Sunday, January 1, 2012

Blessed 2012!

It’s a new day, it’s a new year! We’re now on the first day of the new year 2012, and it’s so inspiring and comforting to know the message of God. There were two things that struck me in today’s readings – Blessing and Faith.
Ang galing, it’s the start of the year, and the readings are full of reminders of blessings! In the first reading, God tells Moses that he wants to, and will bless the Israelites. The psalm is us asking for God’s blessings. The second reading is the story of a great blessing – God sending his only son to save us from our sins, to make us children, heirs of God. The gospel also recounts this birth of Jesus, and it’s just great to think how blessed we really are to have a great God who sent his one and only son for us. Astig din siguro yung naramdaman nung mga nandun, especially nung mga shepherds – to have the once in a lifetime privilege of being physically there when Jesus was born. These readings remind me that God had been blessing me, and will continue to bless me this 2012.
Second thing that struck me was in the gospel. When the shepherds told them what has been told to them about the child, “Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” She did not understand yet everything that is happening. She said “yes” to God’s plan without fully understanding it. Now there are testimonies about how special her child is. Pero di pa nya naiintindihan gaano ka special, hindi nya naiintindihan lahat. It must have been weird, being told by an angel that you will bear God’s son, and seeing your old cousin being pregnant, pero nung ikaw yung nanganak, sa stable… God’s son ba talaga yun? Then these shepherds come and tell them what has been told to them. Parang ang labo siguro for Mary. However, she did not question, she did not doubt, even if God’s ways are not what she was expecting. She kept all these things in her heart… She prayed and reflected, especially when she did not understand.
As I start the year, there are a lot of things I don’t understand yet. There are a lot of unanswered questions. However, I pray that I be like Mary, trusting fully in God and his great, perfect plan for me. It is important to continue to reflect, pray and seek answers, knowing that God has the best in store for me, Plans to prosper me and not to harm me, plans to give me a future full of hope (Jeremiah 29:11. Minsan, kahit iba yung plano ni God, kahit iba yung paraan nya, kailangan lang talaga ang tiwala sa kanya. I just need to have complete faith in Him – something I pray for and will work for this 2012.
This story reminds me that even if God’s ways are not our ways, it is still the best, it is still better than what we have imagined, better than what we want for ourselves.
Happy New Year! Have a blessed, faith filled 2012!
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The Parable of the Three Trees
Once upon a mountain top, three little trees stood and  dreamed of what they wanted to become when they  grew up. 
The first little tree looked up at the stars and said: "I  want to hold treasure. I want to be covered with gold  and filled with precious stones. I'll be the most  beautiful treasure chest in the world!" 
The second little tree looked out at the small stream  trickling by on it's way to the ocean. "I want to be  traveling mighty waters and carrying powerful kings.  I'll be the strongest ship in the world!" 
The third little tree looked down into the valley below  where busy men and women worked in a busy town.  "I don't want to leave the mountain top at all. I want to  grow so tall that when people stop to look at me,  they'll raise their eyes to heaven and think of God. I  will be the tallest tree in the world." 
Years passed. The rain came, the sun shone, and the  little trees grew tall. One day three woodcutters  climbed the mountain. 
The first woodcutter looked at the first tree and said,  "This tree is beautiful. It is perfect for me." With a  swoop of his shining axe, the first tree fell. "Now I  shall be made into a beautiful chest, I shall hold  wonderful treasure!" The first tree said. 
The second woodcutter looked at the second tree  and said, "This tree is strong. It is perfect for me."  With a swoop of his shining axe, the second tree fell. 
"Now I shall sail mighty waters!" thought the second  tree. "I shall be a strong ship for mighty kings!" 
The third tree felt her heart sink when the last  woodcutter looked her way. She stood straight and  tall and pointed bravely to heaven. 
But the woodcutter never even looked up. "Any kind  of tree will do for me." He muttered. With a swoop  of his shining axe, the third tree fell. 
The first tree rejoiced when the woodcutter brought  her to a carpenter's shop. But the carpenter fashioned  the tree into a feedbox for animals. 
The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold,  nor with treasure. She was coated with saw dust and  filled with hay for hungry farm animals. 
The second tree smiled when the woodcutter took  her to a shipyard, but no mighty sailing ship was made  that day. Instead the once strong tree was hammered and  sawed into a simple fishing boat. She was too small and  too weak to sail to an ocean, or even a river; instead  she was taken to a little lake. 
The third tree was confused when the woodcutter cut  her into strong beams and left her in a lumberyard.  "What happened?" The once tall tree wondered. "All  I ever wanted was to stay on the mountain top and point  to God..." 
Many many days and night passed. The three trees  nearly forgot their dreams. 
But one night, golden starlight poured over the first tree  as a young woman placed her newborn baby in the  feedbox. 
"I wish I could make a cradle for him." her husband  whispered. The mother squeezed his hand and smiled  as the starlight shone on the smooth and the sturdy  wood. "This manger is beautiful" she said. 
And suddenly the first tree knew he was holding the  greatest treasure in the world. 
One evening a tired traveler and his friends crowded  into the old fishing boat. The traveler fell asleep as  the second tree quietly sailed out into the lake. Soon  a thundering and thrashing storm arose. The little tree  shuddered. She knew she did not have the strength to  carry so many passengers safely through with the wind  and the rain. 
The tired man awakened. He stood up, stretched out  his hand, and said, "Peace." The storm stopped as  quickly as it had begun. 
And suddenly the second tree knew he was carrying the  king of heaven and earth. 
One Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her  beam were yanked from the forgotten woodpile. She  flinched as she was carried through an angry jeering  crowd. She shuddered when soldiers nailed a man's hands  to her. 
She felt ugly and harsh and cruel. 
But on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the  earth tremble with joy beneath her, the third tree knew  that God's love had changed everything. 
It had made the third tree strong. And every time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God. 
That was better than being the tallest tree in the world. 
 So next time you feel down because you didn't get what   you want, just sit tight and be happy because God is   thinking of something better to give you ........... Author Unkown

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