What Are You Prepared To Do?

In the film "The Untouchables" released in 1987, Sean Connery, in the role that earned him the Best Supporting Actor Oscar, delivered what probably is one of the more memorable lines in recent film history. While in the throes of death in the arms of Kevin Costner's character Elliot Ness, Connery's character asked him in the face of the war being waged against Capone, "What are you prepared to do?"

I've been reflecting on that piece of cinematic dialogue for a while now in the context of my faith and belief in the One, True God. And the more I think about this question the more convinced I get that in everything that I do, I am sadly lacking in my commitment to the Lord.

So I ask myself, what am I prepared to do? Am I prepared to stand up for God's truth when confronted by the ways of the world? How about in the name of "grace"? Graciousness is a disappearing character trait in today's society filled with the "gimme, gimme, gimme" mentality of materialism and the love of the almighty (in my case) dollar.

And then there's "tolerance" and "acceptance". Ideally, these two should go hand in hand for how can you have one without the other. How can each stand apart from the other? And let's not forget "Rebuke". How far am I willing to make myself unpopular and "uncool" and act upon what I know is right instead of giving in to peer pressure or worst, censorship. How about "forgiveness"? Do we even know what that truly means or the sacrifice it entails?

Then there's the frustration that we experience daily. Some comes from the battles we've lost to the flesh. Others stem from observations, and yes judgments, of the motives of other brothers and sisters in Christ. And while we're at it, how much of this frustration is really all about the stoking of our all-important egos.

From the standpoint of a small group leader's spouse, how important are the "numbers" in terms of members, attendees, lessons learned, lessons unlearned, etc? Are these "numbers" an indication of the success or failure of the task at hand? Or are the "numbers" just another ego-assuaging indicator more akin to fame, popularity and the unconscious desire to be likable in the mistaken impression that likability is a factor in becoming an effective teacher or imparter of the Gospel.

Then there's my whining the last few posts alluding to my personal feelings of uselessness in the Body of Christ. I defined as the a "spiritual twiddling of thumbs." Shelved, I believe, was the word I threw out there to describe what I now believe to be a feeling of exclusion from the activities swirling around me.

Well no more. In the last few days, I realized that "Christian" activity is not, and will never be a substitute for the true faith. God re-opened my eyes and re-aligned my heart towards His purpose. I may live in this world but I don't have to be a part of it. And though there will be times that the flesh will win battles, I refuse to surrender to my sins and my inequities.

Beginning today, I'm starting a series of posts thoughts, reflections and Bible-based beliefs on the different aspects of life and faith and the extent to which I am prepared (or in some cases need to prepare) to serve My Lord and Master, in the Name of our Most Holy God.

I close with the often quoted passage in Ephesians on donning the Armor of God and I bid those who stumble across this post and those succeeding it, let us engage in conversation without compromising the Truth and with love, honor and respect.

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; In addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints" (Ephesians 6: 10-18 NASB)

75 Girlfriends ... and counting - One Year Later

Last year, a group of enterprising, vibrant and beautiful women met in the now-famous, (or is it infamous) Wheatberry's Cafe on July 1 to reconnect and relive the good old days of High School. A few days later, on July 5, our exclusive SMC_83 Internet group was born. Seven ladies, mostly from Manila, initially signed up for this group. By the next day, most of the attendees of a 2004 Southern California "mini-reunion" had signed up. By the end of the first month 58 ladies from the Philippines, the U.S.A., Canada and Australia were plugged in to this group. A whopping 1334 public messages have been exchanged and "mini-reunions" were happening all over the world. By the end of 2006, at least a third of Saint Mary's College, Class of 1983 had renewed, revived or re-established old friendships and have created new ones from all over the globe. SMC Batch '83 was officially a phenomenon.

However, we were not just a bunch of girls who existed for the latest gossip. We were all brought together, at this particular time in all our lives, so we can support one another, grow in each other's friendship and ultimately help the ones who need it most. In the last few months, this group of fabulous women have gotten together and defined a purpose for our group's existence.

After the Wheatberry meet, a formal general meet occurred on July 22 in conjunction with our Alma Mater's homecoming for Batch '81. The "Core Group" was established and at the same time, the group's officers were voted into office. The first collective photo was posted and the first round of “Who is she?” or “No, I don't remember her?” started.

Individuals also started posting their personal collections of High School class pictures and everyone wanted to know - well what happened to our Senior Year class picture. Sadly, we didn't have one - it's called a yearbook and we didn't get to have that one as well. And yet again more rounds of “Who is she?” or “No, I don't remember her?”

Here is an excerpt from my article last year:

"When I stop and think of what is happening, I once again find myself in awe and wonder of God's plan. I long ago stopped believing in coincidences and this is no exception. God is moving in our lives in ways we don't even comprehend. God allowed this group of 40-something women to be formed, after all these years, to remind us of who we were, what we've become and what role He has played in the shaping of our lives and our faith.

God in all His glory brought us together, some in person, most through the Internet, and allowed us to minister to each other in our time of need whether we acknowledge the need or not. In the blink of an eye I know have girlfriends who I don't have to explain where I'm coming from as they were there with me at that same time and place."

A flurry of mini-reunions and group activities followed and whether it was to plan for the direction of our group or just to gather around and talk, it was loud, filled with laughter, peppered with memories and lasted well into the night.

November 2006 brought an unspeakable tragedy. We lost our first batch mate in the person of Cecille Andrada. Cecille passed away from a heart attack at the age of 39. Due to financial straits, Cecille's family was in a bind to finance her funeral. A donation from SMC Class of '82 and our Class of '83, on top of the flowers we sent and the mass that was scheduled on her behalf, provided for Cecille's loved ones and they were able to commence with her funeral without further incident or delay. And though we all grieved, Cecille's loss was a testing ground for our mettle, resolve and purpose and we passed with flying colors! SMC Class of '83 has arrived.

To date, we've had several "mini-reunions" not just in Manila for all the "Balikbayans" but also over the world. Many of us have laughed or cried or rejoiced at each other's silliness, failures and successes. We've shared life-changing events and heart-breaking tragedies through our life stories. We've offered counsel and prayer and a helping hand. And unlike our younger days, our friendships are no longer solely for our "barkadas" anymore. Experience and maturity have taught us that we can all be girlfriends with a common bond regardless of where we are in life.

God's Remnants

My husband and I had an impromptu Bible-study the other night. Once again I was whining and this time I was whining about feeling like an outsider in my own home and wallowing in the world, in general. Yes I know, wah wah wah. And as usual, God used my beloved to set me straight.

Throughout man's history those who live outside of the ways world have always been set apart as God's remnant. God has and will always cull His people and if there are any doubts to this, we only have to look at the Bible for evidence.

Let's start with the most basic of stories: In the beginning, there was Adam and Eve and amongst their offspring were Cain and Abel. From the beginning, God favored Abel which eventually led to Cain's murderous jealousy. Also, consider Enoch who walked with God. And then there was Noah and his family. Imagine an entire civilization wiped out from the face of the Earth in a sweeping flood of unimaginable proportions.

Let's not forget Abraham and how once again God made a choice. From Abraham, God decreed that His chosen was going to come from the loins of Isaac and not Ishmael. From Isaac, he culled the herd again and chose Jacob and his 12 instead of Esau and his descendants. From the 12 tribes of Israel, God banished 10 from the Book of Life. From the 2 remaining tribes taken into captivity by the Babylonians, only a handful returned to rebuild Jerusalem. Even in the most innocuous of circumstances such Gideon's fighting men. God made His choices clear. And as His "chosen" people turn their backs on Him, He makes a way for others to be grafted in through the sacrifice of His Son.

Fast forward to the end of days, we are told that God still continues the culling process. In the Book of Revelation, the Apostle John writes of those who will fall away when the persecutions intensify.

And always, those who follow steadfastly are the same ones ultimately chosen even before creation. It's sobering to realize that majority of the world's population were created by God simply for the purpose of bringing His chosen to that one moment of clarity for which they were created. Just like Pharaoh - but more tragic because after all, being created in God's image, we are all wired to hear the call of the Lord and still not all of us will become His remnants.

How does this apply to my whining? It made me realize that compromise with the world is one of the many roads that leads away from the Lord and in the end, I know I would rather be alone against the world than be in it cast away from the Lord's remnant.

The Immigration Bill - An Epilogue

If you have not heard by now, the much-touted bipartisan Immigration Bill died a second ignominious death on the Senate Floor. With bated breath, I kept tabs on those keeping tabs with C-SPAN and yes, I rejoiced when the Bill met its demise by a vote of 46-53. The defeat of the Bill restored my faith in the democratic law-making processes our forefathers put in place.

Don't get me wrong, I understand that politics is pretty much giving up 50% of what you want to get 50% of what you need passed. And on any given day, I welcome the opportunity to extend our borders to those who are able to legally enter them. The key word is legally.

My biggest objection to the whole proceeding was the attempt to pass a law to essentially protect lawbreakers. Illegal immigrants, regardless of the country of origin, are lawbreakers and unless they fully understand - and experience, the extent of the consequences of their actions, then there is no reason for the American Government and our elected officials to aid and abet in the process. Why then not extend the same "courtesies" to drug dealers and heck while you're at it how about ousted dictators - oh but wait, we already have that - it's called Asylum. Oh well.


Let us never forget that this country, whose laws are founded on Godly principles, is first and foremost made up of the people - our elected officials are supposed to come from the communities, cities and states they represent, unless you're Hillary Clinton; governed by the people - not dictators, monarchs, the elite (or the misinformed) with deep pockets, corporations with deep pockets or special interest groups; and for the people meaning the legal, accountable and productive CITIZENS and RESIDENTS, of this great society period. Did I mention legal?

I'm not smart enough to parse nor patient enough to pour through the hundreds of pages of amendments, counter amendments, codicils and whatever else that encompassed this attempt at passing a bad law. But I do know that what we already have on the books as law are not being enforced or are being circumvented outright. If we are to "fix" this problem let's start by shoring up the front lines. Build the danged fence along the Mexican border and reinforce border security on both sides. Make our border agents care about their duties. Heck make our overseas Immigration Officials care. After all it has to start somewhere. Folks, it's not just a job. There's a reason it's called Homeland Security and it's not all just about lawn mowers, janitors, dishwashers or lettuce pickers either.

As a legal immigrant who waited my turn and jumped through all the hoops to attain my precious citizenship, my point is there is a standard by which everyone is held against and there is a due process that everyone, without exception, must go through. The United States of America is the great melting pot of the planet, but this great country did not get to where it is today by lowering its standards or by creating shortcuts.