i write to believe.

I'm wading in a lot of thoughts this morning.  Coming back from Easter break I find myself hobbling towards a less motivated perspective about work in the office.  Having been surrounded by so many meaningful pursuits in ministry, I'm feeling less engaged to move forward the clutter that continues to slowly accumulate at in the office.  I was reading an article from Harvard Business Press yesterday and it said, The Power of Progress Two other types of inner work life triggers also occur frequently on best days:   Catalysts , actions that directly support work, including help from a person or group, and nourishers , events such as shows of respect and words of encouragement.  Each has an opposite: Inhibitors , actions that fail to support or actively hinder work, and toxins , discouraging or undermining events.  Whereas catalysts and inhibitors are directed at the project, nourishers and toxins are directed at the person.  Like setbacks, inhibitors a...

I love this picture.  For some reason this is the only picture that I think I was really happy after I took it with my phone.  I love the colors and the pieces of paper that have gratitude written on them.  I took this at Walkway 2011.  It's a modern day Stations of the Cross set up by a non-denominational church.  I like how they made everything easier to relate to.  Closer to home.  If it weren't so much for the summer heat, I'd probably linger a little bit longer.  But I'm glad I went there today with some of the Youth friends. I have to admit that I've been really off since I came back from the Encounter Weekend.  I'm a little bit troubled by the frenzy that has kicked in which sometimes I feel masks as spiritual high amongst the young people.  I suppose it's always the youth minister's dilemma to remain prudent with discipline and to make sure they stay in truth's path.  It's not easy.  The past few days have been challe...

For this reason, dear friends, I encourage you to strengthen your faith in God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. You are the future of society and of the Church! As the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians of Colossae, it is vital to have roots, a solid foundation! This is particularly true today. Many people have no stable points of reference on which to build their lives, and so they end up deeply insecure. There is a growing mentality of relativism, which holds that everything is equally valid, that truth and absolute points of reference do not exist. But this way of thinking does not lead to true freedom, but rather to instability, confusion and blind conformity to the fads of the moment. As young people, you are entitled to receive from previous generations solid points of reference to help you to make choices and on which to build your lives: like a young plant which needs solid support until it can sink deep roots and become a sturdy tree capable of bearing fruit.  Pope...

on afternoon like this one A journal repost from April 5, 2005. I remember reading this in a new age book several years ago.  I used to be into new age thinking.  It was liberating for a while.  But I realized that there is nothing more liberating that rooting all beliefs in Christ.  But tonight I happen to remember this line because...simply because it's true. I was at mass today.  Not feeling too well.  Tired from everything that's going on inside me.  I couldn't pay real attention even if I tried.  So I didn't try.  I just came as I am.  Spent.  Weary.  And it happened... This Cebuano priest started his homily.  He usually doesn't take my attention because I have a hard time understanding him (no offense, I'm Cebuano myself).  But for some reason he started off with ..."We all run away from something..."   And I straightened my back and looked at the pulpit and listened. We all run away from s...

It's taken a while for me to unearth what's really been going on in my mind these past few days.  So I have taken a vacation leave from work for the next few days because so many things need to be sorted out alongside the fact that I need to prepare for the encounter weekend that's upcoming.   Finally, I get my piece of silence.  And for most of the morning I've been pondering upon the prayers that I experienced during last night's worship after youth praise practice.  The journey to the encounter weekend has been such an eye-opener.  Restoring for me the old truths that I anchored myself on during times of crisis and difficulty.  Allowing me to realize again that when the Spirit moves in the hungry hearts of the faithful, minds are enlightened and unified once again. It's funny.  Sometimes I wish my work place understood the movements of the Spirit so that pressures and politics will be easier to handle.  I don't know what I would do if I didn'...

Another weekend's passed and I feel that I've covered so many things from a strategic planning session, to a Christian service teaching, to an apostolate fundraising brainstorming session.  The weekend was indeed full and I have to admit that by the time Saturday night ended, I was so tired that I fell asleep as soon as I hit the sack. But I have to say that I feel grateful for quite a lot of things because I never thought I could even go that far in my capacity to serve and help out a ministry that's struggling to get back up on its feet.  The words of today's readings echo in my heart and is suddenly starting to permeate my work-cluttered mind.   It's quite an affirmation because these were the same words that were whispered in prayer to my ear last Saturday by a dear counselor friend of mine.  It was uplifting and I'll echo them here on this page as Isaiah 65:17 says "The Lord says, 'I am making a new earth and new heavens.  The events of the past ...