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From a recent probable seven, my stress level has dwindled to almost nil today.

No deadlines, lecture notes or powerpoint materials to prepare. And no test papers or assignments to check. Well, it's because I'm off-term from any kind of teaching, also from conducting seminars or writing for others.

Nowadays, my time is spent mostly with our daughter Lucci, son-in-law Joel, and their children Joaqui and Charlize in their suburban Sydney home.

I'm definitely home, even here.

It may be a cliche, but home is really where your heart is.

Ask any lolo or lola. Being with one's grandkids makes your heart swoon, ups your happy hormone, turns your vocabulary from bland to yummy (You've no choice, otherwise they won't understand you!), and forces your aching joints to flex to Justin Bieber's Baby.

Helping to dress up Charlize (she just turned four Feb.8) for school this morning, I asked if she knew how to put her shirt on. Pointing to the shirt's label she explained, "I've figured it out for myself."

Lola had no choice when Joaqui (he's eight) asked me to put together the kite pasalubong from the Philippines. I hadn't even done this for my son Carlo when he was a kid.

Anyway, another Joaqui request, "Can you help me fly it?" So to the backyard we went. While Joaqui ran with the kite, Charlize chased after it. Lola chased after them too, loving the cool Down Under air.

My sister Dulce and her family also reside in Sydney and we've planned our first bonding period this weekend.

Her delicious welcome treat: Fresh cherries, among other fruits! Dream come true (Ang babaw ko, hehe.) for someone who just gets to eat cherries (preserved pa) only from the top of a Red Ribbon black forest cake.

Well, at least I took the time to write today. And I pray I'd be in the groove to start writing the next book.

Stress level check? Nil and loving it.

PAUSE

Been on a roller-coaster ride recently.

My friend Grace Chong and I had this rare chance to speak to early education teachers through the Association of Christian Educators Inc.' (ACSI) conferences. We made lagare a series of ACSI conferences starting in Manila, then Davao and Tacloban, courtesy of our publisher OMF Literature.

Alternating between doing keynote and plenary addresses, including two seminars each per destination, I felt exhausted (especially because of the plane rides, sleeping in places unfamiliar---namamahay, and unguarded eating) but fulfilled that God would use us (in spite of our being unworthy vessels) to inspire these teachers to persevere in their God-given purpose.

The bonus, of course, was that we'd been able to promote our books. Kudos to OMF's Choy, Lynnie and Aileen and their staff, also Arlene of PCBS Tacloban! Lynnie practically mothered us in Tacloban.

In all these events, Grace especially had to sign piles and piles of her children's books and devotionals, followed by lots of kodakan.

Not only have we made a lot of new friends and acquaintances, including ACSI's Janet Nason, Tabitha Bullecer, Naxie Ebarle, Chambi Soriano, Dahlia Businos, and Ces Tajale; and the teachers who showered us with appreciation and love. These ACSI ladies and their associates never seemed to rest, with the continuing education and empowerment of Christian educators and (thus) their pupils as their primary concern.

I won't forget Naxie (or Gay, her other nickname), probably one of the most joyful and energetic persons I've ever met. She always brought the house down with her wit and memorable teaching demonstrations.

Attending Christ Fellowship Church in Davao, we met Karen Guitarte who happened to be a volunteer at Davao's hit Christian radio station, The Edge Radio; which led the following day to my live radio guesting re my book "Going Up?" in the station's two-hour "Fill In the Blanks" program.

Station manager Faye Magalong's cool and casual interviewing style made the talk seem like a breeze. She introduced the night's theme with the the fill-in-the-blank statement, "Success to me is ___," after which text and online messages came streaming in.

The Edge Radio has been a pretty powerful medium, bringing the gospel to the young via its contemporary Christian music and themes which college students and yuppies could relate to.

Well, I thought I could carry on being on full-throttle mode.

I came back to Manila sick and utterly exhausted, unable to do another important task I promised to do for someone.

"I've opted to do things the linear way," I told Grace as I flopped my legs up to just take it easy after a workshop. I marvelled at how she could sit down to write her newspaper column or her blog while we took our break in between our speaking or facilitating assignments.

I used to be a multi-tasker too but nowadays I've made a decision to do things one at a time. At my age, I should.

And foremost in my mind today is to be with my daughter Lucci and her family---be lola to my grandkids Paolo Joaquin and Charlize when I visit them in Sydney soon.

"Do not get sick or you may be quarantined," warned Lucci. Knowing how strict Australia is, I am not taking any chances.

"Be still and know that I am God"(Psalm 46:10), always reminds me that I am but dust, clay in the Potter's hand. And it is up to Him to use me. I will soon be ready for my next assignment. Meanwhile, He too says, "Sit back. Relax. Put up your feet. Dig into My Word. Feast in the abundance of My grace, for this is where you'll find healing."

TOTAL LOG BAN NOT THE SOLUTION

I've most of the time been a spectator, especially when it comes to public or political issues. This time, however, I'm taking a stand and saying my piece as a concerned citizen of this country.

You've probably read recent newspaper articles saying that our president will impose a total log ban because of the spate of flooding and landslides in various areas. Recall the tragic Aurora, Quezon landslide or typhoon Ondoy which crippled our nation two years back.

Yes, we should be alarmed. Natural calamities like these must be avoided at all cost. But for the president to take the convenient "deforestation being the culprit so let's altogether ban the cutting of trees" line may be pretty simplistic, and excuse the word, stupid. It's a knee-jerk approach which if enforced will be more disastrous than all calamities combined. And who will suffer? Our children and grandchildren.

Point one. Scientists themselves are one in saying that too much rainwater will definitely cause the soil to loosen and unfasten the roots of trees, causing landslides and floods.

Imagine a whole year's supply of rain falling in three days. That's what happened in Aurora, Quezon. The earth just could not absorb all that downpour so the soil just had to give. Mind you, we will experience more and more of these types of rainfall because of global warming. The recent China and Australia (Brisbane) floods are attributed to just too much rainfall but we didn't hear news of their governments all of a sudden banning all logging activities. Saudi Arabia also had its recent flood and it doesn't have any forests!

Point two. Logging has two faces. One is named "illegal," the other "sustainable." A distinction should be made between the two.

Illegal loggers mercilessly cut trees and never bother to replant. And these are the guys who never pay taxes but give monetary incentives to law enforcers and government officials who see-hear-speak-no-evil even as those giant logs pass by. But whose fault is it that this evil proliferates? Look at areas in the Philippines where there's supposedly no logging, yet are totally denuded.

I've lived long enough in this country to conclude that our greatest weakness is the authorities' inability or refusal to manage. They simply don't impose the law! Policemen position themselves at intersections not to make sure the rules are followed but to trap unsuspecting folks whom they can mulct for breakfast or lunch money. (Although most of us are guilty too of violating these rules, and worse wiggling out of this sticky situation by bribery.)

So I say, go after the illegals and really enforce the law.

Let's visit "sustainable."

Do you know that in certain parts of our country, lush forest lands are still in tact because they are managed well? One good example: Sirawai Plywood and Lumber Corporation in Zamboanga.
Majority of SPLC's vegetative cover are forest trees and residual forests. Its having added fruit and rubber trees to the mix has enabled the company to provide regular sources of livelihood for the communities in the area, bringing prosperity to these once economically downtrodden barangays. The presence of fruit and rubber trees have also encouraged residents to be more vigilant against illegal loggers and kaingineros who may want to enter the plantation. There's no better way to guard our forests than to involve residents who also make their livelihood off the produce of these plantations. And we have more of these integrated forest management areas being managed by responsible corporations providing employment opportunities to local residents.

Imagine these companies' impact: Two million employees. P30 billion investments. P2 billion taxes paid. And they replenish the forests!

Point three. Without responsible forest managers investing in scientific and technologically-advanced practices and equipment, as well as people development, our forests--- once left to the elements and conniving illegal loggers and law enforcers--- will in the blink of an eye just fizzle out.

Let's face it, the Philippines is a population gone amok, registering one of the fastest growths in a territory so tiny we could choke. Add to that our high percentage of poverty. Not surprisingly, those in the economic fringes of our society look for livelihood anyhow and anywhere they can. It's a survival issue. So they move upland where one can get out of the authorities' radar while sequestering a territory. This is how it's always been with kaingineros. They invade unguarded forests, burn trees---making the soil unsuited to replant forest trees---and turning these once lush areas to rice and corn farms.

Point four. And this is where we come full circle. Do you know that we cannot, will not, survive without using our trees. Let me explain. I once believed that to save the environment, we should not cut trees. Utterly exceedingly wrong! We need to cut and use our trees; turn them into wood for construction or furniture or paper bags.

But we must replant.

That's why we need responsible forest managers. Let's leave it to the private sector to manage, replenish and guard our forests. With their resources, companies could do that. Then let the government police, monitor and control, and take the culprits to task. That's what working together means.

Why do we need to use wood? Experts tell us that global warming is caused by too much carbon footprint or pollution such as industrial and car emissions, burning of fuel, energy generation to produce steel, cement, plastic, etc. No wonder the increasing el nino and la nina episodes worldwide, their intensity and frequency we have not experienced before. To produce cement or steel, for example, tons of oil or coal must be burned. That doesn't happen with wood. Ergo, we must use more wood. Ergo, what we should aim for is sustainable forest management.

Forests can be replenished. That's the whole point. Leave them to the elements, kaingineros, illegal loggers and conniving law enforcers and we will very soon see them kaput. Our survival as a nation depends on it.

And what we expect from government is not knee-jerk solutions but a serious intent to manage and not leave its development partners in the cold. Mr. President, for the sake of our country, let those who have the resource and the capability help you manage it well.

Now, you connect the points.

Promise Ha?

I will give you one of these luscious cakes (courtesy of my niece Nina) if you promise me one thing:

No new year's resolutions!

Whaatt? No new year's resolutions? That's just like Christmas without Santa Claus!

Precisely! The concept of Santa had been a lie peddled through generations of unsuspecting minds. In fact, Santa has perennially stolen the thunder from the real intent of Christmas---God offering salvation to lost mankind. Christmas is Christ, Savior, not Santa or the lighted tree and the gifts under the tree.

Pure superstition or myth. That's how we too should view new year's resolutions. We bundle them with "new-year-gotta-haves" like firecrackers to ward off bad luck or wearing polka-dotted clothes or filling our baskets with round fruits when the clock strikes "new year."

Aren't all these vows just a lot of bubble which bursts as soon as the euphoria is over, with no result to show for it?

Let's run through our usual new year's resolutions and how we break them at the first instance:

"I will be honest."

Yet in a matter of seconds, another lie straight from the horse's big mouth! White lie naman, excused naman yun, di ba? But come to think of it, does heaven color-code lies?

"I will be more patient and kind."

Crossing the intersection soon after, someone rudely overtakes my driving, and all hell breaks lose! (unprintable)! Oh, where did my vow hide this time?

In fact, how many times have I promised to brush my teeth after every meal? The simplest of vows, yet I'm still unable to keep it! What gives?

Because promises are meant to be broken.

No wonder Jesus warns us from making any solemn promises. "Do not swear at all," He says in the gospel of Matthew, "either by heaven or by the earth, or Jerusalem, or by your head."

"Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.' Anything beyond this comes from the evil one," He added.

Grace! That's what we really need if we want change. It starts with asking for His grace for a changed heart.

Wanting to be upright is not a matter of willpower. We need a heart-attack. Attack the source of all lying and and cursing and greed and lust. All these come from the same murky fountain anyway.

It starts with surrendering our heart to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. He alone can tame the savage beast within, making it sensitive to His leading and molding and changing.

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. and I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws" (Ezekiel 36:26)

Er... about that cake. What cake? Oh that cake! Oops, sorry I have to break that promise. Gosh, didn't I promise never to make a promise?

Happy new heart in the new year, everyone!

An Open Letter to Team Excel

Dear Clarice, Tanya, Joessaine, Kisha, Gatch, Michael, Nathan, Dee, Joshua, Shantelle, Denise, Dria, and other members of Team Excel,

I encouraged you to believe in Jesus, to trust Him to give you wisdom and give you the victory.

So you did! You gave it your all, worked your case study through nights and weekends when your friends were out there gimmicking while you were cooped in a room, debating, arguing, converging. And I from time to time badgering you with need-tos. I’d give you an AAAA++++ for perseverance.

I’ll admit, there were times I had been discouraged, seeing how you “kids” struggled with analyzing and processing your case.

But we prayed—you prayed—everyday for wisdom and direction. And everything fell into place. Amazed, I saw how the details fell through the cracks, a giant puzzle put together by little hands anxious to prove that you indeed were winners.

Then I beheld the tapestry, amazed at the clarity of your assumptions, the design of the research projects, the integrity of the culled data. Making it through the finals was a breeze. And I knew you would be the champion team.

This conviction in my heart was nailed down when you presented to the panel of judges. Clearly, it was a superb presentation, towering above those who presented later. Then the stunner: Another team declared champion.

Like all of you, I could not understand it. Their data was questionable, research tools not in keeping with the case company’s internet and desired global presence. In other words, a shabby work full of holes and shallow assumptions. “Real marketing people would have seen through those,” I thought. But the judges’ decision was final.

And you, of course, reacted near to violent. I seethed inside too.

My other dilemma: how could I now convince you that God honors faith when He did not answer your prayer. You believed and persevered and never missed a beat. Though there were some mishaps in the earlier part of the project, you made up for it and never complained that I took you to task for them. And boy did you learn to excel! And you became a team!

This morning I asked God, why again. What I said yesterday, He confirmed. He's not finished yet. He’s molding your character, like gold in the fire. To be exalted, be humbled first. That’s easier said than done. It needs to be experienced. He’s molding your character to equip you for more battles. He wants you to win your entire course, not just one battle. He wants you to win the war. We expected a direct answer to our prayer. God's answer is different, and it's impact is for the long term.

Come to think of it, this one was peanuts compared to what’s in store.

Be ready for more molding and shaping and beating and stretching. One day you’ll look back at this experience and say, “God is great! He let me fly on eagle’s wings, let me through the storm and enabled me to glide above it.”

You’re now no longer wearing kid gloves. You’ve been primed for real battles. But you know what, nothing can change the fact that on that sound stage, you proved and behaved as the REAL CHAMPION.

Prophesied

I received a precious gift recently.

It came from my new-found friend Marilou Rodriguez. We both attend a ladies’ bible study.

“Why Yay?” She asked me one day, curious about my name.

“It’s the name of my father’s favorite writer during his time,” I replied.

Then on my recent birthday, she handed me a book—its pages already brown with age, a compilation of articles from a popular magazine column entitled “Where a Country Begins,” from 1955 to 1962. It’s author: Yay Marking.

Marilou scribbled: “This book has sentimental value to our family. We have taken good care of this book for about 48 years. Hope you’ll take care of it.”

I was close to tears as I leafed through its pages. Then it dawned on me. Tatay must have prophesied about my purpose, even when I was just a baby. Well, father knows best!

And our heavenly Father definitely knows! The bible says He calls us by name. He definitely knows me! All my days have been ordained by Him from the beginning of time.

What could have caused my father to own that name for his bunso? I never imagined I would—could—be a writer, much less a book author. No wonder Tatay didn’t allow me to take a course I wanted after high school; and I even begrudged him for that. He definitely treasured something in his heart for me.

Tatay passed away a long time ago. If he were alive, he would surely be grinning from ear to ear, knowing that his little girl finally fit into the mold.

No wonder I found that name cool, and use it more often than my real one. When I started to write for magazines in the 80s, a friend suggested, “Use Yay!” And so I did, ever since.

Oh, wow! I have a name to keep up with. Yay!

MCU Community

I recently conducted a seminar for some 300 high school and college graduating students of the Manila Central University—courtesy of my long-lost friend and former San Miguel Corporation colleague Ira Maniquis—to commemorate the University’s 106^th anniversary.

Thank you Ira (Ira now heads MCU's Communication Affairs on top of doing what he loves most—coaching basketball. Ira used to handle SMC's basketball teams aside from managing its Corporate Communication Office), Student Affairs Dean Lourdes Cruzat, University President Dr. Aristotle Malabanan, and the school’s various deans for your warm welcome.

I sensed the University leadership's efforts to be student advocates, be up-to-date and viral—to make learning fun and relevant to the needs of the students.

Case in point: In its recent anniversary mardi gras, everyone, from the university's management to its student organizations and groups, put together their talents and creativity so that booths could be put up and everyone tasting and enjoying whatever they could share to bless others. A practical lesson in community building.

Great packages indeed sometimes come in subtle tones. MCU had been a really low-key institution but search its website and you’d be surprised at what it’s contributed so far—some of the country’s best doctors, dentists, pharmacists and nurses, with its board examinees always making it to the top-notchers’ lists.

Hats off to you, MCU!