Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Back to the Stone Age

It's a rainy night, i'm alone in my room watching "Artificial Beauty", first time since that I've turned on the television, you may be asking why it's because I don't have a computer, and I'm a CAVE MAN!

I'm using my father's laptop, maybe he left it in my room because he's the one to blame why I've gone back in time. It's kinda boring when you don't have a computer at home, especially when you really need one. As of now, he's fixing a new CPU for me to use, I hope it works. The computer I'm using is pretty old, been using it when I was still in college, I just upgraded the RAM to 1 GB months ago. I'm really saving for a new computer, many recommend a laptop but for now, I want to stick on a desktop, yeah..i'm a mobile person (literally) but I'm not yet ready to have a laptop, maybe when I run my own business, i'll definitely buy a high-end laptop. For now, a desktop would be great, a high-end desktop...quad core processor, 8 GB of RAM...that's what I'm saving for and I know that would cost a lot.

So I guess I'll just stick to borrowing this notebook when I get the chance, if that desktop isn't gonna work. I'll see you around readers and bloggers alike.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Personality Test

While I was blog hopping, I read a blog from an ex-officemate of mine and followed a link for a personality test, below were the results:

DisorderRating
Paranoid:Very High
Schizoid:High
Schizotypal:Moderate
Antisocial:Low
Borderline:Low
Histrionic:Low
Narcissistic:High
Avoidant:Low
Dependent:Moderate
Obsessive-Compulsive:Moderate

-- Personality Disorder Test --
-- Personality Disorder Information --

Is this for real? I'm a Paranoid!

Opportunity to Serve

Exodus 4:13 (New Living Translation)

But Moses again pleaded, “Lord, please! Send anyone else.”


Last Sunday, at church something strucked me, it was an experience that came to me that I can't explain or put into writing how to describe...

It was a gloomy Sunday morning, was prepared to go to church, every time I go to church I always have this feeling that I should be perfect before the Lord, I guess that's just me and my melancholic nature. When really, if you go to church you must admit to yourself that you are weak and that you are helpless. It's only that you feel broken before the Lord that He can work in your life and if you allow Him to change you and mold you of who He wants you to be.

When Sunday School ended, was late then, my Pastor approached me and "appointed" me to lead the Offertory (offering) and without second thoughts, I gladly accepted it. Minutes passed she told me to also take the part in the Call to Worship! It's a part of our Sunday service wherein we invite people to pray to prepare our hearts to worship the Lord and to prepare us in singing praises. It was a daunting task! Personally, my conviction is, I really don't want to stand up in the pulpit "unprepared", both spiritually and mentally. I always see to it that everything should be in order and well-prepared.

I freaked out...I could feel it in my bones! And so I whispered a prayer, asking God to help me that He should do the Call to Worship and not me, to just make me an instrument for His people to be prepared. But before that, I really freaked out, was looking for Bible verses to remind people on each part that I would do, but then God reminded me to just be still.

Just like Moses' refusal, just like how he panicked when God chose him to do something for Him, he didn't believe he could do it...yes he really couldn't have, we could just do what we want to do if we ask for God's help...

John 15:5

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing."

As my boss would say that to know how to swim is to dive into the water. I wouldn't have learned anything if I weren't placed into a situation where I could learn. When the Sunday Service ended, I learned that I just had the greatest opportunity to serve...

Thursday, July 17, 2008

100th - Centennial Clicks

Yes! I made it to the 100th's!


The first time I blogged was when I first joined Friendster. Then I stopped writing because I gave my self away so much into writing that I couldn't hide my self anymore. But here I am again...blogging.

Writing is an art, a way of expressing one self. And with it you have to give in and give yourself to your readers, pouring your heart in what you write. I think that goes to all aspects not just in writing, that we give our heart in whatever we do if you really want to achieve something.

With this cake, I share my achievement to my readers, and I give the first slice to Henshin, I owe you one, thanks for encouraging me to write again little brother. And to all my readers, enjoy this cake I am happy to share it with you.

...for your eyes only...

The Corporate Ladder

My first week at work at last. Learning new things, yes there are adjustments but that's just a part of learning. While pondering on what to blog, I came across on what my perceptions are on aiming high and living your dreams.

I grew up in a poor family, my father's a salesman, while my mom is looking after us and be the "ulirang ina". Even though we never had the luxuries in life, we're happy. And I think what matters is that when you go home from a hard days work is that you have peace and you end the day smiling. And yes, it's not always like that, there's always that what you call "spices in life". My father loses his patience when he got lots of stuff up on his head and I must say, it often times destroys that peace but he's a good provider in the family.

Enough of the blahs, with what you just read, and if you're like me - trying to live a better life and building a future, then you may read down (source: Gary M. Stern):

  • Learn from others who have succeeded. Of my past employments, I never had the chance to know the story behind the success of my bosses or even their failures. My source was books, lots of 'em. From the Leadership of Billy Graham thru a series of books on Leadership by John Maxwell. These guys made it to the peak of their careers and are living the happy and contented life.
  • Adapt to each corporate culture. Know the corporate culture of your company, what makes your company is it base on relationships? For instance, if you are working for an advertising company or even sales, you need to build a good relationship over your clients to win their trust and in turn give you some sales.
  • Start looking for the next job as soon as you're hired. Moving around too much from one company to another can be detrimental and staying in a job year after year may also cause stagnation.Keep your ears open for new opportunities as soon as you're hired. Keep in touch with executive recruiters, former colleagues, and attend conferences aiming to network. After two years on the job, tap these contacts to see which challenging jobs are out there that fit your skills.
  • Seek advancement from within. If you don't like "company hopping" try to seek other opportunities that you may find yourself fit within your company. You may move from Software Development to Software Sales Department, take yourself to greater heights. Do not be stagnant.
  • Consider taking a risk. Consider, at least, going for an interview and seeing what the new company has to offer. Don't cut off opportunities and only choose the status quo.
  • Keep learning. Always be better than yesterday!
When you want to achieve greater heights for a greener pasture, do not forget where you came from, and that's nowhere!
Reputation takes years to achieve but only a day to lose.
So be careful. Be content of what you have, share it to others. And give your heart on whatever you do.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Book Review: Your First Job


Friday, July 11, 2008, I bought a book from Nelson T. Dy, a Christian author of the book entitled, Your First Job - A Practical Guide to (Survival) Success, I bought it because I was kinda in a situation where I was "company hopping", meaning I jump from one company to another. And that is not easy for me.

So I decided to look for some book that may help me answer the question as to why I am where I am right now. And this book has blessed me in ways I never thought it would.

After working for so many years I never thought I'd ask my self again the question as to why I want to work? People look for a job after graduation to earn money and to save for their future. I know that most of you who are working right now that it isn't that simple. The book tells me that God is a worker Himself. You know the story of Creation? Read the book of Genesis, there you would see that God made the heavens and the earth, including man in His own image and likeness.

What if Adam and Eve "never ate the forbidden fruit"? Will man never work to provide for himself? If you know the story of Creation, there you would see that God made man to toil...painfully toil the land and eat from it. You may not be toiling the soil but you're still working and eating the fruits of your labor...that's hard work!

In my past employers, I learned a lot from being a slave to being a leader. The book taught of the life of Joseph the dreamer, he dreamed that his brothers would someday bow before him and during those years, dreams were something that are being valued by most people because it relays a message from the future. And people gives a big deal over dreams, but when Joseph told his brothers about it, they ridiculed him and made harm on him. He was sold as a slave to Pharaoh in Egypt.

Bloom Where You Are Planted
  • When God gave you a job to be done, always give your best for His name to be glorified in you. When Joseph served as a slave to Pharaoh, he never murmured nor demanded to be free, he just "bloomed where he was planted" he served Pharaoh because he believed that God wanted him to, and that it was no accident that he was there.
  • The same also goes to our jobs, after graduation, we pray for God to give us a job, we submit resumes to prospective employers and when we get the job...mostly what happens is we murmur more than we work.
Work is a Blessing, Not a Curse
  • Most people here in the Philippines find it hard to look for a job or land on the job they've always wanted. If you have a job right now, you are blessed apart from more than a million of people who doesn't have any.
  • When you work always aim for EXCELLENCE...if you want to get rich, forget it! Money is just a by-product of excellence. You get to enjoy more of your salary when you know that you did your best to get the job done!
I have learned a lot upon buying this book. And if you're like me, I'd highly recommend this book for you as well. Let's try to be more diligent and faithful in our jobs and be a blessing in our workplace. Don't think too much of promotions, a salary raise, recognitions, always aim to be excellent in what you do. If you think you know everything, believe me you don't. There's always room for improvement, mold yourself more and don't be afraid to try new things.

Don't ever be afraid of failing. In fact, the most successful person in the world are those who commit mistakes often but learns something out of their mistakes. If God is with you, you don't really have to be afraid of failing because He knows everything even before it happens.

Think out of the box. Don't just limit yourself because of how much you earn try to expand your sight in your workplace, run some extra errands even if it's not in your job description. Expand your horizons.

Sunday, July 6, 2008

In the Midst of the Storm

If you haven't read my post about my previous trip in the B'Laan tribes in Saranggani, better read it here.

The typhoon "Frank" who recently flooded a lot of areas here in the Philippines also struck Saranggani province, there were some casualties, and the saddest was the passengers of MV Princess of the Stars a passenger boat of Sulpicio Lines, until now, they were not able to retrieve all the bodies trapped inside the boat.

The first time I visited the place, I was amazed by how it looked like at night, we arrived there during the night because we just came from another location at the other side of the mountains. The place was filled with fireflies and kids were serenading us with songs of praises sung in their native tongues. It was like Jesus' graceful entrance in Jerusalem...without the donkey.

When nature strikes, you can't do anything...but pray, for your safety, and that it would stop soon. When typhoon Frank hit Saranggani, the place where we were ministering were destroyed, homes, even the the church they use for their Sunday Service..destroyed, look the the images below of the church before and after the storm..

This was their church when we last visited. And this is what has been left now....

The Lao Church after typhoon Frank

When I saw these images from our Shamah Tribal Mission Coordinator, Rev. Wen Gallardo, I was moved and devastated with how much damage the storm caused. Damage and trauma...all in one place. The first thing that came up on my mind and I tried to ask my self these questions, "How are these people taking this?", "Do they feel that God has turned His back on them?", "What will be their lives like after the storm?".

Questions that I really need to answer or at least find an answer, I needed to see for my self. The roads were vanished, the team who recently went there must take a different route to send help for the people of Lao and at least comfort them, and tell them that God would never turn His back away from them...they only need to believe that. And I don't know personally now, if they really would...


The way into Lao Tribe, eroded by the river



A different route to Lao Tribe



This little girl was fetching water to drink



Rev. Wen Gallardo contemplating on the debris..of what's left for the people of Lao



The team praying for the people of Lao

"For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.”
- Matthew 18: 20


There were a lot of Filipinos who were homeless after the storm, a lot of people around the world looking for help after each storm, a lot of people needing food to feed their hunger, water to quench their thirst...and apart from those people...only care LESS...

If you care, kindly include them in your prayers...we know that God is always at work, and He allows things to happen for a specific purpose, for His glory to be shown for His power to be manifested in the midst of His people.