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April 2, 2006 - UPM at Dept. of Health, Jones. Our speaker was Fr. Nilo Igloria. It was a recollection before the Holy week. It was a great recollection because Fr. Nilo gave a wonderful lecture. First, he told us the word "Seed". It is needs vs. wants. The need of a person vs. what a person wants.

"Seed" ----------------------> Potency ----------------------> Act

Deus Creavit Te Sine Te, Non Salvabit Te Sine Te that means God who created us can't save us without us. This goes to show that if we don't want to save ourselves then God can't. It has to begin with us. If we don't want to be saved then how can God touch our lives if we don't accept him? The seed that Fr. Nilo said is the seed of Love. If the seed of love has to sprout, then it has to have these four essential ingredients: Knowledge, Understanding, Acceptance then Love. You cannot love if you don't have the first three. Example, if you know your girlfriend to be temperamental, do you understand why she is like that? If so, do you accept her as she is? Then if you have done these three, only then can you say that you really love that person. Because if you directly say that you love her but do not accept her being temperamental, then you don't really love her.
In this life, we always have the right to any decision we make. Like love, we don't have to be influenced by our parents. The common mistake of parents is that they impose or force what they want to their children. Even if we know that your son or daughter chose someone who doesn't meet our "standards" or "requirements" then we have to respect their decision. We are only the living witness to life, the moral guide to our children. We don't morally question their decision because they have every right to do so. We only have to morally guide them on the things we know might hamper their relationship with their future spouse. We validate, meaning, present the truth-value or the lack of it. Example, if we think that the girlfriend of our son has a bad attitude or has a poor family background, we cannot impose or force our son to break up with his girlfriend. We can only tell him about these things. Like, we can't directly say to our son that ayaw minyo-i nang bayhana kay bati ug batasan or di ko ganahan anang bayhana, pangita ug lain. We can only say to our son that nakadunggog raba ko nga lain na ug batasan nang imong uyab. Pangutana kuno sa imong mga amiga o amigo para makatimbang-timbang ka kung madawat ba na nimo ang iyang batasan. So we can only guide them but not impose what we want because our children have the right to choose whom he or she will marry. And we want to be like Jesus, follow His humility. This is our guide. It is in Phil 2:1-11. The verse that struck me the most was "don't do anything from selfish ambition or from a cheap desire to boast, but be humble toward one another, always considering others better than yourselves. And look out for one another's interests, not just your own." This is being humble. Never wanting to put yourself first but others, being a servant, which many of us might think is hard to do. But maybe in time, we can be like Christ. Here are some questions to ponder about our marital relationship:
1. How do we deal with life's problems? Life's challenges?
2. Have I met God in these circumstances? Why or Why not?
3. Am I determined to pursue my ideals?
4. Where do I go from here?
With these questions, here are additional ones which is a follow-up to the ones above:
1. Am I worth loving despite my failures and imperfections?
2. How do I express my love in concrete?
3. God is love. Does this have any bearing in my married life?
Married life is not a problem to be solved but a mystery to be lived. The key ingredient to marriage is communication. If we can't meet in a certain point, then how can we resolve our problems? As Fr. Nilo said, if we put pride in the center of our relationship, then we couldn't solve any problem because no one will be the water to the fire. Let's say if one is more profound academically, then he cannot put himself above the other one. Meaning, you can't put down the other person just because you are more intelligent than she is. You have to meet half way. The more you know, the more you have to understand.
Married life has to have these four elements. PLDT. Mura man ug atong telepono. As Fr. Nilo joked, PLDT, pirmi lungag dili tabunan. MCWD, mo-agas cadiyot wagtang dayon. Hahaha. Well, PLDT in married life means:
P - prayer life. We mustn't forget our couple prayer time.
L - listening. Listen with the heart.
D - dedication. Determination & self-fulfillment
T - trust. Without it, you will always feel insecure. And maybe I can add T for time. If we don't have time for our family, talk to our children, have time to play with them, have time to talk to our spouse about anything then this will lead to a gap in our relationship with our spouse and our children.
And like religion, if we want to jump to another one Fr. Nilo has three guiding questions for us to think about:
1. Do I know everything the Church taught?
2. Do I know everything that I understand?
3. Did I live this?
And as a parting word, Fr. Nilo told us to renew our marriage vows every month. Even for just 30 seconds, we can recite even with these "wear this ring as a sign of my love & loyalty, to have & to hold, in sickness & in health, till death do us part" or in any words you had vowed during your wedding day. And as my parting words (singit pa jud) I just told my friends what I was advised:
To the husband: Always remember that the wife is always right.
To the wife: Always remember that the husband is always wise…
Question: Are you happily married?

February 24, 2006 - UPM at Dept. of Health, Jones. Our speaker was Br. Andrew Macatangay and it was about Music in Worship. We had a slideshow and Br. Andrew started with the meaning of our theme. Latreuo - means "to serve" and Proskuneo - means "bow down in respect or submission". There are 2 important aspects of worship a) relational - worship God b) expressive - express what you worship. Then Ministry (service) of Music (Job 38:4-7 & Gen 4:21) what are these? a) a service to God b) a service to the community c)a service to others. Then choosing the song at the right time which is a) CLP and b) Prayer Meetings.

What composes a Music Ministry? These are a) Team b) Group of committed Christians and c) Servants. A team because you cannot sing or worship alone. A group of committed Christians because we sing to worship not just plain singing. And we are servants. We sing to serve & we don't sing to be popular or to get attention.

What are our goals? Keep the community alive, training ground for the development of singers, musicians & worship leaders, serve others who are interested to develop other music teams, make music available to as many people thru the development of tapes & songbooks, and provide good & wholesome entertainment.

How can we build up the Music Ministry - through prayers, practice (repitition is the mother of learning), playing (worship the Lord with your music), and give practical suggestions.

Forming the Music Ministry - size of the music team, musical directors / singers / guitarists / keyboards / drummer.

Qualities of Music Ministry member - right talent, right reason / motivation / focus, and right character. Basic tips in good singing - good posture, warm up your voice, right breathing habits, & focusing.

We ended up singing & practicing new songs with the help of Sis. Shirley. Other guests that evening were our chapter head and other unit heads. Music really makes our hearts fill with joy and through worship, our souls will be filled with peace, love & unity. God is good...all the time!

October 15, 2005 - CPM at Ecotech. Br. Sim Pacaña was our speaker. I should've brought my digicam so there's a pic on the speaker. Maybe next time. Still the same topic, Financial Stewardship. It was a fun evening because Br. Sim made it great. He said that the last part of our conversion to the Lord is our pockets. Hahaha. We can easily convert and repent our sins. We can easily change our habits, attitudes BUT tithing, that's another story. Basta lagi kwarta na, mangawt na ta sa ulo! Well tithing, as Br. Sim said, is taking responsibility for God's work through our finances. There are 3 types of Financial Stewardship a) tithing b) resource sharing and c) alms giving.

A) Tithing - this is to acknowledge all our belongings to God. Meaning, we acknowledge that everything in our possession is from God and we give back to God. And as God said in Mal 3:7-10 "…put me to the test and you will see that I will open the windows of heaven and pour out on you in abundance all kings of good things." See? That's what we mean by "give God a tenths of your income and He will give back a thousand folds…" It is also written in Ps 24:1 and Hg 1:9. Ten percent can be put as time, talent and treasure. You can give 10% of your time by praying to God, you can share 10% of your talents through the community, you can share 10% of your treasure i.e. your children is your treasure. Tithing made us stewards of what belongs to God, God who enables us to acquire wealth. You can also read Pr 10:22, Ec 10:22, 1Cor 4:7 and Si 11: 14 & 21.
B) Resource Sharing - Br. Sim said that an example is when a brother tries to ask for a loan but you have to give it without interest. But here's the catch. The one giving the loan and the one loaning should first give notice to his household head. Then it is elevated to the Unit head and then to the Chapter head. This is done so there is witness to the giving of loan so that the brother who loans cannot escape his obligation and will pay back what he owes. So if you want to loan, the household head, unit head and chapter head should be notified.
C) Alms Giving - this is done if the brother, whom you gave a loan, may not have the capacity to pay you back and you think that they cannot pay because of their living condition so you can just put it as alms giving or in accounting, write-off. As the situation arises, you will know if the brother is really in need and has no capacity to pay you back, then you can put it as alms giving. But this may be in small amounts, kay kung P100,000.00 pud na, lisud na kaayo'g kalimtan. Ngeh!

Then there was couple sharing, which was yours truly with my sister wife. We shared how God enlightened us about tithing and the promise of a thousand folds. I really am advocating this. It is really true. And one thing I want to impart is that giving of 10% net of tax (as Br. Sim said) is not only expecting something in return but as I have prayed for understanding, is that God made this so so that you may be detached from material things. If God can trust you in small things, then He can give you responsibility in bigger things. It is really a good percentage when I thought about the 10%. You know why? 10% is not quiet a big amount compared to the 90% that's left of your salary. But 10% hurts when you give it away. Mura ba'g gamay ra ang 10% sa imong sweldo pero sakit pud kung imong buhi-an. This is how genius God is. But when you're given the multitude of blessings like a thousand folds, you really make it a point that you first give the 10% before anything else. Just like our grade school mass song "Seek first the kingdom of heaven, and all the rest will fall in line, give God His due and God will give back to you, turn the water into wine…" If you put heaven first, then the rest will just be put in order.
We ended just past 10pm with our hearts filled with understanding. Till our next teaching, hopefully UPM for our unit. Question: "Where's your 10%?"

April 23 ,2005 - UPM at Ecotech. Br. Ale Aguspina was our speaker. He was a former teacher in Math and now is a full time evangelist. Like Br. Bo Sanchez his long time friend, he started young preaching. At the age of 16 he was the youngest of 15 children. And mind you, he has 7 children of his own. And he firmly believes, God provides. It was great because he was a powerful speaker. The topic tonight was "Christian and Money".

He gave us three parts for his discussions. 1 - Money in the Bible 2 - Loving Money and 3 - Money as a Blessing.

Money in the Bible. Are we committed to God or money? The Bible clearly says in Mt 6:24 "You cannot be a slave of two masters; you will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." In the Bible, Jesus told 39 parables and half of it is compared with money. This is the financial stewardship. And worrying about money is what Br. Ale said "(worrying)…is practical atheism". Meaning, you worry too much about nothing. We always pray that we believe in God but in reality we don't practice what we preach. We always worry about money. We worry about our finances like educational plan, how we are going to pay for the bills, credit cards, sale, everything concerning money. There are two kinds of Gods - Jesus and money. They both died on Good Friday because when Judas knew that Jesus was to be hanged on the cross, he threw the 30 pieces of silver to the priests and told them that that wasn't part of the deal. Then money died that day. And it resurrected together with Jesus on Easter Sunday. When the High Priest knew that Jesus rose from the dead, they gave the soldiers money to spread the news that the disciples stole the body of Jesus. And that was how money resurrected that day. We must distinguish between Joy and Happiness. Joy is Jesus because it comes from the heart. Happiness is Money because if there are no happenings, there is no happiness. Meaning, you have to spend money to have happiness. You have to spend to create that happiness.
Loving Money. In Gen 2:15 it says "Then the Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and guard it." This means man was already employed by God and his job was to nurture and guard the Garden of Eden. And man was paid. He was paid when God said you can eat all the fruits in the garden. It wasn't money then. Man bartered goods so they can get what they want. But this wasn't enough. Man already had things and he wanted to get something and don't want to barter because he already had it so they invented money. In Hg 2:8 it says "All the silver and gold of the world is mine." This means that everything is this world belongs to God. So we should entrust everything to Him. In Mt 16:26 "Will you gain anything if you win the whole world but lose your life?" We have to first want to go to the Kingdom in Heaven. That's our major goal. You can buy a house but not a home. You can buy a bed but not a sleep. You can buy food but not appetite. Can money buy you a friend? So Br. Ale gave us this wonderful prayer on loving money. In Pr 30:7-9 "I ask you God, to let me have two things before I die: keep me from lying, and let me be neither rich nor poor. So give me only as much food as I need. If I have more, I might say that I do not need you. But if am poor, I might steal and bring disgrace on my God."
Money as a Blessing. Money is not evil. God gave us money so we may enjoy it. We must be the master of money not the other way around. In Dt 8:17-18 "So then, you must never think that you have made ourselves wealthy by your own power and strength. Remember that it was the Lord your God who gives you the power to become rich. He does this because he is still faithful today to the covenant that he made with your ancestors." This then is the financial stewardship. If we know how to make use of what God has given us, then all is well. It's like the parable of the three servants. The two made use of the money that their master gave them so the master gave them more. But the third one just buried it because he was scared that his master might scold him. So the master got all his money and cast him away. In Pr 10:22 "It is the Lord's blessing that makes you wealthy. Hard work can make you no richer." Even in any amount of work you do if it is not in the Glory of God, then it is for naught. This is where tithes come in. When the Lord said give me one tenth and I will give back a hundred fold this is the Lords promise. It is not only the material reward that you will reap. This is how the Lord will test you if you can let go of the material things here on earth. It is not how much you can give but if you are not attached to money.
A formula was given to us by Br. Ale on money. Income - Tithes - Savings = expense. If money troubles you, just pray on your couple prayer time and God will always enlighten you because as Br. Ale said the Bible is not only the book of faith and prayer, but it is also a financial handbook. It always talks about how to handle money and its stewardship. And he ended his lecture by saying that God always provides. Just entrust everything to him and He will make you wealthy... through your heart.

UPM at Ecotech March 19, 2005

Speaker: Br. Sim Pacaña

It was a beautiful Saturday evening. It was blessed since the weather was fine and we had a perfect venue at last. It will be our permanent venue since Planet Mex, our previous venue, is now an internet cafe. Here in Ecotech, it's cool. The aircon is cold, the food is great and the place is super. We also have a private comfort room. And what's great about the place is that ... it's cheap! (At least from the previous venue, it's half the price).

Brod Sim was with his family. We started past six pm and we started with a song. Recollection. That was the first word he said. What is a recollection? "re" meaning repetition or repetitive action. What do we recollect? It's like an inventory. We have to remember what our goals are and what we promised. It's like what Br. Sim said "Why did we join CFC?" We don't have to be like a dog. The first dog who saw something will chase it and is focused on chasing it because it has a purpose. To chase something. But the other dogs will just follow. They don't know what they're chasing. Are we that kind? Br. Sim also stressed what Jesus said "Love your enemies". He started telling us about Gawad Kalinga. Why should we make a house and give it to people who are not from CFC? Why don't we make one for our fellow CFC? Then he reflected on this and this is what he realized. If we make a house for our fellow CFC then we are blessed right? But what if we have no house and still helped those who have none? Then that's double the blessing right? What merit can we get if you love someone who loves you back? Then he let us get our Bibles and CFC Covenant cards. We were given 5 mins. to reflect on the covenant card and if we already were committed on doing this. He said that we have to sign it as soon as possible because it is our commitment to God. It doesn't mean that we have to fulfill everything that is in the covenant. It is a process. We have to live with it. We just can't fulfill it overnight. It a guideline for us to fulfill our commitment to God. Then we were made to read the Book of Ruth from the Old Testament. All the four chapters. It's short mind you. And since not everyone has a Bible, Sis. Sheila, Br. Khe and yours truly read all four chapters in front. Ruth deals with sacrifice, obedience and hardwork. Here's a little summary about the Book that was flashed by Br. Sim via powerpoint.

Chapter 1 weeping ---> sorrow

Chapter 2 working ---> service

Chapter 3 waiting ---> submission

Chapter 4 wedding ---> satisfaction

Br. Sim cited the example of obedience like the sign of the cross. Why would we end the sign with our lips? The proper way is to put our hands together. When we say In the name of the Father, the Son, & the Holy Spirit, we put our hadns together to say Amen and not on our lips. Why? Because we follow what the priest does. In the old times, the priest carries a rosary and after making the sign of the cross, the priest ends up by kissing the cross on the rosary. And after that everyone thinks that we have to end up making the sign of the cross with our lips. We have to correct it. We have to end up by putting our hands together. (So we learned something today huh?)

The first reference from the Book of Ruth was the two forces. Darkness - one force pulling everything apart. And Light - other is seeking to put things back together. Telling a lie, taking contraceptives, doing what God doesn't want us to do, we know where we stand right? Darkness or Light?

Ran away from problems...

Living by SIGHT ---> not by FAITH

Living for the PHYSICAL ---> not by SPIRITUAL

Living for the WORLD ---> not by the LORD

IGNORING THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM.

If you are the problem, then admit it. Others can't help us if we don't know who is the problem. Even if you go to the Cluster Head, he can't help you since you yourself is the problem. Example of living by sight is by always changing cellphones. Br. Sim tells us that why should we change cellphones when it's only purpose is communication? Hambug ra kuno na Brod. Basta naay ikapakita nga bag-o ang celfon. Living for the physical is the material things around us. Why should we keep on buying things which we can't take to Heaven? You can't take your Pajero to Heaven right? Living for the world. Living for your ambitions, for worldly things and not by the Lord.

The second reference is the three decisions.

Cover-up ---> like Naomi

Give-up ---> like Orpah

Stand-up ---> like Ruth

We should stand up like what Ruth did. Being a Moabite is an outcast from the Israelites. But Ruth was obedient to Naomi and would go wherever she went and would die for her and be buried beside her. Naomi is her mother-in-law. Can you do that to your mother-in-law? I doubt it. Matud pa ni Br. Sim "Katawa ra ba ay..."

The third reference

A Believing Decision

A Bitter Disposition

A Blessed Discipline

The fourth reference (various experiences and changes)

From Unbelief to Faith

From Rebellion to Submission

From Bitterness to Gratitude

From Emptiness to Satisfaction

The fifth reference

Blessing of Guidance (Ru 2:8, Ps 32:8, Pr 3: 5-6)

Blessing of Protection (Ru 2:9, Ps 91:11, Ps 46:1, Rom 8:28)

Blessing of Provision (Ru 2:15:16, Phil 4:19)

Belssing of Encouragement (Ru 2:13)

Blessing of Fellowship (Ru 2:14)

Blessing of Acceptance (Ru 2:15, Eph 1:16)

Blessing of Satisfaction (Ru 3:1, Jn 4:13-14)

The sixth reference (changed Naomi) turning point in our life

We must have the RIGHT PURPOSE

We must go to the RIGHT PERSON

We must make the RIGHT DECISION

We must be at the RIGHT PLACE

Br. Sim explains the right purpose, is it what God wants us to do? If we have problems, do we go to the right person? The one who gives the right advise. Do we pray to God that we will be given the right person to console our problems with? Do we pray that we be given the right decision? And...is CFC the right place for us? If so, what do you do now?

The seventh reference - when everything becomes new (Ru 3:8 - 18)

God accepts us

God assures us (Mk 11:28-30)

God assists us

The example Br. Sim told us is that if we accept being a sector head or a chapter head. It is God's calling and we have to accept it. After accepting it, God assures us that we can make it. God won't give us problems we can't solve. And what more can we ask for? After assuring us, God always assists us. He won't just give us something and leaves us? He is there to assists us, to guide us and protect us. If we become sector head, then God will show us the way. A beautiful song that Br. Sim sang with us about this seventh reference is "And He said casts your burdens upon me those who are heavily laden, come to Me all of you who are tired of carrying heavy loads, for the yolk I will give you is easy, and the burden is light. Come to me, and I will give you rest..." With this promise, I realized that all our problems are not heavy. Our burden is light. That's because God carried the heavier part so we won't carry heavy loads. And when everything seems to be hopeless, give everything up to Him because as he promised "I will give you rest". So isn't that great? When we think that we have the heaviest problems to solve, it's really not that heavy. It's just light. Because God said we should surrender everything to Him and by surrendering to Him, we will be given rest. As He said "Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened". He wants us to ask what we want because if we don't ask and it's just there, then why should we ask or believe in a God when everythings given to us? He doesn't want to give everything to you. You have to ask for it. By doing so, He knows that you really want it. You really need it. And in His time, He will grant you your wish. He always answers our prayers. If we get it, then it's a Yes. But if we don't get it, then it's a No. No is still an answer. And God always answers our prayers. Maybe it's not yet time to give us what we want. In summary, the Book of Ruth is SALVATION, SUBMISSION & SERVICE.

The talk lasted for 3 hours and we really had a great time because Br. Sim injected his teaching with humor. And as the lenten season grows near, we can reflect on the life of Ruth and see how she was obedient, how she sacrificed herself and how she served her mother-in-law without question. Question to ponder this lenten season: Can we emulate Ruth?

 
Feb. 12, 2005 - UPM at Ecotech. A pre-Valentines day special. Ballads were sang by our Sister wives and Brother husbands. It was an experience. Let's just remember this day, for those who attended, a love day.
Dec. 4, 2004 - Christmas party 2004 was a blast! We invited our Chapter Head Br. Sonny Montecillo. As you can see in our pictures, the party was a success!

UPM - Sat. October 23, 2004 Planet Mex Bar & Grille. Yes! At last we have a UPM. For a few months now everybody's been busy with their work and studies and what have you's. And then, with the blessing from above, the Lord made it a point that we'll have a UPM this month so we can all be together. Our speaker was Fr. Soc Saldua. The theme that night was about All Soul's day, it's purpose and why we celebrate it. Celebrate because our purpose is Heaven. That's what Fr. Soc emphasized. And mind you, it was never a boring night. Fr. was a complete comedienne. He made us laugh and he also made us realize the grace of God. Heaven. Because this is our ultimate goal in life. And as what Fr. said, Heaven is here on earth. Heaven starts here. If we laugh, it's Heaven. Heaven is in marriage. It is a work with the grace of God. If we work out our marriage out, we will receive the grace of God. To accept our problem is also Heaven. There are 3 things that Fr. Soc said so we might attain our goal. First, Solitude - this is communing with God. We have to talk to God. And how do we do it? Prayer. That's right. We sometimes forget that through prayer we will encounter God, we have a sense that He is there. Second is Community - example is our Couples for Christ community. Our community strengthens our faith. We need our community not only to strengthen our faith but also our marriage, our lives as the children of God. The third is Service (which I agree). As the Lord said in the Bible, "Go forth and multiply". What does that mean? It is not the population that is said here but service. Go out and serve. What did Jesus do during His stay here on earth? He served. He went out and preached God's word. The formula is Faith plus Good Works. Everytime we have our household or UPM, we can bring our children so they can see what service really is. Fr. emphasized that we also should serve the young. Because this is the group that is most neglected. And as for this coming All Soul's day, it is in the Book of Maccabees, there is a prayer for the dead. But the best prayer is through communal mass. As we have done in the past years, we always pray for our beloved through mass. And it's also helpful if you ask them for help. Because when they are in Heaven, they also pray for us. But as Fr. Soc said, "Do the good and right things while you're still alive". That's true. Because how can one appreciate a good deed when you're dead? So as long as you live, do a good deed a day. That will make you closer to Heaven. And who doesn't want to go to Heaven? Don't you?
UPM - Sat. July 24, 2004 Planet Mex Bar & Grille. Ha, back to Planet Mex. Murag suki na gyud. It was another blockbuster UPM as we have an energetic Music Ministry anchored by the ever faithful Br. Freddie & a talented host, Br. Tomas. Even though we had different faces (our other Bros. & Sis. can't make it) we still had the place jampacked. Thanks to our speaker, Br. Bernie Punla, we are reminded of our CFC calling card (katong naa sa pitaka nga pirmi lang kalimtan?!?!?!TOINK!). The topic was "The Need for Service/Commitment" and as Br. Bernie said, we have our own calling, be it service or otherwise as long as we do it for the Greater Glory of God. It was a fun-filled night because we had our new format. The guesting of the new Star Circle Quest Batch 1972! They were Br. Khe & Sis. Sheila, Br. Rey & Sis. Lorna. They were put in front so that others may see....bitaw, the forum was to have a question & answer portion on what to do, what to change, & what's going on with our unit. This was one way of giving chance to our new members to ask about us, our community and so they will know better what CFC is all about and what to expect. We have to hand it to Br. Rey who was the one eager to answer all the questions. (hehe pasensya na Brod). Needless to say, keep up the good work guys! And as I am now reminded by a song I first heard from Br. Nelson "We'll be faithful, to our calling..." (When is our next UPM?.....knock, knock, Br. Tommy)

UPM - Sat. June 5, 2004 Planet Mex Bar & Grille (at the back of Chong Hua Hospital) SUCCESS! That's the word that will describe the whole UPM. Why? We were over 30 people in the bar! And to think every UPM the ones who attend are only the household heads and a few members!?!?!? Now, it's jampacked. It was a blessing how we knew about the place. The household heads were having a fellowship at Off Roads Cafe at the Ayala access road the Saturday before when we knew that the place at Colon was not available. All the hard work of Bro. Khe & Sis. Sheila with the invites and we have to change it again? Well, not to panic, we decided to go first to Beanhoppers Cafe (at the side of Planet Mex) and later at Mingkay's if the place wasn't available. And lo and behold! One of the owners, Val, was a friend of Bro. Tommy. And the rest is history. This was THE PLACE to substitute Pitcher Plant (at M. Velez St.) which was closed & we had to go to LGRC because it was the only place accessible at the time. The Lord always has His way. We were a community hungry for a good night out, eager to hold a UPM at a groovy place so everyone will get excited & bring back the Glory by rockin' the place with our Praise & Worship songs. Alleluia! Our guest speaker was Bro. Din Corbeta and he talked about a wonderful book, The Purpose Driven Life.

He talked about why we are here and what our purpose in life is. He pointed out five purposes, a) We were planned for God's pleasure (Worship) b) We were formed for God's family (Fellowship) c) We were created to become like Christ (Discipleship) d) We were shaped for serving God (Ministry) and e) We were made for a mission (Evangelism). The sharers were Bro. Nars & Sis. Ellen. They shared about how the book inspired their lives. And folks, I forgot their favorite line but let me summarize it like this "It is better to live life through love, better express love through time, and what better time but now?" (a little bit confusing ain't it?) If you haven't read the book, I suggest you read it now. These purposes only goes to show that we should not limit ourselves with what we know but we have to share it with others. And that's Evangelism. That's my purpose. I remember when I first joined this community. I told myself "What am I doing here?" Ever since Kindergarten I was taught about God in every religion class. I already know this & that so why should I join? Then, the answer was right in front of me. I have to share my knowledge with others. To evangelize. And this book answered my prayers. I have heard a story in the FM radio about purpose. We are not here by coincidence. We do not meet people by coincidence. All of this has a purpose. Our problems has a purpose. And to my opinion, to shape us to be in the image and likeness of God. As Bro. Bo Sanchez said "We are like a picture. After taking a picture, you have a negative. It's not automatic that a perfect picture comes out. The negative has to be developed & so it is dipped in a series of chemicals so it will come out perfect. In life, we have to be dipped in happiness, in problems, in difficulties, in pleasure, in situations, in sufferings so in the end we will be like Him. In the image and likeness of God." It was a wonderful and fun filled night. You can see the radiance in every face, specially Bro. Freddie. Till the next UPM. God Bless! Now I know what my purpose in life is....what's yours?

Our Marriage Enrichment Retreat (MER) was held last Nov. of 2003. Thanks to the following Brothers & Sisters who made it possible: Khe & Sheila for their undying service. Ano & Lerry for a great assist. Rey & Tommy for their love of music. For the participants who in one way or the other made it to the MER. And to those who went there, thank you. There are no words on how to describe the wonderful and great experience we had in those 3 days. So we'll leave it up to those who were there. Experience is the best memory, because you remember it by heart. God bless!

UPM @ LGRC Oct. 4, 2003 : Speaker Fr. Nilo Igloria, Prof. of Philosophy & English, San Carlos Seminary, Mabolo, Cebu City. Thestokos - Bearer of God. That was the first few words he wrote on the blackboard. Before we even got there, it was raining hard. Like wow, should I attend the UPM since it's already flooding in our neighborhood? With only 6 couples who attended, the words from this charismatic speaker were as powerful as ever. Yes, that's right. Our topic for that night is our Blessed Virgin Mary. And mind you, our speaker came to know Catholicism at the age of 17. That's right. He was previously a Protestant. And that makes him a Catholic defender. Fiat and Magnificat. Fiat - Yes Lord, thy will be done. Magnificat - My soul glorifies the Lord. This my friends separates us from other sect. Sect, not religion. Because, what he said, if we talk about religion, it is Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism and not Born Again, Iglesia ni Manang (that's what he prefers it to sound) and any other sect because they are not religion. He compared this with the Born Again. They refuse to talk about Mary. Why? Because once they talk about Mary, then they will automatically be a Catholic. And what's the need of separating themselves from the Catholics if they talk about Mary. And why do they attack the Virgin Mary. She hasn't done anything to them? And why the attacks. Because they do not know that if we talk about Jesus it is correlative to talk about Virgin Mary and vice versa. You can't talk about Jesus without talking about His mother right? Why can't they accept that Mary is the bearer of God's son Jesus? And then why do they talk about Joseph as His stepfather? Joseph is Jesus's foster father, not stepfather. There's a difference. And continuing to attack Mary is by telling us that Jesus has brothers and sisters. Didn't they know that if you talk about brothers and sisters in the time of Jesus, they were referring to His close cousins? And why should God allow any man to touch the bearer of His Son? Would God allow this to happen? Mary's womb became a Tabernacle when Jesus was born. That's why the Born Again and other sect don't talk about her mainly because Mary is a sign of Catholicism. Mary is the Mother of the Church. They praise and worship Jesus as their Lord and Saviour but don't even recognize the Mother who bore Him. That's why Fr. Igloria said that listening to those people who argue everyday in the radio or on the streets are just wasting time. They just memorized the Bible but they didn't study it. Study harder, that's what Fr. Igloria said, and you will learn that Mary is of great importance in the life of our Lord Jesus. What real help can Mary give us Christians? A) We live in a very evil age B) We need all the help we can get C) With Mary's help we have more than enough. And this month of the rosary, we pray that Mother Mary will intercede for us. Because praying the rosary is an acknowledgment that Mary is the Mother of Jesus. Mother Mary is not worshipped but venerated. Mary, like any other Saints, is an intercessor so that we might be heard by Jesus. When the door closes, Mary opens the window. Fr. Igloria said that if we talk to other sect about the Bible, we might as well talk what is common. If they have no Mary, then don't talk about Mary. If they don't have Purgatory, then don't talk about Purgatory. If they have a cross, then we'll talk about the cross. But if they don't have any statue on the cross, then we don't talk about the statue on the cross. This is simply saying that if we talk about what is not there, then the arguement will not stop. And then Fr. Igloria said that life is too short. If we can live to be 200 years old well and good because if we live to be 80 then life's too short. In the shortness of life, we have to have time to serve. Don't say I can't make time or you will not have time. Don't say I can't go to the CPM or UPM because I have a headache. Then that might develop into a tumor?!?!?!? Don't say that it's raining hard and we'll be flooded. Maybe then it might come true and you will be in the middle of the ocean. Life's too short. Fr. also said that everytime we do something, it should be quality. Quality is the sense that if you give a kiss or a hug to your spouse or children, let it be like it is your last. Because we might not know, it really will be your last. Like what Mother Teresa said " Make this mass be like your first, your only, and your last". This pertains to giving every action of your life with quality. Hug your spouse like it may be the last. And everytime you give quality to your loved ones, you sense the feeling of happiness, the warmth of a comfortable embrace. The feeling that everything will be all right. The feeling of a mother's love. Her warm embrace. Her comforting words. Her healing power to ease your pain. Her being a Mom. And that is our Mother Mary.

Well hope you liked the topic. The speaker was so powerful, he not only enlightened us but also made us appreciate and admire the strength and the sweetness of Mother Mary. Hope to see you soon on our next UPM. God Bless!

The Don Moen Experience

We arrived at the house around half past six when we knew our son didn't go to his Math teacher for a make-up exam. Head's were flaring but I kept my cool. What am I gonna do? I was tired of scolding Niko already. I just talked to him and told him the consequences of his actions. It was almost 7pm. I was tired and was having second thoughts on watching the Don Moen Concert. I told Carol that she and Myla will just go and watch and I'll just stay at home. "What? Only the two of us will be watching? No one will guard us specially out there in Cebu Coliseum." Well, I lazily changed and went along. It was pouring puppies and kittens. As we arrived, a lot of people were lining up. That was the general admission. Thank God we were at the upper box which costs P258.00. Myla, Carol & I paid for our tickets and got in. It was full and the only vacant seats were at the side of the stage. The big speakers also kept our sights from Don Moen. It's ok since this is going to be one big praisefest. True to his name, the concert started past eight and he started the concert with "God is good, All the time". Then I noticed the banners of BT105.9 Monster radio. Hey, I know the Program Director, Brian. He's the husband of Bing, my officemate. Carol told me Bing was in the courtside and I immediately texted her. We were already on our feet clapping and dancing and Bing was still trying to look for me. It was 5 mins. when she looked at me and I waved at her. She called us to come down and sit with her. The Lord made a miracle this evening. It was my first time watching a Don Moen Concert and He doesn't want me to just sit at the side and at the upper box with a very poor sound system that we hardly heard Mr. Moen speaking. We hurriedly went down and was inside the P618.00 ticket seats in no time. Praise the Lord! He sent down two angels in the name of Brian & Bing Madroñero. We were in front and watched the concert with a fat heart. The Lord really wanted us to watch His concert. When Don Moen sang "God will make a way" & "You are my Shepherd", my heart nearly broke. I was fighting back the tears. I sang with my whole heart praising and worshipping the Lord. It was the most powerful concert experience I ever had. Even though some songs were not familiar, you can catch the melody and learn it by heart right there. As the concert rolled for more than an hour, I realized how sinful I am and how God was always reaching out to me. When there are times that the road gets rough, He didn't forget us. He was just watching us and catching us everytime we fall. I sang with tears in my eyes, glorifying His name, raising my hands and ever praising Him. I jumped and sang loudly "Celebrate, Jesus, Celebrate". It was awesome. Different people with different religions became one, praising the Lord and singing "Shout to the Lord". We went home fulfilled, knowing God is always there when we needed Him. It was my first time, and I was happy.
We just finished our CLP at the Capitol Social Hall first week of June 2003. It was a worthwhile CLP because we have embraced 6 new couples into our fold. As what the Lord said, "We are not fishermen but fisher's of men...". The Lord has showered our little community with blessings. Bro. Robert and Sis. Grace are expecting another child together with Bro. William and Sis. Anabelle. With our Bro. Nelson & Sis. Susie with Bro. Kenneth & Sis. Myla in Canada, Bro. Barbers & Sis. Ella in the States and Bro. Arvind in Ireland, there's no wonder our next Bro. who went abroad is Bro. Khe...in Germany. Ni-apas ni Sis. Sheila didto. But he'll be back in a month. It only goes to show that our Lord is not tihik ha? Ako napud ang mag Team Leader be para maka abroad pud ko! Our Music Ministry with Bro. Freddie is getting into a higher level being the one's who'll play for the CFC ECG and all other activities of Couples for Christ. I haven't written any coverage for our teachings because...there aren't any yet. But rest assured Bros. & Sis., if you missed any teachings, I'll write it here for you. Till then, God Bless!
We are now back to a Unit and we are presently connected with the Capitol Parish CFC. We are having our first CLP with the chapter this coming March 1. Our Team Leader is Bro. Robert Alesna and Sis. Grace assisted by Bro. Rey since Sis. Lorna is in the States for 3 months. Ako po ang inyong lingkod para sa Music Ministry. Me? Sige, Lord first. Tonight, Feb. 11, 2003, we had our household leaders teachings at the Capitol Parish hall and speaker was Bro. Lito Dimalugos, a lawyer in the Public Attorney's office. He emphasized that we are servants of God just like what Jesus did with his disciples by cleaning their feet. Being a master doesn't mean that you will always have to be on top. You also must be humble and that's the example Jesus did to his disciples. And what our speaker said about being a servant, a motto actually, "We serve so that others may be saved". Correct ka dyan! It was enlightening and we know now that you should humble yourself to be a good servant of the Lord. Amen? Till then, watch for updates Bros. & Sis. God Bless!
CPM Dec. 7, 2002 at LGRC with Bro. Jun Pugoy as our guest speaker. Bro. Arnel wasn't able to come because inilogan and furthermore has many speaking engagements to attend to. So guess who was the worship leader? Moi! I was surprised why all of a sudden they had me in mind. Well, I was scared at first but with the help of Bro. Jess (Yup, my barkada up there) I was able to get through it. Camera shy man unta ko?
Well, the topic was Love on Christmas. We were enlightened by a beautiful talk because as what the speaker said, Love is beautiful. He stressed some key points like Love is not manipulative, not controlling, & must be trusting. (Reminder to our sister wives? No pun intended). And when you sleep at night, kanang padung katulog, unsa kuno ang inyong storyahon. Well, my wife and I before going to sleep would talk about our future (kuno!) but eventually she does the talking while I do the sleeping. Katulgan lang! Hahaha! The speaker also mentioned about his life while he was single and how his sis. wife was looking for Mr. Right. Even if she found it and after years of marriage, dili na mr. right si Bro. husband, there is still a Mr. Right and that is Jesus. Then he pointed out the key ingredients in a joyful and spirit-filled marriage. All in letter L's. First is the Lord. We must put priority on our couple prayer time. Put the Lord in the center of our marriage & everything will be put in order. Second is Love. Make love your aim. Third is Leadership. The husband must be the leader in family. Dili pud nga mangisog ba. Like "Wala'y magbu-ot nako diri sa balay! …. kung kanus-a ko manglaba, mangutaw, manglimpyo…" and also "Magbuwag na! … buwagon ang puti ug decolor!" The husband is U.S.A. diay. Under-Sa-Asawa! And the fourth is Labor. Hard work kuno. Dili ni gahi mo trabaho ha? The fifth is Laughter. There should be a little humor in our married lives. Dili lang puro serious ba. The sixth is Loyalty. That's what he said nga i-intriga ang sweldo sa asawa. Technologically known as ATM. Automatic To Misis. And lastly, Laid back. Take time to enjoy each other. Even once a week, mag-date mong duha and take time out. Do yourselves a favor. Splurge. Not money but time together. Kung wala'y kwarta, just eat out. Literally. Like putting tables and chairs outside the house like sa terrace or garden and eat there. Sa binisaya pa, nanga-on sa gawas. Gawas sa balay ba. Or strolling ba mo (kay wala'y pang taxi). Or looking at the stars (kay wala'y pangtan-aw ug sine).
Well, that wraps up the CPM and by Dec. 15, we'll have our Christmas party sa Mar y Cielo. Beach na pud. Till then…Abangan….
CPM Oct. 26, 2002 at LGRC (murag suki na!) with our guest speaker Fr. Saldua. Our topic was Spiritual Preparedness. Beforehand we almost didn't make it that night because we figured in a car accident at around 5pm, you know a taxi bumped our rear and I have to go to the CITOM and all those hassles that took me almost 2 hrs. Talk about slow! Well, Fr. Saldua was brief and concise on his lecture that only took him about 20 - 30 mins. max and that's it. All the ingredients were there. There was the examination of conscience with key factors such as TRUST, RESPECT, & LOVE. These are the elements for a lasting marriage. But there are also three things that may hinder this. One is to tolerate. You have to communicate with your spouse in order to know what the other wants & needs. Second is accept. If you just accept everything at all times, you might end up blank. The what is lost in the equation of communication. Lastly, celebrating. As what Fr. S said, after 53 years of toleration and acceptance, a spouse celebrates because at last the other realizes what the husband/wife really wants. Queer isn't it? And do you want that to happen in your life? Well, Fr. S offered an effective formula :"High acceptance, Low expectation". This is what the Bible teaches us ... "Those who humble themselves will be made great and those you will make themselves great will be humbled." Ring a bell? And lastly, Fr. S emphasized on the couples priority in life. If it's for the family, for personal, or for something else. Better check on your priorities. Does that include God? After Fr. S's talk, we had a sharing. From our Brod. Nars who went to the States, to our Sis. Jeanette who is living separately with Brod. Jun (geographically of course), then Sis. Anabelle told us that Bro. William who is now in Japan made her realize that she is much more in love with him than ever before! Sis. Maimai also conveyed to us how she missed Bro. Arvind. That made me stop & think ... and realize ... better pack up & go to the States so Carol will love me more and miss me more. Hahahaha! (Joke lang, masagpa-an unya ta!) That night ended up filling our hearts spiritually ... because our stomachs didn't! (Way snack hahaha)
CPM Sep. 14, 2002 at LGRC near Tesda, Banilad the speaker was Bro. Francis. He came from Mary's Children, a seminary in front of St. Joseph, Tabunok. It was about inner healing and it was a wake up call for us. He was very thorough in discussing the issue at hand. There were 5 causes of not being able to heal oneself. It is A) Lack of Administration of the Sacraments B) Unforgiveness C) Occult D) Sexual sins/Traumas E) Cursing F) Ancestral Bondage. First, we must obey the Sacraments specially the Ten commandments. The willingness to forgive the one who offended us. Then, the practice of occultism which is not Catholic. The sexual sins like prostitution, adultery, self-indulgence, and many more. Then there was cursing. If somebody curses you, just bless him back. This is because our body is the Temple of God and anything we do or say reflects our Creator. And the last was Ancestral Bondage. The night was not enough for the talk but then it was very fulfilling.

 

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