deeperthanyesterday

     I wonder why they coined it "Pride" month? Was it because of the bad experiences of homosexuals in the past? They were shy, intimidated, embarrassed, or worst criminally punished by law here at least in North America. Was the way the church forced their beliefs on these people and condemned them instead of letting them encounter the saving knowledge of the cross of Christ.      With these things in mind, they have to show "Pride", pride in their own beliefs, of their own way, of their own thinking. Once they have achieved their acceptance in the society they are now trying to dominate the society with their ideology. During this month they are being invited to the classrooms of grade school to give a talk. Young minds only hear what they say but not the other views regarding gender. If they want to be more diverse and give everyone an opportunity, schools must invite representatives also from other views such as but not limited to Muslims, Christians, ...

     A preacher once explained who you are is the by-product of how your parents brought you up. 1 Who you are reflects what type of father your "dad" /"papa" / "tatay" is. Fathers play a major role in the identity and development of their offspring. If the father is generous, his children will be generous. If the father is a peacemaker, his children will often be the ones to initiate peace and order with his friends. If the father is athletic and values fitness, no wonder that his children will like sports or become physically active.      The other extreme is true. If the father is addicted to gambling, the son/daughter might end up gambling. If the father smokes, so does the next generation after him.      Recently, living away from my parents for the first time in life greatly benefited me in 2 ways: I learned new lessons and perspectives in life, and I appreciate how my parents brought me up and the things that they did in my life to ex...

 **Spoiler alert: Top Gun: Maverick!!! Don't read if you haven't watched the movie.      Several themes are evident in the film but one thing that truly stood out to me: is training, leading, and equipping the next generation. The first moments of Maverick teaching the elite aviators started off with a shaky relationship. During lectures, Maverick was portrayed as an expert teacher fulfilling his given duties as instructing the models, and theories of air combat with some hostility to the students. A father and children relationship was never observed. There was no harmony, love, or genuine care. At first, he was hesitant just to become an instructor. He wanted to be on the front lines and he had to learn how to let it go and pass the baton to the next generation.      Later on Maverick decided to go to the beach and have fun with his students. It was an engagement opportunity to enter their world and build trust and relationships. His superior asked h...

     I invited two of my officemates together with Dino (a.k.a. Bene :-D) to watch the game 1 of the NBA Finals. My intention is to connect with them and somehow build friendship with them. Bene knew the main reason why I planned for that night and why I invited him. To have more friends and widen our network.      The entire night was full of joy, laughter, and insightful conversations. We realized we just literally watched the last 5 mins of the fourth quarter, and paid attention to the last 3 minutes. In my perception, we were all under the impression of just loving the company of each other. Prior to the meet up, I talked to God about how we are to engage and build relationship with them. God didn't just support my request but also provided creative ways to build up the momentum of our camaraderie. I believe in the power of community in regardless of color and background.      The key ingredient on any activity in a team is TRUST. "A team...

     People go through different seasons in life. I'm in the season where there are huge and significant concerns that I could pray and consider such as but not limited to: career, finances, marriage, ministry, etc. Recently a person came into my life asking "When do you plan to get settled? What is your goal?". I asked him to clarify the question. I thought he was referring to "settling down" physically in life pertaining to geographic location. Little did I know that it might also mean getting married. "Your emotion doesn't necessarily [means] it is God's will for you... Be led by the spirit... Don't follow other people's opinion". 1      When making decisions to the list above, it is easy just to be led by the advice of others. If we don't fix our attention to what Jesus is saying through the scriptures we can fill our minds based on the principle of others thus setting ourselves to be prone to unbiblical life choices. People...