FIVE WAYS GOD USES PROBLEMS By David Langerfeld

(Re-blog their blog)

The problems you face will either defeat you or develop you – depending on how you respond to them. Unfortunately, most people fail to see how God wants to use problems for good in their lives. They react foolishly and resent their problems rather than pausing to consider what benefit they might bring. Here are five ways God wants to use the problems in your life:

1. God uses problems to DIRECT you. 

Sometimes God must light a fire under you to get you moving. Problems often point us in a new direction and motivate us to change. Is God trying to get your attention? “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

2. God uses problems to INSPECT you.

People are like tea bags… if you want to know what’s inside them, just drop them into hot ever water! Has God tested your faith with a problem? What do problems reveal about you? “When you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience.” James 1:2-3

3. God uses problems to CORRECT you. 

Some lessons we learn only through pain and failure. It’s likely that as a child your parents told you not to touch a hot stove. But you probably learned by being burned. Sometimes we only learn the value of something by losing it. “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.” Psalm 119:72

4. God uses problems to PROTECT you. 

A problem can be a blessing in disguise if it prevents you from being harmed by something more serious. Last year a friend was fired for refusing to do something unethical that his boss had asked him to do. His unemployment was a problem – but it saved him from being convicted and sent to prison a year later when management’s actions were eventually discovered. “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good” Genesis 50:20

5. God uses problems to PERFECT you. 

Problems, when responded to correctly, are character builders. God is far more interested in your character than your comfort. Your relationship to God and your character are the only two things you’re going to take with you into eternity. “We can rejoice when we run into problems… they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady.” Romans 5:3-4

Here’s the point: God is at work in your life – even when you don’t recognize it or understand it. But it’s so much easier when you surrender to his plan for your life.

Sent by Morris Indombera

Ang kwento ng nawawalang takip ng Flash Drive

Ang kwento ng nawawalang takip ng Flash Drive

(Base sa totoong pangyayari, Dec. 2011)

    Meron akong flash drive / usb halos apat na taon kunang gamit, malaki ang tulong nito sa akin. Ngunit noong ika-3 ng simbang gabi. Dala ko ang flash drive papuntang simbahan dahil dito nakalagay ang powerpoint presentation na gagamitin sa misa. Sumakay ako ng jeep at sa pagabot ko ng pamasahe hindi ko namalayang nahulog ang takip ng flash drive sa kinauupuan ko. Huli na ang lahat at nasa simbahan na ako at nang matapos, pag-uwi ko, doon ko lang nabatid na wala na ang takip ng flash drive ko, sa pagaakalang nawala ito sa simbahan. Nawalan na ng pantakip at proteksyon ang flash drive. At noong gabing iyon sa kawalan ng pag-asa, inisip kong hindi kuna matatagpuan ang nawalng takip.

    Subalit ng kinaumagahan, ika-3 ng misa de gallo, habang papunta sa simbahan, ang jeep na aking nasakyan ay ang jeep din na nasakyan ko noong gabi. At laking gulat ko na naroon ang nawawalang takip, sa eksaktong kinauupuan ko noong gabi, doon ko nabatid na nahulog iyon mula sa aking coin purse.

    Ang wierd o isang mysteryo ng muling pagkatagpo. Sa damidami ng mga jeep saamin, sa parehong jeep ako napasakay, noong gabi at ng madaling araw kinabukasan. Doon nawala at muli ddon ko din natagpuan ang nawawalang takip ng flash drive.

Mga Simbulo:

1. Ang jeep ay sumisimbulo sa paglalakbay ng buhay ng tao na may pagsubok.

2. At ang dalawang tampok sa kwento, ang USB/flash drive ay sumisimbulo sa tao at ang takip nito ay ang bagay na pumoprotekta sa kanya.

Reflection 1:

   Ang takip ng usb ay nagsisilbing proteksyon sa dumi o anumang panganib na dala ng kapaligiran na makakasira dito, Parang payong na proteksyon ng mga tao mula sa ulan. 

Ano ba ang pumoprotekta sa iyo? 

Kung ang proteksyong ito ay mawala ano ang gagawin mo? 

Paano kung hindi muna ito matagpuan pa? 

Maliban sa unang tanong, hindi muna kailangan pang sagutin ang dalawang huling tanong. 

Dahil ngayon palang at nabasa muna ang kwentong ito alam muna ang gagawin mo! 

Una, pahalagahan ang mga bagay na nasa paligid mo, lahat ng iyan ay may ginagampanan para sa iyong ikabubuti. Ika-dalawa, maging handa, mag-ingat ng hindi mawala ang mga bagay na mahalaga sayo. Hindi na kailangan mawala pa ang isang bagay para malamang ito'y mahalaga.

Reflection 2:

   Ang usb at ang takip nito na nawala at muling natagpuan ay maihahalintulad sa dalawang nagmamahalan, babae at lalake, na dumaan sa matinding pagsubok ng kanilang pagsasama na humantong sa pagkakahiwalay nila. Ngunit dumating ang panahon sila parin ang nagkatuluyan. Dahil sila ang tinadhana para sa isa't-isa. May ganon. ",) 

  

End

“THE PROBLEM OF EVIL” my REFLECTION

St. Augustine of Hippo believes that although God created everything that exists, He did not create evil, because evil is not a thing, but a lack or deficiency of something.

* * *

           There are different classification of evil; first the natural evil, it is the natural calamity such as typhoon, storms, earthquake, tsunami, etc. Second is the physical evil, example are blindness, leprosy, a person without a limbs, deceases and many more. And the third is the moral evil, where people such as killing, lying, dishonesty, steeling and many more. God allows evil to be experienced by man to realize that there are something great good in this world. For example, the typhoon Yolanda, is a natural evil where God allows hitting the Tacloban in the Philippines. This typhoon gives advantage and disadvantage effects. The disadvantages, thousand of peoples die and million of properties are destroyed. And the advantages, people of good will response to help those victims donating, foods clothes, shelters and they create fund raising for them to recover from the effect of natural disaster. In the first place evil achieve his goal to destroy the people of Tacloban but in the end he is not the winner, cause all the people around the world prayed and helped those victims. They show unity and courage to face the trials and most of all they armed of faith and they trust God.

             St. Augustine also suggests a solution to the problem, asking us to see the world as a thing of beauty. He says that although there is evil in the universe, it contributes to an overall good that is greater than it could be without evil – just as discords in music can make a harmony more lovely, or dark patches add to the beauty of a picture. It is true like those keys in piano, white keys represent good and black keys represent evil. When using both white and black keys they create a harmonious sound and beautiful music. And like mostly the passion and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. He experience the ultimate torture in the hands of Poncious Pilate and his soldiers. He experience the evil in this world. He died and was buried but in the third day He rose again from the dead. We all know Jesus Christ is the only Son of God and His sufferings and death lead us to find and accept the salvation. The evil not is failed because only God will always reign in this world. 

           Having freedom of will means being able o choose, including choosing between good and evil. But suddenly most people failed in choosing good by choosing evil, where all of this rooted to Eve and Adam when they choose evil by disobeying God and commit sin. And according to St. Augustine of Hippo, “What made Adam capable of obeying God’s commands also made him able to sin.” The battle between good and evil still present, the question to each of us is, “Which will you choose good or evil? To do good, where God could be happy for us or to do evil where He could be hurt for not choosing to do good.”

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