Maximizing the Holy Week for Music, Stage and Drama Preparations for Camp

Summer youth camp is just a few weeks away and preparations like, stage and backdrop set up, lighting installations, musicians and singers practices and the drama run throughs are on going and these Holy Week holidays are also being maximized by the teams to make sure everything will be ready for camp on April 16 to 19.

This year's summer youth camp theme is "Total Recall". With the contant changes happening all around including the change in young people's  values and beliefs about God, the camp hopes to remind the youth ofmthis generation to go back to God's Word as the standard, particularly in areas mentioned in 1 Timothy 4:12. This target for this year's camp is 940 campers from areas like Antipolo City, Pasig City, Vigan, Bulacan, Makati City, Quezon City and other parts of Rizal. We request prayers from our brothers and sisters in Christ for this endeaor.

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Jesus Christ Fulfilled Around 300 Prophecies in the Old Testament About the Messiah: Was that Coincidence?

Christianity's beliefs rests primarily on the the person of Jesus Christ who, historically, walked this earth more than 2,000 years ago, claimed to be God, both directly and indirectly, whose life was written and accounted for in the gospels and whose birth and other details of His life were prophecied hundreds of years before His arrival (there are around 300 references or prophecies throughout the Old Testament, which was written over a thousand-year period, about Jesus). 

Many years ago, the Christian Victory Publishing company offered a $1,000 reward for anyone who found, other than Jesus, a person, living or dead, who was able to fulfill half of the predictions concerning the Messiah as listed in the book Messiah in Both Testaments by Fred John Meldau. The reward still remains unclaimed. 

Now, for Jesus, a real and historical figure, to have fulfilled those 300 prophecies from the Old Testament - how unlikely was that? Was it pure coincidental? Was it an accident? 

There was a computation made on the probability of Jesus fulfilling just 8 chosen prophecies below.

Eight of around 300 prophecies concerning the Messiah in the Old Testament: 

1-Born in Bethlehem from Micah 5:2

Micah 5:2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."

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Songs for Meditation on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday

I have been searching in my music library for some music appropriate for playing during this Holy Week, from Maundy Thursday to Good Friday, and came up with 3 songs that would be perfect for listening as you meditate this Holy Week. Some are not as orchestral and not played with strings or the clarinet but the lyrics are great. 

The first song is "Thank You for the Cross", written and composed by Mark Altrogge. This is from the album "Chosen Treasure" and below are its lyrics.

Thank You For The Cross 

Verse:
Thank you for the cross the mighty cross
That God Himself should die for such as us
And everyday we’re changed into Your image more and more
Yes by the cross we’ve truly been transformed

Chorus:
And we’re so amazed
And we give You praise
That You would save us at such a cost
We’re so amazed
And we give You praise
For the power of the cross
For the power of the cross


The second song is "Redeemer, Savior, Friend" by Darrell Evans. I first heard this from the album "The Smithton Outpouring."

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Teaching My Sister to Drive

The car my family had during my adult life was a 1992 Toyota Corolla XE. That was the first car I drove as officially ours. I have take that car to Baguio City, to Iba, Zambales and to Tagaytay.

With my sister now in the process of selecting a car to buy, I initially recommended a Toyota because majority of the practical people I know suggest this as very economical in maintenance as toyota parts oem are very much available and inexpensive and performance has always been consistent.

But, with those recommendations, she has opted to go for a different brand and a smaller body type - a hatch back instead of a sedan. I am excited for her, none the less, and I hope that her company makes a decision soon on how the purchase will be made. I still need to give her a few lessons on driving so she can get her non-professional driver's license from LTO.

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Group E Schedule of the AFC Challenge Cup 2014 Qualifiers

The Philippines is hosting the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Challenge Cup 2014 Qualifiers. If you're not aware, the Azkals placed 3rd in the 2012 tournament that is usually participated in by countries categorized as emerging countries in the "Vision Asia" program created by a former AFC president which is a plan for a continent-wide program to raise the standards of football in Asia in all levels.

The participating countries in Group E where the Philippines belong to are Brunei, Cambodia and Turkmenistan. Below is the Group E schedule of the AFC challenge Cup 2014 Qualifiers which will all be held at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium from March 22 to 26, 2013.

March 22 (Friday)

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An Electric Guitar is Up Next

It was two years ago when I downloaded the Amplitube app and purchased an iRig connector so I can use the app with my acoustic guitar. Since then I have been able to use my Ibanez acoustic guitar in our music ministry and it has allowed me to do more than what I can do with an acoustic guitar. 

But I also planned on buying an electric guitar then. Why? Well, because the feel of the electric guitar is different from the acoustic one and it is less stressful on my fingers when I play it. I thought about buying another Ibanez model but now am considering getting a Strat or even a fender starcaster. Maybe I would do this after our second floor is done and as soon as we’ve settled.

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