PUNISH ME

Is it easy to handle a growing up kid? Is there a best formula in rearing children? Was there ever a best seller book that talks about the proper way to discipline children?
My children are both grown ups now, and I don’t know if I really did good in raising them up.
One time while strolling in the mall, I happened to pass by a Christian bookstore that sells a “discipline rod.” Engraved on the rod was a quote from Proverb 13:24 of King Solomon, “He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.” That wise saying in the Bible seems easy to apply in our real lives but tell you, it is not so.
I recall the times when my daughter was only about 6-7 years of age. Every time she disobeys our set rules, she gets a corresponding punishment. I have a rod to discipline her. But each time I have to use it to her, it pains me as well. It breaks my heart to see her cry.
So one time I told her that each time she disobeys and I have to scold her with the rod, I will get the spanking instead. When I told her this she cried out loud and embraced me. She said, “Sorry, Dad. It wont happen again.”
Do you think she learned her lesson? As for me, I learned something from this. I remember 2000 years ago somebody did something like this for me. He took all the pain the rod spared. He died for my sins at the cross. Jesus Christ died so that I may live.

John 3:17- God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Bible Reading: John 3:1-21
1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."
3In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
4"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" 5Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
9"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked. 10"You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? 11I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

Meaning: Jesus came down on earth not to punish but to save me from my sins.
Application: Believing is simply knowing Jesus Christ by heart through reading His life stories as written in the four Gospels of the Bible and realizing what He has done for me to further increase my faith in Him and make me someday join Him in heaven.

Character of Jesus: Jesus is so brave to take the beatings and the nailing on the cross that led to his death for our sins.

TIMES OF YOUR LIFE

Cherry Emma, May Emma, Lovely Emma, Kitty Wit, Liny Liony E. Wit, Cudddle Wit, Mong, Parrot, Polo SnowParol, Catty Parol, Sweet Parol, Dalmi, Haggisse, Pochocolo, Dovy and Rabbity.

These are just some of the names of the dolls and stuffed toys now laid idle in one corner of my kids' (or now my teenagers') room. My youngest is turning seventeen and my eldest twenty in November.

If those toys can talk, perhaps they will sigh and ask:“We miss you. Would you like to play with us again?”
Same goes for me too whenever I look at those toys, I cannot help but remember the times when our children used to play with them. During our playtime, I, remember, I also play their toys with them. So close they were to their hearts to give each one of them its name. It seems only yesterday.

Time runs so fast. These memories bring tears to my eyes. My Children are no longer little kids and I am not getting any younger. But I thank God who gives pleasant memories of the past.


Psalm 103:17 But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children—




Bible Reading: Matthew 19:13-15

13Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
14Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." 15When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

Meaning: Heaven belongs to the little children because they are sinful and innocent.
Application: I will be like little children not in my ways but in my way of thinking so that I will have a pure heart.
Character of Jesus: He loves the little children and He knows that they belong to His Kingdom in Heaven.

A FISH FRIEND

We live in a condominium where there is a strict policy of “no pets allowed.” My youngest daughter keeps on telling me that she wants to have a pet dog.

Instead of buying her a dog, I bought her a fish. She was so happy. As soon as she wakes up, she looks at her pet fish she named Eugene . She feeds it, puts water on the fish bowl, and arranges the plants inside. I even catch her talking with Eugene before she leaves for school. It seems she found a new friend.

Having a pet fish was so relaxing not only for my daughter but also for me. When my kids are in school, I also enjoy staring at the fish.

One day, while she was still in school, I saw her fish catching its breath and dying. I was worried that my daughter will soon find out, and so I thought before she gets home, I have to buy a new one to replace it. But how many fish do I have to buy each and every time her pet dies. I guess I have to face reality and so should my daughter.

I prayed and asked God how am I going to tell her that her fish friend is dead.

When she got home I told her what happened. She cried and cried all day. I never saw her cried that way. That was perhaps so painful for her and so for me to see her crying and most of all hurting.

My daughter needs to experience life’s sorrows so that someday when someone in the family or someone dear to her passed away, those feelings of hurt and grief are no longer strange to her.


Bible Reading: John 11:1-44

1Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. 3So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick."
4When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." 5Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.
7Then he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea."
8"But Rabbi," they said, "a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?"
9Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world's light. 10It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light."
11After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up."
12His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better." 13Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.
14So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, 15and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."
16Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."
Jesus Comforts the Sisters
17On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
21"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."
23Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
24Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."
25Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
27"Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."
28And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. "The Teacher is here," she said, "and is asking for you." 29When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.
32When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."
33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34"Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied.
35Jesus wept.
36Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"
37But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?"
38Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39"Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days."
40Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"
41So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me."
43When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" 44The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."


Meaning: Jesus when Lazarus died, also expressed his emotional feelings by weeping (John 11:35 Jesus wept.)

Application: It is alright for us to express our emotions in times of sorrow by crying, as long as you know when to stop.

Character of Jesus: He shows that he also felt the pain of grief.

I MISS HOME

Home, according to the dictionary means “the place of origin.”

Have you ever left home for a long vacation, and while on your way back aboard an airplane, bus, train, or boat, you want to hurry home?

After a long day from the office, when you get inside your room, you lie down on your bed and sigh, “aah, there is no place like home.”

On the other hand, have you ever felt lonely even when you are actually home? You look outside your window with no apparent reason and feel lonely and homesick?

I have different experience and story to tell you.

During my teenage years, I did not have a very good relationship with my Dad. He would discipline and in his strict disciplining he would punish and sometimes even beat me as if I was a small child. I hated that so much. One time, I decided to run away from home. I stayed with my Aunt in Binondo, Manila . She lived in an old house. She gave me a room on the second floor and told me when I am hungry, I could just get myself something to eat in the kitchen, or if ever I would need anything else, I could just call the housemaids.

One time I was awakened from my sleep, and I thought I was on my bed at home. I felt lonely that night, wanting to go back home.

The next morning, I overheared my Aunt talking with my Mom over the phone. I hurried to pack my things up and transfer to my friend’s house in Makati just about a kilometer away from our house. The more I miss home when my friend told me to sleep on their living room’s sofa because his room with a single bed is just fit for one person. I stayed there for a couple of days and then decided to go back home.

When I arrived, my Dad was watching TV. He looked at me, and smiled and asked, “have you eaten?” “Get some food in the kitchen.” So I did and ate as if I haven’t eaten for years. Then I went to my room and lied down on my bed, as I uttered the words” Dad I forgive you and I miss home.”

Sometimes when I am alone looking outside my window, I still miss “home”- not our house, not my soft bed, but my home with Jesus in Heaven. My place of origin.Because He promised…
“In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. (John 14:2-3) Jesus Christ.

Bible Reading: John 14:1-14

1"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4You know the way to the place where I am going."
5Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"
6Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."
8Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."
9Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. 12I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.


Meaning: There’s a place for us in heaven prepared by our Lord Jesus Christ and we can go there through Him if we believe and trust in Him. Because He is the only way.

Application: Knowing Jesus increases my faith in Him, and knowing that someday I will be going to His house in heaven.

Character of Jesus: He cares for us even about our future home in heaven and He teaches us how to reach that place he has instored for us.

MISSED CALL

A MISSED CALL IS:
- when you are in the middle of something and so you missed the call
- when you save on your cellphone load …”don’t get that call, a missed call means I am on my way.”
- when you want to send your number or save a number from someone, a missed call makes it easier
- when you simply want to connect and let them know you are just around, make them feel you care and miss them (or as we simply put it in the vernacular, “paramdam.”)

As a father, I usually lead the prayer most especially before meals. Sometimes I also let my children lead so they will learn the habit of giving thanks to God and remember to pray before they take their meals wherever they may be, whether in school with friends, or in their grandparents’ house or in restaurants.

One day when my kids got home from school, tired and exhausted, my wife cooked for them their favorite dish. I called them to prepare for dinner, washed their hands and set the table.

When I was about to pray, I thought of letting my youngest daughter to lead instead. She took a deep breath covering her face with her tiny hands and started to pray.

It was a short prayer, fast and almost like a whisper, we barely heard it. It sounded just like a buzz of a bee that passed-by. I teased her and asked, “Do you think Jesus heard you?” and then we all laughed. Her sister teased her even more when she said, “para ka lang nag-missed call kay Lord, ha? (it was just like you gave our Lord a missed call). And we laughed all the more.

God listens to all our prayers. Whether it seems just like a “missed call,” He looks at the heart and He answers all our prayers according to His will.

Don’t forget to give him a call today. It’s TOLL FREE, anyway.


Matthew 14:18 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves.

Bible Reading Matthew 14:13-21

13When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
15As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food."
16Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat."
17"We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered.
18"Bring them here to me," he said. 19And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Meaning: Jesus knows how to give thanks to His Father

Application: I will be like Jesus and will always give thanks to God our Father in heaven

Character of Jesus: Jesus is prayerful and always remembers to thank his Father

EMBRACED ME NOT

When our first baby had just been born, we had a housemaid whose name is Mayet, a naive but very assertive girl. When I tell stories in the Bible she would always sit down and listen. I gave her a Bible and she was so happy to receive it. I always see her reading and contemplating on the word of God. I think she was growing in her spiritual life and getting to know Jesus Christ more day by day.

Usually, when I leave the house I would give her instructions on what to say if I have a phone call, or if someone will come and look for me, or what to do in times of emergency.

One time when I left home I remembered I did not give her any instructions because my wife was home, anyway. Passing Ayala Avenue, I saw people shouting and pointing at the building under construction. I saw the huge cranes on top of the buildings swaying left to right and seemed almost about to fall. There was chaos and people were rushing out of their office buildings. This was when a strong earthquake rocked Luzon in 1991.

I started to worry about how my family was at home. I went back as soon as I could. When I reached home, I thanked God that my wife and daughter were safe. Mayet though, seemed to be still in fear and like she was still in a state of shock. I saw her embracing her Bible. After a while she told me what happened. “Kuya lumindol kanina. Nayanig ang buong bahay!” (There was an earthquake. It rocked the house). Then I asked, “Anong ginawa mo? (What did you do?) “Natakot ako. Kinuha ko agad ang Bible ko at niyakap ko ng mahigpit.” (I was so afraid, I grabbed my Bible and embraced it tightly), she replied.

I laughed and explained that embracing her Bible cannot save her in times of earthquake. Instead, she should find safety under the table so that if anything falls, it will not hit her head. “Next time kuya ilalagay ko na lang ang Bible sa ulo ko,” ( I’ll just put my Bible on top of my head), she said jokingly and laughed at herself too.

How many of us still look at the Bible as something sacred and with magical powers? Or like a collector’s item, have all the versions and/or editions? Or how many of us are just happy to display them on the shelves?

The Bible is our manual of instructions from God. Let us read it, know the meaning and application, and be like Jesus.

"Bible: Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth"

Happy reading!

I MISS YOU

To my dearest friend,

Before you go to bed, I love listening to you always. You tell me stories about all the things that happened to you today. I am so glad that as soon as you wake up, you greet me and say hello. You don’t forget to thank me before you take your breakfast. On your way to work, when you get into your car or take the public ride, you always ask me to be with you and keep you safe from harm in your every travel.

One time, I could still remember when you wanted to be promoted in your job or when you had a big decision to make, you consulted me. I always look at you when you come home at night and tired from work, you take your dinner while watching your favorite movie. I noticed your eyes get weary and tired and that’s the time you say your sweetest goodnight.

You visit me and I see you every Sunday with your family and friends, well I cannot say anything. You really look good in that fine clothes you wear.

Every time you talk to me, I listen. But I still miss you. I hope you find time to listen to me by reading my love letters for you written in the Bible. I have so many wonderful things to tell you. I want you to know how much I love and care for you. I miss you so much. Someday I would like you to be with me forever.



Your very best friend,
Jesus Christ

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