Today I had a better day. Things are looking up :D In our Missions class we had a speaker, Tita Nene, a Filipino missionary in Israel. She brought some props from Israel, this one, a thornbush, which its pointed thorns pierced the head of Jesus during his passion. She also showed us a fruit from a locust tree, which looks like sampaloc or tamarind (which John the Baptist feasted on with honey in the desert, all along I thought it was locust as in grasshopper). It was an uplifting experience hearing how God's Word is being fulfilled in Israel, signifying that His return is definitely near. What a marvelous day it would be.

Earlier I took my laptop to ASUS service center. I was very impressed with the service. For weeks now my DVD-RW can't read and write CD. I called them last week and they told me I had to have my original receit and warranty card, which I already lost. But nevertheless they asked me to bring it there for inspection, and I got a great favor. They replaced the hardware without receit and warranty card! They temporarily replaced it with a DVD-ROM/CD-RW and will replace it with a new DVD-RW in a few months as they still have to order it overseas.

Classes today were great. In Old Testament survey, hearing Ma'am Marcia tell and reflect on Bible stories is always a joy.

Hilarious Music Video Spoof

I've put this in my "When I'm Sad" bookmarks. Hilarious.

Go Team Philippines!

How does a parent feel when he is rejected by his children? After bringing them into the world, they were the source of his joy and wholeness. The fondness only a father and child can share. In this stage the father is their hero, and their protector. The father provides for his children, and see to it that every one has, no one left empty-handed. He even might have favorites, even though that he wouldn't admit. But then they reach adolescence, and children slowly drift away from him. This the father does not understand why. A relationship turned bland. No matter how he tries to bridge that former fondness it seems that the child wants none of it. Now he sits in the background alone, waiting. He wants to be angry lest he drive his children away even more. He could plead lest his pride turns on him. He is growing restless, utilizing every inch of strategy his mind can think of just to keep them by his side. He has grown weary, he wants to be a child himself so he could run to his Father and weep - bitterly. Oh what a tragedy when fathers are rejected by their children!

Take My Life and Let It Be

Text: Frances R. Havergal, 1836-1879
Music: Louis J.F. Herold; arr. by George Kingsley

Take my life and let it be consecrated to Thee.
Take my moments and my days, let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice and let me sing always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use every power as You choose.

Take my will and make it Thine it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is Thine own it shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord I pour at Your feet its treasure store
Take myself and I will be ever, only, all for Thee.

I Am Thine, O Lord

I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith
And be closer drawn to Thee.

Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the power of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.

O the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God
I commune as friend with friend!

There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee.

Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died.
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.

I failed to blog about this this week. This week I experienced loneliness and downess in my life. I believed it stemed from losing time alone with God. I began to drift away. Now I see it so clear and obvious that it was that factor that changed my countenance. Hours turned to days making it harder and harder to commune with Him. Then the storms which I have endured and weathered before through Him came and knocked me down. The difference - His presence. Through the end of the week every worry, concern and enemy attacks piled up that I wanted burst this swelling emotion within me.

Thanks to such people who I can call friends more than church mates who gave me the permission (even if I'm their group leader) to vent out my problems as a human like them. Too often people tend to idolize their leaders too much but they don't see that they are still humans (living by grace). Prayer meeting after that was an uplifter too. After prayer meeting, still trying to get back in track, a person came and tried to argue with me about his New Age belief. I was so stressed out after talking to that person, then I was again in a low.

Morning came with a feeling of nothing much to be excited on. I came in skeptic and grumpy. But then I look around as I hit those keys, "nobody really pays attention to you, your deliberate distraction, because everyone's all eyes and ears to God." I realized my sort-of pity partying didn't pull off. Afternoon came and I visited a friend who is also a pastor. That was a breather, I was encouraged. I really needed that. We both prayed for each other, voiced our concerns in the ministry and life. I left partly charged up. Then I came home, anticipating on an activity tomorrow. We're supposed to do something together. But everyone's just not up for it. What a downer. I was fed up, I wanted to burst.

Even though I knew where I should come for counsel and comfort, it took me until tonight to come before Him. I wanted to cry and I did. I wanted to let Him feel what I feel. I am a wounded soldier. His words brought me comfort and empathy. His Word charged me up. It was His fellowship that I was longing for all along. I got my song back. I am free. God is really good! Praise God. His mercies endures forever.

Kevin and Me at church. I look really tired.

Demitri Martin Liners

“I think the worst time to have a heart attack is during a game of charades. Especially if your teammates are bad guessers.”

"'Sort of' is such a harmless thing to say. Sort of. It's just a filler. Sort of - it doesn't really mean anything. But after certain things, sort of means everything. Like after "I love you" or "You're going to live."

"I wanna make a jigsaw puzzle that's 40,000 pieces. And when you finish it, it says "go outside."

"If I have to move up in a building, I choose the elevator over the escalator. Because one time I was riding the escalator and I tripped. I fell down the stairs for an hour and a half."

"Another term for "balloon" is: bad breath holder."

Haven't blog for days. Very busy. Good and bad. Bad, I am losing time alone with God... Last Sunday I bought an Orange and Lemon CD "Strike the Iron Whilst It's Hot" I love their sound, fusion of 80's, 60's and acid... Wednesday, I learned that it was fasting day over at the office. Good thing I ate heavy breakfast before I came to office. Work is good. I enjoy it, I am unsure why, though unconciously it maybe I am experiencing a sense of being and significance as studies often say. For one, I like it because it kills time. I spend less money. I eat less, only during breaks (that means I eat a lot!) I don't have to talk too much. But driving to and from office I don't like specially in the area... Today, went to school, our professor today taught in video because he was somewhere in Ukraine this time... Before that I went to my friend's mom's office to deliver work and collect fees. And I was again probed for still not having a girlfriend, and my face just sank. Because I'm tired of making up reasons, in the end I said, "Perhaps it's not yet time, but I believe me I am getting impatient." Which became a long mind-conversation and destructive reflection with God... After school I met my family to visit my cousin who was a victim of a hostage crisis receiving multiple stab wounds... Saturday, we had carecell at Johann's place, and he cooked for us, he just finished his culinary certification for this culinary course in Singapore on January '06. And Chubby his Chow-chow already grew so big and cute (just don't smell him), he looks like a lion now.

What am I doing? I should be sleeping.