This is the product of my fertile thoughts. I am recreating them here and am sharing them with you, dear bloggers, for whatever benefits, if any, you could derive from them. I wish you could be more open and share with me your comments and suggestions so that I can improve on my blog. Thank you, God bless and have a nice day. Mel Avila Alarilla
It was just like yesterday when I had an argument with my wife and we had a falling out. I had to get out of the house to simmer down. As I was walking in the park, I saw a flower, a red one standing at the edge of the park. I was mesmerized by it that I found myself going out there to pick it up. What kind of flower was this? It was gorgeous and the color was crimson red, just like my blood. As I picked it up I thought of my wife. How lovely she was. It was just like yesterday when I married her and we had a turbulent relationship. We had our shares of quarrels but somehow, we managed to patch things up. And today was just like any other day that we had a spat.
As I looked at the flower, my anger seemed to have vanished and I realized just how important she was to my life. Ah, I'm going back to her and fix our relationship. I could not really go on with my life without her. And the children, they need a father to bring them up as wonderful kids. How foolish of me to run out of my house. Hah, I'm going back and straighten everything out. And I promise to God that I will never quarrel with my wife again. Life is more bearable with her charming presence around.
The house was in disarray. Everything seemed in topsy turvey. Rows of flowers lined the entrance to the house. It was so bright inside. People were milling around. Stifled cries can be heard outside. I saw familiar faces in the house. My father was there and so was my mother. I saw faces of my friends and relatives there. They were all there. Must be some sort of a reunion I guessed. Then I saw my wife. How lovely she was. She was wearing a white gown. And I saw my children, their faces ashen and sad. How I missed them all. I will tell them how much I love them.
I approached my wife and gave her the flower that I have. And she placed it with the other flowers in a big vase. I counted them all. Twelve white flowers and mine was the thirteenth, one that stand out in crimson red.
Everything became so eerie. Something's wrong. Suddenly, I realized that my father and mother were dead and so do all the relatives and friends that I saw there. They were all dead. My God don't tell me that my wife and children are all dead too.
Everything seemed to whirl around me. Flashes of darkness and light kept flickering all around me. My body stiffened and I could sense a vague light penetrating my eyes. Then voices occupied the peripheries of my mind. He's coming into. He is breathing. He is alive. I saw people milling all around me. And I saw the loveliest face that ever beheld my eyes. It was my beautiful wife, as she hugged me with all her might. And I saw my children milling around me, all crying unabashedly. What happened? I asked timidly. You were ran over by a car and you were brought here in the hospital already dead. The doctors tried to revive you and it's only now that you were revived.
And I saw the red flower that she held in her hand. Where did you get that, I asked? I got it from you. You were clutching this flower as though your life depended on it. Ah, freedom at last. I have been given back a new leash on life.
Posted by Mel Avila Alarilla Philippines Literary/Short Story
You maybe broken hearted today, but take heart, it's not the end of the world yet. Life is a flux. Nothing is constant. Maybe, your time has not yet come. To God, His time is always the perfect time. Maybe you will find your soul mate at the next turn of the road. Just wait for awhile.
Yes, maybe next time you can smile again And laugh at all the crazy thoughts that ever crossed your mind. Maybe next time you will be sitting at the top of the world. So wipe away the tears in your eyes.
Yes, maybe next time, you can sing again the lullaby of love welling deep inside your heart. Yes, maybe next time, you can learn to love again. Just maybe next time.
The Place: Megiddo- A vast plain in Saudia Arabia said to be the crossroad of those who travel from the east. It is also called Armageddon.
The Event: The last great battle for supremacy in the world. It is the mother of all battles.
The Protagonists: Jesus Christ and all the heavenly host and all the saints on earth on one side, and Satan and all his arch demons, deceivers, mockers, idolaters, atheists and all who do evil in this world on the other side.
From among the frontliners of the army of the Lord Jesus, a small cherub stands out. Unlike all the other angels, this cherub has different wings. Yes it is white like the others, but it is not made of feathers but rather, it is made of one piece very much like that of a bat. But he has the most holy appearance of all.
The Scene: As Satan with his millions upon millions of corrupted souls who seethed with anger and malice approached their enemies, he spotted the cherub from among the ranks of the front liners of the Lord. He recognized him and gave out a loud booming laughter. "Ha, ha,ha, ha, ha. Come here little imp. You don't belong there. You belong here in my army. Ha, ha, ha, ha!"
"No, I belong here in the army of my Lord Jesus Christ and I am determined to fight to death." Replied the little cherub. "Have you forgotten how I send you to wreak havoc among men, O you of short memory?" Satan boomed in the tense atmosphere at the front line.
The cherub thought back. Yes, I remember the time when I came to help a little child at the edge of a precipice. He was crying and calling out the names of his parents. I remember that I came to him and tried to comfort him. I was already holding his hands to save him when he suddenly lost his grip on my hands and plunged to his death. Oh, how I cried because of that.
"No, you have not seen everything. As you were holding the hands of that child, I sent another demon to help you. He was the ugliest and most frightening of all. When the child saw him, he panicked and lost his grip on you. That's why he fell to his death. Ha, ha, ha, ha! Now come here little imp so that the battle can begin." Boomed Satan.
The little cherub looked at his Lord Jesus and asked what he must do. The Lord Jesus told him that it's all up to him where he wanted to fight. And the cherub straightened up with all the strength he could muster and shouted to Satan at the top of his voice. "Here will I stand with my Lord Jesus Christ. I cast my lot with Him and if I die, I will die in glory in the company of my Lord." He defiantly shouted at Satan.
At this, Satan became so furious that he ordered his vast army to attack the heavenly host and the saints.
At the first exchange of battle, Satan dealt the little cherub a mortal blow and the little cherub fell at the wayside dying from a grievous wound. Oh, the battle raged on in pitch savagery as the superior army of Satan marched on defiantly in the vast field of Megiddo. He sniffed the air and was so confident of final victory as he egged his vast army of evildoers to finish the job.
Just as victory was within the grasp of Satan, the heavens suddenly opened up and a hail of fire and brimstones rained down from heaven. All the remaining army of the Lord Jesus was swept aside to a safe place and the vast horde of Satan's impregnable army crumbled under the deluge of rain of fire from heaven. Oh, the screaming and cursing was deafening as the evil ones died one after the other.
Finally, all was quiet at Megiddo. And all that was left was the army of the Lord Jesus Christ. So great was the casualty on both sides but more so with Satan. They were annihilated all and were thrown to the Lake of Fire, there to suffer eternal punishment forever and ever.
As the army of the Lord surveyed the dying, they saw the little cherub splashed on the pavement, breathing heavily because of the mortal wound.
The Lord Jesus reached out to get a leaf from the Tree of Life and water from the River of Life. He washed and cleansed the wound of the little cherub and bandaged it with the leaf from the Tree of Life. Suddenly, a beacon of light shone from heaven and illuminated the little cherub. Immediately, he stood up and wonders of wonders, he now has wings of feathers just like the other angels. He lives to tell this story to everyone.
The whole army of the Lord Jesus Christ roared with one voice of joy and resounding delight at this miracle. And they marched on from the plains of Megiddo (Armageddon) to the heavenly dwelling place of God.
Epilogue: The Lord is coming back very soon. Are you prepared to meet Him? When He comes back, will He find us faithful?
Footnote: This short story was written by the author through the inspiration of my wonderful friendSameera of India who has been my source of inspiration for the wonderful and exquisite short stories she has written in her blog. TO GOD BE THE GLORY! Mel Avila AlarillaCopyright@Manila, Philippines
A HEART THAT IS FULL OF GRATITUDE AND THANKSGIVING TO GOD A heart that is full of gratitude and thanksgiving to God for what He has done to our lives is a heart that is beating with love and compassion for his fellowmen. There are so many things we ought to be thankful for to God in our lives. Though we may not be in the best situation in this world, we are not in the worst either. Do you not know that we are perfectly what God intended us to be? And we are exactly where God intended us to be, no more no less. Or do you think God is capable of committing a mistake?
Instead of brooding over our fate and asking God why we were made this way, are we not supposed to thank Him for making us the marvelous creation that we really are? The Book of Psalms says, we are fearfully and wonderfully made by God. And that is not an overstatement.
Science has discovered the fact that man, especially the human brain, is the most complex and fantastic creation in all the universe. No machine that can be invented by man can ever duplicate the wonderful creation that man is. Man is like a miniature universe that functions in clockwise precision and beauty that it can never be simulated by science. The capacity and latent ability of the mind of man is mind boggling.
Scientists say that an average man is using only less than 10% of the capacity of his mind. With this less than 10% usage of man's capability, we are already astounded by the fantastic feats of the human mind. Just imagine what man can achieve if he can learn to harness and tap the other latent 90% capability of his mind.
We were created by God in His own image and likeness and was given the authority to subjugate the world. We can be the near perfect overseer of this world as God has originally intended us to be. We just have to learn to be totally obedient and subservient to His divine will and not intransigently impose our own puny and imperfect will. Let us learn to trust God once more and cultivate the culture of gratitude and thanksgiving in our hearts. Let us learn to obey His commands and follow His divine will in our lives. Then we can see the realization of all His wonderful promises in our lives.
"SEEK YOU FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS AND ALL THESE THINGS SHALL BE ADDED UNTO YOU." (Matthew 6:33)
TO GOD BE THE GLORY
Posted by Mel Avila Alarilla Philippines Spiritual/Inspirational
There's so much darkness in this world. Darkness, because men refuse to see the true light of the world. They prefer the bogus lights that dazzled their eyes to sensual pleasures and the pursuit of the so called happiness in this world. Jesus Christ warned men about this counterfeit light when He said, "If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness." (Matthew 6:23b)
Jesus further adds, "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Every one who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." (John 3:19-21)
People who lives in darkness hate people who has the light. They call them "holier than thou." Why? Because men love darkness and they shun the light lest their evil deeds will be so exposed.
It is really sad to note that many people say they believe in God, but they maintain their own home grown philosophies in life to explain their bizarre behaviors. They say they know that there is a God and stop there. Why? Because they want to enjoy life to the fullest. God is seen as a killjoy out to sabotage man's pursuit of happiness and pleasures in life. They want to have their cake and eat it too.
To stifle the heavy feeling of guilt in their hearts, they will do good deeds to offset the sinful deeds they have done. They believe that their good karma will offset the evil deeds that they had done. But could they?
Many think that God is the perfect accountant that will weigh the good deeds of men as against their evil deeds. Whatever balance there will be, will determine where a person goes in the afterlife. But that is farthest from the truth. If man can really save himself through his own good deeds, why then did the Father have to send His only begotten Son to suffer an excruciating death on the cross just to save mankind? He could have given men prescriptions on how to save themselves.
And who or what is the light of the world? Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life." (John 8:12) Let us turn to Jesus Christ, the true light of the world, before our own light flickers out and we plunged into total darkness.
Posted by Mel Avila Alarilla Philippines Spiritual/Inspirational
We may be in the dark, so cold and lonely, unable to see any light in our darkened existence. We may be already at the edge of a precipitous cliff ready to jump into the deep chasm of nothingness. We started out so well in our lives. We were nurtured in the best values, the best education, the best love and care that our parents could muster for us. Where did we go wrong?
It all started when we chose the wrong path for our lives. It all started when we asserted our own independence from God. So we lived by the principles of this world. So we lived by the norm of "dog eats dog." And in the process, somehow we changed. We lost all the principles and values that were ingrained in our hearts and minds by the molders of our soul. We knew that there was a God but He seemed so far away and somehow, we found it harder and harder to relate to Him. And so we wallowed more and more in our worldly existence, drowning ourselves in the inebriating wine of wanton living. But all of these things have left us with emptiness in our hearts. We felt the gnawing pain of loneliness and the virtual isolation of our soul. Somehow our soul yearns for a different existence, one that exudes true joy and peace in our hearts.
It is never too late to turn our backs to worldly living and to retrace our steps back to the pathway to God's kingdom. All it takes is to humble ourselves before the Lord, repent our sins, and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Then His most precious blood will wash immaculately clean all the stains of sins and guilt in our hearts as we become born again in Spirit and truth.
It is never too late. WHEN THE LORD COMES, WILL HE FIND US FAITHFUL?
Posted by Mel Avila Alarilla Philippines Spiritual/Inspirational
Sally Ordinario-Villanueva, one of convicted drug mule executed in China
This a black day for the Philippines as three Pinoys accused and convicted of being drug couriers to China were executed by the Chinese authorities despite the pleadings and prayers of the entire Filipino nation and its citizens worldwide. No amount of pleadings from the Philippine government led by Pres. Noynoy Aquino and Vice Pres. Jejomar Binay moved the intractable Chinese authorities. They have such a hypocritical view of the incidents. While their Chinese nationals made life miserable for millions of Filipinos by operating clandestine shabu laboratories in almost all parts of the Philippines; while Chinese were the operators of most drug syndicates in the country and while they ravaged the economy of the Philippines by their unabated smuggling of almost everything to the Philippines to the detriment of our local industries and while their fishermen fish with impunity in Philippine waters catching even endangered species, they mouth about the sufferings of Chinese nationals brought about by the minuscule drugs brought by our impoverished drug couriers lured to the trade by extreme poverty. China is so arrogant and they tolerate toxic laden products from China like milk, toys, etc. and counterfeit products of all kinds to be exported to the world especially to impoverished countries like the Philippines. Sure they suffered indignities and persecution from the Western powers before but why browbeat small countries like the Philippines like a big bad bully pummeling a small terrified boy unable to fight back because of its small size. We should incarcerate all Chinese nationals caught violating our sovereign laws and must never succumb to the pressures of the Chinese government to just deport them. BIG BULLY CHINA. SHAME ON YOU!
"Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts" (Hebrews 4:7b)
DO YOU NEED HELP? ARE YOU IN THE DARK? CAN'T FIND YOUR WAY AROUND? NEED A FRIEND WHO WILL STICK WITH YOU THROUGH THICK OR THIN OR WHEN EVERYBDOY ELSE HAS DESERTED YOU?
