9:38am – Mandaluyong, Philippines
Talking to Moina again and just sharing, also of reflecting on being able to balance your life, spending time with the Bible, church, fellowship, and outside activities; it’s important that in all that we do, we praise God. He provided us everything; our life, our family, our friends, our food, our shelter, our talents, our health…everything. So it only makes sense that in all that we do we praise Him, whether it’s even enjoying an activity with friends like Karaoke or going out on a field trip our outing to the beach, to reflect on His greatness, to be able to share with other in the activity you are doing, or even in your work to be able to keep Him at your center so either what you produce or the people you interact with see the light of God in you.
This makes me reflect on all these blogs or websites or social networking sites I’m on. It’s good to be able to show your personality but for me, before I became a Christian, I really wanted to show-off and portray myself in a light of greatness and coolness, really just lift myself up. Man, I even have my own website, haha, www.ryanregalado.com, before it was actually for sponsors to view my motorcycle racing results but then I also had in the back of my mind, “yeah, people will be able to see cool photos and see my championships and just learn more about me, me me.” I’m starting to see that these sites can now be used to praise God and show others of how He changes people. These people that frequented the site before can witness how a love for God is shown from one person that recently came to believe in Jesus Christ, that all that they were into before has now changed to something better, where there is truth and peace.
I just started a Multiply profile on http://ryanregalado.multiply.com, the social networking site of choice here in the Philippines. The majority of my friends from church are on here. These websites will gradually portray my love for Jesus and praising of God, it will start to focus less on myself and more on all the great people that I have come across to witness and share God’s love with; the brothers and sisters in the body of Christ (believers) and all my friends back home that have not come to know Him yet (non-believers). I love all my friends and family the same, and even more now knowing and reflecting constantly of the source of where that love comes from, which is and always has been God.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
Spending time with friends. Barangay Arboretum momentum building
Tuesday, 11:23AM
Two kids sleeping in front of McDonald's next to Barangay Arboretum
It’s been a while since I blogged. A lot has been happening from our connections with Barangbay Arboretum. We got the approval to begin doing activities with the kids and mothers out there, materials that are educational and for their livelihood but also which is essential is the Word of God or the Bible. We are meeting today, members of Extra Mile Foundation, members at Victory Church, to strategize and brainstorm what we will do for this Saturday. Already there a few other people joining us, April and Phoebe with their guitars and songs, and Pooh with his knowledge and experience on doing missions in other countries for kids.
I spent some time with Pooh (his real name is Winnie) yesterday. We got to learn more of our background and experience. It’s awesome to see how God created so many people of different background and personalities but how often He has people go through similar experiences so that they can share stories and testimonies and bond together. Pooh has a lot of experience in doing missions and working in poor/depressed communities. He also had a lot of experience to share in terms of making sure I have a foundation with the Bible and God so that situations I may get into or even not be prepared for that I will have a strong grounding or be rooted, so as to not be swayed in what I come across and can remain focused.
Sunday was great as well. Zandro is starting to minister with some kids around the church that do not normally attend service so he is reaching out to them and they are responding with the teachings from the Bible. Later in the day at 3pm, I attended that service to come watch and support Pastor Erwin and the messages that were being delivered. I got to witness a new friend named LA deliver the message to the 3pm congregation and it was cool to see how God works in different people to have them portray things in a different style. LA was very effective on delivering the message and engaging the congregation.
Before the service started, Pastor Erwin said a little prayer and had small group leaders (bible study leaders) come to the front. He then asked if anyone wants something to be prayed for them or someone in the family that they come up. After that, Pastor Erwin also asked for people that want to commit their lives to Christ to come as well. It was very emotional for me, overjoyed and overwhelmed with happiness since I was comparing my life to how it was to how it is now. I have been saved in a sense from all the darkness that consumed my life before: confusing relationships, destructive behavior in substance abuse, destructive behavior in violence or anger, confusion in direction for career or life in general, and loneliness in isolating myself from time to time.
Now that I have come to know God and the teachings and truths in the Bible, I am free from all that darkness. Learning about the Word and His love, I am able to just be so free and open in relationships with others. Serving the poor community confirms in my heart God’s purpose for me and also confirming the truths I have come to learn about in the Bible. Connecting with people that are already Christians and still being able to connect with friends and strangers here and back in the States confirms the truths I have found in the Bible and continue to learn on the day to day. I see the change that has happened in my life and the change that happens in others and this fuels my drive. I feel and see how God works in my life and others and learning more about the Bible is what drives me. God is good.
Other things to note:
Two kids sleeping in front of McDonald's next to Barangay Arboretum
It’s been a while since I blogged. A lot has been happening from our connections with Barangbay Arboretum. We got the approval to begin doing activities with the kids and mothers out there, materials that are educational and for their livelihood but also which is essential is the Word of God or the Bible. We are meeting today, members of Extra Mile Foundation, members at Victory Church, to strategize and brainstorm what we will do for this Saturday. Already there a few other people joining us, April and Phoebe with their guitars and songs, and Pooh with his knowledge and experience on doing missions in other countries for kids.
I spent some time with Pooh (his real name is Winnie) yesterday. We got to learn more of our background and experience. It’s awesome to see how God created so many people of different background and personalities but how often He has people go through similar experiences so that they can share stories and testimonies and bond together. Pooh has a lot of experience in doing missions and working in poor/depressed communities. He also had a lot of experience to share in terms of making sure I have a foundation with the Bible and God so that situations I may get into or even not be prepared for that I will have a strong grounding or be rooted, so as to not be swayed in what I come across and can remain focused.
Sunday was great as well. Zandro is starting to minister with some kids around the church that do not normally attend service so he is reaching out to them and they are responding with the teachings from the Bible. Later in the day at 3pm, I attended that service to come watch and support Pastor Erwin and the messages that were being delivered. I got to witness a new friend named LA deliver the message to the 3pm congregation and it was cool to see how God works in different people to have them portray things in a different style. LA was very effective on delivering the message and engaging the congregation.
Before the service started, Pastor Erwin said a little prayer and had small group leaders (bible study leaders) come to the front. He then asked if anyone wants something to be prayed for them or someone in the family that they come up. After that, Pastor Erwin also asked for people that want to commit their lives to Christ to come as well. It was very emotional for me, overjoyed and overwhelmed with happiness since I was comparing my life to how it was to how it is now. I have been saved in a sense from all the darkness that consumed my life before: confusing relationships, destructive behavior in substance abuse, destructive behavior in violence or anger, confusion in direction for career or life in general, and loneliness in isolating myself from time to time.
Now that I have come to know God and the teachings and truths in the Bible, I am free from all that darkness. Learning about the Word and His love, I am able to just be so free and open in relationships with others. Serving the poor community confirms in my heart God’s purpose for me and also confirming the truths I have come to learn about in the Bible. Connecting with people that are already Christians and still being able to connect with friends and strangers here and back in the States confirms the truths I have found in the Bible and continue to learn on the day to day. I see the change that has happened in my life and the change that happens in others and this fuels my drive. I feel and see how God works in my life and others and learning more about the Bible is what drives me. God is good.
Other things to note:
- Spent time with new friends, brothers/sisters in Christ: Owie, Joash's party
- Seeing more of the talents and creativity of new friends. It’s awesome to learn of God's given talent to others and noticing it: Jorel's guitar and his band Kjwan, Ryan and Abbey's singing, EauJ's dancing
- Spending time and sharing experience with others grows our bond and is another way of teaching of God’s truth and the words in the Bible: Moina, Aaron, Rocky, Pooh, Zandro, Bimbo, JP, Brandel, Darlene, Ryan, Camille, Pastor Erwin
- Balance: it is important to balance your learning and your work with also spending time to relax. If you do too much of one thing, anything, you will get burnt out. But even taking time to relax, you can’t over indulge, because then it will have the opposite effect, disabling you from being effective in your work. Whether your work is ministering, involvement with the church, or working at your job for money, you need balance to keep focus on every aspect of your life.
Here’s how I balance. Spending time with friends. Here’s Joash’s birthday party yesterday
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Mentor, foundation and culture of faith
Wednesday, 7:31pm – Mandaluyong, Philippines
God has been showing me in different aspects and places about the 10 commandments listed below. He has also been showing me from Pastor Erwin that I met with today and also with my prayers to brothers and sisters back home about wholeheartedly doing these acts and works. I questioned myself in terms of it coming from my heart because it felt forced like it was an obligation. It’s important have God fill your heart to do these things, whether it’s being nice or kind to your neighbor, or in fellowship giving grace or forgiveness to brothers/sisters or to your blood family. Good works without the heart or God’s love is meaningless. There will be an emptiness, disappointment and out of touch with God if we don’t let the Holy Spirit fill us and guide us.
It was great to meet with Pastor Erwin today. To know God has filled someone’s heart to mentor another in the teachings of the Bible and the foundations needed for a disciple before they disciple or minister to others. Right now God has filled me with a general direction. It is now time to grow in maturity spiritually, so that I can focus on God’s purpose for me with the blessings He has given me in talents, lessons and of people around me. My discipline is strong and my heart even stronger for love and obedience to God. Let’s see what good fruit comes from it.
God brought pastor Erwin in our path to further His kingdom. One to able to have me learn on focus and to keep a foundation with God. Second, in some way or another, pastor Erwin will be helped in either his life to remind him of what he teaches his disciples or who he mentors, or to further God’s purpose by connecting us to help with his minitry.
Here are pics from Mandaluyong, to Fort Bonifacio back to Mandaluyong. In Mandaluyong, I went to a coffee shop called Perk. There and actually a few days before, I was reflecting on how much the image of Jesus Christ and the Word is preached or displayed here. As if an advertisement, in this coffee shop with all kinds of books, on public transportation such as Jeepneys or in Taxis, and even billboards that says Jesus Chris Saves. It’s all around here, and because of Spanish Rule hundreds of years ago, religion was brought to the nation and also Jesus Christ name and words were spread and it’s embedded in the culture.
God has been showing me in different aspects and places about the 10 commandments listed below. He has also been showing me from Pastor Erwin that I met with today and also with my prayers to brothers and sisters back home about wholeheartedly doing these acts and works. I questioned myself in terms of it coming from my heart because it felt forced like it was an obligation. It’s important have God fill your heart to do these things, whether it’s being nice or kind to your neighbor, or in fellowship giving grace or forgiveness to brothers/sisters or to your blood family. Good works without the heart or God’s love is meaningless. There will be an emptiness, disappointment and out of touch with God if we don’t let the Holy Spirit fill us and guide us.
It was great to meet with Pastor Erwin today. To know God has filled someone’s heart to mentor another in the teachings of the Bible and the foundations needed for a disciple before they disciple or minister to others. Right now God has filled me with a general direction. It is now time to grow in maturity spiritually, so that I can focus on God’s purpose for me with the blessings He has given me in talents, lessons and of people around me. My discipline is strong and my heart even stronger for love and obedience to God. Let’s see what good fruit comes from it.
God brought pastor Erwin in our path to further His kingdom. One to able to have me learn on focus and to keep a foundation with God. Second, in some way or another, pastor Erwin will be helped in either his life to remind him of what he teaches his disciples or who he mentors, or to further God’s purpose by connecting us to help with his minitry.
Here are pics from Mandaluyong, to Fort Bonifacio back to Mandaluyong. In Mandaluyong, I went to a coffee shop called Perk. There and actually a few days before, I was reflecting on how much the image of Jesus Christ and the Word is preached or displayed here. As if an advertisement, in this coffee shop with all kinds of books, on public transportation such as Jeepneys or in Taxis, and even billboards that says Jesus Chris Saves. It’s all around here, and because of Spanish Rule hundreds of years ago, religion was brought to the nation and also Jesus Christ name and words were spread and it’s embedded in the culture.
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