesn’t give up. Why? Because it knows it has an eraser. The pencil simply erases its mistakes, and moves on. It doesn’t beat itself and condemn itself and say, “Oh, I’m so terrible. Why did I make a mistake? I’m a total failure.” No such words. When it makes a mistake, it simply erases and moves on.

       In the same way, when you make a mistake, God gave you an eraser. It’s the most powerful eraser in the world. It’s called forgiveness.

God forgives you. And asks you to forgive yourself. And asks you to forgive others.

Use your eraser everyday!

5. A Pencil Needs Power

A pencil left by itself cannot fulfill its purpose. Because its power doesn’t come from itself but from the hand that holds it. For the pencil to make its mark in the world, it needs to allow someone’s hand to hold it.

In the same way, you need to allow God’s hand to hold you so you can fulfill your sacred purpose.

Are you allowing God’s hand to hold you, direct you, and use you now?

       Friend, let God hold you now.

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Original article by Brother Bo Sanchez. As such, credits and copyright, implied or not, belong to him.

The One with Our “Pagpag” Experience

Araneta Center

Yesterday, we went to Araneta Center in Cubao, as a last-minute shopping in preparation for today’s school opening. Our group consisted of my wife, our two sons, two of their cousins and me. We badly needed companions because we can’t handle everything all by ourselves. We bought school bags, pairs of shoes, under garments and other school necessities. We spent several hours hopping from one mall to another just to find the most affordable, yet usable items. We didn’t know that two of my brother-in-laws and their kids also went in the same place separately.

National Bookstore (the red building)

So like destiny, we headed and all unexpectedly gathered in the same place, the last destination for the day – National Bookstore (its largest branch infront of Araneta Coliseum). It was full-packed, like Holiday rush!

We were so tired. Our group was about to leave for home when my eldest brother-in-law, Andy, invited us for dinner first (it was almost 6pm then). There were 7 kids and all of them wanted to eat at a nearby Jollibee. But Andy refused. He told us there’s a place inside Farmer’s Market (yes, the Market and not the Plaza) called “Dampa” (like a large food court) where we should eat.

Dampa

So off we went, ordered a variety of meals. It was like a feast, nevertheless. Being a food lover, I ate a lot and had a really full stomach. Perhaps because of their curiosity, my kids played with some large shrimps like those were toys. I helped them debone one shrimp, took some of its meat with a fork and offered them to eat it. But they didn’t want to. They just played with it. Basically, there were some leftovers. Beside me is a half-full bowl of steamed rice which we can no longer consume.

We were about to go when a young man perhaps in his late twenties, approached us, and asked if he could have our leftovers. I handed him the bowl of excess rice beside me. He took it. Suddenly, without any word, he took every leftover that’s on our table, even the chicken bones, shrimp shells, the ones toyed by my kids – literally everything! He placed them on that bowl of rice. I thought he’ll use it to feed pigs (kanin-baboy) or dogs. But to our amazement, he went to a nearby table and took a seat. He was with his wife who was holding their BABY. He gave our leftover chicken bones to his baby and the child grabbed it like it was the first bone she ever saw and munched in her entire life! The man ate without any sign of shame. His wife just stared. She didn’t eat. Well, her husband didn’t seem to offer her but still, maybe she felt uneasy. I can tell that their baby was so hungry that she was eating our leftovers. I was so shocked, and so as the rest of our family. We all saw what happened. I felt so sorry for the baby! We were heartbroken.

A face of poverty..

We didn’t speak a word for a few minutes. Then I burst into tears that I was forcing to keep inside myself. I told my wife, “Ma, do you have any money? Maybe we can give them any amount so they can buy decent food for themselves, especially for the baby.” She nodded and approached them.

With all of our belongings, we followed my wife. Everyone in Dampa (there were quite a few customers at that time) were looking, but didn’t want to involve themselves. She gave the woman an amount I won’t mention. The woman expressed her thanks. She also told us that her husband had money earlier in the day but spent it on gambling! Imagine that! My wife showed dismay and told the husband to find a decent job and buy something for his family to eat, especially for the baby.

A child in need.

We left them with heavy burdens in our hearts. We knew that it was not enough. It was only a temporary solution. But most importantly, we were very concerned about the baby. She was too exposed in the cruelty of the world. She is a victim – just like many other babies who live in extreme poverty. How many of them exist in our society? What have we done to help them, even reach out to them?

As a moral lesson, I told the kids we were so blessed that we didn’t have to eat leftovers (“Pagpag”) and that we should never waste food. We should consume and share what God has provided us, because many families live in poverty that they will eat anything, even those they find in the garbage. Maybe, God wanted us to learn, that’s why He didn’t allow us to eat at Jollibee. He wanted to show us how serious poverty really is.

Hapag ng pag-asa

Despite the burden, we also felt blessed. Sometimes we think that God has forsaken us. Sometimes we think that we are all alone — financially, physically and emotionally laden. We complain too much. But if we just try to understand and recognize the blessings around us, we will realize that God has in fact been good to us all the time. He never left us.

May God bless all families in the world, most especially the ones who are fighting against hunger.

Kevin Carter took this photograph -- a staving toddler trying to reach a feeding center when a vulture landed nearby. Carter later claimed that after waiting twenty minutes in the hope that the vulture would spread its wings, he took a picture and then chased off the vulture.

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Note: All pictures were from various sources. I don’t take ownership of the pictures as I had no camera with me yesterday.

The Baby and the Vulture

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Carter

The One with the Fails

Just some pictures I don’t own nor take credit for..  Have a great (and safe) weekend everyone!!

Have you watched "The Never Ending Story"?

They say "Don't drink and drive." Imagine that this drunk man is just about to drive.. He is just looking for his car, folks! (itago nyo ang kotse nya, dali!!!!!!!)

Double Knock out!