Dream prayers

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

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?

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

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

Edward's Bella



Jacob's Bella