Saturday, December 4, 2010

An Old Tree


Here is one inspirational story encouraging you that whatever you are doing now for the Lord will bring forth fruit!


Once upon a time there was a leafy tree in a field. Leaves grew densely on the tall branches. The roots were deeply into the ground. The tree was the most remarkable among the rest.

The tree then became the home for some birds. They built their nests and they lived on his branches. The birds made holes on him, and they hatched their eggs within the greatness of the tree. The tree felt so delighted because he was accompanied as he walked through his long lasting days.

People were grateful for the presence of the tree. They often came over and sheltered under him. Under his branches, they sat down and opened their picnic baskets. “This tree is very useful,” that’s what the people said every time they went home from shelter. The tree was very proud hearing those compliments.



However, time went on. The tree was beginning to be sick. His leaves and twigs were falling, then his body became thin and pale. The greatness he used to have was fading away. Birds felt reluctant to build their nests there. No one would come to sit under the tree to shelter anymore.

The tree wept, “Oh God, why is it so hard for me? I need friends. Now no one would come close to me. Why do you take all the glory I used to have?” The tree cried loudly, so it echoed throughout the forest. “Why wouldn’t you cut me down, so I don’t have to bear this suffering?” The tree kept on crying, and his tears were running down his dry body.

Seasons came and went, but his condition had not changed. The tree was still feeling lonely. His branches became drier and drier. Every night the tree wept and cried, until the morning broke.

“Cheep…chirp….cheep” Ah, what was that noise? Oh, it’s a little baby bird who has just pipped from the egg. The old tree woke up from his daydream.

“Cheep…chirp…cheep”, the noise became louder and louder. There was another baby bird. Not long after that, the tree became noisy because of the birth of new baby birds. One…two…three…and four baby birds have been born to this world. “Ah, He has answered my prayers,” exclaimed the old tree.

The day after, there were many birds flying to the old tree. They were going to build new nests. The dry branches have turned out to attract their attention to nest there. The birds felt warmer to stay inside the dry branches instead of their place before. The number of birds was increasing and there were more kinds of them. “Wow, now my days are brighter with their presence here”, murmured the old tree gladly.

The old tree was back to cheer again. And when he looked down, his heart was flowing with joy. There was a new little tree growing near his roots. The new tree seemed to smile at him. The tears of the old tree has grown a little tree who would continue his devotion to nature.

~Author Unknown
As 1 Corinthians 15:58 says:

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Take heart my friend!

© 2010 Erickson Ibana

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Dare to Defy the Crowd


“In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual.” ~ Galileo Galilei
How in the world could a mere consuming of oranges and other citrus fruits cure scurvy – an epidemic case for sea voyagers killing a large number of passengers and crews?
Perhaps this was the question the world threw at James Lind, a Scottish surgeon in the British Royal Navy. 

As Wikipedia describes:
It was a Scottish surgeon in the British Royal Navy, James Lind who first proved it could be treated with citrus fruit in experiments he described in his 1753 book, A Treatise of the Scurvy, though his advice was not implemented by the Royal Navy for several decades.
It was not until 1932 that the connection between vitamin C and scurvy was established by American researcher Charles Glen King of the University of Pittsburgh.
Imagine this, from 1753 to 1932, that is 179 years! One hundred and seventy nine years – such a long time and a large number of passengers and crews from sea voyagers still dying from a disease  where its cure is just around the corner. If only the world had listened to James Lind!
It was the same case for Galileo Galilei. Wikipedia narrates:
In 1610 Galileo published an account of his telescopic observations of the moons of Jupiter, using this observation to argue in favour of the sun-centered, Copernican theory of the universe against the dominant earth-centered Ptolemaic and Aristotelian theories. The next year Galileo visited Rome in order to demonstrate his telescope to the influential philosophers and mathematicians of the Jesuit Collegio Romano, and to let them see with their own eyes the reality of the four moons of Jupiter.
In 1612, opposition arose to the Sun-centered theory of the universe which Galileo supported.
In 1614, from the pulpit of the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, Father Tommaso Caccini (1574–1648) denounced Galileo’s opinions on the motion of the Earth, judging them dangerous and close to heresy. Galileo went to Rome to defend himself against these accusations, but, in
1616, Cardinal Roberto Bellarmino personally handed Galileo an admonition enjoining him neither to advocate nor teach Copernican astronomy.
In October of that year, however, he was ordered to appear before the Holy Office in Rome.
Following a papal trial in which he was found vehemently suspect of heresy, Galileo was placed under house arrest and his movements restricted by the Pope.
I wonder, what if Galileo Galilei didn’t stand for the truth and created the change, then the world might still be in the belief that the earth is the center of the universe!

Even Jesus Himself suffered from such case! The Pharisees (the High Leaders of the Church) questioned Jesus’ authority. Luke 20:1-8 says:
One day as he was teaching the people in the temple courts and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him. “Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,” they said. “Who gave you this authority?”
He replied, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me, John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or from men?”
They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet.”
So they answered, “We don’t know where it was from.”
Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
And in verses 45-47, Jesus said:
While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely.”
Jesus added in Matthew 23 the seven woes to the teachers of the law and the Pharisees:
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.  “Everything they do is done for men to see…
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.
“Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred?
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers!
Ouch! It seems the heaviest teachings Jesus made were for the Leaders of the Church!

Do you feel like you’re all alone standing for the truth as you create a great change? Well, if you are in the center of God’s will, then you are not all alone anyway!

As we share God’s love to everyone, He promised never to leave us!
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
(Matthew 28:19-20)
Would you dare to defy the crowd to stand for the truth?

© 2010 Erickson Ibana

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Not Work Anymore!


I was just in my 4th or 5th grade when my teacher asked the whole class to memorize a certain kind of poem.

At that time, as an immature and nonchalant boy, I kept asking and complaining to myself “Why would I memorize such “long” poem?! Would it be a waste of time?! I wanna have my snack now!”

But as I now try to repeat that poem in my mind, as an aspiring and young professional, I am beginning to see the depth of that poem. It isn’t that long, and I admit it that I have already forgotten the exact words and sequence. However, the lesson it attempted to force into my mind years ago has somehow sprouted now that I was compelled to search for the exact words of the poem.

Love Your Work
by H. L. Neri

If you don’t like your work,
you’ll need three times the energy
to force yourself to work
to resist the force
and finally to work.

If you love your work,
your desire to do it
will be like a wind
to propel your ship
with much less fuel.

If you like your work,
you work no more
for work when you like it
is work no longer
but sheer enjoyment.

If you enjoy your work,
you’ll work and work
without counting the hours
and you’ll reap and enjoy
more earnings as well.
Indeed, in that poem resides a valuable and priceless treasure. In fact, going beyond the word “work”, we could replace that to anything we are presently trying to be accomplished.

May we find our “work” to be a sheer enjoyment!

© 2010 Erickson Ibana

Monday, August 2, 2010

Are You Fruitful?



Have you wished that EVERYTHING you do be ALWAYS fruitful?

Well, of course, yes!

But, you may think “The exact opposite is what’s exactly happening… and it is sad…”

Psalm 1 is good source of encouragement and enlightenment when it comes to being fruitful.

Quoting:

1 Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
Err.. Where’s being fruitful there? I just see a man who does not stand in the way of the sinners, a tree by a riverside, and a chaff blown away!

Where’s the “Do this.. and do that.. Don’t do this.. and don’t do that…” in order to be fruitful?

Hmm.. then you might have missed the point.

I would like to ask you? When would a tree bear its fruit?

The answer – in its season, right?

Then when and how could I be fruitful?

The answer – in season, and by your reactions, respectively.

I once prayed, “Lord, please give me patience right now!” And you know what, God answered by giving me a very hard and challenging situation.

I once prayed, “Lord, please grant me goodness and kindness..” And God answered by letting me encounter anEGR person (Extra-Grace Required) – a person that could irritate you very easily.

I once prayed, “Lord, please give me more faith…” And, there you go – simultaneous trials and hardships.

Just come to think of it:

• How could you know patience, if you were not challenged to the maximum level?
• How could you know kindness, if you haven’t encountered an irritating person to use the kindness for?
• How could you have more faith, if all you experience is comfort – of which is the time the natural human tendency is not to rely on God anymore since everything “seems” running just fine…

Notice the tree on the passage:

“…like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.”
Extreme heat might come, but the tree will nevertheless stand still because its roots are well-grounded along a stream of water. Since water is abundant, nutrients still circulates throughout its body and into its leaves making it a healthy and a very alive creature.

How could one be like that tree?

Let’s look at the first few verses:

Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
Turn away from evil things and delight yourself in the Lord, and in His Word!

Are you wondering why still you are not fruitful in the things that you do?

Perhaps, you are still expecting to get the “nourishment” from a wrong source!

© 2010 Erickson Ibana

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

God Will See


Are you familiar with this painting? How about these?




Yes, I think you got it right! These are paintings on the ceiling of Sistine Chapel in Vatican City painted by Michelangelo, one of the greatest painters in his time.

Have you ever wondered how did Michelangelo finish his masterpiece? Was it really that he accomplished these paintings by himself alone?

Quoting Michaelangelo himself:

“After four tortured years, more than 400 over life-size figures, I felt as old and as weary as Jeremiah. I was only 37, yet friends did not recognize the old man I had become.”
As HowStuffWorks describes:

Working on scaffolding was physically demanding, and Michelangelo created image after image on an ever increasing scale. He eventually exerted all the power of his mind and spirit, using themes and motifs from past sculptural works in his glorious fresco masterpiece. The four-year ordeal proved physically and emotionally agonizing for the reluctant artist…
Perhaps what have struck me the most was his response when someone asked him why so serious painting those images even on parts of the ceiling where no one could notice. And I also asked myself, “Yeah, why bother to exert your effort to paint something that eventually only a few could notice?”

Michelangelo’s reply to that inquiry was:

“God will see.”
It was just a three-short-word sentence, and yet it contains a profound truth. This calls for a great commitment – Michelangelo gave all of him in order to accomplish a task he voluntarily accepted.

Are you currently in a certain task and it seems it demands your commitment? Moreover, are you performing your task with all of your heart, energy, and passion, and yet it seems it ends up that you’ve got unnoticed and unrecognized?

As Ephesians 6:5-8 says:

Servants, respectfully obey your earthly masters but always with an eye to obeying the real master, Christ. Don’t just do what you have to do to get by, but work heartily, as Christ’s servants doing what God wants you to do. And work with a smile on your face, always keeping in mind that no matter who happens to be giving the orders, you’re really serving God. Good work will get you good pay from the Master, regardless of whether you are slave or free.
I hope every time we are tempted to lose heart and get discouraged, we could pause for a while and say:

“God will see.”
© 2010 Erickson Ibana

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

You


Why is it that,
Whenever I look at you,
There is always this
Peculiar feeling inside?

Why is it that,
When I saw your photograph,
There was this
Feeling of longing inside?

Truly YOU said,
"Wait upon ME..."

But sometimes I wonder,
Is my stubbornness the reason
Why you and I are not "meeting" yonder?
Indeed, I am such a wretched man!
Who would ever deserve someone like me?

But still, I cling to YOUR call.
Please prune me if it is needed;
Please chastise me if I didn't heeded;
But please, don't let my faith on YOU
Flicker like a dying lamp.

I cannot live a day without YOU.

© 2010 Erickson Ibana

Friday, March 26, 2010

A Traveler's Memoir



Is this what you call "life"......when all is well, you tend to forget your Creator -gratifying every pleasures,indulging every desires,satisfying every wants....when it seems you "don't need" anything more -feeling "more secured" with all you have,feeling "comfortable" enough not to call on Him.
But.. is this really all in what we call "life"?
As I think back, Lord, You were the one who gave the answers for all my questions....when I was confused, You shone Your light -for me to understand enough that You have a wonderful plan for my life....when I needed help badly, I held on to Your promises -You never failed providing solutions....when my heart was thrashed with the great "winds" and "storms" of life -You touched my heart and there was peace....when I felt I was on the verge of life and death -You came to comfort and gave me hope.
Oh, Lord, now I see -...how weak, wicked, and forgetful I am;and I can't even dare show my face upon You.But You still give me a chance,a chance for me to witness Your mercy and Your incomparable grace....I now calm my heart to hear Your gentle voice.

© 2010 Erickson Ibana


Monday, March 22, 2010

Amidst the Confusions



Dear God,

I'm praying that amidst these confusions I am in right now, please shine Your light of enlightenment. Please grant me enough wisdom to understand the things I must understand, the courage to do the things I must do, and the serenity to accept the things I cannot change.

The Serenity Prayerby Reinhold Niebuhr
God, give me grace to accept with serenitythe things that cannot be changed,Courage to change the thingswhich should be changed,and the Wisdom to distinguishthe one from the other.
Living one day at a time,Enjoying one moment at a time,Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,Not as I would have it,Trusting that You will make all things right,If I surrender to Your will,So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,And supremely happy with You forever in the next.Amen.

© 2010 Erickson Ibana

Saturday, March 20, 2010

A Lesson in Love


I hope this inspirational poem about a lesson in love would lift you up today!
When my life seems turned upside down,and no one loves me but You.It would be so easy to quit right there,but I know You don't want me to.
Though daily trials may be hard,help me Lord, to see.Remind me again that whatever comes,You will take care of me.
So I won't fret, but will live in joy,no matter what comes my way.Ever knowing that You're in control,each and every day.
Help me be patient, until you're through,do with my life what You will.I know You'll give me the strength I need,up each and every hill.
Then later on and looking back,when someone else feels this way.I can take them by the hand,and to them gently say.
Don't be discouraged, He hasn't forgotten.He knows just what you feel.Put your hand in His and trust Him now.
I KNOW our God is real!If you make yourself realize this,your troubles you can meet.
All you must do is trust in Him,because He's in the driver's seat! - Dot Wilson
Source: http://www.skywriting.net/inspirational/poems/a_lesson_in_love.html

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

When Man Prays



It was on the 5th of January, 2010 at around 11:00 in the evening when I received a text message from my youngest brother that I need to call back. Something has happened and I had this weird feeling that it was an awful one.

"Dad was stabbed and he is now at the hospital!", mom uttered with a trembling voice.

I was at work at that time. I sat still in front of my laptop for about a quarter of an hour figuring out what to do and how is dad doing right now. Until a beep from my phone was heard. It was a text message from my younger brother suggesting that I could wait until my work schedule ends and not need to go there at once for they have already arrived at the hospital and no further advice is being heard from the doctors yet.

Calmness and serenity suddenly took over me that when I arrived at the hospital at around 3:30 in the morning, I've had a "satisfying" taho (made from soy beans) breakfast with my mom, my younger brother, and my cousin, while sitting at the sidewalk in front of the hospital (the hospital doesn't have any waiting area, well.. the whole parking lot is the waiting area).

Three weeks have already passed. As I recall everything that had happened, I can't cease to praise God's Name! Let me recount those details for you, bridging the gap between 5th of January and 26th of January, 2010.

From the day of the incident until today, I could say that everything that had occurred are all miracles.

•It was only after twenty minutes from the time dad was stabbed, that he was escorted down from the second floor to the streets to find a cab to take him to the nearest hospital. The reason was that the stabber was just right in front of the building, as one witness informed dad, perhaps expecting that he would come out soon for that was the only way in and out of the building. It was only when the Barangay Tanod had arrived that dad was safely taken out of the edifice.

•No cab was present at that time, but fortunately, one of the bystanders has a tricycle. This was used to take dad to the hospital. Despite of the speed (not quite fast enough compared with a cab) that took quite long before they've arrived, dad said that he didn't feel nervous or agitated at those times. Even after seeing his left elbow pouring out a lot of blood because of a cut, he hadn't felt any uneasiness. It was only when his body was rested onto a bed on the operating room that he said he felt he would faint.

•AB+ was his blood (a rare one), but at that time there was this last bag of AB+ available for him, and even the doctors were amazed because every medicine that's needed were all there (for some of those medicines were fast to deplete in terms of supplies).

•It was two stab wounds - six cuts on the intestines, but it was just five days later that he had taken his first successful bowel movement (as my medical friends would say, once bowel movement was successful, it means the intestines are working fine)

•It was six days after the incident that he was permitted by the doctor to go home.

•Currently, he now takes his daily walk with my mom for his exercise.

"Weave in faith and God will find the thread." ~Author Unknown

I have proven God's amazing and awesome ways once again.
Indeed, He works in majestic ways, that in the end all I could do is to stand in awe of Him!

Those things wouldn't have been possible without the support and prayers of my relatives, friends, church family, and workmates. Indeed,
When man works, man works;
When man prays, God works.
© 2010 Erickson Ibana

Friday, January 22, 2010

The Day the Earth Stood Still


"This is an Affirmation that your experiences and Qualifications where found suitably qualified for the requirements of Atlas Group Inc...

Job Location: London, United Kingdom
Resume Work Day: 6th April, 2010
Contract Duration: 24 Months – 2Years (Renewable)

The Company shall pay Employee salary of £ 6,207 GBP (six thousand two hundred and seven British pounds) every month after tax deduction...

Employer will provide Allowance as follows:
* Hazard/Inconveniences: £455.00 (Monthly),
* Car Maintenance: £2,783.00 (Monthly),
* House & Furnishings: £ 8,841.00 (Yearly),
* Entertainment & Recreation: £756.00 (Monthly),
* Travel & Events: £1,863.00 (Monthly). Travel shall be by business class/first class."
This is a story of a typical aspiring juvenile who was proposed with such a great offer, perhaps THE IDEAL JOB! Imagine a salary too much higher than his present job!

(Wouldn't you grab it? Of course, you would! Who could possibly reject such an offer of comfort and pleasure!)

But instead of jumping up and down with intense joy, he sat still in front of his monitor, perhaps still in spectacular shock with eyes that were about to cry. It seems to him that it was the day the Earth stood still.

"Lord, I am seeking for Your will. If this truly is Your will, I wanna thank you! Praise be unto Your Name!

Lord continue to guide me please", these were the words he heard his mouth uttered silently.

Amidst the delusions of a comfortable life in his minds, he tried to google for the company details. "Atlas Group Inc." was typed in. One prominent blog-site appears among the search results.

Anyone from (London) UK ever heard of ATLAS GROUP INC.?
A sudden gush of inexplicable doubt came rushing through his overwhelmed mind. "Why would anybody ask the World Wide Web if he has HEARD of the company? Didn't the company exist in the first place?", he exclaimed to himself.

Out of intrigue and intense curiosity, he plunged in to the said site.

DO NOT REPLY - Its a SCAM!

Hi! I also received the same email or employment opportunity.... you are right.. it's a scam....

I live in Jordan. I just received similar contract letter... I think this is a fraud... certainly

I got the same letter and after i filled in the information i was offered a job with a total salary of 12,800 pounds with the position of senior sales manager... i'm sure it's a scam!!!!!

This is too funny. I am an American ExPat residing in Jordan and I received a similar job offer as a Chemical Engineer in UK. I had the same weird feeling about the whole thing...
There the site boldly displayed the emotions of a number of disappointed young professionals who received the same offer. The page was filled with somewhat feelings of anger and frustrations, of cautions and multiple warnings from the same people who were exploited.

"Lord, thank you. This is indeed not Your will at the moment. Thank you for my current job. Thank you for saving me from losing this job you've given me. Still, praise be unto Your Name!", these were the last words he murmured to himself as he clicked the Close button of his internet browser.

(By the way, the man in the story is myself...)
------------------------------------------
Indeed, God knows what's best for us.

"O LORD, you have searched meand you know me.You know when I sit and when I rise;You perceive my thoughts from afar.You discern my going out and my lying down;You are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongueYou know it completely, O LORD.You hem me in—behind and before;You have laid your hand upon me.Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit?Where can I flee from your presence?If I go up to the heavens, you are there;If I make my bed in the depths, you are there.If I rise on the wings of the dawn,If I settle on the far side of the sea,even there your hand will guide me,Your right hand will hold me fast.If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide meand the light become night around me,"even the darkness will not be dark to you;the night will shine like the day,for darkness is as light to you.
For you created my inmost being;You knit me together in my mother's womb.I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;Your works are wonderful,I know that full well." -Psalms 139:1-14
© 2010 Erickson Ibana