LOVE IS THE GREATEST

If i could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or clanging cymbal. 

If I had a gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing.

If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn't love others, I would have gained nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud, or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 

It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever truth wins out.

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!

Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only a part of the whole picture. 

But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless.

When I was a child, I spoke and reasoned like a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. 

Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see with perfect clarity. All that I know partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me completely.

Three things will last forever -faith, hope and love, and the greatest of this is love.

From the first book of Apostle Paul to the church of Corinth in Greece.

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For more than a decade ever since I have heard God's calling I have laid my life on the line for others. Others means those who are in need materially, emotionally and spiritually. I do not say that I am rich and able, or wise and strong, and definitely not perfect when I followed that voice. But when I started pursuing the call not only me but my whole family has also given up what was ours for the love of God.

Through the years, as we have truly understood who they are, who are those people whom God has commissioned to us. As we grow together we learned to reason together, and it has helped me to understand their pure ways and sufferings. I have seen once too many imperfections in them that somehow affected me but it was also a constant reminder to me that I have my own share too. For this I have learn to accept, forgive, let go, and most of all love them as my own. Since then the following pages of our lives were written together. We tried to live with them and be like them for the reason of love and the desire of empathy.

Love is a pure and is a holy word. It is hard to understand yet it is available for everyone, for freely God has given it to us when He breath the breath of life from the very start of time. We are just confused sometimes of what it truly means and applies it on different purpose apart from God's true purpose.

Without pure love it will be hard to understand why we are called for others. Without pure love we will not understand humility and sacrifice. Without pure love we will not know how to forgive and let go. Without pure love we will not know how to reach out with holiness. Without pure love it will be hard to ask for forgiveness and be forgiven in return.

Today, we remain in that calling -to love, to help, to understand, to forgive. There are times when it gets rough and we fumble, we falter, we miss. But we can remain for our God is love, and His love is beyond fathom. Too great is His love for us!

I can only write of this things, but I am humbled continuously of the vast greatness God has in our lives. I am not worthy, not anyone is worthy of this. And I honor Him as I subject myself fully to Him and him alone, for He is my true Master and Him I will serve to the very last beat of my heart.

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“Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 

So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 

so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” 

Matthew 6:1-4

THE GIFT OF BIKE

THE GIFT OF BIKE

By Ernie Catanghal

People bike for a reason.

For others it depends on the season.

Some do it for the love of it,

While some pedal to make both ends meet.

Others bike to gain a friend, a companion,

And I know some do it to be alone.

Few blessed strong bike to train and race,

But common is to ride slow just to enjoy the days.

There are also bikers ride to get fit,

For others they bike for their odds to beat.

Some biker follow while others lead,

There are few bikes to serve other’s need.

No matter how many are the types of bike and ride,

I believe bicycle is there to unite and not divide.

True respect for all and no need to compare,

The more we ride the more we share, support and care.

BICYCLE IS ONE OF THE GREATEST GIFT TO HUMANITY. 

LET US BIKE TO BUILD BRIDGES, LET US RIDE TO BE ONE.

GOD BLESS THE BIKE AND ALL THE BIKERS.

On a crossroad bikers of different sorts become one. Let us help build a better place, a better environment, a better earth.

Truly A Simple But Wonderful Bike Date

Truly A Simple But Wonderful Bike Date

By Ernie Catanghal

Saturday, around eight in the evening Ahlie and I decided to take our bikes outside for a roll. We planned of having a little time out after a week of so much catching up since she just had a ton of paperwork for her teaching work as a professor in a university, while I just came back from a week-long ride to Ilocos Norte for Bike and Beyond's charitable cause.

Upon reaching C-5 (circumferential road-5) there was a light traffic already on both directions so we enjoyed our 5 kilometer ride to Tiendesitas which is found at the corner of E. Rodriguez Ave. and Dona Julia Vargas Ave.

Tiendesitas is a Spanish word for a small store or a collection of small stores like that of a market place. The shops here in Tiendesitas normally opens in the afternoon and closes late in the evening. They showcase a rich variety of Filipino native delicacies, clothes and fabric, furniture and antiques, plants and pets, and other novelty products.

  

Stopping by in front of Transcom Center which houses off-shore call center facility of NuComm International in the Philippines. This building is located on the northern side of Tiendesitas while on the opposite side is the SM Hypermarket.

SM Hypermarket is open from 10:00 am to 11:00 pm which  makes it suitable for those late shoppers. One more thing good about this place is for being biker friendly. They have  racks for parking bicycles near the side entrance and they would even allow you to bring them in while you shop or dine if your bike is a 20" wheel folding type.

After spinning around the vicinity we went inside the hypermarket. Ahlie decided to have something light for the evening so we stopped by her favorite pastry shop, Icing's.

It was such an ease for us because we just simply folded our bikes and park them beside our table. Folding bikes like our Dahon Mu series are designed to be rolled easily even when folded provided the locking magnet are firmly connected or an extra strap will do the trick in securing the bikes from accidentally unfolding while pushing it. Once you have done it walking around a mall or an establishment like this will not be a problem at all. 

Ahlie had one of her usual delights, their "Green Salad With Nuts and Fruits". It is a salad of mixed lettuce greens, grapes, mangoes and oranges with toasted cashew nuts and drizzled with balsamic vinegar reduction and olive oil. She matched it with a cup of their house coffee.

While I simply had a glass of cold "Banana Havana", it is a serving of vanilla ice cream with sliced banana, peanut butter, whipped cream, sprinkles of choco bits and a piece of cherry on top.

After that delightful meal from Icing's we went to Watson's to buy some necessities for our kids. At first we asked the security guard if we need to leave our bikes in front of their shop but he told us we can bring them inside with us. 

Rolling our bikes to around was a bliss! But the people around can't help but to watch us move with our unusually looking bikes. Some even approached us just to ask where to get a bike like this and how much. Some would even take pictures of themselves with us and our bikes. We are always delighted to share to the people some ideas about this type of bike and the advantages of what regularly biking can do for our health and fitness, the traffic issues and our fragile environment, not to forget the fact that they are easily loaded on taxi, bus, plane and now even allowed to be boarded with the passenger on LRT, MRT and PNR trains. Special thanks to the people who worked hard to make this thing legal.

After securing the things that we needed we simply rolled our bikes outside through the ramp, unfolded them, and off we go again.

Before heading home Ahlie suggested to add more "miles" to burn extra calories. So we turned right to Lanuza Street and made two loops around Ultra (University of Life) before heading back down town.

Biking at night can be done safer if you know how to do it. There are some strict essentials that one must secure on every ride. First, don't bike alone and avoid those dark and remote streets. Second, don't ride on highways with very fast traffic. Third, always observe traffic rules to avoid surprises. Once you fail and make some untoward surprises you will be on the losing end, you know what I mean. Also, safety gears should fall on its place and never miss them. Below are the basic standards:

A certified bike safety helmet for your one and only. You lose your head and your gone!

Tail light or blinker. Mine is a Cat Eye Reflex Auto that turns on automatically when motion and darkness are detected.

Bike Bell to call some attention.

Front lamp or head lamp. Normally this lamp is mounted on handle bars but we got a special skewer mounted lamp holder that's why the one in the picture is at hub level giving a more intense lighting on the foreground.

The U.S. CREE XML-T6 light.
This is a special bike lamp that gives lighting power up to 1,200 lumens and is powered by a separate rechargeable battery pack. This type of lamp is waterproof and can work up to 4 hours on high beam but can last up to steady 48 hours on glimmer. This kind of bike lamp once turned on is so hard not to get noticed by motorists because it throws very strong light much brighter even than cars on high beam. Just don't point it on the face of anyone or they will surely not see you anymore.

A reflector like a vest type or button type, or simply a wrap around reflector like this in the picture is an optional safety gear but its effectiveness and importance can not be discounted. 

 Other than these safety gears in the picture you can also consider a pair of night goggles to protect the eyes, a  whistle for emergencies and of course tools for fixing your bike.

One can add a little more security just like what we always bring with us in defense from bad elements and stray dog attacks. Our "Sabre pepper spray" is not like the ordinary pepper spray, it is designed to shoot at a long distance of 3 meters (10 feet) and is effective to repel attackers in advance. It comes with a holster that snug perfectly on our bike frame, this holster is made of stretchable material which  makes it good for runners and hikers too. 

The SABRE Dog Attack Detrrent. This spray has an adjustable strap lending accesibility and ease carrying both in the palm and on bike. The small, yet powerful .75 oz unit provides a 10 foot (3 meters) ballistic stream delivery which decreases wind blow-back.

One more pit stop for the night. As Ahlie got a bit thirsty from those climbs that we just did so we drop by the Original Pares food house at A. Luna St. in Bambang, Pasig City and had a couple of their popular super ice tea in giant glass mugs. 

It is already 10:45 pm when we got home, our kids were still awake excitedly waiting for us to see what we got for them. After having some more quality minutes with them we kissed each of them good night. Now we can call it a day, what a very simple bike date yet a wonderful one indeed with my wife!

The Journey Under The Beacon Light

The Journey Under The Beacon Light

by Pastor Ernie Catanghal

As we travel on life's highway we come face to face with the profoundness of our limited earthly existence. Sometimes we allow the journey to takes the center stage and consume the essence of our own commission. 

We get exposed to the heat of the sun, the pouring of the rain, and the coldness of the night. We are tossed by winding roads, slowed down by mountains and hills, pushed beyond our control by downhills, shaken by rocks, bumps and potholes.

Frequently confused by turns, crossroads and of byways, and discouraged and disillusioned by the long and seemingly never ending stretch. At times we are dazed by the wide horizon that overwhelms our vision, taking away our focus and orientation.

And not to miss being confronted by other travelers along the way. Some has inspired us to draw along their direction while some lured us to their lost ways.

Then we found ourselves off our own track.

But there is always a Beacon, a guiding light to us that we may not falter. The beacon doesn't want us to see the things around for us to lose direction but rather to know where we are and that we are not alone and not everyone is travelling on the same direction. It shines steadily on our way for us to see the whole picture of the master plan, and navigate on the only one and perfect course.

Not all knows where to go. Not all understands why to go. And for those who knows and understand not all are willing to go.

I am called by my name by that Great Beacon. It has humbled me and showed me the journey I have to take. And it has showed me those around me who are lost, weary and uselessly wandering to guide them if not to carry them to the lighted path of redemption.

Today, I still travel on this road called life. I admit sometimes I go sidetracked and find myself in dark corners that throws nothing on me but anguish and disbelief. If not for that Beacon I may have exhausted nothing but waste. So from the bottom I look up and fix my eyes on that Beacon and follow where it leads me. To do what is meant under its illumination.

"It's an inner healing to be reminded by God of who you are and how you are called, to know well the divine purpose of your existence."

Thank you Lord for leading and embracing me.