Tricycle of Manila

Totok of Bangkok

I find a very close similarity between these two mediums of transport in these two different Asian cities.

Both are three-cycled vehicles. Both have almost the same design, materials used in their construct and finishing touches. Both are micro-taxis that can deliver us to the very gates or doors where we wanted to go.

But there are also differences I see, toktok has more space than the Metro Manila’s tricycle.  On travelling, our tricycle cannot traverse the big national roads, such as EDSA, while toktok can travel in the main thorough fares of Bangkok and can even go to it’s Central Business Districts.

While riding the tricycle earlier and remembering my toktok ride, I had the following spontaneous reflections…

Journeying in these transportations is quite risky because those compete with bigger and more powerful vehicles. There is danger of being hit by cars and big public utility such as the jeepneys and the buses.  Yet we depend and trust the expert drivers of these cities’ micro-transportations.

Same as with our lives’ journeys, we encounter along the way more powerful and greater challenges than we are, but we are assured by depending on the expert Driver, Pilot and Navigator of our lives- JESUS! With Him we can be assured of the travel as safe and sound. And if ever there will be troubles on the way He can maneuver the vehicle to the best route possible to reach our destination!

As with traveling by tricycle and toktok I just enjoy the wind and the microcosms on the way that I won’t notice riding the bigger vehicles!

So as with our life’s journey, let us just enjoy our life’s travel with Jesus!

Payong pwedeng pang takip sa araw at ulan.

“Parapluie” and “Parasol” are two French words for umbrella: yong una pag ang payong ay ginagamit kung tag-ulan (pluie is for rain), yong pangalawa pag ang payong ginamit kung tag-init (sol is for sun).

Earlier when I went down of our residential building for the day’s errands and responsibilities it was raining. I didn’t bring an umbrella because I thought it was just a gloomy day – mainit pa rin kasi sa loob ng bahay. When I saw that it was pouring my first reaction was frustration and irritation.  Kasi aakyat ulit ako eh iisang elevator ang gumagana medyo late na ako sa errands.  I tried asking at the reception if ever they have extra umbrella that I can barrow. The receptionist wasn’t ready for the rain also so she didn’t have one. Sabi ko tuloy, “Nakakainis!”

When I heard myself saying that out loud, I became aware of my awfulness. So selfish of me only thinking of my convenience when the whole country needed the rain since few months earlier! Without complain I went up stairs waiting for 10mins going up and another 10mins going down to get my black banketa-bought ‘parapluie.’ Then proceeded to my chores for the day. The good thing was, I was able to accomplished those before the day ended.

How are you when you experience a little inconvenience? Do you focus on your own frustration and wallow over it? How about thinking of the greater things people needed being provided despite of your small non-comfortability!

A picture during an earthquake!

If you are indoors stay there!

When I was a little boy, I was taught that the safest place indoor during earthquake is under a table, yet lately there was an unofficial report that the best place to be during earthquake is at a receiving room seating set (sofa) and lie down in a fetal position. Why is it safe? Number one is, it is with foam thus soft; two, there is an angled backrest that can protect you from the crashing of the wall or falling of grand household accessories such as furniture and appliances.

While indoor, stay away from the windows and the kitchen. Do not run down the stairways, ride an elevator or get out of a building while the tremor is going on.

If you are outside – get into the open!

Get away from buildings, power lines, towering structures or anything that might fall on you.

If you are  in a car or a bus call the attention of the driver to stop but it should be as far out of traffic as possible, not on or under a bridge, over pass or big tress, light and electric posts or signages. Stay inside the vehicle until the shaking stops.

If you are in a mountainous area.

Watch out for falling rocks, landslides, trees, and other debris that could be loosened by quakes.

Always be calm because only then can you be alert and have the presence of mind which are the important factors to survive calamities and disasters.

Next blog will be about what to do after the earthquake.

Masarap na Maanghang!!!

Today here are the carinderias that I like but still place as my third and second choice…

Carinderia 3: The food of this store is really lutong bahay. The friendly lady-owner told me that her mom is the one who do the marketing and prepares all the food also, in fact it really tasted cooked by a Nanay.  Yet, I noticed one time that this owner was trying to lure me to buy additional food, which I don’t like, so that I will pay more. I know she needs sales but I don’t want to be tricked – specially when it is very evident!

Insight: Be very honest in your relationship with people.  They notice when you are not genuine with what you offer. Ayaw natin ng niloloko tayo di ba?

Carinderia 4: This carinderia has well attractive presentation of their food, which are in fancy Kawalis with banana leaves decoration. The lightings bring more attraction. Their combo meals includes a soup, 2 cups of rice and the main ulam. Yet, their rice smells old no matter how I advise their servers.  So this carinderia is my 2nd choice.

Insight: Be sensitive to the feed back of people on who you are. It helps you to improve.

On the next blog I will share with you the one I find the best of all the carinderias!

Filipino Food are definitely palatable!

Carinderia 1: This place is very clean! The Sanitary Division of Manila City Hall will give them a very good mark! The lady on the counter is extremely friendly, she calls all her customers by endearments.  I’m called ‘masanting na binata’ (handsome bachelor), definitely I love it. But their food choices are very regular, they  never explore on other menu with adventurous tastes. I also noticed that their servers are very stiff and seldom smile on the customers.

Insight: Be explorative with what you offer to people. We love new and exciting things, we don’t want to get bored with the conventional and traditional. Be genuinely warm also.

Carinderia 2: They have a lot of food choices. Those serve fit Filipino taste! The owner knows me seemingly personally and her assistants serves well. Yet, these assistants are distant and not connecting with their clientele.  So thus their location in our vicinity is a little distant too.

Insight: 3 essential rules to attract people – Location! Location! Location! Be where the people are!

On part two of this blog title, I’ll share with you my third and second choice carinderia.

Bloody procession!

This coming Friday is one of the most bloody Fridays of the year in the Philippines. This bloody day, a part of the Lenten Season is planned – infact there is people exodus going on in the major cities to have both religious and grand weekend long vacation to visit families and to see bloody bodies (not by accidents but by choice).

One of the most popular visited places during this Lenten Times is the one in Maleldo, Pampanga, where selected men of the village are nailed on the cross as penitents.

Crucifixion at Maleldo, Pampanga

Why are we practicing this?

We Filipinos are cultural Christians, thinking that to do certain religious piety or make ourselves suffer will make God love or care for us more or will make Him considerate to give our prayer requests, the like of ’suertes’ for the year and good health.

To note sadly, the least that we think of during Holy Friday, even if all the processions and pious practices are around, is the real essence of God’s sacrificial act of LOVE by giving His ONLY Son to carry in Himself the sins He did not commit but ours.  So that we may be guiltless and will not suffer the painful consequence of our sins in hell!

During that time He became the BAD one not us:

• He was the cheating employee, the selfish businessman, the corrupt government official.
• He was the flirting wife, the adulterer husband, the disobedient child.
• He was the hold upper, the murderer, the drug addict, the sexual abuser.
• He was the lustful man, the self-absorbed vain lady, the extravagant yuppy.

Name all the sins we commit and those He took, was punished and died so that we can now run free from the eternal horrible penalty.

By reading this, I hope that you will appreciate that act on the CROSS by Jesus.

To end this post let me share with you a beautiful verse in the last book of the Bible: “…Jesus Christ, who is the first witness…the ruler of the kings of the earth…Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, and has made us to be a kingdom…to serve His God and Father.” (Revelation 1: 5, 6)

Are there people who irritate you in your workplace? The gossips and those who are only working when the boss is around, or those who feels like he/she is the boss, those who are always negative and irrate but unfortunately affecting the entire staff performance, or those who feel like they know everything and those who feel like your work place is a vacation-getaway!

You just wish they disappear from the surface of the earth but they seemed to be immortal and eternal and to make matters worst they are influencing the saints, like you! Bad of all bad, no amount of calling the attention of the HR officers no action is done!

Here’s a story Jesus told to give you some thoughts to ponder (Matthew 13: 24-30):

There is…”a farmer who planted good seed in the field. But that night…his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat…When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.

“The…workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted good seed is full of weeds!…’

“‘Should we pull the weeds?’ They asked.

“‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.”

Lessons:

1. Our workplace is one of life laboratories where we can practice the virtues we learned.  If there are no places and people like the ones mentioned above, we will not be able to exercise patience and the like attitudes.
2. Many times we only think of our concerns and our seemingly right solution to these concerns, we do not see the big picture and the bad consequences our thoughts may affect the affairs of our entire company.
3. God is more concern with the development of your character than eliminating those things, bad it may seem, that will contribute to your growth as a person.

I hope this thoughts will give you new perspective as you deal with your irritating colleagues!

These bills will be gone easily if we're not wise prioritizing what is best for it!

Do you have money left over at the end of the month that you can use to anything you want?  Say, for a trip out of town, for an extra body pampering, for a special date, for a new toy for your kid, to help someone, or to put into your savings!

Do you know that God would like us to have that?

But why don’t most of us have that extra money at the end of the month?

1.  We are not wise!

“In the house of wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.” Proverbs 21:20

It isn’t an issue of being rich but an issue of being wise!

2. We think we can be happy if we have MORE than what we currently have!

If that is true the only solution to be happy is to earn more and spend less.  But many people are earning more yet at the end of the month they aren’t happy or have nothing left also.  Some are spending less yet they aren’t happy either.

Do you know why it was so?

It is because it isn’t being thrifty nor an income problem, rather it is a lifestyle problem and when you look deeper it is a SPIRITUAL problem!

If we put God first in everything He will bless us in everything!

When you give God your best He will bless the rest!

Those phrases are the other ways of putting the saying of Jesus: “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all of these things will be added to you!”

God said in the Book of Proverbs, “With me are riches and honor.  With me are lasting wealth and success.  My fruit is better than fine gold.  My gifts are better than the finest silver.”

Now resolve to yourself how will you make God first in your finances!

Let me put here a suggestion: Give financially into His storehouse (Malachi 3: 10) – that is His church.

Find a church around your vicinity that is caring for people like you and invest the special part of your finances in to it!

God has a promise when you do that: “…see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have enough for it.” (the last part of Malachi 3: 10)

Secret for more time is Scheduling!

Do you often hear yourself say, “I am toxic!” “I am busy busy busy!” “I don’t have time!” And in our colloquial Filipino, we say “NGARAG!”

In the blog Margin Part 1, we have learned that Margin is anything available beyond what we needed! It is anything where the best things happen.  TIME included!

How can we have more time to enjoy the best things to happen? The answer is SCHEDULING YOUR LIFE!

A lot of us will say, “Well, I schedule a lot, in fact I can tell you now what will I be in the next 5 years! But still I find my life in a mess!”

Do you know why?  There is still a problem, that is, we do not schedule & plan wisely!

The good old Book says: Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as WISE, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. (Ephesians 5: 15-17)

How can we be wise in scheduling and planning our life? CHOOSE NOT ONLY THE GOOD THINGS AND THE CONVENTIONAL THINGS BUT CHOOSE THE BEST - THE BEST IS GOD’S WILL!

When we choose God’s Will in scheduling our lives we will have good and pleasing lifestyle. How will we do it?

• By prioritizing God’s Will! Making it the 1st!

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. (Matthew 6: 33)

• By going to Him when we are stressed out and pressured by the demands of the day!

…Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest…because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11: 28, 29)

Do this and discover for yourself how you will have a lot of Time Margin!

• Who among you wanted three to four nights a week for yourself and your sweetheart to dine out, watch movie and go to an entertainment place?

• Who wanted more time to spend in the gym, running and getting physical for a better health and a hot body?

• Who among you wanted to have more than one month to go to a vacation get away?

• Who wanted an extra or more than enough left over money to do anything you wanted?

I guess your arms are aching now if I request you to raise your hand if you answer positively to all the questions. Then, if you answer yes, it means you are desperately needing a MARGIN since Yesterday!

You needed MARGIN to enjoy life more!

What is a Margin?  It is the extra space in a pad of paper or in a page of your note book where you can write any extra point, important thought or just entertain yourself by drawing cartoon characters of your teacher or your boss.

In life Margin is anything available beyond what do we needed! It is anything where the best things happens. It is something most of us missing and do not have because of prioritizing the seemingly essential and urgent things we thought we needed to work for, to acquire or to accomplish.

To give concrete examples:

1. We do not have extra “Time Margin” because we work longer to earn more money to sustain the needs of our loved ones but as a result we lost connection with them.
2. We do not have extra “Time Margin” due to the demands of life that we neglect health practices so our body suffers.
3. We do not have extra “Time Margin” because we needed more time for our daily activities and chores that we neglect our relationship with God who can guide us how to have a better lifestyle, as a consequence we mess things up.

When you’re busy busy busy and tired of doing things over and over then you get less Margin in your life and most probably you are stressed out and your relationships are suffering!

Do you wanted to increase your Life Margin and enjoy life more? Jesus has something to tell you today: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest…learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11: 28, 29)

If you wanted to learn more about LIFE’S MARGIN it is the topic of our church family’s message series every Sunday!  This coming Sunday (January 24) we will learn “SCHEDULING MARGIN.” How to schedule to have Margin? I am inviting you to visit us, leave a comment below so that I can communicate with you!