January 1 on December 30

I was reading through a post by one of my favorite writers, and his declaration was "Today is my January 1."

I looked at the date -- and he wrote it on December 23.

10 Things I'm Thankful For in 2010: The Return Of The Comeback

Return of the comeback is a term that I used when referring to Tito Vic and Joey movies. (Yes, I am an 80s kid.) Who doesn't love a great comeback? Whether it's a funny response to a silly question or a successful revival after 20 years, we all love how we are able to make something out of nothing at all. (That would be my last 80s reference, I promise.)

Giving Thanks This Christmas

Celebrating the holidays have always made me feel quite generous.

Buying presents. Sending messages. Remembering people you haven't seen in a while. Christmas and New Year's always brings a wave of generosity over me. Spending Christmas at work has pumped me up quite a bit. As cheesy as it may sound, I wanted to show my team that I am willing to spend my holiday with them, as much as they have spent their Christmas Eve in the office and away from their families.

But amidst the generosity, there's one G word that I know I should think about more.

"bad things happen to BAD people!"

"bad things happen to BAD people!"

Question asked on Formspring: "bad things happen to BAD people!" Or maybe it was something that pertained to my last post, which is completely unfair to judge.

Here's my answer: There are really no “good” people. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that all of us are tainted by and with sin, and not even the holiest person on the planet is "good". Everyone, including you, would be bad.

Romans 5:8 says - “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one. Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Don't know why you're hating, but whatever it is, I hope that you find the peace that you're probably still looking for. :)

Ask me anything

On God's Side.

My boyfriend Jay's dad used to call me by another person's name.

This happened during the first few months of our relationship. I got the chance to share a lot of stories with his dad. It was fun, and he had a lot of funny stories to share about his trips, his favorite food and his quips. And then he called me by a different name.

I was weirded out, hoped it was a mistake and got a bit disappointed that he didn't know what my real name was. I wanted to say "Barbie po" ("It's Barbie"), but I was too surprised to even try to contest it.

Jay said that his dad never knew one of his exes enough to actually call her by her first name. It was also the name of one of the hosts of the hit noontime shows, "Wowowee" that was always number one on the viewing charts. His father would watch it everyday. And then it hit me: he didn't refer to me as Jay's ex. He referred to me as the host of his favorite game show on TV.

That and other countless happy moments remind me of Jay's dad. He passed away peacefully last night.

Forgetting To Remember

“You are a hypocrite!”

Have you ever been called a hypocrite in your life? I mean, I never experienced it until this blog. I was called mean and flat-nosed and chubby, and all three have been equally annoying, but being labeled a hypocrite was a first. My initial instinct was to get angry or try to draw out a long list of people who probably didn’t like me, people whom I’ve hurt in the past, or people who just doesn’t understand my nature.

Interesting Church Sign

Ah, Facebook.

God Loves You!

“God loves you!” 

On my way home one rainy night, I bumped into a group of Koreans. It was drizzling and we were just right on the street. They were in umbrellas and asked me in a Korean-English accent if I could respond to a short questionnaire. I looked at the 5-point quiz and it was about the Bible. I was pretty confident in my answers; much like a student who wanted to impress their teacher, I finished it pretty quickly, and they said goodbye by reminding me that God loved me. 

He's Not Hot, Nor Is He Cool

I found this on a Facebook quote today:

"Satan is a hot man who likes to do very bad things."

The way that this stranger described Satan made it sound like he was some rockstar or celebrity. Colin Farrell is a hot man who likes to do very bad things. Russell Brand is a hot man who likes to do very bad things.

As sexy or cool as it may sound, we are still talking about the devil. Oftentimes we underestimate the power of the enemy. He's not cool (or hot) as you think he is.

Impossible Is Nothing.

I am a KG fan. One of the reasons why I like the Boston Celtics (sorry Lakers fans) is because of Kevin Garnett. This is a pretty old ad, so I may probably be one of seven people who hasn't seen it, but it's pretty cool. Be ready to (unconsciously) start singing this in the shower.


I see God this way sometimes. He's got the whole world in His hands...and because of that, NOTHING is impossible! 

Hollywood What Ifs.

If you're asking about the guy in the picture, it's Brad Renfro.

I'm not sure where you were in the 90s, but from where I was he was pretty popular and starred in movies like "The Client" and "The Cure". I used to watch all his movies and buy magazines like Tiger Beat just so I can put his picture in my wallet (very girlie, I know). He would have been my husband.

…if God granted ALL my prayers.

 Did you ever wonder, what if God automatically answered all our prayers to Him?

Sometimes, one short verse is all you need.

"In my integrity you uphold me and set me in your presence forever."

-Psalm 41:12

All-Time Bestseller.

No Harry Potter, Twilight or Lord of the Rings can outsell the undisputed number one read of all time. This book has been there for centuries. It has been translated in several different languages and has taken various shapes, sizes and versions. It was written by folks dressed in sheepskin and (probably) vintage Birkenstocks. It tells us stories of fires, famine, women turning to salt and sticks turning to snakes. It's chockfull of action, drama, romance and adventure. More so, it talks of a carpenter who died on the cross for a sin he didn't commit.

The Bible. Special, radical and very controversial.

Every Life Has a Story

Dan T. Cathy is the President of Chick-fil-A. It's a chicken-based fastfood chain in the US (second to KFC).

Chick-fil-A's mission is "to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us and to have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A." They are also famous for being closed on Sundays.

I love this video because it reminds me a lot about listening. Every life has a story, and it gets more interesting when we hear about it!

First.

I don't really know why I'm writing this blog.

To write about something means you have to be an expert on it. I am definitely no theologian or expert on the Bible; in fact, I have only started to read albeit erratically about a month ago. If you are new to reading this and expecting hardcore lessons on postmodern evangelism, then you might need to look somewhere else. It all just started with an inspiration, from Christians who, like me, are not genius or perfect but aim to share to at least one person.

Kaboom!

A chinese philosopher once said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." I think temptation works the exact same way. As Jon Acuff put it, "sin is fun".

Fun. Yep. You heard me. Now read along.

Check the Label.

We like labels. We classify and organize and separate ourselves in groups and categories to better understand ourselves. It's so easy for us to dismiss someone as geeks, goths, emos, jocks, cheats and crooks. Unless your friend or neighbor lives in a jar on Aisle 5 near the fresh produce, we were never really licensed to put labels on people.

My Doctor Dad.

My dad is the coolest, awesomest dad in the universe.

I'm sure you all have cool and awesome dads too, but my dad is surely on the list of Top 5 Greatest Dads in the world (and that's just according to me, of course).

His greatest dream was to become a doctor. But that was not what God had planned for him.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Last Sunday, we prayed for Pastor Nuel and his wife. I don't know Pastor Nuel personally, but I've witnessed to how he was chided by other pastors about being single, and how God blessed him with a beautiful and God-fearing wife who is now on her way. Pastor Ferdie started the service with a short prayer on the condition of the couple's baby in the hopes that they would be alright.

Of Piolo and Fairytales

I saw Piolo Pascual in church last week. 

So Piolo may not be popular depending on where you are in the world, but where I'm from, you are probably 1 of 4 people who doesn't know who he is (and 1 of 3 who wouldn't recognize the picture above -- the 2 others don't have TVs). His face is literally everywhere. Billboards of his endorsements, from tuna to perfume to laundry soap, on major highways. Run to the nearest convenience store and his face is on a magazine cover. Turn on the TV and you'd see him on primetime or on an interview talking about his latest movie. It would be a feeble comparison, but he's our version of Brad Pitt, only more popular. 

Everywhere is my LSS

Today I felt God's presence in a Michelle Branch song.

Before you click on that X in your browser and write me off as dorky, take heed. I was not expecting to even think about God in this instance. I was browsing through some pretty old mp3s on my mobile phone until I came across the song "Everywhere".

Nehemiah Builders

I have become an NBA junkie. I may seem like a girly girl at first glance. I like wearing pink, have no problems wearing accessories and have an abundance of shoes. But my hair is probably just as short as your dad's, my accessories are men's watches and my favorite pair of shoes would be my Zoom Kobe V.

But this is not a post about me or basketball. Funny that I thought about the NBA when I read about Nehemiah. 

Nehemiah Builders II

Still thinking about the NBA reminded me of Pat Riley. Riley, Miami Heat President and Head Coach, sparked controversy when he recruited Lebron James this year. He is known to be determined and named as one of the 10 Greatest Coaches in NBA history. He too, like Nehemiah, combined faith with action.  "I went to Catholic school, went to church every day. Born out of that (Irish upbringing), too are good values. The value of doing right. It is very simple, it's cut and dried."  

Arms Raised

Have you ever stretched the truth in church before?

The question may probably weird you out. Stretch the TRUTH? In church? How incredulous! For fellow Christians, that's unheard of. You would never twist, bend, or mutilate the truth in church.

But I have. And I think in some strange moment in our lives, we all probably did.

God is a DJ

I have never failed in an interview.

I don't know what it is with me and interviews. It's probably because I prepare in advance, read up on the subject, and have interviewed people myself. I listen intently to friends who didn't make it and ensure that I will not make the same mistakes they made. My college interview, my first callcenter job, my promotions --- 99% of the time, I sealed the deal.

But there was one that I was not particularly proud of.

Sandwich and Me - Bucket List Item #68

WARNING: Wait wait wait! Before you click on the link, please know that despite my many God-given talents, I personally think that singing is not one of them. (Yes, it's a disclaimer. Haha)

This was one item on my bucket list --- to sing in front of a crowd of thousands with a band. I was so happy and blessed that it was Sandwich, because they rock.

I may be no singer, but I am indeed a dreamer, and I like to chase after them even if people think I won't make it. If you know that you're God's child, NOTHING is impossible!

Smoking Allowed

When I was still in UP, I remember the sign right in the center of the AS lobby --- "MASAMANG MANIGARILYO". It's interesting how it sparked conversation among fellow college students; "Sabi lang naman masama, hindi naman sinabing bawal" ("The sign says that it's bad, but it didn't say that it's not allowed.")

I'm a "Christian"

I've come across a lot of people who have had some form of stigma when hearing the word "Christian". Why do I know? Because I was one of them a few years ago. You would always hear "wow, religious!" or worse, "Ay, alive alive" (easier to explain if you're Filipino :) ) Just very recently, one of our friends had his prayers answered when his house was finally sold. He used to have that stigma too, but we were all so glad when he went ahead and publicly declared his praises in thanking God for his provisions.

The Time Is Now.

TIME.

You could be a student cramming for finals, a mother of three busy taking care of household chores or a corporate person rendering excessive amounts of overtime. We all need time. Or do we really?

This video reminds me that sometimes, we don't need additional quantities of time to make ourselves better or happier. All we need is time well spent. Ephesians 5:15-16 says this:

¹⁵Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

Have you made the most of every opportunity today? Watch the video!

Make Disciples!

IF YOU LOOK AT HOW MANY TIMES a word is mentioned in the Bible, you’ll find out the emphasis of what the author is trying to say. For example, the word ‘Christian/s’ was mentioned only thrice. The word ‘believer/s’ was repeated twenty-seven times. The word ‘saint/s’ was commonly used by the apostle Paul sixty-six times in most of his epistles. While the word ‘disciple/s’ was lavishly used two-hundred and ninety-six times. 

You can now safely conclude that the Bible is seriously looking for D-I-S-C-I-P-L-E-S.

-from Pastor Ferdie's blog. So true!

Serv Ur King

"We were destined not to receive glory, but to give glory." Can I take your order please? :)

Bag of Cookies

I read this simple story from one of the pastors' sermons I have been reading.

A woman at the airport waiting to catch her flight bought herself a bag of cookies, settled in a chair in the airport lounge and began to read her book. Suddenly she noticed the man beside her helping himself to her cookies. Not wanting to make a scene,she read on, ate cookies, and watched the clock. As the daring "cookie thief" kept on eating the cookies she got more irritated and said to herself, "If I wasn't so nice, I'd blacken his eye!" She wanted to move the cookies to her other side but she couldn't bring her self to do it. With each cookie she took, he took one too. When only one was left, she wondered what he would do. Then with a smile on his face and a nervous laugh, he took the last cookie and broke it in half. 

How It All Began

I read a very inspiring post last week about one's 'faith journey', how you start to move out of their comfort zones with no promised results or defined path and only allows you to rely solely on God. Looking back, my own faith journey has been a very interesting trip indeed.

Post #001

I have always wanted to start blogging seven years ago, but it never seems to come to fruitition. I initially named the blog something else, but decided I should stick with what I think will work for me, hence the name. Being "barbied" was a term that my officemates coined in 2003, referring to the crazy (and or klutzy) things I used to do. Seven years after, being 'barbied' has evolved tremendously, and I would like to be able to share my own journey in finding love, happiness, cool stuff and a deeper relationship with God. :)