Faith & Prosperity

What a week. First, I attended my job's care group last Thursday (10729) and the topic was about prosperity. Then. my boss gave me and one of my coworkers a ticket to a financial seminar about debt, investment and setting up a business. The seminar was today, and it went well- all three of the speakers were both emotionally moving and very knowledgeable in their topics. After the seminar, I attended the Saturday mass with another coworker, and the homily was about, take a guess: wealth. See the pattern yet?
"Owe no one anything, except to love one another..." ~ Romans 13:8
Dr. Dan Lachica's talk about debt was very inspiring, and although I'm not in debt (except maybe from my parents) I still learned a lot from it. However, what really striked me was his short segue into how cheating somehow affects what happens to you in the future. Dr. Lachica's example was that, if he holds a scalding hot bottle of water, his hand will blister right away- therefore, he immidiately knows that the cause of the blisters is the hot bottle of water. However, if he holds the hot bottle now, and gets blisters after a few days, it would be harder to connect those two events.

Now, let me tell you what happened to me just last week. Yes, a week before my whole week of faith and prosperity-talk with practically everyone.

A week ago, Saturday, I was at the office working as usual with very little care about cash except saving enough for a copy of Final Fantasy 14 come late September. One of my friends asked me if I have time after work, since a new movie that looked interesting was in the theaters (No, not Eclipse, but Sorcerer's Apprentice w/ Nicolas Cage). Since I didn't have anything planned except my weekly Saturday mass at the nearby mall, I agreed. Turns out that the same mall had a screening of the movie we want, 30 mins. right after the mass (coincidence? I didn't think so then, but...)

I met with my friend after work, and we went to the mass together. Before the mass ended, the collection basket was passed for those who'd like to share their blessings with the church- I usually pass it on because... well, I don't really have an excuse. But until then, I don't remember ever putting any of my own money into the collection basket. However, my friend took out his wallet and drew some coins when the basket neared. Feeling a bit guilty, I also looked at my wallet and got some coins out- about six or seven pesos, I'm not sure. We dropped the coins into the basket and the mass continued.

We ate at a fast food, watched the movie (it was good, btw) then went home- a bus then a jeep. Here's when I first noticed something: I had the exact amount of coins left for my ride home, and since I don't like breaking my bills to coins, I decided not to stop at a convenience store for a quick bite.

The next work day, the same thing happened at my workplace's canteen- exact change. Nothing extra to spend on luxuries that I want, but don't need. The week trudged on, and the same things kept happening, up until the weekend came- which I normally spend some extra cash (I had quite a lot, to my surprise). I had quite a fun and I enjoyed hanging out with my friends, until I noticed that I left my jacket at a coffee shop (Town Center's Coffee Bean). It was a favorite of mine, and quite new too- I immediately sms'd my mom about it just in case I never get it back, since me and my friends are already a bit far from where I left it. An hour passed by, almost two hours, before we got back. Lo and behold, I got my jacket back. The shopkeeper's staff kept it for me, and I was really grateful that they did so.

It was an amazing string of "coincidences": starting with a guilty offering of only a few pesos, into saving some cash, into finding my lost jacket, and finally capped with a series of seminars that explained everything. It took me a while before I saw which caused what effect, but I'm sure- 100% sure, that my whole week was planned by Him. I really am blessed, and I'm writing this as way to spread these blessings, to inspire, or at least convince you, that the Lord, our God, is really a generous God.

I don't really like quoting from the bible (it almost always feels like its out of context somehow), but since I started with one, I'll end with another. Until next time, Sayonara!
"As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease." ~ Genesis 8:22

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