Coffee With A Cause

Come attend an unforgettable event called Coffee With A Cause as we unite together in bringing hope to underprivileged children! Hope Chapel Metro is partnering with Igan Foundation in Timog, Quezon City that helps underprivileged children and children with diabetes!

Event: Coffee With A Cause

When: Saturday, October 15, 2011, 8:00pm

Where: TechnoWave in Timog

Featuring: Champ, Julianne, & Acel

Ticket Donations: P300 (free coffee), P600 (free coffee, & Hope wrist band), VIP P1000 (free coffee, Hope wrist band, & VIP reserved seating w/free food)

Student discount is P200

Present your ticket to get 20% on all OMF Lit local and imported titles on OMF Lit Bookshop Il Terrazzo from Oct. 16-31, 2011.

Tickets on Sale this weekend at Hope Chapel: Metro. www.hopemetro.com

"Don't Fight the Water!"

It was a short and simple command, but I wasn't listening. I was so much overwhelmed with the waters around me that it seemed I had a hard time staying afloat - even though I had put on a life vest. I was thrashing around the water, and I was panicky because my feet wouldn't touch ground. And the more that I panicked, the more I felt like I was sinking. And I truly was sinking.

Then Brian repeated those words again: "Don't fight the water!" And when I finally understood what he meant, I tried to stay still. Take note of the word "tried." I tried to relax my muscles, tried to focus on my friends around me, tried to look to the adventure laying ahead. Irish even told me to grab ahold of my life vest instead of letting my arms go limp to my side. I did just that.

I relaxed. I didn't fight the water. I was able to stay afloat!

But then my next concern was how to get inside the luminous cave. Because I couldn't swim. Our guide, Oliver, knew what I was thinking so he grabbed hold of my life vest and just maneuvered me inside the cave. I just let him guide me.

And I was able to see the cave from inside. I was able to see it light up!

In life, don't we sometimes fight the waters? Don't we just want to get it our own way and be done with it? But just like what I have experienced, the result is a devastating one - we sink to the bottom of the pits. We may realize it or not but when we do what we think is best - without Someone guiding us - we unearth a potential danger that may result to conflicts with relationships, career, family and even adventure.

In order for us not to sink, allow God to guide us. Let Him take care of everything and don't panic. He truly knows what's best for us, and He won't allow us to sink. There may be times when we feel that we are sinking, but rest assured He serves as our life vest. He will catch us when we fall. Jimmy pointed to my life vest after that incident, "Imagine that this is Jesus Christ."

Yes, Jesus Christ is our life vest when we feel we are sinking. Allow Him to guide you, maneuver you and you will see the splendor and the beauty that He has prepared for you. Nothing could ever be greater than this.

So don't fight the water!

Patiently Waiting

The first few minutes were interesting enough. As we all sat on the plane bound for Cebu, we wondered what was keeping the pilot from flying off. At that point, we all had become fidgety and quite impatient (but I was trying to compose myself). Thirty minutes later, the intercom finally buzzed: "We apologize for the inconvenience, but we had to shut down the airport. Our president has just boarded a plane bound for somewhere down south. This is something we can't control. We don't know when we will fly off."

There was a little bit of mumbling and a little bit of shock, particularly from that last sentence. We were worried because we had a connecting flight bound for Surigao, and we were afraid we wouldn't make it.

But just as the pilot said those words, his voice immediately came back: "We will now be taking off." Thank God!

As I relaxed once again, I realized that this now became a moment of pure trust. The pilot's words echoed through my ear: "This is something we can't control." Yes, indeed, this was something he can't control because he probably didn't know that the president was boarding a plane. He didn't know that we would be delayed.

And yet, there is One who knew this was going to happen. As God is in control of everything, He knows that somehow little interruptions or delays such as this one often makes us worried and concerned. But it is through such situations that He teaches us patience and perseverance - and how we react to it. Sometimes in life, there are things that we want to happen right away - an approved Visa application, finding our God's Best, getting a higher salary or others. We want it done right now!

But God is never in a hurry, but He is always in time. When I look back at that little flight delay, I find myself laughing. Because when we finally boarded our flight to Surigao (yes, we had to run through the airport), the plane not only had to wait for us but for 27 other people who were with us on the plane bound for Cebu.

See how God tests us?

HABAKKUK 2:3, "For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail . Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay."