Reason For The Season

Happy Holidays, Season's Greetings... very soon saying "Merry Christmas" as a form of greeting at this time of the year will just very well be a thing of the past. The caveat is that this is not farthest from the truth we are close to getting there to where we who believe in the true meaning of Christmas will be frowned upon. People seem to take for granted the true reason for the season and its essence. Less we all forget over two thousand years ago a child was born inside a manger not as oppulent as what we see in many of the nativity scenes displayed during Christmas but a place filled with so much gunk. Don't even bother asking about the sanitary conditions back then during His birth coz' it was at the bottom of the food chain to say the least. That being said this humble birth was the beginning of hope and the source of salvation for many. This Christmas may we never forget why we are celebrating it in the first place let us not stop ourselves from having the audacity to greet people a "Merry Christmas" instead of Happy Holidays or Season's Greetings in this post modern age. I for one am not afraid to say to all of you..."Have a Merry Christmas"..."Jesus is the reason for the season!!!".

Luke 2

Godly Contentment

Several days ago I recieved a copy of People Magazine in our mail, and as I was browsing through the pages I chanced upon an article that really caught my attention. So I decided to blog about it...

Tom Hseieh could be living the American dream. An immigrant from Taiwan, he worked hard in school got into a good college and today heads an L.A. based tecommunications consulting firm. His annual pay:$200,000. So where's the big house and the fancy car? "We could have that lifestyle," Hseih says. "But it's not real." What's real, for Hseih is his deep faith and desire to help others. So Hseieh, 36. wife Bree, 31 and 13 month daughter Kadence live on a modest $38,000 a year. The rest of Tom's income goes to charity, including Servant Partners, a Christian group he and Bree belong to that sends young adults into urban areas to spread Christ's teachings and practice community activism. The family lives in a two bedroom duplex in South Pomona, a community battered by crime and unemployment. There, Hseih and his wife talk to young people about getting on a better path, and lead efforts to make the streets safer.

For godliness with contentment is great gain for we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 1Tim 6:6-7

1Timothy 6:3-10

Djembe

Whenever I play my djembe drum, I am like in a different dimension devoid fom all the concerns of this world. A week ago when I played in front of the congregation I purposely shut myself off from the crowd and within a few moments I was transported to a world where I was performing only for an Audience Of One. He was draped in a robe so pure and white and as I kept playing I slowly raised my head up to take a glance at Him and as our eyes connected He gave me a smile as if to say..."Well done my good and faithful child...Well done!".

Matthew 25:14-30

I'm No Sampras

I've never been a sportsminded individual, back in the Philippines I would go swimming regularly at the subdivision clubhouse as my form of excercise, I also went fishing with my friends every so often. I guess these were the closest to sports that I have ever involved myself with. Several months ago during our Men's Fellowship I was taught how to play tennis by such gentle teachers and brothers in Christ who patiently showed me the steps on how to play the game. Their names are Glenn and Albert, they both switched places in patiently teaching me the moves but I SUCKED big time, I am even too embarassed to share exactly how I played. One thing I learned from the both of them though was that I should keep my eyes always towards the direction of the ball. When I returned home after my otherwise humiliating first tennis game my wife asked me how it went and she became very intersted in learning how to play tennis. I spoke to Glenn about it and he and his wife were only too gracious enough to accomodate us within their very hectic schedule. It was a Tuesday morning when we met for our tennis clinic under Glenn's tutelage and much to my surprise when he started serving the balls I would hit them with much dexterity as opposed to the first time I played the game. My eyes stayed focused on the ball and I enjoyed the game immensely. Glenn's style of teaching/coaching reminded me so much of how God works in our lives, I am reminded for example of the time He called Moses and Moses kept on insisting that he felt a certain amount of inadequacy to perform the task that God had commanded him to do. Gradually though Moses developed the adequacy to perform what God wanted him to do and then some. It takes baby steps for us to see the changes in our lives after recieving Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, many times we fall and feel so dejected for failing Him but He has never treated us with disdain on the contrary He lifts us up but not without a reminder or two that continued disobedience can have its consequences. Then we move on and learn from our failures. Following God's call and walking daily with Him reminds me of how Glenn and Albert so patiently taught me how to play the game of tennis. Keeping our eyes focused on God the way I kept my eyes focused on the ball can result into a successful game in this huge tennis court called LIFE.

Jeremiah 18:1-10

Schizo/Stoked

They're all calling it "Crazy Tuesday", this morning as soon as I hopped out of bed I immediately (as is always my habit) turned on my T.V. and checked on today's weather. The Meteorologist reported that it is going to be cold in the 50's west of the Dallas Metroplex but a bit warm in the 70s east of the Dallas Metroplex ergo they coined the words "Crazy Tuesday" to describe today's weather. Our spiritual walk can be a little "schizo" like that every now and then, The Book of Esther is the only book in the Bible that does not mention anything about prayer and God. It was during this time that the jewish people were granted permission to rebuild the temple but sadly only about 60,000 of them chose to return. The rest were content to stay in the land of their captivity of Babylon and Persia. These people who chose to remain in the land of captivity refused to obey God's commandments and they simply were not seeing God's presence in their lives and yet God's presence was certainly there. His hand of intervention can be seen in the lives of these people throughout the Book Of Esther in spite of the fact that there was no mention of His name. In our very busy schedule it is not surprising that oftentimes we advertently or inadvertently take God out of the picture in our daily living hence our spiritual walk is a bit "schizo" like that. It happened to me last week, my prayer life was inconsistent to say the least around that time but when there was an incident far beyond my family's control I remembered Him and called on His name and within mili seconds before the dirt hit the road He responded in the most spectacular way. It's like finding the right wave if you are a surfer ... they have a term for this ... "Stoked".

THE BOOK OF ESTHER

Dodge It Or Let God Deal With It

Suicide is an act of intentionally terminating one's own life. Suicide occurs for a number of reason such as depression, substance abuse, shame , AVOIDING PAIN, financial difficulties or other undesirable situations.

A bunch of thieves broke into my Pastor's house a week ago. I saw him a few days after the incident. He looked very calm and subdued but i could sense that he was hurting deep within. I spoke to him and asked him how he was, of course he did not pretend that everything was honkey-dorey at that time but I could sense an element of hope in his voice which reminded me of what David said in the book of Psalms 43:5 "Why so cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me. HOPE IN GOD; For I shall praise him, The help of my countenance and my God." I encouraged my Pastor and told him that God will restore him and sublimate this rather unfortunate event in his life. He preached last Sunday on the book of Psalm 43 and he delivered God's message with much intensity. After the service I approached him and told him part of the reason God allowed this incident to happen to you is for you to experience it so that it becomes real in your preaching and a testemonial of how God takes care of his kids in times of trials.

The reason I am depressed and cast down is that I've lost sight of God. He has been removed from the equation. I am trying to figure out a solution apart from Him. The answer is to put God back in the equation. Then it doesn't become impossible anymore.

Chuck Smith
Senior Pastor
Calvary Chapel
His commentary on Psalm 43:5

PSALM 43

Empty Only To Be Filled

It's been over a year and two thanksgiving ago when we moved to the United States. I spoke to a friend yesterday who was in need of comfort and prayer over the phone apparently he was going through a trial so intricate that it obscures his focus on his walk with the Lord. I spoke to him about how I went through almost the same situation when I had just moved, I looked at life living here the first seven months incredulously. I battled depression upon depression to the point to where my marriage and family life became very shaky. My friend obviously was down on the dumps and kept asking God the question Why, What???? I told him it's time to shift to asking Who Is In Control? you see my friend is a "take charge" fellow suffice it to say sometimes he is full of himself but not in a boastful kind of way (I don't know if that makes any sense?), however one night he found himself crying and surrendering everything to the Lord. I told him "you know that is exactly the kind of state where God wants you to be in order for you to experience His power made perfect at this time of weakness." That was how i went through and survived my seven month ordeal of transitioning myself when I moved. God wants us to be broken and emptied that way He can fill us with His love and presence in our lives. Are you going through a big funk in your life to where you think you can resolve it on your own even if it is remotely possible? ... It's time to move to the passenger's seat and let Jesus take the wheel (as Carrie Underwood would sing). Let Him drive and enjoy the ride!

I used to end my radio talkshow back in the Philippines by saying these words..."Jesus is just a prayer away". I never thought it would create such a huge impact in the lives of my listeners. I would recieve text messages and people telling me how much these words meant to them and how it made a difference in their lives. This motivated me to start (with God's help) the first Christian Bible Based Radio Talk Show on a Commercial Station in the city where I used to live. To this day that show still continues to excist with my Pastor/Friend Chaz Yandall on the helm and my dear friend and former Radio Station Boss who recieved Jesus a few years after I joined the Radio Industry, Phillip Rodriguez assisting him. The title of the show?..."DEEPER"

1 C0r. 10: 12-13

2 Cor. 12

A Smile Worth Millions

Friday, November the 23rd was a very busy day in our store it was the "After Thanksgiving Day Sale" and so was Saturday the 24th. I was asked by my boss to come and report on a Friday and Saturday daytime shift to help them out for the big two day sale. I was assigned by my boss on the 3rd floor of the store as a CPU (Customer Pick Up), what the CPU does is to assist the customers with their purchases if they bought more than one item that becomes a handful for them to carry. Most customers were very nice but about a few were ridiculously impossible to deal with. That being said, on the afternoon of the 24th I was asked to assist a lady who had just purchased a tall Christmas Tree and she needed help to bring the tree to her car parked at the 2nd level parking of the store. Long story short, I brought the tree (tiny as I am) all the way from the 3rd floor to the 2nd level parking area with much agony as there were no more carts available to transport the tree (I had to do it manually). As soon as we reached the the area where her car was parked we tried to squeeze the tree inside of her backseat and I had to come up with some adjustments in order for the tree to fit inside the car. When we finally succeeded in our rather interesting endeavor the lady customer gave me a heartfelt "Thank You!" and a "smile" that I would never forget up to this day. You see with all the pain and soreness of carrying the tree she purchased ... that smile was more than enough to make my day, it was worth beyond millions to me. Several blogs ago I mentioned that the job that I have right now is something that I am not used to doing and this has never been my background but now I realized that the opportunity in this workplace is endless if only to become a beacon of light.

The greatest among you all will be your servant.

Matthew 23:11

...for he who is the least among you all is the greatest

Luke 9:48

Philippians 2

Bring Out The Turkey

And there won't be snow in Africa, this Christmas time
The greatest gift they'll get this year is Life
Where nothing ever grows
No rain or river flows
Do they know it's Christmas time at all.

From the chorus of the song "Do They Know It's Christmas" recorded in 1984 by the group Band-Aid consisting of popular British and Irish musicians. This was to raise awareness and money for the famine in the African Country of Ethiopia at that time.

Do not worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God about what you need and Thank Him for all He has done.
Philippians 4:6

Before you bring out the turkey today remember the many who could not even so much as to have a piece of bread to eat. Count your blessings...the greatest of which is the gift of salvation.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Bruised But Not Broken

Almost a year ago I recieved an e-mail from the wife of one of my missionary friends who was once assigned in the city where I used to live in the Philippines. It was a very disturbing letter to say the least, you see they are now living in India in an area very close to the border of Nepal. My friend's wife wrote about how her husband was conducting a bible study in one of the villages within the area where they are based when minutes after a mob of extremists attacked the village and disrupted their bible study. They clobbered almost everyone including my friend, after beating him up they confiscated his laptop computer containing all of the datas on their mission itineraries as well as very important documents such as his passport. In the midst of all of the flurry he and his companion were able to escape without getting caught and managed to return to their families alive. My friend continues to live in that area hoping to win more souls for Jesus in spite of what he had gone through.

"The church has an unconditional obligation to the victims of any ordering of society. There are things for which an uncompromising stand is worthwhile".

Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Hung in Germany for resisting the Nazis
1945

1 Thessalonians 3

An Opus For A King

I was asked by a friend of my impressions whenever I witnessed an individual performing as a way to evangelize through a song and hits the wrong notes. I don't pretend to have a significant amount of cognizance when it comes to such performances. However it is important to note that one does not simply perform for the sake of performing. One performs for an audience of One ...Jesus! which brings us to the question, if I was asked to play my Djembe drum in front of the President of our country would I give it my best? You bet I would! let alone performing for the King of Kings but here's the kicker, preparing an opus before God's people should take a lot of heart and a lot less pride. Egos the size of Texas have no place in the Kingdom. One has to draw the line between a performer and a worshiper. Better to have the right heart and hit the wrong notes than to hit the right notes but have the wrong heart. Of course practice makes perfect especially when preparing an Opus for the King who died for your sins.

"But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as Pleasing Men but God who Tests our Hearts".
1 Thessalonians 2:4

"Pride comes before destruction"
Proverbs 16:18

1 Thessalonians 2

Direct Line

Remember back in the 60s and 70s when one couldn't make a Long Distance call without going through an operator? By the early and late 80s the Direct Dialing was made available to phone consumers so that it became more convenient and easy to make Long Distance calls around the world. Then came the era of cellular phones and the information superhighway or the internet, now the webcam and the i-phone. All these technology is making the world smaller and more accessible.

We can therefore deduce that we have a direct line to our Heavenly Father...we don't need an operator to place our call.

If we confess our sins. He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

John 1:9

Ezra 10

The Tale Of The Bale

Two days ago I was working at the docks of a department store in Dallas and I was assigned to work on the "bale". For those of you in Blogland who don't already know it, the bale is a machine where empty boxes are being thrown so it could be recycled. I was taught about twice already by my supervisor how to empty the machine if it becomes full. But that one particular day I didn't do it right not just once but twice. The first time I did it I sought the assistance of a guy named Arthur and he gave me a disdained look and it didn't take an "Einstien" to figure out that he wasn't pleased with what I had done. But to give him credit he did try to help but gave up in the end, in contrast my supervisor and manager, Al and Terrie were very gracious in the way that they assisted me. They told me that even though I was briefed about how to handle the machine it would take some time before I could really familiarize myself on how it should be operated properly. Al and Terrie's demeanor reminded me of how God treats His kids, yes there is grace but there is also the expectation of performing profeciently at work. We will fall and make mistakes and just like the "tale of the bale" we ought not to remain oblivious on how to operate the machine the right way ergo the same thought process should follow in our walk with God.

We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me.

So I find this law at work; When I want to do good, evil is right there with me for my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! who will rescue me will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through JESUS CHRIST our LORD!

Paul, The Apostle
In his letter to the church in Rome
Romans 7:14-23

Ezra 9

On Line

The year was 1990 my father was flown to the capital city of Manila in the Philippines for an undetermined kind of illness. I was left in our hometown of Bacolod to oversee our business operations while everyone else were with my father at one of his most trying moments. Out of desperation my siblings resorted to the occult hoping it would heal my father's illness. I flew to Manila five days later and found out all about this as our family driver related all the information to me as I was en route from the airport to the hospital where my father was admitted. I was told of the eerie methods used by the "witch doctor" my siblings hired and the condescending behavior she possesed. As I entered my father's hospital room at around nine in the evening I felt so disturbed, I spoke to my dad and asked how he felt and consulted with my cousin about what has been happening. I left the hospital late at night to retreat at our family's residence, I prayed so hard before I slept and when I woke up I prayed some more for wisdom and for God to show me step by step what to do as I had planned to confront the issue. I first talked to one of my sisters then showed her scriptures disputing the claims of the "witch doctor" and to prove to her that witchcraft and the occult are things which God has strongly condemed. Then she called everyone in the family and asked me to explain to all of them what I had just told her. That very day the family decided to stop soliciting the service of this "witch doctor" and instead they followed my advice to have my Pastor friend based in Manila pray over my dad. A few days later my dad recovered from his illness and now at 95 years old he is still in tip top form (praise God!) he still visits the farm every week travelling for about an hour from the city of Bacolod to the city of Cadiz where the farm is situated.

"It is always wise to seek the Lord, to fast and to pray and to wait for His step by step instructions".

Chuck Smith
Founder
Calvary Chapel Movement

"Being on-line with God can help you to be in line with His will and His word".

Deeper

So we fasted and entreated to God for this and He answered our prayer
Ezra 8:33


Ezra 8

Just Do It!

We hear of those that say well I attend this church or that church and yet do not live consistently with what the Word Of God is saying. They may feel that there is a modicum of assurance that church attendance or membership for that matter can give them salvation. There is a whale of a difference between conversion and church attendance. Membership is important as there is accountability, however conversion is defined as an act of change. In the same light, hearing the Word Of God is different from Obeying The Precepts Of The Bible.

Paul said that having the law of God doesn't justify anybody. It is the keeping of the law that justifies a man (Rom. 2:12-13)

"For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it". (Ezra 7:10)

Ezra 7

God vs. Man

Man invented the sattelite
God created the sun
Man invented the television
God created the trees
Man invented the computer
God created the air

The sattelite has fallen down from space
But the sun still shines brightly everyday
The television broke down
The trees still stand
The computer is obsolete
The breeze of the air can still be strongly felt

...God!

Based from one of the comedy materials of Bill Cosby

Ezra 6

Restoration

I was asked by a friend a few days ago a question that went like this..."what if you were witnessing to a sinner that he may recieve salvation and a meteor was about to hit the earth and you only have seconds to go, what would you do?" I figured this question was a catch 22 but nevertheless I thought deeply and analyzed the situation then it hit me, I wouldn't be able to know this person's state of heart not unless after a quick explanation of repentance, forgiveness redemption and the need for a Savior, I asked the person to pray a sinner's prayer all on his own without him following every word I say like what is commonly done when the sinner's prayer is said. That way this becomes personal for the fellow i am witnessing to and then I would know the true state of his heart. I was asked another question that went..."Now if the meteor fell and obliterated everyone including yourself and the gatekeeper in heaven asked you why he should let you in what would be your response?" I answered I do not deserve heaven I came here not of my own works but by the grace and mercy and suffering of my Lord Jesus Christ. Last question my friend asked me was that if I was interested in joining a Christian Band what would I offer them and my answer was...MY HEART!

FALLEN YET REDEEMED!!!

Ezra 5

Opposed!

I tell you this so you won't be ashamed by my death. if you love me, you will rejoice that God has called me to this honor, which is greater than any earthly honor I could ever attain. Who wouldn't be happy to die for this cause? I trust in my Lord God, who put His mind, will, and affection in my heart, and choose to lose all my worldly substance, and my life, too, rather than deny His known truth. he will comfort me, aid me, and strengthen me forever, even to the yeilding of my spirit and soul into His hands.

BISHOP NICHOLAS RIDLEY
Burned at the stake
Oxford, England
1555

Enemies of the work of God will always try to conjure up ways to deter His people from pursuing and finishing the work.

DEEPER

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

PAUL, The Apostle 2 Cor. 4:17

Ezra 4

A Daughter's Short Story

Leonore finally arrived . She did look gorgeous in her wedding gown; simple yet elegant. Everyone was ready...Well, except me. I was really tensed. Lenore grabbed hold of my arm.

"Relax, Daddy", she chuckled.

I blinked. My daughter was telling me to relax on her wedding day?
The doors suddenly opened. the sun's unpleasant glare stung my eyes, but I quickly regained my composure and with that, Lenore and I began our long walk down the aisle. The garden was beautiful. It was adorned with pink and white roses. Delicate rose petals were sprinkled neatly on the aisle.

We passed many smiling faces. I glanced over at Lenore, her walk was graceful. There isn't a hint of nervousness on her face. Her smile is even lovelier today. I can see how sure and determined she is. She knows what she's doing; what she's getting herself into. She's ready to be with the man she loves; the only man brave enough to ask her out; the man who made her happy and never broke her heart. I knew right off that it was time to let her go.

We finally made it to the altar and right before I was going to take my place next to Cagalli, Lenore said something that made tears fall down my eyes. Those words have not been said in a very long time... they were just four simple words yet they meant so much...

"I love you, Daddy"

Excerpts from the short story written for me by my daughter Pajie for my birthday entitled "Walking Down The Aisle." She posted this story on the internet...

Posted beneath the short novel were these words she took out from the Bible...
"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, For this is right. Honor your father and mother-which is the first commandment with a promise - that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy life on earth."

"Fathers, do not exasperate your children instead bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord".

Ephesians 6: 1-4

In Memory...

Christopher Lacson was a friend and classmate from elementary to high school. My fondest memory of him was going biking around the area close to my home, going to parties and being a part of a platoon in which he was my commanding officer for Citizen's Army Training. We fondly call him "Topoy" coz' that was his nickname. Two days ago I recieved a call from a friend in California informing me that Topoy had passed away of a heart attack. Last night I recieved a text message from another friend from New York that went..."Topoy Lacson passed away, Life is short". It is not so much a question of Life being long or short as it is a question of whether one is prepared for the eventuality of death which may happen anytime in a person's life.

Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, we believe and know that you are the Holy One of God".

John 6:68-69

Off The Plane Ministry

Before Pat and I left the Philippines to move to the United States our friends and fellow church members gave us two seperate farewell parties. It was during these parties that friends who had moved from a different country or city to the city of Bacolod would tell us of their appreciation of the fact that they have been recepients of the Off The Plane Ministry of Pat and Phenjie. What it means basically is that we had helped each of them get settled in and helped them familiarize themselves with the way of life in our city. Some of the recipients of this ministry were American Missionaries. When we moved to Dallas, my wife Pat and I found ourselves this time around to be recipients of the Off The Plane Ministry of men and women of God such as Tino and Esmer Yado who gave us our first car in the United States, John and Benggay Salas who helped us get our driver's license and assisted us in more ways than none, Pastor Butch and Manel Diwa who discipled us and taught us about how we should live our lives in a North American setting, David Talaguit who showed us around and helped me and my wife find our music, Jofy and Louella Gocco who helped us with moving from Dallas to Garland and assisted us in getting ourselves settled in at Garland...and then some. I remember the first time I met Jofy who was then a total stranger to me the first words I heard him tell me was "welcome to the family" four words that i needed to hear at that time. Such selfless acts of people who truly love God, truth be told it has been such a blessing to be on the other side...to experience being a recipient of the Off The Plane Ministry of Dallas.

Acts 18:24-28

Salon Rock!

When Horizon Christian Fellowship Church Bacolod was just starting we all met at a beauty salon every Sunday evening for service at exactly seven. Each week we would set up chairs within the aisles seperating both sides of the salon. The praise and worship team would have itself set up at an area facing eastword enough for the whole church to see us. We were all crammed in this tiny salon that wasn't realy conducive enough for any fellowship meetings let alone a church service but it was the best place we could get at that time at we were using it for free. In spite of this little irregularity, church members were very assiduos in all aspects. I should know i was part of the praise and worship team playing the bonggos and cajun (beat box) along with the church's Pastor. Pastor Chaz played the lead accoustic guitar along with two other guitar players and Lina one of his daughters who played the bass. Every now and then i would take a glance at the congregation from where i was positioned and i would see that they did not allow the size of place affect them what mattered to them was that they all came to worship their God and listen to His message. And boy, did we ROCK THE SALON DOWN! Everyone, young or old worshiped their hearts out for Jesus often times i would find myself crying while playing i cried because of how God can make such a simple thing such as meeting in a crammed beauty salon every Sunday nights so beautiful. Two months later we moved to a larger venue at a function room of one of the local hotels and two weeks after the move we decided to change the time of service from seven in the evening to nine in the morning. Months after i moved to the United States i was informed that the church had been favored by God to rent a center right smack at the University Belt Area of our city big enough for a congregation to meet for midweek service, bible studies and yes ... Sunday Morning Service. In spite of how the church developed into what it is now, it is always cool to look back at how we started.

Ezra 3

Living In A Material World

I get so livid at the idea of seeing people throwing themselves into the mercy of creditors by purchasing all kinds of material possesions that their bank accounts could hardly afford and complain about not being able to meet their monthly payments. Incoherence may be part of it, the thought of acquiring things that one has never had the chance to enjoy in the past can be dangerously attractive. Godly contentment is a hard value to acquire but nevertheless a rather practical and noble feat.

Proverbs 30:8-9

KYRIE

Kyrie elieson, down the road that I must travel
Kyrie elieson, through the darkness of the night
Kyrie elieson, where I'm going will you follow?
Kyrie elieson, on a highway in the light

From the song Kyrie by the band Mr. Mister
1985

"Kyrie Elieson" is greek for "Lord Have Mercy".

Proverbs 29:25

What's In A Name?

We first came up with her nickname we decided to call her Pajie a combination of both our nicknames Pat and Phenjie. Then we started working on her her full name and we settled for Patricia Janelle, this was probably 6 months before she was born.

We first came up with her full name we thought of calling her Paige then we decided on Josette for her middle name, no particular reason we just felt like it. Jheyjette was the name of my "baby pillow" when i was still barely reading my first book, i decided that when i had kids at least one of them would be its namesake fortunately or unfortunately for her this is my youngest daughter's nickname. This was also decided upon probably 6 months before she was born.

Pajie and Jheyjette are both my daughters and i love them unconditionally... they along with their Mother are my gems!

In Isaiah 44:28-45:7, God called the Medo-Persian King Cyrus by his name 200 years before he was born. Intricately, God describes how the Babylonian Empire would fall under Cyrus' reign. How his parents named him Cyrus is a subject that is beyond any normal human understanding and how did God allow him to do the unthinkable by conquering the powerful Babylonian Empire? He is God, indeed He can do anything that pleases Him.

Ezra 1

Bacolod The Comfortable

Leaving the comforts of a place called Bacolod seem to be the most ridiculous decision one could ever make. To many the impression of moving to the Land of Milk and Honey could be a recipe for ones insatiable appetite for success. I did not have that kind of motive when I left the comforts of Bacolod, quite honestly until this day i couldn't quite figure out why i made such a decision except to follow God's will. Yesterday, for the first time in my life I became a part of the North American workforce...it wasn't a walk in the park. I had to do things that i would not normally do in my Land of Comfort. Back there I was the Boss, while here I am humbled to accept my first job as part of the Merchandizing Department doing odd but noble tasks inside a store's basement area or what they would call "the docks". Tough! My back hurts like crazy and my heart rate went haywire but it's very humbling. A friend and Mentor whom i would normally refer to as "Yoda" told me minutes before i left for work that he went through the same thing before, he complained to God but that his paradigm shifted immediately after a tete a tete with his creator. He approached his Boss and told him "I want to be the best in what i do" the minute he said that his demeanor began to change dramatically and he started to pursue work as though he did it for his Savior and not for his earthly boss. I have an obscure sense of what my future is but for now i know i may have lost the Comfort of Bacolod but i have gained the Confidence of Serving my King in whatever i do.

In Isiah 6:1 Judah just lost a powerful and very popular King. Under King Uziah's reign people felt safe and secured. They trusted and depended on him but when he died the people were crushed and distraught.

Sometimes God has to remove the people, things or places that we depend on so that we can see that it really is all about him.

Isiah 6

Of Hymns and Sufferings

Without fear we sang in prisons 30 feet beneath the earth. We were terribly hungry, beaten, and tortured.

The Communists were good at torturing us.

We would say to each other, "The communist beat us very well - let us do our work well, Let us sing well".

Richard Wumbrand
Spent 14 years in a Communist prison
Romania, 1940s, 50s and 60s

"It takes a real commitment to Jesus Christ in times of persecution. Thus there is usually a tremendous depth of relationship with the Lord. And with that relationship, there comes tremendous faith and a great love for fellow believers"

Chuck Smith
Founder
Calvary Chapel Movement

2 Thessalonians 1: 3-5

The Fifth Column

During the Second World War, there excisted individuals who betrayed their country by becoming spies for the Occupying Japanese Imperial Army in the Philippines. These traitors were referred to as the "Quinta Columna" or the "Fifth Column" by the Guerilla Forces. The idea was for them to wear a mask made out of a paper bag with two holes enough for their eyes to view and identify those whom the Japanese Army suspect to be part of the Guerilla Movement. Some of them used to be members of the Movement but had departed, blinded by their own delusions of gradeur and have grown impatient of waiting for the promise of salvation from the Allied Forces. The information they shared with the Japanese Army dealt a big blow to the Guerilla Forces and cost the lives of many even the innocent ones. But in the end the Philippines was liberated, most of those who were with the Fifth Column suffered long years of imprisonment and some who were captured by the guerillas suffered the very unfortunate fate of being killed.

Apostasy- the word translated "falling away" is the Greek word apostasia. The root word means to depart.

2Thessalonians 2:3

When God Hides

It was January of 1999, a month before that my wife was diagnosed of a very rare form of disease. Her doctor told us that it was in its advanced stage and all we could do is pray and rely heavily on medications that could possibly reverse the condition. My wife was also instructed not to stress herself out too much as this might be detrimental to her health. And then it happened so fast, her immune system collapsed and her condition worsened. I looked at her pale face while she was lying in pain in her hospital bed then she whispered to me "forgive those who have hurt you" and "i am ok with the idea of you finding another wife should i go". Flustered, i could only turn to the one person whom i thought had abandoned me at this darkest hour. Asking for His forgiveness and for His help. Days were long and nights were even longer but i prayed and cried all at the same time begging Him to spare my wife from further agony. The attending doctors finally instructed me to send my wife to the capital city of Manila in the Philippines for more treatment coz' the city where we were living just simply lacked the facilities at that time. She was given a 50/50 chance to live and the doctors made no secret about their doubts regarding her chances to me. I had to talk to my children the day before we left and had to prepare them for what may come. I remember telling them "if i come back from Manila and Mom's not with me, it's coz' she is in a better place with the Father where it is more peaceful and where she will be happier". But as soon as we arrived in Manila provisions came, the treatment was a success, my wife had a miraculous healing all because...I believed in the One who could heal, deliver and answer during my darkest hour.

Psalm 30:7-8

Watching Over You

A story was told to me by my father about a soldier captured by the forces of the occupying Japanese Imperial Army in the Philippines during the second world war. Upon his capture he and his companions where brought into a wide open field where they were going to be executed by beheading. He shivered as he saw the heads being chopped off from the bodies of his fellow guerilla soldiers that preceded him. When it was his turn he prayed to the Almighty to miraculously spare his life and within a span of seconds after he prayed he felt a blade slightly touch the surface of the flesh of his neck but not really cutting through. He felt a mysterious force, so strong obstructing the executioner's blade from killing him. Unbeknownst to the Japanese soldiers that he was still alive, they threw him along with the other dead patriots in what looked like a pile of dead people and started stabbing each one with a bayonet, not having been content with the brutality they had just commited against these soldiers. Stabbing what looked like a lifeless body the blade did go through this time right around his stomach area and piercing through his back. Soon after they threw all the bodies in a ditch. Sensing that the enemy soldiers had left the vicinity where the ditch was, this Valiant Filipino Soldier waited until it was dark, injured and wounded once again he miraculously survived and travelled by foot until he could reach the Signal Corps Station where my Father (a 2nd Lieutenant in the Signal Corps) was assigned. It was there where he recieved medical attention. A few days after recovery he was able to live to tell of a story so complex for some of his listeners to comprehend. This story is indeed nothing else but a phenomenon explained only in Biblical proportions.

Psalm 34:7

Dying To Reach You

Will you be willing to take a bullet and then some...for somebody who is not deserving of your sacrifice?



"Jesus is not A way, A truth and A life. He is THE WAY, THE TRUTH and THE LIFE"

Dr. Ravi Zacharias
Famous Christian Apologist
Speaking at the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, Utah
November 2004

Isaiah 53

Ummmmm...Tastes Heavenly

I missed eating at a local restaurant called Aboy's in Bacolod City, the Philippines (where i came from). It is the kind of restaurant that serves delicious "heavenly tasting" Filipino Food. The most popular dish that costumers would keep on coming back for is the grilled BLUE MARLIN or what we would call in the vernacular, "Manumbok". The succulent taste is just simply beyond me. I can go on and on describing why i enjoy eating this kind of dish, however unless you could actually get the chance to travel to Bacolod City and look for Aboy's Restaurant and ask for the "Manumbok" you will never appreciate it the way i do.

Psalm 34:8

Graduation Day!

Even the best of Christians are troubled by the question, "Why does the almighty God send, or at least allow suffering?" When you are nagged by thoughts like this, say to yourself, "I am still in elementary school. When I graduate from the university of Christian life, I will understand His ways better and doubts will cease."

Richard Wurmbrand
Imprisoned for a total of 14 years
Romania
1940s, 50s and 60s

Psalm 34:6

Tact!

There is a proverb not from the Bible that goes "It is better to keep your mouth shut and let men suspect that you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt". We should ponder at the profoundness of these words.

Prov. 10:19

Dig In!

About 25,000 people die everyday of hunger or hunger related disease. And yet there is plenty of food in the world for everyone...maybe we should start asking ourselves the question "am I living a righteous life?" instead of "Is the Lord gonna provide for me?"

"The Lord will not allow the righteous soul to famish...."

Prov. 10:3

Reversal

Two People denied Jesus the night before His death: Judas and Peter. Both wept for their mistake. What was the difference between the two? Judas turned away from God and judged himself. Peter repented, went back to God and let Him forgive and restore him.

(excerpts from the book Jesus Freaks by D.C. Talk and The Voice Of The Martyrs)

Proverbs 9:8-12

Be Still My Heart

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a complex but relatively common form of genetic heart muscle disease that occurs in 1 out of 500 people, but often goes undiagnosed in the community, and has caused confusion to both patients and physicians periodically. Over the years HCM is the most common cause of heart-related sudden death in people under 30 years of age. And it can be responsible for excercise disability at almost any age. HCM occurs equally on both sexes and has been reported in many races. HCM patients would oftentimes suffer from difficulty of breathing in the middle of their sleep which is why for some having three pillows under their head while sleeping is most ideal. This is what is commonly called as the "high back rest". There are limitations to physical activities and diet for HCM patients as well. Although HCM is a chronic disease without a known cure, a number of treatments are now available to alter its course... I am an HCM patient, it would be nice to occasionally be reminded of our weakness (whether physical or spiritual) as this is what teaches us to depend on His strength and mercy.

Psalm 6:2; 2Cor. 4:16; 2Cor. 12;7-10

VENUS FLYTRAP

The Venus Flytrap (Dionaea Muscipula) is a carnivorous plant that catches and digest animal prey (mostly insects and arachnids). The trapping structure is formed by the terminal portion of each of the plant's leaves. The plant's name refers to "Venus" the Roman goddess of love.

Proverbs 7

Home

Moving to a different place is never easy. One has to go through the rigors of getting used to a new way of life, a new culture, study and adapt to the new customs of the land. But the most lethal enemy of someone who had just moved from a place he/she has lived for most of his/her life is LONELINESS or being HOMESICK. Confusion sets in while living life precariously. This happened to me just abut a few months ago when i moved from the city of Bacolod, the Philippines to the city of Dallas, the United States. However as time passed i have come to realize that my memories of being in Bacolod were great ones those were great times! but being here in Dallas...well, these are great times too. I now understand that I should never be in remiss of the potentials and the opportunities that the Lord has presented to me in my new home. Ultimately we will be in the presence of the Lord and when it happens i assure you those will be the the days! Let's look forward not backward.

Haggai 2:2-9

Sweet!

I come from a family that grows sugar canes for a living. We've seen good harvest seasons and bad harvest seasons. But through it all the Good Lord has been faithfull in seeing us through. During harvest seasons where it falls at a time when there is a drought sugar planters scramble to put up the best irrigation systems to water the newly planted fields. This way the plants' growth would not be compromised although water coming out of the irrigation systems will not suffice the plants' much needed nutrients or the lack thereof. You see rain or the amount of water that a sugar cane recieves when there is a downpour of rain contains an element not found in the amount of water coming out of the irrigation systems. Rain water contains nitrogen, this element is produced when there is lightning. And nitrogen is a major ingredient in the growth of a sugar cane. Equal amounts of sunlight, rain and chemical fertilizers provides a good balance in the growth of a sugar cane plant. Having the right nutrients will produce a good harvest. It is somehow the same with our spiritual walk isn't it? You can't just come to church on Sundays and say this is it, this will suffice for the whole week! ... if there are people refered to as couch potatoes then there should be Sunday pew potatoes as well?

Haggai 1:5-7

Teacher's Pet?

I remember a story of a 4th grader let's just call him Chino to protect his identity. Chino attended an exclusive private school in his city but unbeknownst to his parents he was a loner at school. The exact opposite of the mischevous and rambunctious kid that he was at home. His school practiced very strict discipline where teachers would verbally and physcially abuse the students and get away with it. Back then there was no such thing as political correctness or child abuse laws. Chino had a very impecable math teacher who we would call Miss D., she was brilliant and posessed such an awesome knowledge in math. But there was a dark side to Miss D. she like many of the other teachers in that school would punish her students through physical abuse such as spanking the children with a ruler on their palms, putting pens in between their fingers and squeezing them until the child cries in pain, in the case of male kids she would pull their sideburns until she sees the pain in their faces. Such brutality, such viciousness, many of the students choose instead to rebel against these vicious teachers such as Miss D. by retaliating the best they could in the most creative fashion without the teachers knowledge of who the culprit of such acts is. But not Chino, he was every bit a follower of the rules of the school he feared the thought of becoming a rulebreaker. Because he was a loner and a victim of the abuse commited by Miss D and the other teachers he kept his emotions to himself without having anyone to talk to or have a catharsis with a friend. He certainly kept this horrible experience to himself and what ended up happening was that he eventually suffered from a "nervous breakdown" at age 10. This would affect him until his adult years. What happened to Miss D? well soon after Chino landed in the hospital he eventually divulged to his parents what was going on in school and his mom brought the attention to the headmaster and eventually pulled Chino out of that school. Miss D, only got so much as a repremand from school authorities but was allowed to continue teaching long after Chino left the school. I doubt if Miss D. even realized the kind of damage she has caused in the lives of many of the students aside from Chino's. Just because one can posses the gift to teach the right things in life but does not posses the right behavior does not make it rational at all. Teaching the right doctrine is important but having the right behavior is as equally important...and that is the bottom line!

3John:9-10

Baby Steps

A few week ago I recieved a call from KVTT a local radio station asking me if I could be a part of an event they were cooking up with Buchner Humanitarian Aid Organization (an NGO that sends humanitarian aid to different countries around the world). The event held last September 29 of this year was a day long concert/shoe drive within the compound of Buchner while KVTT had a live broadcast from the site and encouraged their listeners to come to the venue where the concert was held and drop off shoes (new or used) for the shoe drive. The title of the event was "Soled Out" pretty cute for a title huh? and very catchy too! KVTT provided the logistics for the event and so therefore I was assigned to do two things one was to position myself strategically in two baloon houses and the second was to help unload shoes from incoming donors. But I particularly enjoyed my assignment in the baloon houses. I enjoyed observing children try their very best to go through the obstacle course and climbing up baloon made walls and sliding ...they just had a blast. But there were a few kids I have observed probably within the ages of 4-5 who initially had trouble getting through the obstacle course especially whenever they would reach the part that resembled a rock climbing wall within this "obstacle course baloon house". But what (upon close observation) I would soon realize is that they would finally be able to master the wall climbing part by drawing their strength from their parents' encouragement. Their dads and their moms transforming themselves into an instant cheering squad would shout the words "you can do it sweetie/buddy you just have to try harder!" the parents would do this over and over again until their kids would finally succeed in climbing up the wall and sliding down the slope after many attempts. What a beautiful illustration about life we sometimes don't quite make it through our own "baloon rock climbing wall" once or twice, even a 100 times over but after many attempts and a little perseverance we would be able to finally succeed but not on our own, I am a firm believer in the notion that whatever challenges and obstacle courses one goes through in life there will always be a Supernatural Parent coaching us and cheering for us with a different cheer..."You can do it sweetie/buddy i have your back!".

1John 1:5-10; 1John 2:1-14

Relentless!

Very few people who have excibited such impecable valor made it into our history books. I know of one person who was a Supreme Court Justice during the time of Philippine Commonwealth President, Manuel L. Quezon. His name is Jose Abad Jr., during the Japanese Occupation of the Philippines Justice Abad had been detained by the Japanese Imperial Army and was forced to join the Puppet Government which they had set up. Some of Abad's colleagues in the Philippine Government who had served with him had already agreed to join the Puppet Government. However Justice Abad refused the offer, and because he was very adamant in refusing to join the Puppet Government the Japanes Imperial Army's Leaders assigned in the Philippines threatened to have him executed. In spite of this Abad did not relent he would rather die for his country rather than betray her by serving her enemy. The die has been cast he was to be executed for his refusal. The day of his execution his son entered the detention area inside the where Abad spent his last days and spent his last moments with his father. As they both spoke Abad rebuked his son for crying saying..."do not show our enemies your tears we have to give them the impression that we are not afraid to die for our motherland". Justice Jose Abad Santos was executed yet little is known about the story of his courage not even in Philippine High School History Books. But just like many others whose efforts to defend their nation against foreign aggresors such as my Father (whose story I have also posted in this blogsite) these people may be considered forgotten heroes yet they know in their heart of hearts that they have made their marks in the annals of our history. Are you willing to stand up and defend the principles you stand for? Are you willing to die for your beliefs? somebody walked this earth centuries ago and made a difference in the lives of many through His teachings that lead many to the path of righteousness and peace yet many wanted to silence Him and eventually succeeding in nailing Him into the cross after beating him in the most brutal fashion. The world will always be made up of cruel and merciless individuals running after people wanting to make a difference in the side of good not evil. It is the sad truth, do you believe in something you hold so dearly to be the truth? then be relentless in pursuing it even if it means taking risks.

2Peter 3

ALEXANDER?

My best friend Chaz once shared with me about a story that happened many years ago during the reign of the great Greek Emperor Alexander. Chaz told of a man who was a part of one of the fighting legions of the Greek Army that conquered almost every part of the world. This man had deserted his fellow soldiers at the height of a fierce battle. As soon as word reached Emperor Alexander he immediately summoned his servants to have this man stand before his presence. Once in front of Alexander the man stood before him shaken and fearful of what the Great Emperor could possibly do to him as a consequence of his frivolous act of cowardice. Alexander the Great with his loud thunderous voice asked the man for his name. The man very softly replied in an almost garbled tone ... "alexander". The Emperor once again repeated his question to the man ... "WHAT IS YOUR NAME?" once again he got the same answer in a very small still voice..."alexander". Flabbergasted at how the man would respond to his query, Alexander the great once again asked the same question but this time showing extreme disgust over the deserting soldier..."WHAT IS YOUR NAME?" he finally got a clear answer after the last question was asked..."Your Majesty my name is Alexander". Alexander the Great upon finding out that this deserter, this coward, this no good traitor to the Empire was his "namesake" yelled on top of his lungs at the man..."Alexander? he asked, your name is Alexander? yet you could not even live up and bring honor to the name that was given to you?" What a shame!
We hear in the news of politicians disgraced for holding certain positions pertinent to their political survival yet live a life opposite to what they publicly stand for. Or of religious leaders, motivational gurus and even television personalities who claim one thing yet do another . It's a sad fact of life but should it be left without a remedy? go figure...

1John 2:15-17

In The Living Years

The Band Mike and the Mechanics came up with a hit song that touched a lot of lives including mine back in the 80's. The title of the song is "In the Living Years" and it was about how a son expressed regret over why he never was able to say what he needed to tell his Father before his Father's death ergo the title ..."In the Living Years". A few months ago my Father in Law passed away and during the memorial service a brother in law of mine spoke about the same regret (that was the content of the song I reffered to earlier) in his eulogy. He cried like I have never seen him cry before, his frustration was that he never had the chance to tell my Father in Law that he loved him. When it was my turn to speak I shared about the need for all of us to move on and that there was no point to dwell on the thought of whether we failed Dad in our relationship with him or that he failed us. When my Father in Law passed away I was in the Philippines the country of my origin I had returned from the U.S. to the Philippines partly for work that was left undone before leaving for the United States. My Father in Law passed away just two weeks before my scheduled return to the United States. The day before he died we both had the opportunity of meeting up at my Father's house because he was there to pick up my children (his grandkids) to spend the whole day with them. When we saw each other for the last time we spoke for a few minutes and I asked him if it was okey if I called up my wife (overseas call) so they could both talk. He initially hesitated but relented to my persistance in the end and so my wife and my Father in Law spoke for the very last time over the phone for a good 20-30 minutes. Before he left with the kids for the day I noticed that he looked very uptight and restless. He kept on complaining that he felt unusually warm and he was sweating profusely. It was so very unlike my Father in Law to make such complaints but I never thought it to be a sign that we was suffering from symptoms leading to a heart attack. The following day I recieved a phone call early in the morning from my sister (his cardiologist) informing me that Daddy was rushed to the emergency room of a hospital near his house. I immediately informed all of my wife's brothers based in different parts of the country I also asked my parents to get in touch with my wife to inform her and then I rushed to the hospital. But I was too late when I arrived Daddy was already gone. My wife and her sister had to make an unscheduled trip to the Philippines for the wake and the funeral. About a week after the funeral we all headed back to the United States, my wife left two days ahead of me. When it was my turn to leave the first thing I did was before heading off to the airport I went inside my Father's room to say goodbye to him but I also made sure that before I left the room that I would tell him how much I loved him. I cannot even begin to express how much it felt good for me to tell my own Father how much I loved him. My Father is now 95 years old but still physically active though I know he is already living in his sunset years however my Father in Law was only 67 years old when he passed away. I have concluded that no matter how young or old your parents are especially with your Dads, take the time to show them how much you appreciate what they have done for you and try to always open the communication lines with your Dad that way it would also give him the assurance that you care for him just as much as he cares for you. We all need to value having a relationship with our fathers it is more precious than silver or gold. I am almost sure for some of us we have all had been at one point in our lives very obstinate children or it may have been the other way around (our Dads may have been as equally as bullheaded as we have) but it is never too late to try to start ...

1Peter 5:7

The Warrior is a Child!

The year was 2002 I had just moved into a another Radio Station (Jamie 102.3FM) from the Radio Station that gave me my first break as a Radio Talk Show Host (Killerbee 106.3FM). I did my talk show every Thursday Nights from 9-11pm even before when I was just starting out. However, this one particular Thursday Night was special I had invited as my guest for that evening a lady that was considered to be a celebrity in my country of origin, the Philippines. She was a Beauty Queen, a Movie Actress and a Television Personality. Her older sister won the title of Miss Universe back in the 70s and she belonged to an affluent family. She was married to a man whose family was very influential in the area of business and politics and himself a politician (a congressman in one of the districts in the Province where I was living at that time). Her name is Rio Diaz, in spite of her background I found her to be very humble and down to earth. That night was the second time that I had interviewed her. The first time I met her and interviewed her was three years before that back in 1999 when I was still working for my former Radio Station (Killerbee 106.3FM) and a neophyte in the world of FM Radio. A year or two before that she was diagnosed of having cancer of the colon stage 4. Prior to the time of my first interview with her she had gone through a remission and made the rounds on television talkshows and was featured in almost every newspaper and magazine and other media outlets as she announced to the whole world that she had been healed by God from her illness. This made headlines and so my Talk Show Host Instincts dictated that I should absolutely, positively get her to appear on my Radio Talk Show for full two hours I mean this was just a no brainer and the selfish side of me was also after the ratings. I had succeded in doing that, I remembered that when her assistant called the Station to confirm her appearance on my show I felt like I was on top of the world. The day of the interview came and as soon as she walked inside the studio I felt so starstrucked and dumbfounded by her presence like I have never felt before. Her presence was so overwhelming that I felt like it illuminated the whole Studio ... it threw me off, I was so stoked! I indulged her in a 2 hour conversation about her life, her recovery, her career and her faith in God. She emphatically spoke about her personal relationship with Jesus and shared a verse from the Bible to me something she said that kept her encouraged during the time she was going through treatment it was from Jeremiah 29:11 which sez' "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope". Finally she ended our first interview by asking my permission if she could pray for the people who were listening to us live over the radio. As soon as she made that request I toward the direction where my boss (the Station Manager) was standing and observing to seek for his approval but before he could even give me an answer, Rio went on ahead like a speeding bullet and prayed not wanting to miss the opporturnity. That night many of my listeners were blessed and touched, the emotions were so over the top. Fast Forward three years after, I was preparing for my second interview with Rio this time around at a different Radio Station inside a different studio. As soon as she walked in I noticed that unlike the first interview she looked physically weak not to the point of being lethargic but it didn't take a genius to deduce that she was really sick. Sure enough the cancer had recurred she was given a few months to live. But something that was so distinct about her demeanor was that she had an overwhelming joy and peace in her heart it's like physically she was gradually decaying yet spiritually she was renewed daily. We spoke for another two hours once again she talked emphatically about her love for God and her faith in Him but I could sense that she had a bittersweet feeling of being happy to finally see the person she considered to be her personal Lord and Savior and sad to leave her husband, teenage son and her two young children. But she boldly declared that she was not scared of the thought dying and that she knew where she was going. My heart broke as I listened to her sharing her experience of being a Christian suffering from a debilitating disease but her faith was stronger than her pain her hope greater than her grief. She ended the interview once again by praying for my listeners and after the show I asked her to sign my guest book and then and we hugged each other and parted ways. Two months after, during my Talk Show's New Year's Special I asked her to join us through Phone Patch and after we both talked on air I asked her to stay on the other line while I asked my wife (she and Rio knew each other personally as she was the pre-school teacher of Rio's kids) to sing her favorite song live on air. The title of the song is "A Warrior is a Child". She was so pleased to have heard my wife sing the song live on the radio. Well in essence Rio is a Warrior it is not easy to go through what she had gone through and she fought hard with the courage and strength that came from her faith in a Supreme Being. She was a child coz' whenever we would talk through my interviews with her she would always s have this peculiar childlike faith in her God that allowed her to move on in spite of her difficulties. Our conversation during my Show's New Year's Special was to be our last. Months later Rio Diaz, The Celebrity, The Beauty Queen, The Movie Star, The Television Personality, The Wife, The Mother, The Daughter, The Lady who publicly claimed that she was a Chlild of God passed away at the tender age of 44. I paid tribute to her days after news broke out of her death on my Talk Show by playing her favorite song ..."The Warrior is a Child". Some of you may be Skeptical about the story I had just shared but I believe that a large majority of human beings are scared stiff of the idea of dying and the afterlife. Truth be told my interviews with Rio Diaz put things into perspective for me and the people who worked with me on the show. It even made believers out of some of them. Are you afraid of dying? It is not too late to settle this issue within yourself while there is still time.

1Peter 4:11

Heads Up!

My Father served as 2nd Liutenant in the Signal Corps of the guerilla movement that was recognized by the United States Army during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines during the 2nd World War. The Signal Corps sent vital information to the resistance movement throughout the Philippines as well as to the United States Military. I remember vividly my Dad telling me about how the Japanese Navy were preparing an Armada of Ships to ambush the U.S. Naval fleet somewhere in the Pacific if memory serves me right off the coast of the island of Palau. The Japanese fleet was stationed in a place called "Fabrica" somewhere between the cities of Cadiz and Sagay. He told me how the harbor were the ships were situated would illuminate at night, lights coming from the ships that resembled a city. He could see this awesome sight from the mountains of the city of Cadiz where their Signal Corps Unit was stationed. After confirming that this indeed was a Japanese Armada set to ambush a U.S. Naval fleet in Palau my Father's Signal Corps Unit immediately sent a message through morse code to the United States Military to warn them of a possible attack on their fleet by the Japanese. Because of the authenticity of the message sent by my Father's unit the United States Navy instead launched a surprise attack against the Japanese Naval Armada within the waters of the Philippine Sea. This was a defining moment in our history because what is now known as the Battle of the Phillipine Sea led to the eventual downfall of the Japanese Military in the Pacific. Had it not been for the impecable intelligence gathering and the swift action taken by the men of the Signal Corps Unit in which my Father was a part of one can quickly deduce that the entire outcome of the war would have resulted differently. My Father and his unit were never really given the kind of honor and acknowledgement that they deserved exept for a citation coming from Admiral Nimitz (for a job well done). But in their hearts and minds they will always keep (albeit silently) the memnory of the day they made their mark in history the day they spared hundreds of American lives from what could have resulted into a bloodbath courtesy of the Japanese Navy. Information is vital, give the wrong information and the results may be disastrous. Give the right information and lives may be saved ... it may even make a mark in history.

1Peter 2:2; 2Peter 2:1-2