Superblessed: A Faith Journey

So how've you been?

2011-09-11T00:57:00.002+08:00

Car talk: my daughter and I checked out the Geely Panda Philippines showroom along North EDSA yesterday. Natuwa kami... okay, ako. It's such a cute car. Will now seriously think about selling my Getz. :)

All is rooted in love

2011-08-30T07:34:00.002+08:00

1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

I read out of Ephesians 4 today as part of the devotions I'm doing for the church in Greenhills. Verse 2 in particular struck me because it contains three character traits that I strive to have but really don't have naturally, and thus I rely on and need the grace of God to make it happen.

Lord, I need you.

Bothered

2011-08-28T22:03:00.002+08:00

It's been almost a week since my main website took a major hit from Google. I'm working now on building community, but it gets me down because it's not showing up at all on Google. *hay*

Listening to Planetshakers You Are God

Aww, crap

2011-08-22T10:12:00.002+08:00

It looks like Google did something to me again. lol The hits on the other website are down 60%. Sucks to be me right now, with my son battling the mumps and my site's traffic down, 83% of which is search engine driven. Ah, I need to build me some community!

Listening to The Museum

Daniel Fast Day #8

2011-08-16T13:31:00.001+08:00

Today, I'm on the eighth day of my Daniel fast. It hasn't been as difficult as I thought it would be, primarily because I love vegetables to begin with. I'm trying to get more creative with my food choices, even as I wait on God to heal three people of their cancers. They're so strong; it's the least I can do to help support them.

Listening to: Casting Crowns, Courageous

Craving the word

2011-07-26T13:40:00.001+08:00

The past week, I've been participating in the Crave devotionals of the church in Greenhills that I work for. I'm enjoying myself immensely; I feel God is speaking to me and preparing me for the next season. Exciting stuff.

Listening to Luminate Innocent

Humbled

2011-07-21T09:06:00.001+08:00

God is teaching me a thing or two about humility. I praise Him for His mercy.

Listening to: Francesca Battistelli Motion of Mercy

2011-07-19T15:04:00.002+08:00

As a Christian blogger, I find it important that fellowship with other people who operate their own Christian blog can be quite helpful. If you'd like to join a fellowship of Filipino-Christian bloggers, you can join this Facebook group here.

Listening to: Tenth Avenue North Strong Enough to Save

Wedding day!

2011-07-08T09:42:00.001+08:00

Today is the wedding day of two of my friends, Bojo and Ronna. So happy for the two of them! Because of the wedding, I may have to miss the Japan: Kingdom of Characters exhibit at the Met today, but it continues until August, so I'll bring Nicki and Nathan there another time.

Listening to Shawn McDonald Rise

Rebuking disease

2011-07-07T08:31:00.000+08:00

Too many people in my circle of influence are ill. This morning, I was just overwhelmed by it all, but you know what? God is a healing God. He is Jehovah Rophe, the God Who heals. And He will heal us in His timing, His perfect timing, according to His perfect will. I am claiming healing for hundreds, thousands, millions, and God will take the glory and credit because He loves us.

Listening to Sidewalk Prophets You Love Me Anyway

Productive day

2011-06-30T09:13:00.003+08:00

Got four items on my to-do list, and I'm looking forward to accomplishing all of them before the day is through! Come on now!

Listening to Francesca Battistelli Motion of Mercy

Rats!

2011-06-28T06:01:00.002+08:00

Yesterday, I fixed a leaking faucet, paid two bills, met up with an accountability partner, and set rat traps. Caught three mice. Yesz!

Listening to Montell Jordan Shake Heaven

Rainy days

2011-06-24T06:15:00.001+08:00

Tropical storm Falcon - yeah, that's its name - has dumped a lot of rain on Manila, turning our city into a virtual swimming pool. I've been home the entire time, but one of my tweets about Araneta Avenue being chest-deep for former Philippine president Gloria Arroyo was picked up by a feed on GMA News. Surreal.

Listening to: 2NE1 I Am The Best

Find rest o my soul

2011-06-22T08:26:00.003+08:00

Today, I really cried out to God. I was demoralized, discouraged, and depressed. I have yet another sore throat - starting to wonder if there's really something wrong with me, I get this on a regular basis - and God just spoke to me in my devotion, reminding me about how I can rest in Him.

"Find rest, o my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him." Ps 62:5

I was so encouraged.

Listening to: Casting Crowns Courageous

My laptop crashed!

2011-06-17T09:15:00.001+08:00

... and I am inconsolable.

Listening to: Casting Crowns Courageous

Long day ahead

2011-06-12T12:40:00.001+08:00

But it's going to be good. I love Sundays. They give me an opportunity to really rely on God. And those opportunities are the best kind, because you know He won't fail you. You may not get what you always want, but you know you'll get what's best for you.

Listening to: Third Day Trust in Jesus

Happy birthday, Nicola!

2011-06-10T12:50:00.001+08:00

It's my four-year-old's birthday today. I love you, Nicola! You're such a blessing to Mommy and Daddy!

Listening to: Trin-i-tee 5:7 I Am Not Alone

No longer a single parent

2011-06-09T22:09:00.000+08:00

My wife is back after two days in Subic (Anvaya) as part of her team-building efforts with her staff. I've had difficulty sleeping the past two days, mainly because my kids were sleeping with me. Now that she's home, I'll bet I'll sleep like a baby.

Listening to: Ryan Stevenson We Got the Light

Birdie bank

2011-06-05T09:28:00.001+08:00

I recently purchased three small Angry Birds coin banks. The red one I gave to Nathan, the black one went to Caths, and I kept the speedy yellow one, whose slot is unfortunately smaller than the others. The Php10 and Php5 coins are difficult to insert. But isn't that what saving is about? Sometimes, saving money is difficult, and sometimes, it hurts. But when the time comes, you'll literally feel better when you "break the bank." Praise God for coin blessings!

Listening to: Laura Story Blessings

Remix City

2011-06-01T09:31:00.002+08:00

After five remixes, I gotta admit I'm dry. I still have about five more songs to remix, but I'm running out of creativity. Hopefully, it'll get better by tomorrow.

Listening to: Group 1 Crew Let's Go

Remix!

2011-05-27T15:15:00.002+08:00

After butchering Grace Aiyedogbon's "Banquet Table of the Lord" message at EN2010, the folks at Every Nation Philippines thought it would be a hoot for me to remix the messages of the speakers at the Ignite Conference. I'm apparently the resident remixer. You can download my remixes of the preachers - yesterday, it was Joseph Bonifacio and Robert Gonzales - here.

Listening to: Selah Hope of the Broken World

Ignite starts tomorrow!

2011-05-25T21:27:00.001+08:00

The biggest Christian youth gathering in the Philippines for 2011 starts tomorrow! Ignite, baby! 6,000 young (and not-so-young) people in the Cuneta AstroDome. It's gonna be WILD!!!

Listening to: Phillips Craig and Dean From the Inside Out

2011-05-17T14:45:00.001+08:00

Staff meetings are fun. Bojo says his head hurts. Those two sentences don't quite go together.

Listening to: Dara MacLean Suitcases

Sobering

2011-05-11T16:14:00.002+08:00

I just arrived from the Manila Memorial Park, a cemetery in which my wife's grandfather and grandmother are interred. Sobered up by the fact that on this earth, we're mere blips on a radar screen. Life's too short to be insignificant.

Listening to: Laura Story Blessings

What did I do?

2011-05-11T07:32:00.002+08:00

The past two days, none of my blog entries have been showing up on Google. This bothers me. I wonder why this is happening. I'm bothered immensely.

Listening to: Royal Tailor Hold Me Together

Lovin' my Suze

2011-05-10T07:07:00.001+08:00

I've been listening to Suze Orman's podcast for about two years now. I've followed the American finance and personal wealth management guru since she came out on Oprah, and well, I'm really learning a lot from her. Whether it's actually coming true, however, is a different story, but you know little victories add up. :D

Listening to: Downhere Let Me Rediscover You

The diva brows

2011-05-10T06:55:00.003+08:00

Yesterday, I got my eyebrows threaded again. The Lay It Bare salon in SM Mall of Asia has this woman by the name of Rose who apparently is an eyebrow threading architect genius. She spun her way through my brows and threaded them clean, gave them a shape that is clean and masculine yet stylish... Gah, I love it.

Listening to: Worth Dying For Through Your Eyes

Boo!

2011-05-10T06:48:00.001+08:00

I heart me some Christian music

2011-05-03T09:15:00.000+08:00

Fresh off last Saturday's Switchfoot concert, I have tickets to the upcoming Hillsong United Live in Manila 2011 concert in promotion of their Aftermath CD. Just like Switchfoot, these tickets were a gift to me. Thank You, God, for Your blessings!

Listening to: Owl City Galaxies

Productive week

2011-04-29T06:24:00.001+08:00

It's been a good week. Collateral produced, materials percolating, creative juices flowing. Looking forward to an even more productive weekend. But today... AGH! It's 2AM!!

Listening to: Kristian Stanfill Always

Planning to plan

2011-04-26T20:21:00.000+08:00

Today, I was assigned a few tasks that are right up my alley. The challenge? I don't have any of the information that I need to produce the collateral I need to produce. Oi vey, I need to plan just to ensure they plan.

Listening to: David Cook The Last Goodbye

Back running

2011-04-26T09:41:00.000+08:00

This morning, I ran for the first time in months. Well, not quite run. A 32-minute brisk walk. I would've gone an hour, but I was so surprised that by 5:45am, it was bright out! What happened to the days when 6:15 was around and it was still dark out? I was too embarrassed by my fatness to keep at it, so I stopped at 32mins. 9"24 clip, not bad.

Listening to: Owl City Galaxies

It's never the same

2011-04-16T07:02:00.000+08:00

Tomorrow's service is going to be challenging. We've got sound effects, mannequins, and, heck, even a tomb for next week that we're building as early as now. It's going to be fun.

Next week, for Holy Week, we're going to Anvaya for a couple of days. I'm leaving my laptop on purpose. Gah, I hope I'll survive.

Listening to: Barbie Almalbis Goodbye My Shadow

Thank You, Jesus

2011-04-11T06:13:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday, we had a Leaders' Convergence for the church in Greenhills that I work for. We started the convergence with a one-hour prayer meeting that included about 30 to 45 minutes of praise and worship. Our team for that month met for the first time at 8:00am - we were scheduled to go onstage at 9:30am - and we soundchecked like headless chickens.

But this is grace! We relied more on God than ever before, and the Holy Spirit was thick in that place. We saw healing, we saw restoration, prophecies were delivered, and pledges to our building fund topped Php5,000,000. Praise the Lord.

Listening to: Christy Nockels Waiting Here For You

Down but not out

2011-04-06T14:23:00.000+08:00

I was given a dressing down yesterday that I deserved. Felt really bad about it, but I'm glad I managed to pretty much take it in stride and not take it personally. One thing I realize, though, is the church will continue to run, with or without me. So we do our best and try to multiply ourselves to ensure it really does run efficiently without us, because if ever God - or someone else - takes us away, well...

Listening to: Mary Mary Are You Ready

Enjoying the new look

2011-04-04T06:03:00.000+08:00

It's been a little more than a week since I redid my look. I'm so happy; people are telling me it looks great. Far be it from me to indulge my personal vanity, but thank You, God, You're motivating me in all sorts of ways!

Listening to: The Afters Lift Me Up

I dare you to move!

2011-04-01T12:43:00.000+08:00

I am watching Switchfoot Live in Manila! Someone blessed me with tickets, and I can't wait. I also have a copy of Hello Hurricane, which I am dying to rip open! (I'll do it tonight, so I can focus, lol.)

So I lay my head back down and I lift my hands and pray
To be only Yours I pray
To be only Yours
I know now You're my only hope

Whee! Switchfoot!

Listening to: Matthew West Strong Enough

New look

2011-03-29T20:06:00.000+08:00

I had a makeover. lol

Got a haircut at Tony & Jackey's near Robinson's Manila; the stylist, Belle, was terrific. It was radically different from my previous hairstyle.

Got my eyebrows threaded at Lay Bare, a waxing salon; the threader, Rose, exceeded my expectations.

Bought a pair of black denim jeans that hug my tree-trunk thighs like anything.

Grew my goatee out.

The end result:

I love it, and people love it. I've never been happier and more motivated to lose weight!

Listening to: Matthew West Strong Enough

Head is swimming

2011-03-25T11:02:00.001+08:00

I'm helping my wife out with her paper by being her cheerleader and sweat-wiper. I wish I could be of further assistance, but I'm a total idiot when it comes to psychological chorva.

Listening to: Casting Crowns Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me)

Feeling better, but...

2011-03-21T13:25:00.000+08:00

The good news is the sore throat's gone, along with most of the congestion. The not-so-good news is my wife's dissertation is stressing her out big-time, and I'm at a loss on how to help her. So what I'm offering is constant attention and the chance to make life a little easier by ensuring the kids are okay.

Listening to: Peter Furler Reach

iServe images

2011-03-14T20:31:00.000+08:00

I started a new campaign at the church in Greenhills where I now work to match the Metro Manila-wide iServe volunteer recruitment campaign. The campaign was a Facebook icon campaign which featured images from our volunteers. It is extremely time consuming, but sooooo worth it. I'm glad it's going well. I have about 200 more images to make. Plus I'm sick. But it's okay. I am loved.

Listening to: Sidewalk Prophets You Love Me Anyway

Sick again

2011-03-14T20:25:00.000+08:00

I'm down with a viral bug that's got me hacking up phlegm and feeling generally miserable. This morning, I was searching - at 3am! - for my meds, but I couldn't find them, and I was congested and achy and ready to cry. God then revealed to me that for all my pain, I was still better off than most, especially the folks in Japan. Man, was I convicted.

Listening to: Point of Grace He Holds Everything

Weight loss

2011-03-07T10:05:00.002+08:00

I'm excited. This morning, I did some walking around, then I'm going to do some major walking while my daughter's at school. Bring on the weight loss!

Listening to: Sidewalk Prophets You Love Me Anyway

Woohoo for piracy?

2011-03-04T14:23:00.000+08:00

I loved Tangled. I loved it so much I've been waiting for the DVD for too long. I'll still buy the original DVD, but meanwhile... *holds pirated DVD in grubby little fingers*

And at least I see the light... hahahaha!

Listening to: Song Jieun Going Crazy

Happy birthday to me

2011-02-26T17:56:00.000+08:00

I love my birthday. Not because of presents. (Because I don't get much.) Not because of food. (Because I get that all the time anyway.) Not because I'm a year closer to death. (Who wants that?)

I love my birthday because for one day, people who I've run into in the course of my life say Hi and Hello. For someone who values the connections and friendships I've made through the years, this is the most valuable present of all.

Happy birthday to me!

Listening to: Jaime Grace Hold Me

Car won't start

2011-02-23T12:21:00.000+08:00

This morning, my car wouldn't start. A good Samaritan eventually came by and jumpstarted it; that's how I knew it was my battery. Afterwards, I bought a new one... to the tune of Php4,600. Now I'm praying for provision. My birthday's coming up on Saturday. Lord, who will You be using to bless me? I wanna pray blessings for him or her as early as now, lol.

Listening to: Shonlock Something in Your Eyes

Gotta be more "confrontational"?

2011-02-15T05:10:00.000+08:00

I finally had a sit-down with the boss last week, who said he was generally happy with my work. He suggested I be a little more "confrontational" with my work style, and that I can afford to be "makulit." All right, I told him, I'll do my best. It's not going to be easy, because it's really not in my nature to be a micro-manager when it comes to certain things in my job. It's almost a little ironic that I have to micro-manage when I'm being told that I have to be more macro, but, hey, I'm flexible. Let's see what happens.

Listening to: Building 429 Listen to the Sound

Bad dream

2011-02-07T07:09:00.000+08:00

Had a truly awful dream last night. Didn't wake up like in the movies, no sudden sitting up in bed, drenched in sweat and stuff like that, but I did wake up with an overwhelming sense of disturbance and a general feeling of depression. Lord, what was that?

Listening to: Jonny Diaz Beauty of the Cross

Daddy Date

2011-02-05T16:42:00.000+08:00

I've been trying to convince my son to watch Disney's Tangled with me. He's totally not into it, so instead we went and played at TimeZone TriNoma to the tune of Php200. Not bad for an hour's joy. Lunch at Slammer Burger made the daddy date even more enjoyable. Gotta love these times because the time'll soon come when he may not want to have anything to do with me.

Listening to: Ashmont Hill Your Masterpiece and Brandon Heath Your Love

New songs

2011-01-28T09:25:00.000+08:00

In the past few days, I've been creating lower and higher harmonies for some of the worship songs of the Greenhills church for which I work. Days like these make me miss people like Archie Castillo and Teri Sambajon; music-minded individuals who work with you full-time can be such a blessing. Here, it's pretty much just me, which I don't mind. I just miss 'em.

Listening to: Brandon Heath Your Love

Good word

2011-01-26T14:43:00.001+08:00

God gave me a special word today, preparing me for something that I need to do. I brought myself to this place; now God's going to help me out. Thank You, Lord.

Listening to Hillsong United Search My Heart

I want the Lifan 320

2011-01-22T20:43:00.000+08:00

The other week, I passed by Lifan Motors Philippines along West Avenue in Quezon City. The line of Philippine Lifan 320s caught my eye because they were arranged so neatly in a row, like a row of Mini-Coopers. That actually was the reason these China-made cars caught my attention.

"Look at that, honey," I said to my wife, "Mini-Coopers!"

"Those aren't Mini-Coopers," she replied.

I took a second look and realized she was right. But they looked so similar, so I told her I wanted to stop the car and go down; she gave in and allowed me to, so I walked into the Quezon City Lifan dealership to inquire about the Lifan 320, which is their Mini-Cooper doppelganger.

I was surprised by how similar the Lifan 320 looked to the Mini-Cooper. Of course, getting a Chinese car that looks precisely like the Mini-Cooper but is not the Mini-Cooper is kinda like buying a fake Rolex and expecting people to believe that it's a genuine Rolex. Several comments in this Philippine car forum make a lot of sense, methinks, noting that Chinese cars have yet to prove their mettle for long-term durability and reliability.

Having said this, though, I have to admit I wasn't taken aback by the Lifan 320; if anything, I was rather impressed. Comparing the car to my Getz, it had smaller leg room in the driver's area, and slightly smaller trunk space. It also had a rather comical looking dashboard that I think has probably earned the car more jeers than cheers. I mean, come on, look at that dashboard! Two round airconditioning vents, a red hazard light, and a radio display in the shape of a semi-circle? It looks like the 1930s Mickey Mouse!

On the plus side, its 1.3 engine means it has more power than my 1.1 Getz does. The Philippine Lifan 320 has ABS, which my Hyundai Getz does not, and four speakers compared to my Hyundai Getz's two. Its engine looked very impressive - of course, I wouldn't know the first thing about engines! There really should be a class! - and, well, let's face it, even if the Lifan 320 is a rip-off of the Mini-Cooper, it still is remarkably cute!

The 1.3 model begins to retail for Php498,000, which was the same price we paid for our 1.1 Hyundai Getz three years ago. I honestly would like to test-drive it, but we're not in the financial place for a second car, so I want to avoid that temptation. (If I do, you'll bet I'll write about it.)

However, I gotta admit, I am believing God for a second car, and my God is a God of miracles, so who knows? Maybe the Lord will pave the way for me to somehow, someday, own a Lifan 320. (Heads up: my dream car is the Volkswagen New Beetle in classic yellow or beautiful bold red. I like small cars.

Lifan 320 Dashboard photo lifted off BigBigCar.com; no copyright infringement intended.

Listening to: Aaron Gillespie We Were Made For You

Blessing!

2011-01-15T18:22:00.000+08:00

I'm starting 2011 with a lot of hope. Cathy and I have one relatively lucrative sideline each, and we're believing this is the year when we can finally lift ourselves and start that nest egg that our family deserves to have. I'm so encouraged! Thank You Lord!

Listening to Brandon Heath Your Love

Gearing up for Prayer and Fasting

2011-01-06T07:43:00.000+08:00

At the start of every year, Victory Greenhills, a church in Greenhills, joins the rest of the Victory family across the Philippines, in consecrating itself and its congregants in a seven-day prayer and fasting activity. I've been participating in this for several years now, but this year I am particularly determined to get the fullest, richest experience of my participation thus far. I have witnessed for myself the incredible power of God these past three months, and I'm waiting in joyful anticipation of what God is going to do this year.

If God gives me particularly rich revelation, I expect to share it on this blog. Luckily, no one visits, so I'm not too worried about turning the world upside down. LOL

Listening to: Francesca Battistelli This is the Stuff

Happy Holydays

2010-12-21T11:48:00.000+08:00

Hi, y'all! I'm much better! I was at a wedding last night, which took place in scenic Tagaytay, a beautiful vacation spot about two hours away from Manila. The night was cool, the decor was gorgeous, the food was yummy, and there was love all around.

Christmas is 100% about Jesus, definitely, but God is love, and I saw God all around last night. Thank You for beauty, Lord, in all its forms!

Listening to: Natalie Grant Your Great Name

Witnessing His blessings

2010-12-17T01:58:00.000+08:00

I'll make this short and sweet: the Greenhills church for which I work recently finished its Overflow series on extreme generosity and audacious faith. Challenged and encouraged, I decided to bless someone with my iPod Classic to a worshiper who loves to worship but has never had an mp3 player in his life.

Two weeks later, I received an iPod Touch. Not long after that, my Nokia 1400 - so entry-level, its highest feature is a flashlight - was replaced by a spanking brand-new Blackberry Curve 9300.

I almost want to give away my car. (Hello, Volkswagen New Beetle?) I'm also tempted to give away our Las Pinas townhouse so that we might receive a Makati condo or something, but you know, God also recommends self-control, so I'll let it be.

Listening to: Tobymac Christmas This Year

Getting through Christmas

2010-12-11T13:36:00.000+08:00

I've not been feeling well lately. I've been waking up with backaches and feeling feverish. The weather hasn't been helping, and frankly, I know that stress is a partial cause. I don't know what to do (other than prayer, of course), because I can see that we need to work hard to raise volunteers up, and I've been struggling with it. Oh well.

Listening to: Matthew West One Last Christmas

He tried... and failed

2010-11-29T01:02:00.000+08:00

Satan tried his best. He figured out a way to let the projector crash. He somehow got to the bass guitar and made it wonky. He even tried to make Thammie and me fall ill to sore throats and acid reflux. Kulang na lang, masunog ang bahay at mag-move into an apartelle in Quezon City.

We persevered by God's grace. He was with us the entire time, and the expressions of worship we lifted up to Him in gratitude were out of hearts grateful for His love and desperate for His help with all the technical and physical issues. The Name of the Lord be praised.

Listening to: TobyMac Christmas This Year

Can I escape for just a day?

2010-11-27T09:01:00.000+08:00

I just launched another new website today, this time for a Filipino song arranger named Archie Castillo, who I used to work with at Victory Fort Bonifacio. Yesterday, it was for a Filipino mom blogger named Thammie Sy, who is the wife of my boss.

I've been churning out websites left and right, that I'm kinda sick of my computer right now, if you can believe that. I wish I could just escape for a few hours, or maybe a day. If there were an apartelle in Quezon City that I could sleep in, or maybe a cinema that was showing a movie that I could just watch over and over, and doze off to...

Well, there will be those days. Meanwhile, I've another website I want to work on. Hopefully, that'll earn me another few thousand bucks as well.

Listening to: Chris August Come Now Our King

Totally rebuked

2010-11-18T08:02:00.000+08:00

Today, God was very explicit in His Word for me. He wasn't happy.

"I myself said,
"'How gladly would I treat you like sons
and give you a desirable land,
the most beautiful inheritance of any nation.'
I thought you would call me 'Father'
and not turn away from following me."

Jeremiah 3:19

"Therefore O house of Israle, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall."

Ezekiel 18:30

"Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness."

2 Timothy 2:19

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."

James 4:7-8

It was a horrific and eye-opening wake-up call for me. I'd become complacent in my sin and comfortable in my self-righteousness. God obviously was not pleased, and He let me know it. Bright as day, clear as crystal. I've repented, and am just grateful that I'm loved by and serve a God Who doesn't hesitate to let me know when I've been bad, and doesn't hesitate to give me another chance.

Listening to: Kristian Stanfill, Day After Day

Miles to miles to go before I sleep

2010-11-16T08:14:00.000+08:00

In the past three days, I've been driving all over Metro Manila. Yesterday, it was to take my daughter to school, then my wife to an appointment with Yahoo!, then to a reunion with her old high school friends... my feet are killing me. But you know what? Life's awesome.

Listening to: Kutless This is Christmas

Let the pressure begin

2010-11-13T15:54:00.000+08:00

It's only eight days before we launch our third Sunday service. It's supposed to be relatively easy, but I've got butterflies in the pit of my stomach. Not really sure why, but I'm relying on God. He reigns on high, and our services are His. I've nothing to worry about. My help comes from the Lord.

Listening to: Kristian Stanfill Day After Day

Sabotaging the self

2010-11-10T08:30:00.000+08:00

A few weeks ago, I joined the fitness program of the church in Greenhills for which I work, but it hasn't been smooth sailing. At all.

I have to admit my drive to get fit isn't as strong as it used to be. I'm a bit disheartened. I'm watching everyone around me drop pounds and I have no idea how I'm doing. I'm getting increasingly fidgety about it, but I know I'm not going to get anywhere unless I do something about this.

It's almost like I'm sabotaging myself. More on this later; I need to gather up my thoughts and cling to God. Phil 4:13, Lord, give me strength.

Listening to: Shawn McDonald Closer

It's just a car

2010-10-23T21:08:00.000+08:00

Last Thursday night, on the way home from work, a truck rammed my Hyundai Getz. I wasn't hurt, but the left passenger side of my car was damaged. I spent about two hours at the local police station trying desperately to communicate with the traffic enforcers, due to my fractured Tagalog, and by the time I returned home, it was almost 1:00am.

My wife's first words? "It's just a car." I'm so privileged that my wife knows her priorities. I'm safe. God protected me. That's all that matters.

Listening to: Hawk Nelson Crazy Love

I wanna sink my teeth into it

2010-10-11T08:48:00.000+08:00

My job at the Greenhills church where I work is so juicy, I can't wait to sink my teeth into it! lol

Last night, I addressed the leaders of Victory Greenhills in a five-minute segment the pastors gave me (and fellow newbie Rica Monzon, who is the Discipleship Ministry admin). During that time, I gave just one major point: A Victory Greenhills volunteer is a happy volunteer. (Taking that from Serve the Lord with gladness. - Ps 100:2a)

We are more than just volunteers. We are sons or daughters, we are husbands or wives, we are friends, we are family, we are so many things. However, above and beyond that, we are children of the God Most High, and we are loved. When we realize that, how easy it is to take joy and pleasure in serving God to the fullest. I'm privileged to be in full-time ministry, but I'm equally privileged to be the one assigned to ensuring those who aren't in full-time ministry continue to enjoy their service of God in our church.

Honor God. Make disciples. Have a heckuva lot of fun doing so. That's my new motto.

Listening to: Tenth Avenue North You Are More

Wednesday is the New Sunday

2010-10-08T08:44:00.001+08:00

I led worship at the Wednesday service of Victory Greenhills, the church in Greenhills with whom I now labor for Christ. It was my first time to visit the premises, and to lead there was, honestly, fun. I love worshiping God in any place, but Teatrino in particular was a blast and a half.

For starters, the venue itself is tiny and intimate. Teatrino's dinner-theater-type setup makes for a closer experience with the pastor and the congregation. The sound system is superb, and the musicians with whom I worked last weekend were terrific. I'm looking forward to next week, when we're going to do even more amazing things in the Name of Jesus, by the grace of our Father.

I didn't think worshiping on Wednesdays would be half as exciting as it is now! Teatrino's the place to be, baby! It's an exciting time!

Listening to: Jason Castro You Are

The first Sunday

2010-10-03T14:25:00.000+08:00

It's my first Sunday at the church in Greenhills where I now work, and I gotta tell you, I am psyched. I just set up my table, and it looks nice and clean. (Enjoy it while you have it, because in the next few days, it's gonna get messy.) There are two holes in the wall that are bothering me beyond belief, but I'll get over 'em. I just gotta figure out the right thing to do to cover 'em.

In a few minutes, I'll head on over to Music Museum and arrange to meet with the music ministry. (I understand Charles is leading today, which is exciting. I love how that young man worships.) Then I'll spend the first service with Tech then the second service with Stage Management.

I'm listing things down and enjoying the relatively light day because this is as good as it gets. From here, it's going to get progressively harder, but that's when we rely on God the most, and it's gonna be awesome.

Four days to go

2010-09-27T09:20:00.000+08:00

Well, technically, three, until I transfer from the church in Manila that I currently work for, to the church in Greenhills where I will be working.

At Victory Fort Bonifacio, I am (was) the Communications Director. I pretty much oversaw the production of communications collateral in print, video, and Web; with my trusty colleague Raz, who shot and edited the video concepts with which we came up, we made a pretty strong, albeit sometimes harassed, team. I also oversaw the Communications Ministry volunteers (photographers, graphic designers, etc.)

At Victory Greenhills, I will be Worship Services Coordinator. I'll be in charge of what happens behind the scenes at the Sunday and Wednesday services. I'll also be responsible for ensuring the volunteers of the Greenhills church are happy and taken care of. I'll also be concurrently holding the Music Ministry Coordinator role, to which I'm really looking forward, because Music is my first love, and I can't wait to work with the talented musicians and vocalists of Greenhills.

Four more days. :)

Listening to MercyMe Beautiful

When God smacks down...

2010-09-15T10:54:00.000+08:00

... you take it gratefully!

This morning, Experiencing God Day by Day by Henry and Richard Blackaby took me to Philippians 4:8: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

The Blackabys wrote: What you think about in your unguarded moments reflects what your mind dwells on. What does your mind dwell on? What you give it. Fill your mind with filth and it will more likely spew filth than good things; fill it with good things and holy things and it will more likely give out good things than filth.

Confession #1: the past few weeks, I fell victim again to my old online haunts. To many people, I imagine many of the sites I visited weren't problematic; they were mostly humorous in nature, but some jokes/images were of an adult nature, and I knew in my heart that if I exposed myself to those materials, it wouldn't be long before my jokes would reflect it. Sure enough, I made a few jokes in the past few days that should not have come out of a Christian mouth.

It came to a head last night when I learned that my favorite 90s group, Wilson Phillips, was reuniting for a Christmas CD. In my excitement to share this good news, I kinda reverted back to a lot of the habits from which I turned away after I began my relationship with Jesus. I am not proud of the things I wrote on Facebook; I promptly erased or sanitized what I could, but in my heart, the damage was done.

The chapter of the What Matters Most for Men book I read followed up with astounding serendipity what I'd read in the Blackaby book: sexual purity. It dealt with the importance of avoiding temptation (one choice question: Is there a source of temptation in your life that needs to be starved? Certain TV channels of websites?); it also had a story on porn, which was my old-time nemesis back in the day. I knew if I kept this going, I would eventually stumble back into porn, and that was a non-negotiable that I had to stop.

In a nutshell, God revealed to me about two things that needed to change: 1) I needed to stop visiting these websites cold turkey; and 2) I needed to believe Him for total change of the way I carry myself. In a few weeks, I will be in an even greater position of influence, and I cannot compromise that mandate because of how I act.

How I act?

Confession #2: I have spent much, much time in prayer believing God would change habits, actions, and mannerisms in my heart and mind that would hinder me from serving Him to the best of my ability. I believe He is changing me for the better; we work our salvation out by His grace, day by day. A lot of this angst stems from my sometimes effeminate mannerisms and speech. Now that I will be in an even higher position of church leadership, it is even more imperative to me that these mannerisms stop; it will not benefit the church if they think less of their leaders, bias or no bias.

Last night, those accusations came hurtling back at me with the force of a tornado as I realized with horror what I'd written on Facebook. It was high school all over again, and I had put myself in that situation. I don't know what my wife must've been thinking as I celebrated the return of Chynna, Carnie, and Wendy, but bless her heart that she did not tear into me for that decidedly unmasculine celebration. I am so sorry, honey; won't happen again.

I am believing God that in the next few weeks, as I immerse in the culture of Victory Greenhills, He will work in my heart, mind, mouth, and body, that I will be exactly how God willed, intended, and created me to be: a mighty, powerful man whose heart, mind, soul, and body belongs to Him. He will surround me with godly men who will speak into my life and be good examples of fatherhood and manhood; He will afford me more time and opportunity to be with my wife and children so I can delight in those blessings, the blessings of truth and not self-doubt and lies. (Here are some truths: I am a son of God; I am a husband to a beautiful woman who loves me despite my idiocy; I am a father to a boy and girl who will grow up to be world-changers. I will not hold onto the lies that I was afforded when I was younger and unsaved.)

What a morning!

Listening to: Chris Tomlin, I Will Follow

16 days to go

2010-09-14T15:02:00.000+08:00

There are approximately 16 days to go before the new season begins. I've taken home all my personal belongings from my cubicle at the church in Manila where I currently work, even as I prepare for the next season at the church in Greenhills. The annual planning for Victory Greenhills is on October 8, and I'm really excited about that and the things we'll be doing.

It's going to be terrific!

Listening to Chris Tomlin I Will Follow

Sick again

2010-09-06T08:12:00.000+08:00

So here's a funny story: I'm sick. My sore throat has progressed into a head cold, and I'm trying to expectorate but it won't come. Ah well. Psalm 103 tells us not to forget all God's benefits, which include healing of disease and forgiveness of sin.

Lord, I won't forget. It's Your promise to me, and my privilege as Your child. Thank You for my healing!

It's really happening!

2010-08-29T16:07:00.000+08:00

So, I was told today by my boss at the Manila church where I work that I may actually be released by the end of September to my original home church in Manila. I'm speechless; I don't actually have words. I mean, I'm obviously excited, but end of September? Really?

This feels so weird. I'm not exactly sure how to feel about it - probably because in the back of my head, I'm not sure it's really happening - but I just need to declare it to myself: this is God working. This is God paving the way for the next season. He told this to me at EN2010, and now He's making it happen.

Wow, Lord, You work fast. Just a heads-up, I'm going to rely on You more than ever, so please don't ever leave me.

The week that was

2010-08-22T08:14:00.001+08:00

Last week:

My mother ended up in the hospital. We shelled out a loooot of money in hospital fees and other mother-related expenses.
The Macbook Pro assigned to me by the church in Manila for which I work crashed, taking with it all my current projects.
I must've gained ten pounds by sheer stress.
I lost the stylus of my mobile phone. I now have to tap it with my fat fingers.

In the midst of all this, God is my comfort, my refuge, and my strength. The Name of the Lord be praised.

Listening to: Keith and Kristyn Getty, By Faith

Butterflies in my stomach

2010-08-18T16:46:00.000+08:00

Lately, people at Victory Fort have been paying me compliments. I wonder if they know.

I'm meeting with my boss tomorrow, probably over lunch. I pray things go well. It's time.

Believing God for something greater

2010-08-15T18:20:00.000+08:00

I was given a rare and welcome opportunity to sing with the worship teams of the church in Manila for which I work. We were challenged to sing Ashmont Hill's Show My Love, which is one of my favorite praise songs. I thank Him that, for the most part, the numbers went well, despite a steadily deteriorating voice. (No one would want to do six services in a row, much less an amateur like myself. But when we don't know how to say "No," well, that's the end result.)

Having said all this, I have to admit I sang Show My Love from a heart heavy with concern. Like I mentioned in a previous post, my mother has been in the hospital for almost a week. During that time, she's racked up hundreds of thousands of pesos in hospital bills. Even sans health card and senior citizen discount, with professional fees and all, we're still looking at almost Php70,000 in expenses. She wants to check out tomorrow, but I don't know or see how we're going to be able to do that because we simply don't have that kind of money.

This morning, I read out of Ps 25, and verse 3 stood out: "No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame." I hope and I trust in God's great providential power to provide for His children. What is Php70,000, Php80,000, Php100,00, for a great and mighty God, anyway?

It's always easier said than done, but in the midst of the trials, in the utter hopelessness of the dark, when God's light comes shining through, when God gives us that miracle, WOW. I await with an expectant heart. My God will not let me down.

Listening to: Jimmy Needham, Grace Amazing

Overwhelmed

2010-08-10T14:45:00.000+08:00

The past few days have been difficult. My mother has been ill, and we learned just now that what we thought were mere gallstones may be more complicated, because her liver is apparently infected. Meanwhile, my little three-year-old girl has a recurring fever. Couple that with restricted finances and a significantly heavy workload this week at the church in Manila that I work for, it all feels like too much.

It's times like these that I always have to remind myself:

The Lord is a refuge, a strong tower in times of trouble. He knows those who trust in Him. - Na 1:7

Lord, I trust You. Please help us.

Listening to: Audrey Assad, Restless (Thank you, Audrey, your song couldn't have come at a more opportune time.)

Nobu No Good!

2010-08-09T08:09:00.000+08:00

Last night, my wife and I were privileged and honored to stand as godparents to the one-year-old son of very good friends from our church in Manila. It was a short but memorable and meaningful ceremony; from the cake to the souvenirs, from the Biblical message about parenting to the message of gratitude from the parents, it was all so well-planned and organized.

As the saying goes, though, "the best-laid plans of mice and men oft go awry," and the chink in this otherwise joyous celebration comes at the hands of the venue that my friends unfortunately chose for their son's dedication. The disastrous choice: Nobu Grill and Bar at the Blue Wave entertainment center along Macapagal Avenue. My friends reserved the entire second floor of the Nobu Grill and Bar, at Php299 a head, I assume. They had reserved for 80 guests; because of inclement weather, only around 60 arrived.

Nobu Blue Wave Macapagal is a grill and hotpot restaurant that opened July 2 at Blue Wave Macapagal. It affords diners the chance to cook four types of cuisine: Korean, Japanese, Chinese, and Brazilian BBQ. Since it's a virtually brand-new place - less than two months in operation, and there's a sign on its large display window that says it's still in "soft opening mode" - there are certain things we may have to forgive them, but in general, here is how I feel about Blue Wave's Nobu Grill Bar:

Food is unremarkable. We are supposed to cook the food ourselves, but given the nature of the party, we were served pre-cooked food, and the food was forgettable. From the sweetish yet overpoweringly spicy kimchi - we know kimchi, and Nobu's kimchi will rank somewhere near the bottom of our list - to the strangely tough samgyupsal, from the chewy deep fried meat - was it gizzard? chicken? pork? to date, it was still a mystery - to the disturbingly bland hotpot stew, no viand - NOT ONE! - was memorable for its flavor, taste, texture, and appearance.
Service was appalling. The ground floor wasn't particularly full, and the restaurant is largely self-service, so the fact that we had perhaps three waiters for our party of 60 was, in my opinion, oddly disturbing. Guess what? The entire duration of our meal, my refillable iced tea was refilled... once. The remaining four to five refills? I got up and refilled them myself from the three to four pitchers that stood ignored on a bartop counter at the far end of the room. It took a while after all pitchers were empty before waiters came to refill them.
Where were the grills? There was a significantly large display of fresh vegetables and seafoods waiting to be cooked on the portable grills or hotpot ovens that were in grand display on the ground floor. However, we on the second floor did not get enough grills. I counted three tables, mine among them, that did not get grills. My wife asked for one several times; none arrived. No grills, no food! I wonder what my friends did with all the leftover vegetables to which she was entitled (because they paid for them); they obviously weren't cooked that night.
The air-conditioning was broken. In a way, I guess it was a blessing that we didn't have grills, because it was HOT. Hot and humid because it was raining outside. My poor friends! My poor inaanak, who had to take off his adorable blue cheongsam because of the inclement weather and uncomfortable temperature!
It was tight. The tables were cramped so close together that it was difficult to move around. Not necessarily the fault of the restaurant, but if you know you can't comfortable seat 80 - we were only 60, what if the full 80 came? - you need to tell your clients so.

At the end of the evening, my friends had to pay the Nobu Grill & Bar Blue Wave Macapagal for the full 80 guests even if only 60 showed up. (That is fair.) However, they received far less than what they paid for. The unremarkable food, insufficient facilities, and inadequate service, mean two things: 1) I will not return, and 2) I sure as heck won't recommend Nobu Grill and Bar anytime soon to anyone who asks.

I'm listening to: Third Day, Lift Up Your Face

Dream prayers

2010-08-08T12:25:00.000+08:00

Last night, I had a dream about one of my colleagues. I was particularly struck by the dream because in it, I found myself praying over, for, and with him. This was highly unusual because we never pray together. I remember being somewhat conscious of the prayer, and was quite taken by it, because in that dream, I found myself praying for him all kinds of things that I wouldn't pray over him in "real life."

I don't get them much, but dream prayers can be interesting. We know that God can speak to us in dreams; we also know that dreams are a way for our subconscious to process emotions and ideas that we otherwise wouldn't be able to do in the waking world. (And I'll be darned if I let any of the fallacious ideas foisted by Inception take root in my subconscious.) So whether or not these dreams are "God-breathed," they certainly are worth praying about.

My relationship with said colleague is precarious at best. I have many issues with him, issues that I try to overcome or deal with simply with prayer and according him the respect and honor due him by his position and age. I've had difficulty with the whole honor thing, though, because, like I said, I disagree with him on a variety of issues.

In the dream, though, I found myself praying over and for him with a sympathy I'd not known before. The dream me - which I was very conscious of as being me yet not me - was praying things for him that I personally wouldn't have. They were honest. They were open. I was surprised, quite frankly. It was almost as if my dream helped me process how I felt about that colleague, and in God's mercy, allowed me to see how I should treat him.

When I awoke, the first thing I said, literally, was, "Wow, God, are you asking me to pray for ?" A few minutes later, after the sleep-haziness had gone from me, I asked more lucidly but somewhat jokingly, "Does my dream prayer count?" I knew it didn't, so I prayed for him, and I know that how I treat him now and in the future will have been changed by that dream.

I'm currently listening to: Phil Wickham In My Love

64 Days before EN2010

2010-05-19T10:11:00.002+08:00

So many of us at the church in the Philippines we attend are so excited for the Every Nation World Conference (EN2010), our once-every-three-years international conference!

EN2010's speakers and special guests include:

Darlene Zschech of Hillsong Music, Australia;
2009 CNN Hero of the Year, Efren Peñaflorida;
Grace Aiyedogbon from Lagos, Nigeria;
Ron Lewis, Rice Broocks, Steve Murrell and more!

We're believing God is really going to show Himself mighty and powerful from July 22 to 24 at EN2010. The way that EN2010 is arranged is really to allow for maximum convenience.

You don't have to take three days worth of leave! July 22's events are only in the evening. July 23 starts in the afternoon, so you only need to take a half-day's leave. Saturday, most people don't have work. Yay!
Parade of Nations (Thursday night). Imagine 20,000 people from dozens of nations wearing their national costumes and all that! It'll be breathtaking!
CNN Hero of the Year Efren Penaflorida will be speaking!
Hillsong Worship pastor and international Contemporary Christian singer Darlene Zschech will speak too! At night, so even students don't have to miss this!
We're going to attempt to break a Guinness World Record!

The Conference details are here, in case you'd like to join us. It's only Php800 for all three days! You can buy tickets at at TicketWorld or even at any Victory church starting this weekend. I really hope to see you all there. (Come look for me and let's take photo ops!)

Clueless about the Allure of Edward Cullen?

2009-03-26T15:56:00.000+08:00

If you are a guy who doesn't seem to understand the reasons behind the seemingly crazy female reaction to Twilight's Edward Cullen, I suggest you read this article.

What is it About Edward Cullen?

I salute the author for explaining so eloquently what many of us cannot put into words.

Christmas gift ideas from my favorite stores

2008-11-26T13:51:00.000+08:00

This year, I had an early start on my Christmas shopping. I gave the exclusive Twilight Borders calendar to some of my Twilighter friends. I got them with the help of a friend in the US and my recent trip to Australia. Needless to say, they all loved me for it.

I still have some people on my Christmas list and here are some of the things I plan to give this Christmas.

Bookstores (National, Powerbooks, Fully Booked, Victory Christian Fellowship Bookstore)

The bookstore is a treasure trove of excellent gift ideas. Even a set of gel pens makes a great gift. I remember a friend who gave me a school supplies set with mini stapler, plastic folders, and others and I really appreciated it. For children, I highly recommend the Kumon books. Yes, they are a bit pricey but they’re worth the price. I especially like the arts and crafts books. For self-help, I recommend Joel Osteen’s books. For mothers, Victory Christian Fellowship has a book entitled Pray God’s Will by Jay Duque. It’s a wonderful book of prayer inspirations for children based on God’s word.

Kitchen and Food Items

Last year, I found these nice Robert Green potholders in Christmas colors to give to family. I think they’re great because they’re practical and reasonably priced. They are available in the SM home section. Nathan wanted to be in the picture so you get a glimpse of my handsome son in this photo.

For food gifts, I like CSB Hotel’s box of ensaymada. They sell their ensaymada at PhP220/box for 6 huge buns. As for the grocery store, it is always good to give ham and Majestic Ham, for me, is the best Christmas ham.

Zen Zest

I personally like the new Sugar Collection of Zen Zest and they prepared a Christmas gift set of the scents. I like Watermelon Sorbet the most but they also have Vanilla Cream, Key Lime Pie and Cherry Cheesecake in the collection. Their cocktail scents are also great especially daquiri. For smaller gifts, their watermelon hand sanitizer is always a delight.

Astrovision

I like movies and music and I visit Astroplus quite often. I think these old and new releases will make for great Christmas gifts. The Josh Groban collection will be good for those who are yet to discover his talent. For those who like Adult Contemporary, I suggest Colbie Caillat and Vanessa Williams’ Everlasting Love. For the younger set, I suggest Jesse McCartney’s Departure or Elliott Yamin’s album. For movies, I plan to give Joe Wright’s Pride and Prejudice and The Jane Austen Book Club as a set to friends who like romance. It’s always nice to receive a comedy series and I recommend Friends and How I Met Your Mother. Christmas is a time for joy so I’m giving out comedies and feel good movies.

Advanced Merry Christmas and enjoy preparing your Christmas list and gifts!

Twilight-Inspired Polyvore Sets

2008-09-05T02:38:00.000+08:00

Edward's Bella

Jacob's Bella

Robert Pattinson tells Edward's POV of Breaking Dawn

2008-08-08T05:06:00.000+08:00

This is just the most hilarious thing I've read in a long time. Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen is just precious. At least, I got something out of Breaking Dawn--a great laugh along with Rob. :)

Breaking Dawn Broke My Heart

2008-08-07T14:55:00.000+08:00

My review of Stephenie Meyer's Breaking Dawn may be found the the reviews section. Read it here.

A Small Thrill but a Thrill Nonetheless

2008-06-23T13:42:00.000+08:00

Thanks to Twilight Lexicon for giving us a chance to express our affection for our favorite fictional vampire. My entry made it to the list. Check out #35.

The Twilight Saga's Breaking Dawn Chapter 1

2008-05-31T03:39:00.000+08:00

Thanks to Stephenie Meyer for pointing me to Entertainment Weekly's sneek peek of the first chapter of Breaking Dawn. It's a little short but I still enjoyed it. It's just sooooo Bella to be this concerned about what other people think of her engagement. Truly, she is young. I have a weird feeling the wedding will not push through as planned and this, I think, will make the book even more interesting. Can't wait till August!

Chicken Ass, Anyone?

2008-05-07T06:16:00.000+08:00

Ganns and I saw this on the menu of Reyes Barbeque and we just can't help but take a photo. A lot of people like to eat this part of the chicken but to see it on the menu is really quite amusing. Chicken ass is quite tasty...have you tried it?

Recommended Cold Remedies

2008-04-28T07:48:00.000+08:00

I have a terrible cold. Any recommended cold remedies?

Phone Calls from Credit Card Companies

2008-04-17T11:31:00.000+08:00

I just received a phonecall through my cellphone (Caller number: 7953889) supposedly from a Citibank representative asking to verify information about my card. I am very very careful with my financial information and even if it is rude, I immediately told the caller that I am not answering any of his questions and that Citibank can verify whatever information they need in another form. I heard so many stories of identity theft and it is really scary out there.

I wonder if these calls are, in fact, legitimate. I really feel wary about these calls that come from nowhere. Do these companies really call us through our cellular phone? Do you have any experience of this kind?

The Many Incarnations of My Name

2008-03-25T11:17:00.000+08:00

I had been Admissions Director of DLS-CSB for three year now and one amusing thing that occurs is when people misspell my name. Let me give you some examples of the many incarnations of my name...

Ms. Catherine Dee
Ms. Catherine Dy
Ms. Katherine Deen
Ms. Kathleen Deen
Ms. Katy Deen

My favorite of all was...
Ms. Christine Deen (This came from a pinoyexchange post of an applicant I interviewed)

Bechamel Sauce - What a difference proper technique makes

2008-03-22T05:19:00.000+08:00

Two days ago, I decided to prepare my usual creamy tuna pasta dish for my husband. I've seen and heard many cooks prepare this dish with all purpose cream which is incredibly high in fat. I prepare it with a bechamel sauce made from butter, non-fat milk, flour, salt and some pepper. I normally prepare the sauce directly on my non-stick pan. However, this time around, I followed the instructions of Linda Carucci in her book "Cooking School Secrets for Real World Cooks" and what a difference proper technique makes! My sauce was much creamier and tastier than my usual.

The secret? Prepare the bechamel sauce by melting 6 tablespoons of butter on a saucepan (not a non-stick pan) and whisk in 5 tablespoons of flour to make the roux. Using the wire whisk is very important to achieve a smooth finish. After about 2 minutes, whisk in the milk (1/4 cup at a time). Continue whisking until the milk is absorbed. When the mixture is smooth, you can pour in the remaining milk all at once. After this, switch to a wooden spoon and continue stirring in a figure 8 pattern over medium heat. Stir like this for about 8 to 10 minutes. To test if the sauce is done, just drag your finger over the back of the wooden spoon. If the track remains, the sauce is done. At this stage, salt and pepper (or Tabasco sauce) may be added. Taste and see if the sauce is to your liking. For me, I put a lot of salt because I am using it as the only sauce for the pasta. However, if you are using the bechamel for lasagna, less salt is needed since you also have your bolognese sauce. To complete the dish, I added the cooked tuna and tossed in the pasta. Add grated cheese if you wish. Enjoy.

Mario's roast turkey makes the holidays special

2007-11-20T11:02:00.001+08:00

MARIO’s Quezon City, one of the most respected restaurants in Quezon City, is now serving holiday offerings for your special occasions, including Christmas, birthdays, Thanksgiving, and other important events. As this Manila restaurant celebrates its 27th anniversary this November, you, too, can enjoy landmark festivities with these holiday specials.

The star of Mario's Quezon City’s holiday specials is a delicious Roast Turkey. With its crispy skin, juicy meat, cranberries, and gravy, Mario’s roast turkey is ideal for Thanksgiving, Noche Buena, or any other special occasion.

Another Mario’s specialty is Cochinillo, a roast suckling piglet flavored with herbs and spices. Served alongside the cochinillo is Mario’s signature Spanish Paella. One may also enjoy Mario's Quezon City's tender Blade Steaks, which are US-certified Black Angus steaks served with a special merlot-mushroom sauce.

To really usher in the spirit of the holiday season, enjoy sweet Christmas from this Quezon City restaurant, including Choco Choco Chip or Oatmeal Raisin cookies in colorful keepsake tin cans; and Amaretto or Curacao butter cakes in classic Christmas gift boxes. Two absolute must-try’s are Mario's exclusives Toffee Sans Rival, which puts a spin on traditional sans rival with its top coating of toffee and butter cream, and the Deadly Walnut Bars, which one simply has to try to believe.

To order any of these holiday specials, simply visit Mario's Quezon City, located at Tomas Morato corner Scout Gandia in Quezon City, call 415-3887 or 372-0360, or e-mail mariosquezoncity@yahoo.com. Mario's Baguio, located along Session Road, also accepts inquiries and reservations through (074) 442-4241 or e-mail marios_baguio@yahoo.com. Mario's Baguio boasts facilities ideal for special events in the highlands, with perfect but affordable packages for weddings, debuts, reunions, baptisms or birthday celebrations.

My Elliott Yamin Experience

2007-09-22T05:26:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, September 21, 2007, is a day I will never forget. I got to watch American Idol finalist Elliott Yamin in his Trinoma mall concert and take snapshots for fudge magazine during his press conference.

The day started when Ganns and I went to Trinoma mall at around 930AM to wait for the doors to open. When the doors opened at 10AM, we both ran to the concierge to get our seating pass. We were one of the first few so we also got stubs for a signed photo. We brought our CDs with us hoping to get it signed but as it turned out, only those who got the CD signing stubs on that same day got to have their cds signed (but no picture). Even those who got the Meet and Greet passes were not allowed to get their cds signed. They only got to have a photo taken with Elliott. Those who were early, like yours truly, had to wait until the meet and greet group and cd signing group finished before getting our autographed photo. We didn't get to meet Elliott Yamin. It's just really frustrating that I had to wait till the end to get my photo when they could have just given it out early since we were not given the chance to meet Elliott. But enough griping, I had a great day. Elliott was worth it all! Besides, I got to take photos of him during his press conference. I was literally inches away from him (and yet couldn't get him to sign my cd because the organizers were just too strict).

Elliott's voice is just the best voice I've heard in years. He is such a joy to watch and I am not ashamed to wear my sentiments about him (through a great shirt my husband designed for me). His talent is simply something one cannot pass up. In his Trinoma show, he sang an acoustic set including the songs Movin' On, One Word, Trainwreck, Wait for You, You Are The One, In Love With You Forever, A Song For You and Moody's Mood for Love. We are so blessed to have him visit us in Manila.

The Philippines loves Elliott and we are willing to pay to watch him in concert. Elliott, please come back in the near future for a full concert. All frustrations in relation to the organizers aside, thanks to Ayala Malls for bringing Elliott Yamin to the Philippines. This is a huge plus for me and I will definitely visit your malls more often. :) Ganns and I even ate at La Maison, this upscale ribs restaurant, because they were one of Elliott's corporate sponsors! Go Bench! Mabuhay, Panasonic! Thanks, Globe! Mwah, Myx! Amazing ABC-5 (Idol!)! Mwah mwah Monster Radio RX 93.1! We're considering checking into the Hotel Intercontinental this New Year! More power, Philam Life! (We drew the line at Dimensione for a picture frame, because PHP1200 minimum is just waaaaaay too much for us, but thanks anyway, Dimensione, my husband loves your chairs!)

To see some of the photos I took during the press conference, click here, and please visit my husband's recap at http://www.gannsdeen.com.

Repertory Philippines' Cinderella: why reward those who break the rules?

2007-09-03T17:28:00.000+08:00

Repertory Philippines' Cinderella, a Disney Kids' adaptation, was the venue of a lot of stress for me last Sunday. When Nathan and I entered Greenbelt Onstage to watch Cinderella by Repertory Philippines, the Greenbelt security guard checked my bag and asked if I had a camera.
"Yes," I replied.

The guard at Greenbelt Onstage then told me to leave behind my camera, as that was one of the rules.

I then gave Ganns my camera and proceeded to watch the show, with Cris Villonco in the Repertory Philippines Cinderella starring role. Although Nathan and I enjoyed the Cinderella musical at Greenbelt, something happened that completely destroyed the experience for me.

Guess what happened after the curtain closed: the main Cinderella actors went out - in full costume - and gave photo opportunities to audience members with cameras!

Can you imagine my frustration and anger when I, a parent who followed the rules, realized that I would not be able to take a nice picture of my son with the Repertory Philippines actors because I followed the rules and did not bring in my camera? Why reward those who obviously snuck in their cameras? Now, parents who did not follow the rules got reinforcement that this kind of behavior is acceptable because they have souvenir pictures of Cinderella and we don't. What message are we sending our children with this kind of inconsistency?

(Photo credit: Repertory Philippines website)

Secret Recipe in the Philippines!

2007-08-27T17:54:00.000+08:00

I visited Kuala Lumpur last month and one of the highlights of my trip was my visit to Secret Recipe. My host took me there to sample their award-winning Marble Cheesecake. After sampling 3 cheesecakes including Marble Cheesecake, Baked Cheesecake and Lemon Cheesecake, we all agreed that the Marble Cheesecake was the best.

Last Saturday, I saw the Philippine branch of Secret Recipe at the Fort. Right after seeing their sign, I shrieked and prodded my husband to sample their food. I wanted to see if the taste is the same as Secret Recipe Malaysia. I ordered the Marble Cheesecake (PhP100) and a cup of cappuccino. My husband ordered Blueberry Cheesecake. I am glad to report that the quality is the same. The picture you see here is from Malaysia.

Something on Preschools

2007-07-02T16:51:00.000+08:00

I recently went on a very important shopping trip--one for a preschool for my son. I wanted to check out the different preschools around our area. Although some people don't think preschools are necessary for their children, I am quite convinced that exposing my son to preschool will help him in his social, physical, intellectual and spiritual growth. My husband encouraged me to post what I had to say about shopping around for preschools since it may help other mothers in their search. I wish to share some things I learned about preschools and a set of questions parents can ask the principals to better help in their decision-making process.

Traditional vs. Non-traditional Setup

To make things simple, it would be a good gauge to assess current preschool setups as either traditional or non-traditional. Of course, there are so many other terms used such as progressive, integrated, learner-centered, multiple intelligences, etc. Basically, the difference lies on the curriculum.

For traditional setups, it is normally handled the way we were handled during our nursery school days. There were various subjects and lessons are taught on a per subject basis (i.e., science, math, language, chinese, etc.). Usually, young kids are expected not to be too boisterous in class ( i.e., to sit down when told, etc.). Those who are a bit more of a challenge may be given special attention but will probably be taken out of the group. The classes are very much structured and numerical grades are given based on the number of correct or incorrect answers achieved by the student on a prepared test. Tests may be a common scenario and assignments are to be expected.

In a non-traditional setup, most of the curriculum is integrated. This means that the school usually follows a thematic approach to teaching based on a given theme (i.e., usually monthly). Their subjects will contain topics or content related to a given theme. For example, if the theme for June is "Family", teachers will plan their lessons in science, math, language, chinese and other subjects with the theme family in mind. This means that in science, the kids may be taught the topic members of your family. In math, they may be taught to count using number of siblings, etc. Integrated curriculum simply means that all the subjects are taught through an approach where they all make sense together since it is not topical. Experiential learning is also given priority. As such, do not be surprised if your kid is exposed to cooking, field trips, and other activities that may not be found in traditional setups. Given that this type of setup takes more effort on the part of the teacher, a lower student-teacher ratio is expected. This also translates to higher fees. I found that the non-traditional schools usually have about 2:15 teacher student ratio. They usually have a teacher and a teacher's aide. Chinese teachers are also available in some schools.

While doing the rounds, I visited the following schools and they are more or less the same in terms of curriculum and teacher-student ratio.

Apples and Oranges (I was impressed with the facilities but not the directress. She didn't know how to answer my questions)
Mind Specialists (I was impressed with the directress but not the facilities. I was also concerned that I was able to go inside the school with ease. Security did not get my ID or anything...)
Kinder Minds (I was impressed with the directress but not the facilities. I also noticed that their school is small and they had very few students)
Early Achievers (I was impressed with the directress and the facilities were apt).

In non-traditional setups, the teachers do not give numerical grades but progress reports in qualitative form. This means that they prepare reports to show what your child has learned and how you can help your child. This is more of a partnership between the parents and the teachers.

Some Questions to Ask Principals When Shopping for Preschools

1. What is the educational philosophy of your school?
2. How old is your school?
3. Normally, after graduation, where do your graduates go for big school (i.e., elementary)?
4. Do you offer enrichment classes (i.e., E. Nopi, Chinese Classes, Taekwondo, etc.)?
5. What is your tuition fee and what are the inclusions (i.e., uniform, meal, etc)?
6. What is your teacher-student ratio?
7. What is your fetcher's policy?
8. Can you describe your curriculum?
9. What is the profile of your faculty?
10. How do you involve parents in the child's education?

I decided to send my child to Early Achievers (formerly called Granny Goose) for the following reasons (not in order): (1) They had been around for 20 years, (2) The school is close to my house, (3) The directress was impressive when I asked her my questions, (4) The facility looked good, and (5) They were caring and competent when they assessed my son.

We've moved

2006-11-28T10:37:00.000+08:00

By the by, to those who still happen to swing by here, we've moved to www.TheDeensOnline.com. I also maintain a separate blog, www.GannsDeen.com.

Be blessed,

ganns

We're going to Palawan! Whee!

2006-08-18T09:05:00.000+08:00

I blogged on my personal blog about a trip to Palawan that Cathy and I are taking, and that we’re staying at the Hotel Fleuris. Do swing by there and see what our Palawan vacation has to offer!

The one with the lyrics of Broken and Beautiful by Mark Schultz

2006-08-02T17:10:00.000+08:00

Looking for the lyrics to Broken and Beautiful by Mark Schultz? Look no further.

BROKEN AND BEAUTIFUL
Mark Schultz
From the album Broken and Beautiful

There's a businessman
There's a widowed wife
A smIling face with a shattered life
A teenage girl with a choice to make
It's crowded here in church today

And the preacher says as the sermon ends
Please close your eyes
Bow your heads
Is there anyone in need of prayer
Oh Jesus wants to meet you here

'Cuz we all fall short and we all have sinned
But where you left, God's grace begins

It's beautiful
Beautiful
Come as you are
surrender your heart
Broken and beautiful

Well, he'd never been to church before
but he came today as a last resort
His world was crashing in
and he was suffocating in his sin

but tears rolled down as hope rushed in
He closed his eyes
Raised his hand
Worshipping the God who can bring him back to life again and

It's beautiful
Beautiful
Come as you are
surrender your heart
Broken and beautiful
Beautiful
Come as you are
surrender your heart
Broken and beautiful

'Cuz there's nothing more beautiful than God
and when his sons and daughters come broken

Hallelujah Hallelujah
come as you are
Hallelujah Hallelujah
Come as you are

Broken and beautiful
Beautiful
Come as you are
Surrender your heart
Broken and beautiful
Beautiful
Come as you are
Surrender your heart
Broken and beautiful

Come as you are
Broken and beautiful (Hallelujah)
Beautiful (Hallelujah)
Come as you are
Surrender your heart
Broken and beautiful
Broken and beautiful
Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh
Beautiful

There you go! Lyrics to Mark Schultz's Broken and Beautiful. Enjoy!

The one with the lyrics of Say Goodbye by Deborah Gibson and Jordan Knight

2006-08-02T14:01:00.000+08:00

Looking for the lyrics of Jordan Knight and Deborah Gibson's Say Goodbye? Look no further.

JORDAN KNIGHT AND DEBORAH GIBSON
Say Goodbye
From the Jordan Knight album Love Songs

Jordan

Yeah
I've been so lost lately
I don't really understand baby
Wher did I go wrong
I wanna talk to you
Please call
Deborah
Where do I begin with you
after all that we've been through
I don't think that it would be right if we
got together so suddenly
Jordan
I wish that I could take back all the things that I said
and replace them with simply I love you instead

Deborah
You don't wanna say goodbye
But you never really seem like you wanna try
Jordan
But I only wanted you to stay
then I let you just slip away
Deborah
If you didn't listen to your heart inside
then it really doesn't matter what was on your mind
and if you need me then tell me why
Jordan
Girl, I never meant to say goodbye
Mmm Oh yeah

Jordan
I think about the past baby
Why we couldn't make it last, lady
I know you still have doubts
But I'm gonna prove that we can work things out
Deborah
I wanna be sure that you know what you put me through
and reveal that you intend to never let me down again
Jordan
It's clear to me and I can't ignore
that I have to give you something I couldn't before

Deborah
You don't wanna say goodbye
But you never really seem like you wanna try
Jordan
But I only wanted you to stay
then I let you just slip away
Deborah
If you didn't listen to your heart inside
then it really doesn't matter what was on your mind
and if you need me then tell me why
Jordan
Girl, I never meant to say goodbye

Deborah
I didn't think that we would come to this
Jordan
Ooh, no
Your eyes, your face, your smile is what I miss
Deborah
Why'd you wait so long to take me back
Deborah & Jordan
It's all a simple misunderstanding

Deborah
You don't wanna say goodbye
But you never really seem like you wanna try (Never wanna try)
Jordan
But I only wanted you to stay
then I let you just slip away
Deborah
If you didn't listen to your heart inside
then it really doesn't matter what was on your mind
and if you need me then tell me why
Jordan
Girl, I never meant to say goodbye

Deborah
You don't wanna say goodbye
But you never really seem like you wanna try (But I never meant to say)
Jordan
But I only wanted you to stay
then I let you just slip away
Deborah
If you didn't listen to your heart inside (Never meant to see you cry, never meant to say)
then it really doesn't matter what was on your mind
and if you need me then tell me why
Jordan
Girl, I never meant to say goodbye

There you go! The Say Goodbye lyrics, from the duet of Debbie Gibson and Jordan Knight. Enjoy!