A Spectator: A Basketball Write-up

 A spectator is defined as a person who watches at a show, game, or other event. 

Over the last few weeks, I was able to be a spectator and got to see a series of basketball games within our church community. With that, I was asked to cover and take pictures of the games.

 

Initially, I was really hesitant to do it because I know that it will take much of my time, whether it will be my rest day or just before my shift starts. But to my surprise, I was able to enjoy the whole process of taking pictures and going through the post processing.

 

Throughout the weeks that I was a spectator of the basketball games, I was able to learn a lot of things.

 

As a spectator, you only see the actual games itself. But behind those games, are hours and hours of preparation and practice that the teams are investing into. Everyone has a goal to be a champion of this year’s season.

They do invest their time and effort to practice for each game. I may not be able to see it, but I can feel the passion they are putting into every game. 

I was reminded by the words of the Apostle Paul when he was writing a letter to the people of Corinth.

 

24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

(1 Corinthians 9:24-27 ESV)

Each player has their own purpose, and that includes to win the top prize. But in any tournament, there could only be one winner. However, as followers of Christ, I know that they are all doing this to give glory to God. 

I admire each player for showing sportsmanship, dedication, commitment and humbleness despite how tight their schedule is, juggling their time with family, work and ministry.

On the other side of the court, I can see some of their family and friends cheering them on and that gives them a boost of confidence in each game they face. Support, in any form, can go a long way especially to the one you are supporting. 

 

To sum it up, I learned that:

• Preparation is the key if you want to succeed in the endeavors you want to pursue or in the things you want to achieve. 

• Support someone in any form you can. It goes a long way. 

• Remember how and why you started. 

Until then, I will continue to watch others succeed and celebrate with them because I know that in His proper time I will be celebrating my victories and seeing my own success unfold.

What Waiting Did To Me

2020 brought a lot of things on our plate. There were challenges, losses, and pains but there were also triumphs, gains, and rejoicing. Allow me to share my 2020 story. 

 

I lost my job on July 2019.

 

I was overwhelmed and I allowed fear to creep in at that moment because I still wanted to stay here in Abu Dhabi. So I prayed for peace, wisdom and direction as this unforeseen situation would change the course of my stay in this city.

 

From that day forward, I decided to trust my unknown future to my God who is unchanging, all-powerful and all-knowing. I believed that everything which happened in the last few months was part of a bigger, better, greater plan He had for me.

 

Along the way, I met several challenges financially, physically, emotionally and spiritually. I know that these challenges were sent by the enemy to test me, my character and my heart. But thanking God for who He is, He did not leave me nor forsake me. 

 

Fast forward to this day, I’m currently employed for the last 5 months and I get to enjoy the new season where I’m in. I had to adapt to the challenges of this new field; however, I find it fulfilling, and the journey allowed me to learn and grow in knowledge. 

 

Also, this season helped me to know myself better, reinforcing what matters most and realigning my focus on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. For a duration of 13 months without work, God allowed me to wait. He has molded my heart and allowed me to discover that there is beauty in waiting. 

 

The whole process has helped me a lot in different aspects and taught me many things. I’d like to share with you three of the most important lessons I’ve learned during my recent season of waiting:

 

1. Waiting taught me to value what I have. 

 

With limited financial resources on hand, I had to make the most out of it because every single Dirham counted at that moment. I had to be wise in making purchases, prioritizing needs over wants.

 

“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.”- Luke 16:10

 

Even though I wanted to buy things for my self, I hadto consider first the necessities such as my rent payment and food allowances. I had to prioritize and maximize what I had at that time.

 

2. Waiting taught me to bask in His presence.

Waiting can be tough, especially if you cannot see immediate or concrete results. 13 months can be long, but what made the wait bearable for me was His presence and the people He brought into my life during that season.

 

““Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!””

 

 

"The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." -Exodus 14:14

 

3. Waiting allowed me to trust Him more.

 

In the months that I have been waiting, giving up presented itself whenever I was not focused on God orwhen my heart was wandering off. But I was reminded of these verses from Proverbs:

 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

 

 

 

Indeed, waiting can be really tough when the future seemsuncertain. But as for me, faith played a major role. Without my faith in Him, I won’t be where I am today. Without faith, I won’tappreciate that there’s blessing in waiting. 

 

And during that season, I would say that the primary lesson I learned which I’d like to share with you here tonight is this: although waiting may prove to be difficult, looking at it from a perspective of faith and gratitude is a game-changer. We just have to remember to fix our eyes on Jesus; and wait with expectation, with joyful hope, for the God we serve is faithful. 

 

To The Lord alone be the glory. 

 

What Baking Has Taught Me

I’ve been baking since late last year, around November 2019 and starting with a simple oatmeal cookie. At that time, I was looking and thinking of ways on how to earn money, as I waited for God to answer my prayer of having a job. 

Allow me to take you back a few months prior.

I've been enjoying my work as a secretary in one of the 5-star hotels here in Abu Dhabi. Then one unusual day came into my life. The position that I am in is no longer needed, which puts me in a place that I have to make a decision. 

I was shaken and I allowed fear to creep in at that moment.

I prayed for wisdom and direction as this unforeseen situation will change the course of my stay here in Abu Dhabi.

It is like you are on a crossroad, thinking and choosing which way to go and which would benefit me the most. It’s like choosing between comfort and adventure. 

I chose the later, facing an adventure, travelling the uncharted seas with the unknown future up ahead. Leaving a company that I worked for and falling in love with the job I had for the last 5 years was a bittersweet moment, but I know that everything works together for the good of those who love Him.

From that day forward, I decided to trust my unknown future to a God who is unchanging, all powerful and all knowing, that everything that happened for the last few months are part of a bigger, better and a greater plan that He has in, for and through me.

Fast forward to this day, I am currently enjoying the new season where I am in. Being employed for the last 3 months, I have to adapt to the changes that come along with it. Challenging at times, yet fulfilling, the journey allowed me to learn and grow in knowledge of the new field. 

Also, this season helped me to know myself better, reinforcing what matters most and realigning my focus to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. 

During the waiting period, I tried to discover ways on how I can utilize the resources I have on hand. My curiosity in baking grew as it was the current trend at that moment. I used my time to think and research on how I can enter the baking bandwagon, considering the products being sold and how I can stand out. 

Having said that, I have several items on my menu, ranging from oatmeal cookies, muffins, crinkles and cheesecake. 

The whole process has helped me a lot in different aspects and taught me a lot of things:

1. Baking taught me on how to be a good steward

With limited financial resources on hand, I have to make most out of it because every single dirham counts at that moment. I have to be wise in making purchases, prioritizing needs over wants.

“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.”- Luke 16:10

Even though I wanted to buy things for my own, I have to consider first the necessities such as my rent payment and food allowances. I have to prioritize and make most out of what I currently have at that time.

Baking made me realize that everything matters.

2. Baking taught me to wait patiently

Not only with money, baking taught me the value of time and all the aspects that come along with it. 

Baking cannot be done in an instant. You have to wait patiently while your muffin is inside the oven. Varying from 20 minutes to an hour, baked goods have different cooking time. 

And that goes the same in our lives. There are some points in our lives that we waited for 20 minutes, probably for the bus to arrive. Some for an hour or so for something to arrive or to be fixed. But for others and in some instances, they waited for quite some time. 

I experienced a kind of waiting like I never had before. Waiting for 13 months is not that easy, but what I know that my waiting is part of God’s better plan for me.

"The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." -Exodus 14:14

Waiting can be tough, especially if you cannot see immediate or concrete results while waiting and the reason why you are waiting. 13 months of waiting can be long, but what made it bearable is His presence and the people He brought into my life during that season.

Baking made me realize and see that there is beauty in waiting. 

3. Baking taught me to enjoy every moment of the process.

Baking is a process in itself. From studying the recipe, preparing the ingredients and putting it inside the oven, it will really take a lot of time, effort and energy to produce a delicious dessert or a baked product. 

But where can you find enjoyment in all these things? How will you enjoy in the midst of these so-called processes? 

It is in the sense of fulfillment when you see the output, a bread that’s soft and tastes good; or a cake that’s fluffy and not that sweet. Yes, there would be a couple of times that you have to try in order to have the best products you could have.

Our experiences in  life are pretty much like baking. In order to be  the best versions of ourselves, we need to undergo a lot of processes. 

For a bread to rise beautifully, the yeast in it should be properly rested. Maybe you have to rest well enough that in His proper time, you will rise and soar with wings like eagles, who will not grow weary. 

In the months that I have been waiting, it cost me a lot of time. But I did not stop there. I used the time given to me to relearn skills, to hone existing skills and to evaluate if these things can really help me in moving forward and I enjoyed the whole process I went through. 

And if there is one thing that I learned during this season is trusting the process. The 13 months of waiting may cost me a lot, but what helped me the most is looking at it in a perspective, in the lenses of faith and gratitude. It changed the game and made me gaze on the beauty of His love, grace and His character. 

One Year (Part 1 - The Past)

It’s been a year since the day that changed my life and career as an overseas Filipino worker and within those 12 months, God has taught me a lot of things. All the things that I experienced throughout the period helped me to re-calibrate my thinking, especially about what the future holds.

He has redirected my gaze and perspective towards something far greater than what my mind can think and imagine. Before I saw things in a perspective of a man, now that I have experienced a lot of things, I learned how to see each person, each event and everything that I can see through a better perspective. A perspective influenced by His love.

Everything that I see right now is a lot different when we view it with God’s perspective and I believe that everything that happened for the past months happened for a reason, a reason that might not be clear as of the moment, but will be revealed in a proper time.

I believe that everything happened for a reason and for a season. As Ecclesiastes 3:1 (ESV) says:

 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

Allow me to take you back when I decided to start this journey.

It was way back 2014 when I decided to try and be an OFW, after a personal decision to leave my present company back in the Philippines. Without any idea, concrete plan nor any prayers to back this up, I still went and push through. How brave for a young man for this action.

A lot of things happened during the first few years of being an OFW. I have to adapt to the shifting schedules, demands at work and some health issues during my first year. Homesickness was at its peak during this time. I was not accustomed of being away from my family for quite a long time. Challenges on finances, how to handle emotions and everything in between are at play during this early season as an OFW.

I overcame these challenges by being connected to a church community, where people care for each other despite of challenges. I felt the love of God through these people. This helped me to put everything on track and right perspective.

Probably, these early stages helped to set up for greater things that are about to come. Fast forward to July 2019, something happened. I received news that changed the course of the path I’ve been on. I was informed that my position, in the company I am working, is no longer available. I was shocked and I wasn’t able to grasp that I am on the edge of losing my job. There were days that I wasn’t able to sleep peacefully. With a lot of things to decide and consider, I thought it was the dead end.

I prayed to God and talked to people I am accountable with and considered and explored a lot of options for me to stay here in Abu Dhabi.

From the day I received that game-changing news, God taught me a lot of things. One of which is how do I handle my time. Time, as I realized throughout the past 12 months, is a very precious element for most of us nowadays, considering the current situation and everything else in between, we cannot afford to waste it. But the question that came up in my mind in reflecting this thought is: how do we spend the time given to us?

To be continued in Part 2

Be Still

It’s been 9 months since I started a journey of faith and I can’t comprehend how it has been since that faithful day.

This journey is a test of my faith, where there are countless times that I doubted His faithfulness if I can make it through. I let fear go before me.  

I was reminded of the story of the Israelites when they are about to cross the Red Sea. They doubted why Moses led them away from Egypt. The Israelites prefer staying in Egypt, serving there rather than dying in the wilderness. When God intervened, through Moses, He caused the Red Sea to part and the Israelites were able to cross while the Egyptians were left in the sea, covering them and not one of them remained.

Two verses stand out and echoed in my mind while studying this particular story and while reflecting on the past 9 months on this journey.

^“And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” (Exodus 14:13,14 ESV)

Two points that I would like to share to you:

• Don’t be afraid, stand still. The Lord is with you.

Fears are all around, considering the current situation that the world is having right now, not counting the personal battles that we have. Do not let fear take hold of yourself causing you to doubt Him and His promises, for everything that we are undergoing right now is just temporary.

• The Lord will fight for you, just be still.

Being still in God means to bask in His presence, of who He is in your life or in your current situation. Devote your time in knowing Him, to renew your mind, to remind yourself of His greatness and to recalibrate your thoughts moving forward.

I may let fear before me, but that doesn’t mean that I am defeated. Rather, I choose to pick up my sword and fight for I know that these battles are not mine, but of God’s.

There might be a lot of battles along the way. But remember that you have God and the people He has given you, battles will be won. I thank God for those people He has blessed me with who helped by interceding, supporting and encouraging me the best way they could.

The world will offer you a lot of options to conquer your battles.

May we choose faith over fear and to stand still with and in God, who is all powerful and goes before you. He will be with you and he will not leave you or forsake you.

May we choose to inspire others by being an example of not giving up.

May we choose to surround ourselves with the people who will fight with us, who will cheer us up and be there for us matter what life throws at us.

Be sill my friend, He is with you.

Soli deo Gloria.  

See a Victory

2019 went by so quickly that I did not notice that it’s already December. With less than a few days before the year ends, I decided to look back on how God carried me throughout the year.

I started this year by listing up goals that are seems to be impossible, but by faith and through His grace, I now that these will come to pass.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2 (ESV)

The verses helped me to remind myself of the reason why I run this race called life.

As I journey on from Day 1 of 2019, I held those verses close to my heart as I pray for the goals I wanted to see into fruition this year. But life took me to a detour that changed the course of the race that I’ve been on. People that are close to me can attest to what I experienced. Doubt, fear and insecurities suddenly creep in after the day I received a bad news. I wanted to quit! I wanted to go back home!

With that in mind, I made a game-changing decision that others would think was an unlikely, considering how life and things are here in UAE for expats nowadays.

But amidst everything that happened the whole year, I learned three things that helped me to be where I am today:

1. Surround yourself with people who will encourage you

          One of the things I am grateful for this year are the people whom God brought into my life, especially those who gave me encouragements and spent some time to strengthen the relationships.

           I’m so humbled and immensely grateful on how these people went out of their comfort zone to reach out and make time to uplift me during the times that I needed it most.

2. Set aside your baggage

          Have you ever tried running with something on your back? Quite tiring right? In life, when we wanted to move forward but there are things that are still holding us back, we cannot reach the full potential that God has for us.

          With all the things that happened to me this year, I have to reconsider a lot of things and let go of some that would not help me moving forward.

3. Step up to the race

          Step up means to increase or advance by one more step.

          This year, I have to step up my endurance with the news that my position in the company is no longer available. It was tough, really tough, considering that I am sending money back home and preparing for the next chapter of my life here in UAE. I have to double the endurance I am putting on.

Above all these things, the most important thing we need to do is always to look up to Jesus, who gave up His life for us on the cross. Without Him, my life will not be meaningful. My pursuits will be worthless because I am not pursuing the One who first loved me.

There were many times throughout the year that I doubted myself if I can make it. But when I decided to pursue Him with all my heart, He has turned my mourning into dancing and clothed me with gladness, that my story will bring praises for Him.

In the end, I may not see concretely His plans are, but one thing is for sure and that everything happens for the good of those who love Him and when we look to Jesus and allow Him to fight the battles for us, we will see a victory at the end of the tunnel.

Soli deo gloria...

2018

With just a few days before 2018 ends, a lot of great things happened in my life. These events helped me to be where I am today and I will always be grateful to God for making everything happened, because I believe that everything comes for a reason.

Looking back on those memories makes my heart grow and develop the attitude of gratefulness even if situations were tough. Allow me to share to you the ART formed from the highlights of my 2018.

1. Answered Prayers

There have been a lot of answered prayers for this year. Two of these are being able to speak in front of students and be able to participate for a greater cause of reaching out to the people on another country. 

Both of which helped me to develop my confidence and self-esteem, that I would be carrying forward next year to accomplish more things.

2. Relationship Built

God brought quite a lot of people into my circle this year and I’m grateful for each one of them. They have contributed in their own little way to my development as a person, a leader and someone who is serving Him and other people.

3. Taking criticism constructively

My experiences this year has taught me to be tougher and to treat every comment in a way that it’ll be beneficial to me. Thinking first before acting, a thought process really helped to develop of constructively building myself from the comments thrown at me. It’s painful at times, but I know that it is for my development as a person.

Having said that, there is one more important thing I learned. Above all those mentioned above and everything that happened in between, I learned this year to depend and trust in God and His power.

“For I hold you by your right hand— I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.” - Isaiah 41:13

There were several times throughout the year that fear almost got the control of my life because of some situations that I thought I cannot make it. During those times, I ask and lifted my fear and problems to God. True enough that when you lifted it up to Him, He will hold you because He loves you and He will be able to make you through the storm. On several occasions, I feel that I am not worth it and I feel so alone thus resulting to failures. 

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength[a] of my heart and my portion forever.

- Psalm 73:26

But the moments that I am alone, are the moments where God is speaking to me directly. I am not paying attention to that still small voice inside of me. 

Despite of the mountains to climb and races to finish, the dependence on Him and His power made me stronger and I’m still able to run the race He has set for me. One thing is for sure, that He who began a good work in us will bring it to completion (Philippians 1:6).