Visiting Cebu for the BBFI Global Fellowship Meeting

My trip to Cebu this week for the (Baptist Bible Fellowship International) BBFI GLobal Fellowship Meeting was really a great blessing and once again, I was challenged and inspired to continue in the work that God has called me to do after listening to different pastors and missionaries testify of God's goodness in their own ministry and the whole BBFI in general.





The BBFI GLobal Fellowship Meeting was hosted by Bible Baptist Church in Katipunan St. and there were more or less three thousand participants who came from all over the world. I had a great time taking photos of the event and of friends in the ministry whom I have not seen for quite some time. I hope to be able to send their photos with personalized picture frames or maybe settle with tagging them on FB. It was great to come back to the place where I first heard God's calling. To God be the glory!

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A Hole On My Side

After the minor operation on the left side of my hips, I now am sporting a hole on my side. My wife’s cousin who is a nurse said that it might take about a month for it to completely heal. The operation left an oval shaped wound with a one-inch length which also makes it quite difficult for me to wear just any urban clothes. I would need to wear my pants high-waisted so the belt would not squeeze the wound. But I am glad that the infection is gone and it is now on its way to healing properly.

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Shedding Off Gained Pounds

Since my admission to the hospital last weekend and the week before that I have not been able to attend my Aikido classes. It has been two weeks now and I have felt myself gain a lot of weight especially after going to Cebu for the (Baptist Bible Fellowship International) BBFI Global Fellowship Meeting. I now feel that I might need to use weight loss pills to shed off the pounds I gained but I hope that a few rounds on the track can even things up.

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My First Hospitalization

It was my first time to be hospitalized ever and I had to go through a minor operation. But before the operation, because of my age of 35, I had to undergo standard tests like ECG, blood sugar count, etc. and had to experience a lot of blood extraction. The nurses in the hospital said that those 35 years and above need to undergo those tests to avoid possible complications. I’m glad that they did not require and colon cleanse procedures during my overnight stay in the hospital.

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Learning About Thermogenesis

While doing tasks, I learned about thermogenesis is the process in which one’s body raises its temperature, or energy output. By increasing the energy output within the body, the metabolism is also raised and fat cells are then utilized as energy to support this metabolic increase. Research on different methods to lose weight is really advancing even as the demand for more alternatives increase. I’m glad to have learned about this new thing today.

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Is it Time to Get Into Badminton Again?

Meeting with a high school friend, catching up and talking about business deals has also allowed us to talk about playing possible badminton. I remember him a few years back when he encouraged me to learn the sport. I enjoyed it but lost the desire to play when the badminton racket I bought got destroyed by the heat when I left it in the trunk of our car. I miss playing badminton especially because it forces me to move and it is a good way to develop agility and reflexes. It also helped me lower my weight and was as effective as the best diet pills. Plus, I became more active and physically fit.

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Preaching With an iPad

I have been trying out different tablet gadgets which I could use as I preach. Usually, I print out my manuscript when I preach a sermon and turn the pages as deliver the sermon. But with the availability of technology I thought of using a tablet where I can load many sermons.

The first one I tried was the aPad which is a China made android tablet. It was capable of doing what I wanted it to do except that the lag in sliding the page of the document causes some delays and it greatly affects my delivery. Another downside is I had to keep it plugged because of the short battery life.

When we decided to get an Apple iPad everything ran so smoothly. Last Sunday, I preached using the 16GB iPad we got and had no problems both with battery and navigation. Now I am thinking about getting an iPhone 4 and a couple of iphone 4 cases for my wife so she can enjoy the apps in the iPad while carrying a smaller unit.

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Amie Streater's "Your Money God's Way" Book Review

As I review this book “Your Money God’s Way” by author Amie Streater I see a different approach to money management education. The author writes from experience and focuses on seven money myths or misconceptions which keep believers under financial bondage. Although the book is targeting Christians, the principles shared are for everyone.

Amie Streater's "Your Money God's Way"

Doing Amie Streater’s “Your Money God’s Way” book review is easy because I enjoyed the book. The principles she shared on stewardship backed up by stories from her own life, I believe, can hold a reader’s attention. She presents the principles she wrote by contrasting Biblical principles against what many believers believe to be right.

I would recommend this book to those who want to get out of debt, build wealth, gain financial freedom and stay that way for the rest of their lives. “Your Money God’s Way” successfully conveys Biblical truth about stewardship and how God is concerned about His children’s financial welfare.

I am thankful to have added this book in my library and am excited to teach on stewardship again. I look forward to reviewing other books from Thomas Nelson after Amie Streater’s “Your Money God’s Way” book review.

Disclosure: I received this book from Thomas Nelson Publishing for review purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

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"Outlive Your Life" by Max Lucado | Book Review

This review of “Outlive Your Life” by author Max Lucado is one that I enjoyed doing the most from the books I read during the past year. It is one of the books from Thomas Nelson. The title of the book itself is challenging. It is a book about making your life count for the world and leaving a legacy.

Front cover of "Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado

This book by a great author and story teller Max Lucado, "Outlive Your Life" with subtitle You Were Made to Make a Difference is a book that challenged me to look at the needs around me - the immediate community and the world. As a pastor of a 7-year old church who have also gone to missions trips locally and internationally, I was still compelled by the updated statistics about poverty around the world were presented in the beginning. It challenged me to continue what I am doing and inspired me to think of innovative ways to impact my surrounding community. I would recommend this book to those who feel that life is boring, dragging and tired of finding purpose in things that are shallow.

If there is a book that I could use to preach on and get illustrations, Max Lucados’s “Outlive Your Life” is one of them and I am glad that I was given an opportunity to write this book review for Thomas Nelson.

Disclosure: I received this book from Thomas Nelson Publishing for review purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

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Max's Corner Bakery Offers Free Special Valentine's Box of Chocolates

It is Valentines’ Season and Max’s Corner Bakery launched its sweetest promo. For a minimum spend of PhP 1,500 from February 12 to 14, Max’s diners can surprise their loved ones with a special Valentine's box of delectable chocolates – a free treat from Max’s Corner Bakery, the bakeshop brand of Max’s Restaurant!






During the bloggers event at the Max's Restaurant in Glorietta 3 last Thursday, Max’s Corner Bakery also introduced its latest line of oven-fresh, delectable chocolate and vanilla cupcakes, garnished with sumptuous layers of sweet confections. A definite eye-candy for anyone with a sweet tooth, Max’s Corner Bakery cupcakes are available in six variants:

1) Cream Cheese - perfectly balanced sweet and sour cream cheese flavors in a smooth frosting swirl

2) Choco Espresso, infused with earthy coffee zest, gives the perfect punch to the moist chocolate base

3) Choco Caramel marries the sumptuous flavors of smooth caramel and rich chocolate

4) Double Chocolate, a sure to delight to the child at heart and outright chocaholics with its layer after layer of chocolates galore, topped with dark chocolate bit

5) Choco Strawberry is sugary sweet with a fruity-berry twist

6) Troubador, a summery hue of custard cake icing with rainbow sprinkles on a bed fluffy chiffon cake.



Order from Max's Corner Bakery for your Valentine and get the free special Valentine box of chocolates, free (for a minimum purchase of P1,500).

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Havaianas “Always Summer: Race to Hawaii” Contest

Celebrate summer all year long with Havaianas as the world’s favorite flip-flops and summer brand, celebrates summer starting now with their launching of the ‘Always Summer: Race to Hawaii’ campaign to remind us Filipinos that we don’t need to wait for the season to rejoice in its spirit.



As part of its year-long summer celebration, Havaianas is launching the Havaianas “Always Summer: Race to Hawaii” contest. Flip-flops lovers around the nation can compete in a day of exciting summer fun by:

1) purchasing two pairs of Havaianas
2) winning a slot in the race

Winners in the regional leg will win an all expenses paid trip to Boracay – to compete in the final leg for the ultimate prize: a trip for two to Hawaii - the land that inspired Havaianas.

Havaianas “Always Summer: Race to Hawaii” Contest Mechanics

Filipino residents who are 18 years old and above, are fit to travel and engage in physical activities, are eligible to join the Havaianas “Always Summer: Race to Hawaii” contest. Any single-receipt purchase of two (2) Havaianas pairs from any participating Havaianas retailers from February 4, 2011 to March 27, 2011 will merit one (1) Race to Hawaii scratch card, which contains a unique code that the participant can use to register in the www.havaianassummer.com website. Participants have until March 28, 2011, 11:59PM to register or add codes.

Participants only need to register once to get a chance to win awesome prizes and gadgets from Sony, David & Goliath, Hawaiian Tropic, and Havaianas in the weekly raffle draw, as well as an exclusive slot in the Havaianas “Always Summer: Race to Hawaii” contest. Weekly draw dates are on February 11, 18, and 25 and on March 4, 11, 18, and 30. Undrawn entries will still be eligible the following week, and additional codes will be considered as additional entries for the weekly draw.

Entries will be drawn manually on March 30, 2011 for the contest participants for the major prize – a slot to be one of the two-member teams in the regional leg of “Race to Hawaii.” The number of entries to be drawn per area is as follows:

NUMBER OF TEAMS - AREA
Sixty-five (65)- Metro Manila
Five (5) - Central and Eastern Visayas
Five (5) - Northern and Western Mindanao
Five (5) - Southern and Eastern Mindanao
Five (5) - Northern Luzon
Five (5) - Central Luzon
Five (5) - Southern Luzon
Five (5) - Western Visayas

Participants will be contacted starting March 30, 2011 to confirm their participation. Participants must confirm their participation or forfeit their slot in favor of the next raffle winner.

The Havaianas “Always Summer: Race to Hawaii” regional leg will take place on April 9 at 6:00 AM at the NBC Tent, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City.

All participating teams will receive a special Havaianas gift pack upon registration at the venue. Teams must complete a series of fun summer-oriented tasks and those who finish the race will receive a premium gift pack from Havaianas.

Twenty (20) two-member teams verified to complete the race with the best time will be flown to Boracay, courtesy of Seair and The Tides Hotel Boracay, to compete in the finals leg for the ultimate prize: an all-expense-paid vacation to Hawaii.

All twenty (20) teams must compete in a series of fun, summer-oriented tasks in Boracay to finish the race. The team with the best time wins the competition, and will fly to Hawaii to enjoy sunshine in a once-in-a-lifetime summer vacation.

So get your pair of Havaianas now and join the Havaianas “Always Summer: Race to Hawaii” Contest!

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I Got a TP-Link Wireless Router for About PHP 1,500

With the constant expansion of my personal online marketing campaigns I had to purchase a new wireless router – a TP-LINK router which I am very satisfied with. It only cost me about P1,500 and I seldom restart or reset it after configuring as compared to the NetGear router I had before. I just had to compare the same unit’s price in different stores and got the cheapest one.

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What the Bible Teaches About Baptism

What does the Bible teach about Baptism? If we look at the Bible, we can never see an infant baptized. The account where Jesus was brought to the temple does not indicate that Jesus was baptized but was presented to the temple as part of the Jewish custom and He was not an infant at that time.

The Bible teaches about believer’s baptism. This type of baptism uses baptism by immersion. In Matthew 3 we see Jesus baptized by John the Baptist and it mentions in verse 16 that Jesus went up out of the water implying that Jesus was immersed in the River Jordan. The word “baptized” in the same verse is the Greek word baptizo which means to immerse or submerge.

Biblical baptism also shows that only those who have repented of their sins and have trusted Jesus to save them were baptized. Obviously, infants do not have the capacity to make that personal decision that is why in our church we do not practice infant baptism or I do not accept infant Baptism invitations. Examples of those baptized are found throughout the book of Acts.

True, Biblical baptism does not make one a Christian. What makes a person a Christian is his decision to repent of his sins, ask God's forgiveness and put his faith in Christ as His Savior and make Jesus the Boss and Manager (Lord) of his life. After making this decision, then, follows baptism the purpose of which is as a public profession of his faith in Christ - much like a wedding ring is to the commitment a person makes in marriage. While the baptism that is taught in the Bible is not necessary for one's salvation, it is essential for a believer because it is commanded by Jesus in Matthew 28:19-20.

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