Monday, August 18, 2008
God is good all the time!
My heart was full of joy watching the graduates of singles encounter retreat #4 BONDING.
First we gathered at the dining hall preparing for the Eucharistic celebration for our SE#4 grand reunion. Of course our fellowship is always associated with "when do" or "window". People bring in their favorite dish to pass. The question "when do we eat" or "when is the window for eating" is priority. First the drinks - water, soda pop, arizona tea. Then the hopia (which was kept hidden for later after mass). Then Mike's Korean bar-b-que, then Tita Dita's Pinoy bar-b-que in skewers, Tita Sally's yummy spaghetti with huge meat balls, someone brought potato salad, then Annettes "healthy" BLT pizza - with lots of bacon, lettuce, tomatoes and heavy mayo, then the desserts of biko, cheese cakes & crispy turon saging. Everyone had their fill. And then there were more . . .
Onto the mass: The SE#4 grads brought their own praise and worship music! How great - complete with drums, violin, guitar and vocals. Faith, Krystle, Girard and Jarryd have beautiful voices. They got me dancing on that last song - "I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever".
Some of the comments from the SE#4 grads were:
"The SE gave me courage. I am able to speak in front of people now." - Dominic
"I've learned to make time for God." - Ann Marie
"I've learned to let go of grudges." - Rachel
"SE opened my eyes and set me up onto the right direction in life." - Jarryd
"The most noticeable change in me I learned is to forgive and forget." - Albert
"We are serving the same master no matter which group we are in." - Girard
"God makes many changes in minute ways." - Michael
Keep bonding - like a coal in a fireplace - everyone helps keep the fire burning in each other's heart as they worship together our One Great God.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Catholic Singles Retreat in Michigan
Monday, April 28, 2008
Invitation to BLD Catholic Singles Encounter retreat
You are invited to discover and strengthen your purpose in life as a single catholic through an encounter with Jesus. The Bukas Loob sa Diyos (Open your spirit to God) Covenant Community of
Come, say ‘yes’ to Jesus. Bring friends or meet new friends who are on the same journey. We know you will find this weekend to be very rewarding and full of opportunities to reflect on your present life as well as to discern its meaning. As you deepen your interpersonal relationships with family and friends, you will realize a closer, more personal connection with God. You shall experience His love in a very intimate way. We promise you a very invigorating and life-changing weekend.
The cost including meals, lodgings and materials is $100.00 per person.
Please fill out Application Form (http://www.blddetroit.org/links.htm) and return to us on or before June 3, 2008 with your $50.00 deposit. Deadline for full payment is on June 25, 2008.
In the love and service of the Lord,
Tony & Dita Alojipan ---
Coordinators, Singles Ministry--
(248) 640-3742 (Dita);
antonioalojipan@yahoo.com
Romy & Laida Laranang --
District Council of Stewards --– Pastoral
(248) 559-6243; romnel06@sbcglobal.net
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Don't be lonely now.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
BLD-Detroit covenant community sponsors a retreat for young Catholic Singles in July 2008
With the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the
This is an invitation to a formal retreat to encounter the Lord Jesus who is calling you and inviting you to come even closer towards Him. If you are single and Catholic - do you feel the Spirit moving you to find a venue where people of your age and conviction are gathered together - kind of hanging out with each other - in an intimate way - for the Lord? One of the venues that can help facilitate your responding to getting to know the Lord Jesus is the Catholic Singles Encounter Retreat - presented by the BLD-Detroit covenant community. This will be held at the beautiful, peaceful, contemplative grounds of the St. John Family and
Here, you'll meet singles who are being changed or already changed by the Holy Spirit even before coming to the encounter weekend. Some have fully accepted the desire to be with the Lord and some are just getting started in having attraction towards the Lord. The most difficult part of the retreat is to say ‘yes’ to attend a whole weekend dedicated to experiencing the presence of God. Most singles have multiple demands on their time. Some have colleges; some have work, some have both. There are parties to celebrate, cafes to meet friends in, basketball and football teams to cheer for, new-beer-tasting events at different pubs; laundries and chores to attend to reserved only for the weekend. In spite of all these heavy demands on your time – when you feel the tug of the Holy Spirit – do not resist. Resistance is futile. Come in obedience to the calling that is put deep in your heart. You are God’s chosen children and you are naturally drawn to the Heavenly Father. Say ‘yes’ to spending personal time with the Lord for the weekend. What time you give Him in a weekend – He will multiply it a hundred-fold in your lifetime. Here's the website for more information and to register. For more info and to register for the retreat, here's the address: http://www.blddetroit.org/links.htm.
Testimonial:
. . . I would like to give a concrete example, that being of my brother Ray, Singles Encounter #2 (SE2) graduate. My brother Ray had his calendar filled with golf outings...Even more resistant to the weekend than I was (who has graduate school to attend to), he was emphatic that he was NOT going to attend. I did not even imagine he would show up, let alone graduate from SE2...And though my mother tried her best, I really believed forces bigger than you and I made it possible for him to make his first steps toward St. John's Center that fateful Friday afternoon....During dinner that evening, I tried to gauge his mood and he was light as air, which if you know my brother, he is always 'on turbo boost', very serious, very business-minded...But his relaxed and happy mood during dinner told me that the job had already been done. My brother has been changed because he said ‘yes’ to God. Way before the encounter weekend, behind the scenes and without us knowing, the Holy Spirit had already penetrated the most vulnerable and sacred part of my brother that only God and HE alone had direct access to! HE changes hearts. HE changes souls. Because of this, my brother was open to a close and intimate encounter with God through a BLD Singles Encounter. Glory to God!
Yours respectfully, Claire O. -
Keywords= catholic retreat, catholic singles, meditation, contemplative, Holy Spirit, Glory to God, golf, beers, football, basketball, Jesus, friends, humility, resistance, lifetime, calendar, pubs, BLD, Detroit, singles seminar, St. John Center, Plymouth, Detroit, Ann Arbor, Westland, Garden City, Novi, Livonia, Troy, Southfield, South Haven, Michigan, Youth, Young Adults.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Catholic Singles Encounter Retreat in Michigan
Are you searching for a deeper meaning of your purpose in life?
Come join BLD-Detroit's Catholic Singles Encounter Retreat at the beautiful St. John's Family and Retreat Center in Plymouth Michigan. This retreat is scheduled the weekend of July 11, 12, & 13 2008.