Loving vs being self-righteous.

somebody coined: 

didn't Jesus teach us love and Forgiveness... define being righteous? "if any among you have no sin, you can cast the first stone." - even a righteous person has no right to judge anyone. look at yourselves and your secrets 1st....

***
kitsokoy:

First, define love. A person who can’t define love surely can’t differentiate a "loving correction” from “being self-righteous”, surely he/she will not know when one ends and the other begins.

Secondly, note that we care to correct because we love. Now, a self-righteous person has no right to judge anyone, but they have the right to love, don't they?

It's pretty much like how my mom is to me.
My mom scolds me every time I'll do something stupid.

Does that mean she doesn't love me?

She corrects me even she has her own mistakes, does that make her self-righteous?

My mom has no right to reprimand me because she too is a sinner?

If our answer to these questions are no, then i guess we have more or less an idea of what "loving correction" is, as opposed to "being self-righteous".

Lastly, who is throwing stones to whom?
Nobody's judging anybody, correction is but just a regular and necessary process to make our lives better, nothing less, nothing else. Growing together in holiness by being accountable to each other is something we do in a "community", isn't it?

And by the way, throwing stones is so ancient, we don't do that anymore, only primitive people do that. We aren't one of them, are we?

***

May we Live humbly to accept corrections, Laugh from our stupidity while learning from it and Love unconditionally.

disappointed?

I saw it coming but somehow it caught me unprepared.

A simple yet meaningful sorry would suffice and will help all of us move on quickly, but they started by explaining why they did the things they knew they shouldn’t be doing. And that is just sad.

In times like these, the worst thing one person can do is reason out. Why? It is simply because reasoning negates and cancels the validity and sincerity of saying sorry. You are trying to make your listeners rationalize hence making them more logical than compassionate. And true enough, because I (along with two others) found flaws and loop holes in their stories, I wasn’t forgiving when they finally said sorry.

So even with the preparation and prayers, I still felt bad. I was dismayed by the conversation and that was one thing I wasn’t able to and can’t hide.

Just when you think you know people, they disappoint you in ways you never thought they could.

Am I Mad? Yes. Sad? Definitely.

But why?

Feeling what you feel is one thing, knowing why, is another. So I resolve to writing reasons why I should feel the way I feel. But all those reasoning lead me to the same question: Why?

Answer came in one night through a simple conversation with a friend. A realization that I found hard to admit, a reality I would rather just ignore.

The truth is: I can see myself in them. It’s like a mirror. I know the feeling but I also know where it is heading.  They are a painful reminder of the things I’ve done before, a picture of the past that I have been trying to correct. I am mad not just because of what they did but more so because of the fact that I wasn’t able to correct myself when I was in that same position.

While we are so fond of ourselves, we easily get offended with others. Let us be persuaded that nothing is due to us thus nothing will upset us. Let us often think of our own infirmities, and we shall become indulgent towards those of others.

Realizing that, I felt sorry for myself more than for them. I became more understanding. A change of heart if you may. A call to be more compassionate than to be right.

Of course, things will never be the same. Just like any wound, there will always be a scar. But if we’ll only use that scar to remind us of the lessons we’ve learned rather than the pain it caused, it will not just make things a lot easier, it's actually one step closer towards Christ, a better us.

I know time will come that all of us will get over this, friends reunited, relationships restored, but until then, may we learn to

Live our lives with compassion,

Laugh more often and

Love unconditionally.

i did not cook that pasta.

"sarap nung pasta no?"

"oo nga, tama lang ang anghang at ang sauce"

"pati yung menudo sarap din"

"sino nag luto nun?"

"si keith"

And suddenly the attention was on me. People started praising me for the great lunch. Some said they are proud of me and congratulated me for a job well done. Surprised and excited with the idea that i can cook, I immediately got bookings for their area shouts as the cook and kitchen steward. I was asked to cook for a birthday and was even asked to cater for a wedding. yes, the latter part is too much, i know, i just made that up. (haha!)

What was my reaction? How did i respond?

Honestly, I was tempted to take all the credit. My pride keeps on telling me to accept all the praises and soak my self to it. It feels good to know that me/my efforts are being recognized, it feels soo good that i wouldn't want them to stop. Applause is too loud and spotlight is too blinding that it covers the reality. 

The truth is... it wasn't me. After knowing that frying and preparing instant noodles isn't actually cooking, I have come to realize and accept the fact that I don't know how to cook. 

"singit lang ako". Nina knows what to do so she chopped the ingredients and somehow prepared everything so that it'll be easy for first timers like me to cook. Because Paskee has done it before, he showed me how to do it. step by step. line by line. He even tasted the food for me. Dessie's encouragement inspired me to do the impossible. Despite my inadequacies, her affirmations pushed me to do more.

You see, if it's not because of three people the sumptuous lunch wouldn't be possible. Plus they kind of reminded me about how the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit works (big grin smile).

Why am i doing this? For three simple reasons.

First. Sure it feels good to receive praises but if you know deep in side you that it wasn't actually you who did it, you will not be at peace with it. Never. You might fool people about it but you can never really fool yourself.  

Second. If people will praise us for the things we've done, even if let's say you are the prime mover, never fail to share it with the people that you work with. For you might be the tastiest and most important ingredient, you still are just an ingredient, nothing less, nothing more, nothing else.

Lastly, let us not forget to praise God and shift the focus on Him. As the moon only reflects the brightness of the sun, our lives, accomplishments and success should be a reflection and should be directed to the source of it all. 

It never was, never is and never will be about us. Let us stop acting like we are the good news, we are just mere messengers. The mailman doesn't get any applause when he delivers good news does he? (I actually don't know how this part is related to cooking but i know it makes sense right? haha!)  

As i write this, I am scheduled to cook adobo for area4 shout. But this time, I am with Gj who also has no idea how to prepare it. With no help, I know this is do or die. But regardless of what the outcome will be, I know I have Gj to blame (haha!). Nah, regardless of what the outcome will be, I know it's not just about me. It's not about me.

may we truly

LIVE our lives praising Him,

LAUGH our hearts out and

LOVE selflessly.