Kay bilis talaga ng panahon... akalain mo't tapos na ang pasko? Parang kailan lang... binibilang ko ang araw kung ilan nalang ang natitira bago mag December 25. Tapos ngayon... tapos na siya.

Just like what I've posted in my christmas '07 album, we've never celebrated Christmas in Manila. We've always spent it with our dear ones in Mariveles, Bataan--our relatives on our father's side. It was quite memorable... but in a queer way, rather. Why, you asked? Well...

1. December 22 - We were still in Abucay, mother's side. I spent most of the day doing an avp project for my "wedding client", Ms. Jacky, my officemate.

2. December 23 - We went to Tarlac to bring my mom's sister and her family there. They had their Christmas break there together with their relatives on their father's side, since we would be staying in Mariveles during those dates. We got back in Bataan at around 5pm and went straight to Mariveles, arriving there at around 6pm

3. December 24 - Ever since, were were used to have everything prepared by 24th. Our moms would go to the market to buy this and that for the simple noche buena. Then by afternoon, the preparation will start. Before midnight, we will have our simple noche buena together.

However... it didn't happen the way everyone expected. On the 24th, we had to bring our cousin Reb (age 12) to the doctor. Nakagat kasi siya ng puppy 2 days ago! Hindi naman super lalim, pero nagkasugat siya. Hindi niya sinabi agad. Worse... namatay ang puppy. And we all know that that is so scary kasi yun yung sign na may rabis yung dog. So my parents and his mom brought him to the doctor, 6 towns away. The doctor gave him the initial anti-tetanus shot. Since the puppy died without showing any signs of "pagka-ulol", the doc opted to check if the dog really died of rabis or of sickness. (Since before the incident, the puppy was sick na pala dahil sa nakain or something..). So, the doc instructed them to dig up the dead puppy again for lab examination.

Since we were the ones left at home, me, my cousin Ian, and my lola, excavated the poor dead puppy. His name was Max. Haha! Feeling ko CSI ako! Binalot namin siya ng sangkatutak na yelo para mapreserve, especially yung brain area. Buti nalang hindi pa siya nabubulok. Since nung early morning lang naman siya namatay. My lola burried him at around 6am. Good thing, nakalimutan niya na dadaan ang basura that day. Kung naalala daw niya, malamang, ipinatapon na niya ang puppy sa mga basurero... yikes!

So, that was it. They got back in the afternoon na. And all the planned preparations for the dinner had to be postponed.

Well, it doesn't matter now. Thank God, the results were negative. The puppy didn't die because of rabis. He really died because he was sick... poor doggie. And anyway, kahit hindi kami nakapag-noche buena noong gabi ng 24, at least, I experienced to prepare the ref cake all by myself! It was so fun! And, by 25th, the rest of our relatives came. And all the eating gallore was done on the 25th.

4. By 26, before we go back to Manila, my mom had this fun yet meaningful "gimmick". Papaexperience daw niya sa mga boys (my younger cousins, 6 boys sila, ranging from 11 to 16) how to have a fun and safe "social drinking" with Welch! Yumyum!!! I loooove Welch... kaya kung nakita niyo dun sa christmas album ko, meron dun picture nag umiinom kami ng Welch. My mom just shared to my cousins, and to their parents as well, some words of wisdom when it comes to drinking, bonding with friends, crushes, and all that. She opened their minds regarding peer pressure, the effects of alcohol, and all those things. It was fun! My cousins were intently listening to her. And it was really a treasure of wisdom she left to all of us. Kasi, nasa teenage stage na yung mga dati kong cute na cute na mga cousins. Dati cute sila, ngayon barako na. Kaya habang maaga palang, inorient na sila ni mama kung ano ang nag-aabang sa kanila sa mundo...

In the end, it seemed that my cousins have understood and have absorbed the wisdom my mom shared to us. We just pray it will stick to them and they will stick to it for the rest of their lives.

So, that was how our Christmas went. Stay put for my next post on New Year Celebration at Abucay, Bataan!

“Noong unang panahon, sa tuktok ng isang burol, mayroong tatlong magkakaibigang puno…”

Hmmm… no one knows how much I looooove this story. “The Tale of Three Trees.” I love this story so much that our youth group was able to present this story twice. The first one was presented I think two years ago. And we did it in silhouette, flinging cut outs of trees, people, manger, boat and cross against the LCD projector. Then the second one was just a few hours ago during our church’s Christmas celebration. And this time, we did it live. The audio was pre-recorded, with patched ambient music on every scene.

The story just makes me appreciate and realize all the more the reason for Christmas. This is an old story. The original author was unknown. Anyway, it goes this way…

It’s about the story of three young trees, dreaming of what they want to become when they grow up. One tree dreamt to be a treasure box, one dreamt to be a mighty ship, and the other one dreamt to be just a tall tree who would point God in the heavens. Unfortunately, when they were chopped down from the hill where they were rooted for ages, they didn’t exactly end up the way they dreamt to be. The tree who dreamt to be a treasure box ended to be a manger. The one who dreamt to be a mighty ship became a small fishermen’s boat. And the last one, well, the moment she was chopped down, her dream was chopped off as well, that is, to be just a tall tree.

But a certain moment came when the ultimate purpose of God came to pass. The one who ended up as a manger, happened to be the exact manger where baby Jesus was laid on when Mary bore Him. She didn’t get to hold fine jewels and precious stones of this earth… but she must be the most blessed manger in the entire universe when she carried the most precious treasure, both on earth and in heaven—baby Jesus.

Thirty years later, the tree who ended up as a fishermen’s boat was so blessed to be ridden by the 12 disciples, and of course, Jesus Himself. He got to witness the authority of Jesus over the sea and the storm. He felt how it was to be tossed and turn by the humongous waves at one moment, and be so still in the quietest waters in the next. He didn’t become a mighty ship and was not able to carry kings and queens of this earth. But he was able to carry the King of kings and the Lord of Lords—Jesus!

Lastly, just few years after, the last tree was brought out from the dark warehouse and was stripped into long pieces of square wood. She became the cross whom Jesus carried and where He was nailed as well… On her wooden arms and body, flowed the blood of Jesus…

They didn’t become exactly what they were dreaming. But God has the best plan for them. The first tree carried the most precious treasure both on earth and in heaven. The second tree carried the King of kings and the Lord of lords. And the third tree, every time people would think about her—as a cross—they would remember Jesus.

Cool isn’t it? I hope the message of this story would reach other places and be used as an evangelistic tool to proclaim the Jesus’ gift of salvation.

Sometime ago, I installed a simple RPG game here in our PC. In the first part, the main character in the game didn't know that she has special powers. One day, while she was strolling, a group of boys bullied her and started teasing her and hurting her. She picked up a stick to defend herself. But the moment she waved the stick, a surge of magical power flowed out from her hand and onto the stick, sending the bullies flying several feet away from her. Some people saw what happened. And they whispered, "She must be really powerful. Strong powers must be needed to make that stick become a very powerful weapon."

Now don't get me wrong. I'm not promoting any RPG games here, much less, playing RPGs.

Anyways. There is just one thing that stuck in my head with the story of that game. It was the stick. That brittle strip of branch... The people in the story didn't say, "Whoa! What a powerful stick! It must be a magical wand!" Instead, they immediately notice the power of the girl--the one who was holding the stick.

Each of us are just but a stick. Powerless. Brittle. Nature’s natural waste… It is in the hands of God when we become useful and powerful. The power and the strength don’t come from within us. It comes from the Source. If we are detached from the Source, we return to lifeless sticks, just enough to fuel a bonfire. Just as Jesus said in John 15:4-5, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”

We have no right to claim the glory. It was not the stick that was seen powerful. It was the person who was holding it. God alone deserves the glory for all the things we have reached and we have accomplished. He is the One holding us. He is the One who makes us what and who we are right now.

So every time we are in the verge of savoring the glory… Clutch the robe of humility around your body ever more tightly and may God remind us of the stick.

“I am a but stick… It is in Your hands I became more than I could have imagined.”

All glory to the Highest!

Okay... this will be the very first time I will post my blog here at multiply. Wala na kasing bumibisita sa blog ko sa blogger... hehe! At andito na rin kayong lahat. I mean, halos lahat ng mga church family ko. So, makikisali na ako.

So many things already took place since the last time I posted. But I'd rather not enumerate and recall them because details of events are quickly fleeting away from my memory these days... So I'll post something very very recent nalang.

This afternoon we went to MZCF Antipolo to celebrate with them their Christmas Celebration. Kuya/Ptr. Arjun requested if we can present something for their Christmas party. Siyempre, malakas samin ang kuya namin... kahit pastor na 'yan, siya pa rin ang 'Kuya Arjun' namin at hindi magbabago yun. Praise God for the youths who offered their talents, time, and energy to prepare the 2 presentations. Madali nalang naman kasi napresent na siya before: ang personal favorite kong "Nasaan ang Kahon?" at ang walang kupas na "We Are The Reason."

During the service, Kuya Arjun was the emcee, Ate Cet was the WL, Tita Amie was the speaker. Ang daming new visitors! And praise God for the souls who received Jesus that night after Tita Amie shared the message of Christmas. God is really amazing how He speaks to the heart of people who are hearing the Gospel. I've heard the message of the Gospel many-many-many times... during camps, retreats, Christmas season; there were moments na parang I felt wala ng dating sa akin... which I found really alarming as God made me realize it. But during those moments na I felt parang wala ng dating sa akin ang message ng Gospel, it was when I really understood that it is the Holy Spirit who speaks and moves in the heart of each soul. We are just mere 'speakers'. If the message of Salvation is real in our hearts and we are so eager to proclaim the Good News, no matter how we speak, how we look, what words, what technique we use, the Holy Spirit will speak in the heart of every soul we evangelize... Amazing isn't it?