A Sleepless Typhoon Night

Last night, I wasn’t able to get some real sleep. The wind and the rains from typhoon “Santi” (international name: Mirinae) kept me awake. The rains were a very gloomy contrast to what was it like earlier. My wife worried more than I did but I could not admit to her how worried I was, too. I was trying to be strong for her – for our family.



It may seem to be so big a deal for us, but I guess that’s how it is for us who have experienced being flooded. At around 1 am I went out to drive our car to higher ground. My wife has started to pack stuff for evacuation just in case (food supplies, batteries for the radio and flashlight, some wrinkle cream, other toiletries).

We eventually fell asleep after some prayer and after distracting ourselves with other things to get us through the stormy night. We hope that it won’t be this way each time there is a storm or a typhoon in our area.

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Press Release: Del Monte Dare to be Fit ‘N Right Fun Run

Del Monte Fit ‘N Right continues its commitment in promoting a healthy lifestyle with the Dare to be Fit ‘n Right Fun Run on November 22 at the Mall of Asia with over P300,000 cash and products at stake! Organized by CEMG and supported by the Manila Bulletin, Solar Sports and Lenovo, the 3K/5K/10K Men and Women Open Run will benefit the victims of typhoon Ondoy and Pepeng through the SM Foundation.





Registration fee is P300 inclusive of singlet, race bib and Del Monte products. Participants can register at the (1) CEMG Office – Unit 3A Vernida I Bldg., Amorsolo St., Legaspi Village, Makati City (look for Marianne Tapales (892.5842/09155498282), (2) Dare to be Fit ‘n Right booths in Bonifacio High Street, Taguig plus SM Hypermart in Mall of Asia, Sucat, Pasig, and North EDSA, (3) Fitness First branches on November 16.

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I Dare You to Be Fit ‘n Right!

There are many benefits to being fit ‘n right. Personally, as a lover of sports, more specifically football, I need to stay fit so I can still run with younger players and remain competitive. But, more than the need to keep fit, I do feel more alive and energetic when I am fit.



I usually do a few push-ups a day and have been doing this regularly since April. Aside from that I used to play football on a regular basis and even played competitively for our football club Marikina United. I have always thought myself as a pretty fit person.

The "Dare to be Fit 'n Right" Logo

With Coach Jim Saret

But during the recent Dare to Be Fit ‘n Right launch by Del Monte Fit ‘n Right, where Coach Jim Saret, a sports scientist and a fitness consultant of the Philippine Olympic Committee, spoke about “The Science of Getting Fit and Losing Weight”, I was rocked to my core and was challenged as I learned that to say that person is in great physical condition, he must be able to:



*Bench-press one and one-half times his body weight to say that he’s got proper upper body strength,
*Run a mile and a half in ten minutes to declare that he’s got lower body cardiovascular fitness,
*Touch the rim of the basketball ring to claim that he’s got lower body power (but, of course height must be factored in, too),
*Leg-press two and one-fourth times his body weight to say that he’s got proper lower body strength,
*Swim 700 yards in twelve minutes to declare that he’s got upper body aerobic endurance,
*Do forty push-ups without stopping to say that he’s got upper body muscle endurance,
*Throw a basketball seventy-five feet away, on his knees, to claim he’s got upper body power,
*Touch his toes to say that he’s got flexibility, and lastly,
*Measure up and see that he’s got the right body mass index (BMI).

Now, as you read these, I know that for those who are not so much into exercising, they may seem like impossible goals and instead of motivating you to exercise more, they make you want to throw in the towel. But, you can always look at it another way, that is, to see all of them as a challenge. And that is how I saw them.

So right now, I am upping my number of push-ups a day and since the Dare to be Fit ‘n Right event at Taste Asia at the SM Mall of Asia, I have been trying to do forty push-ups straight. I haven’t successfully done it without stopping but I have been making it up to forty! Talk about being dared to be fit and right.

For those who are not very athletic and not into exercising, Coach Jim shared the four-minute workout, a.k.a. the F.I.T. (Fast Interval Training) workout which combines different short exercises (plank exercise, squats, push ups, lunges, crunches, side plank exercise - see video demo below) and it lets one burn 400 calories during exercise. Now, the great thing about this exercise is that calories continue burning even when a person is finished with the 4-minute workout!

To demonstrate this, a the launching of the Dare to be Fit ‘n Right campaign, a guy was asked to do the F.I.T. workout while wearing a calorie counter watch. During the workout, the calorie counter registered almost 400 calories burned and the number of calories continued to increase to almost 800 calories ten to fifteen minutes after. This is a breakthrough because usually, a person running on a treadmill for an hour only burns 200 calories. So why go the long route if the goal is only to burn calories?

The demonstration of the four-minute workout (F.I.T. workoout)

My own demonstration of the 4-minute F.I.T. (Fast Interval Training) workout by sports scientist and Master Coach Jim Saret

In addition to all these, drinking Del Monte Fit ‘n Right two hours before the F.I.T. workout or any kind of exercise, will speed up your metabolism or, in other words, help you burn fat faster. The reason is that Del Monte Fit ‘n Right contains L-Carnitine which helps burn fat. It increases the use of fat as an energy source by transporting fatty acids into the mitochondria, where they are ‘burned’ to release energy for body functions. Del Monte Fit ‘n Right also has B Vitamins 1, 6, 12 to help speed up metabolism.

Del Monte Fit ‘n Right is so consistent with their claim and their advocacy that they organized the “Dare to be Fit ‘n Right Fun Run 2009” which will be held on November 22, 2009 at the SM Mall of Asia (you can register here). This event is not only for runners but also for those who want to help typhoon victims because this Fun Run is for their benefit through the SM Foundation. The race mechanics are available in the photo below.

2009 Dare to be Fit 'n Right Fun Run mechanics

If I did not have a schedule on the 22nd of November I would surely have joined the Dare to be Fit ‘n Right Fun Run 2009. But I need to preach that Sunday morning in our church so my contribution is spreading the word about the Fun Run.


So what are you waiting for? Get your supply of Del Monte Fit ‘n Right and start exercising. Be a fan of their Facebook page. Better yet, exercise with other advocates and join the Dare to be Fit ‘n Right 2009 Fun Run!

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Blog Contest or Migrate to Wordpress First?

I am thinking about doing a contest here in my blog. I haven’t tried it before so I guess I would need to come up with a good idea for a contest and of course a prize – or prizes for that matter. I’m pretty sure I can’t give out disney world vacations as prize but I do need to think of a good prize to motivate bloggers to participate. I hope I can plan out this contest well and promote and market it online.

But, I’m also shifting to wordpress first before doing all these, but am having second thoughts. Why? Well, because I don’t want to stress myself out migrating my blog posts from blogger to wordpress. Anyway, let me plan about the contest first.

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The Mega Atrium's Official Launch

Last week, October 20, 2009, the SM Mega Atrium was officially launched. Ms. Angel Aquino was the hostess for the program which included a tour of the four floors of SM Megamall's new baby.

The launch of the SM Mega Atrium was capped by a fashion show which featured models wearing clothes from the different shops in the newly launched area. The food and drinks served were all from the restaurants and cafes in the Mega Atrium.

A photo collage of the SM Mega Atrium launch (thanks to Earth for sharing the photo at the center)

Press Release: The Mega Atrium Lifestyle

SM Megamall has grown so much more with the addition of the Mega Atrium, an exciting new lifestyle area in the Ortigas Center.

This niche mall within the iconic SM Megamall is located over Julia Vargas Avenue, and fully bridges the gap between Mega A and B. It has 16,000 square meters and has four levels.

With Megamall being a linear development that spans more than half a kilometer, the Mega Atrium is envisioned to be a center of respite and relaxation. Its strategic central location provides a convenient stop for mall visitors to relax and literally catch their breath while enjoying shopping at its upmarket stores and dining at specialty restaurants.

Upscale retail shops and restaurants are planned around a circular atrium with an area of 452 square meters. Access to the center is to offer an air of drama and surprise. Off the existing bridgeway, the visitor approaches the center through a low ceiling hallway that widens towards a cyclindrical skylight.

Dynamic non-concentric circles on the floor are achieved with the application of yellow tiles of varied hues. An equally dynamic skylight design matches the non-concentric circles on the floor. The curved patterns ripple out beyond the atrium area on both floors and ceiling to great consistency and harmony to the general look of the center.

The fifth level of the Mega Atrium is the new site of the 1, 700 square meter Chapel of the Eucharistic Lord. Designed by Architect Gervacio “Joey” Amistoso, the grand chapel has a modern architectural concept with the Eucharist as the focal point in the retablo or altar with the crucified Christ in the middle. The retablo is neo-classical design, which contrasts with the modern theme of the rest of the chapel.

The color scheme of the area is earth inspired using neutrals like beige and brown. Finishes are similar to those of stones used during the Romans times, which gives the chapel a structurally sound impression, but in a soft and warm approach. Wood in its natural oil finish is the most common material, which is used in the chapel. The Chapel of the Eucharistic Lord also has a separate Adoration Chapel and Children’s Room.


The Mega Atrium is an exciting addition to the 330,000 square meter SM Megamall, one of the world’s largest malls. Megamall, which opened in 1991, is said of have spearheaded what is termed in malling phenomenon with its size, world class designs, and new concepts including the Artwalk and Art Center and Megatrade Hall. The Atrium adds an upscale vibe to the mall.

The Mega Atrium design team includes Arquitectonica, Mall Designer; W.V. Coscolluela and Associates, Architects; Monolith Construction and Development Corp., General Contractor; and DA Abcede and Associates , Project Manager.

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Our Nintendo Wii vs the Flood and Typhoon Ondoy

Yes, our Nintendo Wii still works! When typhoon Ondoy hit our country, the flood waters went inside our house and left our bedroom like this.





My wife placed our Nintendo Wii inside a plastic bag with Ziplock and secured it on the top plastic drawer. But as you can see in the pictures above, the plastic drawer cases also fell to the floor after probably being lifted by the flood water and entered each compartment.



The plastic with the Ziplock did not work either because as I inspected the Wii console, its two remote controllers, and a pair of nunchucks, water was dripping from inside the Wii console and the other accessories. So we let it dry for a few days and also blow dried it before testing. When we tried it, we were glad that we can still view the Wii Home but when we inserted the Wii Fit and Wii Sports discs, they could not be read by the Wii console. We thought we’d need to resort to diet and regular exercise again instead of the alternative games of the two that we have. The two remotes worked perfectly but the nunchucks did not.

A few days after, when we were scheduled to go to SM Megamall for the launching of the Atrium, we intended to bring the Nintendo Wii to a service center. So I tested it again and to my surprise, it worked perfectly! I realized that it wasn’t completely dried yet when I first tested it. My wife and I are happy that this turned out this way, at least it saved us from additional expenses. Thank You, Lord!

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Press Release: ASUS My Eee PC Fair

ASUS MY EEE PC FAIR
My Eee PC My Life Blogging Contest Awarding Ceremony
Held at the Cyberzone, SM City Annex last October 17, 2009

Since its introduction in the market, Asus EEE PC has gained following. The name Eee derives from "the three Es," an abbreviation of Asus advertising for the device: "Easy to learn, Easy to work, Easy to play". Today Asus opens SM North EDSA Annex’s Techno Lounge for the EEE PC users and enthusiasts for the ASUS My Eee PC Fair.




Leader in Mobile Internet Device

Originally designed to appeal to children and older users, it has attracted everyone looking for a lightweight budget PC that weighs next to nothing and connects to the Internet easily. The Eee Pc is remarkably versatile machine for the price.

Asus has set a new class of device with the EEE PC. It has marked itself as a brand, product and marketing leader for mobile internet devices or what is now known as net books. It has set the trend for mobile devices that other brands later followed. EEE PC has received recognition and awarded locally and internationally by respected technology publications and organizations.



My EEE PC Fair

The fair showcases the different Asus EEE PCs introduced to the market. It is also to give tribute for the fervent support to EEE PCs.

The Eee PC owners and guests are up for exciting games and activities. Different booths are set around the area by Asus in partnership with Globe Tattoo, Logitech, Bo’s Coffee and Star Cruise to visit. People can also enjoy EEE PC balloons and take loads of pictures with your EEE PCs and friends at the photo booth area.

Coinciding with the fair is the awarding of the winners of first Asus My Eee PC My Life Blogging Contest. The contest was opened to all Asus Eee PC owners and blog entries that recently concluded last September 30, 2009.


My EEE PC My Life Campaign

My Eee PC My Life Blogging is being hosted to give voice to all EEE PC lovers in the country. It is about blogging one’s life experiences with his/her EEE PC. How they live their daily lives, travelled the world and still got connected with their EEEs.


ASUS Philippines was the first to launch this kind of marketing initiative among its ASUS offices in different countries. Over 150 bloggers participated and shared their Eeexperiences online and their entries were shared at http://myeeepcmylife.com.ph/. Because of the success of the campaign, My Eee PC My Life is now being executed by its counterparts having their own versions like photos of EEE PCS and their owners’ EEE PC adventures.

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ReviewsCorner.org Provides Honest and Unbiased Reviews

ReviewsCorner.org is one of my wife’s many web sites. In this site of hers, she reviews a lot of restaurants we have tried, services that we have also experienced from different companies, no colon cleanse reviews though, but a lot of products we have personally tried. Her web site entitled Reviews Corner does honest and unbiased reviews and my wife also accepts products for reviews in her website.

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Press Release: PLDT myDSL Subscribers Can Watch Brillante Mendoza’s Films for Free, Exclusively on Watchpad

Trailblazing innovations in broadband technology and still the country’s most preferred broadband provider, PLDT myDSL has once again introduced another first to its subscribers – the revolutionary Watchpad.



On Watchpad, there’s something for everyone. With Cignal HD as content provider, PLDT myDSL subscribers can now watch the hottest TV shows from their favorite channels – right on their computers. They also get to play the coolest online games and hang out with their favorite celebrities, all in one exclusive entertainment portal. While surfing, subscribers can even update their Facebook, Multiply and Twitter accounts, without having to leave the Watchpad page. Best of all, Watchpad is available nationwide and it’s absolutely free.



Available to all myDSL subscribers, Watchpad is also bringing the silver screen, straight to your PC screens. Starting on October, Watchpad will be featuring the most buzzed-about and award-winning indie films exclusively on myFlicks, Watchpad’s one-stop movie central. For its grand premiere, myFlicks is showcasing no less than the lustrous list of award-winning films from the country’s hottest filmmaker today, Brillante Mendoza.

Bagging the 2009 Cannes International Film Festival Best Director plum for his controversial film Kinatay, Mendoza won the award over distinguished filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino and Ang Lee. He also became the first Filipino to get the prestigious recognition. For four years he has directed a total of 8 films and many of which have drawn critical acclaim. Some of his films that will also be shown on Watchpad are Serbis, Twilight Dancers, Masahista, Manoro and Foster Child.

Best experienced starting with Plan 1299, Watchpad will also soon be featuring other highly-acclaimed films from more of the country’s premier and celebrated directors. To avail of the service, it simply requires logging on to www.pldtwatchpad.com for a unique username and password.

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A Two-Storey House Soon?

Talks about building a second floor on our house is now ongoing. Actually, when we had our 48-square-meter house built in 2007, a second floor was already included in the plan. We did not intend to have another floor built right away and, in fact, I thought we would add the extra storey when our four-year-old son reaches high school. Add in to that the mortgage we need to pay for twelve more years.


But, after Ondoy struck and flooded our area, I, my wife and my in-laws have started considering having a second floor built which can also serve as a place of refuge if in case it floods again like it did last September 26 and 27. Having a second floor will give us additional rooms and bathrooms.

So as we venture into building an extra bathroom and rooms on our soon to be built second floor, we may not necessarily get the elegant and lovely bathroom suites from BeterBathRooms.com, although it would really be nice if we did. But since the motivation behind all these is to build a place to shelter us during a flood, then building just the basics would be enough. Hopefully, this project will get started soon.

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Press Release: Department of Tourism, MTV and Apl De Ap Partnership

DOT and MTV: a partnership in perfect harmony

Fun, exciting and intensely musical - these are words that can easily be used to describe both the Philippines and MTV.

"We have so much in common," states Bill Roedy, Chairman and CEO of MTVN International, when he remarked on the partnership between the Philippine Department of Tourism and MTV. Secretary Ace Durano of the DOT agrees, "Music is as part of the Philippines as our cultural heritage, there is just a perfect fit between MTV and the Philippines."



This collaboration marks the first time that the media giant has joined forces with a country to promote its tourism industry and it exemplifies the innovative direction that the DOT has taken to reach out to younger generations of world travelers. The resulting campaign anchored on the global DOT website, AwesomePhilippines.com which represents a perfect synergy of the youthfulness of MTV and the unique charms of the Philippines. As Roedy puts it, "Our audience is young and vibrant and that's exactly what the Philippines is."

Undersecretary Eduardo Jarque, Jr. also shares, “The partnership has been a massive hit, specially with online marketing that is now a key platform for the travel industry.” The campaign taps at least 55 million people in eleven markets through the MTV global network, propelling the Awesome Philippines website through the digital stratosphere with 1 billion impressions and 1 million page views as well as giving rise to groundbreaking promotions like the Awesome Experience search vignettes, Awesome Remixer, Maverick sites, MTV Revelations island on Second Life, and the recent music video sensation, Take U to the Philippines by Apl.de.ap.

DOT and MTV's partnership only seems to grow stronger as it plays out, bringing more exciting ways to promote the Philippines at every turn. It certainly sounds like a perfect fit.

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A List of Things In Our House Flooded By Ondoy and of Heroes Who Helped Us Recover

When typhoon Ondoy struck on September 26 and 27, 2009, our area in our subdivision got flooded, 6-feet deep in the street in front of our house and waist-deep inside our house. Below is a list of the things that were submerged in flood water. Some of them were destroyed and thrown but some of them were fixed and are still usable, thank God.

*Single bed mattress and bed box - This was Jed's bed which also used to be my bed when I was still single. The mattress and its bedbox were both soaked in flood that we did not bother cleaning it. We dried it for a while and eventually junked it. We gave it away to people who asked for it.

*Queen-sized Uratex memory foam - This is what my wife and I sleep on. We saved this because it cost so much. It is a special kind of foam from Uratex, not a mattress, and it cost us more than P14,000 and is relatively new. We washed it and dried it under the sun and tonight will be the third night we'll be sleeping on it again.

*Bedroom door - This door to our master's bedroom swelled because of the flood. Now, it's still expanded so our bedroom door can not be closed at the moment. I don't know what to do with it's swelling, so if anyone has a suggestion of what to do with it to make it go back to it4 unexpanded form, I would really appreciate it.



*Nissan California with 1.5-liter engine - Our car was submerged and got three quarters of its height covered with water. The third day after the flood water subsided, a close friend of Jennie lent us her vehicle and I was able to tow our car and bring it to the repair shop. I was advised not to try and start the car and a week after the typhoon, it was running again thanks to its loyal mechanic who drained its fuel tank. He also drained the engine's oil and flushed the mud and water out of the engine using used engine oil. He did a full tune up and put unused oil, cleaned the carburetor and put new gear oil for the necessary parts. When the car started, he had it engine washed and then I brought it to the auto electrical shop and had its wiring serviced. I am thankful that my car is old and it doesn't have a computer box, otherwise it would have cost us much more to get it running again. I personally cleaned our car's interior (carpet, dashboard, seats, etc.) to save on expenses. I have been using our car now for over a week but we still need to get the car leak tested before having it recarpeted and having its sidings replaced.

*Sofa set - Since our set was newly reupholstered, we also wanted to keep it. We washed it and let it dry and it's still usable.

*CDs and DVDs - At first, I just wanted to throw all of these out. But my wife patiently had them washed and dried. We threw the cases but bought some CD cases so we can organize them and to save space.

*7 cubic feet Kelvinator refrigerator - As I was trying to save electric and electronic appliances inside our flooded house while the flood water was rising, this refrigerator of ours suddenly floated and fell on its back. With the adrenaline rush, I was able to carry it right away and settle it on four dining seats. About one-fourth of its height was submerged but miraculously, after it dried up and after we cleaned it, our refrigerator still worked fine.

*Console table - This was where many of our electronic appliances (DVD player, JVC compnent, wireless router, telephone, modem, surge protector, AVR) were. Since it was made of compact wood, we junked it right away since it wasn't usable anymore. I will need to play carpenter soon to design and make a replacement for this.

*DVD player - This was the only electronic appliance on the console table I wasn't able to salvage. It was junked, too. I just had to remove a CD inside which Jed uses for his home school.

*Books - The books we really didn't use anymore, we threw them but most were put under the sun to dry and we still plan to keep them.

*Dresser - This dresser was also made of compact wood but miraculously, it's still usable. We just cleaned it and let it dry for a while.

*Car stereo and speakers - These items were not saved - all junked now after having the car stereo checked at the electronics repair shop. It would cost as much as buying a new one to have it repaired.

*Clothes - Most of our clothes were flooded but we had it washed at the laundry shop because our washing machine also got hit by the flood.

*Our son’s home school PACES - These, we had to dry them and use them even though they stink already because they cost so much. These were our son's one year worth of pre-school PACES. There were some PACES we couldn't find anymore so we re-ordered them.

*Whirlpool fully automatic washing machine 7.5-kilo capacity - Two days after the flood waters went down, we tested this and it did not work. We had it serviced and thankfully, when the technician tested it, everything was working like it used to.

*La Germania oven and stove - This kitchen appliance still works. It just took a few days and trials for the water to be removed from the oven nozzles but it still worked perfectly.

*Flat iron and ironing board - These we were not able to save, too. We are still waiting to get a replacement.

We are so grateful to those who helped us get back on our feet. We thank the following for their heroic acts:

*Our next door neighbor who let our whole family stay with them for two nights. Thanks for sharing your house, food and other resources with us.

*Pastor Alvin and Diane who were the first ones who visited us after the flood - thanks for offering a ride, giving us clothes and towels we could use while all of our clothes were still in the laundry shop and also for bringing us drinking water while the water filters in our house weren't usable yet.

*Bro. Jules and Jackie for letting us charge our cellular phones and laptops at your house.

*Lelet for coming over to our house and offering to charge our cellular phones at your house and for lending your car so we could run some errands and so we could tow our car to the auto repair shop.

*Frances for visiting us in spite of the traffic and for bringing us new under clothes.

*Wesley, Rochelle and Gina for keeping in touch even though we were miles apart. Thanks for sending monetary gifts which helped us get by after the disaster - your gifts lifted a great burden for us.

*Ric and Clarissa for visiting us a few days after the flooding

*Pastor Lance, Melanie and the rest of the SBC family for helping others and also helping us - the relief goods and other stuff you gave us.

*To all our friends, church mates, church members who prayed for us and expressed their sympathies.

*Most of all, to You, O, God for being merciful to us.

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23

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David Alaba: Fil-Nigerian Could be the Youngest International Football Team Player Ever

I guess you haven't heard of David Alaba, he is an Austrian football (soccer) player who is currently playing for Bayern Munich II and guess what? He was born in Vienna to a Filipino mother and a Nigerian father. He started his football career in Bayern's youth system and played for U-17 since 2005 and now in U-21 for Austria.

David Alaba: born to a Filipino mother and a Nigerian father

At age 17, David Alaba was called up on 08 October 2009 for the National game against France national football team and will give his senior debut for the Austria national football team on 14 October 2009. That will make him the youngest international football team player ever.

This football player in whose blood runs the blood of Filipinos made his debut in a Liga match against Dynamo Dresden last August and scored on 31 August 2009 his first professional goal for FC Bayern Munich II. He has been named in Bayern Munich's squad for the 2009-10 UEFA Champions League.

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Humility In Prayer: My Meditations On Ondoy and Pepeng Experiences

The recent experiences of the Philippines with typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng is a reminder to all of us how powerless we are against nature and the Creator who controls it. In my own meditations about the recent disasters I felt God humbling me and reminding me to always be dependent upon Him.

A lot of times, we think we are in control of things around us, that we are powerful and we are independent, self-sufficient. But, when things like landslides, floods and other disasters fall upon us, we are shown how so many things are beyond our control.

The good news is that God is in control. Although disasters befall us, God is there to meet us where we are and we must learn to trust Him always. Below is an appropriate reading or devotion related to this meditation.

"Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens."
Lamentations 3:41

The act of prayer teaches us our unworthiness, which is a very salutary lesson for such proud beings as we are. If God gave us favours without constraining us to pray for them we should never know how poor we are, but a true prayer is an inventory of wants, a catalogue of necessities, a revelation of hidden poverty. While it is an application to divine wealth, it is a confession of human emptiness. The most healthy state of a Christian is to be always empty in self and constantly depending upon the Lord for supplies; to be always poor in self and rich in Jesus; weak as water personally, but mighty through God to do great exploits; and hence the use of prayer, because, while it adores God, it lays the creature where it should be, in the very dust. Prayer is in itself, apart from the answer which it brings, a great benefit to the Christian. As the runner gains strength for the race by daily exercise, so for the great race of life we acquire energy by the hallowed labour of prayer. Prayer plumes the wings of God's young eaglets, that they may learn to mount above the clouds. Prayer girds the loins of God's warriors, and sends them forth to combat with their sinews braced and their muscles firm. An earnest pleader cometh out of his closet, even as the sun ariseth from the chambers of the east, rejoicing like a strong man to run his race. Prayer is that uplifted hand of Moses which routs the Amalekites more than the sword of Joshua; it is the arrow shot from the chamber of the prophet foreboding defeat to the Syrians. Prayer girds human weakness with divine strength, turns human folly into heavenly wisdom, and gives to troubled mortals the peace of God. We know not what prayer cannot do! We thank thee, great God, for the mercy-seat, a choice proof of thy marvellous lovingkindness. Help us to use it aright throughout this day!

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Should I Keep My Chat Box or Not? Help Please...

This is my 512th post in my blog which started out as a subdomain on blogspot. Eventually, I was able to purchase my own surname aspacio.net, and since I started this blog in December of 2007, I have had a chat box in my side bar.

Lately, I have been thinking about removing my chat box because some say that if a blog doesn't have a chat box, visitor bloggers will have no choice but to comment on a post rather than typing in their message in the chat box and the site may become like a website chat

But, somehow, I also want to give other bloggers and option besides the comment box. I really don't know what other reasons and what the pros and cons are of having a chatbox and not having a chat box. Can anybody out there help me out please?

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Location for the 2016 Olympic Games Set

The 2016 Olympic Games location are going to be at Rio de Janeiro. In a vote of high drama, the bustling Brazilian carnival city beat surprise finalist Madrid. Another city, Chicago, was knocked out in the first round—in one of the most shocking defeats ever in International Olympic Committee (IOC) voting. Even Tokyo, which had trailed throughout the race, did better—eliminated after Chicago in the second round.

Rio de Janeiro, a city of beaches, mountains and samba is the location for the 2016 Olympics officially

Rio de Janeiro, the where the 2016 Olympics will be held, spoke to IOC members’ consciences: the city argued that it was simply unfair that South America has never hosted the games, while Europe, Asia and North America have done so repeatedly.

“It is a time to address this imbalance. It is time to light the Olympic cauldron in a tropical country.” ” Brazil’s president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, told the IOC’s members before they voted. Pele, the great football player, had tears in his eyes after the 2010 olympics announcement was given by IOC President Jacques Rogge.

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Areas Having Public Strom Warning Signal as of 5pm, October 2, 2009

Update on Pepeng as of 5:00 pm, October 2, 2009

Typhoon "PEPENG" (Parma) has slowed down as it continues to move towards Aurora-Isabela area.

Location of Center (as of 4:00 p.m.): 150 kms North Northeast of Virac, Catanduanes

Movement: West Northwest at 13 kph

Forecast:

Saturday afternoon: expected to make landfall in Northern Aurora then cross Northern Luzon

Sunday afternoon: 50 kms South Southwest of Laoag City

Monday afternoon:
230 km West Northwest of Laoag City

Areas Having Public Strom Warning Signal

Signal No. 3

Luzon

Catanduanes

Signal No. 2

Luzon

Cagayan
Isabela
Aurora
Quirino
Northern Quezon
Polilio Islands
Camarines Norte
Camarines Sur



Signal No. 1

Luzon

Calayan Group of Islands
Babuyan Group of Islands
Ilocos Norte
Ilocos Sur
Apayao
Abra
Kalinga
Mt. Province
Ifugao
Nueva Viscaya
Benguet
La Union
Pangasinan
Tarlac
Nueva Ecija
Zambales
Bataan
Pampanga
Bulacan
Laguna
Batangas
Cavite
Rizal
Rest of Quezon
Marinduque
Albay
Burias Islands
Sorsogon
Metro Manila

Visayas

Northern Samar

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Areas Having Public Strom Warning Signal as of October 2, 2009

Public Storm Warning Signal No. 2
(60-100 kph winds)

Luzon

Catanduanes
Camarines Norte
Northern Quezon
Aurora
Polillo Islands



Public Storm Warning Signal No. 1
(30-60 kph winds)

Luzon

Ilocos Norte
Ilocos Sur
Abra
Apayao
Kalinga
Cagayan
Babuyan Islands
Isabela
Mt. Province
Ifugao
Benguet
La Union
Nueva Vizcaya
Quirino
Pangasinan
Nueva Ecija
Tarlac
Zambales
Pampanga
Bulacan
Rizal
Southern Quezon
Camarines Sur
Albay
Sorsogon
Burias Island

Visayas

Northern Samar

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PAGASA Update on Pepeng (Parma) as of 5:00 am

Typhoon Pepeng (international name: Parma) was located at 270 km East of Virac, Catanduanes at 4:00 am today by Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) based on satellite and surface data. This typhoon carries a maximum sustained winds of 195 kph and gustiness of up to 230 kph.

Satellite photo of Pepeng's location as of 4:00 am October 2, 2009

With the nearing of Pepeng (a.k.a. Parma), areas that were affected by Ondoy (a.k.a. Ketsana) are bracing for more rain and possibly floods again. The important stuff which were placed on secure and high mounts were not enough against the deep floods that struck last weekend.

Be prepared and be ready – that’s what each of us need to be. Let us also pray and ask god’s protection and mercy to be upon us.

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A Word Fitly Spoken

I was reading Charles Spurgeon's devotional this morning and was really comforted and given hope by what I read. It talked about the hope of heaven and how things are so much better. It is not supposed to be an escape from the present but a motivation and a source of strength to endure whatever it is we are experiencing here. It is a word fitly spoken for me as this past few days have been very stressful and I just want to share with everyone what I read.

"The hope which is laid up for you in heaven."
Colossians 1:5

Our hope in Christ for the future is the mainspring and the mainstay of our joy here. It will animate our hearts to think often of heaven, for all that we can desire is promised there. Here we are weary and toilworn, but yonder is the land of rest where the sweat of labour shall no more bedew the worker's brow, and fatigue shall be for ever banished. To those who are weary and spent, the word "rest" is full of heaven. We are always in the field of battle; we are so tempted within, and so molested by foes without, that we have little or no peace; but in heaven we shall enjoy the victory, when the banner shall be waved aloft in triumph, and the sword shall be sheathed, and we shall hear our Captain say, "Well done, good and faithful servant." We have suffered bereavement after bereavement, but we are going to the land of the immortal where graves are unknown things. Here sin is a constant grief to us, but there we shall be perfectly holy, for there shall by no means enter into that kingdom anything which defileth. Hemlock springs not up in the furrows of celestial fields. Oh! is it not joy, that you are not to be in banishment for ever, that you are not to dwell eternally in this wilderness, but shall soon inherit Canaan?

Nevertheless let it never be said of us, that we are dreaming about the future and forgetting the present, let the future sanctify the present to highest uses. Through the Spirit of God the hope of heaven is the most potent force for the product of virtue; it is a fountain of joyous effort, it is the corner stone of cheerful holiness. The man who has this hope in him goes about his work with vigour, for the joy of the Lord is his strength. He fights against temptation with ardour, for the hope of the next world repels the fiery darts of the adversary. He can labour without present reward, for he looks for a reward in the world to come.

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