The Trait of Generosity

       Being unselfish is one of those positive traits in life that we must continuously practice and share with others especially with the young generation. The recent times is a very challenging for all parents. With the emergence of today's modern technologies,  there is a need  for them to display to their kids the trait of generosity for them to learn what is it all about. 

          When they start to explore the world of modern gadgets and begin to use them like ipod, cell phone, tablet etc. the risk of them developing less the idea of being generous is inevitable. It is but common nowadays that wherever you go, kids as young as 1 year old and up start to explore already these gadgets. 

                                                                         Photo by Jarrett Kow on Unsplash

And when they learn to manipulate them, the more time that they need to play with them. Consequently they gradually create their own virtual world thus denying themselves the opportunity to cherish playing time with other kids like them.

          Therefore, the challenge now to bring them to the normal world wherein they can and able to share their time with their peers is clear. The adults like the parents need to monitor this reality making it sure that time spent by kids on modern gadgets is balanced with their time for interaction with the world. And this task has to be a priority for them if they dream of having kids who grow in harmony and who learn how to balance their time.

Disclosure: "This post contains affiliate links- if you purchase, I earn a commission at no extra cost to you."

                                                

CFC Celebrates 24th Year Anniversary

          August 15, 2014, Saturday will mark the 24th anniversary of CFC (Couples for Christ) in Melbourne, Australia. Many grateful hearts are ready to share their gifts tomorrow during the celebration. The venue for this momentous event will be St. Brigid's Church and Parish Hall.

          To make this event a very meaningful one, the following activities are being prepared for everyone to share. The celebration of the Holy Eucharist will commence the festivities then this will be followed with the following events:

- praise and worship

- group photo

- dinner

- inspirational talk from Bro. Ed Canilao 

- unit presentations 1, 2 and 3

-  unit and family ministry presentations

          Everyone is so thankful to God for everything that has transpired all those 24 years that CFC existed here in Melbourne, Australia. It has passed through so many stages including the moment of purification most notably when it passed the division phase. Yet after all those trying moments, CFC continues to grow and move forward by the grace of God and by the abled leadership of people like Bros. Bong, Romy, Ed and others. Happy 24th anniversary dear fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Coming Together For Mutual Support

          We just came back from our gathering today in our CFC Northside household sharing. And we are thankful to our hosts- bro Alex and sis Precious for accommodating us in their home. What made this gathering a more memorable one was the event of welcoming the latest addition to our household- bro Jose and sis Daisy Aguinaldo. 

image: http://www.brainyquote.com/photos/w/williamjames108497.jpg

 

The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.

William James

          As shown in our borrowed image beforehand, our life is a continuing flow of events intertwined with each other's daily events and whether we like it or not, we come across the lives of other people whom we directly or indirectly interact with. Thus, in our gathering today, we all felt lucky and blessed to have heard the various stories we brought and carried in our lives. 

          We all said our prayers of gratitude to God for the past blessings both recent and past. Amidst the seemed complexity of life, we were still so grateful to God for His overflowing goodness and love to each one of us. What was common in our experiences was the presence of both good and bad events yet we were grateful for those happy moments and at the same time, blessed for those trial moments since they allowed us to be more steadfast in our faith.

          We ended our fellowship by wishing each one the best for the coming new week and days. Indeed gatherings like we had this day become a source of strength and motivation for us. And it allowed us to be more appreciative to the presence and support of each member of our community.  

The Joy of Coming Together as One Family

          Every opportunity for us to gather together in our CFC (Couples For Christ) Household is always seen as an opportunity of bonding together and sharing our giftedness as persons created in the image and likeness of our Divine Creator. 

          In every gathering that we cherish, we readily exchange pleasantries, prayers, and share our food as our means of strengthening our bond of brotherhood and sisterhood. We based our relationship on our being members of a community which is centered on our faith in God. On every gathering that we have, our initial activity is constantly to offer our prayers both as our means of expressing our gratitude to God and to relay to Him our petitions as well as the petitions of others who recommended themselves to our prayers.

imagecredit:

           Likewise, hymns of praises to our Most Loving Father are cheerfully sung to share our positive sentiments of the moment. Bonded by this common belief, we feel strengthened by this unity. Thus, it is always the prayer of each one that our group may continue to journey in the midst of life's complexities and challenges. And at the end, we believe that in all our gatherings and activities, God is always the focus of everything. 

Listening to God's Word

Psalm 130:1-4, 7-8

"A song of ascents. Out of the depths I call to you, Lord. Lord hear my cry! May your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. "If you Lord, mark our sins, Lord who can stand? But with you is forgiveness and so you are revered."

          If you listen intently to this psalm you will discover then that God's overflowing kindness and love for mankind is so great. However man also has to do his share. Being love so tremendously by God does not give him or her the go signal to proceed and make deeds which can break God's heart. 

          Though mankind is given the freedom and will yet he also needs to facilitate all his faculties to the fullest so as to unceasingly perform acts which are according to God's pathway-that is geared towards kindness and mercy. Instinctively, this is always doable be that as it may on a certain point, there is the ongoing challenge on how to be consistent on this right path. Certain facts of life may be against one's liking and desire however with much faith and trust in the Lord, there is also that assurance that everything will be put on its proper place. 

          Thus continue to submit everything to Him above and let Him rule your life. All the desires of your heart must be in accordance to His will and guidance.

imagecredit:

Sharing the Joy of the Holiday Season

          One of the most awaited holidays of the year is Christmas. It's the season of sharing and exchanging of hope as well as love in life. On the 8th of this month, our household came together to jointly share the spirit of the season.

           Our host was the Circulado family. The gathering was started at lunchtime till 6pm. Delicious foods were shared and enjoyed by everyone. All the members of our unit were present including kids. To make the celebration more meaningful, exchanging of gifts was held and as each one received his/her present/s, laughter and excitement filled the home. 

          Another highlight of the party was the karaoke sharing. The singing prowess of the participants was revealed. Our household's version of Bruno Mars, Rhihanna, Matt Monroe, and many more was displayed. All in all, the celebration became an avenue for each one to share the spirit of joy while waiting for Christmas. 

Consolation In Moments of Desolation

Disclosure: "This post contains affiliate links-if you buy, I earn a commission at no extra cost to you."

           The devastations as consequences of Typhoon Haiyan's rage in the Philippines especially in places like Leyte and Samar brought misery to thousands of people,  both directly and indirectly affected by it.

          Until now, scores of dead bodies are still waiting to be retrieved and identified. People scrambling for food and shelter and so disheartened that many of them decided to leave their place, Tacloban.

             What is consoling to hear at this time is the efforts both of the government and that of other countries to come together and help each other in rebuilding the places which are severely damaged by Haiyan. With much sympathy, you can express your assistance in many forms and in your own way. Moreover it is understandable that many affected victims and their loved ones may at one point or the other have lost their faith and became impatient as well as frustrated  of their plight.

imagecredit:ID 16621205 © Jiajianzheng | Dreamstime.com

          On the other hand, efforts by countries like US, UK, Australia, China, South Korea, Canada, Israel and many more have been pouring in into the affected places. They have jointly shared their bountiful resources like money, logistics, personnel, medicine and food much to the delight of their recipients.

           Presently, there are still many people who are urgently waiting for assistance. You can help the situation by spreading this immediate need to those who can extend support. May substantial food and medical aid be given to the victims soon.