Saturday, March 29, 2008

I Have So Many Time Tomorrow

Overcome Procrastination Now.

"DELAYED AND PARTIAL OBEDIENCE IS DISOBEDIENCE."

People have procrastinated since biblical times. Jonah, God commanded him to tell the people of Nineveh that the place will be destroyed if they will not repent from there sins in 40 days time [Book of Jonah]. Moses used the excuse of being a slow talker and procrastinated when God called him to action [Exodus 3 & 4]. The prodigal son delayed going home and ended up eating pigs’ slop [Luke 15].

MANIANA is a Spanish word meaning TOMORROW and for Filipinos it is LATER or MAMAYA NA.  Something in common? The fact that both words means to delay an act.

Ever wonder why people push things aside to do later?

They’re afraid they’ll fail. It’s a real drain to their self-esteem to think that they might try something and not be good at it. So instead of immediately tackling project that feels overwhelming, they put it off on the chance that they may not succeed, and they don’t start at all.

They’re afraid they’ll succeed. Other times people think that if they do something –and do it well- that others will raise their expectations and want something even better the next time. If they put off trying, they don’t have to worry about improving success.

They don’t want to feel deprived. If a goal feels more like a punishment than a reward, a procrastinator will put off going forward. Take dieting for instance. If starting a new diet means giving up the things they love to eat, there’s not much incentive to watch what goes in their mouth.

They care too much about what others think.
Caring too much about what friends will say or do can make it procrastinator put off crucial decisions. If they think their buds will disapprove, they’re likely to delay moving forward.

They’re afraid to try something new.
Most people don’t like to change. They’d rather in their rut than set out in a new direction. Instead of admitting that the old way may not be the best way, they put off trying something different.

It’s not too late to break your procrastination habit. Here’s how you can do it.

Face you feelings.
If fear has you tied up in knots, admit it’s a problem. If you rely too much of opinions, decide it make a change. If the thought of doing without something has you stalled, it’s time to look that problem in the eye. Acknowledge that your emotions are causing to put off going forward in life. Deal with the root of your procrastination problem.

Be honest with others. Ask family and friends to help you stop procrastinating. It’s lonely to tackle a project or make a lifestyle change by yourself. Ask people you trust to hole you accountable and cheer you on. Tell them that you want to accomplish, by what date, and ask them to check on you progress.

Try five. Anyone can do something for five minutes. Tell yourself that you’ll devote five minutes to whatever needs to be accomplished, and at least you will have started. Remember, well begun is halfway done.

Break it down. Big projects can be overwhelming. Sometimes it’s hard to even know where to start. If you’ve got a difficult task ahead, try coming up with a step-by-step plan to complete it. Looking at the baby steps involved –instead of the big picture of what needs to be accomplished- can make tackling the job less fearful.

Give yourself an incentive. It’s easier to make a good habit stick if there’s a reward attached. Tell yourself you can watch your favorite TV show after you finish your homework, or that you can IM your friends after you’ve finished the last page of your report.

Count the cost.
Ever figure out how much time you waste when you put off something? It’s easy for that 15-minutes assignment to take hours to complete when you stop for a snack or go to the Web for research and end up surfing. Wasting time just prolongs the agony. Get on with it!

Take time to pray. Taking a minute to go to the Lord and ask for His help with your problem is always a good use of your time. Ask God to give you the strength you need to deal with any emotions that may be holding you back from solving this problems, and for the determination to solve it.


We all need to realize that procrastinating is just a waste of time, and time is much too precious to waste. Now never means later or tomorrow. Start a new life without procrastination. The clock is ticking. If you have something that you’re putting off, why not deal with it now?

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

You Are Not An Accident

You are who you are for a reason.
You're part of an intricate plan.
You're a precious and perfect unique design,
Called God's special woman or man.

You look like you look for a reason.
Our God made no mistake.
He knit you together within the womb,
You're just what he wanted to make.

The parents you had were the ones he chose,
And no matter how you may feel,
They were custom-designed with God's plan in mind,
And they bear the Master's seal.

No, that trauma you faced was not easy.
And God wept that it hurt you so;
But it was allowed to shape your heart
So that into his likeness you'd grow.

You are who you are for a reason,
You've been formed by the Master's rod.
You are who you are, beloved,
Because there is a God.

Poem by Russell Kelfer

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Life-and-Death Decision ... Would You Tell A Dying Person About GOD?



I stood outside his hospital room and watched the middle-aged man frantically motion to the nurse for his suction tube. He had no jaw, and across his shoulders were open, oozing sores.

The nurse, noticing his erratic hand movements, quickly suctioned the trachea opening in his throat. Relieved of the clogging mucus, the man eased back on his bed. Fifteen seconds later he repeated the same frantic motions. The nurse left, and his wife took over the suctioning.

His wife placed her hand on his arm and spoke quietly, trying to help and comfort him. Impatient, he grabbed the tube from her hand and suctioned his own trachea. I could see the fear in his eyes, and I felt his desperation to live. As I watched, fear also gripped my heart, Lord, please don't let him be one of my patients today, I prayed.

During the report time with the nursing staff I learned that Mr. Anderson had had radical cancer surgery the year before to remove part of his mouth and all of his lower jaw. In spite of the doctor's best efforts, the cancer had continued to spread with a vengeance. Now death is imminent--and the charge nurse had assigned Mr. Anderson to me. The thought of caring for him terrified me --a 20 year-old nurse's aide. My heart cried out, Lord, help me!

I felt impressed that God wanted me to speak to Mr. Anderson about him, the One who could give him hope and eternal life. Yet my first thought was How can I get out of this? I felt afraid and inadequate for the task.

For the first few hours of my shift, I prayed and made excuses. Lord, I don't have time. Mr. Anderson is a lot older than I am, I'm sure he's not going to listen to me, and he's already heard the gospel.

Then I argued with God, His wife is always there. I can't just barge into his room and start preaching.

Finally I told God. It's too hard, and I just can't do it I'm afraid I'll fail, and I'm afraid to be in his room.

I had no peace in my heart until I gave in to the Spirit's urging and asked God to please make a way for me to talk to Mr. Anderson. I began to pray, Lord, please don't let him die until I have a chance to tell him of Your plan of salvation and eternal life.

Two years earlier I'd asked Jesus to be my Savior. As a young Christian I'd tried to witness to a young man at a youth event. I'd pleaded with him to receive Jesus as Savior. He'd refused, and I'd felt defeated.

Later a youth worker at the event had explained to me, "God is the one saves. Your job is to tell others the good news and to live a godly life. The Holy Spirit will bring them salvation." The youth worker was right; I just didn't want the same thing to happen when I talked to Mr. Anderson, because I knew he might not live through the night.

My opportunity came late that evening.

After all of the other patients were bedded down for the night, I walked in. I noticed that his wife had left, and no one was around to disturb us.

I straightened his bed and fluffed his pillows as he suctioned his trachea. Then I walked to the foot of his bed and looked into his eyes full of fears and despair. My own fears caused my legs to feel weak and shaky. I clasped the end of the bed with my sweaty hands.

"I'm a Christian, Mr. Anderson. May I tell you of God's good news?"

He nodded yes.

I took a breath before I started. "God send His son, Jesus Christ, into the world to die for our sins. The Bible says that we've all sinned, and our sins have separated us from God [Romans 3:23]."

Mr. Anderson looked interested, so I continued. "None of us can live a perfect life, which God requires. The Bible says the wages of sin is death, and death is what separates us forever from God [Romans 6:23]. But Jesus Christ came to this earth to live a perfect sinless life. And He died on a cross, shedding His blood for our sins [Colossians 
1: 19, 20]."


Mr. Anderson sat upright in his bed and leaned forward. He sat very still with his eyes fixed on me.

"The Bible says all our sins were laid on Him ---He took our punishment [Isaiah 53:6] so we could live [John 10:10]. He not only died, but also conquered eternal death [Revelation 1:18]. The Bible says He came back to life three days after His death, proving that He'd overcome sin and death. It also showed that His claims to be God's Son were true [Matthew 28].

Mr. Anderson didn't move at all.

"Now, Mr. Anderson, the good news is that you don't have to pay for your sins. The Lord Jesus Christ did that. The Bible says that 'if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved' [Romans 10:9]."

I ended by quoting John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Then I asked, "Would you like to ask Jesus t be your Lord and Savior, Mr. Anderson?"

Again he nodded yes.

"Would you like me to pray with you?"

Mr. Anderson bent forward, grabbed my hands, and held them tightly. I prayed with him, giving him time to pray too. Though I couldn't hear his words, I knew that God could. After the prayer I opened my eyes and saw tears streaming down his face.

He shook my hands in thanks. Peace filled me.

I tried to assure him, "Mr. Anderson, you are now God's child. He'll never leave or forsake you [Hebrews 13:5]. You will live with Him forever in heaven [John 14:1-3]."

His eyes seem to brighten. I smiled, and I'm sure he did, too. He let go of my hands and eased himself back on his pillow. I walked to the side of his bed and tried to make Him comfortable.

Before leaving his room, I looked over at Mr. Anderson and said through a smile, "Welcome to God's family."

As I went to the nurses' station to complete my charting, joy and happiness filled me. I felt encouraged. I had obeyed the Lord, Mr. Anderson believed, and he would go to heaven at the resurrection.

When I made a final rounds for the night, Mr. Anderson's condition had deteriorated. I probably won't see him again, I realized.

Gone 
When I came to work next afternoon, I went directly to Mr. Anderson's room. I stood outside the door and looked in. Clean sheets covered the empty bed. The suction machine along with the tubes were gone.

As I stood there I wondered if Mr. Anderson had truly believed in God yesterday. I knew that the Bible said in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

When a nurse came by I asked her, "When did Mr. Anderson pass away?"

She answered, "At lunchtime."

I said softly, "Last night he asked Jesus to be his Savior."

"Would you like to know how he died? she asked.

I smiled. "Yes, I would really like to know."

She placed her hand on my arm and smiled as she spoke, "During the morning he was peaceful. At noon he wrote a note to his wife that he wanted to take a nap. When he went to sleep, she decided to go to the cafeteria and eat lunch. When she returned he had 
passed away
peacefully in his sleep."

My eyes watered. "That's wonderful. God is so good."

Yes, He is good. Mr. Anderson died in peace. He's no longer in pain."

The nurse looked at her watch. "It's time for us to go. We're needed in the report room."

As we walked down the hall, I prayed, Thank You, God. Thank you that I'll see Mr. Anderson again. And thank You for giving me a chance to offer a dying man Your gift of life. ●

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Take Me Out of the Dark by Gary Valenciano



I found this video when I was searching for the song "Take Me Out of the Dark" by Gary Valenciano. I knew the song but what touched by heart was the graphic illustration presented as the backdrop of this song. It is true that sometimes we want an easy life, far from God, "happy go lucky", and a life full of worldly enjoyment. Looks that we only need God when we are in trouble, shortage and during examinations.

The graphic illustration tells that God is the God of Love. He loves us so much that He gave His only son for us to be free from our sins and the eternal damnation - Hell (John 3:16) . No matter how many times we commit mistakes, God never fails to pick us up. God's love is everlasting not like of a man that fades. We may fail as a student, as a son/daughter, a grandson/granddaughter, and as a brother/sister, all because of our own faults. We sticked to our own understanding and want an easier way but God is there willing to forgive you. All you have to do is to ask forgiveness and live a new life with Him. A life satisfied and eternally secured.


Saturday, March 15, 2008

You Say...God Says


Thursday, March 6, 2008

3 Anger Buster




Have you ever felt like being in the peak of anger? If you have, then know that you're not alone. Many people struggle to control their feelings of anger and rage. We live in a crazy world with hot-tempered people, and its getting crazier by the day.

So what do you do when you feel line punching wall-worse, someone? Try this:

1. Stop and pray. I know. Who wants to pray when they are upset, right? Well, can you think of a better time? That's the time to ask God for help, to tell Him how upset you are. Moses asked this rhetorical questions, and I ask it of you: "What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way our God is near us when we pray him?" (Deuteronomy 4:7). You and I have the privilege of bringing Gd near to us when we are most upset. Pray to HIM!

2. Chill. Remember, every situation will change if you give it enough time. One great writer noted that no person are constantly changing, so is everything else in our lives. Ask God to help you to be patient. "A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly" (Proverbs 14:29).

3. Get your burn on. Exercise! Exercise! Exercise! Did you know that exercise is one of the best ways to relieve stress and anger? When you feel like going ballistic, it's a sure sign that tension has been building up in you. So, get it out of you! Run, walk, or go workout to gym. You'll feel 10 times better!

Finally, consider these words from the book of James: 

"My dear brothers, take note of this:
Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and

slow to become angry,
for man's anger does not bring about the righteous 
life that God desires"
 (James 1:19-20).