It's a new start of series and nevertheless I am excited to intake new learning, affirmation of what I already knew and of course the word of God. Every Sunday, I attend The Feast not because of some acts of obligations but it's more of me, strengthening my faith and seeking more of Him. Every word of each Sunday is like a powerful "baon" to me , to be the that I can be not just for myself but me towards others, and how I can inspire them with my little acts (actions, words, gestures).

"God never created money to buy happiness. God created money to increase HELPFULNESS."

 Serving Him and money is not appropriate in one sentence, that was the conventional belief. However being rich can happen and still be faithful to Him, if one should achieve being truly rich inside and out. A man won a lottery, making him 350 million dollars rich, in just one draw. However that winning cause him, a disrupt marriage life, his kids turned to drugs, and him as a womanizer. Until he wished that he shouldn't have won that lottery. Gollum in LOTR worship the ring, then killed a friend and end up miserable. One must learn that before having lotsa money, one must be truly rich on the inside. Don't let yourself be a servant of money when it must be the other way around.

There are three kinds of rich people. First is the filthy rich. One who have the dirty, stinky, smelly money when actually it wasn't the money that is awful but the person itself. Greed, selfishness and wrong reason makes the world turn for them and they ended like just Gollum. Miserable. Second kind of rich person is the guilty rich. Guilty rich people are actually nice people however they locked themselves into a wrong belief that earning a lot of money is a sin. Most of the people who are brought up by parents with the conventional idea that having a lot of money is somehow evil. However for a big turn around helping your family and you're bigger family by sharing you're blessings is a way of serving Him.

Lastly is the TRULY RICH. They learned that having lotsa money is not for oneself but for serving Him and sharing the blessing to those who are in need. They've learned that it isn't a sin at all if one know how money will serve you by helping others. Helping your family is the number one priority and of course God will bless you more to help our bigger family. It isn't easy thing but you're character and what's inside will make you one of the elite truly rich.

So they've said Money can't buy happiness... so what?!? Money can definitely increase my helpfulness. God is so ready to bless us with everything we want regardless of how many millions or billions or any other things, relationships, career, however the question is, are we ready for that blessings? It's somehow comes to a point of realization that....

For my second day, I joined the single stream. Almost late, luckily not. I was hurrying to find where my stream was, when I saw this guy shouting, "Single! Single!" while looking at me and then smiled, "Single Stream?". I reluctantly nodded my head while looking around if someone is looking, I tried my best not to put the "ssshhhh" (not that loud) sign to him (hehehe!). I entered the hall and found that it's almost full packed. So I think this is somehow normal huh?! Definitely not alone. Toinks!



Took my seat, carrying this big bag of mine. It all started with a worship song that got me up on my feet singing and slightly dancing with matching hands clapping. Felt so great, really! You must try it!


Ardy Abello started the session, I believe he is very well known in what he's doing. He give us some winning insight that everyone should live by. Number one, Goal driven people who aim high will not settle for good. He explained that our vision will provide us direction. We have to dare the impossible as they say, "It's always impossible until it's done!". Number two, Outstanding and consistent performance are keys when you're aiming high and in order to do that we must identify our unique strength and for our weakness, leverage on the strength of others. No man is an island anyway. Number three, Lead with respect and not just with position. Indeed leadership is being a great influence to others. Simple as speech, good leaders are good communicator while we must tend to achieve to be great leaders who are good connectors. Thoughts of a leader can be influential as well but the law of mind stated, "It is better to be first in the mind that to be first in the market place". So it is good to get in to someone's mind but being in someone's heart is totally different thing. Actions, leaders mus be a man of action because people follow more what they see rather what they can hear. Belief is also a great factor. However for good leaders they do ask the question, "What?" while great leaders ask the question, "Why?", the man of purpose ei! Lastly, Number four, Discipline of the heart will produce character. A great leader must have the heart to care. Commitment is a must in a leader. It leads to solution while lacking it lead himself to escape leaving some people hanging. Attitude is not just aptitude. Respect each people as a person of high value. Excellence is wanting to be excellent. We need to partner with excellent people because excellent attracts excellence. Nowadays being the best in what you do is not an option, it's a must. Your competence will get you on top but character will KEEP you on top. Thanks Ardy, I've learned a lot.



Mr. Mike Joseph, leads the second talk for the single stream. He said our "Who" is at the center of our life and he will be the source of our success, guidance, power and strength. That;s why I am a Christian who is a hotelier. He said that there are 3 critical growth indicator, First is, Finding the right career. Second is keeping it and lastly advancing in one's career. There are obstacles to overcome to be the best that you can be sin, temptation, impatience (we have to learn to wait with the Lord), passivity (step out in the faith) and over-spiritualization (seek counsel and wisdom).



Last speaker is Rica Peralejo and her hubby, unfortunately we need to cut our session short because of our BKK trip. That's why for next year, I'll be attending the same stream. Having Ardy and Mike as the first 2 speakers made me realize that there's more to improve, more to learn and I'll be more than ready for everything I want and to what my heart wishes. I won't settle for anything less because I was born for greater things.

Pray because of your faith not because of your fear. Mr. Mike Joseph, the first speaker f my chose stream explained it clearly to us by a story. "One day a charismatic group in a subdivision meet up for their prayer meeting. It's a new built group. As they we're busy sharing stories, a loud bang from the door interrupted them. One of their neighbor seeks help. There was a possessed man on a tree, sitting on a sturdy branch with eyes gleaming red. Armed with their rosary, holy water and prayers, they head to the possessed man. As they looked up, a very scary man was there, laughing i a very hoarse voice or maybe just not normal voice, something scary. They lift their rosary and splash him with holy water while shouting, "In the name of Jesus. get out of the body of this man!" (In Jesus name means praying for God's will)  you know what the possessed man did... he laughed even harder at the top of his lungs. Mocking each and every one in the group. The charismatic group repeat it for several times but the result is still the same. Until they realize that there is something wrong, not with the scary on the tree, but with themselves. They realized that shouting things out of fear is unsuitable. One must believe in what he or she is saying, not because of fear but because we believe that God can heal the possessed man. One member of the charismatic group climbed the tree, out the rosary on the man's neck and waaallllaaahhhhh.. the man was healed.



We must pray boldly, added by Mr. Mike Joseph. When we pray we must focus to our Lord. God only want to humble us and pray, seek Him and turn away from our wicked doings. God hear us from heaven. He is a forgiving God that 's why he forgive us even before we ask for forgiveness. Healing our land is His number one priority.

They said that hypocrisy destroys relationship while humility builds it. Being humble is not thinking less of one self, it's thinking more of others. Definitely it's not putting yourself down but lifting God's up in our lives. Indeed, God answers all prayers, it can be yes, no or not yet. If yes be thankful and rejoice and of course share the blessing. If it's no, seek the will of God maybe you're not ready yet for what you need. Not yet, definitely, in God's time, in His precious time when everything is perfect for you and others too. The biggest revelation to me by Mr. Mike Joseph is... "We changed when we pray."



Progression: Turbo Charge your prayer life was discussed by the cool brother from Cebu, Mr. Bert Miranda. He said that we must wait patiently on the Lord. He know the perfect timing for everything. Sometimes prayers are not answered at once because we are lacking something. It might be patience?! I dunno. But sometimes every answered prayer comes with a great responsibility (sounds familiar.. spidey?!) so must prepare ourselves. MUST. Element of faith should always be there, Brother Bert added. After all God shower us of millions of blessings, seriously duda ka pa ba?!

What the mind conceived, he body achieved. Faith, al we need is faith! Apir! God sometimes allows for the greater good. Evil is experiencing molestation when you're a kid. just what happened to Bo. But this past help a lot of people with the same experience to be better in spite of what happened. Don't let the past dictates your present or future. For me Bo is the best example of that. Not letting past dictates his future. Indeed a very great man.



The last speaker for the prayer stream was Brother Alex. He tackled "Repetition: Making the world your chapel." God is always with us, travelling with us. So we must pray without ceasing because he never leaves our side. We must see God in all things at all times. And how we will do that?! We must live with him 24 by 7, yes! Everyday, every hour, every minute of our lives. Not only during Sunday where we worship him in the church. We must put Him in our hearts so we become more like Him each day. We must live in thanksgiving, do not search for what's lacking, sometimes people have a lot on their plate however they just take it for granted. Sometimes we just have to start with what we have and everything will follow. Live "in-love", we are created by love of God so we must share and spread His love. It's not always the romantic kind of love, love your family, friends and everyone that He created. Lively Brother Alex connect this with the general crush, love when we are in our teenage years. My crush is all I think about, when I wake up in the morning, before I eat my mami during recess, lunch time and of course before going to sleep worst even in my dreams. We must achieve that kind of love to Jesus as well because He loves us, no ifs, no buts, just because.



We learned a lot from those talks and renewed our faith with a lot of worshiping Him. Nonetheless it gave me a light, and most happy feeling ever. Thank you God!

It's my first KCon ever. Due to some unexpected event I need to cut short my two days of amazing experience which was held at SM Arena and SMEX. We bought our ticket online, sign how techi our generation is. This mind opener is only for 900php, really cheap after experiencing the Conference.We have some investment that we need to take that may help us to grow more as it may open doors to good opportunities.

Being the youngest child, maybe, is the reason why kids just have a special space in my heart. Today with the help of my crazy friends, I met an amazing child named... KIMO.



Several feet away from me, I saw a boy wearing a white-turned-dirty-white printed shirt matching with his long khaki shorts (or is it jeans?!) and a boat slippers (crocs style) full of mud. Around 7-9 years old, looking at us then looking away and two girls with him wearing a black shirt with Project Pearls print doing the same thing. After sometime of waiting at our meet place, others friends alighted from the cab and straight away fired "hi's and hello's" to the kids. Little did I know there were our guides...






Little Ways Project: Hapag Project (a feeding program) was organize by the mastermind, Lance. We partnered with Project PEARLS who focus outreach efforts in Ulingan, Tondo. It's a slum area in Tondo which sits on a dumpsite and surrounded with charcoal factories where most if not all make a living in these factories, and yes, including children (and can you believe children as young as 3??). They've started the initiative just this January and can only provide meals for the children once a week, every Saturday morning, due to limited funds. As we all know feeding program meals usually consists of bread, fruit and hot porridge. We give them not just an ordinary porridge. We give them a handsome bowl of white corn porridge which is really formulated for malnourished children especially to those in third world countries. In short the meal is good for the bone, brain and immune system. 

It was early this year when I come to know a special guy. They say that when you find "The One" everything will feel so good and right. I heard a lot about him before I met him.

Indeed he loves his family big time, sense of humor at its finest, super brave ala knight in shining armour, although he's such a weakling because he's sick most of the time. He's not that populaar in school and somehow bullied. With such negative traits when God called and asked him...

FOLLOW ME. -GOD

He dropped everything and let go of his weaknesses and fears. He's Padre Pio a Capuchin priest...

Padre Pio (Francesco Forgione) was born to Giuseppa and Grazio Forgione, in the small farming town of Pietrelcina, Italy on May 25, 1887. Although the Forgiones were poor in material goods, they were certainly rich in their faith life and in the love of God.
Even as a young boy, Francesco had already shown signs of extraordinary gifts of grace. At the age of five, he dedicated his life to God. From his early childhood, he showed a remarkable recollection of spirit and a love for the religious life. His mother described him as a quiet child who, from his earliest years, loved to go to church and to pray. As a young boy, he was able to see and communicate with, not only his guardian angel but also with Jesus and the Virgin Mary. In his simplicity, Francesco assumed everyone had the same experiences. Once a woman who noticed his spiritual demeanor asked him, "When did you consecrate your life to God? Was it at your first Holy Communion?" and he answered, "Always, daughter, always."
When Francesco was fifteen years old, he was admitted to the novitiate of the Capuchin Order of the Friars Minor in Morcone, Italy. He was admired by his fellow-students as well as by his Superiors for his exemplary behavior and his deep piety. One of the novices stated, "There was something which distinguished him from the other students. Whenever I saw him, he was always humble, recollected, and silent. What struck me most about Brother Pio was his love of prayer."
On August 10, 1910, at the age of twenty-three, Padre Pio was ordained to the priesthood. The celebration of the Holy Mass was for Padre Pio, the center of his spirituality.  Due to the long pauses of contemplative silence into which he entered at various parts of the Holy Sacrifice, his Mass could sometimes last several hours.  Everything about him spoke of how intensely he was living the Passion of Christ. The parish priest in Pietrelcina called Padre Pio's Mass, "an incomprehensible mystery." When asked to shorten his Mass, Padre Pio replied, "God knows that I want to say Mass just like any other priest, but I cannot do it."
His parishioners were deeply impressed by his piety and one by one they began to come to him, seeking his counsel. For many, even a few moments in his presence, proved to be a life changing experience. As the years passed, pilgrims began to come to him by the thousands, from every corner of the world, drawn by the spiritual riches which flowed so freely from his extraordinary ministry. To his spiritual children he would say, "It seems to me as if Jesus has no other concern but the sanctification of your soul."
Padre Pio is understood above all else as a man of prayer. Before he was thirty years old he had already reached the summit of the spiritual life known as the "unitive way" of transforming union with God. He prayed almost continuously. His prayers were usually very simple. He loved to pray the Rosary and recommended it to others. To someone who asked him what legacy he wished to leave to his spiritual children, his brief reply was, "My child, the Rosary." He had a special mission to the souls in Purgatory and encouraged everyone to pray for them. He used to say, "We must empty Purgatory with our prayers." Father Agostino Daniele, his confessor, director, and beloved friend said, "One admires in Padre Pio, his habitual union with God. When he speaks or is spoken to, we are aware that his heart and mind are not distracted from the thought and sentiment of God."
Padre Pio suffered from poor health his entire life, once saying that his health had been declining from the time he was nine years old. After his ordination to the priesthood, he remained in his hometown of Pietrelcina and was separated from his religious community for more than five years due to his precarious health.  Although the cause of his prolonged and debilitating illnesses remained a mystery to his doctors, Padre Pio did not become discouraged. He offered all of his bodily sufferings to God as a sacrifice, for the conversion of souls. He experienced many spiritual sufferings as well. "I am fully convinced that my illness is due to a special permission of God," he said.
Shortly after his ordination, he wrote a letter to his spiritual director, Father Benedetto Nardella, in which he asked permission to offer his life as a victim for sinners. He wrote, "For a long time I have felt in myself a need to offer myself to the Lord as a victim for poor sinners and for the souls in Purgatory. This desire has been growing continually in my heart so that it has now become what I would call a strong passion. . .It seems to me that Jesus wants this." The marks of the stigmata, the wounds of Christ, appeared on Padre Pio's body, on Friday, September 20, 1918, while he was praying before a crucifix and making his thanksgiving after Mass. He was thirty-one years old and became the first stigmatized priest in the history of the Church. With resignation and serenity, he bore the painful wounds in his hands, feet, and side for fifty years.
In addition, God endowed Padre Pio with many extraordinary spiritual gifts and charisms including the gift of healing, bilocation, prophecy, miracles, discernment of spirits, the ability to abstain beyond man's natural powers from both sleep and nourishment, the ability to read hearts, the gift of tongues (the ability to speak and understand languages that he had never studied), the gift of conversions, the grace to see angelic beings in form, and the fragrance which emanated from his wounds and which frequently announced his invisible presence. When a friend once questioned him about these charisms, Padre Pio said, "You know, they are a mystery to me, too." Although he received more than his share of spiritual gifts, he never sought them, never felt worthy of them. He never put the gifts before the Giver. He always remained humble, constantly at the disposal of Almighty God.

Being in his chapel never fails to give me peace of mind. Regardless of how messy my mind or life can gets. Homilies at his church never fails to give answers to some questions that bugged me for some time. It surely hits the fragile me that I burst into tears.

Today is his birthday and I didn't let this day passed without visiting his church. HAPPY BIRTHDAY PADRE PIO! It's such a wonderful feeling knowing you. Thank you for bringing me back to God's light.

Pray, Hope and Don't Worry -Padre Pio