I've Got An Excuse

I've found a good excuse lately to not make disciples...

"GOD, I'M GRADUATING! I'M LEAVING MIRIAM SOON SO I'M NOT GONNA ANYMORE JUMPSTART A SMALL GROUP OR START DOING ONE2ONE WITH ANYONE. I'M LEAVING ANYWAY!"

Just today God rebuked me.

We will graduate in school but we will never graduate in making disciples. Making disciples doesn't stop at graduations. We don't stop making disciples when semester ends. Certainly we don't stop making disciples especially when God tells us to "Go and make disciples."

I've been putting God down lately when He tells me to do One2One with these certain students, "God, are you sure? The semester is about to end!," because I've made up this rule in my head that when summer comes, we also take a vacation in reaching out to our friends and classmates, "God, that's so illogical, I don't think that's a wise thing to do" - even if He's already been putting people in my life who are very much open to the Gospel yet still I'm being reluctant to do One2One with because hey, I've got an excuse!

When God calls us to do something, no matter how many excuses we could think of, obey anyway.

Don't miss out on that opportunity to be used by God this vacation. This might be your friend's time to come to know God. And you don't want to be absent when that happens just because you've got excuses. Just go when God tells you to go. No but's, not if's, no excuses.

"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” - Matthew 28:16-20

DAY 208 03.07.11 11:36pm

Big Ships Need Anchors

anchor (n.) is defined as a heavy object attached to a vessel by a cable or rope and cast overboard to keep the vessel in place either by its weight or by its flukes, which grip the bottom. It is a rigid point of support, as for securing a rope. A source of security or stability.

When I gave my life to Christ, my life didn't become storm free. Storms still come and in fact, sometimes they come in the most monstrous ways. And during these times when I experience the biggest waves and strongest winds in my life that I need an anchor - no ANCHORS at that, to keep me stable and still in the ocean.

One of the greatest blessings that I received when I decided to follow Christ are people who became not just friends to me but mentors and coaches as well. I'm thankful that early on in that walk, my first Victory group leader, Ate Ruby, had already introduced and surrounded me with people in church. She didn't put a boundary to keep me with just her and the girls in her small group but all the more she encouraged me to build relationship with the people in church. I guess the worst thing I can do as a Victory group leader is to have the girls stuck with me forever.

Over time, I've experienced being transitioned from one discipleship group to another. I hated it before. There was even a time I wanted to just quit attending leadership group. No one likes transitions, right? Especially this kind of transition. But in those six (or seven?) times that I was transitioned from one discipleship group to another, it was during those times that I got the best opportunity to grow and learn more, I got to be mentored and coached by different women of faith and character. Like anchors to vessels, they are the ones - everyone of them until now even if I'm no longer under their discipleship group - who help me keep in place, who give support and make me stable.

Throughout time, I learned how important it is to not just limit myself with one person who will mentor and coach me but let others speak into my life as well. If you want to be a big ship, you need multiple anchors to grip the bottom for you in order to keep you stable. If you want to learn about different areas like faith, character, leadership, discipleship, it's okay to run to someone else who will best help you in that area aside from your discipleship group leader.

Everything that I am now I owe to the people who have been so good and patient to teach me, coach me, spur me, mentor me, correct me and be there for me.

I thank God for Ate Ruby for teaching me to love Jesus and love others, for helping me lay a strong foundation.

I thank God for Domz for being my prayer warrior, for teaching me a lot about faith and prayer, for helping me believe that God is a God who performs miracles and wonders.

I thank God for Sharon for being the best listener, for being an example of excellence and patience, for encouraging me that I can make disciples.

I thank God for Gaviene for teaching me to really dig down deep in His word and to not be contented with just reading my Bible alone but to also read a lot, listen to podcast and do any means I can to know God more and deepen my relationship with Him. For encouraging me to reach out to my campus and to raise up leaders.

I thank God for Eva for teaching me to engage the lost, to be not ashamed of the Gospel, for giving me visions for my campus.

I thank God for Babes for being a testament of God's blessings and favor to me. I learned from her that I can dream big because God is BIG, for teaching me in areas of identity, character, love and relationships.

I thank God for Dar for teaching me obedience and not compromising, to study God's word, to just really love God and His word.

And because of ministry, I also got the chance to be mentored by Joey Molina. I thank him for teaching me in the areas of discipleship and leadership, for teaching me ownership, commitment and accountability, for encouraging me to go an extra mile for people.

We can't learn everything from one person, we learn it from different people. And I am encouraging you to surround yourself with people who will teach you, coach you, spur you, mentor you, correct you and be there for you. Just go ahead. Big ships need anchors. :)

Dar and I.

On my right is Ate Ruby, beside her is Domz.

With Eva, Babes, Gaviene and Sharon

Joey and Gaviene accompanied me when I received my Spirit of Excellence Award during our Training for Victory Graduation.

I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. - 1 Corinthians 3:6

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. - Hebrews 10:24-25

DAY 194 02.21.2011 1:19am

What Are You Most Thankful for this Year?

We had a small party in our Victory group to end the year and celebrate Christmas. I wanted to make our last meeting for this year quite different than usual so as part of this small celebration, we had an activity where we listed down three things that we are most thankful for this year and then we shared it to the group after.

It was fun to see that everyone enjoyed making their lists and they even did it very creatively. When it was sharing time, it was very encouraging to hear some of the things these girls are thankful for. Let me share to you some of it.

Fae wrote "Victory" on her #3 spot. This girl was introduced to me just this month because she needs to finish a 15-hour church work requirement in her Theology class.

She said that she felt the warmth of the crowd when she first attended Night LIFE and as a shy person that she is, she was surprised at herself for being able to comfortably share her heart to the people whom she just barely knew. And even on her first time in church, she made a decision to continue on attending even after she completes her requirements in her Theology class.

Bea is thankful for the church for helping her find strength. :) Blessed by this girl for always being excited and eager to attend Victory group.

Gaea is the only UP student in the group and we're blessed to have UP represented! :)

Aside from passing UPCAT and being a Dean's Lister on her first year in UP (bigatin! haha), Gaea is thankful for being part of a Victory group. This girl, when she misses a meeting, would ask either me or Brenda about the lesson/topic we tackled for that day. Blessed by her willingness to learn.

Christine, on the other hand, is the only Ateneo student in our group and we are thankful for having an Ateneo representative around. Hehe.

Christine wrote "Ateneo" on her list. Comes with being a student from Ateneo are other many simple things that she's thankful for. One would be being able to join a Victory group. ;)

Brenda is thankful for being part of a church. She said that it keeps her encouraged.

I'm blessed by this girl for her compassion and heart for the lost. She always tries to invite her friends and blockmates to come with her in our Victory group and I've seen lives touched because of her heart for the people to know Christ. It was her who brought/invited most of the girls in this group.

Nothing but privilege. It is a privilege to know these girls, to share my life to them, to see them gain new friends, to hear their stories, to learn from them, to see them grow in their love for Christ. And that's one of the things I am most thankful for this year.

Looking forward to share my 2011 with these pretty, smart and lovable ladies. In behalf of our Victory Group, MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A BLESSED NEW YEAR! :)

Victory Group 2010

(L-R) Christine, Gaea, Brenda, Bea, Fiona

Fae, Yna, Gwyneth, Camille, Eri

You? What are the things you most thankful for this year? :)

DAY 134 12.23.10 3:43pm

Planting Seeds

I always believe that I wouldn't be where I am today if not for the people who have sowed seeds in my heart and took time to pray for me with or without my knowing.

One of my disciplers is Ate Ruby. She is my first small group leader and the one who shared One2One with me. I remember attending her small group before in Kalayaan Dorm in UP Diliman. I was in first year college then.

Being the only Miriam College student in that group, I am grateful that she chose to keep me and mentor me still. Knowing that someone didn't give up on me, took time and gave so much effort just so I would have a relationship with Jesus keeps me encouraged to do the same.

Just the other day, I asked her what encourages her to make disciples and to mentor people and why despite all the hardships, she still chooses to continue. She is so generous enough to give us some encouraging words. Read on and enjoy. :)

***

What happens when after long days, months and years of labors and hard work, not even a single sprout appeared? After all the love has been given, not a bit of it was returned? After all the hundreds of texts that have been sent, not a single reply was received? What happens?

It will always be encouraging to plant, to labor, to persevere and to continue whenever our eyes could see glimpse of the bud, the flower and the fruit of what we have invested.

But what happens now when the fig tree has not blossomed? The vines have no fruit? The olive failed to produce? The field yielded no food? The flock was cut from the fold? And the stall has no more herds?

Are we to give up loving? Are we to despise the people who rejected us? Or are we to stop believing and obeying the commandment He has given us, which is to go and make disciples?

Along the way of making disciples, there will be times when we will experience drought, when there seems no fruit in the land we are tilling. There will be times of rejection, when people will say no right before our face. And there will be times when the love that we have given will not be reciprocated. How did I know? Because not only have I seen it but I have experienced it first hand.

But never have I lose hope. Yes, a lot of times I almost have given up - give up on encouraging, give up on giving and loving but thank God who always reminds me that my labors are not in vain. Many times have I cried before God, cried because there is no fruit in the land, cried because a voice is telling me that all I have invested has gone to nothing. But right there and then, God would remind me of the lives He has allowed me to mentor before, lives who once have received the seed and were forever changed. Lives who once have accepted the seed, were filled and now are continuing the work of planting the same seed that has been planted in them. What a domino effect! Right there and then I am amazed. Amazed of how the seed has grown, how it withstood all the storms of life and how it is multiplying now. Right there and then I have resolved, though years of labors give no sight of fruit never will I give up, never will I stop reaching out.

I will continue to plant, I will persist on giving and loving for He has said my labors are not in vain. Time will come, when I will see all the fruits of what I have planted. My job is to plant and wait, it will be Jesus who will grow the seed. Once Jesus grows seeds, their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit will fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary of the Living God.

Our labors are never in vain, one seed, one soul at a time. We will never know how far that seed would go unless we start sowing the seeds of love God has once sowed in our hearts. We give because He has given all, we reach out because He initiated to reach out to us and we love because He first loved us.

How can we get weary and lose sight of the big picture if we would fix our very eyes on Jesus who first did all these things for us. Anyway this is about Him.

Ate Ruby and I during her visit in QC last April 2010

Rubyruth Marie Garobo is an Economics graduate in University of the Philippines Diliman and is now currently working in Palawan State University as a professor.

I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. - 1 Corinthians 3:6-7

DAY 62 10.12.10 8:57pm