The Detours in our lives

In case you missed my last blog, we didn’t get to Dubai as planned because of a cebu pacific brouhaha. Instead, we got to attend a conference entitled “Detour” in CCF which is specifically for people who experience detours in their lives. God ordained or just mere coincidence, we’ve always looked at life with the mindset of “Where we are right now is exactly where God wants us to be” — whether in poor or plenty, in hardship or celebration, we always ask ourselves “what is God teaching me at this moment?”.

I just want to share some of the the things we learned during the conference (with my own personal explanations):

a. God is more interested in the development of the dreamer than the fulfillment of the dream. – Its not that he doesn’t care about your dream. He just cares more about fixing your character.

b. For man, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. For God however, it is usually zig zag full of detours. – When I pray for something, most of the time I’d rather get a yes and no answer. But when he says “wait” it drives me crazy. There’s something about waiting that tests our character. One thing we can trust though: Down the road, when we look back into these moments, you’ll realize God asked you to wait because you were not ready at that moment.

When I filed for an annulment in 1997, I got a lawyer specialized in annulments and who has never lost a case. When met him he said my case was an easy one and a sure win. He also said it would take around 6 months. After waiting for 3 years, the court handed it’s decision and the request was denied. At that tine, I was asking why…. but today looking back, I realize that had God given me the annulment then, I would have been filing for my 2nd or 3rd annulment right now. Why? Because I was not ready. In Sept 2008, God surprised me with my annulment enabling me to propose to Monique Dec 2008 and get married July 2009.

c. Disappointment and His Appointment has just one letter difference. How do you want to look at detours? Disappointments will come, there is no way around it. What we can change is our perspective — how do you want to look at it? as disappointments or His appointment?

I could have looked at that week as a big failure: non-refundable plane fare, non-refundable visa and our pre-paid 5 nights hotel booking. However, I refuse to do that. Whenever Detours take place in our lives we brace ourselves for that “BIG THING” that God is about to do. Here are some of the things that God enabled us to do aside from attending that conference:

I was able to participate in the conceptualization of the 2 major pitches my company Post Ad for two dealer’s conference.
I was able to attend the Xavier School home coming to which our batch is the 25th year celebrant seeing classmates who I haven’t seen for almost 30 years.
I was able to attend my Discipleship group’s Christmas party
I was able to spend time with my kids
I was able to be part of the Passion church’s video shoot which Wang did and got to help make it move.
I was able to go to the gym… once.
I was able to officiate the dedication of fellow photographer Caliber & Paula King’s son Caleb.
I got to eat in Viking’s for free because of “Breast feeding Pinay”
I was able to shop for some christmas gifts for inaanaks in Ayala.
I got to eat in Gloria Mari’s for free with my L.O.R.D. Accountability couple’s group
I met our landscaper Efren who suffered a stroke the week prior. I was able to pray over him.

Productive week? You bet! Do we still feel bad about not doing to Dubai? Of course! But I know God will take us there someday at a much better time.

Our first D12 Christmas party in the Mendoza residence. His message to us: Be on Guard, Stay Away and …. another point.

Passion Church in Atlanta got us to shoot this video for a worldwide campaign. Now Philippines is in the map against Slavery.

There are people who even when you haven’t seen each other for decades you know that they remain as friends: John Wee, Jacobo Yupangco, Me, John John Tian-Seng, Franklin Tiu and Angelo Arellano.