JOEY VELASCO

 felt sad upon learning the news that, Joey Velasco, heartist painter and Gawad Kalinga (GK) advocate, recently passed away caused about by his kidney ailment that he suffered for five years now. It was sad that I never got the chance to meet him personally even though we had worked on the same GK Foundation. My brother was lucky though when Joey visited their school for an inspirational talk.

I first learned of Joey when I learned of the his painting, "Hapag ng Pag-asa" (Table of Hope), which I read on our community's Ugnayan magazine some years ago. The painting struck me not because of it's creativity and originality but the simple message that Christ continues to call and be with us even in the most desperate times of our lives. This was the same painting that led Joey to serve in Gawad Kalinga - a community dedicated to uplift and bring back the dignity of the poor.

The video below shows the story behind this great masterpiece... He tells of his reflection on each of the children he painted in this artwork.

Eventually, his work for the poor led him to paint the, "Hapag ng Pag-ibig" (Table of Love). Another masterpiece about hope and love. This time, Christ shares the table with the same children in an abundant and joyous meal.

His other paintings are best shown on this video:

We may have lost one good soul on earth but heaven rejoices more as God welcomes him into His place. To Sir Joey, I'd like to thank you for the inspiration you have shared to thousands and millions of people through your countless artworks and those whom you served on those GK Villages.

As i put it on my Facebook status, "for all the things you've done, for the life you gave, for the inspiration you've shared... a true Christian in words and actions... Now that you have gone back to the house of the Father, you will be greatly missed, Mr. Joey Velasco.... everything you've done will never be forgotten.."

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

- 2 Corinthians 12:7-9.

POWER BOOKS

Yes, I call them my "power books" because what they taught are very much powerful and real that will keep you reading, wanting and even asking for  more. No, I'm not a friend of Bo or even someone from his community. He doesn't even know me. I just love his books and that's all about it. He had written much about love, relationships and yes, even money. Another thing I like with regards to the nature of his books are the sense of humor, simplicity of context and the real life experiences he shares in it. I may not have read them all at the moment but to those that I have, I can say that they are truly worth your time, effort and money. I continue to have my list of Bo's "power books" and hopefully, by the end of the year, two more books will be added on my shelf...


for the single ladies....

having the right mind set....

relationships, etc...

Don't wait too long... grab your copy now :D

ANOTHER BIRTHDAY AND MORE ANSWERED PRAYERS...

I turned 30 last July 17. This birthday brought me some of the biggest birthday blessings i could ever remember and I thank God for making it truly special in ways I couldn't imagine. 


July 10, a week exactly before My Day, I finally passed my CSC exam on my third take (oh well, not really bad, i guess..) which I have been praying for since I had my first take on it. For some, it may not be a big deal but since I'm into government service, it was for me. 


July 16, I have been worried about some financial matters during the week. The loan that we applied for several days ago has been approved but not yet released and time was running out. I need it on the weekend. I inquired it Friday afternoon and alas! nothing's there yet but since the day was not yet over,  I was still hopeful. I tried it around 6pm that same day and ola! It was there! I was jumping up and down to my delight.


July 18, i went to visit my dad who had been living with his own family in another place and to my surprise (well, sort of... hehehe!), they were preparing a little post-birthday celebration for me (yey!). It's been quite a long time since I last celebrated my birthday with them... and yes (let me segue a little), how can i forget that delicious Mango Tart cream cake from Conti's? That was highly recommended. :D


These were just few surprises that God has in store for me on my special day but I always believe that the greatest and most important gift that He has given me was this special day to celebrate life. We always struggle to survive life's challenges. No matter how big or small it may be, we still struggle to survive and each day of each year, we become survivors of it... and so I thank my God for my everyday life. :D

THE GOOD SAMARITAN

The gospel yesterday reminds me of one of my  favorite Bible stories, the Good Samaritan. In times like these where we live in a fast-paced society, we usually forget the most important things in life. Most of us dream and aim high but mostly for ourselves (and for our own family) which is not bad at all. But we also overlook the fact that we tend to forget and dream for others too. We forget to love our "neighbors".

This week's gospel challenges us to rise above ourselves and to try to reach out to everyone from everywhere. It reminds us that our love and compassion does not only end to those people close to us but also to others who depend on our love. God has given us the necessary blessings and the ability to reach out - time, talent and treasure. He has given us His own Son and so we ask ourselves, "who are we not to give back?" Everyday, he calls us to be a Samaritan to our neighbors. In serving others, we become extensions of God's love for humanity. We become human blessings to those in need. Some may find it hard to serve but if we serve with genuine love, everything we give is worth it.