Carreon Chronicles Issue # 8

Last month, I featured Carreon Chronicles Issue #7 here entitled Angels in Papua New Guinea. Just this morning, I received from Tito Joey their 8th issue. If you wanna check it out or get interested on missionary work or help out through donations and/or others, click here. It just inspires me to have met and known and became friends with the Carreons. Their calling and dedication to do God's work as a family, leaving home to be in a strange land and look after kids of other people is just kinda difficult for me to do, but for them, it's "The Life", the only way to live it. Amazing huh? I wonder if I could do the same? But let's not forget that we are all like different parts of the same body. We all have different functions and duties but still serving the same body. Our work may never be close to noble as theirs but whatever we do, whether it be being an owner/manager of a big company, famous writer or singer, doctor, nurse, teacher, lawyer to an ordinary housemaid, traffic enforcer, metro-aide, etc.., if we do it for God's greater honor and glory, we're just doing the same things actually.

So...let's keep doing the work of God, how simple they may be are. Big things are composed of little things and a journey to a thousand miles begins with only one step.

Control Your Tongue

A small force can yield catastrophic results, little bits turn gigantic horses, a small rudder puts huge ships on a new course, and a small flame can consume an entire forest so as the tongue, a small part of the body but can make great boasts. This little piece of muscle is capable of defiling the entire body. It sets the whole course of a person's life. We need to be alert to the danger of an uncontrolled tongue. Like harmful gossip and conceited boasting must not issue from our lips. Instead we should speak words of encouragement & enlightenment, of grace & blessing. Last Saturday, I attended our BCBP CLP and the speaker, Bro. Hermie Rodil, shared to us something by Socrates. Allow me to share it to you too. It's entitled:

TRIPLE FILTER TEST

by: Socrates

In ancient Greece (469 - 399 BC), Socrates was widely lauded for his wisdom. One day the great philosopher came upon an acquaintance that ran up to him excitedly and said, "Socrates, do you know what I just heard about one of your students?"

"Wait a moment," Socrates continued. "Before you talk to me about my student, let's take a moment to filter what you're going to say. The first filter is TRUTH. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?"

"No," the man said. "Actually I just heard about it and..."

"All right," said Socrates. "So you don't really know if it's true or not. Now let's try the second filter, the filter of GOODNESS. Is what you are about to tell me about my student something good?"

"No, on the contrary..."

"So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something bad about him, even though you're not certain it's true?"

The man shrugged, a little embarrassed. Socrates continued. "You may still pass the test though, because there is a third filter - the filter of USEFULNESS. Is what you want to tell me about my student going to be useful to me?"

"No, not really..."

"Well," concluded Socrates, "if what you want to tell me is neither True nor Good nor even Useful, why tell it to me at all?"

Let's control our tongue. We make sure no fire escape from our mouth. May our words bless, not burn, those to whom we speak today.

Be Happy! NOW!

We always try to convince ourselves that our life would be better tomorrow. And when tomorrow comes, we still yet wait for the morrow. And if it doesn't come, we try to do everything even up to the point of not "living" the present just to achieve the happiness we've been waiting for. For the longest time, we always wonder when our "life" would start. The life of happiness, no pain, no hardships, no sufferings, no wars, no struggles, no debts/bills to pay, no obstacles along the way or an ordeal to get through. Wondering where is the road to happiness. When is exactly the time for happiness? Is it when we graduate from school? When we land on a high paying job? Or when we get married? Or when you and your spouse got back together after 2 or more years of separation? Or when we're having kids? Or is it when we get to buy the car or house of our dreams? Win the Nobel prize? When we can finally take a vacation? Retire from the not-so-good-paying job? When do we decide to become happy? Endless questions huh? But deep inside, we all know somehow that the most important things in life is much more than winning or acquiring great things for ourselves to become happy. We know that what really makes us happy is to help others win even if it means slowing down and changing our race or giving up something for others to have.

Our life will always be full of challenges.

Happiness is a voyage, not a destination.

There is no better time to be happy than NOW.

Live and enjoy the moment.

Capture A Rainbow

I'd like to capture a rainbow

and stick it in a big box so that,

anytime you wanted to,

you could reach in and pull out a piece of sunshine.

I'd like to build you a mountain that

you could call your very own a place

to find serenity in those times

when you feel the need to be closer to yourself...

I'd like to be the one who's there

when you're lonely or troubled

or you just need someone to hold on to.

I'd like to do all this and

more to make your life happy.

But, sometimes, it isn't easy to do the

things I would like to do or give

the things I would like to give.

So... until I learn how to catch rainbows

and build mountains,

let me do for you which I know best..

..Let me simply be your friend.

-Anonymous