Jesus Freaks: 3rd World Radicals

An Unusual Weekend

2009-10-12T23:15:00.010+08:00

Last weekend was a busy time. I had to take care of my OWWA documents together with my cousin, and send money home.

As I was on my way to church from Orchard, I came across a Two Dollar Movie parade. Chicken Little, the Warcraft dude, a storm trooper, Storm Shadow, and Wolverine passed by the sidewalk.

One guy in a Transformers SG t-shirt asked me a survey question while pointing his cellphone camera at my face, "What do you think of a two-dollar movie?" I answered "It's good, what's the catch?". "No catch.", he replied. No, he didn't give me a two-dollar ticket (what was that all about?) Hey dude, if you're reading this, I'd like to know where you got your Transformers polo shirt, I'd like to get one myself. Click here to view more pictures.

Sunday night I had dinner aboard Doulos with my girlfriend's aunt Daisy, and with Kuya Manny's family. Kuya Manny and his family adopted me during my first stay in Singapore. I lived in their house for a month.

Click here to view more pictures.

Circumnavigation 2: A Second Chance

2009-09-22T22:11:00.030+08:00

In my previous post, I wrote about how God led me back to my home city. But slowly God revealed to me that I would be going back to the very place where things seemingly did not work out.

May 7, 2009. My second trip to Singapore.

Let me just say that I believe God still leads us through dreams and visions (Acts 2:17) as well as open doors (Revelation 3:8). To accept one and reject the other may cause us to miss out on things.

God did open the door back to Singapore. And He gave me a job so I'm able to stay here a long time. God is truly the God of second chances.

Singapore is a wonderful place. I came back to the church of Calvary Chapel Singapore and rejoined the fellowship. There was an opportunity to serve on Saturday night Bible studies so I took on a new ministry.

Later on a new door opened to serve in youth ministry, so I joined in as well. I feel humbled and privileged to be able to minister to a group of Christian youth of a different culture and nationality.

In Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, Filipino or Singaporean, but all are one family.

My thanks to Pastor John and his wife Evelyn, Ron and Jenny, and Chris and Swee San. You guys know how much you've been a blessing to me already.

I've made a few friends at work as well. They've shown me around Singapore and I have learned a lot from them.

I've met old friends from high school who also visited Singapore. They are an encouragement to me. Thanks, Roman and Jei.

My cousin came over to visit me, and I was so happy to see her.

I enjoyed touring Singapore with her in places I myself have never been before.

My girlfriend came over to visit me here last month, and we celebrated our first year anniversary as a couple.

It was a refreshing time for me, and Twinx really made the effort to come. That was truly the Lord's working.

As I'm in my fifth month here, I've learned more about the culture, the places, and the differences we have as different nations.

I think God has truly blessed in Singapore in allowing it to become what it is now.

I've had the privilege of meeting believers from other places.

And it seems that every nationality has a representation in this country.

Another privilege I've had was to see the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit.

It was an awesome experience to see the ancient texts of the Bible throughout the centuries.

Although I have read about them, it's a totally different encounter when I saw them. The Dead Sea Scrolls is proof that the Bible has been faithfully copied over the centuries without tampering.

I posted a photo album on Facebook about that. Click here to view it.

And if you're wondering if there are mountains in Singapore, there's not much elevation. But I went to a place that's high enough for a good hike - Bukit Timah.

I posted a photo album on Facebook about that as well. Click here to view it.

To all Jesus radicals, KEEP PRESSING ON!

Circumnavigation

2009-04-14T08:52:00.059+08:00

It's been a while since I've posted anything here. But in the last five months things have changed for me. In my last post I said that I was in Manila. I accumulated an almost two-month stay there looking for work and spending Christmas with family. But this second venture turned out to be something I didn't expect.

For a while I thought that the job climate in Manila would be better than that in Singapore due to the recession that hit Singapore harder than it did the Philippines. But I wasn't prepared for the job culture that was in place. In Manila, people were not compensated based on their education and skills. Those two things are a minimum requirement to get you shortlisted. Companies hire you and try to compensate you for as low as possible. This would be based on your previous salary. They don't want to raise it too far in your next job. This is my opinion but I think I've had enough interviews to draw such a conclusion. Let me say one more thing -- for those probinsyanos like myself who have worked in other places in the Philippines outside Metro Manila have experienced a low-cost of living. Our low salaries in the provinces count for more than they do in Manila. That's why Manila companies should not base your salary on the previous one alone, especially if it was given in a place with a lower cost of living. Given the adjustments of relocating -- traffic, pollution, high crime rate, and in light of the low compensation given in Manila, I decided not to pursue my career there, at least for now.

To backtrack a bit, I visited Iloilo City in November for my girlfriend's birthday and our third month celebration as a couple. It was a time of refreshing for me after a month of living in Singapore and almost a month living in Manila. I was also able to meet an old friend, Neil, again.

I was also able to teach two midweek Bible studies at Calvary Chapel of Iloilo.

Two weeks later in December I flew back to Manila for a job interview in Makati. I almost got hired, except that I wouldn't budge from my stance in favor of open source software. This was a Microsoft-oriented company, and they didn't hire me because of my software philosophy.

I continued my job hunt in Manila and had interviews with companies such as IBM. I stayed longer than expected since it was very difficult to fly back to Iloilo in time for Christmas. I spent Christmas with family in Manila and not with my parents back in Iloilo. I was also able to celebrate my niece's 2nd birthday, as well as my cousin's wedding, in Manila. So I was in Manila for almost a month on my second trip.

On January 1, my birthday, I flew back to Iloilo. I celebrated it with my parents, my girlfriend, and the Suñaz family (the family of Dr. Mark, one of my closest friends).

I stayed in Iloilo as a freelance programmer working online for projects overseas. I've been here for more than three months now, and I was blessed to see certain things take place.

For one thing, I was able to relax and reduce my stress level careerwise. Second, I was able to spend more time with my girlfriend. We continue to celebrate God's goodness in our relationship every month.

I was able to celebrate our first Valentine's Day together.

And I met two old friends from elementary, TJ and Orange, whom I haven't met in more than 15 years. TJ (the guy) is now based in New Jersey, USA. We spent time together. They were able to visit our church, and we also visited our old school and our old teachers.

And my sister and my niece came over for a short visit. I was able to spend time with them.

And my mom celebrated her birthday. I'm glad I was here for it.

Our church celebrated its 7th year anniversary. We celebrated God's faithfulness to us. We had worship, special presentations, the preaching of the Word of God, a baby dedication, a lunch fellowship, and water baptism. You can read more about it if you click here.

We were able to do two youth outreaches in West Visayas (click for more details) and our church sanctuary (click for more details).

Visitors from MV Doulos, the world's largest floating bookstore, also came to our church. Plus, we were able to visit their ship that docked in Bacolod in the neighboring island of Negros.

God has been faithful to sustain me back in my home city. Until when I'll be here I don't know. I believe God is not yet done with expanding my borders. Till next time...

The Venture 10-29-08

2008-10-29T11:27:00.020+08:00

September 21, 2008. I landed on Changi Airport and finally reached foreign soil. Singapore, so-called "The Little Red Dot" was finally in view.

One of the first things I did was look for the hostel where I was booked to stay. The first night I stayed in a hostel, and my brother-in-law accompanied me.

That same day we went to Lucky Plaza and I needed to get some supplies: a SingTel SIM card and a travel adaptor for electrical outlets. Buying a SingTel SIM, they had a promo where you get to spin the wheel for a chance to win free tickets to the F1 Race, worth 900 SGDs. I won.

The next day I moved to another house. Kuya Manny and Ate Arlene were kind enough to accommodate me. I was a stranger, and they took me in. The house was in Bukit Panjang where I stayed longer than I expected -- more than a month. I settled well with the 4 dudes, their sons, and they were a wonderful Christian family.

The first week I had a job interview with a representative of Xpand SG, my first. I found out that IT hiring was not that much during this season due to the economic crisis in Singapore.

I spent the weekend watching the F1 Race, the first night race ever in world history. It was something I didn't want to miss and besides, the tickets were free.

Looking for work and going to two more interviews, I got a job offer. But the company that gave the offer later changed their mind about hiring me.

Adjusting to the life in Singapore is not that hard. The transportation is very efficient, there is low crime, and everything is so systematic and organized. I had to get used to the "Land of the Left" where everyone drives on the left-side of the road.

I attended Calvary Chapel of Singapore and Pastor John Tan was kind enough to make me feel welcome. I was able to connect to the young people especially, and it was a good experience to be exposed to Christians in another culture. Only this time I was the foreigner.

The food is also great, and they have all sorts of Western as well as Asian food. I especially like the chicken rice and crispy chicken noodles. I wasn't able to try their mutton, the bulalo that's made from sheep. They also call their carinderias "Hawker's Centers".

October 24, 2008. I flew back to Manila. As I'm writing this, I'm already back in the Philippines. I'm staying in our nation's capital for a few weeks before I go back to Iloilo City. At the moment I'm setting aside Singapore. It has been a journey and a learning experience. And as the Calvary Chapel distinctive goes, a venture in faith can also mean a step back when things don't work out.

To all I left behind in Iloilo, see you soon. =)

P.S. I didn't take too many pictures since my camera broke the night before my flight to Singapore.

The Journey 09-19-08

2008-09-19T12:52:00.028+08:00

It has been in my heart for a long time to move out of my home city, at least for a while. Last year God gave me a strong impression in my spirit to really move out. One confirmation came during last year's pastors and workers conference in Cebu. Since then the impression never left me but remained strong.

Sometime in February this year I started to think that perhaps the right time would not be too soon. I continued life as it was, working in information technology, serving the church of Calvary, and moving forward with my social life. I even became an elder in the church during that month.

As time went on the impression got stronger as I spent time in the Word of God. Finally in May I approached my pastor after our midweek Bible study and told him that I believed God was calling me out (of Iloilo City).

We prepared the church and the ministry for four months. This was the start of the ministry called Tim Time where I taught through the whole books of 1 and 2 Timothy on Friday nights. It was a discipleship class with the intent to lay a solid foundation for those who had a desire to serve in the ministry of Calvary Chapel of Iloilo.

I also prepared my work place in that I gave them enough time to look for a replacement since my position as Training and Development Officer for Eversun Software was not to be taken lightly.

A resignation would place the company in a transition. So two months before I quit I informed them of my plans, finally submitting my resignation on July 31 which was effective on September 1.

Come September I was no longer employed.

I had no visible confirmation of what God wanted me to move forward with until the first week of September. A contact from the U.S.A. wanted to start a new business and he considered me the co-founder since it was during one of our chats that the idea came to him and he was able to draft a business plan. The business is online so I can take my work anywhere in the world with an Internet connection. This is enough to sustain me as I travel. Thank God for Xoom.com.

August 29, 2008. I announced to my discipleship group during Tim Time that I was leaving and that the reason for the discipleship group was because I was leaving. I wanted them to be fully equipped to serve the Lord in my absence.

September 7, 2008. I announced to the church congregation that I was leaving for Singapore.

That Sunday morning I was also privileged to give the message while my pastor took a break from teaching.

After the message, communion, and worship I made the announcement.

The last eight days from September 7 to September 14 was my final preparation in Iloilo. I spent time with my girlfriend, church, and family as I was preparing to go.

September 13, 2008 we celebrated my dad's birthday. I wanted my trip to come after the birthday and not before.

September 14, 2008 was my last Sunday service in Iloilo. The church prepared a lunch fellowship in order to bid me farewell as I step out in faith. Pastor Mark released me to go and the church commended me to God's grace.

I'm glad my family was in front praying with me.

Before I left the church compound, I played my last song (for now) -- "This Man" by Jeremy Camp.

To all I leave behind, may God's grace sustain you. I will land on Singapore on September 21.

"And see, now I go bound in the spirit...so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God." - Acts 20:22,24

Updates 09-04-08

2008-09-04T15:55:00.042+08:00

It's been a long time since I posted anything here. During my last post Iloilo City was just recovering from a flash flood. In the month that followed we were anticipating four more storms but by God's grace the city was spared from calamity. In the following post, the descriptions appear after the photos.

My friend Neil celebrated his birthday on the 30th of June. We had dinner at Esca's.

We began cleaning out the new site for our church early in July. Because of the calamity, it was covered in mud.

We had plans drawn for the new church facility and construction began early in July as well.

The foundation was laid.

The restaurant we used to go a lot to was affected by the flood. They were flooded almost up to the level of the roof. But they were able to recover, and we were able to eat there again.

The church building construction progressed fast. It wasn't long before it was finished.

Before July ended I was able to bring a Eaves (a.k.a. "Twinkle" or "Twinx") to our midweek Bible study. She attends a Baptist church.

Later on Twinx and I we were able to bring Cay, my co-worker from the office -- surprisingly, she was an old classmate of Neil. Small world.

We had dinner together.

On August's first Sunday, two brothers from Dumaguete came to our church -- Micah and Noel. They were part of a debate team representing their school, Silliman University. The debate was held here in Iloilo City.

August 16, 2008. The day before our first Sunday in the new church facility. We had to get things set up and moved about. A lot of hands helped in our transfer.

On August 17, we moved to the new facility and had our Sunday service there. We had potluck lunch and fellowship time afterwards. Some of the youth were also music jamming. I joined in.

August 23, 2008. Twinx and I went out to see the sunset together. We then had dinner, dessert and coffee afterwards.

August 24, 2008. After Sunday service I had lunch with my parents at BBQ Park. That restaurant was partially wrecked to make way for a new road. The food is still delicious.

August 25, 2008. It was Monday, National Heroes' Day, a holiday. Twinx, myself, and a group of friends went to Sol Y Mar beach for a day of relaxation, food, and fellowship. That same Monday Twinx became my girlfriend.

August 26, 2008. The church lights are now functional since they were installed the day before. Now Bible studies can be done at night in the new facility.

August 27, 2008. We had our first midweek Bible study in the new church facility. Afterwards some of us went to Barrio Inasal for dinner.

I recently resigned from my work at Eversun Software Philippines Corporation to pursue another venture.

August 28-29, 2008. My last two days at Eversun. Just making memories of the friends I will leave behind. More of this in my multiply web site.

August 30. Twinx and I went to dinner at Esca's. We even took a picture together with the duo that performed that evening.

September 3 was barbecue night at the church facility as part of our midweek Bible study. The pork on stick and bread toasted on charcoal were good.

Tee Jay Returns

2008-06-30T17:37:00.002+08:00

Here's a picture of me and my friend since high school, Tee Jay. He recently came back from taking his master's course in Oklahoma, USA. He will be working here again as a return service to BFAR where he is employed.

It wasn't planned, but he was the one who found me as we were both in the same line at an ATM. We had coffee and had a lot to catch up on.

Typhoon FENGSHEN

2008-06-25T17:17:00.005+08:00

I live in Iloilo, the hardest hit area of typhoon FENGSHEN. In our country, we call it "Frank".

Thank God the area where I live had no floods at all, the church facility wasn't hit, and I can still work since the office is located in the city proper that wasn't hit as well. But most areas were hit. The above picture shows stuff that my uncle moved to our house to keep them from getting wet. Friends of mine suffered from the flash flood that resulted from the water from the dam. That flood wasn't even directly caused by the rain. Most parts of the city and some parts of the province became like seas.

Here's a news video about it from last monday:

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For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV

Also, I took a video of the shoreline close to my house. It was badly hit as well, though only by winds and not the flood.

Brethren, pray for us. We need to rebuild.

Updates 05-14 to 06-16 '08

2008-06-16T22:42:00.023+08:00

Oh wow, more than a month has passed and I haven't posted anything.

May 14. I saw God raising up another radical. His name is Kenedie, one of our young guys in church. He is a talented guitar player and singer for the Lord. Another man on fire for Jesus.

May 16. For a while this part of our office became a photo studio. The company ID pictures needed enhancement, so some of our employees decided to have their pictures taken again.

May 17. Dad showed me the shoes that came in from the U.S. that his client sent to him. I'm not the only one blessed by God with a pair of shoes. His was a K-Swiss. Woohoo!

May 18. Again my pastor asked me to fill in for him on a Sunday morning. I taught on 1 Peter 3:12-17 in a message entitled "Laging Handa". I exhorted the congregation to always be ready to share our faith, speaking the truth in love with meekness and gentleness.

May 23. We started a new ministry in church called "Tim Time" or "t2" to help people grow in their service to the Lord. We will mainly be focusing on the books of 1 and 2 Timothy.

May 24. The Bibles that I ordered from Amazon and delivered c/o my friend in the U.S., Felipe who came to visit recently arrived. Not all the Bibles were for me. The second picture below shows my friend Eaves with the Bible we got for her mom (picture taken days later).

May 25. We added four guys to the worship team in church. They can all play stringed instruments. Not all of them are in this picture.

May 30. We started a new ministry in church for the men. We called it "m@c" (pronounced as "mak" and stands for "Men at Calvary"). We are studying the book of Romans and I'm teaching it.

May 31. I took my camera to the repair shop since it was recording the pictures too bright, and with lines.

June 6. I took the Zend PHP 5 Certification exam in Manila. I had been preparing for this, and I gave my best. But my best wasn't good enough. I wrote more about it on My SpaceLeSs.

June 6-9. The rest of my time in Manila was spent on vacation. I stayed with my sister and her family. I got to visit and enjoy my cute niece.

June 10. Going back to Iloilo, I missed my flight and had to rebook. I came back in the afternoon. At evening time, I went to our church prayer meeting at the housing and got to see our church friend Cherry before she left for Manila.

Cherry

June 13. Our first worship practice in church on a Friday night. We used to practice on Saturdays.

June 14. I watched The Chronicles of Narnia (Prince Caspian) together with Ryan.

June 15. Father's Day. We celebrated it in church, and had a seafood lunch by the beach with my family. At dinner time, I got pizza and pasta for the family and we ate at home. I was also able to pick up my camera that is now fixed. Glory to God!

June 16. I registered my mom's car with the Land Transportation Office. I worked half of the day only, and had a company administrative meeting at dinner time.

Adidas 8K GT M

2008-05-13T18:38:00.002+08:00

Thank God for His blessings. I received a free pair of shoes from a friend in the U.S. named Dave Jenkins. It's an Adidas. I retrieved it from the post office and only paid 35 pesos for it. Thanks also to my friend Remia Carumba who helped me at the post office where she works.

"...How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!" - Romans 10:15

Mother's Day 2008

2008-05-12T21:52:00.006+08:00

Mother's day was awesome. I woke up and greeted my mom a Happy Mother's Day.

(Although a friend of mine beat me to it. She greeted my mom over text by sending me a message at 1:07 A.M.! Later on I returned the favor by texting her back at around 12:45 P.M. that my mom says thanks.)

Sunday morning, we asked all the mothers in our church to stand. We prayed for them and gave them presents. Among these were a greeting card and a bookmark.

At lunch time, me and my parents went over to Afrique's for pizza, pasta, and chicken. YUUMMMY!

A Final Salute to Tatay

2008-05-02T13:45:00.001+08:00

Salvador Olaguer (November 9, 1924 - March 26, 2008).

It's been almost a month as I'm writing this. My grandfather "Tatay" (Filipino word for "father") passed away and went home to be with the Lord.

When I heard the news about his accident, I was in church on a Saturday night with my band preparing for Sunday morning worship. Evidently, Tatay hit his head climbing up the stairs to a friend's house where they were supposed to have a prayer meeting. This caused him to go into a coma from which he never woke up.

It was a Wednesday that he died. March 26, 6:12pm GMT +0800 to be precise. Again, I was in church in a Bible study when it happened. My mom, sister, aunt, and niece all went to Manila the same day. They were hoping to still catch him alive -- but it was too late. Tatay had gone home to his eternal resting place.

I booked a flight to Manila a short while before he died. It was on the next Saturday, March 29, that I was able to fly to Manila together with my cousin. I took an evening flight, and I waited on the airport a long time since I had to get there in the afternoon via shuttle van.

I was able to meet this Chinese national who happened to live close to my house. He was an old guy with a wife and children living in the same district as me. He sold orchids.

After taking some coffee and surfing the Internet from my cousin's laptop, we were able to fly to Manila that evening.

We went straight to Loyola Chapels in Guadalupe, where my grandfather was in wake. I spent the first night watching over my grandfather's body and I slept in the chapel.

The next day we went to Sunday service at Jesus' Flock, my cousin's church. It was a small church that reminded me of my home church Calvary Chapel back in Iloilo. The service was great, and the pastor talked about unity in the Body of Christ.

I had lunch with my mom, sister, niece, and brother-in-law in a Chinese restaurant in one of the SMs in Manila.

Sunday night, my longtime friend since childhood, Dr. Mark, came to visit at the wake. It was great talking to him again and spending that time.

That night, I stayed in the chapel again till morning.

Monday was the day before the burial. It was the last night where we would spend time with the tent that my grandfather left -- his body. Soldiers were posted round the clock that night, since my grandfather was a veteran who served his country as a soldier for the Philippine Army. That night, I led worship and even shared about my relationship to my grandfather, and the legacy he has on my life. I believe he was instrumental to my coming to faith in Christ, and his influence on my life greatly impacted me years long after my childhood.

Tuesday morning, we buried Tatay. It was a military burial, with a twenty-one gun salute.

That was the only time I finally broke down in tears. It was at the very moment when my uncle addressed the crowd after Tatay was committed to the ground. Tatay's influence would always be with us. But he himself would be absent -- that caused me to cry and I broke into tears.

Tatay was buried beside my grandmother Nanay, his wife. You might remember the post I posted last year entitled "The Gift That is Nanay" that I wrote about her.

Tatay will always be remembered. A father to his family, a soldier to his country, and a minister to his community.

Jonas' Dad

2008-03-17T19:15:00.001+08:00

Mr. L.J. Lozano (1949-2008) recently passed away on March 7, 2008. He was actually my friend Jonas' dad. They own a rice mill family business. Jonas and I go way back when I used to visit a church where he was the drummer for the worship team on Friday nights. Years later, we worked together as volunteer music teachers at Camp Sonshine. Please keep Jonas and his family in prayers that the Lord will comfort them and help them with their finances.

24 Mode

2008-03-17T08:13:00.001+08:00

My schedule for the next few weeks will be hectic. That's ok, it's where God has me right now. My work schedule has expanded, I'm preparing to take the Zend PHP 5 Certification exam, and some of a pastor friend's responsibilities in our church youth camp preparation falls to me since he had to go to the US for a family emergency.

I had to cut my hair just so I could move faster.

Well, it's a new season.

12:06:01...12:06:02...12:06:03...12:06:04...

Budz Visits

2008-03-16T23:54:00.004+08:00

An old friend came back from Bermuda to spend her vacation here. Her name is Hazel Joy, but I call her "Budz" also. We've been friends for a long time, but got separated geographically because of work. It was hard to schedule a time I can meet her during her stay here, but I was able to invite her to our Afterglow service in church last Friday night. Afterwards, she treated my mom and myself out to dinner at a seafoods restaurant nearby.

Of Bread and Birds

2008-03-16T23:48:00.004+08:00

"Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" - Matthew 6:26

As I was walking down the church parking lot, I saw a piece of bread and a bird who seems to have just found it lying there. I doubt that anybody intentionally tried to feed that bird -- it was a wild Maya bird. Then I saw at least one more bird interested in that bread. This reminded me of how God literally provides for the needs of the birds. And if He can do that, then how much more does He provide the needs of His own children for whom He sent His only Son to die for? Think about it.

32nd Anniversary: Da Parentz

2008-03-16T23:42:00.004+08:00

March 8, 2008. My parents just celebrated their 32nd Wedding Anniversary. We had a simple celebration of pizza and pasta at our house that night. God is faithful. And He always will be.

"being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;" - Philippians 1:6

Yum!

Calvary Chapel Pre-Valentine's 2008

2008-02-16T12:57:00.001+08:00

GOD IS LOVE. (1 John 4:8)

February 13, 2008. T'was the night before Valentine's Day. We decided to make the midweek service a pre-Valentine celebration instead. The youth group, Pastor Mark, and I organized a special service to be able to focus on the topic of love and courtship from God's perspective.

We invited young people and a lot of them came, including those from Central Philippine University, John B. Lacson University, and West Visayas State University.

We had fun with the games. There were two games: the plane fight, and the heart-match puzzle. The young people were able to get to know each other and interact with new peers. This was a fun way to build fellowship.

We gave away prizes for these as well.

I led worship as we rocked out with loud praise that night. So it was more of a youth service /singles night than it was a regular midweek Bible study.

Pastor Mike taught on the Word of God in 1 Corinthians 13, and taught us how to keep the Lord Jesus central in the area of relationships. He also gave opportunity for those who didn't know the Lord to receive Him that night into their hearts as their personal Lord and Savior.

After the message we sang some songs and distributed food to those who came.

May we always love one another with the same love God has shown us in Christ Jesus. And not just on Valentine's.

Calvary Chapel of Iloilo 6th Year Anniversary

2008-02-16T12:55:00.001+08:00

"till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ...speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ..."

- Ephesians 4:13, 15

On February 10, 2008, Calvary Chapel of Iloilo celebrated its 6th year anniversary. We are six years as local church, and this year we used the theme "Being perfected in Christ through faith and love."

Our guest this year is Pastor Mike Ramsey, our missionary pastor who first came to Iloilo and started Calvary Chapel here. He arrived on a Friday night, and we were able to spend time with him while at the same time preparing for the anniversary celebration.

On Saturday, we made our final preparations especially with the worship team and the setup of the gym we were going to rent for the occasion. We had to stay up late, but it's a joy to be preparing and serving the Lord in even the small things.

On Sunday was the service proper. We celebrated in the gym as we worshiped the Lord together with joyful singing. Me and Pastor Mark led the worship songs and the congregation joyfully and powerfully praised the Lord for His goodness and faithfulness to our lives and to the local church. The songs we sang included God of Wonders, Unchanging, and How Can I Keep From Singing?

My mom led the congregation to hold hands and pray together as one body of Christ, including the nation of the Philippines in the prayer.

I also did the Scripture reading on Proverbs 30, the climax to the book of Proverbs, featuring the words of Agur.

Pastor Mike taught on Ephesians 4:7-16. This is where our theme for this year is based on. The essence of it is that we are all part of the body of Christ in this local church and everyone is gifted by God to function in a unique way. But first he played a video his wife made about their family in the U.S. and what God is doing in their lives.

After the message we worshiped the Lord with one more song, The Potter's Hand.

We had fellowship together over lunch. The food went by fast.

We also had special presentations from Calvary Kids, the Sentinels of Christ youth ministry, the housemates, and me and Vicente's instantly-formed band.

After that, since the gym was still ours until 5:00 pm, we had fun playing around the gym. It was a badminton gym.

The celebration didn't end with games. Some of us stayed behind to clean up and make sure things are arranged and stored back where they belong.

Lingering is something we do when we just want to stay behind and fellowship. We lingered at the church office until it was time to eat dinner. The sleeping guy is Lester, sleeping on his sister Joenah's lap.

Together with Pastor Mike, some of us went to Barbecue Park for a dinner fellowship. At the end of a busy celebration, it was nice to sit down and eat.

Brother Nonoy

2008-02-10T21:37:00.000+08:00

Roman "Nonoy" Mosqueda (February 16, 1950 - February 4, 2008). Recently, an old friend and brother in the Lord passed away while I was staying in another city.

I met Nonoy who was an attorney seven years ago. We even went to the same church for quite some time. I have seen his life and his example as he faithfully served the Lord. He encouraged people in their walk and was very warm and pleasant to fellowship with. He eventually went full-time in ministry as a lay pastor and preached the Word of God full-time.

He was running the race until three strokes took him out of this earth. One of the last things he did was worship the Lord in his sick bed singing "Jesus Loves Me."

He left behind his wife, step-son, and grandkids to go home to the Lord. Nonoy finished strong.

He had Philippians 1:21 written for his coffin and I quote it to you:

"For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

The Source of (my) Strength

2008-02-05T18:55:00.000+08:00

Before I went to Manila to take a break from work and regular ministry activities, I prayed that God would really speak to me and show me direction in my life for the present time.

A few things came up as I was listening to the Lord for His directions. And these I want to share with you.

1. Humility precedes honor (Proverbs 15:33)

In order for God to move us to where He eventually wants us to be, we must be faithful where we are. And that means doing the work that He has for us now, even when circumstances are unpleasant. It means not trying to insist on our own rights and trying to change our circumstances to suit our comfort and preferences, but to simply keep doing our work faithfully as unto the Lord. And in His own time, God will lift us up as we humble ourselves under His mighty hand, trusting Him. Remember, God is in control of even the "bad" times. And within our limitations and weaknesses, let us wield the powerful weapon of prayer.

2. Give the little that we have (John 6:1-14)

Jesus is able to multiply our resources to bless others, but first we must let Him have those resources. Let us use our talents and abilities to serve the Lord and He will do the multiplication.

3. Respond to His grace (Romans 12:1-3)

Let us always keep our salvation and first love foremost in our thoughts. Fixing our eyes on Jesus and how He has saved us from death, hell, and the grave allows us to respond to that grace in our service for the Lord. For all God has done in calling us His own and blessing us with every spiritual blessing, is it too much a sacrifice to serve and obey Him? Not a chance! This is the source of strength for our service to the Lord. We will not be weighed down by a sense of obligation when we serve the Lord as a response to His grace. Oh, the wonderful grace of Jesus. Grace, grace. Wait for His grace to fall like rain everyday. May it be your strength and power as you walk with Him. He has saved us by grace -- now let us live by His grace.

I agree with the apostle Paul and John Newton, and I can say this of my own life, in my own words:

Of sinners I am the worst,
but Jesus died for me.
I do not deserve His grace and love,
but Jesus died for me.
I deserved hell and death,
but Jesus died for me.
I do not deserve heaven,
but Jesus died for me.

And in His death and resurrection I have a new life, and an eternal hope in heaven. Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! I have this as an anchor to my soul through every storm in life.

Drawing Charade and A Piece of Cake

2008-01-26T18:14:00.000+08:00

It doesn't really take much to make my day. God has blessed me with a lot of stuff (a computer, money, a ministry, a keyboard, a good job, a laptop, a webcam, a master's degree, etc.) and yet little things still make me smile.

Today as I was online, my kid cousin Ryan invited me to play Picture This! which is an online game kind of like Win, Lose, or Draw. It was really fun drawing the thing the word described and also having to guess what he was drawing on his turn. We played it over our Yahoo accounts using meebo.com, and here is a screenshot of what it looks like:

Also, I was chatting with a friend and she said that she was baking a banana cake. Too bad I couldn't eat it, so she sent me a picture instead. I can't have my cake and eat it, too. This time, I have it.

All this happened at a time when I usually get sleepy on Saturdays and take a nap. But stepping out of your comfort zone to communicate and be a blessing to others is more rewarding.

"The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself. " - Proverbs 11:25

M & N

2008-01-24T23:13:00.000+08:00

Today, I met two fellow Christians, both younger than me.

The first one was someone who I haven't seen in a long time -- I'd like to call him Marv. I met Marv when I was coming out of the mall after work. Marv serves the Lord as a worshipper, youth leader, and a preacher. I admire his passion for the Lord as well as his energy. He even works at a call center on night shift. The last time I lived like he did I ended up having Mild Leukopenia, but I eventually recovered from it. But God has blessed Marv with good health -- His ways are higher. I may never understand every question in life of why things happen the way they do but I rest on God's sovereignty. Marv is a pentecostal and he is on fire for the Lord. We exchanged cellphone numbers and parted ways. He's interested in coming to our midweek service soon and misses listening to Vineyard songs, since his church plays mainly Hillsongs only.

Afterwards, I went to my home church to prepare worship songs for our 6th year church anniversary. There was my pastor and he told me one of the girls in our church wanted to help. I'd like to call her Nic. Nic is an English major college student and has been coming to our church for a while now. She steps up to serve as a percussionist -- and what a percussionist! She learns the beat for every song so fast before you can say MJ. I'm blessed by her willing to help us with the music ministry.

I am blessed to see young people serving the Lord. I feel like I have been chosen by God to stand between the older and the younger generation. I'm 27 now and I'm somewhere between those who have the energy to serve the Lord fervently, but could use the wisdom of those of us who have more life experience with the Lord, and those who are way ahead of me in years and I look up to them for counsel and see their life persevering for the Lord as an example for my own walk.

CALLING ALL RADICALS... It's time to take this generation for Jesus! Are you up to it? If you are, join me. No, I'm not talking about another concert, though we could do that. I'm talking about being so aware of Jesus in your daily life that not only are you blessed and happy, but you're encouraging those around you to look to you for insight and direction in their spiritual walk. May God fill your life with His presence to overflow to a lost and dying generation. His kingdom come, His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

M & N, may God bless them and young people like them.

2008

2008-01-02T22:48:00.000+08:00

A blessed and happy new year to all my readers! 2008 is a new year, a new season, a new beginning.

First day of the year, I turned 27. It was nice for friends and family to come by our house. We had pasta, pancit, and tacos included in our merienda. Just a simple celebration of God's faithfulness in my life.

Christmas 2007

2008-01-01T06:42:00.000+08:00

Christmas time, the season to be jolly, when people really make that effort to go the extra mile for another. Celebrating Christmas this year has been very animated for me. Seems like another season of 24. 12:00:01...12:00:02...12:00:03...12:00:04. Everything is rush, rush, rush. Of course I'm exagerrating. But it seems that as I grow older, I feel more of a sense of taking responsibility on how things run. That's when I get tired. Still, it was fun.

December 8, 2007
The following takes place between 7:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. (sound effect)

Cast: Matt, Ryan 1, Ryan 2, Ramises, Domels, RJ, Jollibee man.

Produced by DS

It was finally here, the Level 2 exam. The company president and I have been working on an incentive for programmers to prove their skills in order to increase their paygrade. The finale -- an 8-hour coding exam proctored by yours truly.

We called Jollibee and ordered lunch to be delivered to us. I made a mistake by ordering chicken for Matt who had a sore in his mouth. I said to bring change for 500 pesos. They missed that part. The Jollibee man didn't bring any change and had to go back and get some.

The exam went well, over-all.

04:20:01...04:20:02...04:20:03...04:20:04...

The following takes place between 5:00 P.M. and 6:00 P.M. (sound effect)
Cast: Pastor Mark, RJ, Chela, Pam, Leilah, other young people.
Produced by PM

The youth department at church did ask me to play the electric drums and lead some worship songs for their Christmas party. It started at 4:00 PM, so I had to be there around 5:00 P.M.

Play the drums, lead worship with the guitar. I was able to do that by God's grace.

I met a friend I haven't seen in a while -- Melford. It was good to seen him again.

Then I had to run. I still need to pick up my jeep from the shop. I had it cleaned and groomed since I was selling it.

05:59:57...05:59:58...05:59:59...06:00:00...

The following takes place between 6:00 P.M. and 7:00 P.M. (sound effect)

Cast: RJ, Art, jeepney drivers
Produced by Art

Ok, I've been waiting in front of U.P. and still no jeep can take me to the shop. I had to take a ride to SM City and just walk from there. The walk was about 100 meters to get to the shop.

As I looked at my jeep..WOW! It looks good. The chassis has been cleaned and painted, and the engine has been washed. There was even leftover paint to improve the front part. God is awesome!

(My face doesn't appear on camera)

I went back to the church to prepare for the next day's Sunday service.

06:59:57...06:59:58...06:59:59...07:00:00...

The following takes place between 7:00 P.M. and 8:00 P.M. (sound effect)

Cast: RJ, Pastor Mark, worship team
Produced by RJ

I went back to the church to prepare for our Sunday service for the next day. Being a worship leader, practice was very important to a music team.

We had some of the youth jam with us as well. It was fun playing music with new faces. It all just seemed fresh.

07:59:57...07:59:58...07:59:59...08:00:00...

(Maybe my face can appear on camera now)

December 16, 2007

The following takes place between 10:00 A.M. and 04:00 P.M. (sound effect)

Cast: Calvary Chapel of Iloilo plus guests
Produced by PM and RJ

Ok, my first time to actually teach on a Sunday service is here. We had to move the service to the nearby gym to accommodate plenty of people.

I played the electric drums for the worship team. We formed a special group just for that Sunday. After all, it was a Christmas service.

I was able to teach the Sunday message on Matthew 1. I entitled it "God With Us". I never realized what it was like to teach behind a pulpit until I experienced it for myself. Pastor Mark urged the people to receive the gift of salvation through faith in Christ. God is good. He moved through that service and people received Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

We had lunch after the service and also some Christmas presentations. Some of us stayed to clean up afterwards. Then we prayed together and blessed the Lord.

I went to SM City afterwards.

03:59:57...03:59:58...03:59:59...04:00:00...

(Camera shows me driving the jeep)

December 22, 2007

The following takes place between 1:00 P.M. and 5:00 P.M. (sound effect)

Cast: JK, May, former ROTC buddies, guests
Produced by: JK and May

Jerome, my long-time friend, gets married to his girlfriend of almost ten years. I was able to come to their wedding and it was a wonderful celebration to be able to share in their joy. I was also able to attend the reception, but I wasn't able to stay through the end of it since I still had to go to our company's Christmas party.

04:59:57...04:59:58...04:59:59...05:00:00...

The following takes place between 5:00 P.M. and 10:00 P.M. (sound effect)

Cast: ESS
Produced by: M2

I made it pretty early to the Christmas party. Registration was still open. The party hasn't started, and there was time to chit-chat, prepare the sound system, and get the program ready. Whoops, we forgot to record the song for our dance number. God is gracious, and we were able to find a copy of the song from the sound guy. I tried to breakdance on this one. I hope someone made a video of that so at least I can see if my moves looked good. I won a pair of sunglasses in one of the raffle draws. This kind really hugs your face and sticks. The following photo has been edited.

For the gift-giving, I received a pen with a laser light and a flash light. Now this reminds me of a light saber. Thanks to Russel.

Many of my co-workers went out for a night in the city. I didn't go but instead I went straight home.
09:59:57...09:59:58...09:59:59...10:00:00...

December 25, 2007

The following takes place between 12:00 A.M. and 1:00 A.M. (sound effect)

Cast: Family
Produced by: Dadi-lo

Christmas eve is here. The time of the year all of us Tagalogs are waiting for. We celebrate the traditional Noche Buena where we have dinner at 12:00 A.M.

At our house, I read the Scripture in Luke 2, where it talks about the shepherds seeing the angels announce the birth of Christ. We sang Christmas songs and had dinner together as a family.

We also opened gifts afterwards. I got some pretty neat stuff this Christmas.

The following takes place between 12:00 P.M. and 1:00 P.M. (sound effect)

Cast: Family
Produced by: Dadi-lo

This is Christmas day and we celebrate it with our extended family every year. It was also a birthday celebration for my niece since she was born on December 21. She already had a party in Manila, but we wanted to celebrate it here as well.

I woke up late, and I realized that the dogs have no more dog food left. I went to the store to buy some. The jeepney service was unusually slow since it's Christmas day. I missed my niece's blowing of the candle but it's a good thing we had it on video.

We had lunch together with my relatives and we opened more gifts. My aunt gave me baby stuff by wrapping mistake. It was hilarious.

My niece is quite a dancer. We had a fun time as a family.

Baggages

2007-10-27T06:45:00.000+08:00

During our recent trip to Cebu for the pastors and workers' conference, going back to Iloilo was a learning experience for me. As we went to the pier to get aboard the ship going to Iloilo, security had to inspect all our things for deadly weapons. As I was passing through the metal detector, it kept beeping on me! The guard won't let me pass through until there was no more beep. So I had to remove my cellphone...then my coins and keys...lastly, my belt that had a metal buckle. Finally, the detector went silent after I removed all the metal objects attached to me. The lesson: Don't carry too much metal on my next trip.

Sometimes in our walk with the Lord we carry too much extra baggage. This can come in different forms like bad habits, bitterness, or anxiety. But it can also come in good packaging such as activities that don't really help us stay focused on God's call upon our lives. Sometimes good things become the enemies of the best things that God has for us. Let's seek the Lord for His perfect will for our lives and lay down anything that can hinder us from running our race. - RJ Alobba

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us” - Hebrews 12:1

Calvary Chapel Regional Pastors and Workers' Conference 2007

2007-10-22T16:37:00.000+08:00

Last week, eight of us were able to attend the regional pastors' and workers conference in Cebu City. It was a time when we could meet up with other Calvary pastors and workers in the Visayas area. It was a blessing for us, being fed the Word of God, fellowshipping, and worshipping the Lord. It was truly a refreshing, recharging experience.

We left Iloilo City on the evening of October 15. We gathered at the church office at around 4:00 P.M., then went to the port at around 5:00 P.M. It was an overnight trip on a ship that lasted about 14 hours.

On the picture above, from left to right: Darel, Grace, Ryan, Vicente, Krishia, Rizel, RJ, and Pastor Mark.

We arrived in Cebu City in the morning and one of the people from Calvary Chapel of Cebu City, Kenneth, drove us from the port to the church where we were going to stay.

This was the place where we stayed. The church had a sanctuary, but not on the ground floor. The ground floor was used for Sunday school and housing guests. There was a kitchen, some bedrooms, and bathrooms.

Afterwards they took us to Eco Tech, a government facility where the conference was being held. We had time to relax and see the place.

Afterwards we had to eat something since we were getting hungry. We went to the McDonald's at the J.V. Mall, which is close by.

At the start of the conference, pastors and church workers from different Calvaries in the Visayas joined together in worship and fellowship.

The churches in the Cebu island hosted the conference, and Pastor Tom Maxwell was the master of ceremonies for the whole conference program. There were different speakers in the sessions as well as in the workshops.

During the sessions, we studied the book of Nehemiah. Our theme for this year is "Rebuilding Walls, Rebuilding Lives".

At the last night, we had a time of waiting on the Lord and worship, or what we call "Afterglow". It was a very encouraging experience, especially since a lot of people spoke up and gave the Word of the Lord.

They also fed us well during our stay. The food that we ate was some of the best foods around. I think I even gained a few pounds.

The Lord continues to raise up laborers for His harvest field. Those He raises up, He equips. We get our strength, our courage, and our comfort from Jesus Christ alone. He is the author and the finisher of our faith.

Please pray with us that God continue to raise up more workers for His churches here in the Visayan islands. We are many, but not many enough. There are still a lot of people and places unreached by the Gospel of Christ.

After the conference we had time to go to SM City Cebu, just to relax and have some clean fun. Below you will see us playing around with the bump cars:

Afterwards we took an overnight trip on a boat back to Iloilo.

The following Sunday, some of us gave our testimonies on how the Lord worked in our lives at the conference.

UseLESs rUsH

2007-10-13T10:43:00.000+08:00

"See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil." - Ephesians 5:15-16

Recently, I had to rush some errands for my office and I didn't have a lot of time in my hands since I decided to do it on my lunch break. I had to go to the mall to buy lunch, get a staple gun, swing to the other office to drop some supplies, pick up the laptop the company issued me, and go back to my office. All this has to happen in one hour.

12:00:01...12:00:02...12:00:03...12:00:04...

The following occurs between 12:00 P.M. and 1:00 P.M.

Preparing to rush out the door, I picked up the plastic bag that I thought were the supplies I needed to deliver. I got to the mall parking lot and I took a good look at the bag -- it was the wrong one, since I picked up the plastic bag containing the trash instead! I then had to go to plan B.

12:59:57...12:59:58...12:59:59...01:00:00

In the world we live in today, things are rushing. Even on this remote island in the Philippines were I live in, things are already starting to be fast-paced. Life just keeps demanding, doesn't it? Still, we are called to be wise people. We Christians live by a higher standard and we live by faith. No matter what happens, let's take time to wait on the Lord, to pray over things, and to make decisions based on a Biblical world view, and not the view the world tries to plunge down our throats.

RJ
Iloilo City, Philippines

Making History

2007-09-24T14:40:00.000+08:00

Ok, I admit it -- I live in an island probably 90% of the world has never heard of. But what I do know is I serve a great and awesome God who's bigger than the universe. Everyone of us believers are called to be history makers. In life, there are times when our presence becomes public. That point is critical, since our witness will greatly impact those around us, whether for good or for bad. Let's be good witnesses for Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.

Below is a part of a local newspaper called Panay News that I scanned. And yes, I am in this picture. Try looking for me if you can. It's like finding Waldo, but much easier. Clue: I'm in the middle picture. This was during the 2nd IT Week in Iloilo City.

More pictures from the following albums:
http://radical81.multiply.com/photos/album/11
http://radical81.multiply.com/photos/album/12
http://radical81.multiply.com/photos/album/13

All This Tagging Bit

2007-08-18T16:43:00.000+08:00

Ok. This is for Tint, Donnabel, and Avegail. I owe you my tag.

1. I always sleep at around 11pm and wake up 7am, though I usually set my alarm to 6:30am. When it goes off, I instinctively grab it and shut it off and put it near my head pillow. That's when I sleep again and wake up late.

2. I drink about 5 liters of water a day.

3. I'm a geek. A computer geek. The real thing. =)

4. I have 3 dogs, and they're like my own children.

5. I speak Tagalog at home, Ilonggo outside, and English at church.

6. I have a terrible handwriting.

7. I like superheroes.

Normalization

2007-07-11T16:32:00.000+08:00

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. -Jeremiah 29:11 (New International Version)

After my grandmother passed, I thought about getting back to a normal life. But then I started to wonder what a normal life is without her. Although I grew up in Iloilo and my grandma was in Manila, I always had the assurance that she was there. She was only a phone call away. She spent her last year in Iloilo, and that was the most I've seen her all my life. Still, her passing seems to let me see the world as no longer normal.

Things have happened after she passed. Independence Day came, which is a national holiday.

Father's Day came, and I was able to treat my dad out to lunch.

Church is still church, except that I see life now from a different perspective. Grandma's passing seems to have given me the "growing up overnight" experience. I feel like an adult now more than ever. I also had the opportunity to do the Sunday Scripture reading. I made the mistake of asking the people to read the "evil" verses while I read the odd verses, when I should have told them to read the "even" verses while I read the odd verses. And also, the worship team is still growing.

It's good to be reunited with old friends. Dr. Mark has been a best friend since we were in elementary school. He visited Iloilo for a week.

Family life is still family life, except that my sister, brother-in-law and niece came for a visit. I spent time with my baby niece and now I miss her more than ever before now that they left.

I also was able to drive them to the new Iloilo airport for the first time. I think it was the longest distance I've ever driven a car.

Daily work is still daily work, except that my job description may soon change, and I had the privilege of attending the wedding of my two officemates who got married to each other.

I gave them the Topical Study Bible (New Living Translation) as a wedding gift. We then had barbecue chicken plus other courses for lunch.

My pets are still my pets, except that two of them are under medication for skin problems.

And my heart is still my heart, except that I think God is giving me courage and getting me ready to step out of my comfort zone and talk to... somebody =) .

So, what is normal when things are different? What is normal when you step into a new season? Just the same as before -- being normal is following Jesus and being the person He made you to be.

The Gift That is Nanay

2007-06-24T17:13:00.000+08:00

Nanay was my grandmother. I call her by that Filipino word which means "mother" rather than what we normally use for grandmothers ("lola"). At 81 years old, she passed away in a hospital bed on June 7, 2007 at 10:15 A.M. I received a phone call ten minutes later at my office that Nanay had passed.

The effect on me was emotional. I mourned her physical death, yet I have the assurance that she's with the Lord Jesus Christ in heaven, having had a personal relationship with Him in her lifetime. Nanay had suffered from the stroke since August 2005, and has spent her last year living in my home city, Iloilo. She's originally from Manila. The conclusion of her race of faith was here, and she spent most of the time inside my parents' house, where I live.

I would spend time with her in her room and read her the Bible and pray with her. She was no longer capable of reading, and the right side of her body was mostly paralyzed. This was my main ministry to my grandmother -- to make sure she stayed close to the Lord. I even remember one night where we had worship right in her room, and I led worship with the guitar. She was singing her heart out to the Lord, although she couldn't articulate her words very well anymore.

Nanay was a gift to me. I grew up knowing her as Nanay. She was a second mother to me and to my sister, and she would always communicate her love to us, especially when we're staying in Manila. Growing up, I would go to Manila frequently, every year or two, most times with my mom, and I would stay at my grandparents' house. I would say she's the most excellent cook I had ever known. And I doubt that anyone in our family has been able to cook as excellent as she has. She was a master chef around the house.

Nanay finished her race strong. I know she's in heaven worshipping our Savior, and rejoicing in His love and faithfulness. The suffering is over. She is finally home. Nanay lived to see her great grandchild and to carry her in her arms, who happens to be my niece. She is an example of what it is to be a mother.

I still remember the last conversation I had with her before she had the stroke. It was the last time we talked wherein she was still able to articulate words. It was July 2005, and my parents were both in Manila and I was left alone in Iloilo. I talked to Nanay over the phone and she asked how I was doing, being alone in the house. I said I was doing fine and I can manage. Then she asked, "Pwde ka na pala mag-asawa?", and I replied yes. Sometimes relatives who haven't seen me in a while still imagine me as a child. But then they realize how old I am after a while. I would always remember that last conversation and if I ever get married, Nanay would be one of the people in my mind. I would be thinking about her, and though she wouldn't be there among the guests, my thoughts will include her.

Now it's time to continue my race. I want to finish strong as well...

The Finish Line

2007-06-05T08:36:00.000+08:00

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us"
- Hebrews 12:1

The Bible compares our Christian walk to a race. No, not a sprint, but a marathon. Speed is not the determining factor in this race. It's endurance.

Imagine yourself in a race, with a large crowd watching, and some have already finished the race themselves. What are they saying to you?

Unlike an actual marathon, you don't know where the finish line is. You know there is one. But how much more do you need to run to get there? You don't know that. Okay, so you need an illustration from real life, right? Let's ask Mr. Wikipedia again:

I know, that picture wasn't so clear. But look very closely. The guy at the right is facing everyone else. You know who that is? That's the coxswain. The coxswain is the person in charge of a boat, particularly its navigation and steering. The others can't see the finish line, but he knows where it is. They have to get all their directions and encouragement from him.

Jesus Christ is like our coxswain. He knows where the finish line is, we don't. We just have to keep following His instructions, because we trust Him. We know that ultimately, all things work together for good (Rom. 8:28).

A story is told by Max Lucado of a man on an African safari deep in the jungle. The guide before him had a machete and was whacking away the tall weeds and thick underbrush. The traveler, wearied and hot, asked in frustration, “Where are we? Do you know where you are taking me? Where is the path?!” The seasoned guide stopped and looked back at the man and replied, “I am the path.”

Doesn't Jesus do the same? He did say He is the Way (John 14:6). He told us not to worry about tomorrow (Matthew 6:34). We follow Him day by day. To me, that's awesome. Jesus is our Way. Our path. And the Bible says that our path shines brighter everyday (Proverbs 4:18). Everyday is a step closer to the finish line when we see Jesus face to face to hear Him say, "Well done!"

Until that day comes, I have to keep reminding myself to live one day at a time. Not to jump to too many conclusions. Not to worry about my life tomorrow. Not to hold my plans too tightly. This world is passing away, and we are on a race. Let's finish strong, like the apostle Paul who said at the end of his life,

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing." - 2 Timothy 4:7-8

How did Paul do it? He left us with a clue.

"Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. " - Philippians 3:13-14

Press on, press on, and press on...

Letting Go

2007-05-24T17:24:00.000+08:00

"Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God."

- John 6:68-69

As you follow the Lord, have you ever had to let go of someone? Perhaps not in proximity, just inwardly. I had to do it again. God was speaking to me for a few weeks now, to let go of my intentions for someone, someone special. Yes, you've guessed it. I was in love. Was. But now God just wants me to be in love with Jesus only, for now at least.

Letting go of someone or something may be difficult. Abraham was asked to offer his son Isaac on the altar. John the Baptist had to let go of a potential ministry in priesthood to become the voice in the desert who would prepare the way of the Lord. Jesus Himself laid down His life on the cross to pay the price for our sins.

Following in Jesus' footsteps means realizing that He is not cold or distant to our struggles. It also means that we're trusting Him, and could say together with Jesus, "Nevertheless not as I will, but as You will." Not our will, but God's will be done.

When we give God a blank piece of paper, He draws something wonderful on that paper. He is the master craftsman, and we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus. That blank piece of paper is our lives. I'm excited at what God's gonna do in my life. I've given Him my paper. Have you given Him yours? He says He knows the plans He has for us, plans to prosper us and not to harm us (Jer. 29:11).

We may feel crucified whenever we surrender to the Lord, but the crucified life is also the resurrected life. God's Spirit and power that raised Jesus from the dead dwell in us (Rom. 8:11).

To close this post, I want to quote one of Jeremy Camp's songs entitled "Letting Go", from his album "Restored" (which I highly recommend):

Letting go of the things I hold so dear
Letting go of all my pain and all my fears
Holding on to the things I deem so strong
Holding on even though my faith has been built so long
Holding on to the things I deem so strong
Holding on, holding on to what I know
I'm letting go

Chrysalis

2007-05-17T11:16:00.000+08:00

The butterfly -- yes, we can talk about this now. Butterflies are fascinating creatures in that they emerge from a worm-like creature to a beautiful flying insect.

As we go through life, changes happen constantly. New seasons, new friends, new jobs, new churches, new ministries, new babies, new cars, and many more. Changes happen.

I personally struggle with discomfort in seasons of change. But on occasions like this, it is good to remember that the most uncomfortable stage in a butterfly's life is the pupal stage. The butterfly at this stage is called a Chrysalis. To illustrate, here's another picture from Wikipedia:

Max Lucado's Hermie illustrates very well the parallel of Christian character development to that of a Chrysalis. When God is working in our lives, we get impatient at times when all we do is eat leaves everyday, so to speak. The daily life is getting a little bit too boring for us and we start looking for new thrills. But the lesson here is to trust God and rest in Him, since He is going to give us a heart like His. This is Christlikeness, the true gem of Christian character and spiritual maturity.

Considering the story of Hermie, as well as any other butterfly, there is that stage in the cocoon when the Chrysalis struggles to get out. This is a critical stage. If you try to help out a Chrysalis, you'll kill it. And if we try to help God in this stage of struggle in our Christian walk, we might not be receiving all that God has for us. Let's not get into the arm of man -- the power of the flesh, but allow the Holy Spirit to mold us into Christlikeness. This can mean a new season in our lives -- something fresh that God is preparing. The transition can be painful.

I remember a struggle I had in the past when I was finishing my master's degree. I got very comfortable with the lifestyle of a distance education student, and it was time to end that season of my life. God's time for me to step into a new season was at hand. God did move. He helped me get out of that wilderness into a new season in my life, but I had to let Him do it. I had to pray and trust God everyday, and listen to His instructions for that day. God guided me every step of the way, and it wasn't even at just one place. I had to travel a lot.

Here I am in my new cocoon. I sense that God is getting ready to do something new in my life again. Whether it be a molding of my character, changes in my schedule, or any other change, it will be for my growth. And if God is doing the same work in you, praise Him for that. You're about to fly. In the words of Heimlich the caterpillar in A Bug's Life, "I will become a beeeeautiful butterfly!" Unlike Heimlich though, we would really be able to fly. =)

Learning to Fly

2007-05-08T03:53:00.000+08:00

I'm a Filipino, so here is a picture of a Philippine eagle from Wikipedia:

"As an eagle stirs up its nest,
Hovers over its young,
Spreading out its wings, taking them up,
Carrying them on its wings,
So the LORD alone led him,
And there was no foreign god with him."

- Deuteronomy 32:11-12

It is in times where we are uncomfortable that God trains us for the tasks ahead. An illustration of this is the way a mother eagle trains its young to fly. The eagle's nest is built on a very high place, up on the rocks and mountains. The mother eagle hovers over the nest and allows the eaglet to watch it in action. As the eaglet is fed and nurtured, it slowly grows bigger day by day. Now the nest is made up of prickly thorns pointing inward. As the eaglet grows bigger, it starts to bump into the thorns and gets poked by them. It gives the eaglet that feeling of wanting to get out of the nest.

After that, the mother eagle will take the eaglet and throw it off the nest, plunging down in terminal velocity only to catch it right before it hits the ground and places it back on the nest. The eaglet, scared from being so close to death, sits on the nest only to be thrown again. The mother eagle catches it again. The mother eagle does this over and over.

Until one day, the eaglet gets so sick and tired and angry at this cycle that in rage, it starts flapping its wings as it experiences free fall. And guess what, it discovers one thing -- it can fly!

Recently I've been in uncomfortable situations. This has been going on now for about a year, but I'd like to focus on the recent days.

I've been asked to substitute for my pastor who went out of town for a pastors' conference, to teach the midweek Bible study. This was something I had never done before, and it was a stretch. As I was preparing for that, my mom was also out of town and I had to watch over my grandma from time to time, and make sure the dogs are fed. I taught on Acts 27 - "Sailing Through A Storm".

After this, I was able to relax by attending a beach retreat with my churchmates the day before and on, a holiday. Little did I realize that all the travel, swimming, and just basically the whole trip wore me out.

I also changed my ATM PIN which was required of us in the company, on the same holiday as well. I went back to my work the following day only to find out that the ATMs have been reset and I had to change the PIN again the next day.

I also had to say goodbye to an old friend (although it's never really goodbye among us Christians, we will be together for eternity), and that was sad. She's going to law school, but not here. I'm gonna miss her a lot.

As the week was coming to a close, I could finally rest, or so I thought. My church was getting ready to move out of our old facility into a new place.

This Sunday afternoon, we from the church helped out with moving our stuff (lots of it). I usually take naps on Sunday afternoons, but this was not one of those times. Don't get me wrong, I was glad to help.

I had to go to work the following day and as I'm writing this, I will be at work in a few hours. My chance to write this is now, since I only had 5.5 hours of sleep and I can't sleep right now. It's 4:17 A.M. now.

So, as I'm experiencing free fall, time to spread my wings...

(Next time we can talk about the butterfly.)

What Matters

2007-04-23T17:49:00.000+08:00

I want to share an e-mail forwarded to me by a very close friend, Dr. Mark. I grew up with him and we have known each other since we were kids. He continues to be an encouragement to me, as I journey through my walk with the Lord. Here's the e-mail content:
======================================

What matters
By Cito Beltran
Broadcast-Journalist
The Philippine Star

Having opted to live a less stressful lifestyle away from the limelight or the Rat Race, it's but normal for people who made the choice, to sometimes wonder if they did the right thing. They experience pangs of guilt about being underemployed, less productive and certainly reduced in their income potential. While everyone else is BUSY making a LIVING, you ask yourself if it's a mature thing to be at home or semi-retired at the farm. Are you wasting all your God-given talents raising kids, growing your own food, or simply living on very little money and simple needs? Shouldn't you be involved in today's politics, today's technology?And are your friends right about saying "Sayang Ka"?

Last month, a friend called me about an opening in a major corporation that was paying P300,000 a month, all the perks, and even a brand new Volvo. My friend asked me how I would react if the job was offered to me since I was very qualified. It took me all of 5 seconds to tell her I wouldn't accept it.

To begin with P100,000 would certainly end up with the government as taxes. That would leave me with only P200,000. To earn that, I would have to be at work by eight everyday, instead of coming up with imaginative tricks to wake up my daughter like placing her puppy in her bed, or simply standing over her watching this angelic child in her field of dreams.
I would have to eat breakfast by six, leave the house by 6:30. That means no more breakfast conversations with my wife and certainly an end to our morning prayers not just for us but for family and friends. From the P200,000, I would have to spend at least P20,000 a month or 10% of net to pay for gasoline driving the brand new Volvo to office everyday. So in effect, I would only be earning P180,000 or even less. Not to mention that my friends who sell Mercedes Benzes, Jaguars, etc. would brand me as a traitor.

From the net salary of +/- P180,000, I would have to give up the lunch I have with my wife 3 to 4 times a week at home. Instead my power of choice adds another burden where I would have to decide daily where in the business district I ought to have lunch, merienda if needed,
and from time to time even dinner. I would have to choose from a menu instead of whipping up something in my kitchen.

When you add up the bill, plus service charge, plus VAT you can easily average another P20,000 in expenses. Which means, that what we originally thought would be a net income of P200,000 has now gone down to P160,000.

In the absence of maintenance you can enter about P10,000 as your average monthly repair bill for labor and materials. So now, you discover you're only earning P150,000 a month.
Instead of being in a HOME I own, I will have to try to be "at home' in an office where I will be spending more of my "awake time". This finally solves the puzzle; why do we always fill our offices with personal stuff which we will have to take home in a box when we retire, resign or get fired? From having my independence and personal views, I would then have a real live flesh and bones Boss (because of what I thought was P200,000 a month salary) can tell me how to jump! Someone who's seniority or proprietary rights automatically makes him right even if he's stupid.

Because you now have to spend most of the time at the office or behind a desk, you can't do your regular walk in the park or jog around the village which is also your bonding time with your spouse, your kids, or your dogs.

You either join a gym or get a personal trainer. When you total fees, travel, and outfits, your monthly fitness bill would be around P5,000 which means your net pay just went down to P145,000 a month or less than half the original offered salary. My dear wife reminds me to include clothing and image-related expenditures specially for women. The clothes, the make-up, the jewelry, as well as the business accessories such as the laptop loaded with
Vistas program, the latest cell phones, iPod etc.

Even if you paid all of that on installment for 24 months, it would be in the area of P20,000 a month which further reduces your income to P125,000 a month.

The problem with this major part of the expense is many people mistakenly call them necessary investments, professional expense, but don't see them as deductions from PERSONAL wealth. It would also mean, not sharing the responsibility of taking our child to school, missing out on small talk that tell you big things in children's minds, and dropping out on all the parent-child activities. I would also nullify all the adjustments we made in
the last 5 years where we integrated home life with work in order to be more of a family than employees with a family.

Speaking of home life, anyone who spends a lot of time at work can testify that in your absence you will have to hire a full crew to do all the maintenance and repair you use to prevent or do yourself when you spend time at home. In your absence, who's going to fix leaking roofs, flooded toilets, busted aircons, creaking doors, or all the usual things REAL MEN with real tools do? If I actually went out to get the job that pays P300,000 plus a brand new Volvo, it would have cost mebreakfasts with my wife, trips to school with my
daughter, morning talks and prayers with God, affirmation of my role as husband, father. I would be relinquishing responsibility for my house, as well as my home.

What we've done is determine what really matters, what and how much we really need, give up what we don't need or care for and trust in God and not in men. This is what I call real life cost-benefit analysis. To make an accounting of what we think we're getting against what we know we're losing.

Sometimes earning more actually costs more.

======================================

And here's my reply:
======================================
Thanks, bro. I needed that. I do wonder sometimes if I made the right choice living in a slow-paced city, spending time with my parents, my stroke-victimized grandma, and my dogs. I work next door to the church, which means I can attend prayer meetings and midweek Bible studies. I serve as a worship leader, musician, and second man to my pastor. I get to spend an hour with God every morning in prayer and Bible reading if I wanted, and still read my Bible at night, answer e-mails, check out my crush's personal web site, and still be able to take a shower before bed time. I can live a simple life earning a middle-class income, but still support my family and my church financially.

I love you bro, and I know I made the right choice. God bless you and have a prosperous journey.

RJ

======================================

The simple things in life come with simple choices. And though we take ventures in faith, we don't always know if we did the right thing, until we look back and see the fruit that it has produced. God is faithful.

Rey Lord and Macel's Wedding

2007-04-20T23:05:00.000+08:00

April 14, 2007 - I attended a wedding. Two of my former classmates, Rey Lord and Macel, performed their wedding vows in church -- twice. The first was a Catholic ceremony and the second one was a Protestant ceremony. They decided it was the best thing to do, coming from different family backgrounds.

Rey Lord has been my friend since high school. Macel became our classmate in college. They became sweethearts in college at UPV Miag-ao, where we spent our college years studying to become geeks... Er,... IT professionals.

This was also kind of a college reunion for us.

Men in White

Ladies and Gentlemen

The Reception

So the wedding was mainly a four-part event: The Catholic ceremony, the cocktail and snacks, the Protestant ceremony, and the reception. I didn't stay for the dance.

During the reception, all the single guys had to pop balloons instead of catching the garter. The one who had the least balloons popped would be the guy to place the garter on one of the single ladies. So we had a tie -- Antonio and myself. We didn't pop any balloons (It was difficult to pop!) So to break the tie, we had to have a dance contest. This was my most embarrassing moment at the wedding. Here's the video. I hope you can laugh with me on this. I can't embed this right now, so just click on the link below:

RJ's Dance

Days of the Ordinary

2007-04-11T17:21:00.000+08:00

And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.

And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.

Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.

And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

Exodus 2:23-3:2

Everyday is ordinary. Routine...work...boring? Perhaps not. God uses times like these to prepare us for greater service. Consider the story of Moses. Moses the prince. Moses the military general. Now he's Moses the murderer, Moses the fugitive. He fled from Egypt and lived near the backside of the desert, tending the flock. As Moses was running, God was working behind the scenes. God was answering the prayers of His people, Israel. And God will use a man whose daily routine was watching over the flock, and was content to do it. God was getting ready to call Moses who had no idea what great things lay ahead for him.

Contentment is a very important character that God wants to develop in us. The Bible says "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content." (1 Timothy 6:6-8). When our hearts are set on things above, and not hungry for material things that we don't really need, we become a ready vessel for God to use. God uses those whose eyes are fixed on Jesus. We are in this world but not of it.

Our daily routine can be an opportunity to look around us. There's always an opportunity to encourage, to love, to share. There's always an opportunity to tell the truth about Jesus to others. The ordinary days are important to God. It is the place to grow, and when those seasons come for God to move mightily and show forth His glory to the world, then we will be ready and well-prepared to be used by God. We have to be faithful in the little things. How we respond to the ordinary days will determine how we respond to the extreme days of the Spirit. That's because what's really in our hearts is exposed in the ordinary days -- days we would consider "boring" or "routine." In reality, this is where the action begins.

So be anxious for nothing. This is the season for planting, the season for preparing. It is at least that way in my life right now.

My Bread Crumbs

2007-04-01T16:23:00.000+08:00

And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.^{..." - John 6:35}

"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." - Joshua 1:8

"...Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."
- Matthew 4:4

December 2005. In the year that endeth, my project accomplished to be it is (Yoda voice). Hectic schedule can affect neurological signals. Excited to come home to Iloilo for Christmas, I left my bread crumbs in Manila.

The Word of God is compared to bread. It is our daily sustainance. Jesus even said it about Himself. And I remember the story of Hansel and Gretel as they were marking their path with bread crumbs, making sure that they could get home safely. When I thought about the Word being bread and those bread crumbs, I started something called "The Bread Trail".

Before going to Manila for my hectic schedule back in November 2005, I would write down Scriptures that would grab me while reading my Bible as well as those I remember from years past. I would also write down good stuff I read in Christian books, especially those you can carry for life. I would place these in small index cards and bind them with a metal ring. That way I can keep them in my pocket and flip and read them throughout the day from time to time. This was my method of meditating on the Word day and night. But in Manila I left one set of my index cards. For a long time I only had the second half with me, The Bread Trail #2. I had some good notes on #1, and I missed it. It wasn't easy to move on. The only thing that kept me going was knowing at least I still had the Bible.

But recently my aunt from Manila came to visit us, and just when I didn't expect, after more than a year, she was carrying #1. She's still here as I'm writing this.

Praise God. I can run again, with a spring in my step, carrying the Word wherever I go.

Career Chopsuey

2007-03-28T16:46:00.000+08:00

Today I was blessed in my devotion time as I'm meditating through the book of Acts. I read today about Paul and Silas making attempts to go places and God closing the door on them, finally directing them to Macedonia. And even then it wasn't easy to stay there where God had called them.

I take this time to write about my past as well as my present. I compare it to making chopsuey, or mixed vegetables cooked Chinese-style, since my growing up years were filled with variety as far as my dreams and ambitions. As I'm sitting here in the office with some time to do personal stuff, I look back in my childhood and see how far God has been controlling my life.

Let's start cooking.

Ingredients:

Always keep God first
Work as if God is your boss
Know that people are observing you
Never give up
You may make a lot of wrong choices and attempts trying to get to the right path

1. As a child, I was a dreamer. My estimate of my temperament is Melancholic-Choleric or simply, Mel-Chol. I'm a very analytical, emotional, and passionate person that doesn't give up easily, most of the time. As a boy, I would always look up to my dad who was working as the head of human resources in a government university. I dreamed of becoming an executive, just like him. So my earliest childhood dream was that of becoming a professional in a management position.

2. As the years went by I had the desire to become a doctor. This was something that stuck for a while. But as time passed, I realized that I didn't want someone else's life in my hands -- a thought I now find useless as I'm all grown up and 26 years old.

3. Later on, I wanted to become a veterinarian. But as time passed, I realized that I didn't want an animal's life in my hands -- a thought I now find useless as I'm all grown up and 26 years old.

4. Longest career ambition: RJ, Attorney-at-law. This really stuck for about 6 years. All the way through my finishing high school my mind was set on becoming a lawyer. I even passed for a double major course, one of the majors was Political Science, a possible prerequisite for going to law school. So lawyerland, here I come. But not quite.

5. 1997 - A very short time left. Some weeks before the school year starts. I decided to let my mom help. She wait-listed me for a program called Computer Science, and that's when my blood began to stir in me. You see, I have been programming since I was twelve. Back then, we used Turbo Basic. That was my first break in programming code and actually letting the computer automate tasks. Finishing high school, I got a very high grade in my computer class, when we were using Turbo Pascal. So for four years I had been a geek in high school. And now it was time to take that path.

6. Starting my first year in college was a new environment for me. I found new friends, as well as old ones. It was to me, a new life. But I was wrong. A week before the finals towards the end of the school year I had the deepest depression I ever experienced. My whole world was coming apart. I had been depressed since early childhood, was diagnosed with it in 6th grade, and have been on and off medication until I was 17. But that pit of depression was my turning point. It was the time I received Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. At 17, I was born again. That was the time God completely healed me, and not just mentally and biologically, but spiritually. Now the new life truly started.

7. I became a Pentecostal shortly after my conversion to Christ, and the rest of my college years were a journey in my early walk with the Lord. I graduated in 2001 with a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science at the University of the Philippines in the Visayas. This was the time I contemplated full-time ministry, aiming for a Bible school degree right after college. But I decided not to pursue it at that time. After that, I rested for three months, and finally decided to get a job since I was so bored. I worked my first job in the same university I graduated from. I became involved in a campus-wide computer networking project, and my job was to complete the inventory of all the computers in the immediate area.

8. My first job didn't last long. My contract was non-renewable. I decided to work for my dad after that, doing work in his law office. Pretty soon I started working in church as church staff. I was full time for three days. But my dad needed help in his office and wanted me to learn secular work skills so I decided to work part-time church staff and part-time legal office assistant. This lasted for about 5 months. This was the season I contemplated full-time ministry again.

9. There was an opportunity that came up for further studies in Computer Science. So I decided to enroll in a diploma course. I eventually pursued full-time studies. In the midst of that, I found out that I didn't need the diploma, and that I could request to be transferred to a master's course in Information Systems. So I filed a request and by God's provision, I was transferred to the master's degree the following semester. So I was a master's degree student and it took me more than three years to finish it. It was difficult, but God sustained me through it all. It was in this season that I became part of the Calvary Chapel movement. Leaving the pentecostal movement, God planted me in a Calvary Chapel church.

10. For about three years, God led me through my spiritual desert. This was a time that I had opportunity to grow spiritually through the Word of God, prayer, fellowship, ministry, and discipleship. I'm grateful that Pastor Mike Ramsey took time to disciple young men like me and train them up in the ministry. So I was studying to become a master in my field and at the same time, I was in the school of the Holy Spirit, as God was growing me in my walk with the Lord. For me, this was even better than going to Bible school. I became a youth leader and a musician. Right now I'm a worship leader.

11. One big question in career planning is geography. I was at a crossroads of whether I wanted to pursue my career outside of my home city or within. I decided to pursue it within. God was calling me to build his house first before I build my own. I decided to stay in Iloilo and support my new pastor who was also discipled by Pastor Mike, and to minister to God's people at the same time I'm pursuing my career. God blessed me by giving me a job as a computer programmer, in an office next door to the church! So I don't have to travel far to get to my church from my office or vice-versa.

In conclusion, things don't always turn out the way we want, but at hindsight, we can see God's hand in it all. Not that I have already attained or already been made perfect -- I'm still learning. And there are still many decisions to make along the way of my career path. But God has called me to be both a geek and a musician. And there's no better way than to be yourself and be in the center of God's will.

What about all those other ambitions I had? Well, perhaps they'll come in handy. The information technology industry is a vicious place. And to survive, I need to be strong in the Lord, and equipped. There are things I could still need along the way:

The courage of a doctor
The mental discipline of a lawyer
The heart and compassion of a pastor
The will of an executive

God never wastes our experiences. All things work together for good, and God is working even in the midst of faulty assumptions, poor decisions, and foolish mistakes. All we have to do is trust God to lead and guide. Jesus is always faithful.

I'm Turning Japanese - part 3

2007-03-23T22:58:00.000+08:00

On Sunday night we had pizza and balut as part of our dinner. It was fun watching these guys eat balut for the first time. Balut is a duck embryo we commonly eat here in the Philippines.

The Okinawa team's last day here was on Monday, March 12, 2007. They were able to go outing and cruising on Guimaras Island where they had a chance to relax. I found out that some, if not all of my brothers had some bad sunburns on their backs.

They also had the chance of witnessing to college students and sharing the love of Christ with them. One of the people they were able to share Jesus with was a young man named Mark (in the white shirt).

Monday night, we went out to dinner after I went to the church coming from work, and I was one of their chauffeurs. They really liked my jeep. It's for sale right now and as I'm writing this, I left it at a car repair shop to get the hood fixed.

Daniel gave me the privilege of shaving his head. So I placed the Calvary Chapel logo and the "Iloilo" sign on his head.

Tuesday morning was their time to go back to Okinawa. They were and are a blessing to us. Let's keep them in our prayers.

My Toast, My Niece, My Showers, My Head

2007-03-22T12:41:00.000+08:00

Recently, I came across a new type of bread I can get at JD Bakeshop. It's a little white bread that looks a bit like a puffed up flour tortilla or a pizza crust. It also tastes great toasted. And it tastes awesome with some strawberry preserves. It's very affordable.

Webcams are very effective when maintaining long-distance communication. It's a great way to watch my baby niece in Manila. We have had some chats over Yahoo messenger with webcams. And I still need to get another light bulb in my room so it will be brighter when I'm on video. You can hardly see my face with just a single light bulb. My niece really looks cute on camera when she's irritated.

Tag-init. That's the term we use here in the Philippines to describe the dry season. We actually call it "summer", though probably Westerners will not agree. As the dry season is beginning, I find myself taking more showers than usual and using the aircon in my room.

My hair is really growing long. It's getting difficult to tie it in a pony tail. I might cut it soon. I'll probably just maintain it shoulder length. Otherwise I'll start looking like John the Baptist. Can anyone lend me some camel hair shirts or treat me to dinner where they serve locusts? I'll have a honey side dish.

Daily life, daily grind. God is still at work in the little details of our life.

I'm Turning Japanese - part 2

2007-03-16T22:00:00.000+08:00

Sunday was a long but awesome day.

We had our morning service and Daniel and some from the team led worship.

Pastor Tommy Ruiz taught from the Word of God and encouraged the church to press on to greater ventures. God has more for us.

Lunch time - we were a large group that went out to BBQ park, and it was fun to have fellowship with these missionaries.

I especially like the part where Amber and Gershon were competing to see who finishes drinking their buko-halo (coconut with a mixture of crushed ice and all sorts of things) first.

Afternoon time was a time of fellowship with the young people in the church. Great Amoeba game, I should try it again sometime.

Keegan is an awesome speaker.

And Chela a great dancer. Peace, Che! =)

Evening time was a time of worship at the church and waiting on the Lord. God gave me a new song. I entitled it "Greater Than John", since Pastor Tom's message that morning really struck me. And God keeps saying to me what He said before, I think it was in 2004: "How far will you go?" And I finally answered: "Wherever You lead, Lord." I really don't like to leave Iloilo, but I know I need to be willing to go wherever the Lord leads. That door hasn't opened. And right now I'm just faithful to doing what the Lord has called me to do here in Iloilo, my homecity.

We had dinner at Mama Maria's pizza, and it was also a chance to watch the guys eat balut (duck embryos). We were even able to video it. They passed the test. They swallowed it. I taught them everything they know. Let the radicals arise!

Watch out for the conclusion of this trilogy...

Parents' 31st Wedding Anniversary

2007-03-16T21:52:00.000+08:00

Recently, on March 8, 2007, my parents celebrated their 31st Wedding Anniversary. As I look back over the years, I see God's faithfulness to their marriage. God is the One who keeps our family together, and I praise Him for that. And I believe God will continue to do wonderful things in my parents' marriage, and even in my sister's marriage.

Currently, I am single. And I also praise God for that. I thank Him for showing me that yes, He is all we need, even in the area of marriage. I have seen it in His faithfulness in my mom and dad's union as husband and wife.

We went out to dinner together (yes, they included me, it was not an exclusive date), and we had a great time together.

I'm Turning Japanese - part 1

2007-03-11T07:31:00.000+08:00

Yesterday a group of missionaries from Okinawa, Japan came to visit this little city of Iloilo. Headed by Pastor Tommy Ruiz, a group of young people from Calvary Chapel Bible College came on a short-term mission trip here. Some, if not all, the students are younger than me. I have been blessed to have been able to encourage them and be encouraged by them as we fellowship and as we seek to minister to the people here. They are ordinary people, just like me. God uses ordinary people to do His extraordinary work. As I'm writing this, the church service will start in 2 hours and 25 minutes. I'll be meeting them in an hour and 15 minutes, so I gotta get ready. 'Til next time... Let the radicals arise!

A Dog Picked Me Up From Work

2007-03-09T17:08:00.000+08:00

It's kind of hard to believe, huh? Well, I'll give the details of the title "A Dog Picked Me Up From Work". Here's the scenario: My office is in a building located right next to the building our church is renting space in. In other words, I work next door to the church. In our church building's lot lives a family that is also occupying space on the property, and yes, you guessed it -- they have a dog. Normally, on Thursday nights, I would go to the church to start the music classes for the School of Worship. But this Thursday night, we took a break for two weeks at the same time the students are in school finishing up the school year with their final exams.

Maybe the dog had a hard time figuring out what went different with the schedule since no one was there for music class, so it decided to take a trip my work place's parking lot and sure enough -- I was there. It started to sniff at me, trying to get a good smell enough to recognize me. And when it realized that I was the same guy from the church, it was happy. It jumped on me and was wagging its tail, not letting up, and not leaving me. Finally I decided to take the dog home to its master, and they locked it up behind the gate.

They say that dogs are man's best friends. I guess the dog was just trying to get me to go to church, not realizing that we didn't have music class for that night. You know what? Jesus is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. He will never leave you nor forsake you, if he lives in your heart. And that's more love than that dog could ever give me. Jesus lives in me, and He always sticks to me.

Bob Fitts Worship Concert and Seminar

2007-03-08T21:58:00.000+08:00

Last weekend I was in a concert Saturday night, and in a worship seminar Sunday afternoon. I took my friend Ivan to the concert and really, Bob Fitts rocks! It was an awesome time of worship and being able to allow the Lord to touch my heart and restore the things the enemy has stolen from me. Sunday afternoon was a time when I could bring our worship team to the seminar. Not all of us were able to come, but those that came really received a lot of encouragement from God's Word. I was privileged to be able to ask Bob Fitts a question which both he and his wife Kathy answered, at the start of the seminar where they entertained questions from the audience. The question was how I'm supposed to be able to connect to the congregation as a worship leader without making anyone uncomfortable if I happen to look in their direction. The answer was simple. Just make sure what's inside me is right and it will show outwardly. No fear. Only love. And I didn't realize that was going to be his message! Wow! The Holy Spirit is truly awesome!

Bob Fitts prophesied that this island will be a center for worship. I believe that with all my heart. I got saved on this island and have been walking with the Lord for 9 years. I can see the preparations God is doing for this generation to be able to lead the church in worship. Right now God has his eyes on the youth. Let the radicals arise! Bob was also happy that there's a Calvary Chapel here. He said he had some history in Calvary Chapel.

It's encouraging to get their autographs on my Bible along with encouragement.

After the seminar we were able to hang out at the Lapaz plaza. We even met our African friend who was playing soccer football there.

So, everything went great, except that some people had a problem with the length of my hair, but they'll get over it. My focus is ministering to this generation, not so much to the older ones, at least right now.

Clean Room

2007-03-08T21:46:00.000+08:00

Before and After

Ok, I admit it, my room sometimes looks like a disaster. But last Saturday I was able to clean up and install our new monitor (Thank God) and now my room looks better than ever. The thing about it is that I didn't notice how messy it was until I started cleaning it up.
It's the same way with our lives as Christians. Sometimes it's when God starts purifying our hearts and showing us things we need to repent of that we really realize that we need cleaning up. At that moment we should run to the throne of grace and allow God to rearrange our hearts. Then we realize afterwards how beautiful the end result is.

Mom's Birthday

2007-03-08T21:38:00.000+08:00

Recently, on February 19, my mom celebrated her birthday. When I think of my mom I think of someone who's always been there for me. She has the profile of endurance and courage, and I know that God is truly blessing her life. We went out to eat and celebrate God's goodness.

5th Year Church Anniversary

2007-03-08T21:21:00.000+08:00

We just celebrated 5 years of God's faithfulness at our local church. God has sustained us all this time, even in this new season. We enjoyed our time of fellowship with our visitors, including Pastor Mike, whom God has used to plant this local church. He is now based in the U.S., but he comes here occasionally. The message was from John 15. Jesus is the Vine, we are the branches. How true that is. It really hurts when God starts pruning, but it's the only way we can bear more fruit. We had lunch at the church, some special presentations, including Tint leading us in a couple of songs. In the afternoon, we went to the beach and baptized a lot of disciples. This is awesome! My fingers were really hurting from playing the guitar all the time the people went down to the water to be baptized, but I tell you, it's worth it! (I'll post pictures next time)

Hearts Day

2007-03-04T21:44:00.000+08:00

Heart's Day. Valentine's Day. Agape. Singles Night.
February 14, 2007 - No, I didn't have a date. I am one of those who organized a singles event at our local church, and it went well. We had a fun time of worship, fellowship, and listening to the Word. We also had snacks and some group games.

Afterwards, some of my friends went out with me to grab a bite. The only logical choice was fastfood, since all the fine-dine restaurants might be filled and serving buffet meals.

Birthday Boy

2007-02-24T13:45:00.000+08:00

January 1, 2007 - I just turned 26. This is a new season for me, as I know God will continue to do great things in my life. I'd like to thank everyone who has celebrated with me, and may the LORD bless them and keep them in His love. To God be the glory, great things He has done...Great things He is doing. LET'S GET RADICAL!

Christmas Time

2007-02-24T13:28:00.000+08:00

Last Christmas was great.

We celebrated Christmas this year with a lovely addition to our family. The birth of my niece, Aya, marked a new season in our family. It's a time when we mainly celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We remember the time when God became Man to pay the price for our sins. This year it's also a family time and we thank God for giving us Aya, our family Christmas gift for 2006. You can read about her baby dedication - just click here.

College Buddies Reunion

2006-10-14T21:15:00.000+08:00

Yes, we're really adults, no longer kids. We had a little get together here in Iloilo City where we all spent our college days. Speaking of kids, Jesus said that "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."(Matthew 18:3-4). Let's be humble like children are.

Get Organized

2006-10-07T17:21:00.000+08:00

I had to meet my team mates at work to get things more organized as we do our projects and tasks. Things work well when there's organization. You know what? The Bible says that God is not the author of confusion, but of peace. God loves order. So do I.

More Graduation Pictures

2006-09-25T21:03:00.000+08:00

Well, what can I say? The picture package just arrived.

MIS Graduation

2006-09-24T18:57:00.000+08:00

I finally finished my Master of Information Systems degree at the University of the Philippines Open University. Now I'm back in civilization working as a web developer.

This reminds me of God's faithfulness. What he has begun, he is able to complete. I spent three years in a semi-recluse state and was able to learn things about God and about life. God has done a work in my heart and transformed me. Thanks also goes to my family and my church.

This was my wilderness experience. Now it's time to take the promised land.

Cousins

2006-07-22T17:40:00.000+08:00

This is me with my cousins. Following my sister's wedding, we spent time together. Since relatives came to visit, why not take advantage of the time?

Brownout at the Office

2006-07-22T17:06:00.000+08:00

Brownout. That means there's no electrical power for a temporary period of time. Here at the office, electricity is very important. We are Internet professionals and we can't work without electricity and DSL. So we make use of the time by getting to know each other better.

My Sister's Wedding

2006-07-22T17:00:00.000+08:00

This is me with my sister right before she got married. It was a joyful occasion to see her finally settle down and allow the Lord to take her to a new season in her life. We rejoice with her and her new husband, Harold.

Sonlight

2006-04-15T00:28:00.000+08:00

This Indian mango tree needs sunlight to survive. Like this tree, we need light, too. We need Sonlight. Jesus, God's Son, said, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." (John 8:12) And if you're a Christian, you are to be a reflector of that light to this dark world.

Cute

2006-04-15T00:14:00.000+08:00

Cute? This is one of our dogs, Tuesday. He's the photogenic type and seems to always know when there's a camera around.

Dry Season Vacation

2006-04-13T12:00:00.000+08:00

Here in the Philippines, we only have two seasons: wet and dry. During the dry months, the school year ends and kids are off to summer vacation. This reduces the number of people that come to our youth meetings, since some of the youth go back to their families out of town for summer vacation. But the work goes on, and here I am standing with some of the youth who come to our youth meetings during the dry season.

Edel Mar

2006-04-12T10:42:00.000+08:00

Sitting at my right is our brother in the Lord, Edel Mar. We took him out to dinner the night before he left for Manila for police training. Wherever he may be assigned, we know for sure we'll see each other in heaven. Among us Christians, it's never really a goodbye. It's just "See you later..."

Corvi and Sharon

2006-04-12T10:31:00.000+08:00

This is Corvi and Sharon, my friends who attend our church. This was taken two days before their wedding. The celebration was truly joyful, and I know that God is the One who brought them together.

Rey Lord

2006-04-01T10:42:00.000+08:00

Sitting beside me is a close friend, Rey Lord. This was at his engagement party that I had attended recently, where I had a great fun time. It's interesting that our relationship with our Lord Jesus is very much like an engagement. He gave us His Holy Spirit (the ring) as a guarantee that one day we will be caught up with Him to heaven to be with Him forever (the wedding). I can't wait... and I know the food there will be great.

This is not about me

2006-03-29T17:30:00.000+08:00

This site is not about me, although it contains a lot about me. I'm a child of the King, and He reigns supreme and is in control of everything. Why then do bad things happen? I don't have all the answers, but I know that He loves us enough that He gave us free choice, and those choices have effects, good or bad. In this fallen world we live in, we see the effects of the choice our champion and first parent Adam made when He chose to disobey God. But that's when the love of God revealed in Jesus Christ comes in. He died and rose that we might live for Him and overcome this present world.

I'm human, just like all of you.

A Radical Generation

2006-03-29T16:59:00.000+08:00

In this tiny blot on the map called the Philippines, a remnant of people have remained who have not bowed their knees to Baal. We serve the living God, and though we probably live in the 3rd most corrupt country in the world, the church shines here and presses on, as God withholds His wrath for the righteous' sake. Here in a little city called Iloilo I serve the Lord together with the young people God has called me to come alongside of. God does use the foolish things of the world, and the most unlikely people He picks. Here is Calvary Chapel Paid For, the fellowship of the youth.

My personal blog

2006-03-29T09:59:00.000+08:00

Welcome to my personal blog. You may call me RadX, although that's not my real name. What's important about this blog is Who I stand for, and who this is dedicated to, my personal Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself a ransom for all, including us here living in the 3rd world.