ACRONYM

Post birthday mode ako with an acronym that BFF Joy sent to me as her birthday greeting.  Here it is:

Happy birthday BFF!

More than being a good friend, you are a man of

Action     - you walk the talk.

Reliable  - I can always count on you

Noble      - You have high moral principles and ideals

Excellent - In everything that you do.

Loyal       - Stays true til the end.

Happy birthday BFF!

God bless and establish the work of your hands.

In response to this touching gesture, I would like to tell my BFF:

More than the gift that you have given me are the words you use to describe me.  When times I feel that I don't matter and make sense, this affirmation is refreshing to the ears and to the heart as well.  Thank you very much BFF!

My BFF may be mistaken with her acronym of me but what she wrote is a great inspiration of what I could become someday.  Hehehe!

What about you my friends?  Do you have something to inspire me too?

BELATED CELEBRATION!

I had an advance birthday celebration (mere gift giving though) and a double celebration posts in this blog.  And to cap it all, I am posting my belated birthday celebration!

My birthday cake

Notice how the giver spell or respell my name.  Para naman daw maiba.  Kakaiba kasi ang pastor nila.  Parang hindi pastor.  Hahahahaha!

Actually, it's a celebration of all August celebrators and one of them is me.  Having a monthly celebration is becoming a tradition in our vesper worship.

Praying for the meal

Some of the foods

The other cake

Dolor's Kakanin

Below are those who join the celebration:

This celebration would not be possible without the generous hearts of the following:

1.   Valdez family for the one big bilao of pancit malabon (my favorite!) one big bilao of kalamay, one big bilao of vegetable salad.

2.   Desalisa family  for the one big bilao of Dolor's Kakanin.  We missed you though.

3.  Racquel Bernardo and Grace Malubag for the birthday cake.

4.  Regala family for the cake roll.

5.  The rest, I thank myself.  Hahahaha!

6.  Anonymous photographer and gift giver.  You know who you are. Much, much thanks!

7.  For my angels and vesper family who joined in this celebration, salamat ng marami!  Let us see each other again on the last week of September.  Hehehehehe!

NAUGHTY AND NICE

Naiwan na naman sa akin si Aiah.  Actually, I told my wife that my princess can stay with me for another week since my class this week was postponed.  Kaya, here I am, keeping my watch on her while doing my other works.

Aiah is already a toddler.  She is so curious about the things and people around her.

While inside the office, she was playing with the cards in my wallet.  She was holding a scissor but I was not afraid because I know that the cards are too thick to be cut by a little girl.  But I was wrong, there was a thinner card that she was able to cut that upon seeing it, immediately sent me into panic.  This was the card I got from her:

A discout card from Nice Hotel

When I looked at the card, my panic had changed into perplexity.  What the hell of a card  am I keeping in my wallet.  Hahahahaha!  I started looking for reasons why I kept it.  Having not found any reason, my shock was changed into a feeling of relief that the card was cut.  Who knows, I might be tempted to use it in the future had it not been cut? Hahaha!

Still in the office, done playing with the scissors, my daughter shifted her interest to the  built-in cabinets.  She played close-open with the cabinet doors.  

Moments later, she got something from the cabinet and gave it to me:

DVD Writer

We've been looking for this dvd writer for three months now.  My wife hid it inside myoffice because three months ago, there were constructions and renovations being done in the church, including our bedroom.  Thus, she looked for a safe place to hide the dvd writer.

Happy for finding the long lost dvd writer, I texted my wife:

Me:  Mahal nakita ni ni aiah dvd writer mo.  Dito pla sa sa mga cabinet sa office mo tinago.

Donna:  Office? Pero nwei ...yipppeeeee!

Me: Yap.  Sa office ko.  Malikot kasi si aiah.  Hahaha!

Donna:Buti n lang at may malikot akong anak ...hehe ..lam u b na nglilinis ako ngaun house ... hinahanap ko yan ...

Me: Hehehehe

Having a daughter like Aiah can turn things messy and  me, weary.  But what she has accomplished today by being "naughty" had made me so happy!  

By the way, do you know that the remark of my teacher in grade 1 on my report card is that "I am a naughty boy."  May pinagmanahan pala si Aiah.  Hahahaha!

SOMETIMES, IT IS NICE TO BE NAUGHTY

42+

Today I turned 42 years old.  In celebration of my birthday, I am posting 42+ things that you might not know about me.

1.  I am the eldest in the family of three boys and was born to a  poor family in Tondo, Manila.
2. I was sexually abused when I was a child.
3. I am a late bloomer student, started grade 1 section 17 to grade 6 section 2.
4. I prefer Social Studies for a subject and I got two perfect scores in our periodical test when I was in grade 5.
5. I felt rejected when my teacher in grade 4 was always picking on me and had me transferred in the afternoon class.  For many days, I was crying on my way home because of the feeling of rejection.
6. Our neighbor, hearing me sing, told me that I am out of tune.
7. I use to play with my "tool" when I was a child even in public places.  No, I am not an exhibitionist.  It is rather an indication of insecurity I guess.
8. I am not a picky eater but I love soupy foods.
9. I eat fast. I walk fast before I got a knee problem.
10. I grew up having coloring books of Voltes V, Mazinger Z, Daimos, Mekanda Robot etc.
11. I grew up watching Lito Lapid films.
12. I got a taste of an apple, pear, grapes and hot chocolate and a new dress mostly during Christmas when I was a child.
13. One of my teachers in grade 5 told me that I could have been the first honor of my class had I behaved like the most behaved girl in our class.
14. I am a thrifty person.  I saved money in Banco Filipino with P1 as my daily school allowance during elementary.
15. I won third place in  folkdance competition division level when I was in grade 6.
16. I grew up dancing the songs of John Travolta.
17. I hate Mathematics but could follow the lessons once I try hard.
18. I was replaced by our adviser on the last minute of a SportsWriting Contest.  Good thing, the she won.
19. I was the poor third in the friendship of four back in highschool.
20. I have written a drama play when I was highschool and college.
21. I hate Music subject although I love the stories behind the songs.
22. I was rejected by the first girl that I courted.  Since then, I let the girls court me.  Hahahaha! Joke
23. I am gullible person.
24. I spent my highschool years listening to Air Supply.
25. I love to read.
26. I love period films and like a protagonist that die in the end.  I am not into horror and fantazy films.
27. My favorite color is green.  Symbol of hope and life.  I love looking at a grassfield.
28. My favorite number is 2.
29. I favor the underdog.
30. I am a loner.
31. I am an introvert  person.
32. I am a reluctant choir member.
33. Base to baritone is the type of my voice.
34. Growing up, people always mistaken me to somebody else.  Lately, to Mike Enriquez and Ed Lapiz.  They are both blessed to be likened to me.  Hahahahahahaha!
35. I hate my toe nails and fingernails.  I cannot cut them to the max.
36. I dreamed of studying in Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) but was late in enrolment.
37. I was disqualified to take up Computer Science course in PUP because of a low grade in Math.
38. I have a beautiful love story.  I married twice and people could not believe that I have many children.  Hindi ko rin akalain.
39. I am a teacher killer. Hehehehehe!
40. I had same sex relationship before.
41. I am a feminist.
42. I am pro RH  Bill.
43. I am pro legalization of prostitution.
44. I am against death penalty.
45. I love people who are not afraid to commit mistakes.
46. I love travelling.  Israel is my dream destination.
47. I have no plans of working abroad. No offense to our OFW's.
48. I am a procrastinator.
49. I love literature.
50. I love chatting.
51. I bore easily.
52. I am an artist
53. I have written some songs.
54. I am liberal in my outlook.  I have thrown my conservatism long ago.
55. I lead by following.
56. I am rich in friends.
57. I have proven that I am a forgiving person.
58. I have a violent tendencies.
59. I have proven that I am not hungry for power.
60. I learned how to be bold and brave.
61. I have a weight problem
62. I am thinking of being a bi-vocational pastor.

More addition to the list in the coming days.  Right now, I just would like to praise the Lord for the life that God has given me.  It is far from perfect but I am growing and learning.  

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

THE JOY OF FRIENDSHIP

Friends come and friends go but there are friends who remain.  And this friend of mine stayed with me through the years.  Our friendship started when we became classmates in college.  On our first day of school, she started befriending the whole class.  She has the blood of Miss Congeniality in her.  And friendship attracts friendship.  And so we became friends.  The friendship they call forever.

She was one of the secondary sponsors when I got married.  Back when we were both skinny.  Hahahahahaha!  She is also the godmother of my son, Amen Learn.

Joy and I at the Iceberg, Robinsons, Ermita

 We decided to meet at 7 pm at Robinsons, Ermita.  I was on time.  She was one hour late.  As usual.  Hahahaha! That is her trademark.  That is the one I have learned to love in her.  Because this BFF (Best Friend Forever) taught me how to be patient.  Why does an on-time person click with a time-less person? Well, bestfriends do not have to be totally alike to stick together.

But mind you, this person, is one of the most dedicated that I know.  I know that back in college, there were so many things that destruct her.  But once she focused herself to a given task, she will give you a run for your money.

I remember when we had this radio play presentation in college.  There was a scene that required the sound of a person "passing out."  She was in charge of the sound effects.  And she literally dived on the floor to create the needed sound.  Hahahahahahaha!

Another instance, this time, a drama play.  She was one of the main leads.  She was burning with fever during the first day of show.  I thought she was not coming.  And she had all the reason not to.  But professional as she is, she came with a passionate acting.

That was her order. Joy is a food lover.  It is through her that I came to know the latest and the best place as far as fancy restaurant is concerned.  But since I am the one who is giving a treat, she has to bear with my choice and my budget.  Hahahahahaha!

My order, the best seller in Iceberg, Pork Sisig

Mango Iced tea

This meeting was rescheduled for so many times.  Sometimes we plan according to the date of our birthdays.  Her birthday passed and mine was about to come.  Finally, our schedules met.  

There was no obligation in us to remember each other's birthday or special occassions.  All we know is that, as if it was just yesterday, when we last met.  We lose track of each other for a while but renewed our friendship and have been meeting now at least once a year.

Joy and Me at the Starbucks

We transfered to Starbucks for a coffee after dinner.  She is a coffer lover or a Starbucks lover.  Hahaha!  There are so much to talk about.  We have developed through the years this great degree of openness.  We exchange notes.  Hahahahahaha!

Her birthday gift to me

Right now, Joy is a full-time mom.  Her choice.  She used to work but for some reasons, she stopped.  When she was working, her wallet is always busy giving all her friends and loveones a treat.  That includes me.  This friend of mine is sweet and generous.

While I was waiting for her, I was thinking that she is not comfortable being on a receiving end.  I knew that she will definitely have something for me.  And I was not wrong.  She gave me a birthday present.  I was so touched by her gesture.

She reads my blog and rereads it.  Thank you so much Joy!  I told her I will blog about our meeting ... about her.  And I am sure that her heart is telling me a lot of "thank you's."

I thank God that God showers and enrich me with friends.  And this friend of mine put so much "JOY" is a relationship called friendship.

UNTIL OUR NEXT MEETING BFF!

LESSONS FROM THE LANDS

Due to some requests, I am posting my sermon yesterday, August 19, 2012 here in my blog.

 LESSONS FROM THE LANDS

Joshua 13
by Rev. Arnel R. Vasquez

We are done with chapters 1-12 of the book of Joshua in our sermon series.  The previous sermon gave us the answers to the following questions:  Why are we losing our battles?  How to win our battles? What if our battles are getting bigger?  What if our battles are getting bigger and bigger?

Joshua 13 is about distributing the lands among the tribes of Israel.  After fighting the surrounding nations and overcoming them for many years, now is the time to reflect on what lessons could God be teaching the Israelites and us.

First, GOD OWNS EVERYTHING.  This is an eternal truth but becomes a sad truth. It is now a cliche.  People have this tendency to forget that everything was created by God and there's nothing that we have that does not come from the Lord.  Isaiah 26:12 says, "Lord, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us."  While it is true that our successes can be attributed to our study, talents and abilities, we need not forget that our mental and physical faculties all come from God.  

Applying the said truth to the book of Joshua, we will learn two significant things:

• God owns all lands.  The book of Joshua is about possessing the Promised Land.  God owned the lands where foreign nations lived.  And God owned the land that God promised to the Israelites.  The disputes over territories is one of the most violent.  Even a family is disintegrated once a fight over a piece of land enters the picture.  The truth is, it is the land that owns us.  Nobody can walk without a ground to step upon.  Unless you are a ghost.  When we die, we will be buried six feet below the ground.  The land came before us and it will outlive us.  The people know how precious land is.  They know that life comes from the land.  Since God owns all lands and life comes from the land, it leads to the next truth.

• God owns all lives.  This is the reason why God can justify His commandment to annihilate totally all the enemies of the Israelites, men and women, young and old.  God is the giver of life and God can take it anytime God wishes.  The Bible tells that God can give life and God can also take it away.  I would not go to a great detail to justify God's command to take the innocents lives.  That can be another sermon.  

Another vouch how people tend to forget the concept of  proper ownership is the recent issue between our Senator Tito Sotto and an American blogger, Susan Pope.  It is through Facebook that I learned that Senator Sotto was accused of plagiarism.  Plagiarism is defined as, "the unauthorized use of close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work."  According to Pope, Sotto copied the idea from her blog, word for word without proper recognition to his source.  But our Senator argued that he has done nothing wrong.  That Sarah Pope is just a "mere" blogger.  Sen. Sotto's argument was later followed by the insincere apology by his chief of staff, who, although admitted that their writer's really copied from Pope's blog, but was sarcastic in tenor.

It is really a shame that the one being accused of plagiarism is a Filipino Senator.  It is more humiliating that "repentant" spirit cannot be seen and heard from the guilty.  His lawyer seemed to display a greater heights of arrogance.  Why are these happenings?  Again, people tend to forget that God is the real owner of things.  And people have this tendency not to be good stewards.

Again, this truth is what God would like the foreign nations to learn as well as the nation of Israel.

Second, GOD GIVES TO WHOM GOD WISHES. Since God is the owner of everything, God has all the right to give it to anyone God wishes.  God chose  a slave people and a small nation to make them a model of what a nation should be.  Other nations failed to honor God.  They worshiped idols.  They made a god of themselves. They had not been good stewards.  They owned the land as only for themselves.  They did not offer their lives to the Lord.

For God, God needs a new settlers of God's land.  A nation who would honor God.  A grateful people who will value the land.  A nation who would dedicate their lives for  God.  And God chose Israel to fulfill these calling.  And so God is giving them the Promised Land.  The land is not unoccupied land but God is driving its previous occupants away because they failed to live according to God's plan and purpose.

Others are crying "land for the landless."  But others are telling that it should be "land for the tillers."  Land according to God's purpose, should be used to sustain life and to benefit more people.  It should not be claimed as one's property for one's own whim.

The Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25 gives an extraordinary principle.  Those who have will be given more and those who do not  have any, would be taken away of some more.  God gave the land that God took away from the foreign nations.

Third, GOD WELCOMES ANYBODY TO HIMSELF.  It should be known that the Israelites were joined by non-Israelites when they exited Egypt.  The Gibeonites, though out of deception, was able to ally with Israelites.    But the most powerful testimony of  God's embracing love to humanity is that of Rahab (Joshua 2).  Rahab was an example of a person that people would choose the least. She is the epitome of an unqualified person.

• First, she was a woman, a second class person in the society.
• Second, she was a Cananite, a foreigner, a people doomed for destruction.
• Third, she was a prostitute, a sinner and an outcast.

The proof of her lowly class in the society was the location of her home.  You see, the land of Jericho where Rahab lived had two walls, the inner and the outer wall.  It was in between that walls that Rahab had her house.  Thus, the moment the city of Jericho is attacked by the enemy, those living between the two walls will be the most vulnerable.

Rahab knew she was among the disadvantage.  But her faith tells the otherwise.  That is why, when two Israelites spies came to her inn to seek refuge, she protcted them.  She invoked of God's protection the moment God destroyed Jericho.  And God fulfilled God's promise to Rahab.  Her whole family was spared from death and destruction.  Not only that, she married later an Israelite named Salmon, who was the ancestor of Boaz, the ancestor of David and the ancestor of Jesus.

Indeed, God welcomes the unwelcome.  God embraces the repentant.  God honors the heart of a person more than her face.

It has been weeks now since the last time Ayan  went to our house.  Some of my posts are about him.  So to give you a background, please read some of my posts here in my blog.  Before Ayan stopped visiting us, two of my well meaning members, told me to discourage Ayan from visiting us.  I know that their concern is valid.  It is dangerous to keep a person who was once hooked to drugs to one's house.  I admit, they were able to persuade me.  But like I said, even before I talk to Ayan, he already ceased coming.

But there is one important lesson that I learned about Ayan.  Recently, there is somebody who I just found out, came to our house and had a sleep over.  I am not comparing people because I believe that all persons have their own strength and weaknesses. I do not want to go into details.  I just realized that there is an area in a person's life that cannot be destroyed by drugs.  In those times that Ayen stayed with us, he had shown me so much respect.  He exemplified a person who is so grateful to his keeper.  He washed the dishes himself.

Honestly, such display of respect and gratitude I missed even to some of "most" christians in the church.  I even encountered Christians who need to be taught about good manners and right conduct.  Christians who utter the word "pastor" but do not know the real meaning of the word.  Sad to say, these Christians are blinded by their own ignorance and arrogance.

In our midst are the modern Rahab.  Those who are disqualified by the peoples' standards.  They need people who would make them realized and feel that there is a God who is willing to embrace and accept them.

In each one of us there is a little Rahab.  Tainted by dark past. Outcast by the people.  But as God chose slaves and lowly people for a model nation and a Cannanite and prostituted woman. We can also have this confidence that in God there is a home.  In God, we have a future.

Friends as we journey towards or live now in our own Promised Land, let us remember the LESSONS FROM THE LANDS.

BLOGLESS NO MORE

It's been six days since the last time I made a post here in my blog. The good news is, I would be blogless no more.  Last Wednesday, I got my netbook repaired from Neo Service Center, SM North Edsa where my netbook stayed for almost a week.  Good thing, my netbook is still under one year warranty so the repair was free.  The sad news, barely a year, the keypad of my netbook is already broken.  Is it because of the brand or the user? I don't know.

My Newly Repaired Netbook

I was sad the whole time I was not blogging. Actually, we have a PLDT telpad in the house.  I tried posting in my blog using it but becasue I am not familiar with a touch screen gadget yet,  it took eternity for me to construct even one sentence.  

With my failure to use the telpad, I thought of using my Blackberry phone.  But the screen of my querty phone is so small that I could not see all the commands I need to write a post.

So I remained blogless and joyless.  

My mind and heart now longs for this:

Samsung Galaxy Note

I feel that this phone was invented for me and I was born for this phone.  O di ba, pang writer lang ang dating ng phone? Pero hindi lang pang writer ang dating niya, pang rich din.  Hahahahahaha!

Pero hindi naman masama ang mangarap di ba? At lalong hindi masama ang magpray.  Hahahahaha!

With this gadget, I feel I can  blog anywhere.  Ang linaw at may flash pa ang kanyang 8 megapixel na camera.  Saan ka pa?

Pero dahil praying ang wishing pa lang ang magagawa ko.  Tiis muna ako sa netbook ko.

Last Friday nang magkita kami ng BFF ko, she commended me for my blog.  Lalo ko tuloy namissed ang pagsusulat.  Hindi niya  lang daw binabasa ang mga posts ko, binabalikan pa niya.  O di ba, parang lutong ulam, binabalik-balikan.  Hahahaha!

Sana kayo rin, libre namang balikan ang mga posts ko.  To tell you the truth, I keep on rewriting my posts kahit nga nakapublished na rito.  Sabi nga sa isang quotation, "A good writer is a rewriter."  Applying the quote to you my readers will read like this, "A good reader is a rereader."  Quote mode? Hahahahahaha!

Now that I am armed again to make a post, watch out for my coming posts especially now that we have a long weekend.

To those who missed my blog, salamat ng marami.  At sa mga hindi naman, then you are missing a lot. Joke! Hahahahahaha!