Giving is not the number of cans of sardines given to your neighbors. It is neither the quantity nor quality of things given. The rich could easily bestow it or the creative minds can easily fashion of it with all artistic finesse. True giving is the expression of the heart, so do is one’s expression of gratitude.

A pauper had this written upon the palm of his hand, “Thank you.” Gratitude, like giving, is hard to figure out. How do you know it is real? Does it manifest in one’s tears, leaping, dancing, hugging or kissing one’s hand?

It is high time to find out who is that someone who deserves what he deserves. In the lowest moment of your life, who is that someone who refuses to leave you or when totally broke and empty-handed and badly needed financial assistance, he was there you could always count of. When there was no one to cling to, he was there whose shoulders you could cry upon. He did not ask you to compensate of all the things he has done for your benefits. He was there day after day, night after night, rainy or sunny; he was your source of inspiration and strength. For children, they may be your mother or father or even your relatives. To your mother, have you put your arms around her neck and say to her on her birthday, “Mommy, there is none like you in the entire world. You are simply the greatest Mom. I love you, Mommy.” This simple expression of gratitude helps to bond family ties much stronger and long-lasting. If you give thanks to those whom thanks are due, give your heart.

One of the most misunderstood persons in the community, the church in particular, is the pastor. If there are 100 members of the church he has to deal to 100 different personalities and pray for them each one of them in the thick of the night. He cannot please all them. Pastors are human. They are hurt as ordinary members are hurt. But they are more than your parents. A pastor is insulted when someone is sleeping while he is preaching. He is anointed to plead on your behalf. He is tasked to keep his sheep and feed them and yet he fasts most of the time may be because he has nothing to eat. Pastor is also wanting of a moral support and praise.

Rev. Emmanuel Balana, Sr., Director of Christ for the Orient Missions was dying of asthma and heart attack. On his deathbed his wife and relatives were crying when a lady missionary whom he later fondly called “Mama Bebing” came. The missionary prayed over him and declared, “You are healed in Jesus’ name and you will testify it to the people.” Unconsciously, he rose up and went to the comfort room two times until his consciousness returned and realized he was dying. The hospital rejected him and sent home to die anytime. As of this writing, Rev. Balana is alive and kicking.  He was  healed.

Every one of us has an assignment to give our deepest gratitude to people whom gratitude is due. Give due to whom it is due.

Vision is primordial. It’s much bigger than the person. Vision goes on and on. It goes beyond generations. It outlasts the ages. It has the power to go beyond frontiers even mind is incapable of imagining.

Vision causes genesis and exodus over thirsting sands of the desert, deadly serpents and stinging scorpions.

Vision is a guiding star over land and promise only wise men could ever visit with gifts.

Vision in motion is mission towards the land flowing with milk and honey, a land where rivers welling up living waters!

The crossroad is the turning point. It takes many forms and degrees. It is not necessarily a problem but more on a point in one’s life where a decision or decision-making is at stake. Somewhere at a certain place or time, you either go back to where you’ve started or simply go on. And going on requires enough courage and faith, faith to believe, faith to survive and faith to achieve. And to achieve you need to strive harder, hard as steel, steel that bends but one that does not break.

At the crossroad there is another way to break, a positive way of breaking, as breaking a lingering fear. Fear weakens willpower and disarms anyone of the necessary tools and skills. Most of the time, it only breeds regrets and an unimaginable pain. Fears sometimes are unfounded. It grabs away focus, and only offers hazy atmosphere and brings confusion.

At the crossroad you must be receptive to other people’s wits and wisdom. Sharp criticism may turn out to be a balm to cure egoistic tendencies that close all avenues leading to prosperity. Bright ideas are not a monopoly of the geniuses. There are always useful things out of seemingly useless and insignificant ideas. You can harness them and become you mentors if only you make yourself a good student who is willing to listen and learn other people’s crafts and trades.

And finally, at the crossroad spells the difference between a festival and misery, prosperity from bankruptcy and ultimately between what that which leads to life from death. Take it or leave it that is your picking anyway!

Every now and then I can’t help but remember of the preacher in a local church we used to attend. The first time I attended the church service, I was so terribly frightened. During the sermon the preacher appeared to me as if he was very angry at the people (now I know to be the congregation).He shouted at us, pointed his finer and banged the pulpit that would make the outline of his preaching fly as if bursting from a bomb. How I wanted to run and got away from this fearsome ordeal Sunday after Sunday. It took sometime before I managed to bear this threatening part of the worship service. After the worship, he would be standing at the side of the main door of the church to shake hands with every member coming out of the church. As we got nearer I made a cover from grandfather’s left side. But no, this time he spoke gently to everyone and as it was our turn he stretched out his hand to me and made a slight touch on my head and made sort of rubbing as if sweeping some dust and combing tenderly and lovingly with his fingers and called me by my name, “Is this Bert? O, what a handsome good boy!” He was not after all angry with us. He was totally a different person than the one behind the pulpit. He was soft-spoken and kind. Yes, every now and then I remember that awful event in my life. I could not forget how he shouted at us and how he boxed the air like a hungry lion ready to tear us apart.

One day, may be at the age of five, while riding back home from downtown shopping, here came again this old scenario in that one Sunday morning. In one of his sermons, there was one punch line that every now and then that he repeated again and again. That line impressed me so much that even at this age I could easily memorize and perfectly imitate it together with corresponding action.

I was then sitting near at the window in that craggy bus. All windows were open on sunny days. Outside was the azure sky and golden rice fields. But there was in me I could no longer resist. I must express it. I must do something to do justice to this, to articulate that old preaching- that punch line I memorized so well. Now was the time. I was now ready. I have already decided. So I stood up and brought my head out of the window and pointing to the sky I shouted hard at the top of my lungs, “Behold!” then I brought my head inside and glanced the passengers as if inviting them to see what I pointed out. Once more I brought my head out of the window and shouted again with double intensity than the first one I made. “Behold, behold, behold!’” I repeated. At this point I sensed the passengers were alarmed. This had caused some commotion and the passengers were looking what I pointed out but could not find anything. Now I decided to finish this rhetoric. I shouted much louder. “Behold, the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world!” And it was all over. . .

Right after that my grandpa gave me a slight spanking on my head as if to tell me I was doing something naughty. But anyway, I was there sitting vindicated and there was inside of me sort of laughing and celebrating my victory. It was finished right there and then. And if God willing I will be a preacher someday, perhaps it would the shortest sermon I could ever deliver. I noticed some of the passengers were whispering while glancing at me and some were laughing as if something were ticking their sides. But I felt proud and confident that it was one of the greatest sermons a budding preacher could ever give. Hallelujah!

An adage says of “birds of the same feathers fly together” would always remind me of my grandmother cautioning me not to be in a company of boys who are of bad influence. There are other sayings like bad influence corrupts moral or rotten mangoes affect the good ones. Truly, there is wisdom in those sayings.

If it is quite important to fill your company with people of good repute, people that would make your company or undertaking grow. Therefore, find them and fill them in your company. They are your asset. It is not enough to have a good man. Never lose a good man. Rescue him when he is in trouble. Come to his side to revitalize him in trying times. Help him recover along the downhill paths and when he becomes strong enough to infuse fresh breath in your company. Challenge him. This way you recharge his ability. Good people are not good at the ordinary and commonplace. They usually look for something new and, special and challenging. They are eagles that would make your company soar higher in the heavens. They don’t deserve trifles. They have wings ready to mount up in the sky. The sky is the limit.

As the core person in your company, you must not let him fly alone. He loves company and teamwork. His hands a re full of victories and fame. But never be tempted to siphon all the glory and credit to yourself. Share it with him. Success is teamwork so is glory belongs to all. Everyone deserves praise. This would concretize teamwork. Pride is glory-grabbing. Any letdown begins with it. Satan falls by it. Pride is pretense. Pretense cannot mix with what is real and honorable. Selfishness is pride. Pride disfigures good image and brings good image some unsightly discolorations!

Flying birds, in whatever formation, are eye-catching. They attract us and give colors and life. They make the heavens become heavenly and sunny in spite of the rains. Flying birds survey the vast horizons heaven can only offer to the envy of the ducks and the geese.

It is not easy to flap in the hollow of the sky. The wind is tricky and the height is ominous. The wings must be extra strong not only to mount up but to surmount difficulties meet in its flight. They must make the wind their other wings to slither on and make the wind and the heights their final habitat.

Soaring is dreaming. Dreams are free but are never cheap. There is no way to soar without them. Dreams are feathers that tinge to the sky. Dreams brighten one’s quest to attempt the impossible. The impossible is the fear and the storms that are prowling the sky. Dreams are assuring and reassuring that beyond the storms is the Reigning sun. And yet in all one’s strivings under the sun, there is Someone out there much better than we do and much higher than our dreaming can ever envision of, Someone, the creator of our dreams and an Eagle who never let a sparrow fall. He is the Great Eagle, the master of the universe and the Rewarder of dreams.

There is wisdom to implication that might be by way of criticism or plain concern. It may arise in many forms, in a venture, program or any undertaking. The point is that what has been done could have been done better, bigger or simpler. Almost always it seems to be deadly diminution of our competence and expertise. But taken in the right perspective this could become helpful tips that would help us to get things done better, exquisite, spacious, conducive, economical but not cheap. The most beautiful or classy design of anything in a certain period of time would become obsolete some years after. Artists inscribe imprints in the monumental pages of history as they leave anything behind that once gave impact to the life of the people. There is something in the future that is going to be extra imposing because our quests for creative distinction always spawn excellence.