A life-changing Weekend

by: nikki viola

Summer for us means going to the beach, taking up different classes (dancing, acting, etcetera) or just simply hanging out in the comforts of our homes. But young boys and girls from Marikina decided to take a fun and different experience as they attended the Corinthian Youth Movement’s Weekend Seminar last April 8-10 and May 27-29 at the Provident Village Multi-Purpose Hall facilitated by the CYM-Fairview.

Attendees of the said seminar, that includes I, participated in various activities that helped us in developing our personalities and through discussion groups or DG’s, we were able to share insights with other participants. It was a unique and fun way of knowing Christ as our Savior and Friend.

I was personally moved when I had the chance to confess my sins so with the others who were seen in tears, overwhelmed I guess.

As the 3-day event went to an end, I felt a bit strange as if things would really end but I think it was a joyful thing because I realized more of the things I needed to learn appreciate and be grateful for. Above those is Love, the greatest kind that comes from the Lord.

On Months of Solitude

As God shepherds a sheep back to His flock

By: yan bolaños

Of my 19 years of existence, I must admit that I only had my two years, and still counting, spent with the community; it does not include my absences yet so that would make a difference of..hmm.. One year? It may sounds irrelevant having all the computations running in my head nut I just realized that I have spent the past 18 years of my life thinking of myself, just me and only all about me. Yes, redundancy. I am a self-confessed redundant person, OA so to speak. I am guilty of Over (re)Acting, Over Analyzing things. I could not think of any other person who would ask a question over and over again, who never runs out of the same stories or should say dramas of life, no one else but me.

You may think that I am already nuts, (I guess, I am), or even wonder what seems to be the problem? And as much as I want to give a sound answer to that, I could only give a foolish i-actually-don’t-know line. But one thing is certain; I am lost.

It has been two months since I felt a total solitude; away from the community, with no prayer life and just confine myself with the distressed walls of school and comforts of Shepherd’s Staff. The always cheerful and talkative me turned gray, without silver linings or pink clouds at sight, I do not know but a feeling of emptiness had grown in me and could only make me more unloving and really ugly. Those moments seemed unbearable, things I could no longer fathom. My solitude has nurtured a monster that kept me company at such a time when friends were unreachable, or so I thought. When prayers were hardly uttered.

My isolation from the world halted one morning as I comfortable seated myself in one of my so boring class. It was way too obnoxious that I decided to get my pen and a sheet of paper to bring myself into the real world, as they say “the best way to forget things is to write it down.” I was in the midst of “pouring out” when I suddenly came across an adage that says, “people are lonely because they build walls, instead of bridges,” I felt as if God was talking to me, lovingly reprimanding me. I went home stirred-up and slowly, (talk about slow learning!), remembering my forgotten life-learned lessons.

Looking back, this only I could say: what a good grief! It painted a smile on my lips. I know it was God’s way of making me feel He was there and has always been, so I may prevent myself from building more and higher walls and instead live up to my commitment to be a bridge and instrument of His love and peace. Yes, Weekend fever! It felt like in the movies, you know, flash-back memories. I just cannot help but feel wonderful each day knowing that we have a loving God, truly patient with every drama of our lives, never tires of us and loves us the way no one could.

Finally, I must say that each second of the entire “active “year I had spent with the community was a worthwhile molding and humbling experience. Though I had hoped I have met Him years before, at least it would have added up to my one year! Haha! I honestly feel the same, more OA, as in Overly Amazed of the Lord!

It overwhelms me that through His wounds I was healed, we were healed.. that His love is more than enough to wipe away our bitter tears and cause our sweet smiles, so infinite that He “had shepherd” me back to His flock.

Corinthian Experience with the Lord

By: jury

The night had clothed my heart and clouded my mind. The sun had been hidden in the shadows of deceit, brought out into truth that hides in the lies of the corrupted world… I yield! How happy have I’ve been? How proud was I? How many great things I thought I had accomplished? My God… what have I become? I had for so long embraced this deceiving heaven that my “selfish wants” had created.

The life that I lived, the path that I chose… I mislead! And I craved for more, I continued to manufacture and beautify my personal heave, whereas, deep inside my innocent soul and a deceived mind is a rotting grave. My spirit kept eternal worldly discontent. That it consumes my very being and made me viciously restless. I kept looking for more… kept looking for things in this world that could suffice my longing for whatever it is… I do not actually know for I was blinded. After all the pain, the burden and exhaustive labors… I found nothing! I was left alone in total darkness, feeling cold…drowning.

Then, the heavens opened up before the window of my soul. I saw a dove coming down and rest peacefully upon me. Then came, right in the midst of the wind, a sudden calming the Lord walks over the raging waters where I remain struggling and hopeless. His loving arms reached towards me, and as I gather up my thoughts and hold on to any sanity left in me, I reached toward the Lord’s hand. I swear I saw my name…carved upon his palm! Then, the Lord raised me up and held me.

A sudden burst of an unusual heat enveloped my entire being. Then, as sudden as a shattering glass, the chains of fallacy that bound my arms break lose, and I was freed more than the birds in the sky. My infinite thirst had been quenched, my hunger satisfied and I was grandiosely clothed, more than the flowers in the field.

As I opened up my eyes, flashes of the Lord’s glory, sorrow, passion, death and victory was presented to me like a wind blowing a leaf. As my mind lightened up with these visions, the story of his life came to me like a rising sun… a sign of a new life! And with each pages, his word were an out pouring of infinite love.

In my hands I grasped the greatest wisdom in life there ever was and ever will be. My feet found the right road to thread. My life had earned greater meaning through the knowledge of its purpose. I held in my hand, the pearl of the greatest price! A treasure more valuable than anything in this world…more valuable than life it self! I found the WORD of the Lord.

The shattered remains of my life was brought back into pieces and become whole. It is then that a gift had been given to me, as if in the form of a fire, which came down and rest upon me. Light emanates from my entire being and the Lord told me to “GO” and proclaimed that the “kingdom of God is at hand”…”make disciples from all nations”…”teach them to fulfill what I have commanded you”. I bowed my head for God’s blessing and stood up to walk upon the new road that I chose. The Lord’s final words were, “as the Father sends me, so I am sending you”…”I am with you always until the end of the world”.