Run the Race

"Run the race, finish the course"

These are the words of the great Saint Paul

Though there are many ways to "run the race"

I will take his life as an example 

A life full of passion, wonder and love

Live your life passionately

Focus on the goal and not on the road

Rest when you must but keep your chin up

Life is an adventure so prepare your heart

And never be discouraged when the end is out of sight

Laugh out loud as you keep the pace

And never mind if you're not prepared , no one is!

Though life has its ups and downs, twists and turns

This adventure is precious and worth your time

Take it lightly and you will have fun

  

Love deeply and savor each day

Withhold nothing and keep on giving

Give all you have without reserve

You'll be surprised what awaits 

At the finish line.

This is the lesson you and I could learn from St Paul

Live this life with passion

Never forget to laugh, this lightens the burden

And if we love deeply and without reserve

Before we know it there it is... The  Finish Line!

The Gardener and His Rose

       Few days ago a gardener was on his garden. To him this garden is his place of rest  in between a full day's work. For him tending this garden is not a job rather a place where he communes with God's amazing love.  Yes, this is his love garden. He seems envelop with the presence of Love when he is in the garden. It is evident to him that he speaks to his Master as he speaks to his flowers. This garden was entrusted to him by his Master for several years now and he faithfully watch it with every possible care and attention that he could, all for the master's pleasure. He has seen how the garden transformed into a lovely paradise as it responds to his affectionate care. It transforms itself  into an oasis of joy to everyone's delight. It discovers the many gifts it has and  offers them to everyone who stop by. Yes the garden draws attention to people around it because of its welcoming spirit and joyful atmosphere not to mention the gardener keeps its ground  freshly watered and free from unwanted guests.

     In the middle of this beautiful garden is a particular type of a rose bush with flower that gives a delightful fragrance that no one could ignore. When the flower blooms everyone cannot help but notice the sweet fragrance that comes from her petals. The gardener himself finds himself kissing her fragrant petals with joy.

   This is his favorite flower- a silky white rose. When he visits his garden, which is often enough to say the least, he never fails to spend time with her. When he wakes up, during the day and even before he rests at night, he always find time, however short it is, to see her and speak with her. Have you experience conversing with flowers? That is the secret of a happy garden. Yes, he speaks to her; he delicately checks and sees to it that her leaves are free from any uninvited guests that could ruin her God given purity and beauty. He carefully inspects her petals and buds to make sure that insects don't take advantage of them. Oh yes, he loves her; he watches her grow from being just a shy white bud to a full bloom beautiful white rose . "It is just right to love her and surround her with care", he often said because this particular flower brings so much joy to the Master that he serves and a delight to his sight.


   Then one day while he was with her, admiring her beauty and wit, suddenly he felt a sharp object cut through his flesh and yes his flesh was slashed! Her thorn pricked his finger. He held her stem unguarded he forgot! It was too late! He didn't notice the thorn nestled on her stem.The gardener's initial reaction to the pain was to backed off and walked away holding his bleeding finger, yet before he did, he turned to her and said, "Hmmm, it's kind a deep but it wasn't that bad; I'll be fine."

Holding his painful finger that has a streak of blood from the wound he received from her thorny stem, he raised up his eyes and glanced at her and said, "what a lovely beauty you have that cause me pain. I can handle this, I'll be fine." He looked at his bloody pricked finger and with a smile, he gave her a kiss, "I love you still. "

For now the gardener watches 'her' from afar 

Making sure she is well though touching he could not

For his Master says "Leave her to me and have faith."
"I'll take care of her. It's my garden remember?"
"Wait 'til your wound is healed"
"and the pain is gone"
"maybe then..."
"Trust Me."
He replied,
"So Be It"

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Find me worthy as a Gift

The Gift

I often marvel how could paradise came to be

Unless Someone wanted it to be

Unless a Word is uttered

Permitted for beauty to dwell in Thee 

Paradise once lived with Love

In just one "no" became a dream

Yet with a trusting 'yes' by a chosen maiden

Heaven once a dream now  a reality

O What a thought of Paradise! Do I ponder a lot? 

Is it a product of my dream? 

Could it be true that I found love?

A love mirrored to the One named Love.

Beloved you created my being

You formed me; you breathed me;

You called me; You lured me.

Whispering You said "Follow me", glad you did!

Adventure beyond adventure!

Trustingly threading the path you showed 

Embracing the unfolding of each day

Tears hidden in the eyes, concealed with the smile 

I cannot say enough 

I gasp at every thought of love

There on the Cross You raised your arms, 

You embraced me and showed me how to love 

What a gift it is 

To be deeply loved by Thee

Humbled to be chosen before time 

Longed for until the end of time

The gift I have received I offer it back 

Take it please if you will, nurture it

Hoping that one day,  

You'll find it worthy as a GIFT.

Dedicating this to someone who is chosen by God...
You are worth to die for!
I love you then...now…tomorrow...forever...

When This Summer Ends

We met one summer, when the grass are green and the flowers bloom

When the birds are feasting, while the squirrels enjoying their share 

When the breath of fresh air surrounds me and butterflies linger before me

When brother sun is at its might and sister moon in her gentle evening glory

I learned differently what joy is in a summer time

A Gift from God blessed with your presence

But time is relative, its passing seems imminent

Just like one summer that ends for another to come

Season changes, it’s just the way God made it to be

But surely it comes back after life's cycle takes its round

When this summer comes to a pause , for winter to come

It just tells me, it's time to abandon my joy in Jesus' Hands 

But I'll wait till the next summer comes 

When the pause is lifted up, and It doesn't matter when,

For I know  that when it comes,

In Jesus, the Giver of Time, it will be The Summer "Pour Toujours"...

Though this thought comes to my mind

To bid summer a goodbye I do not wish to come

Joyfully I open my hands and live each day as it comes

And be grateful to the Giver of Time

Love is...

I remember the day when we first met

A simple hello and nothing else

Formal yet tender, gentle and endearing

With a note "keep the conversations going"

We became companions on our daily journey

I was there at your daily travels

I accompanied you in prayers

You were here, when I began my day

Morning coffee and evening snacks we've shared

As we talked about our day

I was with you before you sleep

And you were with me as I end my day

 

Morning and afternoon walks we had

Rosaries we've prayed

Time of reflections together

And we never failed to meet at our "meeting place"

Time flies, memories written in our hearts

We were asked to move on; to bear fruit...

I wonder how you've been ?
Days I wasn't there to say goodnight?

 

Yet never lose hope, never  lose faith

The truth remains,

Love is free and never fails

For the love we share is His love...

I still see you at our  “meeting place "

There in front of the Beloved 

There is where I meet you at every moment I'm on my knees
Every time I close my eyes and stare at Him

Yes, love has been planted here and now

Today is what we've got let's seize the day!

 O come my special love He is waiting

He who calls us, He the One who is Love

Love is worth of everything we have

You and I two-gether apart

In and with Him

What matters most? Love is! 

For Love is eternal and Eternity is Forever...

  

God is Love…

Love grows....

...and HE is right

The One Whom I Believed

If you could create a paradise called world, out of nothing

A person, a masterpiece from the dust and mere breath

If you can turn water into wine,

If you can feed thousands with five loaves of bread and two fish

Then I believe, nothing is impossible if you will it.

If you can break open the sea and have human walk on land

If you can walk on water and calm the storm

If you can make fire out of a cistern full of water

If you can give sight to the blind and make lame walk

Then I believe, nothing is impossible if you will it.

Nothing is impossible if you will it 

For You are the Word, the beginning and the end

When you created me, when you breathed on me

When you say, you will prepare for a place for me

Everything happened it is your will that I am here.

I believe, for you are the Word made flesh

Flesh like me in everything except sin

You  prepare the way for my return

A prodigal child to His Father

By embracing death for my sake

You are the great I Am

The beginning, the end

The God  of Love

A lover fastened on the Cross

The cross that belongs to me

Who ransomed me from death?

Who promised me life?

Who died on my place that I may have life?

He is the one called the great lover of souls

He, The One Whom I believed.