Where Does Our Giving End?

I used to tithe regularly. It was a privilege I had. I've always believed that God entrusted me with money and the ability to make money and as such, I obeyed His command of bringing the first fruits to the storehouse.

At the time, money was abundant and it was easy to tithe. Now, I don't tithe regularly because I am not a permanent member of any church. As for the money part, it's a lot less than what I used to make. 

I see the joy in other people when they are able to give to their brothers in need. And amazingly enough, in their abundance, they are able to share what they have with others. At first, I found their actions PURELY inspiring! I thought to myself I wanted to have more so that I could give more. 

And then it hit me. Abraham, of the Old Testament, waited patiently for his son Isaac to be born. And shortly after Isaac was born, God commanded Abraham to offer him as a sacrifice. Can you imagine what was going through Abraham's mind?  But Abraham obeyed nonetheless.  

This made me look back at the "better off" givers whom I have witnessed who mostly have more than enough money. Who mostly have a spare bedroom to offer or an extra car to lend. And mind you, most of them are pretty well off. 

And what of  the ones who have none?  Believe it or not, their the ones who give with all of their hearts. They would even forfeit what could be  rightfully theirs and invite other people to partake in it with them.  These people will willingly give whatever it is they can give.  

These are the people who truly know the basics of giving. What about us? What do we know about the basics of giving? Do we even know when our giving begins and why it ends!

I'm In Heat!

Okay, I said that wrong just to get your attention.  But in a few months, summer will be here in Los Angeles and this means HEAT... lotsa heat!!!  It's gonna get how outside, hot in the car and hot in the house!  And when you're like me (trying to cut back on electric bills) you're finding ways to cool your dwelling place without spending an arm and a leg.

So what's a guy like me to do?  Well, I've been searching online and have seen a bunch of lifehacks, including that DIY air conditioning system.  One thing's for sure... that would be too much work. 

Here is the final decision... get some screen door!  Yeah... that's what I'll do.  I'm gonna invest in screen doors.  The retractable fancy ones... because I'm in heat!  Yeah!

Correction... I'm gonna be in heat!  Okay, it still doesn't sound right.

In the summer, I'll be hot!

Okay, you get my point.

If You Can't Handle the Little Things...

Living in California is a privilege.  Prices are steep.  Sales Tax is a joke.  Renting is unreal.  Buying a house is the same thing.  Traffic is alright compared to Manila.  Nonetheless, everyone MUST work every week to be able to care for themselves and the their loved ones.

There are no maids for us, middle class, people here in the States.  This simply means that if I leave the house without fixing my bed, it will still be as it was when I get home in the evening.  So in order for my household to run smoothly every day, tasks and responsibilities are assigned to members of the household. 

Someone's in charge of throwing out the trash, washing the dishes, cleaning the house, etc...  but with regard to filling up the pitcher of water, whoever "kinda" finishes the water MUST fill it up. 

Anyway, I come home after a long day at work, thirsty and wanting a drink, only to find out that there is no more water in the pitcher!  This is a sad day in the Arespacochaga household.

You see, if you can't be consistent with the little things, how can you be entrusted with the bigger ones?

Teaching Your Children To Make Choices

I have 3 boys and a girl.  Well, let me rephrase that.  I have a man, two boys and a little girl.  As a father, my job is to raise these kids to be good men and women of society.  And just yesterday, my first born, Heaven, turned 19.  How time flies.

Heaven lives with me, here in Los Angeles.  Yesterday, I asked him what he wanted to do for his birthday.  He said he wanted to drive to his mom's house, which was about 45 miles/72 Kilometers away.  And since he now drives his own car, he politely asked me if it was okay to celebrate his birthday with his mom's side of the family.  I had no problems with that.  And what made me even proud was the fact that he had made the decision for himself.

And that's what everything boiled down to... decision making.  Was it good judgement on his part to spend his birthday with his mom?  Absolutely.  My son lives with me.  He doesn't get to see his mom as often as he wants.  Yesterday's plan was perfect.

I've read Tony Robbins say that "Good judgement comes from experience.  Experience comes from bad judgement."  And in order to come up with "judgement", one has to make a decision.  And decision making comes with maturity.  So get into the hang of it.

Make decisions on a regular basis.  The more you do, the better you will become.