WD4J Dance Concert 2005
The show absolutely rocked.
When I was watching those 20 people dance, I was absolutely stunned. I have to admit that I love dancing (although it doesn't love me) and I also love watching people dance. Seeing them serve the Lord through through dance just blessed me so much.
WD4J stands for “We Dance For Jesus”. It's CCF's very own dance ministry that serves God and seeks to bring the message of the gospel to everybody. In the Bible, you'll see several allusions for dancing as a form of worship to God. It is associated with joy and contrasted with mourning. “You turned my mourning into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy” (Psalm 30:11) After several people gave their testimonies of how their broken lives were changed by Jesus' love, that verse literally came alive when I saw them dance.
Some of us are mostly accustomed to associating miracles to people being healed from cancer or to reports of a survivor of a plane crash. Those amazing stories pale in comparison to changed lives. After all, wouldn't your life be changed if you suddenly went from "terminally ill" to a person who has a "clean bill of health"? Would you not say it was a miracle if you survived a plane crash when two-thirds of the people onboard perished?
Words fail me now but all I know is if you are in Jesus' love, your life will never be the same again. No life is so broken that God cannot mend it. No soul is so unlovely that God cannot love it. Praise God and glory to Him alone! Thank you, Lord!!!
Sunday, September 11, 2005
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Amidst A Squall
Amidst A Squall
"As the waters cover the sea, so Your love covers me..."
Last night I cried myself to sleep listening to these lyrics. I just didn't know what was wrong. I was feeling so down and discouraged because of some things. Sometimes, I just can't help but feel so lost and homesick in this fallen world. I wonder sometimes why things are so complicated. I just pray that God takes away the restlessness that I feel right now.
There are times that I want so much to understand why things happen to me. I so desperately want to just understand why I am having these feelings. And amidst all of the confusion that I am in now, all I can do is ask God what He wants me to learn in all of this.
"Lord, if this will bring me closer to you, then I'm all for it. Let the waves come and allow the wind to beat against me, but take me through the storm."
"As the waters cover the sea, so Your love covers me..."
Last night I cried myself to sleep listening to these lyrics. I just didn't know what was wrong. I was feeling so down and discouraged because of some things. Sometimes, I just can't help but feel so lost and homesick in this fallen world. I wonder sometimes why things are so complicated. I just pray that God takes away the restlessness that I feel right now.
There are times that I want so much to understand why things happen to me. I so desperately want to just understand why I am having these feelings. And amidst all of the confusion that I am in now, all I can do is ask God what He wants me to learn in all of this.
"Lord, if this will bring me closer to you, then I'm all for it. Let the waves come and allow the wind to beat against me, but take me through the storm."
Sunday, August 28, 2005
CCF is now 21!
CCF is now 21!
We celebrated CCF's 21st Anniversary last Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum. The place was packed to the tune of about 15,000 people. I would like to describe the feeling of what it is to praise and worship the Lord in such a setting but words fail me. I caught myself smiling while singing "Days of Elijah".
Behold He comes! Riding on the clouds!
Shining like the sun! At the trumpet call
Lift your voice! It's the year of Jubilee!
And out of Zion's hill salvation comes!
Praising the Lord
It was definitely an unbelievable experience. To begin the worship service, we sang some songs. We sang for a full 45 minute stretch but it felt like it was only a minute. I realized that all of eternity will not be enough for me to declare how God good is and how grateful I am. *sigh*
Humbled in the presence of God
So much to learn about our God...we still continue with our willful ways yet He is ever-loving. Whatever perfect love you're looking for, you will ALWAYS find in Him.
Thank you, Lord!
We celebrated CCF's 21st Anniversary last Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum. The place was packed to the tune of about 15,000 people. I would like to describe the feeling of what it is to praise and worship the Lord in such a setting but words fail me. I caught myself smiling while singing "Days of Elijah".
Behold He comes! Riding on the clouds!
Shining like the sun! At the trumpet call
Lift your voice! It's the year of Jubilee!
And out of Zion's hill salvation comes!
Praising the Lord
It was definitely an unbelievable experience. To begin the worship service, we sang some songs. We sang for a full 45 minute stretch but it felt like it was only a minute. I realized that all of eternity will not be enough for me to declare how God good is and how grateful I am. *sigh*
Humbled in the presence of God
So much to learn about our God...we still continue with our willful ways yet He is ever-loving. Whatever perfect love you're looking for, you will ALWAYS find in Him.
Thank you, Lord!
Thursday, August 25, 2005
A Rare Morning
A Rare Morning
It's 5:30 in the morning and I'm wide awake. The only time I remember being like this is when I'm going to an out of town trip or something like that. Even though I've only managed to sleep for just about an hour, I'm wide awake. I had one of the most meaningful quiet times an hour ago. I guess it was because I was able to wake up and pray to God in total silence. Nothing in the background. Just me and God.
It was just simply wonderful. *sigh* I always love the promise of Jeremiah 29:13 because it holds true for me each and every time I practice it. It says, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."
Grabe. I feel like I'm in love again. I wish feelings were as easily conveyed as words. For the people who've never experienced falling in love with God, you're missing a lot. And I mean that with all sincerity.
Thank you, Lord. "Hold me in your arms, never let me go. I want to spend eternity with you....I wanna be with you." - Hillsongs
It's 5:30 in the morning and I'm wide awake. The only time I remember being like this is when I'm going to an out of town trip or something like that. Even though I've only managed to sleep for just about an hour, I'm wide awake. I had one of the most meaningful quiet times an hour ago. I guess it was because I was able to wake up and pray to God in total silence. Nothing in the background. Just me and God.
It was just simply wonderful. *sigh* I always love the promise of Jeremiah 29:13 because it holds true for me each and every time I practice it. It says, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."
Grabe. I feel like I'm in love again. I wish feelings were as easily conveyed as words. For the people who've never experienced falling in love with God, you're missing a lot. And I mean that with all sincerity.
Thank you, Lord. "Hold me in your arms, never let me go. I want to spend eternity with you....I wanna be with you." - Hillsongs
Friday, August 19, 2005
IMG_350D
IMG_350D
A year ago, I never thought about starting a new hobby. I never pictured myself getting into photography. But here I am, already the enthusiastic shutterbug. I didn't realize it was so much fun. Right now, I'm just so grateful to God for leading me to pursue this newfound passion. Also I thank Him for blessing me with a brand new dSLR. *sigh*
Introducing my new baby... ^_^
Not the actual cam but yes, I got the black one.
A manual never looked so good.
Our cute and cheerful Labrador who is aptly named "Bubbles"
Just some barbed wire fencing our neighbor's lot.
I once thought photography was such a simple thing but there's so much more to learn about color, ISO settings, composition, depth of field. It's still a bit daunting for me because I only learned the meaning of these terms around a month ago. It's scary getting into a new hobby but as an artist-at-heart, it's also exciting for me because it's the closest thing I can get to portraying the world around me. I would have gone into painting but I'm not good at it.
Now, I'm just trying to work my way with what I know and hopefully, I'll be able to pick up some nifty tricks of the trade from the people who have more experience in this new hobby of mine. ^_^
To God be all the glory!
A year ago, I never thought about starting a new hobby. I never pictured myself getting into photography. But here I am, already the enthusiastic shutterbug. I didn't realize it was so much fun. Right now, I'm just so grateful to God for leading me to pursue this newfound passion. Also I thank Him for blessing me with a brand new dSLR. *sigh*
Introducing my new baby... ^_^
Not the actual cam but yes, I got the black one.
A manual never looked so good.
Our cute and cheerful Labrador who is aptly named "Bubbles"
Just some barbed wire fencing our neighbor's lot.
I once thought photography was such a simple thing but there's so much more to learn about color, ISO settings, composition, depth of field. It's still a bit daunting for me because I only learned the meaning of these terms around a month ago. It's scary getting into a new hobby but as an artist-at-heart, it's also exciting for me because it's the closest thing I can get to portraying the world around me. I would have gone into painting but I'm not good at it.
Now, I'm just trying to work my way with what I know and hopefully, I'll be able to pick up some nifty tricks of the trade from the people who have more experience in this new hobby of mine. ^_^
To God be all the glory!
Sunday, August 14, 2005
A Love Letter to God
A Love Letter to God
I wrote this on June 11, 2005. It will be my first of many letters I'm sure. After 24 years of obliviously living for myself, I can't imagine how I've managed to go through life without loving my Creator this much.
Dearest Heavenly Father,
I don't really remember writing to you a letter ever. If this is indeed my first one then I want to be able to say what my heart is really wanting to say: I want to thank you for loving me first, I want to thank you for saving me from eternal separation from You. I thank You that despite my foolish ways, you still gave me a way back to Your love. Sometimes I forget how faithful You were or how great Your love is. I almost believed the lie that you wouldn't forgive me of my favorite sin. I know you remember that time because I think I almost felt you grieve over my disobedience. I am glad that You gave me the grace to come back to you like a prodigal son. You really do love me. I know that now. I am unable to say anything but thank you. I was lost but You still looked for me. And after five years, here we are together again. I never want to leave, Lord. Never again.
Your loving son,
Zeus
It is my prayer that each and every one of you who reads this may come to know the loving Father that I know, the caring God that gave everything up for me. The peace that you are looking for is only in Him.
I wrote this on June 11, 2005. It will be my first of many letters I'm sure. After 24 years of obliviously living for myself, I can't imagine how I've managed to go through life without loving my Creator this much.
Dearest Heavenly Father,
I don't really remember writing to you a letter ever. If this is indeed my first one then I want to be able to say what my heart is really wanting to say: I want to thank you for loving me first, I want to thank you for saving me from eternal separation from You. I thank You that despite my foolish ways, you still gave me a way back to Your love. Sometimes I forget how faithful You were or how great Your love is. I almost believed the lie that you wouldn't forgive me of my favorite sin. I know you remember that time because I think I almost felt you grieve over my disobedience. I am glad that You gave me the grace to come back to you like a prodigal son. You really do love me. I know that now. I am unable to say anything but thank you. I was lost but You still looked for me. And after five years, here we are together again. I never want to leave, Lord. Never again.
Your loving son,
Zeus
It is my prayer that each and every one of you who reads this may come to know the loving Father that I know, the caring God that gave everything up for me. The peace that you are looking for is only in Him.
Friday, August 12, 2005
A Generation of Wants
A Generation of Wants
Our generation (at least here in the Philippines) is a generation of wants. It's evident that we always crave for "something more". And though some arguably attribute that desire for more to our human nature, it still all boils down to choice. Of course, some people would ask, "Well, what's wrong in wanting something better for yourself?" "What's wrong in wanting a better life?"
Ah, but that's when things get twisted. The quality of life is then determined by the quantity of material things. For others, it's the quality of some things. We "long for" and "dream of" and "desire" and sometimes, even think that we "need" the things of this world. As with all addictions, we fail to realize that what we want, isn't what we need. We can think of a thousand and one excuses why we "need" something because the truth is if we want something so bad, we can actually come up with a thousand more.
The reasons behind our wants range from the logical "because-I-can-afford-it" to the shallow "because-it's-the-newest-model". We think it's justifiable that we blame it on the media and how they make you think you need something you really don't. Some may even shift the blame to the companies who deliberately strip down a phone's features just so they can release its "upgraded" version six months after. Whatever things we get our hands on, it's just simply not enough. At least according to us.
I recently upgraded from a 6210 to a 6630 a few months back. And though I appreciate the ability to shoot random photos whenever I want to, I could honestly say that if they still sold the cybersilver version of the 6210 even for the same price, I would have gotten that instead. Why? First of all, because I am a creature of habit. From a locked state, I could unlock that phone, go to the write message screen, text and send a message with that phone using my off-hand behind my back. I only replaced it because it really was in the habit of conking out whenever the battery was nudged out of place. So there. Most importantly, I realized that I was content with that phone. I didn't "need" to have any cameras attached to it nor did I have the desire to have a polyphonic ringtone instead of one that resembled a Morse code message.
The things we need to ask ourselves are:
"Do we really need to get the latest model?"
"Do we really need that much memory?"
"Do we really need to have that gadget?"
I shake my head in vain because there are times that I do succumb to that question and say, "Of course, I do!" I guess the lust for technology will always show our true colors. But if we stand fast and remind ourselves about what's important in life, we will realize that all the things we believe to be important are as fleeting as waves tossed in the ocean.
The quality of life isn't measured in gigabytes or limited edition chrome finishes but in the lives we touch, the amount of forgiveness we offer and the smiles we give away.
Our generation (at least here in the Philippines) is a generation of wants. It's evident that we always crave for "something more". And though some arguably attribute that desire for more to our human nature, it still all boils down to choice. Of course, some people would ask, "Well, what's wrong in wanting something better for yourself?" "What's wrong in wanting a better life?"
Ah, but that's when things get twisted. The quality of life is then determined by the quantity of material things. For others, it's the quality of some things. We "long for" and "dream of" and "desire" and sometimes, even think that we "need" the things of this world. As with all addictions, we fail to realize that what we want, isn't what we need. We can think of a thousand and one excuses why we "need" something because the truth is if we want something so bad, we can actually come up with a thousand more.
The reasons behind our wants range from the logical "because-I-can-afford-it" to the shallow "because-it's-the-newest-model". We think it's justifiable that we blame it on the media and how they make you think you need something you really don't. Some may even shift the blame to the companies who deliberately strip down a phone's features just so they can release its "upgraded" version six months after. Whatever things we get our hands on, it's just simply not enough. At least according to us.
I recently upgraded from a 6210 to a 6630 a few months back. And though I appreciate the ability to shoot random photos whenever I want to, I could honestly say that if they still sold the cybersilver version of the 6210 even for the same price, I would have gotten that instead. Why? First of all, because I am a creature of habit. From a locked state, I could unlock that phone, go to the write message screen, text and send a message with that phone using my off-hand behind my back. I only replaced it because it really was in the habit of conking out whenever the battery was nudged out of place. So there. Most importantly, I realized that I was content with that phone. I didn't "need" to have any cameras attached to it nor did I have the desire to have a polyphonic ringtone instead of one that resembled a Morse code message.
The things we need to ask ourselves are:
"Do we really need to get the latest model?"
"Do we really need that much memory?"
"Do we really need to have that gadget?"
I shake my head in vain because there are times that I do succumb to that question and say, "Of course, I do!" I guess the lust for technology will always show our true colors. But if we stand fast and remind ourselves about what's important in life, we will realize that all the things we believe to be important are as fleeting as waves tossed in the ocean.
The quality of life isn't measured in gigabytes or limited edition chrome finishes but in the lives we touch, the amount of forgiveness we offer and the smiles we give away.
Friday, August 05, 2005
I'm Back!
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.
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.
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!
