Charlize, 3

“Thank you Lola Yay! And that's it,” replied Charlize as my daughter Lucci read my birthday email for her.

With them in Australia, we made do with phone and chat greetings, but I felt emailing my heartfelt wishes was still in order.

“My everdearest grandaughter Charlize, today is your birthday!

”Lolo Jack and myself, Tito Carlo and Tita Opal very much want to be there to kiss you and hug you because today is your very special day.

“But since we could not be there, we're asking your Mom and Dad and Joaqui to give you lots of hugs and kisses for us. Mhwa! Whwa! Mhwa! Mhwa! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!

”Now you're three years old and we've seen how pretty and smart you've grown. Be obedient to your Mom and Dad and be a good sister to Joaqui, OK?

“I hope you're not a cry baby any more and you're no longer peeing and pooing in your nappy. You're a good girl, we know.

“We want to hear you sing the next time we see you again. I've seen your dancing and singing in the video taken by your dad. That was really good!

”Jesus loves you and He wants you to grow up loving Him and obeying Him. We know you will!”

Week Highs

Blessings overflowed this week.

Friday was reunion day with an old friend who complimented me with a ticket to Christ Commission Fellowship’s “Signs of the Times” Conference.

Techie and I were colleagues back when we were employees of San Miguel Corporation eons ago.

No kidding! She looked as young, pretty and perky as when I last saw her fussing about her last social development project in SMC.

Today committed to living and sharing the Word of God, she holds bible studies with a group of equally devoted women believers and puts her faith into action in partnership with Christian workers in a less privileged community in Quezon City. Old passions never die!

And since it was her birthday, her hubby Jun treated a party of 15 joyful—and hungry—souls with a buffet blowout at Cabalen (Megamall) during our lunch break from the conference.

The most memorable part was when, back in the hall, a guest speaker, Pastor Ray Bentley of Maranatha Church, California, asked the congregation to pray for each other, and guess who I prayed with? Techie’s 13 year old son Benny who used to be a toddler in our SMC days. Techie and Jun must be mighty proud of this God-fearing young lad.

The greatest part of the day, which I hope to write about separately in the near future, was the eye-opener messages of the conference speakers, particularly author Joel Rosenberg (The Last Jihad, The Last Days, Epicenter, etc.), on the need to bring the gospel to all the ends of the earth, because Christ is coming soon.

An addendum: Earlier this week too, spent a grand time with the ladies in church as we relished God’s transforming power taking us from brokenness to wholeness. Of a kindred spirit, we worshipped and prayed and joked and laughed too.

Ah, God is really good!

Joaqui

“Thank you very much for caring for me.”

This was our grandson Joaqui’s response to all those who greeted him on his seventh birthday.

Time surely flies. It seems only yesterday when we waited for him to be born in what seemed to be the longest night of laboring and praying.

Thought I’d share portions of an article I wrote after his birth:

“It amazed me no end when with the ultrasound, I first laid eyes on my apo— already a breathing, throbbing and very recognizable being even if it (This time of course, we didn't know its sex yet.) was only a few weeks old. As the doctor patiently explained what we were looking at, I could only mutter, ‘Hello there, baby,’ while I waved at the tiny figure onscreen. I must have looked silly. Welcome to grandmotherhood.

“In a subsequent ultrasound, that young fetus moved to cover his face. ‘Shy boy!’ We chorused even as we beheld his beautiful spine, tiny femur and kidney, and his lustily-throbbing heart. ‘Almost pee time, his bladder is full,’ noted the doctor.

“Psalm 139 became an even bigger revelation to me: ‘For you formed my inward parts. You wove me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made… Your eyes have seen my unformed substance, and in your book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me when as yet there was not one of them.’

“Joaqui’s D-day finally came January 13. Since my daughter gave birth via cesarean section after laboring for 15 hours—his umbilical cord got wound around his leg, so into the incubator he stayed awhile after coming out of that entanglement .

“And there we were marveling. He was the nursery’s last guest, yet of all its occupants, Joaqui was the most active, turning his head left and right and back again, and flailing his legs and arms as if he were conducting an orchestra."

Hmmm, no wonder he’s quite a karate kid today. He plans on getting his green belt this year, “With hard work,” he says. And by the way, that's his attitude too about school; no wonder he excels. But for only being you, we love you, Joaqui!

DE-MUSH

(lechon photo from mysarisarishop.com)

The holidays have come and gone but my mind is still a mush.

Probably because of my terrible holiday fare. And I think you can commiserate with me:

Poor us, indulging in lechon in almost every party; pitiful, irresistible porky always beckoning, and needing to always be washed down with liters of diet coke or coke zero—you know, to balance the lard with zero-cal, for a healthier you.

Tell me. How many types of pasta did you devour, uh, rather suffer? If you’re noodle-crazy like me, you must have sampled every spaghetti and pancit laid out before you.

“Just a little,” that still small voice constantly reminded. So how come I weighed five pounds more the last time I checked? Weighing scale must be broken.

A slice of chocolate cake here. A bite of cookie there. A sliver of ham over there. Food glorious food! So here we are in January contending with shrinking wallets, bursting waistlines and lethargic episodes.

On the upside, I’m thankful for the longer time spent with loved ones. Imagine endlessly chit-chatting over paella, morcon, galantina, hamon, pancit, lechon, etc., from lunch to dinner time, even days on end. Tuyo, I need you, tuyo!

Or enjoying the cool mountain air, say in Tagaytay, for more eating sprees. (Hay, food pa rin!) Utterly sinful! Lord, forgive.

Being with family. Could that have triggered the eating binges? Or am I just looking for my scapegoat?

Seriously, with or without food, Christmas is still the best time of the year, especially if we don't lose sight of Christ, the reason for the season, and spend more quality time with those who matter most in our lives. For some of us with loved ones abroad, Facebook is a God-send.

So it's 2010. Time to lose the lard and the flab, de-mush di mind, and git right with God. Get set, 1-2-3, go!

Members of two sides of my family in their different get togethers, in Pasig, Quezon City, Tagaytay and Wollongong (Australia)

X-Deal

(image from crystalinks website)




Christmas is dreadful.

Imagine the Father trading his One and Only for you and I. Heaven’s light becoming our light. The Creator leaving His glorious position in heaven to be among the created.

Because God so loved us, He gave. His only begotten became THE ransom for all.
Declaring those who put their faith in Jesus SAVED.

He thus became our wonderful Counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of peace.

Savior, Lord, Healer, King of Kings. Rock, Refuge, Security, Provider. Bread from heaven. Word of life. The list goes on and on.

He ’s our everything!

God’s beloved Son came down from heaven and became man. His loss—but only for a while. Until He could put death and sin under His feet to win us back to the Father.

So he was born that Christmas day. And a people living in darkness saw a great light.

The babe in a manger was the opening scene. The final scene had Him hanging on the cross and crying out to the Father, “Into Your hands I commit my Spirit. It is finished.”

That’s the total picture. He finished the work. Exchange deal complete.

The trimmings of Christmas are just that—trimmings. Nice to have. Nice to look at. Nice to receive. But they do not define or dictate the climate of Christmas.

So it’s a pity if we have all the trimmings but miss the vine.

Jesus is the VINE. And how He'd love us to become His branch.

Have a Christ-filled life!

TEXT PRAYER

My niece Bambi recently ordered 12 copies of my book, “Sorry to Burst Your Bubble,” and asked for dedications for each recipient.

She picked up the books last night and texted her thanks, with this remark:

“I just can’t believe your message is right smack to what is actually going on in their lives and what they do or who they are. May prophetic gifting ka ba?”

Made me wonder too.

But all I did was ask, “Please give me the exact words fit for the recipient.” And He did. Here and there prayers—God listens to them all, big and small, even prayers sent like a text message.

He’s really not concerned with our words or the length of the prayer, but our heart.

By the way, if you’re still thinking of Christmas gifts, you may want to consider “Sorry.” (P190/copy at National Book Store and Powerbooks; or you can call or text me.)

Seminar for the Young and Not so Young

This has been quite a hectic but incredible week of blessings.

Held a Life Leadership seminar this Sunday for Jesus is Lord Church (JIL) in Sucat. It had been a life altering experience, both for me and the participants. And it’s all because God graciously enabled and intervened!

“I’m so thankful for what you’ve done. Glory to God! We’re so blessed and learned a lot. I pray that you will inspire more people, especially kabataan. God really anointed you,” texts Brian Bagol—my new-found young friend who coordinates JIL’s youth sector in this part of Metro Manila—after the seminar.

The motivation had always been His. He gave me the desire to reach out to young people. That’s the reason I wrote “Sorry.” I’m doubly blessed today to be able to share the book’s message via its sister tool, a three to four hour seminar knitting purpose, dream, gift and character as a package deal from God.

I thank Him for my partners in this endeavor: my family; Jun Manzano and his lovely wife Ate Norma whom God gave the burden to see this seminar through in JIL Sucat; our bible study group; JIL Sucat Pastors Gary Castillo and Viviane Corsame, Brian, the JIL Sucat praise and worship team whose anointed worship ushered in God’s presence; and prayer partners led by Carol Roa from City Gate Christian Ministry and other churches.

Special thanks to Bobot Tarre who so graciously agreed to do—even at the very last minute— the musical scoring of the seminar theme song, “Higher and Higher.”

I praise God for all of you! He alone deserves the glory!