Today I went to my last class for Foundations of Christian Education of Dr. Ayuk. I presented my major report on an approach to CE. It went well. Dr. Ayuk commended me for the content of my report. Though I thought I spoke to fast and scripted. And there was something awkward in my English, I think my tongue had not spoken English for awhile since Lent. I learned alot from my report, as well as the whole subject in general. I still have to see Dr. Ayuk on friday to submit some papers. One subject wrapped up. One more tomorrow. Then my summer vacation is official.

Still Amazing

Lord I know the power of the blood of the Lamb | The cleansing flow from Calvary to redeem this fallen man | Though You were rejected and Your love was more than tested | You carried on Lord, You left your Father | You came to set men free | To give me life You laid yours down as a ransom just for me | Oh Jesus I'm so grateful that Your love's been more than faithful Sometimes our desires may lead us far away | But your spirit draws us back to you no matter where we stray | Even in our weakness, Lord, Your love can always reach us Lord your grace is still amazing | Amazing to me

Today we had water baptism and church outing in Valenzuela. Brought my notebook & gamepad & altec speakers with subwoofer. Hindi tinantanan ni John Andrew ang Family Computer. It was a good day. We played badminton, hardcore handball in the pool, it was exhilarating. I wanted to get a tan so my body is sunburned. My first swim of the year. Hopefully not the last. I hope I get to swim in Palawan.

God-dialogues

It's almost a month since the official start of summer. It's Holy Week. I still have some stuff to do in work & school.. Especially school. Indeed, the last days of school are the laziest time to wrap up things. I have to do some paper work for Christian Education and Epistles. Recently I got into this emotional catastrophe that I am now thinking of packing up and leave.. for a while. I have created a path which I am convincing myself to be the path which I must take.. now. Having God-dialogues within my mind.. lots of questions, why? where? when?.. But amazingly He answers through lots of people.. just now. And He's technologically up-to-date I might add, after all, ALL things come from HIM. What does He want me to do for Him? I am asking God what's His direction for me now. I am anticipating His clear reply. I am ready to go to Palawan on April 17.. not quite ready.. I need a sleeeping bag. I am praying that He will finally reveal to me His direction once there. Lots of voices I hear. Telling me what and what not to do.. Where and where not to go.. And I still have to deal with my assigned demon's whispers.. Man, this is a battle.. a battle with my future at stake. I heard once that peace is not a place and it's not a feeling. Am I at peace today? Am I that bird peacefully perched on a storm blown tree? Where is my joy? Where in the part of my journey have I lost it? I feel blank. I am searching for something I know I had but then I lost it. Or haven't I had it before? I feel I need to take some steps back to where I started, where I felt that spark, that oil. For now life is bland. I feel my house is a clutter. I need to clean-up. I need to regroup.. I even failed to keep track of my planner. Yet I still put more crap in my life. I need to be simple. Using a low-end phone.. that can be a start.. I know God is somewhere watching me. Observing my every move. I know my dialogues is getting to Him. And I appreciate that He's so alive in my life.. not just an object to put on false hope.. it's the real deal. At 23, the life-road still looks so far and winding. Lord, how can I finish this life with a head high up? Pray my fire continue burning to the last flicker.. Use me to the last drop. I WANT to make my life COUNT. Enough to be counted as Yours.

What's Your Secret for Success?

Took some test just to kill some time...

Patrick, your secret to success is to be Proactive You are a born leader with a take-charge attitude. Unlike many people who believe problems will simply go away if you give them enough time, you're one to tackle the obstacles in your path head-on. Part of being proactive means you can aggressively anticipate the future and work to shape it according to your desires. You don't wait for things to happen; you make things happen, which is why you also tend to find yourself in a position of responsibility. Also, because of your quick mind and ability to strategize, you can keep yourself two steps ahead of everyone else when it comes to executing plans or anticipating future actions. These characteristics help you rise to positions of authority where others can more fully appreciate your drive and direction.

What Kind of Cool Are You?

Patrick, you're Crazy Cool You taking the tried and true path? We doubt it. A wild child with lots of passion, you often prefer to leap without looking. This means you don't mind taking a chance or getting in a little trouble from time to time. If you learned something new or pushed yourself, then hey, it was worth it. Sure, you've got a sensible side, too, but you'd rather get lost in the moment and do something no one else has done before. Sound pretty cool? It certainly is.

Rob & Amber rocks Amazing Race! I hope they win AR7. Episode next week is 2-hours and action packed: Gretchen is bloody and brothers' car flipped from the dustroad in Africa.

I'm so pumped in lifting weights. I continue to add more weight to my long bar. And now I am already using all of my 40lbs + 5pbs (long bar). Right now I'm researching on how to purchase whey protein, it is supposed to help me build muscles quicker. I don't want to be an Arnold Shwarchzeneger (right spelling?) who is a muscle-turned-man, but just toned and firm body. I am planning to buy more plates. I am feeling that I might get hooked in adding more weights. My Ipod shuffle really rocks! So lightweight and I can take it anywhere. I have to change content once in a while depending on the mood because it can only hold 120 songs and can't search through it, just chronological or random play.

The Screwtape Letters

I'm reading The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. It was a good find. It's a fiction about a series of letters of Screwtape, a high-raking devil to his young nephew and amatuer tempter Wormwood. A view of the workings of evil and their Enemy (God) in their persons/patients (us). A very clever book by Lewis who lets us understand temptation from the devil's perspective, as a review says 'reverse theology method.' This is a very timely book. I'm on chapter 7. C.S. Lewis is also the author of Chronicles of Narnia, which Disney is producing. Ala Lord of the Rings. Lewis, a Christian, says he was influenced (religiously?) by his close friend JRR Tolkien, author of Lord of the Rings.

Today I woke up at noon, played Rockman for a while. Then in the afternoon when there was nothing to do I decided to go to SM West. I had in mind to checkout the Ipod Shuffle. I also bought a C.S. Lewis book called The Screwtape Letters. I have been wanting to read books of C.S. Lewis, as it has always been quoted in reflective articles.

I got an Ipod Shuffle! Finally i get to have one, the youngest among the Ipod family. It has 512MB that can accomodate up to 120 songs.

Book of Hope Distribution

Today I joined a Book of Hope distribution of Gospel Church of Manila in Jose Abad Santos High School in Binondo. It was a very exciting experience presenting the Book of Hope to high school students. At first I was supposed to just help hand out the books but after much persuasion, and I was also able to attend a mandatory training sometime before, I took my step to talk in front and present the book. I was able to talk to a handful of students, talk to them about BOH topics like Family, Love and Sex. After the distribution in the afternoon, my voice was already dry and my feet is aching. But it was all worth the experience! I was able to meet and know people more like Ate Esther and Ate Angie, and the GCM team.

I plan to go to Baguio in June to take up a 6-month Missionary Training Program in APTS. I know I have been called to become a missionary, but don't know where yet. I need some time, some space to think, reflect and seek the will of God. I would need support though but I know God will provide if this is His will.

Today was our last day of class in Stress and Conflict Management. These are my classmates. Dr. Z or Zonia Tappeiner is in the middle. This subject is very informative, insightful and helpful. I learned how to understand the nature of man, and why he acts that way. How to handle conflict resolution. This was where I learned to develop a conceptual/theoretical framework (I never learned conceptualization in my architecture design). From left to right: (standing) Ate Joy - Filipino youth pastor, Sunny - from India, Kuya Chad - our District Youth Director in AG, Pastor Jojo from Ilo-ilo, Me, (sitting), Ate Marlyn from Mindoro Occidental, Dr. Zonia, Bright - from India (funny guy), and Loata from Fiji.

Yesterday I bought a Logitec Gamepad. I just learned from one of my youth, John Andrew, that I can play Nintendo games (back when the Family Computer was THE game to have) in PC. Yes, I am a loyal Nintendo follower. When NES and Playstation came to take over, I never knew how to play them. Imagine the fun I had when I got hold of the games. I was also able to download the Rockman 1-7 series and Super Mario 3.. my favorites. 

We had our first youth summer fellowship today. I am thankful that even there were only 13 people who came, I felt the joy and peace in me that I do not usually feel because I was too frustrated of the low head count. It was different. The kids are still aloof towards each group since it was the first time they were mixed together. It was simple and essential. It was really great. After the fellowship we dropped by the hospital to check out Brznf. He is still having headaches. I am in need of isolation. For contemplation and seeking His will. Each time my calling to go to the mission field is getting near.. indirect but present.

"Eagles do not scratch with chickens."

Just woke up. Work is piling up. Got to do some today. My hate-mailers already started apologizing after I sent a 'consciencious' email about giving people the benefit of the doubt. There's Survivor on TV today. Tonight in our band practice I think we will be short of a drummer. Brznf is sick. Hope he gets well soon.

You Got Hate Mails!

Some days ago I sent an e-mail question to my Siamese Cat yahoogroup about my cats. My female Siamese, Adi, has been restless lately, I think she is in heat. So I asked for advice about mating and breeding. And today I got a number of hate mails saying I'm a cat abuser! Apprently 9 month old cats in heat aren't ready yet to breed. And preferably pet cats are supposed to be neutered, like eunuchs, to prevent from breeding. I find it weird, but that's the way things go on the other side of the globe. It was pretty insulting how they judge me about being interested in mating my cats to make money. C'mon I can make more money than breeding cats. I spend the afternoon at church doing and preparing youth papers and stuff.

"The last one to die is Hope." - A Russian Proverb Haven't blogged for a while. School is nearly wrapping up, just when I began to see the significance and benefit of reading books. My Bohol trip was cancelled since my friends and I can't make our schedules meet. I purchased a bench press so I could do my workout at home.. no one looking and to be intimidated to. By the way, just this week, when I dropped by our school's office, Ate Gigi already gave me my first debut appearance on the cover of a music CD. It was contemporary Christian CD by our school president's son's band called the Quinley Tribe. No facial exposure cause I was taken from the back letting go of a balloon.. nothing fancy.. but cool eh? My cellphone sucks cause the battery won't charge from the phone, I have to charge the battery from another phone. I tried taking it to a repair shop and the bill was P1000 so I passed. Summer's in.. it's Youth Ministry Time!

Tasty specialty: Crispy porkchop 

Lunch today at Tasty in Ongpin.. Me, Candy, her mum Sis. Lourdes, Brznf & Lawrence 

Just finished chatting with Kim. It was a good day today. Went to Jerald's place this afternoon to play badminton at their rooftop. They have set up a badminton court complete with nets.. Best of 3 of race to 50.. I won. I'm sure my body will ache tomorrow. Mind you I was in the Badminton varsity during high school but there were better players than me, so I know few strategies and moves.. but I totally forgot how the scoring works and whose turn when. After that we went to Pizza Hut in Tutuban Center. We ordered a fried-chicken stuffed crust pizza cause I wanted to try it. It was good. It was a nice food trip. After that we went to McDonalds in Masangkay to try the McCollosus something like that.. not bad.. My parents were in the area getting a haircut. We went home together.