Four friends walking with a FRIEND!!!

There are four of us who who live not so far from each other and just this year we developed the closeness and camaraderie because of our passion to do early morning walks. Our ages range from late- forties to mid-sixties and we come from different family backgrounds and work experiences. There's a government lawyer and fiscal, a businessman and farmer, a retired sugar milling employee and OFW, and a pastor. We usually wake up at four-thirty dawn, start walking, seeing and joining each other in about fifteen to thirty minutes later. Naturally, this kind of activity led us to become friends. The dictionary defines a friend as one attached to another by esteem, respect, and affection. This brings to mind an account in the second chapter of the gospel of Mark of some people bringing to Jesus a paralytic, carried by four men. Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying. And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, 'son, your sins are forgiven.' ..."But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins---...I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home." And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God.

This is my heart's desire and prayer for the four of us that our camaraderie and friendship would bloom and enable each one of us to be like those people who brought the paralytic to Christ who were men of God, men of faith, risk takers, real friends to those in need of healing and wholeness not only of the body but most especially of the spirit and soul as well. By the way our names are Douglas, Alexander, Primo, Andrew (Acronym: DAPA which means to lie prostrate in surrender) which reminds me of the lines of a song which goes: "O come let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the LORD our God and maker..."

You are welcome to join and walk with us anytime but most especially to know and walk with HIM our best Friend!

Early Morning Rainbow

I had the privilege to travel to Surigao City, Mindanao, Philippines, last April 15 to 19, 2007, together with two brethren. Surigao City is the capital of the province of Surigao del Norte, and known as the entry point to Northern Mindanao. We were there for about five days and facilitated seminar workshops in Christian Marriage and Inductive Bible Study. Our very friendly and generous hosts were Pastor Herman Diaz, his wife Josephine and two very lovable darling daughters Jazzy May and Princess.

I love to do early morning walks from thirty minutes to an hour and what a blessed opportunity to welcome and savor God's goodness and mercies daily and to see the beauty of His creations in this part of the country. This particular morning of April 19 (Thursday) and the final day of our seminar workshop, I decided to extend the time and distance of my walk. I was able to walk the whole length of the boulevard and made a full round at the track and field oval at the city's sport facility. Together with the beautiful sunrise there was also a drizzle as I headed to our lodging place. Suddenly, a motorcycle passed by me and skidded in the slippery asphalted road approximately fifty yards ahead of me. I rushed to the man and both of us gave a sigh of relief seeing that he just had minor wounds and scratches on his arms. For both of us it was also a blessed time of just praising and thanking God for sparing his life, and even his motorcycle had very minor damages too.

Walking on and as I gazed at the horizon there was a very beautiful rainbow. It was God's way of reminding me first of all that His faithfulness and promises never fail. Secondly, that life is fragile and each one of us should always handle it with prayer. "Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting."(Psalm 118:1)
"In the morning, O LORD, you will hear my voice; in the morning I will order my prayer to you and eagerly watch." (Psalm 5:3)

We left Surigao City that evening by slow boat for Cebu City and from Cebu City will take a five hour bus ride back to Dumaguete City the next day; but not before Pastor Herman and Josephine treated us to sumptuous "sutokil" dinner. If GOD tarries, I'm praying to be back here in Surigao City together with my wife and if possible, our three children, and the seminar team brethren to do another seminar on February, 2009, LORD willing.

Singing With Thankfulness In Your Hearts to GOD!

Its a sunny Monday morning here in Cebu City and at nine o'clock I and my wife are feeling hungry and decided to eat in a restaurant in front of a hospital where she had her checkup. I was not in a very good mood today nevertheless GOD in His mercies and graces allowed us to be refreshed with the warm and friendly welcome of the staff, the good and affordable food they served and most of all by the Inspiring Christian Music they played.

Earlier, my wife mentioned that she was amused of a child dancing in the email message she sent me days ago and she wanted so much to have this child to become a screensaver on her computer. Lo and behold inside that restaurant a child came running and stopped at our table and looked at us with mischievous eyes reminding my wife of that computer character.

What surprised us most when we paid our bills and my wife started commenting to the restaurant manager (Nadeth) that she was blessed with the music, their friendly service, good and affordable food; the manager introduced us to their cashier (Jingle) who was in fact one of the vocalists in those Christian Music they played. We later learned that she was part of the group called Lord Reigns Music Ministry. We were so grateful to them when they promised to give us a complimentary CD of their songs and music. The Lord never fails to amaze His servants of His awesome love, goodness and generosity. Indeed we are so richly blessed so that we can be channels of blessings to others.

In the book of Psalms the Word of GOD says, "Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits; who pardons all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases." And in the book of Colossians the Word of GOD says, "Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God."