I'm Back!
After a long, six-week hiatus, I was finally able to play the sport that I've always loved. Last June, I sprained my ankle and ever since that day, I never got around to dribbling a basketball on a court until last Wednesday. Man, it's good to be back! It's true what they say about the things you take for granted: you never know what you've got until it's gone. Fortunately for me, basketball was just put on hold.
What made my so-called comeback better was that a lot of people came to play. It was a blessing because the regulars said most of the people who played that night weren't attending before. Fifteen players is a good, solid number for a pick-up game. First ten gets to play, then the remaining five challenges the winner of the first game.
Of course, I was a step slower and I really didn't have much "oomph" in my game because let's face it, I was rusty as heck. Also, when I jab my left foot at an angle, it hurts a wee bit. I'm just grateful that I am able to run up and down the court. Hopefully I get back into shape and improve. I guess, I need to go back and practice my game. If it took me six weeks to heal, I don't mind waiting for six months to finally improve on my game. It'll come I'm sure.
Friday, August 05, 2005
The Price
The Price
This is something that I received from a friend. This just reminds me of the goodness of God. And maybe you, the reader, fail to see now the significance of what He did on the cross but He did it for YOU anyway. The love I received from Him is so inexplicably undeserved. But He never hesitated to do it for me and you.
The Price
There once was a man named George Thomas,
pastor in a small New England town. One Easter
Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a
rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit.
Eyebrows were raised and, as if in response,
Pastor Thomas began to speak..."I was walking
through town yesterday when I saw a young boy
coming toward me swinging this bird cage. On the
bottom of the cage were three little wild birds,
shivering with cold and fright. I stopped the lad and
asked, "What you got there, son?" "Just some old
birds," came the reply.
"What are you gonna do with them?" I asked.
"Take 'em home and have fun with 'em," he
answered. "I'm gonna tease 'em and pull out their
feathers to make 'em fight. I'm gonna have a real
good time"
"But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or later.
What will you do?"
"Oh, I got some cats," said the little boy. "They
like birds. I'll take 'em to them."
The pastor was silent for a moment. "How much
do you want for those birds, son?"
"Huh?? !!! Why, you don't want them birds,
mister. They're just plain old field birds. They don't
sing. They ain't even pretty!"
"How much?" the pastor asked again.
The boy sized up the pastor as if he were crazy
and said, "$10?"
The pastor reached in his pocket and took out a
ten dollar bill. He placed it in the boy's hand. In a
flash, the boy was gone.
The pastor picked up the cage and gently carried
it to the end of the alley where there was a tree
and a grassy spot. Setting the cage down, he
opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars
persuaded the birds out, setting them free.
Well, that explained the empty bird cage on the
pulpit, and then the pastor began to tell this story.
One day Satan and Jesus were having a
conversation.
Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden,
and he was gloating and boasting. "Yes, sir, I just
caught the world full of people down there. Set them
a trap, used bait I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all!"
"What are you going to do with them?" Jesus
asked.
Satan replied, "Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna
teach them how to marry and divorce each other,
how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink
and smoke and curse. I'm gonna teach them how
to invent guns and bombs and kill each other. I'm
really gonna have fun!"
"And what will you do when you get done with
them?" Jesus asked.
"Oh, I'll kill 'em," Satan glared proudly.
"How much do you want for them?" Jesus asked.
"Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no
good. Why, you'll take them and they'll just hate
you. They'll spit on you, curse you and kill you.
You don't want those people!!"
"How much?" He asked again.
Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, "All your
blood, tears and your life."
Jesus said, "DONE!"
Then He paid the price.
The pastor picked up the cage he opened the
door and he walked from the pulpit.
We were supposed to go straight to Hell yet by His grace showed on the cross, we have the choice of where our final destination will be.
This is something that I received from a friend. This just reminds me of the goodness of God. And maybe you, the reader, fail to see now the significance of what He did on the cross but He did it for YOU anyway. The love I received from Him is so inexplicably undeserved. But He never hesitated to do it for me and you.
The Price
There once was a man named George Thomas,
pastor in a small New England town. One Easter
Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a
rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit.
Eyebrows were raised and, as if in response,
Pastor Thomas began to speak..."I was walking
through town yesterday when I saw a young boy
coming toward me swinging this bird cage. On the
bottom of the cage were three little wild birds,
shivering with cold and fright. I stopped the lad and
asked, "What you got there, son?" "Just some old
birds," came the reply.
"What are you gonna do with them?" I asked.
"Take 'em home and have fun with 'em," he
answered. "I'm gonna tease 'em and pull out their
feathers to make 'em fight. I'm gonna have a real
good time"
"But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or later.
What will you do?"
"Oh, I got some cats," said the little boy. "They
like birds. I'll take 'em to them."
The pastor was silent for a moment. "How much
do you want for those birds, son?"
"Huh?? !!! Why, you don't want them birds,
mister. They're just plain old field birds. They don't
sing. They ain't even pretty!"
"How much?" the pastor asked again.
The boy sized up the pastor as if he were crazy
and said, "$10?"
The pastor reached in his pocket and took out a
ten dollar bill. He placed it in the boy's hand. In a
flash, the boy was gone.
The pastor picked up the cage and gently carried
it to the end of the alley where there was a tree
and a grassy spot. Setting the cage down, he
opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars
persuaded the birds out, setting them free.
Well, that explained the empty bird cage on the
pulpit, and then the pastor began to tell this story.
One day Satan and Jesus were having a
conversation.
Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden,
and he was gloating and boasting. "Yes, sir, I just
caught the world full of people down there. Set them
a trap, used bait I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all!"
"What are you going to do with them?" Jesus
asked.
Satan replied, "Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna
teach them how to marry and divorce each other,
how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink
and smoke and curse. I'm gonna teach them how
to invent guns and bombs and kill each other. I'm
really gonna have fun!"
"And what will you do when you get done with
them?" Jesus asked.
"Oh, I'll kill 'em," Satan glared proudly.
"How much do you want for them?" Jesus asked.
"Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no
good. Why, you'll take them and they'll just hate
you. They'll spit on you, curse you and kill you.
You don't want those people!!"
"How much?" He asked again.
Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, "All your
blood, tears and your life."
Jesus said, "DONE!"
Then He paid the price.
The pastor picked up the cage he opened the
door and he walked from the pulpit.
We were supposed to go straight to Hell yet by His grace showed on the cross, we have the choice of where our final destination will be.
Sunday, July 31, 2005
40 Things About Me
40 Things About Me
1. Pick 1 of your scars out now. How did you get it?
One just above the knee. When we were kids, my brother I were playing and burning with straws when he accidentally dropped a searing plastic droplet over that area. Ouch talaga.
2. What's on the walls of your room?
One larger than life Allen Iverson poster. It scares the heck out of my mom every time. ^_^
3. Would you rather play or watch football?
Definitely play. But I think futsal is more convenient because you won't have to look for a field and a lot of players.
4. What sport would you say you're good at?
Basketball I guess. I used to be really adept in billiards. I quit playing because people smoke whenever they play.
5. What was your worst nightmare?
I had one when I was about 11 or 12 years old. I dreamt that I was being chased by an army of zombies. But I recently had one that even topped that. Hehe. Ask me and I'll let you know.
6. Apples or oranges?
Apples. I'm too lazy to peel oranges. Hehe.
7. Grapes or watermelon?
Grapes. Dapat seedless. :p
8. Wolves or tigers?
Tigers? (I'm still assuming that I want to eat these right? Hehe.)
9. What sort of music do you listen to?
Anything except country. I can still tolerate heavy rock/metal bands because I appreciate the likes of Slipknot.
10. Have you ever written poetry?
Yup. Outlet ko yun eh.
11. Do you remember birthdays?
Yes.
12. Do you know what time you were born?
7-something in the morning?
13. What's your fave phrase to use?
"Galing!", "Lupet" or "Asteeeg"
14. Are you a sweet person?
Yeah.
15. What were you doing before you started filling this in?
Checking my mail.
16. What is your favorite gum?
Bubbleyum.
17. Fave chocolate?
Hm..Nestlé Crunch and York. :)
18. Fave candy?
Haw flakes. Candy ba yun?
19. Chocolate or vanilla ice-cream?
Chocolate.
20. What is the first thing you notice on someone? (opposite gender)
Her eyes.
21. What's your fav smell?
D&G Blue.
22. Fave sound that you hear often?
Hehe. "chimeup.wav" For the geeks, you'll know this.
23. What are you thinking about right now?
When is it going to rain?
25. What color are your eyes?
Dark brown.
26. Have you ever slept with a stuffed animal?
Yeah. I had a dog and a bear once.
27. What's the name of the stuffed anmal?
Hmmm...I don't remember. Sorry. :p
28. Who was your first crush when you were little?
The girl next door. I was seven back then. She was eight. Her name was Shiela.
29. What kind of hair do you like on the opposite sex?
Long flowing hair. I was brought up during the "Gee, your hair smells terrific" era. Hence, the affinity for long hair. :)
30. Who out of ur friends (same gender) have you known the longest?
A.J. Known him for more than a decade.
31. Sunrise or sunset?
Sunsets. They're awesome. I even wish they didn't go away so abruptly though.
32. Where can you see urself being proposed to/at?
Uhh..if this is what I think it is, I really don't know. I'm not sure yet if I'm called to be married. I'm still waiting. Although I'd like to become a good father.
33. Movies?
What about them? Favorite one? What Dreams May Come.
34. Where can you see urself goin for your honeymooon?
I'd take her to a beautiful, quiet beach.
35. Can you play an instrument?
Yes. I play the guitar.
36. Band/s?
Am I part of one or what is my favorite band?
38. What kind of books do you like to read?
Recently, Christian books. I've just finished What's So Amazing About Grace? and Rumors of Another World
39. Do you like poetry?
Of course. I wouldn't mind becoming a poet at the latter part of my life.
40. How do you like your coffee?
Strong. As long as it keeps me awake.
1. Pick 1 of your scars out now. How did you get it?
One just above the knee. When we were kids, my brother I were playing and burning with straws when he accidentally dropped a searing plastic droplet over that area. Ouch talaga.
2. What's on the walls of your room?
One larger than life Allen Iverson poster. It scares the heck out of my mom every time. ^_^
3. Would you rather play or watch football?
Definitely play. But I think futsal is more convenient because you won't have to look for a field and a lot of players.
4. What sport would you say you're good at?
Basketball I guess. I used to be really adept in billiards. I quit playing because people smoke whenever they play.
5. What was your worst nightmare?
I had one when I was about 11 or 12 years old. I dreamt that I was being chased by an army of zombies. But I recently had one that even topped that. Hehe. Ask me and I'll let you know.
6. Apples or oranges?
Apples. I'm too lazy to peel oranges. Hehe.
7. Grapes or watermelon?
Grapes. Dapat seedless. :p
8. Wolves or tigers?
Tigers? (I'm still assuming that I want to eat these right? Hehe.)
9. What sort of music do you listen to?
Anything except country. I can still tolerate heavy rock/metal bands because I appreciate the likes of Slipknot.
10. Have you ever written poetry?
Yup. Outlet ko yun eh.
11. Do you remember birthdays?
Yes.
12. Do you know what time you were born?
7-something in the morning?
13. What's your fave phrase to use?
"Galing!", "Lupet" or "Asteeeg"
14. Are you a sweet person?
Yeah.
15. What were you doing before you started filling this in?
Checking my mail.
16. What is your favorite gum?
Bubbleyum.
17. Fave chocolate?
Hm..Nestlé Crunch and York. :)
18. Fave candy?
Haw flakes. Candy ba yun?
19. Chocolate or vanilla ice-cream?
Chocolate.
20. What is the first thing you notice on someone? (opposite gender)
Her eyes.
21. What's your fav smell?
D&G Blue.
22. Fave sound that you hear often?
Hehe. "chimeup.wav" For the geeks, you'll know this.
23. What are you thinking about right now?
When is it going to rain?
25. What color are your eyes?
Dark brown.
26. Have you ever slept with a stuffed animal?
Yeah. I had a dog and a bear once.
27. What's the name of the stuffed anmal?
Hmmm...I don't remember. Sorry. :p
28. Who was your first crush when you were little?
The girl next door. I was seven back then. She was eight. Her name was Shiela.
29. What kind of hair do you like on the opposite sex?
Long flowing hair. I was brought up during the "Gee, your hair smells terrific" era. Hence, the affinity for long hair. :)
30. Who out of ur friends (same gender) have you known the longest?
A.J. Known him for more than a decade.
31. Sunrise or sunset?
Sunsets. They're awesome. I even wish they didn't go away so abruptly though.
32. Where can you see urself being proposed to/at?
Uhh..if this is what I think it is, I really don't know. I'm not sure yet if I'm called to be married. I'm still waiting. Although I'd like to become a good father.
33. Movies?
What about them? Favorite one? What Dreams May Come.
34. Where can you see urself goin for your honeymooon?
I'd take her to a beautiful, quiet beach.
35. Can you play an instrument?
Yes. I play the guitar.
36. Band/s?
Am I part of one or what is my favorite band?
38. What kind of books do you like to read?
Recently, Christian books. I've just finished What's So Amazing About Grace? and Rumors of Another World
39. Do you like poetry?
Of course. I wouldn't mind becoming a poet at the latter part of my life.
40. How do you like your coffee?
Strong. As long as it keeps me awake.
Friday, July 29, 2005
I'm Sorry...
I'm Sorry...
There are times that I can't seem to shake off all of the disappointments that I've done, all the hurts that I've caused, all the people I've abandoned, all the friends I've left behind.
I try to live my life as good as humanly possible but when I look back at my life and all of the people I've hurt, I cannot help but become teary-eyed. Instead of becoming a guide in this journey we call life, I've managed to make people fall and stumble along the way.
And as the title of this entry says, I am sorry. This isn't for any specific person. This is for everybody who knows me. And I know this entry is not impactful as a face-to-face apology but believe me, if I knew I had wronged you in any manner, I would not hesitate to ask for forgiveness from you. And so I would like to say sorry...
I am sorry for all the hurtful things that I've done to you, no matter how small or big they were.
I am sorry for becoming a stumbling block to you.
I am sorry for becoming a bad example when you needed me to become a good one.
I am sorry for being a bad example, period.
I am sorry because I made you feel insecure and/or uncomfortable.
I am sorry for not being true to my word.
I am sorry because I just rub you the wrong way.
How I wish I knew what I did wrong, so I could tell you now that it wasn't on purpose. How I wish you could know the person who I am now.
And for everybody who believes my sincerity, I hope you can forgive me.
I learned in Matthew 5:13 that as a Christian, I should be salt and light of the earth. I hate the feeling. I hate the feeling that there are times that I feel like that. I hate the feeling of knowing "patapon ang buhay ko na parang basahan" [my life is as useless as a filthy rag] .
And then came Jesus. You all know the story. He died for our sins; whatever shameful thing I have done, He already took the blame. God forgave all of my sins, all of the shameful things I have done. All of them. When I look at my life and realize that someone actually died for a filthy rag like me, I cannot do anything but respond in love. Who am I to shun a kind of love as inconceivable as that?
I have been forgiven a great deal.
So this is how the prodigal son must have felt.
There are times that I can't seem to shake off all of the disappointments that I've done, all the hurts that I've caused, all the people I've abandoned, all the friends I've left behind.
I try to live my life as good as humanly possible but when I look back at my life and all of the people I've hurt, I cannot help but become teary-eyed. Instead of becoming a guide in this journey we call life, I've managed to make people fall and stumble along the way.
And as the title of this entry says, I am sorry. This isn't for any specific person. This is for everybody who knows me. And I know this entry is not impactful as a face-to-face apology but believe me, if I knew I had wronged you in any manner, I would not hesitate to ask for forgiveness from you. And so I would like to say sorry...
I am sorry for all the hurtful things that I've done to you, no matter how small or big they were.
I am sorry for becoming a stumbling block to you.
I am sorry for becoming a bad example when you needed me to become a good one.
I am sorry for being a bad example, period.
I am sorry because I made you feel insecure and/or uncomfortable.
I am sorry for not being true to my word.
I am sorry because I just rub you the wrong way.
How I wish I knew what I did wrong, so I could tell you now that it wasn't on purpose. How I wish you could know the person who I am now.
And for everybody who believes my sincerity, I hope you can forgive me.
I learned in Matthew 5:13 that as a Christian, I should be salt and light of the earth. I hate the feeling. I hate the feeling that there are times that I feel like that. I hate the feeling of knowing "patapon ang buhay ko na parang basahan" [my life is as useless as a filthy rag] .
And then came Jesus. You all know the story. He died for our sins; whatever shameful thing I have done, He already took the blame. God forgave all of my sins, all of the shameful things I have done. All of them. When I look at my life and realize that someone actually died for a filthy rag like me, I cannot do anything but respond in love. Who am I to shun a kind of love as inconceivable as that?
I have been forgiven a great deal.
So this is how the prodigal son must have felt.
Monday, July 25, 2005
A Poem For Her
A Poem For Her
This is a post that is quite different from my previous entries. No matter how much I try, I still cannot seem to shake her image from my mind. And when she's there, it's as if everything else blurs in comparison. When I think about how innate our longing to love and be loved is, I remember a saying that goes, "We are, each of us angels with only one wing; and we can only fly by embracing one another."
Confessions
by Zeus Martinez
How can I not fall for you, my love?
How can I ever look into your quiet eyes
and not tremble through and through
because you are most beautiful in my sight?
I stop and hold my breath as if underwater
for I fear your radiance and allure
shall wrestle the life out of me
until I bequeath my consciousness to you.
How can I not smile when I see you smile?
How can I ever take back my heart
which now rests on the palm of your hand
like the moon does on the starlit sky?
I try with the greatest of efforts
to find the words to describe my state.
My captivated soul sighs as well as I
for you silence me and make me still.
Why did you have to be so beautiful?
Why did you have to be so enchanting & perfect
like a sunset over a vast blue horizon
in the waning hours of a summer's day.
I cannot help but fall for you.
As much as the waves cannot
help but seek out sand and shore
my heart gravitates towards you.
How can I not slip into simultaneous
fear and joy when you walk past me
you are the gentle summer breeze
that moves me to close my eyes and sigh.
As always, you are unaware of these
lofty confessions that I pronounce.
And you shall hear them but also
never understand how deep I've fallen.
How can I forget my enamored heart
still beats but finds you far from me?
I wish I could tell you everything
and then just walk away.
I need not wait for an answer
for I fear the truth it will contain.
I hope one day, I will have nothing to lose
so you may know what my heart wanted to say.
Until then, I still wonder without end.
Why of all the muses I have met,
the loveliest of them all had to be
the farthest from my reach.
For someone who doesn't know who she is in my life.
This is a post that is quite different from my previous entries. No matter how much I try, I still cannot seem to shake her image from my mind. And when she's there, it's as if everything else blurs in comparison. When I think about how innate our longing to love and be loved is, I remember a saying that goes, "We are, each of us angels with only one wing; and we can only fly by embracing one another."
Confessions
by Zeus Martinez
How can I not fall for you, my love?
How can I ever look into your quiet eyes
and not tremble through and through
because you are most beautiful in my sight?
I stop and hold my breath as if underwater
for I fear your radiance and allure
shall wrestle the life out of me
until I bequeath my consciousness to you.
How can I not smile when I see you smile?
How can I ever take back my heart
which now rests on the palm of your hand
like the moon does on the starlit sky?
I try with the greatest of efforts
to find the words to describe my state.
My captivated soul sighs as well as I
for you silence me and make me still.
Why did you have to be so beautiful?
Why did you have to be so enchanting & perfect
like a sunset over a vast blue horizon
in the waning hours of a summer's day.
I cannot help but fall for you.
As much as the waves cannot
help but seek out sand and shore
my heart gravitates towards you.
How can I not slip into simultaneous
fear and joy when you walk past me
you are the gentle summer breeze
that moves me to close my eyes and sigh.
As always, you are unaware of these
lofty confessions that I pronounce.
And you shall hear them but also
never understand how deep I've fallen.
How can I forget my enamored heart
still beats but finds you far from me?
I wish I could tell you everything
and then just walk away.
I need not wait for an answer
for I fear the truth it will contain.
I hope one day, I will have nothing to lose
so you may know what my heart wanted to say.
Until then, I still wonder without end.
Why of all the muses I have met,
the loveliest of them all had to be
the farthest from my reach.
For someone who doesn't know who she is in my life.
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Beyond Recognition
Beyond Recognition
When the truth hits you, it hits you hard. I'm glad that for me, it has always been that way. I'm glad that whenever I realize something important, it doesn't just graze the surface of my mind but instead goes through it. I'm glad that whenever I have an epiphany of some sort, it doesn't leave a mark as small as a nine-inch nail rather it leaves an exit wound so big that it would be impossible to ignore.
Sadly, I learn some of life's most important lessons not through the experiences of others but by experiencing them firsthand. In order to learn important lessons, I somehow need to feel that freefalling sensation that jolts you to either sink or swim; either remain apathetic or do something about it.
I have experienced shedding tears for our country. I've actually felt what it was like to be desperate for a revival here in the Philippines. There was one time when I was in my room and I had just woken up. I began listening to a praise and worship song and suddenly I just broke down and cried because I realized how bad the situtation is in our country. It hit me and it hit me hard. The Philippines is slowly rotting away and giving itself to the corruption it had so openly renounced back in 1986.
The authorities who are supposed to be living examples of how to become Filipinos are the same people who are draining our motherland of Hope.
The middle-class people have given up on voicing out their opinions and more and more people are now just striving to get by instead thinking of building a future.
The masses have subscribed to the ideology that if a leader errs, he or she must step down or else be overthrown by a people power revolution. The Philippines has substituted a mild form of anarchy for democracy and the sad this is, we're not aware of it.
We are all Filipino citizens yet we can't seem to get along.
I couldn't help but anguish over the state that our country is in. You can almost predict what will happen if a politician screws up. To say that about the presidency is even an understatement. We all shout and scream at the people who we think are responsible yet we are deaf to our own conscience. We forget that when we point at others, three of our other fingers point back at us. It's frustrating because it's both all too simple and complicated for us Filipinos. I can't just say to people to start forgiving those who've wronged them because it is so unnatural. Yet forgiveness is one of the essential steps that what we need in order to turn this country around. I can't just come up to people and tell them to forget their pride because for some, pride is all what they think they have left. And for a few others, pride becomes more important than helping this country back on its feet.
I attended a prayer event last Saturday entitled D4G 11/11. D4G means "Desperate For God" and we committed ourselves to pray for the country every eleven 'o clock in the morning (or evening) for eleven straight days. I really didn't expect to give away any more tears but I did. I realized that as much as we would like think that we are good people, we really are not. I discovered that we have so much to be sorry for. We have so much strife and apathy in our land that when you realize it, the only thing you can say is, "No wonder this is happening to us today."
Pray for the country every eleven o' clock. Doesn't matter if it's morning or evening.
I agree with a certain Alexander Solzhenitsyn when he said that "Men have forgotten God; that's why all this has happened." Russia back then experienced moral and social chaos during the Communist regime. He says:
Over half a century ago, while I was still a child, I recall hearing a number of older people offer the following explanation for the great disasters that had befallen Russia: "Men have forgotten God; that's why all this has happened." Since then I have spent well-nigh fifty years working on the history of our revolution; in the process I have read hundreds of books, collected hundreds of personal testimonies, and have already contributed eight volumes of my own toward the effort of clearing away the rubble left by that upheaval. But if I were asked today to formulate as concisely as possible the main cause of the ruinous revolution that swallowed up some sixty million of our people, I could not put it more accurately than to repeat: "Men have forgotten God; that's why all this has happened."
Deuteronomy 28:1 says, "If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth." If you substitute the Philippines for the pronoun "you" in that verse, then God will "set the country high above all the nations on earth."
God is not a tyrant on a power trip. He is a loving Father who wants nothing else but the best for us. Some people will say that they'd rather have God Himself come down and just wave His hand and take out everything vile and unlawful in our country but the reality is, we're the only ones He is waiting for.
When a father asks his child not to touch a hot stove, He is saying that for his children's own good, not for his. However, if a child still decides to touch that hot stove, he will undoubtedly hurt himself. I believe that God will bless our nation if we turned from our wicked ways. But if we choose to ignore Him all the more, then we cannot expect ourselves not to get burned in the process.
When I picture the Philippines in this analogy, I cannot help but see a foolish child touching the hot stove again and again even when his hand is already covered in painful blisters. I wince as I continue to imagine the child's hand becoming more and more disfigured until it is beyond recognition. If that's what we Filipinos want, I'm sure as Heaven that's what we'll get.
When the truth hits you, it hits you hard. I'm glad that for me, it has always been that way. I'm glad that whenever I realize something important, it doesn't just graze the surface of my mind but instead goes through it. I'm glad that whenever I have an epiphany of some sort, it doesn't leave a mark as small as a nine-inch nail rather it leaves an exit wound so big that it would be impossible to ignore.
Sadly, I learn some of life's most important lessons not through the experiences of others but by experiencing them firsthand. In order to learn important lessons, I somehow need to feel that freefalling sensation that jolts you to either sink or swim; either remain apathetic or do something about it.
I have experienced shedding tears for our country. I've actually felt what it was like to be desperate for a revival here in the Philippines. There was one time when I was in my room and I had just woken up. I began listening to a praise and worship song and suddenly I just broke down and cried because I realized how bad the situtation is in our country. It hit me and it hit me hard. The Philippines is slowly rotting away and giving itself to the corruption it had so openly renounced back in 1986.
The authorities who are supposed to be living examples of how to become Filipinos are the same people who are draining our motherland of Hope.
The middle-class people have given up on voicing out their opinions and more and more people are now just striving to get by instead thinking of building a future.
The masses have subscribed to the ideology that if a leader errs, he or she must step down or else be overthrown by a people power revolution. The Philippines has substituted a mild form of anarchy for democracy and the sad this is, we're not aware of it.
We are all Filipino citizens yet we can't seem to get along.
I couldn't help but anguish over the state that our country is in. You can almost predict what will happen if a politician screws up. To say that about the presidency is even an understatement. We all shout and scream at the people who we think are responsible yet we are deaf to our own conscience. We forget that when we point at others, three of our other fingers point back at us. It's frustrating because it's both all too simple and complicated for us Filipinos. I can't just say to people to start forgiving those who've wronged them because it is so unnatural. Yet forgiveness is one of the essential steps that what we need in order to turn this country around. I can't just come up to people and tell them to forget their pride because for some, pride is all what they think they have left. And for a few others, pride becomes more important than helping this country back on its feet.
I attended a prayer event last Saturday entitled D4G 11/11. D4G means "Desperate For God" and we committed ourselves to pray for the country every eleven 'o clock in the morning (or evening) for eleven straight days. I really didn't expect to give away any more tears but I did. I realized that as much as we would like think that we are good people, we really are not. I discovered that we have so much to be sorry for. We have so much strife and apathy in our land that when you realize it, the only thing you can say is, "No wonder this is happening to us today."
Pray for the country every eleven o' clock. Doesn't matter if it's morning or evening.
I agree with a certain Alexander Solzhenitsyn when he said that "Men have forgotten God; that's why all this has happened." Russia back then experienced moral and social chaos during the Communist regime. He says:
Over half a century ago, while I was still a child, I recall hearing a number of older people offer the following explanation for the great disasters that had befallen Russia: "Men have forgotten God; that's why all this has happened." Since then I have spent well-nigh fifty years working on the history of our revolution; in the process I have read hundreds of books, collected hundreds of personal testimonies, and have already contributed eight volumes of my own toward the effort of clearing away the rubble left by that upheaval. But if I were asked today to formulate as concisely as possible the main cause of the ruinous revolution that swallowed up some sixty million of our people, I could not put it more accurately than to repeat: "Men have forgotten God; that's why all this has happened."
Deuteronomy 28:1 says, "If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth." If you substitute the Philippines for the pronoun "you" in that verse, then God will "set the country high above all the nations on earth."
God is not a tyrant on a power trip. He is a loving Father who wants nothing else but the best for us. Some people will say that they'd rather have God Himself come down and just wave His hand and take out everything vile and unlawful in our country but the reality is, we're the only ones He is waiting for.
When a father asks his child not to touch a hot stove, He is saying that for his children's own good, not for his. However, if a child still decides to touch that hot stove, he will undoubtedly hurt himself. I believe that God will bless our nation if we turned from our wicked ways. But if we choose to ignore Him all the more, then we cannot expect ourselves not to get burned in the process.
When I picture the Philippines in this analogy, I cannot help but see a foolish child touching the hot stove again and again even when his hand is already covered in painful blisters. I wince as I continue to imagine the child's hand becoming more and more disfigured until it is beyond recognition. If that's what we Filipinos want, I'm sure as Heaven that's what we'll get.
Saturday, July 16, 2005
On A Side Note...
On A Side Note...
So many things happened over the weekend and right now I'm just going to rest because my throat hurts. I don't think the soreness will go away anytime soon. Please pray for me that this heals quicker than usual.
I'll try to break down this weekend's thoughts soon. I just have to doze off and get a good night's rest for a change. I think my immune system is breaking down again. Woe is me! :((
So many things happened over the weekend and right now I'm just going to rest because my throat hurts. I don't think the soreness will go away anytime soon. Please pray for me that this heals quicker than usual.
I'll try to break down this weekend's thoughts soon. I just have to doze off and get a good night's rest for a change. I think my immune system is breaking down again. Woe is me! :((
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
A Matter of Time
A Matter of Time
I just heard the weirdest thing yesterday. Going home after attending a friend's D-group (that's "discipleship group" for you) meeting. I was lazily slumped at the back seat of an R&E cab listening to the AM jockey do his round of greetings for the station's listeners when I heard something I shouldn't be hearing. I heard a Christmas song.
I heard "Give Love on Christmas Day".
It was one of the more significant Christmas songs for me not because of the message that it gave but because that was the very first Christmas song that I remember memorizing. Back when I was in prep, we did a holiday presentation for our parents, I believe. I could never forget that we sang that song until it was second nature to us. We memorized that song more than we memorized each other's names. At 6 years old, who could you vividly remember in your class anyway? At least for me, I could only remember literally a handful of classmates.
So there I was, listening in disbelief to a song that was being played months in advance. I couldn't help but ask myself what month it was. It hasn't even hit the "Ber" months yet. (i.e. September, October, etc.) Maybe the DJ played it on purpose or maybe he just felt that he needed to send out a message to the Filipino people who were listening during those brief five minutes. Maybe he just needed to say what was really inside of all of our hearts during this time of testing. We all need love. We all need to practice it in our daily lives. The irony of it all is that the song implores us to "give love on Christmas Day" when in reality, the Philippines and its people need it each and every waking hour. With all of the hatred and all of the pointed fingers we are carelessly thrusting, we all need to hear the simple message that the song implies: live a life of love and live it now.
I was able to have lunch with some of my closest friends and I was truly blessed to hear stories of reconciliation that has recently happened in their lives. I just praise God because I remember praying for that just a few months ago. I really didn't focus on it because at that time I was already looking for a job but I distinctly remember asking a brother in Christ to pray for reconciliation to happen in my friends' lives. I didn't even cry out to the Lord yet He remembered what was my desire that time and He honored it. After everything, I walked away from yesterday's lunch out with a profound gratitude for those friends of mine. I thank the Lord because He has given me people who are as wonderful as them. I look back at the event and I cannot deny the love that we had for each other. No disdainful remarks or hurtful words. It was possibly an ordinary day for the rest of the people at Podium but it was definitely a special one for me. I thank God for friends. They remind us how we should treat people and not just people we know or care about. Friends remind us that because of the love that we both give and receive, our lives are richer and become more bearable. Because of the love that we willingly bestow and graciously receive from these people who were once strangers to us, we smile more often.
I can't help but think, if that can happen to our group...if that can happen to people who were once strangers, then why not give other people--the present strangers in our lives--the benefit of the doubt? To a nation that is witnessing the depravities of its countrymen and the betrayal that goes on in every nook and cranny of our land, it would really help if we treated other with respect and love for a change. Not because we're motivated by the probability of getting something in return but because of the possibility that a few months or years down the road, you'll be sitting down with people who were once strangers and you'll be thinking, "I'm glad I met this person."
A blessed week to all of you. :)
I just heard the weirdest thing yesterday. Going home after attending a friend's D-group (that's "discipleship group" for you) meeting. I was lazily slumped at the back seat of an R&E cab listening to the AM jockey do his round of greetings for the station's listeners when I heard something I shouldn't be hearing. I heard a Christmas song.
I heard "Give Love on Christmas Day".
It was one of the more significant Christmas songs for me not because of the message that it gave but because that was the very first Christmas song that I remember memorizing. Back when I was in prep, we did a holiday presentation for our parents, I believe. I could never forget that we sang that song until it was second nature to us. We memorized that song more than we memorized each other's names. At 6 years old, who could you vividly remember in your class anyway? At least for me, I could only remember literally a handful of classmates.
So there I was, listening in disbelief to a song that was being played months in advance. I couldn't help but ask myself what month it was. It hasn't even hit the "Ber" months yet. (i.e. September, October, etc.) Maybe the DJ played it on purpose or maybe he just felt that he needed to send out a message to the Filipino people who were listening during those brief five minutes. Maybe he just needed to say what was really inside of all of our hearts during this time of testing. We all need love. We all need to practice it in our daily lives. The irony of it all is that the song implores us to "give love on Christmas Day" when in reality, the Philippines and its people need it each and every waking hour. With all of the hatred and all of the pointed fingers we are carelessly thrusting, we all need to hear the simple message that the song implies: live a life of love and live it now.
I was able to have lunch with some of my closest friends and I was truly blessed to hear stories of reconciliation that has recently happened in their lives. I just praise God because I remember praying for that just a few months ago. I really didn't focus on it because at that time I was already looking for a job but I distinctly remember asking a brother in Christ to pray for reconciliation to happen in my friends' lives. I didn't even cry out to the Lord yet He remembered what was my desire that time and He honored it. After everything, I walked away from yesterday's lunch out with a profound gratitude for those friends of mine. I thank the Lord because He has given me people who are as wonderful as them. I look back at the event and I cannot deny the love that we had for each other. No disdainful remarks or hurtful words. It was possibly an ordinary day for the rest of the people at Podium but it was definitely a special one for me. I thank God for friends. They remind us how we should treat people and not just people we know or care about. Friends remind us that because of the love that we both give and receive, our lives are richer and become more bearable. Because of the love that we willingly bestow and graciously receive from these people who were once strangers to us, we smile more often.
I can't help but think, if that can happen to our group...if that can happen to people who were once strangers, then why not give other people--the present strangers in our lives--the benefit of the doubt? To a nation that is witnessing the depravities of its countrymen and the betrayal that goes on in every nook and cranny of our land, it would really help if we treated other with respect and love for a change. Not because we're motivated by the probability of getting something in return but because of the possibility that a few months or years down the road, you'll be sitting down with people who were once strangers and you'll be thinking, "I'm glad I met this person."
A blessed week to all of you. :)
Friday, July 08, 2005
How To Save Our Country
How To Save Our Country
I have been itching to write about our country's present state but I seem to be at a loss for words. Despite the political scandal that has hit our government, I somehow am fighting the impulse to lash out again at the people "responsible" for the turmoil our motherland is in. But if I think about it, we are no less responsible for what happens to our country than the people elected to govern it. Sure, you can argue that if you were in the president's place, it would be a different story altogether. You would probably have your own set of rigid rules like turning down bribes or fighting corruption at all costs or something as noble as those I've mentioned. You'd probably picture in your mind a Philippines that you have always dreamed of.
Peace would thrive.
Poverty will take a back seat.
Maybe you won't have any uprisings that you see on TV every other month or so.
People think that electing a new leader is the right choice to lift this country from its fragile economic state while others feel that the situation is utterly hopeless. Finding a solution to the problem we now face has proven to be as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack.
Economists and businessmen have all of these great theories on how to start a revival in our beloved country but all they talk about is about what others should be doing. They keep on talking about the how ineffective this person is or what mistakes that person has committed. Honestly, I can't really blame them. I mean, who could actually trust someone who has blatantly lied to the Filipino people? To some people, forgiveness is still acceptable but forgetting is definitely out of the question. And how the Filipino people clamor for a change in governance; how they openly challenge the ones who are in power.
And how could they not? It's their right to have a morally upright leader. It's their right to have an honest person run the country. The truth of the matter is, everybody wants to exercise their rights, not their responsibilities.
Everybody wants a president who listens to the problems of the people yet we ourselves find it a drudging chore to listen to a friend about the stresses that she's going through.
Everyone is expecting that the leader of this country be a morally upright leader when in fact, they themselves compromise their values when they exchange it for a higher rung on the ladder of corporate success.
We see the impoverished people looking for the the president to exhibit compassion towards the poor yet we hear them talk to their children with a loathing only one can imagine.
The Filipino people struggle with the fact that the leader of their country can casually lie while they miss the little white lies they craft themselves in their workplace.
Everybody is demanding for their rights but dismiss their responsibilities as much as the next delinquent. We are all dissidents to our political system. We rant and bicker about the shortcomings of our government but the bigger picture that we always fail to see is that we are responsible for our country too.
I was recently introduced to how one should go about starting a revival in our country. And it's not as difficult to do. In fact, if everybody does it, our country will immediately become a much better place to live in.
Draw a circle on the ground.
Go inside that circle.
And start the revival there.
Funny, how we hold other people responsible and almost always stop there. We seem to be enchanted by discussing what other people are doing wrong that we lose focus of what we should be really doing. Whatever anybody does is their own choice; their will is their own and we can't change that. Should they choose to tread the evil path instead of the path of goodness, then that is their choice. We cannot control other people but we can control ourselves. James 4:11-12 warns us of the folly of judging people. It is not in our right to sit in judgement of others because we ourselves are slaves to our own immoral behavior no matter how trivial they may be. No one can claim to be more righteous than the next person because whatever good we may have done, we still feed our sins from time to time. If you do not pillage like a tyrant, you can be inclined to look down on people just the same. If you believe yourself to be incapable of lying in front of a nationally-televised show watched by millions of Filipinos who've never met you, then how worse is that by lying to the people you work with everyday? Romans 3:10-12 reminds us that we are all sinners just the same.
Start the revival by being the one who speaks the truth to everyone you meet and see. Start the revival by being the morally upright person you'd wish this country would follow. Start the revival by having compassion for those who do not deserve compassion because in the end, loving those who are unlovable brings us closer to our end goal--unity. We ought to try going against the flow of this immoral world and see how much change we can elicit from others.
Be honest for a change.
Seek the good of others.
Talk lovingly to your family.
Give others the benefit of the doubt.
And if they betray your trust, start your lesson on forgiving.
Instead of chastising them, help up those who have fallen.
Cease the petty fights with one another.
Stop living in all sorts of immorality.
Treat others with respect and love.
Forget about "right of way".
Follow rules.
To a child, it may all be as simple as black and white when it comes to right or wrong but as we progress in this earthly life, we learn about the loopholes that we can afford. We are introduced to those little compromises that we so masterfully give justification to. We lie a little or get angry only at people who "deserve" it. Little do we know that it is something akin to dropping a grain of sand into a car's carburetor every day. Soon enough, it becomes filled with sand and it fails to run anymore. Such are the little compromises that we make; such are the little sins that we choose to drop in the carburetor of our life. Soon enough, we will have gone so deep that a meaningful change will be nigh-impossible.
To date the population of the Philippines is 86,241,697.
This country will not be changed by one God-fearing, honest and morally upright president. He or she will need 86,241,696 more to join in. And maybe, just maybe, if we did a little overtime we'd get this country back on its feet.
I have been itching to write about our country's present state but I seem to be at a loss for words. Despite the political scandal that has hit our government, I somehow am fighting the impulse to lash out again at the people "responsible" for the turmoil our motherland is in. But if I think about it, we are no less responsible for what happens to our country than the people elected to govern it. Sure, you can argue that if you were in the president's place, it would be a different story altogether. You would probably have your own set of rigid rules like turning down bribes or fighting corruption at all costs or something as noble as those I've mentioned. You'd probably picture in your mind a Philippines that you have always dreamed of.
Peace would thrive.
Poverty will take a back seat.
Maybe you won't have any uprisings that you see on TV every other month or so.
People think that electing a new leader is the right choice to lift this country from its fragile economic state while others feel that the situation is utterly hopeless. Finding a solution to the problem we now face has proven to be as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack.
Economists and businessmen have all of these great theories on how to start a revival in our beloved country but all they talk about is about what others should be doing. They keep on talking about the how ineffective this person is or what mistakes that person has committed. Honestly, I can't really blame them. I mean, who could actually trust someone who has blatantly lied to the Filipino people? To some people, forgiveness is still acceptable but forgetting is definitely out of the question. And how the Filipino people clamor for a change in governance; how they openly challenge the ones who are in power.
And how could they not? It's their right to have a morally upright leader. It's their right to have an honest person run the country. The truth of the matter is, everybody wants to exercise their rights, not their responsibilities.
Everybody wants a president who listens to the problems of the people yet we ourselves find it a drudging chore to listen to a friend about the stresses that she's going through.
Everyone is expecting that the leader of this country be a morally upright leader when in fact, they themselves compromise their values when they exchange it for a higher rung on the ladder of corporate success.
We see the impoverished people looking for the the president to exhibit compassion towards the poor yet we hear them talk to their children with a loathing only one can imagine.
The Filipino people struggle with the fact that the leader of their country can casually lie while they miss the little white lies they craft themselves in their workplace.
Everybody is demanding for their rights but dismiss their responsibilities as much as the next delinquent. We are all dissidents to our political system. We rant and bicker about the shortcomings of our government but the bigger picture that we always fail to see is that we are responsible for our country too.
I was recently introduced to how one should go about starting a revival in our country. And it's not as difficult to do. In fact, if everybody does it, our country will immediately become a much better place to live in.
Draw a circle on the ground.
Go inside that circle.
And start the revival there.
Funny, how we hold other people responsible and almost always stop there. We seem to be enchanted by discussing what other people are doing wrong that we lose focus of what we should be really doing. Whatever anybody does is their own choice; their will is their own and we can't change that. Should they choose to tread the evil path instead of the path of goodness, then that is their choice. We cannot control other people but we can control ourselves. James 4:11-12 warns us of the folly of judging people. It is not in our right to sit in judgement of others because we ourselves are slaves to our own immoral behavior no matter how trivial they may be. No one can claim to be more righteous than the next person because whatever good we may have done, we still feed our sins from time to time. If you do not pillage like a tyrant, you can be inclined to look down on people just the same. If you believe yourself to be incapable of lying in front of a nationally-televised show watched by millions of Filipinos who've never met you, then how worse is that by lying to the people you work with everyday? Romans 3:10-12 reminds us that we are all sinners just the same.
Start the revival by being the one who speaks the truth to everyone you meet and see. Start the revival by being the morally upright person you'd wish this country would follow. Start the revival by having compassion for those who do not deserve compassion because in the end, loving those who are unlovable brings us closer to our end goal--unity. We ought to try going against the flow of this immoral world and see how much change we can elicit from others.
Be honest for a change.
Seek the good of others.
Talk lovingly to your family.
Give others the benefit of the doubt.
And if they betray your trust, start your lesson on forgiving.
Instead of chastising them, help up those who have fallen.
Cease the petty fights with one another.
Stop living in all sorts of immorality.
Treat others with respect and love.
Forget about "right of way".
Follow rules.
To a child, it may all be as simple as black and white when it comes to right or wrong but as we progress in this earthly life, we learn about the loopholes that we can afford. We are introduced to those little compromises that we so masterfully give justification to. We lie a little or get angry only at people who "deserve" it. Little do we know that it is something akin to dropping a grain of sand into a car's carburetor every day. Soon enough, it becomes filled with sand and it fails to run anymore. Such are the little compromises that we make; such are the little sins that we choose to drop in the carburetor of our life. Soon enough, we will have gone so deep that a meaningful change will be nigh-impossible.
To date the population of the Philippines is 86,241,697.
This country will not be changed by one God-fearing, honest and morally upright president. He or she will need 86,241,696 more to join in. And maybe, just maybe, if we did a little overtime we'd get this country back on its feet.
Monday, July 04, 2005
Another Notch On The Bedpost
Another Notch On The Bedpost
After 25 years, you'd expect a quarter-life crisis to come barging in like a crash of rhinos. I knew it was bound to happen; I expected it last year as much as a child was expecting a gift from his mother. I really thought that getting older became more and more difficult as you step up the age ladder. I thought that whatever disappointments that I had experienced, they would be magnified each year.
Sigh.
That was one of relief. I am so glad I was wrong all along.
No matter how much I try, I can't seem to look at the world through the eyes of that once-lost soul who cried on his birthday a year ago. I can't manage to imagine the futility that I once spoke of. And despite being unemployed, it really is such a great feeling to have peace knowing that I should be thinking otherwise.
Thank you to all of those who remembered me today. :)
After 25 years, you'd expect a quarter-life crisis to come barging in like a crash of rhinos. I knew it was bound to happen; I expected it last year as much as a child was expecting a gift from his mother. I really thought that getting older became more and more difficult as you step up the age ladder. I thought that whatever disappointments that I had experienced, they would be magnified each year.
Sigh.
That was one of relief. I am so glad I was wrong all along.
No matter how much I try, I can't seem to look at the world through the eyes of that once-lost soul who cried on his birthday a year ago. I can't manage to imagine the futility that I once spoke of. And despite being unemployed, it really is such a great feeling to have peace knowing that I should be thinking otherwise.
Thank you to all of those who remembered me today. :)
Sunday, July 03, 2005
Like No Other
Like No Other
I had an indescribable weekend. Definitely a weekend like no other--not with this much high.
I believe that when your heart is right with God, amazing things happen. The youth ministry of our church which is aptly named JZone, (short for Jesus Zone) handled the very first Youth Worship Sunday in CCF which entailed handling everything from ushering, to delivering the message. It was such a great experience because there was a change in everybody who sang in the praise and worship. I was able to attend the weekly Saturday Jzone worship and I immediately felt the difference when the praise and worship part came up. The euphoria even escalated today during worship because it was absolutely amazing.
Everything came together and I when I saw people, they were singing from their heart. Last night when JP and I were finishing up the stage, he mentioned that me staying there was an answered prayer.
God works in our lives in more ways than we can imagine. All we have to do is ask and there He will be.
Glory and honor to God! :)
I had an indescribable weekend. Definitely a weekend like no other--not with this much high.
I believe that when your heart is right with God, amazing things happen. The youth ministry of our church which is aptly named JZone, (short for Jesus Zone) handled the very first Youth Worship Sunday in CCF which entailed handling everything from ushering, to delivering the message. It was such a great experience because there was a change in everybody who sang in the praise and worship. I was able to attend the weekly Saturday Jzone worship and I immediately felt the difference when the praise and worship part came up. The euphoria even escalated today during worship because it was absolutely amazing.
Everything came together and I when I saw people, they were singing from their heart. Last night when JP and I were finishing up the stage, he mentioned that me staying there was an answered prayer.
God works in our lives in more ways than we can imagine. All we have to do is ask and there He will be.
Glory and honor to God! :)
A Heart of Service
A Heart of Service
There's so much that I wanted to say before sleeping but it's already 12:14 in the morning and I still have to wake up early tomorrow for a special occasion in our church. For the first time, the youth (yes, teenagers as young as 12) will be the ones who will handle the worship service in our church.
It's so blessed to see and know that people of all ages, regardless of their age or maturity in the faith can serve God in their own special and personal way. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God." (Mark 10:14)
Truly God works in mighty ways; ways that we might not think possible. There's so much I want to say but I'll get back to it later. I'll wrap up my blessed weekend with a confession that whenever I see people who want to serve God in any way possible, I am humbled.
I am humbled because I know I should do the same.
I should do the same because I am only creation and He is Creator.
We think of service as getting dressed up in a lab coat and going on to dental and medical missions to help the sick but it really isn't as narrow as that---it honestly is something more than that. So says 1 Corinthians 10:31.
Sometimes, service is simply lending a helping hand to someone in need; it is staying longer than necessary to finish something; it is listening to someone without wanting to ditch the conversation right then and there because you truly are concerned about the person who's pouring out his or her heart out to you.
All without asking anything in return. Not even a obligatory thank you. Because it is done all for Him---not for men, because praises are fleeting and flattery's intoxicating high can only last a certain period.
But finding favor in the eyes of the Lord. It's so amazing that your only way of defining it is experiencing it. God bless each and every one of you today!
There's so much that I wanted to say before sleeping but it's already 12:14 in the morning and I still have to wake up early tomorrow for a special occasion in our church. For the first time, the youth (yes, teenagers as young as 12) will be the ones who will handle the worship service in our church.
It's so blessed to see and know that people of all ages, regardless of their age or maturity in the faith can serve God in their own special and personal way. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God." (Mark 10:14)
Truly God works in mighty ways; ways that we might not think possible. There's so much I want to say but I'll get back to it later. I'll wrap up my blessed weekend with a confession that whenever I see people who want to serve God in any way possible, I am humbled.
I am humbled because I know I should do the same.
I should do the same because I am only creation and He is Creator.
We think of service as getting dressed up in a lab coat and going on to dental and medical missions to help the sick but it really isn't as narrow as that---it honestly is something more than that. So says 1 Corinthians 10:31.
Sometimes, service is simply lending a helping hand to someone in need; it is staying longer than necessary to finish something; it is listening to someone without wanting to ditch the conversation right then and there because you truly are concerned about the person who's pouring out his or her heart out to you.
All without asking anything in return. Not even a obligatory thank you. Because it is done all for Him---not for men, because praises are fleeting and flattery's intoxicating high can only last a certain period.
But finding favor in the eyes of the Lord. It's so amazing that your only way of defining it is experiencing it. God bless each and every one of you today!
Friday, July 01, 2005
Comfort In His Faithfulness
Comfort In His Faithfulness
I can't believe it's already July. I simply can't.
My seeming disbelief with this time is borne out of nothing else but joy and relief. It is because last year, on the exact same date, I felt so much despair and my little own world was thrown into upheaval by such a significant change that it simply jarred me unlike anything that I have ever experienced. Call it surreal or something that came out of a Neil Gaiman graphic novel but I really felt that I was in a constant state of despair. It really is not something for the fragile mind. I am astounded because a year has already passed since that season; a year since my life's coldest and loneliest moment. Here were my thoughts back then.
"Everybody else in this world goes through what I am going through right now--their own personal storms. I would like to know that the fight is finished; that the calm afterwards is nearing. But like any seasoned sea-farer, I know how deep these waters underneath me go and how dark the skies above me can become. But if you're struggling to keep your vessel afloat in a sea of entropy , and you manage to somehow catch even a single ray of sunshine, I think that will be enough to keep you sailing onwards.
I am fortunate enough to know people who are strong enough to help me keep my ship afloat. To those people--and you know who you are--I am forever grateful."
Even though my tone was a leaning towards more on the positive side, I could still remember the palpable feeling of being stranded. The reason why I bring this up because now I am content beyond imagination. And when I look to my past experiences, it simply is as amusing as much as it was unique. I am somehow back where I started because I have yet to find a job or go to our group's next basketball game (which I absolutely miss) because of my ankle injury but this time it is different.
This time, I have peace. Believe it or not, I do.
And the only thing that has changed between today and last year is one thing--- Isaiah 46:3-4
There is such a thing as Hope; He goes by many names but now I am as peaceful as I can be. In this superficial and fallen world where war is an everyday sight to the people of the Middle East and corruption and deceit is already the status quo in our country, it helps to know that God is always in control. It helps to know that our fate is in someone who knows what He is doing. We may not like how God handles things for our country because we may not understand the message He's trying to send but then again, what child ever understood the concern of his parents when his freedom was curtailed? I believe that if we need to learn a lesson 99 times just to finally have it ingrained in our minds, then we will no doubt go through all of those circumstances 99 times.
Sometimes, things happen when we least expect them to. Whatever is in store for our lives is something that the future holds. We all just need to do our part in seeking the good for ourselves; we all just need to do our own little part in doing what is right to alleviate whatever pain we are currently enduring.
Jeremiah 29:11-14
Seek, and you shall find what you are looking for.
I can't believe it's already July. I simply can't.
My seeming disbelief with this time is borne out of nothing else but joy and relief. It is because last year, on the exact same date, I felt so much despair and my little own world was thrown into upheaval by such a significant change that it simply jarred me unlike anything that I have ever experienced. Call it surreal or something that came out of a Neil Gaiman graphic novel but I really felt that I was in a constant state of despair. It really is not something for the fragile mind. I am astounded because a year has already passed since that season; a year since my life's coldest and loneliest moment. Here were my thoughts back then.
"Everybody else in this world goes through what I am going through right now--their own personal storms. I would like to know that the fight is finished; that the calm afterwards is nearing. But like any seasoned sea-farer, I know how deep these waters underneath me go and how dark the skies above me can become. But if you're struggling to keep your vessel afloat in a sea of entropy , and you manage to somehow catch even a single ray of sunshine, I think that will be enough to keep you sailing onwards.
I am fortunate enough to know people who are strong enough to help me keep my ship afloat. To those people--and you know who you are--I am forever grateful."
Even though my tone was a leaning towards more on the positive side, I could still remember the palpable feeling of being stranded. The reason why I bring this up because now I am content beyond imagination. And when I look to my past experiences, it simply is as amusing as much as it was unique. I am somehow back where I started because I have yet to find a job or go to our group's next basketball game (which I absolutely miss) because of my ankle injury but this time it is different.
This time, I have peace. Believe it or not, I do.
And the only thing that has changed between today and last year is one thing--- Isaiah 46:3-4
There is such a thing as Hope; He goes by many names but now I am as peaceful as I can be. In this superficial and fallen world where war is an everyday sight to the people of the Middle East and corruption and deceit is already the status quo in our country, it helps to know that God is always in control. It helps to know that our fate is in someone who knows what He is doing. We may not like how God handles things for our country because we may not understand the message He's trying to send but then again, what child ever understood the concern of his parents when his freedom was curtailed? I believe that if we need to learn a lesson 99 times just to finally have it ingrained in our minds, then we will no doubt go through all of those circumstances 99 times.
Sometimes, things happen when we least expect them to. Whatever is in store for our lives is something that the future holds. We all just need to do our part in seeking the good for ourselves; we all just need to do our own little part in doing what is right to alleviate whatever pain we are currently enduring.
Jeremiah 29:11-14
Seek, and you shall find what you are looking for.
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Still Learning The Ropes
Still Learning The Ropes
I just decided to play with Photoshop 7.0 for a while. Sorry, I still don't have CS yet. L-) And I came up with this:
Before
After
I know it doesn't look much but for the Photoshop users out there, I was wondering if you could provide some insights and opinions on how you would go about making the original picture a little better. I'd really appreciate any advice on how I could make it more seamless or realistic. I didn't apply any filters here (except for the despeckle filter) but I did change the image's saturation and other stuff. If you can give me an idea how you'd edit the image you can download it by clicking here. You will be directed to a Megaupload.com hyperlink (don't worry, it's harmless and I promise there'll be no pop-ups or what-not) You'll have to wait for a certain number of seconds before the "click here to download" text appears at the upper right screen though.
To those who can help, please do. But if you just want to comment, it's still alright.
I just decided to play with Photoshop 7.0 for a while. Sorry, I still don't have CS yet. L-) And I came up with this:
I know it doesn't look much but for the Photoshop users out there, I was wondering if you could provide some insights and opinions on how you would go about making the original picture a little better. I'd really appreciate any advice on how I could make it more seamless or realistic. I didn't apply any filters here (except for the despeckle filter) but I did change the image's saturation and other stuff. If you can give me an idea how you'd edit the image you can download it by clicking here. You will be directed to a Megaupload.com hyperlink (don't worry, it's harmless and I promise there'll be no pop-ups or what-not) You'll have to wait for a certain number of seconds before the "click here to download" text appears at the upper right screen though.
To those who can help, please do. But if you just want to comment, it's still alright.
Saturday, June 25, 2005
Of Lines and Lead
Of Lines and Lead
I used to be able to draw really well. There were times that I would just spend about 30 minutes just sketching away. It wasn't much of a talent 'coz I only copied illustrations off comic books but I also had my share of cartooney sketches.
I remember when I was in 3rd grade, I sold drawings of Garfield that I traced on onion skin paper for P0.50 centavos each. Haha.
Comedy. My classmates actually bought my drawings. Wala lang.
Anyway, here's my latest take on Clark Kent. It's not much. I'll be sure to do him justice quite soon. And to answer your question, no, I didn't trace this.
The Man of Steel
I've got to start sharpening those pencils again.
I used to be able to draw really well. There were times that I would just spend about 30 minutes just sketching away. It wasn't much of a talent 'coz I only copied illustrations off comic books but I also had my share of cartooney sketches.
I remember when I was in 3rd grade, I sold drawings of Garfield that I traced on onion skin paper for P0.50 centavos each. Haha.
Comedy. My classmates actually bought my drawings. Wala lang.
Anyway, here's my latest take on Clark Kent. It's not much. I'll be sure to do him justice quite soon. And to answer your question, no, I didn't trace this.
I've got to start sharpening those pencils again.
Friday, June 24, 2005
And The Real Winner Is...
And The Real Winner Is...
It's a shame that someone had to lose. (Even a bigger one because my team was the one that lost.) But there are only seven games in an NBA Finals series and it had to come down to this. Up until the last second I still favored Detroit. You could probably argue that it would have been different if Game 7 was in the Motor City and it could most probably rattle the Spurs as well.
But enough of that.
The better team won this year. The downside to all of this is that Larry Brown is supposedly leaving the Detroit Pistons and after this loss, it just might turn out to be one of the biggest turnarounds in franchise history. Like the Lakers of last year, they went from title holders to playoff absentees. I'm afraid that it might happen to this Detroit team because they really are a great TEAM. No superstar, no ball-hogging delinquents---just great team basketball.
If you asked why I don't like the Spurs I guess I just root for the underdogs. If they stared down another team going into the NBA Finals next year, I'd probably still root for the other team.
Congratulations to the stellar play of Manu Ginobili and most especially Big Shot Rob. There weren't any dramatic three-point daggers thrown in the Pistons' way but he certainly stepped up and did well. It's absolutely baffling how he already has 6 championship rings. Ugh. But you gotta hand it to the guy. He's a role player and he did play it to perfection.
So on a lighter note, I'd like to present the TRUE WINNER in my opinion. Hehe.
Winning the championship was just a bonus. Tony Parker already won.
It's a shame that someone had to lose. (Even a bigger one because my team was the one that lost.) But there are only seven games in an NBA Finals series and it had to come down to this. Up until the last second I still favored Detroit. You could probably argue that it would have been different if Game 7 was in the Motor City and it could most probably rattle the Spurs as well.
But enough of that.
The better team won this year. The downside to all of this is that Larry Brown is supposedly leaving the Detroit Pistons and after this loss, it just might turn out to be one of the biggest turnarounds in franchise history. Like the Lakers of last year, they went from title holders to playoff absentees. I'm afraid that it might happen to this Detroit team because they really are a great TEAM. No superstar, no ball-hogging delinquents---just great team basketball.
If you asked why I don't like the Spurs I guess I just root for the underdogs. If they stared down another team going into the NBA Finals next year, I'd probably still root for the other team.
Congratulations to the stellar play of Manu Ginobili and most especially Big Shot Rob. There weren't any dramatic three-point daggers thrown in the Pistons' way but he certainly stepped up and did well. It's absolutely baffling how he already has 6 championship rings. Ugh. But you gotta hand it to the guy. He's a role player and he did play it to perfection.
So on a lighter note, I'd like to present the TRUE WINNER in my opinion. Hehe.
Thursday, June 23, 2005
His Hand Moveth
His Hand Moveth
I have been recently blessed with the presence of God. Because He is my refuge and my strength; because He is not the one to leave anybody behind; because He reveals Himself to those who sincerely seek Him with all their heart; because He forgives without bringing up what I've already done.
Because of Love
by Zeus Martinez
Why do you follow me barefoot
when I tread on burning embers?
Why call out my name in love
when I have forsaken you?
I hear you voice break
and I feel Your heart ache
when I turn away from You
when I run away to sin.
Why do you seek me out
when I'm trapped within the thorns
Why wound yourself so deep
for lost sheep such as me
I see your tears for me, O Lord
and now I understand
You do it out of love;
a love I never deserved.
He is an awesome and real God. To Him be all the glory and praise!
I have been recently blessed with the presence of God. Because He is my refuge and my strength; because He is not the one to leave anybody behind; because He reveals Himself to those who sincerely seek Him with all their heart; because He forgives without bringing up what I've already done.
Because of Love
by Zeus Martinez
Why do you follow me barefoot
when I tread on burning embers?
Why call out my name in love
when I have forsaken you?
I hear you voice break
and I feel Your heart ache
when I turn away from You
when I run away to sin.
Why do you seek me out
when I'm trapped within the thorns
Why wound yourself so deep
for lost sheep such as me
I see your tears for me, O Lord
and now I understand
You do it out of love;
a love I never deserved.
He is an awesome and real God. To Him be all the glory and praise!
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Sudden Death
Sudden Death
Don't look now, but the NBA Finals that started out as a best-of-seven series has now come down to a single knockout game. We have a Game 7. There are no tomorrows; it's literally "Win or go home".
One more win.
Now, more than ever, the odds are stacked up against the Detroit Pistons. And it seems that everybody else is giving San Antonio the trophy in advance just because they have home court advantage; just because history and conventional wisdom is on their side. Let's not forget that only 1 point in Game 5 separated these Pistons from celebrating their second-straight title today. But I'm not about to go into that "shoulda woulda coulda" talk because it's all done. Right now, the Pistons have everything working for them except history.
One win away from a repeat.
Just some facts:
No team, however, has ever won Games 6 and 7 on the road. Ever since the NBA introduced the 2-3-2 format way back in 1984, no road team has ever won the last two games in the opposing arena. It simply hasn't happened yet.
No team has ever won two Game 7s on the road in the same postseason Detroit recovered from a 3-2 deficit in this season's Eastern Conference Finals to push the series to seven games and defeat the Miami Heat. They won the series as Eastern Conference champions and earned their right to defend their title in this season's NBA Finals. Now, they're in the same predicament again.
Oh yeah. I almost forgot.
Since the 2-3-2 format was introduced in 1984, no road team had ever won a Game 6 on to set up a seventh and deciding game. Detroit shouldn't have won Game 6. No one has ever done it before and they shouldn't have gotten the big "W" Tuesday night. One down, two to go.
I have an affinity for this team because they are able to play well in must-win games. Like what I heard before, "They only win when they have to." It's actually amusing because it borders on cockiness but you don't see their Finals MVP, Chauncey Billups stare down the crowd, head high after hitting a crucial basket. He just moves on, plays "D" and gets another one. When Tayshaun Prince sinks a floater, he doesn't go on a Alonzo Mourning pose. He just plays on. It's almost as if they're all in the same frame of mind when it comes to down-the-wire games. No doubt, they will be focused and ready on Game 7.
Frankly, I would like Detroit to win. But if San Antonio proves to themselves and to the world that they want it more than the other team, then so be it. We are only days away in finding who responds more positively to pressure.
Word of advice to San Antonio: Take the Pistons seriously. And don't ever tell them that history is against them. They just might go ahead and change it.
Don't look now, but the NBA Finals that started out as a best-of-seven series has now come down to a single knockout game. We have a Game 7. There are no tomorrows; it's literally "Win or go home".
Now, more than ever, the odds are stacked up against the Detroit Pistons. And it seems that everybody else is giving San Antonio the trophy in advance just because they have home court advantage; just because history and conventional wisdom is on their side. Let's not forget that only 1 point in Game 5 separated these Pistons from celebrating their second-straight title today. But I'm not about to go into that "shoulda woulda coulda" talk because it's all done. Right now, the Pistons have everything working for them except history.
Just some facts:
No team, however, has ever won Games 6 and 7 on the road. Ever since the NBA introduced the 2-3-2 format way back in 1984, no road team has ever won the last two games in the opposing arena. It simply hasn't happened yet.
No team has ever won two Game 7s on the road in the same postseason Detroit recovered from a 3-2 deficit in this season's Eastern Conference Finals to push the series to seven games and defeat the Miami Heat. They won the series as Eastern Conference champions and earned their right to defend their title in this season's NBA Finals. Now, they're in the same predicament again.
Oh yeah. I almost forgot.
Since the 2-3-2 format was introduced in 1984, no road team had ever won a Game 6 on to set up a seventh and deciding game. Detroit shouldn't have won Game 6. No one has ever done it before and they shouldn't have gotten the big "W" Tuesday night. One down, two to go.
I have an affinity for this team because they are able to play well in must-win games. Like what I heard before, "They only win when they have to." It's actually amusing because it borders on cockiness but you don't see their Finals MVP, Chauncey Billups stare down the crowd, head high after hitting a crucial basket. He just moves on, plays "D" and gets another one. When Tayshaun Prince sinks a floater, he doesn't go on a Alonzo Mourning pose. He just plays on. It's almost as if they're all in the same frame of mind when it comes to down-the-wire games. No doubt, they will be focused and ready on Game 7.
Frankly, I would like Detroit to win. But if San Antonio proves to themselves and to the world that they want it more than the other team, then so be it. We are only days away in finding who responds more positively to pressure.
Word of advice to San Antonio: Take the Pistons seriously. And don't ever tell them that history is against them. They just might go ahead and change it.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Déja Vu
Deja Vu
No matter what anybody says, the San Antonio Spurs came out on top because the Detroit Pistons made a costly mistake.
Roughly 5 seconds left. Pistons are up by two. Robert Horry inbounds to Manu Ginobili on the corner of the court. And then, something happens. History repeats itself.
Three years ago, Robert Horry, who was a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, caught a ball tipped out by Vlade Divac of the Sacramento Kings. If you were a Kings fan then and you were able to watch that last play, you would still wince while reading this. It was the dying seconds of the game and the ball mysteriously ended up in Horry's hands at the top of the arc. He let it fly with the game clock winding down to zero.
Webber chases the loose ball only to find Horry picking it up...
For the win.
Swish.
Lakers tie the series at two. That was all they had to do to win the NBA championship that year. Everything else was a blur. Instead of being down 3-1, he managed to single-handedly destroy the Sacramento Kings. That was all the lift that they needed. Back then when Horry was asked about how lucky his shot was this was what he replied:
"A lucky shot is one of those guys who has no form," he said. "If you look at this shot, it was straight form. Vlade shouldn't have tipped it out there. It wasn't no luck shot. I've been doing that all my career. He should know. He better read a paper or something."
Good case coming from someone who has been there and done that. After all, he already won two rings with the Rockets from years past.
Now, it seems that Horry has come up big again. This time, for the San Antonio Spurs.
With the Pistons leading by two, Horry was assigned to inbound. For those of you who watched the game; for those of you who remembers his late-game heroics three years ago, you would have seen it coming a mile away. I knew I did. I was watching with my sister during those last seconds. When I saw Horry was the one inbounding and that Rasheed Wallace wasn't in front of him, I knew what was going to happen right then and there. I even spelled it out for her.And it happened exactly as I said it would.
Horry inbounds to Ginobili; Rasheed doubles on Manu Ginobili; Horry gets it back and calmly hits a three. Spurs up by one. Game over.
Now, control of the series is undisputably in San Antonio's favor. They win next game, and they're the champions. I do hope that this series goes to seven. I hope that it goes down to the wire. Like what one online columnist said, he has a dream for this year's NBA Finals.
And lastly, and maybe most importantly, I want seven because I have a dream, and it goes like this: Seventh game, seven overtimes, 132 personal fouls, and just two men left standing. That's right: Darko and Rasho for all the marbles.
Wishful thinking, isn't it? Then again, everything in this series is unpredictable. Whatever happens next game, I'm still happy that Game 5 turned out to be one for the ages.
No matter what anybody says, the San Antonio Spurs came out on top because the Detroit Pistons made a costly mistake.
Roughly 5 seconds left. Pistons are up by two. Robert Horry inbounds to Manu Ginobili on the corner of the court. And then, something happens. History repeats itself.
Three years ago, Robert Horry, who was a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, caught a ball tipped out by Vlade Divac of the Sacramento Kings. If you were a Kings fan then and you were able to watch that last play, you would still wince while reading this. It was the dying seconds of the game and the ball mysteriously ended up in Horry's hands at the top of the arc. He let it fly with the game clock winding down to zero.
Swish.
Lakers tie the series at two. That was all they had to do to win the NBA championship that year. Everything else was a blur. Instead of being down 3-1, he managed to single-handedly destroy the Sacramento Kings. That was all the lift that they needed. Back then when Horry was asked about how lucky his shot was this was what he replied:
"A lucky shot is one of those guys who has no form," he said. "If you look at this shot, it was straight form. Vlade shouldn't have tipped it out there. It wasn't no luck shot. I've been doing that all my career. He should know. He better read a paper or something."
Good case coming from someone who has been there and done that. After all, he already won two rings with the Rockets from years past.
Now, it seems that Horry has come up big again. This time, for the San Antonio Spurs.
With the Pistons leading by two, Horry was assigned to inbound. For those of you who watched the game; for those of you who remembers his late-game heroics three years ago, you would have seen it coming a mile away. I knew I did. I was watching with my sister during those last seconds. When I saw Horry was the one inbounding and that Rasheed Wallace wasn't in front of him, I knew what was going to happen right then and there. I even spelled it out for her.And it happened exactly as I said it would.
Horry inbounds to Ginobili; Rasheed doubles on Manu Ginobili; Horry gets it back and calmly hits a three. Spurs up by one. Game over.
Now, control of the series is undisputably in San Antonio's favor. They win next game, and they're the champions. I do hope that this series goes to seven. I hope that it goes down to the wire. Like what one online columnist said, he has a dream for this year's NBA Finals.
And lastly, and maybe most importantly, I want seven because I have a dream, and it goes like this: Seventh game, seven overtimes, 132 personal fouls, and just two men left standing. That's right: Darko and Rasho for all the marbles.
Wishful thinking, isn't it? Then again, everything in this series is unpredictable. Whatever happens next game, I'm still happy that Game 5 turned out to be one for the ages.
