Of Japan Tsunami and Chaos in Middle East

And when he entered into the boat, his disciples followed him: And behold a great tempest arose in the sea, so that the boat was covered with waves, but he was asleep. And they came to him, and awaked him, saying: Lord, save us, we perish. And Jesus saith to them: Why are you fearful, O ye of little faith? Then rising up, he commanded the winds, and the sea, and there came a great calm. But the men wondered, saying: What manner of man is this, for the winds and the sea obey him? (The Gospel according to Matthew 8:23-27 Douay-Rheims Version)
  

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Our life can be compared to the little boat being rowed by the apostle of our Lord Jesus. There are times that great waves and strong winds are battering our little boat and no matter how we balance it, there is a danger that it will tip off and we will fall to the raging sea. The weather around our little boat is so bad that no matter how strong we row, we can’t go closer to the shore – to safety.

This is, I guess, what is happening to our world right now. We know that we are in great chaos and we keep on rowing and rowing, hoping upon hope that we will reach the safety of the shores. We are so afraid of what’s happening around us and we are so focused on fleeing to safety that we forgot, just like the apostles, that Jesus is with us.

Yes my friends, Jesus Christ is on our boat and he is with us calmly and peacefully because He knows that the chaos that rages in our lives are nothing compared to His power. All that Jesus is waiting is for us to turn to Him and place our full trust on Him.

Last Friday, a strong earthquake struck Japan and that is followed by a tsunami killing hundreds of people. In the Middle East, mass protests and violence rages on as people try to topple their long-staying leaders. Weeks ago, the world was surprised by a killer earthquake in New Zealand. Closer to home, chaos is upon the Philippine Congress as misinformation, deception and dirty tactics are being heaped upon just to force the Reproductive Health Bill to become a law.

“Prophecies” of doom and destruction is being uttered by many people as calamities after calamities strike around the world. “Is the 2012 end of the world true?” This is the recurring question that is being raised in this chaotic time.

Did our God already unleashing His wrath upon the world? I don’t think so.

I believe that God is telling us to turn away from our evil ways. God is calling us to repent and trust in Him. God is telling us to be more faithful and believe in Him.

Yes, my friends, Jesus Christ is on our boat and He is always with us. All we have to do is to surrender everything to Him and let Him take full control of our little boats for we are assured that in His time, He will rebuke the winds and the waves and they everything will be calm and peaceful again.

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On the other news, I am asking for prayers from you my friends because the Philippine Congress will convene again this afternoon (March 15, 2011) to talk about the RH Bill. Sonny Belmonte vowed to pass this bill on March 24, even without proper deliberation and consideration on the serious issues surrounding the RH Bill.

Please pray for our country, that the RH Bill will not pass. Pray for the enlightenment of our legislators. May the mercy of our Lord pour this afternoon and prevent lies and deception from being victorious against the TRUTH.

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Image of Jesus Christ and his disciples on a raging sea was taken from 100% Katolikong Pinoy. Gospel reading copied from tldm.org.

Visit Ahab Reviews and Tips and read about PHIVOLCS tips on what you will do before, during and after an occurrence of an earthquake. Also read PHIVOLCS list and maps of fault lines.
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Of My Plans and the Future

“We are getting old.”

This is what smacked me during a small gathering with college friends last Saturday night. I just believe that it is already two years since I graduated from college and most of us are turning 24 next year. It is not a wholesome thought for since getting old is one of my greatest phobias. I just want to keep my youth as long as possible. I want to be 22 for the rest of my life. That is impossible, of course. We are not in Neverland and I am not Peter Pan.

So there we are, talking about the past and future. The male friends all decided to work abroad and they are betting on who will be the first to go to the other countries and live as an OFW. The female friends are still undecided and do not have concrete plans on whether to work here or abroad. Most of our friends from the college batch before us already work and live abroad. As of the moment, my male friends are still waiting to end their contracts and also for a good opportunity to come up. As for me, I am still stuck with a two year contract with the government.

“So what is my plan?”

They could have asked that question and give them my usual answer: “Just waiting to finish my two year contract and see what will come up.” That is my best and safe answer.

Actually, I do not have the answer. I am turning 24 next year and still do not have a grand plan like my college friends. Sometimes, I feel like I was drifting aimlessly, tempted to look for opportunities abroad, all the while wanting to stay home with family and loved ones. Being a drifter in the future, that is my real phobia, the reason of wanting to stay young, unchanged.

So far here is my plan: (1) To continue working in the government even if my two year contract ends, (2) Look for a good opportunity that will enable me stay here in the Philippines and be with my loved ones, (3) If that “good opportunity” proved to be quite profitable in the long-term, I will leave my day job and focus more on it, (4) If all else fail or if my situation get desperate, find a work abroad and be an OFW.

As of the moment, I am contented with my life. I am happy at work and in my home. I am happy with my relationships and with my friends. I am happy blogging and reading blogs of my online friends. I am still on the look-out for that “good opportunity” (actually, I am already working on one and I hope that it fare well).

Last Saturday’s small gathering make me to look deep to myself and compare my plans with my friends’ plan with the future. I believe that the Divinely inspired chain of events placed me in current position now and that same Divine Providence will take me into a good place in the future. The small gathering also make me look deep inside my soul and study the past and how it affected me and my friends, but that will be in another blog post.