True Heart of God; Day151/20

For the Lord will not cast off forever!  But though He causes grief, yet will He be moved to compassion according to the multitude of His loving-kindness and tender mercy.  For He does not willingly and from His heart afflict or grieve the children of men. Lam 3:31 –33

MIT (Most Important Task)
1. Brent-Dental appointment
2. 2.4Mile Swim
3. Start table tennis training with Brent [with the standard table and supreme paddles/ball]
4. Backup Hyper-V and Sharepoint 2010 Servers
5. Finalize CMP Maintenance Day Master Plan [software/hardware]

Special Bread; Day150/19

I [Myself] am this Living Bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this Bread, he will live forever; and also the Bread that I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh (body). John 6:51 

MIT (Most Important Task)
1. 10 Mile Indoor Cycling
2. Continue on IBM346 Server project-Data Protection
3. Find a way to extend ping pong table by 9 inches
4. Test paint an MDF table

Peace and Completeness Covenant; Day149/18

For though the mountains should depart and the hills be shaken or removed, yet My love and kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace and completeness be removed, says the Lord, Who has compassion on you.  Isaiah 54:10 

Peace and Completeness
Peace-shalom; safe; well; happy; friendly; welfare; prosper; rest
Completeness-having all necessary things or parts or components
Kindness-favor; mercy;

08-AsWeWorshipYou.wma

MIT (Most Important Task)
1. Celebration Church
2. 5Mile Time Trial
3. More preparation trip

Be of Good Cheer; Day148/17

I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]   John 16:33 

Be of Good Cheer – To Have Courage
1. Take courage – quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain; without fear
2. Be Confident – have strong belief or full assurance; sure of oneself
3. Certain – free from doubt or reservation; confident; sure;
4. Undaunted – undismayed; not discouraged; not forced to abandon purpose or effort; undiminished in courage or valor; not giving way to fear

PaulBaloche-Offering Album

MIT (Most Important Task)
1. 5Mile Time Trial
2. Work-10h
3. Prepare/Plan for CMP Maintenance Day [software/hardware]

No Other Savior; Day147/16

I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no Savior.  Isa 43:11 

MIT (Most Important Task)
1. 5Mile Time Trial
2.
3.

Be Not Afraid; Day146/15

Be not afraid of sudden terror and panic, nor of the stormy blast or the storm and ruin of the wicked when it comes [for you will be guiltless],  For the Lord shall be your confidence, firm and strong, and shall keep your foot from being caught [in a trap or some hidden danger]. Proverbs 3:25 -26

MIT (Most Important Task)
1. 10Mile Indoor Cycling 33Mile Road Cycling
2. Setup IBM346 for testing
3. Work-off [Thursday, Friday]
4. Prepare for Cebu trip

Never Thirsty; Day145/14

But whoever takes a drink of the water that I will give him shall never, no never, be thirsty any more. But the water that I will give him shall become a spring of water welling up (flowing, bubbling) [continually] within him unto (into, for) eternal life.  Joh 4:14 

MIT (Most Important Task)
1. Rest
2. Work-10h
3.

Strength Within; Day144/13

I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].  Phi 4:13 

PaulWilbur-TheWatchman Album

MIT (Most Important Task)
1. 2.4Mile Swim
2.
3.

To Those Who Seek; Day143/12

And they who know Your name [who have experience and acquaintance with Your mercy] will lean on and confidently put their trust in You, for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek (inquire of and for) You [on the authority of God’s Word and the right of their necessity]. [Ps. 42:1.]  Psa 9:10 

PaulBaloche-OpenTheEyesofMyHeart Album

MIT (Most Important Task)
1. Attend meeting [TeamSOP]
2. Indoor cycling
3. Backup Hyper-V Server

Secrets of Enlightenment; Day142/11

And that He would show you the secrets of wisdom! For He is manifold in understanding! Know therefore that God exacts of you less than your guilt and iniquity [deserve].  Job 11:6 

MIT (Most Important Task)
1. Celebration Church
2. Test/burn-in D620 Notebook
3. Organize office

Planned Perfection; Day141/10

The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, endure forever–forsake not the works of Your own hands. [Ps. 57:2; Phil. 1:6.] Psa 138:8 

MIT (Most Important Task)
1. Rest[in recovery]
2. Work-10h
3.

To Those Who Weep; Day140/9

He who goes forth bearing seed and weeping [at needing his precious supply of grain for sowing] shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. Psa 126:6 

MIT (Most Important Task)
1. Rest[in recovery]
2. Work-10h
3.

Source of Help; Day139/8

A Song of Ascents. I WILL lift up my eyes to the hills [around Jerusalem, to sacred Mount Zion and Mount Moriah]–From whence shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.  He will not allow your foot to slip or to be moved; He Who keeps you will not slumber.  Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.  The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand [the side not carrying a shield].  The sun shall not smite you by day, nor the moon by night.  The Lord will keep you from all evil; He will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. Psalm 121:1 -8

MIT (Most Important Task)
1. Rest[cough is back]
2. Work-10h
3.

Source of Help
I sometimes wonder how I was able to get by the hardship of life.  There were times that I thought I would not make it through the next day.  I remember the first few days after my bike accident at Mactan bridge that I could not even lie down on my back due to my severe injuries and could not even get a comfortable sleep for days.  Then there was that Ormoc flood in 1991 where I was trapped in flooded city that I have to stay overnight just to witness the destruction. Then there was that separation from my wife when I enlisted in the US Army in 1992 to find a job.  Then there was that hardship at boot camp for 8 weeks that sometimes I wonder if I could make it to the next day. Then next was the hardship tour for 1 year in South Korea near DMZ where all we did was prepare for a war that never happened – the weather was so cold that being out there makes you think “please just get me back inside the tent for a few minutes”. Then there was again another bike accident where two dogs attacked me 20 miles away from home and I crashed hard on a paved road and I was bleeding and had to get home by myself and struggling to pedal home.  Then there was that cardiac event in 2008 which I thought I was finished. 

So where does my help comes from?

Constant Transfiguration; Day138/7

And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit.  2Co 3:18 

MIT (Most Important Task)
1. 5Mile Time Trial
2. Work-10h
3. Write pre-vacation guides for CMP

Constant Transfiguration
There are times that I will go through a season without making a lot of mistakes and normally execute action plans with precision.  There are times that I will stay in perfect health for months and then in a blink of an eye, I will suddenly experience a weird illnesses [ie: cardiac event, fever, bike crashes etc] .  The previous week was like that.  I was a little tired due to my cough and runny nose and I could not do my weekly routines as normal.  Then last Monday, I learned that I was driving with a 2-month expired driver’s license [I did not know until I went for a notary and the lady told me I had an expired driver’s license].  Then yesterday, Brent woke me up at 0620 because he has to be at school by 0630 or the bus will leave him behind – when I backed out Britta’s car, I heard a big thump and then realized that I hit cc’s pickup truck.  She normally parks behind my other truck so I was assuming that her car was not there. 

So when things are happening like that, I normally stay put and regroup and rethink.  To me these are not coincidences or an accident.  It is there for a reason and the very reason is for transformation.  To make me a better person. To tell me that I need to slow down or rethink or reroute or redo.

I just wanted to share that to everyone.

Wait Expectantly; Day137/6

Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, Who is the help of my countenance, and my God.  Psa 42:11 

MIT (Most Important Task)
1. 1mile swim [recovery workout only]
2. Design a Visio template for flowcharting
3.

Word1+Word2+Word3=Truth; Day136/5

The sum of Your word is truth [the total of the full meaning of all Your individual precepts]; and every one of Your righteous decrees endures forever.  Psa 119:160 

MIT (Most Important Task)
1. Attend SOP meeting 0600h
2. 10Mile Bike
3. Write Guide/Summary for TeamCMP [while I’m gone theme]

Bear Witness; Day135/4; Who Won?

To Him all the prophets testify (bear witness) that everyone who believes in Him [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him, giving himself up to Him] receives forgiveness of sins through His name.  Act 10:43 

MIT (Most Important Task)
1. Celebration church
2. Real rest-recovering from cough and cold, self medicate with guaifenesin
3.

Who won?
A co-worker of mine last night before I left shouted “Tonight” and then he  mimic a jab.  I have a few co-workers of Mexican descent at Samsung Austin and believe me they know more information about Manny than myself.  I am not into sports of boxing but I admire Filipinos that make history and I know I will be like Manny when I come to work next week – ‘feeling like I won the match myself’. So this morning, I have to ‘google’ the outcome of the fight and gather some info for conversation purposes [@ the water cooler].  It took me a few clicks when I realized that he indeed won the fight.  I wanted to see the actual fight on video to really find out how he did it.  As I was watching the fight, I felt like Manny was the underdog in size and reach and weight but then able to overcome to win the match. 

There are many Filipinos around the world who feel we are the underdog. When I left Cebu for New York, I felt like I was made for success but the moment I landed the country called America, I automatically felt I was the underdog.  I know many of us [Filipinos] feel that way when we go to our respective workplace.  We have  to climb up the corporate ladder the hard way all the time.  Most Americans [or anyone not a Pinoy] does not see why we are so proud of someone from our homeland win a big fight like that.  To all the Pinoys out there, I celebrate with you.

There are many unknown successful Pinoys around the globe that won’t even hit headline.  Maybe you are one of those too.  As I watched last night’s fight in YouTube [few round only], I was able to come up with a few key point why sometimes Pinoy wins – not just in the boxing ring but at the workplace and/or any other aspect in life.

How A Pinoy Takes Gold
1. Energy – most Filipino I know [the go getter] has plenty of energy, not just physical but also mental and spiritual energy. We fight to the end. [Manny had a lot of it]
2. Consistency – most Filipinos are very consistent. We just keep doing it over and over until we see results. [he keeps jabbing until he hit the target]
3. Patience – we wait patiently no matter what. [he waited sometimes for the right time and then attack]
4. Speed – we do things faster than anyone else [when it was time to be fast – he was fast]
5. Humility – Pinoys are full of it and sometimes I don’t like it because we over do it.
6. Study – we are diligent in our study [not talking about school], in anything we do, we study first. Not sure of how we got that but most Pinoy I know, this is a common denominator. Very diligent in learning.  We read books, manuals, journals/publication etc.  [of course Manny studied all his opponents]

To Britta,
It’s Day04 already since you left. Brent won his match today against the #2 in his tennis team.  We played 5-pt again tonight and he won 5-3 with his trademark Annie shot. I think cc is using my secret strategy in life – persuasion. After my one-on-one talk with her last Wednesday, she became so obedient and respectful. I’ve noticed that when I pass by her room, she is reading a book or doing something other than FB. Last night, she persuasively whispers me “Dad, can my friends come?”.  How can I say no.  So the gang was here watching a movie and guess who came?  You know the answer. 

I having a bad cold and cough.  I have to search our stash of meds in the cabinet.  I found
a bottle of guaifenesin prescribed by Dr. Goode for you which expired March of 2010.  I had no other meds so I took it anyway.  I am feeling better now but still congested.

Regards…

Producing Something; Day134/3; Drop in Visitor

When you bear (produce) much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine.  John 15:8 

Drop in visitor
On my way home yesterday, I made a quick detour to visit a close friend in Pflugerville whom I have not seen for weeks.  It is a little bit weird for us not to see each other although we are just 5 miles away from each other. My sole objective was to check on the status of the family.  Well, on the scale of 1-10 [10 being the best], they scored around 8 in the ‘facial expression’ criteria – meaning there were no tears in the eyes and all are smiling [good enough].  I scanned the house for signs of struggles/debris/holes in the wall and nothing was found unusual [unless they were hiding it].  I even found the different color of the wall inside the house and the patio project being completed.  From my perspective, I think the peace treaty is in effect and I am hopeful that this Christmas will be a great holiday.  There were minor problems that I noted though that I think worth mentioning here.  I was a drop in visitor – meaning that I did not told them that I was coming, kinda’ like a surprise visit of the CEO.  I requested a full dinner be served just to check if this family is cooking and eating together, they passed.  I was served with a plate of rice and torta and some Mexican left over dish.  The odd thing was, this family uses “disposable utensils”.  I demanded an explanation and the wife said it was for convenience.  Well, to my eyes, I think it was because they lost all their expensive dinnerware sets due to flying plates during a fight – all broken.  Might be another reason is for safety, plastic plates does not break.  Well, overall, I saw good things and I hope they will keep  it that way.  I will check on them sometime next week and hoping to spy on the kitchen cabinets if they really have expensive dinnerware sets.

Day3 without a real wife but…
My wife arrived in Cebu safely yesterday and cc already complained that mom has been calling home 50 million times. 

Good job mom and thanks to the Packet8 line.  You really sounded like you are just at work.  Our conversation lasted for about 7 minutes and I think that is progress.  We normally talk under the 120second mark.  cc did the laundry last night [the usual] and finally able to hunt some left over food in the refrigerator and fed baby boy.  Everything runs normal here except that I am losing 4 straight 5pt-game with Brent in table tennis.  Last night, we played before going to bed and I was beat up left/right with his Annie shot.  I think this guy has a future in tennis. Every time he delivers the Annie shot, he inserted a sarcastic smile with it. 

Hey, you don’t have to explain to me all your expenses in Cebu.  My advice though is please just be a smart spender [I know you are].

I lost my voice a little bit due to colds maybe due to the weather change this week.  My breathing is a little bit less than 100% and that is why I have not ride my bike in 3 days.  Maybe today, I will force myself to exercise. 

MIT (Most Important Task)
1. Rest [cold/sore throat] [4th day of no exercise]
2. Work-10h
3. Deploy fix for Sharepoint
4. Upgrade last LK
5. Start packing/organizing

Be Satisfied; Day133/2

Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!] [Josh. 1:5.]  Heb 13:5 

MIT (Most Important Task)
1. Rest
2. Work-10h
3.

True Abundance; Day132/01; Single Parent

For Your mercy and loving-kindness are great, reaching to the heavens, and Your truth and faithfulness to the clouds. Psa 57:10 

Single Parent
Toughest job in the world – being a single parent.  Imagine all the responsibilities to run a family rests on your shoulder and that is why sometimes it pays to share each other’s burden while being together so that when one partner departs, the other one is able to sustain the workload of both.  My wife Britta left today for Cebu while the rest of us will have to wait until the 2nd week of December to start our vacation.  Of course this December  will be filled with new exciting things.  Imagine, we get to spend time with the family on Christmas week in Cebu and Leyte.  To all our friends and family, see you then.

To Britta,
I missed you already. Day01 went easy for us.  Brent had tennis practice today and was picked up by my 2nd in command [cc].  I think I don’t have to cook for a few days since you cooked a lot of food a day ago. I am sure that I can find ways to make something out from your leftovers plus I weigh-in the kids today and they are a little over weight and losing a few pound will not kill them.  Nothing much to report except that cc is showing signs of obedience from my one-on-one talk last night.  Hopefully, she will listen to her in-house special guidance counselor.

MIT (Most Important Task)
1. Drop off Britta to Bergstrom Airport
2. Rest
3. Work-10
4. 1 LK software upgrade

Helper; Day131; Nicky/Mawing/Me in One Day

So too the [Holy] Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance.  Rom 8:26 

Nicky/Mawing/Me in One Day
Our day started at the house with a small breakfast.  Introduced Nick with my bagel breakfast and a latte. He liked it [I hope] but he has no choice, nothing else in the kitchen and we were heading out to the pool anyway for a 1hour swim training.  He was interested in endurance swimming.  Mawing came in a little later and off we go.  First stop was Clay Madsen Recreation Center to swim for an hour and conducted training session.  Showed a few lessons here and there and I did my 1k brisk pace Tuesday workout.  At the same time during the swim, we had media coverage from Mawing and he took some videos and pictures [more on this later], I still need to censor the pictures.  Next stop was a big breakfast and we needed a place that we can comfortably talked for hours.  We chose IHOP by IH35 and we spent at least 2 hours chatting and trying to get to know each other again.  I never met Nick before because he left SPC when I came to SPC but we shared the same friends because his friends in the elementary became my friends in HS ie: Mawing etc.  [mawing to write more on this]. I just learned that we have some parallel events in life ie. Army, Ormoc flood and faith.  After IHOP, we went back to the house and picked up our gears and proceed to Lakeline Mall to buy some Texas Souvenirs.  Then we went to Mt. Bonnell to adore the beauty of the scenery.  I never been to this place even after living here in the Austin are for more than 14 years.  We can seen the Austin skyline from where we stand and on the east side is the view of Lake Austin.  Such an awesome view.  Next stop was the actual city of Austin.  Again, the place we visited was my first time also, I guess I don’t go out that much. Took lots of pictures but we had one problem, I could not figure out the timer settings for my new D300s so that’s why only 2 of each on the pictures.  I took a lot of shots but I don’t want to overwhelmed you with extras. 

MIT (Most Important Task)
1. 5Mile Time Trial
2. Work-10h
3.

Missing Portion-Holy Spirit; Day130; In A Relationship; Nicky/Mawing

To the end that through [their receiving] Christ Jesus, the blessing [promised] to Abraham might come upon the Gentiles, so that we through faith might [all] receive [the realization of] the promise of the [Holy] Spirit.  Gal 3:14 

Missing Portion-Holy Spirit
The other day I was creating a list of why people dislike to come to church and in today’s devotion reminded me that I missed one important part – the Holy Spirit.  It’s not enough that we confess that Christ is our King, we must allow ourselves to open our heart and let the Holy Spirit dwells in us.  Once that is done, He has full control of our desires and therefore good and righteous things follow us in everything we do.  We don’t even have to try hard, it will just happen because The Holy Spirit takes control of our thoughts and mind.

In A Relationship
My daughter turned 18 yesterday but she made the day so significant. Here’s why:
1. In her Facebook account, she changed her status “In A Relationship” WOW! [declaring something on BDay]
2. In the morning, I called for a ‘5-minute’ one on one meeting with her [we operate as a corporate team] and asked the truth, the answer “If I was kidding, why would I do that’”. Another WOW!
3. More.. more, We had a scheduled dinner at 7pm, as she arrives home from school at 6pm while in the hallway at the house as we passed by each other, she said “Can he come with us?” Oh, another WOW!  Britta and Bettina [our in-house relationship consultants] were just so shocked.  Just wait for their weekly report in BBN radio baba, it will be broadcast in Looc and Merida exclusively.

I don’t really care too much on these matters.  I think our kids deserve to be free from our control on whatever they may decide in life.  We made mistakes along the way also and in those mistakes, we learned and moved on.  I always remind myself from something I learned long time ago – “Train up a child in the way he should go,  and when he is old he will not depart from it”. Proverbs 22:6 . Our job as parents is to train them for 18 years with all the Godly principles available and show them righteous examples from our life.  After the training, you watch them handle difficult situations and see if what you trained them for is applied accordingly.  We guide them for 18 years and then when DDay comes, we start the “watch and see” phase and make sure they are able to cope life’s challenges.

Nicky/Mawing
We had a small reunion last night as Nicky arrived from New Orleans.  He will be staying with us in Brent’s room.  This is the first time we met, as I joined SPC1983 in High School, he left Ormoc for Don Bosco in Cebu.  One thing weird though is he is the cousin of Ingrid and Ging-ging Tan [my sisters in Christ]. Maybe Ingrid or Ging-ging can explain to me what the Holy Spirit is doing in the midst of all these.   

MIT (Most Important Task)
1. Swim session with Nick/Mawing
2. Tour with Nick/Mawing
3.

Missing Portion-Holy Spirit; Day130; In A Relationship; Nicky/Mawing

To the end that through [their receiving] Christ Jesus, the blessing [promised] to Abraham might come upon the Gentiles, so that we through faith might [all] receive [the realization of] the promise of the [Holy] Spirit.  Gal 3:14 

Missing Portion-Holy Spirit
The other day I was creating a list of why people dislike to come to church and in today’s devotion reminded me that I missed one important part – the Holy Spirit.  It’s not enough that we confess that Christ is our King, we must allow ourselves to open our heart and let the Holy Spirit dwells in us.  Once that is done, He has full control of our desires and therefore good and righteous things follow us in everything we do.  We don’t even have to try hard, it will just happen because The Holy Spirit takes control of our thoughts and mind.

In A Relationship
My daughter turned 18 yesterday but she made the day so significant. Here’s why:
1. In her Facebook account, she changed her status “In A Relationship” WOW! [declaring something on BDay]
2. In the morning, I called for a ‘5-minute’ one on one meeting with her [we operate as a corporate team] and asked the truth, the answer “If I was kidding, why would I do that’”. Another WOW!
3. More.. more, We had a scheduled dinner at 7pm, as she arrives home from school at 6pm while in the hallway at the house as we passed by each other, she said “Can he come with us?” Oh, another WOW!  Britta and Bettina [our in-house relationship consultants] were just so shocked.  Just wait for their weekly report in BBN radio baba, it will be broadcast in Looc and Merida exclusively.

I don’t really care too much on these matters.  I think our kids deserve to be free from our control on whatever they may decide in life.  We made mistakes along the way also and in those mistakes, we learned and moved on.  I always remind myself from something I learned long time ago – “Train up a child in the way he should go,  and when he is old he will not depart from it”. Proverbs 22:6 . Our job as parents is to train them for 18 years with all the Godly principles available and show them righteous examples from our life.  After the training, you watch them handle difficult situations and see if what you taught them is applied.  We guide them for 18 years and then when DDay comes, we start the “watch and see” phase and make sure they are able to cope life’s challenges.

Nicky/Mawing
We had a small reunion last night as Nicky arrived from New Orleans.  He will be staying with us in Brent’s room.  This is the first time we met, as I joined SPC1983 in High School, he left Ormoc for Don Bosco in Cebu.  One thing weird though is he is the cousin of Ingrid and Ging-ging Tan [my sisters in Christ]. Maybe Ingrid or Ging-ging can explain to me what the Holy Spirit is doing in the midst of all these.   

MIT (Most Important Task)
1. Swim session with Nick/Mawing
2. Tour with Nick/Mawing
3.

Heart’s Strength; Day129; Extending Circle; Forgot DST

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the Rock and firm Strength of my heart and my Portion forever. Psa 73:26 

Extending My Circle Again
Yesterday, I probably added 20 names to my FB account and received 8-acceptances this  morning.  I am sometimes reminded [by my inner me] that I am building walls instead of bridges and so I took an extra effort to send a message to the world that I am in a “bridge building business”.  So please, if I miss anyone, please send me a message.  I am planning to surpass my son’s almost 500 connections.  Please be reminded, I am not on FB 24/7 and my status does not really reflect my real online status as I am using Windows Live Messenger 2011.  Sometimes, other users uses my notebook to print something or just surf and will make my status active.  One message to all my friends, I will probably get the award “most friendly”. [just get to know me].  So please don’t be  a stranger, I need friends too.

Forgot DST
My routines was/is always rock solid and not even a DST changed the order of my day.  My Sunday starts on Saturday night, meaning I have to be in bed by 10pm so that I can have enough sleep in the morning for the hard 10Mile Time Trial on the bike.  I added this activity to supplement the “slacking off on the the weekend malady” that starts off slow.  Well, I got up at 6am  read my Bible and then jump on the bike for a steady pace 10 miles.  Then took a quick shower since I was already late for church then kissed my wife goodbye [she was still sleeping like a log].  When I arrived at the parking lot, it was 90% empty and I know something was wrong.  I pulled my Treo out and there it was “Your Time Was Successfully adjusted to DST”.  Hmmm. what will I do?, I have 1 hour to wait till the 9pm service.  I paused and waited for a minute and then I listened to my heart – just go inside the building and so I did.  To my amazement, the Praise and Worship team was performing a full rehearsal of the songs they were going to sing that morning.  All the chairs were empty and I scanned the area of where to sit and spend my 1 full hour.  I decided to stay right in the middle of the sanctuary as if I was the manager of an audition company and listening to the performer doing their best. It was a great and awesome and Spirit filled 30minute worship.  At 8:30am, the Worship team ended their rehearsals and the church was filled with dead silence and the only people moving were the volunteers that prepares the sanctuary for worship.  Some people were doing a light and sound check but very calmly and imagine I was still in the middle of the sanctuary by myself.  It was an awesome experience to witness an event before an event.  To watch how the church [the people] assembles together in worship and adoration. 

So what’s the big deal of me being too early to church?  It was a big deal because I was able to reflect on my previous life – long time ago I did not even have  a desire to come to church for worship and now I just naturally go there and not even a slight burden in my heart to decide not to come to church.  As I waited for another 30 minutes, I wrote in my notebook the following question? Why would some people not come to church? [It took a while to come up with a list but here it is.  I based my list in my own personal experiences over the years and does not necessarily reflect the true reasons from everyone.  Please correct me if I am wrong or maybe you can add your reasons too, I am curious].

Why would some people not come to church?
1. No desires
2. Saturday Schedule
3. Not invited
4. No connections
5. No knowledge
6. Lost faith
7. Mercy/Grace from God
8. Offended by false church
9. No real Church to attend
10. Dead church [the nothing happens after the service]

My reasons?
1. Something to do on Sunday [spiritual stuff]
2. To Praise and Worship and Fellowship with other believers.
3. To learn something new and then share it later
4. To set a good example to my kids that I believed in something and maybe they can start their search too.

I am not imposing my faith on anyone but I want you to do something. When your heart is pounding and a ‘still small voice’ telling you to . Please obey.  Your life will change forever.

MIT (Most Important Task)
1. 20Mile Indoor Cycling +Read Sharepoint Deployment eBook
2. Help cc renew driver’s license
3. Fedex pickup of dead IBM346

Life After; Day128; When I Was 18..

And this is that testimony (that evidence): God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.  He who possesses the Son has that life; he who does not possess the Son of God does not have that life.  I write this to you who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) the name of the Son of God [in the peculiar services and blessings conferred by Him on men], so that you may know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that you [already] have life, yes, eternal life. 1Jo 5:11 – 13

When I Was 18…
Actually I cannot remember or recollect anything.  I know it was 1984 and I was in CIT, 2 yr. mark. I have not met my wife yet [met her in 1986]. I am pretty sure I was having fun at the Fatima Boarding house with Roel, Elius, Sammy, Sydney, Allan, Eden and Gina [and probably they were praying for us for Christ]. I know those times were great times in terms of the “worldly teenager thing” but I know for sure there were a lot of things that is not worth mentioning here. This post is not about me, sorry I brought you here with the tricky title but this is about what I saw last night in my daughter’s group get together at the house.  I normally mingles with the kids with their friends and play and joke with them. Last night I was just observing and and spying and trying to get to know the cores of each one – ‘kinda like trying to get to know who they really are.  I was impressed with her friends and the way they are.  Overall, thumbs up.  But what caught my eyes was the two “love birds” on the side [B and A] [real initial but denying the id].  I think they are so in love to each other as I can see in their eyes and the way they looked at each other.  It reminded me when I met my wife and the years we were together from then on. Then I ask my myself, will B/A last forever?  Will they be together next year? Will they be married forever? Will they have kids and have a party like this to watch their kids at 18 celebrate?  Can they survive the hardship of marriage?  These question will be answered in the coming years so I guess I have a project to watch.  The reason why I paid attention on this matter is – I witnessed so many “love birds” like that, childhood sweethearts that are so in love to each other but add years to that relationship plus kids and the outcome is DISASTER.  I have close friends that has been so in love with each other but then I have to counsel them because they could not stand together anymore. So sad that those great old times are gone and they can’t go back to where it was.  When me and Britta disagrees, I normally just go back to the the night where we talked on board the cruise ship from Ormoc to Cebu for 5 hours and those disagreement disappears.

So to B/A, please hang around with each other because I will be observing you every year.

MIT (Most Important Task)
1. 5Mile Time Trial  10 Miles
2. Celebration Church
3.

Our 24/7 Connection; Day127

Even there shall Your hand lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. Psa 139:10

Table Tennis Report:
Brent still in the lead 4-3. We played a match last night and the game was so close that we decided a draw and stopped the game. Will meet up again tonight to start another match. I tried varying my serve from a fast ball to a backhand spin serve to no avail.  Will change strategy tonight with just to playing defense.

I just realized that anything you played in competition level makes you feel so uncomfortable that you lose your acquired skills.  Controlling your emotions in a game is the key.  Zeroing the mind – no mind is the ultimate goal.  Play with “not minding” anything but the act at the present moment.

MIT (Most Important Task)
1. 5Mile Time Trial
2. Work-10h
3. Robot install +cal +document
4. Write script for deleting unwanted files and folders
5. Test ‘fix for Sharepoint documents’ +write action plan
6. Pack IBM346 server for return [no POST]

Place for Everyone; Day126; Brent-4, Rigel-3

In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places (homes). If it were not so, I would have told you; for I am going away to prepare a place for you.  And when (if) I go and make ready a place for you, I will come back again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also. John 14:2  -3

I started playing table tennis with Brent and he has been improving each week.  Yesterday, we had our daily game of 21 and he won 21-17.  I could not regain back my edge at the end.

MIT (Most Important Task)
1. 5Mile Time Trial
2. Work-10h
3. Software upgrade-1 LK
4. Fix Sharepoint at work.

When Oppressed; Day125

The Lord also will be a refuge and a high tower for the oppressed, a refuge and a stronghold in times of trouble (high cost, destitution, and desperation).  Psalm 9:9

MIT (Most Important Task)
1. 5Mile Time Trial
2. Upgrade 1 LK
3. Cleanup SuperMicro Servers
4. Contact IT Remarketing for DOA server

One Engraved Message; Day124

He who is able to hear, let him listen to and heed what the Spirit says to the assemblies (churches). To him who overcomes (conquers), I will give to eat of the manna that is hidden, and I will give him a white stone with a new name engraved on the stone, which no one knows or understands except he who receives it. [Ps. 78:24; Isa. 62:2.]  Rev 2:17 

MIT (Most Important Task)
1. 5Mile Time Trial
2. Test IBM xSeries 346 with W2008
3. Upgrade 1 LK

Steady Peace; Day123

[Then] He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust and find refuge; His truth and His faithfulness are a shield and a buckler.  You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow (the evil plots and slanders of the wicked) that flies by day,  Nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor of the destruction and sudden death that surprise and lay waste at noonday. Psa 91:4-6

MIT (Most Important Task)
1. 2.4 Mile Swim
2. Read x346 documentation [documentation]
3. Test x346 server

From Darkness To Light; Day122

He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and broke apart the bonds that held them. [Ps. 68:6; Acts 12:7; 16:26.] Psa 107:14 

MIT (Most Important Task)
1. Long indoor cycling +read Sharepoint 2010
2. Brent-Dental Appointment
3.