I have seen God's work as He constantly use people in Praise Cathedral. No matter what the age are or the gender or status in life, God equally open the chance to all His children to be used in the different ministries. I have seen the men and women offered their songs, the youth their dances and the kids with their amusing presentations. Each time I see them perform, these children of God never fail to amaze me. They have always been an instrument of God's plan not only in my life but for the lives of others as well. 

Today is not an ordinary day. Not because my whole family came over to celebrate the holiday with me but because I have learned something important. Something that touches my life and rekindled my spirit. The Kings Kids of Praise Cathedral presented a musical special entitled "Little Drummer Boy". It is a story of young kids and their drummer whose view about music was changed by their teacher. From a complicated note they have transformed music into a simple melody of God's plan.

The story taught me that our talent won't be meaningful if not used to please God. There was a point in my life where I worked hard and yet I failed several times. I asked God why? but I never got an answer, that question lingered into mind until today. Now, I have realized that I have worked hard and used my God given talent only to satisfy my earthly dreams, to please people and be popular. I have worked so much in vain because I have never learned to offer my talent in order to serve my creator. 

Like Shaun the young drummer in the story, I experienced being broke not only once but over and over again.   I have been complaining why... but now I understand. I have to be broken so that God can work in my life. Only when I am weak that I see Him working for me... strengthening me each day. Only when I am broken that I see a new hope and that should have been a signal for me to start over in God's will. But I have been blind, not until today that I fully seen the entire image of His grace. 

Mathew chapter 11 verse 15 says "He who has ears, Let him hear" . Now I understand that not all can hear the music that God plays in our heart. Only those who understand His plan will be able to hear it. I am most glad because I have heard a new song, a music I have never heard before. A song of my love, my romance with the one who molded me from clay and breathe me with a breathe of life. 

I know, it is not only me who have realized these things. I believe that God have also revealed this message to the rest of the congregation. Thank you Kings kids, you have made my Christmas meaningful and blessed.

by Jayson

Photos credited to Ryan Cardone

Life, I have learned, is much like swimming in the ocean. No matter how strong we think we are, no matter how prepared we feel to face the waves, there are moments when the tide takes us by surprise. One moment we are floating with ease, and the next we are pulled under—spinning, struggling, gasping for air. If we fight against the current, it only becomes harder to rise. But if we surrender, if we learn to float, the waters will carry us back to the surface.

Grief feels very much the same way. Losing someone we love comes like a wave—sudden, forceful, and overwhelming. It leaves us disoriented and aching, desperately asking questions we may never fully answer. Yet, just as in the ocean, the only way to endure grief is to hold on to trust, to let faith carry us, and to believe in the One who gave us life.

Last Saturday, I received one of the most painful calls of my life. My mother told me that my grandfather had passed away. In that moment, my heart broke. Questions flooded my mind: “Why him? Why now? Why us?” I longed for answers. I wanted to understand. But as I turned back to God’s word, I remembered His promises, and I was reminded that death is the one certainty we all face. It is not the end of the soul, but a passage from this life to the next.

The book of Ecclesiastes tells us: “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). This verse comforts me because it reminds me that while I may not understand why Tatay had to leave now, I can trust that God’s plan is always perfect, even when it feels painful.

Letting go is never easy. Dylan Thomas once wrote to his father, “Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Do not go gentle into that good night.” And isn’t that true? Deep inside, all of us want to resist death. We want to keep those we love close, to hold them just a little longer, to have one more day, one more conversation, one more moment. But as Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds us, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” Life and death are not ours to control; they are in God’s hands.

What we can hold onto, however, is Tatay’s life—his love, his legacy, his example. Because what matters most is not how long we live, but how well we live. Not the number of our years, but the depth of the love we gave and received. The most important part of life is what happens in between—between birth and death, between the first breath and the last.

For me, Tatay was more than a grandfather. He was my second father. He gave me my first name. He raised me when my parents could not. He filled the empty spaces of my childhood with love, protection, and guidance. He was the man who made sure I felt cared for when life seemed uncertain. His love was not just spoken—it was shown, day by day, in the way he looked after me.

I will forever be grateful to him. He molded me into the person I am today. He showed me that even when life feels difficult, love is enough to carry us through. He gave me memories I will treasure for as long as I live—memories of his care, his strength, his quiet sacrifices.

And so today, as we lay him to rest, I hold on to two things: gratitude and hope. Gratitude for the life he lived, for the love he gave, for the role he played in shaping me. And hope—hope in the promise that this is not the end. Because we believe that the soul lives on, that death is not defeat but a doorway. One day, by God’s mercy, we will see him again.

Tatay, thank you—for everything. Thank you for stepping in when I was most vulnerable. Thank you for loving me as your own, when others could not. Thank you for being my protector, my guide, and my source of strength. You were God’s gift to me, and I will carry your love in my heart forever.

Goodbye, Tatay. Rest now in the peace of our Lord. You have fulfilled your purpose. You have run your race. And though we grieve your absence, we celebrate your life. Your legacy will live on in me, and in everyone here whose life you touched.

Author: Jayson

Note: When I saw my pains in the mirror, God spoke to me through the life of David...

❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿ 

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me

                                                            Psalms 51:10

As I gazed at myself in the mirror, I realized I was no longer the same person I once was. Life had grown complicated, and the weight of problems seemed too heavy to carry. One burden followed another, and I often wondered how much longer I could endure. My patience had grown thin, and I found myself angered by the smallest things. The smile that used to light my face was gone, replaced by weariness. The heart that once longed deeply for God was now clouded with pain and sorrow. I had fallen into sin, and in my weakness, I felt as though I was lying helpless in the mud—wounded, with a heart bleeding.

Seeking comfort, I opened my tablet and turned to my soft Bible, landing on the book of II Samuel, chapter 11. There, I was reminded of the life of David—the man after God’s own heart. He was a great king, beloved by the Lord, a man who feared, obeyed, and worshiped Him. Yet this chapter did not highlight David’s greatness; instead, it revealed his weakness and wickedness.

It spoke of how David sinned by sleeping with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah. In an attempt to cover his sin, he summoned Uriah home, hoping he would sleep with his wife and hide the truth of her pregnancy. But Uriah’s loyalty to Israel kept him from doing so. Desperate, David commanded Joab to place Uriah at the frontlines of the fiercest battle, ensuring his death. Afterward, David took Bathsheba as his wife. What David had done greatly displeased the Lord. Through the prophet Nathan, God rebuked him, and as punishment, the child born from Bathsheba died.

What struck me most was not only David’s sin but his response to God’s judgment. He acknowledged his wickedness, confessed his guilt, and sought forgiveness. He fasted and wept for seven days, and even in his grief, he worshiped the Lord. In Psalm 51:10, he cried, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” God heard his prayer. He forgave David and blessed him and Bathsheba with another son, Solomon, who would later become one of Israel’s greatest kings.

Reading this reminded me of an important truth: every person has a sinful side. Even the greatest men of faith were not free from weakness. But God’s mercy is greater than our failures. Like a loving Father, He disciplines us not to destroy us but to correct and restore us. In Ezekiel 18:21, the Lord says, “Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit.” His mercy is everlasting, and His desire is always to bring us back into His embrace.

Now, I find myself praying for the same renewal David sought. I long for God to cleanse my heart and restore my spirit. I want to once again feel the joy of His presence—the same joy I experienced when I first encountered His love. I want to dance before Him with gladness, with a heart overflowing with gratitude.

Today, I hold on to His promises. I believe that just as He forgave David, He is calling me to repentance so that I may be restored. He knows my sins, yet He is willing to forgive because I am His child—chosen, loved, and redeemed. In His mercy, I believe He is shaping me, correcting me, and preparing me to walk once again in the light of His presence.

By: Arjay Amaneo

Mamuhay kayong may buong kapakumbabaan at kaamuan na may pagtitiis. Magbatahan kayo sa isa't isa sa pag-ibig. Pagsikapan ninyong panatilihin ang pagkakaisa ng Espiritu sa buklod na kapayapaan.

Mga Taga-Efeso 4:2-3 (Ang Salita ng Diyos)

********************************************************

Matagal na silang mag asawa, matagal ng nagsasama at marami na silang pinagdaanan. Gaya ng ordinaryong magkatipan dumanas din sila ng matinding pagsubok, mga ups and downs ng buhay kumbaga. Isang araw, nagkaroon sila ng alitan. Isang bangayan na sabihin na nating mauuwi na yata sa hiwalayan. Masyadong na dismaya si Andy, habang si Netty ay galit na galit.

Isang linggo din silang hindi nag uusap pagkatapos ng away na iyon. Nagbabaka sakali si Andy na huhupa din ang galit ng kanyang asawa. Pagsapit ng ikapitong araw, nilapitan ni Andy ang asawa at binigyan ito na papel at bolpen. Iminungkahi niya sa asawa na sabay nilang isulat sa papel ang kanilang mga saloobin, pagkatapos ay magpapalitan sila ng papel at pag-usapan kung ano man ang ugat ng kanilang di pagkaka intindihan.

Pagkatapos ng dalawampung minuto, nagtinginan ang mag asawa at nang magpalit na sila ng papel, binasa ni Andy ang sulat ng asawa. Ang nilalaman ng papel na iyon ay ang mga hinanakit ni Netty kay Andy, puno ng poot ang kanyang puso at sinabi pa niya sa sulat na sana ay mamatay na ito.

Nang si Netty na ang bumasa sa sulat ni Andy para sa kanya, nahiya siya sa sarili, umiyak, pinunit ang papel at tinapon ito. Sa papel ni Andy isinulat niya sa dalawang pahina ng bond paper:

“Mahal na Mahal kita Netty”

I stumbled on one of the video's posted in the Cutting Edge Facebook page and I was blessed. I thought, it would be best to share this to you as well. Let us learn and be blessed on Richard St. John's 8 to be Great.

Disclaimer: This blog does not take ownership on this video. If you are the owner of this video and does not wish to post this in our site, please send us an email at king_sky92@yahoo.com and we will delete this video right away. 
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jufn7QoP9VU

Author: Jayson Patalinghug
Sources: Holy Bible, http://en.wikipedia.org,http://www.heartlight.org
❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿

I have read the articles about the thermometer and the thermostat before, but today God spoke to me and I began to see my Christian life through these scientific instruments.

A thermometer is an instrument coined from the greek word thermo which means “warm” and meter which means “to measure” thus a thermometer is an instrument used to measure temperature using a variety of principles. This instrument has a sensor which detects the temperature of a certain room, so when you place a thermometer in a room that has a temperature of 180 degrees, the thermometer will change its temperature into 180 degrees as well, based on the room temperature.

A thermostat is also an instrument that can detect temperature. The word thermostat was coined from the word thermos which means “hot” and statos which means “standing”. The only difference between a thermometer and a thermostat is that the thermostat does  not change temperature when placed into a room, instead it controls the temperature of the room. When the thermostat is set to 100 degrees and it is placed in a room that has a temperature of 190 degrees, the room will then change its temperature to 100 degrees based on the setpoint temperature of the thermostat.

In our Christian life, we have to identify ourselves. Are we a thermometer? Or are we a thermostat? One tells the conditions sourounding it while the other makes a difference in those conditions in the environment which it is located. I personally said to myself, it is hard to become a thermostat and influence the people aroound you but it is easy to tell what kind of people are there in your soroundings and conform to their norm. A young Christian might try to smoke or drink liqours in order to become a part of a group. Others might gossip and back bite because it is a normal thing that his/her friends do. It is easier to conform just to be accepted in the society rather than to do what is what right and influence them. Christians like us are not meant to conform to the world because God called us to make a difference in the world. The Holy Bible says in the book of Matthew chapter 5 verses 13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men."  Salt gives flavor to what it touches, it preserves many things from decay. We are meant to become like a salt that preserves the world from decaying, we are meant to change the world. We are called to become like a thermostat and not just a thermometer.

In the book of Galatians chapter 5 verses 22 to 23 Apostle Paul remided us  that we have the fruit of the holy Spirit flowing through us so we can demonstrate love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. He is reminding us that we are thermostat and not just a thermometer.

In the book of 1^st Timothy chapter 4 verses 12, Paul said to Timothy “Let no one look down at you because you are young, but set example for the believers in your speech, love, faithfullness and purity” It was a reminder to Timothy that he can be a difference-maker in the lives of others even in his young age. Again, we are called to become a thermostat and not a thermometer.

With God’s help we can be the a salt of the world; we can make a difference and be an example to both believers and non-believers; we can demonstrate the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives; we can change the atmosphere where we find ourselves. It is not hard to be like thermometer. However as Christians we are called to become like a themostat and make a positive difference in community where we are.