Nostalgic

I was walking along Apacible St. going to shopping center when I smelled a familiar scent. No, it was not the smell of a perfume. It was a smell of a tree. I remembered I could smell that tree scent when I was walking past the bridge going to DL Umali Hall in UPLB campus.

Our office is just in front of a residence hall. Last week, students carrying big travel bags were a familiar sight. I was once a student who carried quite a big travel bag and a backpack during weekends.

Pavements and big trees in UPD bring back good memories of UPLB. :)

Gloomy feel

December... Rain... Listening to a sad song... Hearing a sad story... Alone in a quiet room... A day after Christmas... these bring a certain kind of gloomy feel.

Accomplishing a task... no traffic jam... refreshing breeze after the rain... driving in a traffic-free road while singing along with the fast-beat song ("...you caught my soul when i was struggling to breathe.."), it makes me want to step on the gas even more (hehe!)... remembering the significance of this season ("For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Son...")... these bring hope, a releasing feeling; looking forward to another day. ;)

Name those puppies

These puppies are still nameless since Thursday last week. My brother and I couldn't think of any nice names for them. Well, my brother keeps on suggesting wacky names and my brain is in vacation mode.hehe. My mom gave an ultimatum to name these puppies ASAP or else they will be called "Tintin" and "Natnat". Waaah! :)

Tintin thrives in the Arab world despite censorship

Neither censors nor "Orientalist" stereotypes have dampened demand for the cartoon adventures of Belgian boy reporter Tintin, who has stoked the imagination of generations of Arabs from the Atlantic to the Gulf.

Created in the middle years of the 20th century, Tintin spent more time in the Arab world than anywhere else, in four books: "Cigars of the Pharaoh," "The Crab with the Golden Claws," "Land of Black Gold" and "The Red Sea Sharks."

"It's extraordinary that Tintin came here so many times and still has so many friends," according to Tunisian academic Issam Marzouki.

Opium smuggling, the scramble for Middle Eastern oil, the slave trade and more were all sources of adventure and -- to this day -- controversial storylines for Tintin's Belgian creator, the illustrator Herge.

"Reading Tintin when I was a child was like seeing yourself in a magical but distorting mirror," said Marzouki, insisting that "Herge's way of looking at the Arabs kept on evolving, renewing itself."

But the end of the relationship a year ago between Belgian publishing giant Casterman and Egyptian publisher Dar al-Maaref, which had the right to print Tintin in Arabic for 30 years, means the daring reporter with the trademark quiff is no longer available in Arabic.

Read more >>

Bubble thoughts

I like the concept of "bubble thoughts" in cartoons/comics. Sometimes I wish I could read other people's bubble thoughts.hehe. Since I can't read other people's bubble thoughts I'll just share some of my bubble thoughts during my meteor gazing (hehe hangover!).

Bubble thoughts:
- <"If they only knew..."> Our parents were sound asleep while my brother and I were enjoying the meteor shower. We put old plastic mats on the ground and we were lying on our backs ala "sun-bathing" or should I say "moon-bathing" or "star-bathing".hehe. It was a real planetarium experience! :)

- <"How many are you, stars?...What are your names?...Who is Gemini, Perseus, Orion, etc?...You (stars) look so small, you're even smaller than my hands"> Just some of my thoughts while waiting for the shooting stars to show up. I'm always left amazed whenever I gaze on the nightsky. I remember a verse in Psalms that says, "He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name" (Psalm 147:4). In my perspective those stars look so small but if I look at the big picture, it was me who is small. Anyway, God knows each one, great or small and He cares for them. It was just an overwhelming event for me. :)

Sometimes it was not just bubble thoughts but bubble songs (hehe)...
Stars by Switchfoot... Open Skies by David Crowder Band... a fave hymn "How Great Thou Art"... How Great Is Our God by Chris Tomlin... and portions of a song "He's still working on me" - He's still working on me to make me what I ought to be / It took Him just a week to make the moon and the stars / The sun and the earth and Jupiter and Mars / How loving and patient He must be, He's still working on me.

Stars

Last night, I was able to watch the Geminids meteor shower with my brother. It's a "real planetarium" experience for us. We were like kids so amazed seeing falling stars. My brother said seeing 10 falling stars would be enough for him already. I told him I would stay outside as long as I see falling stars.hehe. My body fats couldn't stand the cold anymore so few minutes after midnight I ended my meteor gazing. I saw around 20 falling stars. :)

ebook excerpt

Home automation
Asterisk is still too much of an über-geek’s tool to be able to serve in the average home, but with no more than average Linux and Asterisk skills, the following things become plausible:

Monitoring the kids
Parents who want to check up on the babysitter (or the kids home alone) could dial an extension context protected by a password. Once authenticated, a two-way audio connection would be created to all the IP phones in the house, allowing Mom and Dad to listen for trouble. Creepy? Yes. But an interesting concept nonetheless.

Locking down your phones
Going out for the night? Don’t want the babysitter tying up the phone? No problem! A simple tweak to the dialplan, and the only calls that can be made are to 911, your cell phone, and the pizza parlor. Any other call attempt will get the recording “We are paying you to babysit our kids, not make personal calls.” Pretty evil, huh?

Controlling the alarm system
You get a call while on vacation that your Mom wants to borrow some cooking utensils. She forgot her key and is standing in front of the house shivering. Piece of cake; a call to your Asterisk system, a quick digit string into the context you created for the purpose, and your alarm system is instructed to disable the alarm for 15 minutes. Mom better get her stuff and get out quick, though, or the cops’ll be showing up!

Managing teenagers’ calls
How about allocating a specific phone-time limit to your teenagers? To use the phone, they have to enter their access codes. They can earn extra minutes by doing chores, scoring all As, dumping that annoying bum with the bad haircut—you get the idea. Once they’ve used up their minutes... click... you get your phone back. Incoming calls can be managed as well, via Caller ID. “Donny, this is Suzy’s father. She is no longer interested in seeing you, as she has decided to raise her standards a bit. Also, you should consider getting a haircut.”

page 199 of Asterisk: The Future of Telephony (1st Edition) / page 326 of Asterisk: The Future of Telephony (2nd Edition)

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

Asterisk is the world’s leading open source telephony engine and tool kit. Offering flexibility unheard of in the world of proprietary communications, Asterisk empowers developers and integrators to create advanced communication solutions...for free. <www.asterisk.org>

I've browsed over the 1st edition months ago but I haven't noticed this part. Reading this section made me smile. I thought these high-tech applications could only be seen on the cartoon series "The Jetsons".hehe. It reminded me of a local telecom's tagline "making great things possible". Though sometimes it's too good to be true. :)

"For nothing is impossible with God." (Luke 1:37, NIV)

Book excerpt

...We are only ordinary folks who get out of very comfortable beds in the morning, brush our teeth with running water, put on whatever we like to wear, and eat whatever we want for breakfast. Our lives generally don't seem to call for much courage. We are so accustomed to luxury we think of traffic jams as hardship. It ruins our day if the air conditioner quits, or the waiter says they're fresh out of cherry cheesecake. Of course it is only a matter of time before the traffic jam is unsnarled; time and money can fix the air conditioner; we can order a different dessert. We expect to get things fixed -- fast. When we can't, we are at a loss.

Loneliness is much worse than being stuck in a traffic jam or having to do without cheesecake. Perhaps we hardly think of its calling for courage, because we hardly think of it as real suffering, yet it fits the simplest definition I know: having what you don't want or wanting what you don't have. Loneliness we don't want. It comes from wanting what we don't have.

Who can compare sufferings? They are unique as each sufferer is unique. "The heart knows its own bitterness" (Prov. 14:10, NEB). We respond according to our temperaments. Some cast about for solutions, stew, fret, rage, deny the facts. Some sink into an oblivion of self-recrimination or pity. Some chalk it all up to somebody else's fault. Some pray. But all of us may be tempted sometime to conclude that because God doesn't fix it He doesn't love us.

There are many things that God does not fix precisely because He loves us. Instead of extracting us form the problem, He calls us. In our sorrow or loneliness or pain He calls -- "This is a necessary part of the journey. Even if it is the roughest part, it is only a part, and it will not last the whole long way. Remember where I am leading you. Remember what you will find at the end -- a home and a haven and a heaven."

pages 106-107 The Path Of Loneliness Finding Your Way Through The Wilderness To God by Elisabeth Elliot

I Celebrate The Day

I Celebrate The Day
by Relient K

And with this Christmas wish is missed
The point I could convey
If only I could find the words to say to let you know
How much you've touched my life because
Here is where you're finding me
In the exact same place as New Year's Eve
And from the lack of my persistency
We're less than half as close as I wanna be

And the first time that you opened your eyes
Did you realize that you would be my Savior
And the first breath that left your lips
Did you know that it would change this world forever
And the first time that you opened your eyes
Did you realize that you would be my Savior
And the first breath that left your lips
Did you know that it would change this world forever

And so this Christmas I'll compare
The things I've felt in prior years
To what this midnight made so clear
That you have come to meet me here

To look back
And think that
This baby would one day save me
And the hope that
That you give
That you were born so I might really live
To look back
And think that
This baby would one day save me…

And the first time that you opened your eyes
Did you realize that you would be my Savior
And the first breath that left your lips
Did you know that it would change this world forever
And the first time that you opened your eyes
Did you realize that you would be my Savior
And the first breath that left your lips
Did you know that it would change this world forever

And I
I celebrate the day
That you were born to die
So I could one day
Pray for you to save my life
Pray for you to save my life
Pray for you to save my life

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

I'm looking for "something-new-to-the-ears" Christmas songs when I found this one. :)
Good thought-provoking song. The lines "And the first time that you opened your eyes / Did you realize that you would be my Savior / And the first breath that left your lips / Did you know that it would change this world forever" are set on a repeat in my mind's media player now.hehe. But the best part is the ending...

Finding _______

I had a series of successful "search and find" moments the past days.
I found the book (The Path of Loneliness by Elisabeth Elliot) I was looking for. It took me almost a year before I found it.
I was able to find the answer for the "backup and restore feature" of Trixbox. The question on that feature kept bogging my mind for days. It was a "mystery" solved now.
I found an mp3 of the Parachute Band song (entitled All My Life) I've been looking for since 2005.
I attended a 2-day IT workshop in Astoria Plaza last Thursday. I can't find a parking space yesterday when suddenly one of the organizers of the workshop saw me and suggested that I could park in the hotel he was staying in. Woah, what a blessing, I felt like I'm a presidential daughter!hehe
This morning, my brother and I was looking for the magnetic coil of my car's compressor. Good thing the owner of the repair shop have many contacts. We found an exact fit. Now it's "freeze n' cool" inside my car. :)

I have some unsuccessful "search and find" moments though. Can't find Vivitar Icecam and an exact fit for my car's brakeshoe. :(

I'm also looking forward to buy a telescope and SLR cam. I'm broke and don't have enough funds until now.hehe. To ease my frustration, I have thought of some "activities" while waiting for that time when I can finally buy them. I'll keep myself busy first in finding the famous constellations using my naked eye and with the aid of binoculars. I'll experiment with the point-and-shoot cameras I found here in our house and will try the pinhole camera more often. :)

Finding things I've been looking for quite a long time really gives me a good feeling.
I was once "lost" before but now I'm found. Being "found" gives me a much more good feeling...a feeling my heart can't contain. Thank God for finding me. :)

Wonderful Wonder

Wonderful Wonder
by Ginny Owens

I don't know the ocean's crystal blue
And I don't climb the mountains for the view
Or wish upon the stars above my head
Or bear witness to a marvelous sunset

But the very thought of things I've never seen
Is all it takes to bring me to my knees

(chorus)
Oh what a wonderful wonder
A display of great beauty and power
Oh what a wonderful wonder
You are to me

I wish that I could see life through your eyes
To gaze upon the canvas from your side
To understand all that you've done before
And to realize the plans you have in store

And when I long to know what I don't see
You give me the courage to believe

(Chorus)

I can hardly wait until the time
When you will turn my darkness into light
And I'll finally find my way to heaven's door
Where I won't need my faith anymore

And when my eyes behold your majesty
I'll join with the angels and we'll sing

(Chorus)

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

This is one of my fave songs this past week. Listening to the song's lyrics makes me wonder. The songwriter, Ginny Owens, has been totally blind since the age of two. I was humbled by the first stanza of the song -- "I don't know the ocean's crystal blue / And I don't climb the mountains for the view / Or wish upon the stars above my head / Or bear witness to a marvelous sunset / But the very thought of things I've never seen / Is all it takes to bring me to my knees" What a great faith! Just the very thought of things she never seen is all it takes for her to be in awe of an awesome God. It's not always true "to see is to believe". The Pharisees saw the messiah but they did not believe Him.

Sometimes I'm so full of my "self" that I forget to see the beauty of creation and praise our wonderful Creator. But there are times when I'm driving and I see a nice cloud formation or a beautiful full moon that I just want to stop for a while and gaze upon its beauty. Oh what a wonderful wonder!

On The Road Shots

stoplight going to San Mig Ave.

to Cubao (near U-turn slot going to Marcos Highway)

near U-turn slot going to CP Garcia Ave.

rainy traffic 1

rainy traffic 2

Pinoy transformer

night traffic 1

night traffic 2

night traffic 3

morning traffic

can you see "brad pete" written above the plate number?

approaching Marcos bridge

Secret Codes

It's really thrilling to know secret codes. I'm not a hard-core gamer but it's nice to know the secret codes of your favorite software game. Until now, I couldn't forget the secret code for 30 lives in Contra (family computer game). It needs a little practice and right timing though. At the title screen, press Up-Up-Down-Down-Left-Right-Left-Right-B-A-B-A-Select-Start and voila you'll have 30 lives.

Just few minutes ago, I read a blog entry in Techrepublic.com about some awesome tricks for 3D Pinball in Windows. The kid in me can't help but try the tricks. I remember back then that I wished there would be unlimited number of balls available for me to play the pinball. Well, after x number of years, my wish is finally granted.hehe. How? By typing bmax at the start of a new game, you get unlimited number of balls and play for as long as you like.haha.

After playing for more or less 100 balls in pinball and reached about 11M points, I got bored. My theory before that playing with unlimited balls will make me enjoy the game more is not true at all. 3D Pinball was designed to have just limited number of balls so as to pose a challenge to get as much points as you can and look forward for another game. :D

These secret codes are just short cuts. I was thinking that maybe it's cool to have "secret codes" in real life... like applying some secret codes to get what you want in life. It's wonderful to have secret codes to skip the "heavy traffic" part of my driving everyday.hehe. But then I'm reminded that God knows everything and He has a wonderful plan for us all. He designed life to have some adversities, some painful moments, some waiting times, and so on for us to grow. We just have to learn along the way, appreciate the "moment" and take time to smell the flowers. :)

Will you still love me? Hard habit to break

I appreciate "oldies but goodies" songs. Most of the oldies songs sound familiar to me but I don't know the song title or the artist. I discovered that some of the oldies songs I like are originally sung by Chicago. Sometimes I feel like I'm a failure and I made so many mistakes that God would not love me anymore. During those times I like to sing this line to God, "will you still love me for the rest of my life?" But then I'm reminded that God loved me as I am, in my best times or even in my worst times. Paul says in Romans 8:38-39, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

While listening to "Hard habit to break" song, I'm thinking what's my hard habit to break. After thinking for a while, I guess waking up late in the morning is my hard habit to break. I accept now that I'm not a morning person.hehe.

Driving observations

Here I go again, talking about my favorite subject: Driving. Driving sometimes drives me crazy.hehe. Welcome traffic jam! I was left wondering last week why I experienced traffic on my way to work. I forgot that 2nd semester has started already. I believe that Filipino people are flexible in different situations. During traffic jams, a two-lane road could be a three-lane one. I think "If there's a will, there's a way" principle is being applied by most drivers. Even if there's only little space available, most of the drivers try to have their cars get through. Some drivers cannot distinguish between left and right. Some would flash their left signal but then they go to their right. (Sometimes this makes me doubt if I'll give way or not.hehe.) Others are undecided which lane they would go. When I'm trailing an undecided driver I feel like saying Moses' speech on Deuteronomy 30:19 -- "...I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life..."

I encountered traffic again on my way to the office this morning. But I enjoyed my journey, I put on Switchfoot's Nothing is Sound CD (thanks ate jolly!). Though there were instances that made me a little impatient, generally I believe I passed my Patience 101 test today.hehe. After playing almost 11 tracks and 3 repeats on track 2 ("Stars"), I finally arrived in the office.

With the recent oil price hike, I'm thinking if I could just ride a bike going to the office.hehe.

Inevitable

Having heard of couple of death news this past week made me think of the inevitable -- Death!

I had a so-called "near-death" encounter a couple of years ago. It was a reality check for me. It really made me re-organized my life's priorities. It made me more expressive of myself to the people I love. I don't want to have regret in the end that I haven't told them what I really felt.

Are we ready to face our Creator?

Brewing thoughts

"They say you never know what you got till it's gone" has been playing in my mind for few days now. This line of Tobymac's Gone song was quite a theme for the past holiday. It's just a reminder for me to really appreciate every moment that I spend with my loved ones. :)

When someone or something is gone, there's sort of detachment period. It's like a span of time when you process your feelings and thoughts. Detachment from things is quite easy because you could buy a replacement (though the original one is really irreplaceable). You can't find a replacement for a person.

"Tell me what you want, what you really really want" is one of the lines in an entertainment park's radio ad. I think it's an adaptation from one of the Spice Girls' song. It made me think somehow of what I would really really want. Sometimes you pray for something and when God grants your prayer, you say to yourself, "Do I really want that?" This thought reminded me of a quotation from Henry Blackaby: "Oh God, if I ever give You a request and You have more to give me than I am asking, cancel my request!" :)

"Yung Ferrari na may spoiler, yung pinakadulo sa right!" -- this is a portion of my brother's text message to me this afternoon. He was asking me to buy him a Ferrari. I smiled when I read his message. I could imagine he's like a child pointing to the toy he wants to buy. Well, technically it's a toy. He heard that I would gas up the car on my way home so he's asking me to go to the gas station with that Ferrari promo. With additional 49 pesos to a certain amount of gas you'd buy and you could avail of the Ferrari ala matchbox or hotwheels toy. I was quite new in the gas station so I don't know their products' name. I just remembered asking the gas boy to just gas up my car and give me that Ferrari with spoiler in the farthest right (of the promo poster). Too bad it was out of stock and the gas boy just gave me another model of Ferrari. I asked the gas boy if there's any way I could get that Ferrari with spoiler. (You know, I'm just a 'big' sister who doesn't want to disappoint her 'little' brother.hehe) The gas boy seemed to see the desperation on my face so he suggested that I could drop by the gas station tomorrow and he himself would replace the one he gave me with the Ferrari with spoiler. :) I was glancing at the Ferrari toy while driving through the traffic. I was hoping that my brother would be happy with this model. Well, he looked first for the Ferrari when I came home. I explained that the one with spoiler was out of stock. He looked at the toy car and said it's okay, he doesn't have that model yet. (Whew! That was good to hear!) Now, 2 more models to go to complete the collection. Whaah! :) Just an afterthought, if a not-so-good-all-the-time sister like me would love to see her brother happy, how much more a so-good-all-the-time God would love to see us happy. Sometimes what we think would really make us happy is not really what would really make us happy. :)

Mind Over Heart

It was raining hard when it was time for me to go home. But still I decided to face the rain (and eventually the heavy traffic) on my way home. I was surprised (ows?!) when I saw the cars were piling up approaching Aurora Blvd. "Oh well, this would be a long way home", I said to myself. I was getting quite impatient because all vehicles were finding their way through the traffic. Vehicles were moving inch by inch. If I could just leave my car and walk away (haha, escape route!).

Anyway, I decided to endure the traffic and started to think of ways to divert my growing "impatience". I suddenly thought that probably this is an opportunity to be patient. Because of the heavy traffic I was able to read the traffic advisory posted at the corner of the flyover going to Marikina. Actually I noticed it yesterday on my way home but I wonder who might have read that long verse of advisory when all the vehicles at that point are either speeding uphill (going to flyover) or downhill (going to Antipolo or Cainta). I thank God for my car's good wipers. I noticed that it really wipes the water cleanly off the windshield. I was enjoying my ride after all. I put on the radio and Christmas songs were already being played and the radio dj announced that it's 62 days to go before Christmas. I was getting emotional (i.e. reflecting on life, Christmas plus the gloomy feel of rain) when suddenly cars were attempting to cut my lane. I recently discovered that cutting my driving lane makes me feel so irritated. In just a split second I was on my "high temper" mode. I managed to blew my car's horn a couple of times or make it one looong time.hehe. By God's grace, He reminded me to calm down. Thoughts popped out of my mind: "I don't want to suffer heart attack while driving on a rainy evening...tsk, tsk, my cause of death: traffic jam?! oh no!" (hehe!)

Well, I managed to get home safe and sound with normal pulse rate and blood pressure. ;)

Afterthought: Emotions are really hard to control especially when you're feeling "high". But by God's help and by doing our part, we could overcome our feelings. Now I understand why there's a statement such as "love is a choice". :)

Love Languages

Last Sunday, I was able to listen to the sharing of our area pastor (Pastor Bert) about the Five Love Languages. Well, I think it wasn't planned that he should be there in our dgroup meeting but anyway his presence is always very welcome. He was the officiating pastor in our dgroupmate's wedding recently so the topic of conversation was related to LCM (Love, Courtship and Marriage). I think we had an overview of what a pre-marital counseling is minus the partner (haha!).

Pastor Bert shared about the Five Love Languages. I know it is a book title by Gary Chapman (hehe, it's in my book-buy-list but I wasn't able to buy it for some reasons). Anyway, in a short span of time, Pastor Bert was able to explain briefly what are the Five Love Languages. Though the Five Love Languages was originally meant for a husband-wife relationship, love is applicable to all our relationships so as the Five Love Languages as well.

5 T's of Five Love Languages:
Time - spending quality time
Task - acts of service
Treat - giving gifts
Talk - words of affirmation/encouragement
Touch - hug, kiss, pat at the back, etc.

Every person has his/her primary love language. He/she feels loved when you "speak" to him/her through his/her love language. Some people feel loved when you speak to them with words of affirmation/encouragement. Others feel loved when you serve them. Some feel loved when you give them gifts. Others feel loved when you spend quality time with them. And others feel loved when you hug, kiss or touch them. Knowing the love language of your partner, your friend, your siblings, your parents or anyone dear to you will help you make certain adjustments to the way you "speak" to them. If you "speak" in their love language, you will express your love for them better. I think generally for most parents, their primary love language is task. So they appreciate more their kid's act of service like cooking breakfast for them or doing household chores instead of giving them gifts. :)

I know that love seems like a complicated thing. But I think it's not bad to try loving the people you love better. ;)

Thought-provoking

I'm not into movies so I seldom watch movies in the big screen. I think my last visit to a moviehouse was January of last year. hehe. Anyway, I was able to watch the video of Evan Almighty with my brother the other day. I just found some thought-provoking insights in the movie. When God wants to speak to us, He uses many ways and most of the time through little things like alarm clock, delivery receipt, a statement of an officemate and of course through His Word, the Bible. When God asks us to do something, most of the time we resist, we resent. We resist, we resent, we give a lot of excuses because the work looks great. We forget that God didn't give us something we cannot bear. Of course, nothing is impossible with our big God! (hehe, I should always remind myself of this one!)

The part I like most in the movie is the conversation of Evan's wife (Joan) with the waiter who happens to be "God" (played by Morgan Freeman). Joan is deeply troubled by Evan's behavior. I like God's dialogue: "Let me ask you something, if someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? or does He give them the opportunity to be patient? If you prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does He give him the opportunity to be courageous? If someone prayed for family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does He give them the opportunities to love each other?" I like this statement because I could relate with the first few lines. I always ask God to give me patience whenever I drive but I keep on wondering why I also encounter traffic jams and all kinds of "interruptions" when I drive. All kinds of "interruptions" could mean a slow moving vehicle I'm trailing, people crossing the street (I wonder why people like to cross the street when it's my car's turn to move!), or animals (like cats, dogs or even frogs) obstructing my path. Little did I know that God is already answering my prayer for Him to give me patience. He's giving me opportunities to be patient! God's answers to our prayers may not be really what we wanted but we could be assured that it is for our best. Besides, He's sovereign, He knows everything, He cannot make a mistake.

A chorus of a song says, "God is too wise to be mistaken, God is too good to be unkind, so when you don't understand, when you can't see His plan, when you can't trace His hand, trust His heart." :)

This Pain

If given a choice, I would not choose pain. Who would welcome pain with open arms, anyway? I experienced sort of numb feeling on my right arm for few days. I have some speculations on the cause of this numb feeling. Eventually I found out that the pain is caused by a stiff muscle in the upper back/shoulder area. I'm not used in taking pain reliever right away. I know pain relievers just keep you from feeling the pain but the pain is still there. It just stops the cells from producing prostaglandins (the chemical released by the cells when injured or damaged). Pain is the body's early warning system that something is wrong. My principle is: "it's good to know where it hurts!" My mom used to scold me because of my principle. But the pain became unbearable and I opted to take a pain reliever.haha funny me. :)

In life, we also experience painful moments. I believe it's also an early warning system to signal that something is wrong. But sometimes, pain is just there for no reason at all to help us grow in our character. Hello, Pain! ^_^

Nasaan Kaya Ako

Sa tuwi-tuwina ako ay namamangha sa kadakilaan ng ating Maylikha. Ang karunungan nya ay hindi maabot ng aking isipan. Namamalas ko ang kanyang kadakilaan at katapatan sa akin araw-araw. Wala akong magawa kung hindi ang magpasalamat sa Kanya. Pero minsan kapag nakakaranas ng hindi masyadong maganda sa buhay, napapatanong ako ng "bakit ako pa?", napapaisip na hindi Sya patas at hindi yata karapatdapat ang mga nangyayari sa akin.

Pero sandali lang, sino ba ako para maging mapaghanap? Ano ba ang nagawa ko para maging karapatdapat? Naisip ko na hindi nga Sya patas, dahil ang isang katulad ko na rebelde at makasalanan ay kanyang minamahal at inaalagaan. Minamahal ang mga hindi karapatdapat? Anong klaseng pag-ibig nga naman ito! :)

Habang nasa ganitong estado ang aking isipan, bigla kong naalala ang koro ng isang lumang kantang Papuri...

Nasaan kaya ako, Hesus kung wala Ka
'Di ko na malaman kung saan ako pupunta
Maaaring nasa hangin pa ako
'Di alam kung saan tutungo*

*Nasaan Kaya Ako by Butch Charvet, Papuri 3 album


Saan nga kaya ako pupulutin kung wala Sya? *napaisip* :)

Doing Math

It is during my quiet time when I could think clearly and do my math correctly. You may ask why am I doing my math during my quiet time? Well, seeing and doing many things throughout the day could influence how I do my math.

For example, when I woke up and I sort of feeling lazy to go to work... wrong math: "I wish I didn't have to go to work today".
When I feel I don't like my breakfast... wrong math: "I wish I have another choice of food for breakfast".
When driving on the road and I saw a beautiful car... wrong math: "I wish I'm driving a new car".
When I encounter difficult people... wrong math: "Wish I could disappear now or wish he/she would disappear as in now na."

Ungrateful me. I should've been grateful for all the blessings and even for difficult situations and people (note: God just want me to grow!Ü). I'm learning to count my blessings and name them one by one (hehe sounds like a Sunday school song!). Well, here's my not-so-complete list...I'm thankful for my family, my friends, food I'm eating, clothes I wear, Escudo I'm driving, our house, my job, music, traffic, rain, orange shoes, iced tea, Rodic's Tapsilog&Tocilog, PAGASA, PHILVOLCS, FNRI, UPLB, UPITTC, FCS, UPCC, CCF, Nokia, Rusty Lopez, Acer, PLDT, Sony, and the list goes on... (this is a thank you list not a list of sponsors!heheÜ)

Now Playing

There are times when I just remember a certain line of a song. If my memory serves me well at that particular moment I would remember the complete lyrics of the song. Otherwise, Mr. Google is ever ready to help me find the missing lyrics. :) This song (specifically the chorus part) is currently playing over and over in my mind today. I've been trying to be more appreciative of things, people and even time lately. Can't help but say thank you to a God who continues to care for me through all these years. Every fiber of my being wants to shout "thank you, Jesus"! :)

When I Think About The Lord
(Hillsong version)

When I think about the Lord
How He saved me, how he raised me
How He filled me with the Holy Ghost
How He healed me to the uttermost

When I think about the Lord
How He picked me up and turned me around
How He set my feet, on solid ground

It makes me wanna shout;
"Hallelujah, thank you Jesus,
Lord you're worthy of all the glory
and all the honor, and all the praise!"


Click here for the mp3 of this song

The Promise

It was over a month now since I bought a product/service. I really have no great expectations on this product but there was a freebie sticker on the pack when I bought it. It was an aftersales freebie offer. Few days after I bought the product, I was able to do the condition indicated in the freebie sticker in order to claim the aftersales freebie but I wasn't able to get the freebie. I called the customer service hotline twice but the customer reps just kept on advising me to just wait for the freebie. Until now I haven't gotten that freebie. Oh well, the freebie thing is not really a big deal for me. I just thought that the old saying might be true: "promises are made to be broken".

In as much as we want to keep our promises, our words can't be 100% dependable since we don't have complete control over everything. It is only God who is sovereign, faithful and true to His word.

I'm really trying to be true to my words so if ever I still have unfulfilled promise/s made to you some time ago don't hesitate to drop a note, give me a call or send me a text message. By all means, I'll try to fulfill my promise. Promise! :)

God's Sense Of Timing

I'm still working on my patience test whenever I drive. Just this morning I was in the brink of getting hot-tempered because of a slow moving car I was following when I saw the bumper sticker of the car in front of the slow moving car. It says, "Lord give me patience NOW!". I just smiled and thought, "thanks for the reminder, God!"

On my way home, it was quite traffic. I was patient almost 90% of the journey but when I was along Felix Avenue I got quite impatient. I blew my car's horn quite often than usual and avoided every car that would cut in my lane. After all my "selfish" acts on the road, I noticed the bumper sticker on the taxi I was trailing. It says, "GIVE WAY, God loves a cheerful giver!". I smiled again and thought, "OK God, next time I'll try to be more giving on the road." Isn't God's timing perfect? He has a way of catching our attention. :)

The Cost Of Brotherhood/Sisterhood

I think my blood pressure went up when I was watching the segment about hazing in Jessica Soho's show last night. I was angry and I think I could cut into pieces those cruel people who were so mean in inflicting pain to their would-be brod or sis. I was thinking if I'm the only one who is so slow in understanding the rationale of this useless initiation rite. I can't really comprehend the reason behind it. Is hazing the only way to be accepted in a brotherhood/sisterhood?

Good thing God (the Master) doesn't have any policy like hazing in order for a person to be accepted in His family. Just a repentant heart and faith on His Only Son and you're in. Great! Isn't it a better offer?

I remember this verse when I was burning in anger and want to cut into pieces those cruel people: "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." - Romans 12:19 (KJV)

Afterthought: I just thought it wasn't that easy to belong in God's family. We should "die" as a penalty for our sins in order for us to be reconciled with God (Romans 6:23). However because of God's love... for God so loved us that He gave His only Son (Jesus) to be our substitute (John 3:16). I just imagined that Jesus accepted all the blows and pain that should've been for me. I thank God for loving me. :)

PBP GINF WMY

What in the world those letters mean? No, I haven't gone from Mars and learned a new language.hehe. Last Sunday, ushers in our church wore pin-buttons with printed letters of "PBP GINF WMY". Our pastor "decoded" the message of those letters. "Please Be Patient God Is Not Finish With Me Yet". We're learning more about love as God commanded. It's kinda easy to love the lovable people but it's a totally different story in loving the difficult and unlovable people. We are all "work in progress" until we meet our Creator and have our glorified bodies.

In applying the lesson I've learned last Sunday, I try to think that each vehicle in the road has its own PBP GINF WMY pin-buttons. Whenever I'm sensing that I'm getting annoyed or irritated because of a certain vehicle's behavior, I remind myself to be patient. 1 Thessalonians 5:14b flashing in my mind - "Be patient with everyone." :)

Striking line of our pastor: "Life is not about our happiness, our fulfillment...Life is not about us, it's all about God." I remember the book I read entitled "It's Not About Me" by Max Lucado. It talks about the shift we have to make in our lives, from living a self-centered life to a God-centered one. As the moon reflects the sun's light, we, Christians, should reflect the glory of God's Son. We should be Son-reflectors.

Caution: When you're getting annoyed or irritated because of me, please remember I'm also wearing that "PBP GINF WMY" pin-button. Please let me know also so I would take note. ;)

Look How Far You've Come

While waiting on one traffic jam, I spotted this yellow marker. It has a KM 16 mark on it. I remember that the KM 0 is located somewhere in Luneta Park. I also remember that there's a KM 64 somewhere at the entrance of UPLB. That's why the bus conductor always punches the 64km in the bus ticket when you're going to UPLB. :)

While walking in the UP campus, I suddenly saw a yellow marker with KM 15 mark on it. For some weeks, I got curious with these yellow markers. I tried to spot the other yellow markers. I was able to see the KM 18, 19, 20, 21 on my way home. This morning I saw the KM 14 near the U-turn slot going to C. P. Garcia Avenue. :) I wonder what's the last KM number. Is it located in Mindanao?

Just a thought: In life, there comes a point when I think I'm not making any progress or any improvement. God reminded me of this song of Chris Christian. What a timely encouragement! :)



LOOK HOW FAR YOU'VE COME
by Chris Christian

So you've lost your will to live
Seems you're down to your last friend
And the weight of the world
Keeps tryin' to pull you in

Chorus
Don't give up, don't give in
Give it all to Him
'Cause He cares so much more
Than you know
When it seems who you really
Want to be
Is someone you'll never become
Just look how far you've come

Though you've failed at plans you've laid
Don't forget all the steps
You've made
He has brought you this far
He can take you the rest of the way

(Chorus)

I know it's not always easy
But don't you throw it all away
I know that He will take care of
You everyday
(Chorus)


For mp3 of this song click here to download.

To See Is To Believe?

I wasn't able to see the eclipse last night. I was excited because I was finally at the roof deck of PAGASA observatory in UP Diliman. The place was quite crowded. Students, lovers, enthusiasts and families went to the observatory wanting to gaze at the expected beautiful red moon. I saw Kuya Kim of Channel 2 and Mariz Umali of Channel 7. Media crews were busy setting up the lights and video cameras. Members of Astronomical League of the Philippines (ALP) were also busy setting up their cool telescopes. Based on the information I read from PAGASA, greatest eclipse would be at 6:37PM and the totality will last for one hour and thirty minutes. It was really cloudy.
My ever supportive mom accompanied me. She knows that it was my long-time plan to visit the observatory since last year. My brother drove her to my office. She even brought some snacks. :)

Waiting, waiting, waiting. I overheard that the moon should be visible at the eastern side of the sky. While looking at the cloudy sky where the red moon should be visible, I was thinking if the red moon was really beneath those clouds. To see is to believe?

At exactly 7PM, I decided to go home. My mom was patiently waiting for me at the old CHE building. She cheered me up by quoting Kuya Kim's line, "laging tatandaan, sa buhay ay weather-weather lang." Oh well, there would be next time... some time in 2011.

Just a thought: We don't always have to see in order to believe. Do you believe in love? Can you see love? Do you believe in the wind? Can you see the wind? Has anyone seen love or wind?

Total Eclipse of the Moon

The partial phases and totality during a 1982 lunar eclipse.

I wonder if we could see the total lunar eclipse tonight? Hoping for clear skies. :)

"A total lunar eclipse will occur on August 28 and will be visible in the Philippines, the United States of America, the Pacific, eastern Asia, and Australasia. The totality will last for one hour and thirty minutes.

The eclipse will begin as the Moon enters the penumbral stage at 3:52 PM (Philippine Standard Time), and the umbral stage will begin at 4:50 PM as shown in the illustration. The eclipse will end at 9:22 PM (PST). The Moon will rise at 6:08 PM and sets on the following morning at 5:16 AM." -- from Astronomical Diary at PAGASA WEBSITE

Love Them While We Can

It's my lolo's birthday today! He passed away 13 years ago. It was my first encounter with death in the family. I don't know what to feel. I could not cry but I was sad. I saw how my mom and my aunties and uncles mourned on my lolo's sudden death. One lesson I've learned on my lolo's death is "love them while we can". "Love Them While We Can" is a Chris Christian song. It talks about loving our parents while they are still around and while we are still around. :)

Does Anybody Hear Her

DOES ANYBODY HEAR HER
by Casting Crowns

She is running
A hundred miles an hour in the wrong direction
She is trying
But the canyon's ever widening
In the depths of her cold heart
So she sets out on another misadventure just to find
She's another two years older
And she's three more steps behind

Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?
Or does anybody even know she's going down today
Under the shadow of our steeple
With all the lost and lonely people
Searching for the hope that's tucked away in you and me
Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?

She is yearning
For shelter and affection
That she never found at home
She is searching
For a hero to ride in
To ride in and save the day
And in walks her prince charming
And he knows just what to say
Momentary lapse of reason
And she gives herself away

Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?
Or does anybody even know she's going down today
Under the shadow of our steeple
With all the lost and lonely people
Searching for the hope that's tucked away in you and me
Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?

If judgment looms under every steeple
If lofty glances from lofty people
Can't see past her scarlet letter
And we never even met her

If judgment looms under every steeple
If lofty glances from lofty people
Can't see past her scarlet letter
And we never even met her

Never even met her

Does anybody hear her? Does anybody see?
Or does anybody even knows she's going down today
Under the shadow of our steeple
With all the lost and lonely people
Searching for the hope that's tucked away in you and me

Does anybody hear her? Does anybody see?
Does anybody even know she's going down today?
Under the shadow of our steeple
With all the lost and lonely people
Searching for the hope that's tucked away in you and me
Does anybody hear her? Does anybody see?

He is running a hundred miles an hour in the wrong direction

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

I first heard this song earlier this year. But I was moved by this song when a classmate of mine let me watched its MTV. I remember this song this morning when our senior pastor Peter talked about "Love One Another" in our church's 23rd anniversary. "...We should love one another." - 1 John 3:11. As Christians, we are commanded to love one another. Jesus said in John 13:35, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

The video is shared in this link and a downloadable mp3 is available in this link. :)

Almost A Savior

I was able to watch "Ninoy" documentary the other night on QTV 11. As I was watching the documentary I had a feeling I was watching a modern-day documentary on Jesus' death. I don't know but I saw some similarities in the lives of Ninoy and Jesus...like both were falsely accused and beaten while in prison. But there were major differences also, unlike Ninoy, Jesus rose from the dead and he is a savior. I think Ninoy was just almost a savior. Ninoy's famous statement is "The Filipino is worth dying for." I'm grateful to Ninoy for the democracy and freedom that we have now. But then, this freedom of ours is only for this lifetime. God so loved the world that He gave His Only Son, Jesus, to die for our sins. Would Jesus say "the world is worth dying for"? I believe He already did when He said, "It is finished!" while hanging on the cross. The freedom that Jesus offers will last here and after. Have you accepted His offer?

Earthquake or not

Sitting still, I saw my PC's monitor was moving. I was not moving in my chair but the monitor was still moving. I think it was an earthquake. I asked my officemate who's about 2 meters away from my desk if he felt the earthquake. He said no. "Was I just feeling dizzy or what?" To remove the nagging question in my head, I searched for the PHILVOLCS telephone number . I contacted PHILVOLCS and the operator connected me to the Seismology Department. The lady on the other line informed me that "yes, there was an earthquake, intensity 1 in Quezon City area, intensity 4 in Subic, intensity 3 in Clark and intensity 2 in Makati area." Yes, it was an earthquake, I thought I was just feeling dizzy.hehe :)

FYI: PHILVOLCS telephone number is 426-1468.

Potholes Ahead

POTHOLES AHEAD

I walk down the street. There is a big hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in. I am lost. I am helpless. It isn't my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.
I walk down the street. There is a big hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don't see it. I fall in.
I can't believe I'm in the same place, but it isn't my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.
I walk down the street. There is a big hole in the sidewalk.
I see it there. I still fall in. It's a habit. My eyes are open.
I know where I am. It is my fault. I get out immediately
I walk down the street. There is a big hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.
I walk down a different street.

- Author Unknown

I remember this piece I read from my old Campus Journal devotional book when I was driving and didn't remember the new potholes on the road. Because of the recent rains and floods the "ice-phalt" (asphalt) on the road melted. I have to memorize the new potholes added to the previous ones. There were times I forgot the locations of the new potholes and ran over them again. The other day, I made a mental note of all the new potholes. I hope next week I've learned my "lesson" already and will not run over those potholes again. :)

In life we commit mistakes but what is more important is to learn from it and not commit the same mistakes again.

"I got to keep my eyes on Jesus through the weak days..." sings Steven Curtis Chapman in "Weak Days", a song included in his First Hand album in 1987. (Visit Steven Curtis Chapman's new website www.stevencurtischapman.com to listen to his albums online.)

Retreat and Surrender (part 2)

Along Felix Avenue

Still along Felix Avenue

Heavy downpour of rain with lightning and thunder plus quite heavy traffic...
A week ago I decided to retreat and surrender. This time I made a choice to apply "No retreat, No surrender"! :)
After almost 2 hours of travel, I made it to our office. Thank God! :)

FYI: For the latest in weather news, call PAGASA's new 24-hour hotline at 433-ULAN (433-8526) It has a pre-recorded weather bulletin and you have an option to listen in English or Filipino versions. Cool! :)

Good Food

I have a growing appreciation for food lately. I don't know why but I look forward for eating time.hehe
And I discovered that eating with family and friends makes the food tastes even better. :)

Random list of foods I recently appreciated:
- Nissin's Ramen Noodles Seafood Flavor (local and imported)
- Vanilla Ice Cream
- Meatballs in Sweet and Sour sauce
- Purefoods' Longadog with Fried Rice
- Hot Pandesal with Kraft's Cheez Whiz
- Monay with Coco Jam
- Magnolia's Mango Tea
- Rodic's Tapsilog
- Rodic's Tocilog
- Mang Jimmy's Sizzling Pusit
- Mang Jimmy's Sizzling Tapamix
- Mang Jimmy's Sizzling Tuna
- Mang Jimmy's Sizzling Sisig
- Mang Jimmy's Lechon Kawali
- Fruits in Ice Cream's Cappucino Ice Cream
- Fruits in Ice Cream's Pistachio Nuts Ice Cream
- Fruits in Ice Cream's Raspberry Ice Cream

Happy eating! :)

Additional foods as of Aug 29:
- Holy Kettle Popcorn
- Tokyo Tokyo's Miso Soup
- Homemade Fried Chicken
- My mom's adobo
- Knorr's Chicken Noodle Soup paired with Fried Galunggong
- Lucky Me's Instant Pancit Canton Toyomansi Flavor
- McDo's Twister Fries
- Nestle's Koko Krunch Duo Breakfast Cereals
- Bread dipped in hot Milo for breakfast
- Ham Sandwich

Happy happy eating! :)

Retreat and Surrender

"No retreat, no surrender" is not always applicable.

Today, I learned that there are times when it is better to retreat and surrender. Due to strong downpour of rain last night, our village's main road became flooded this morning. I was hoping that the rain would stop and the flood would be gone. My mother told me not to go to work today because based on the information she got from our village's security personnel, the main road is not passable already for vehicles except for fire trucks and big trucks. I was quite persistent and keep on rationalizing that my car could make it through the floods. My mom suggested that maybe I could go after lunch. After a few minutes of "deliberation" and weighing my options, I decided that I would wait for the flood to subside.

A couple of hours before noon, I thought the flood is gone and decided to survey the streets. My brother accompanied me and we rode his car. The main road was still flooded. When we were approaching the "deepest" portion along the main road, we saw quite a long queue of cars hesitating to face the deep flood. Few cars already made their decisions and made U-turn. We were still taking our time weighing the situation when a fire truck appeared from a distance. The fire truck hitched people from our village's gate who wanted to go home. As the fire truck was approaching, my brother looked at me as if I'm the "captain of the ship" and asked, "what's next?" Well, seeing the situation, as much as I want us to go ahead, I ordered him to retreat.

Just a thought: As we were going back home, I remember a chapter about surrender in Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life. Thoughts about surrender flooded my mind. Most of the time we are wrestling with God for control of our lives. But there will come a time when we need to make a decision: are we going to continue to fight with Him or simply surrender? I made my decision to surrender to Him several years ago. I'm sure it was the most important decision in my life that would affect my eternity.

Adventures of Tintin

In France, almost everyone knows who Tintin is; in the Philippines, I don't know.hehe

My brother and I like to watch Tintin series on TV when we were younger. We bought volumes of Adventure of Tintin comic books but we weren't able to complete the set. It is a series of Belgian comic books created by Belgian artist Herge, the pen name of Georges Remi (1907–1983). Tintin is a young reporter and he travels a lot with his white terrier dog named Snowy.

I just remember Tintin because a friend asked me if I was able to read all of the "episodes". I think I've read almost all. I have to find the lacking volumes in order to read them "all".

Just a thought: Good thing the Bible comes in one volume, 66 books-in-1. One could not say, I haven't read this "book" because I wasn't able to find a copy of that. And besides the Bible is the best selling book of all times. :)

I Will Be Here

I was listening to Steven Curtis Chapman's All About Love album on my way home couple of days ago. I pressed the "repeat" button when "I Will Be Here" track was being played. Good chillin' out music when stuck in traffic. :)


I remember I was able to watch Steven Curtis Chapman sang this song with our very own Gary V on national television a month ago. Thanks to Mary Beth (SCC's wife) for the picture. Check her blog entry about it on their Asia and Beyond blog. SCC sang the Gary V's version of the song. The original singing the cover's version, huh? ;)

Tara na, byahe tayo! (Come, let's travel!)

I visited Corregidor Island last month. This catchy travel advocacy song stayed in my mind for quite some time. It was played several times when we were in the ferry boat. I was able to watch the MTV of this song on government-owned channels several years ago. Recently I discovered this cool site "Lakbayan: How much of the Philippines have you visited?" Got a grade of D. I only visited places mostly in Luzon area. 7,105 islands to go! :)

To view the lyrics and MTV of "Byahe tayo!" song, visit this site - http://www.lakbaypilipinas.com/biyahe_tayo.html

My Lakbayan map:

My Lakbayan grade is D!

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!

Created by Eugene Villar.

Please signal your intention

"Please signal your intention" is my begcry (I'm begging and crying at the same time.hehe) for the past weeks for all the drivers out there. I didn't get formal driving lessons but one thing I've learned from my good "teachers" in driving is to signal your intention a few meters away before making a left or a right turn. I'm not an excellent driver but I'm trying my best to make "signal" a second nature to me when driving. Wish all drivers could make the same effort. Hmm.. oh well, they are not under the circle of my control so might as well guard myself. I'll try to be more understanding and patient on the road.

In relation to this, I'm just wondering if I could say this begcry to God whenever I encounter not-so-good circumstances. Most of the times we are wondering what is God's intention in letting us go through certain circumstances. Hmm... I remember Pastor Peter's message last Sunday, we need to go through difficult circumstances in order to grow. Well, if God would say His begcry for me it would've been, "Shut up, just grow up!" :)