Fruits and Advancement

It has been almost two weeks since Ptr.Phillip, our youth pastor for more almost 3 years (and I’d like to believe is still my youth pastor), came from KSA. Missed him so much!

Every time he’s in the country, the Lord would always give me a venue to deeply evaluate our works for the youth ministry. Last Thursday, we (youth net leaders) had a meeting/ fellowship with Ptr.P.. we shared updates about the ministry, cell groups.. Talked about a lot of things, but there were two that really awed me: (1) seeing how far we’ve gone in our Christian walk (I know there’s still a long exciting journey ahead, though). As we reminisced, I commented, “dati hindi uso yung nagbabasa ng Bible at consistent sa prayer life, pero ngayon, pag wala ka nun..”, “hindi ka IN”, said some, finishing my sentence. How the youth leaders have supernaturally matured in faith is,

I smell something TWEET-y

Check out my first ever tweet (post made on twitter.com)

more than a year, I only had like 20+ updates on twitter. Lately, however, I've been enjoying this tweet stuff. I even added twitter applications my blog (check that on the left side), Facebook, multiply, and Friendster accounts! This means even if I rarely update my other online profiles (as i've decided to stick on to my blog nalang), I could still actually update them (labo ba?) :-D

What added to my fascination on tweeting was a site/project called ISIP.PH. I love, love, love it because it allows registered Filipino tweeters (users of Twitter) to actually send tweets thru their mobile phones via SMS--kahit hindi iPhone or BlackBerry-- for free (or for a peso, pag hindi naka-unli--yata, ha. I still have to check that out).

Well, even if others say that Plurk is the site to go for microblogging, I'd still go for the so-last-month classic Twitter :-)

Best worship experience, anyone?

Do you have what you consider your 'best worship experience'?
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After Hillsong United’s worship concert [and I Heart CD promotion] here in the PH last year, the blogosphere was filled with posts that went like “it was my best worship experience” or “never praised like that before”. My heart rejoiced. HSU have been catalysts for breakthrough!
Anyway, while I agreed that it was indeed an unforgettable night, I do remember that in a casual talk with Ps.Phillip a few days after the concert, I mentioned that unlike most recent blogs on the WWW, I simply couldn’t say that it was the first time I worshiped God that way, nor it was the ultimate and best worship experience for me. Instantaneously, Ps.Phillip responded that he could say the same. “Mas matindi pa sa youth service”, he replied (not the exact words, though.hehe).
Having that outlook, I just praise God because (now in exact words I’ve put it last year—recorded sa diary ko ito, that’s why) “hindi na kailangan pang i-lead ako ng HSU para makapag-worship ng totoo at superb kay Lord”.
After all, worship is the abundance of a life, heart, spirit that connects to God, and not the abundance merely of a magnificent musical experience.

Up to this day, I delight in the Lord when I look back at that moment when I was able to realize that I have caught the heart of worship even at an early age. Yes, I do also have little times of obscurities that parallel to moments of back-face from worship and pleasing God, but He is faithful enough to always have His arms wide open. Thus, I live to this day still being thankful that worshipping God doesn’t necessarily require a dome, a great band or choir, but a heart and spirit that meets His heart whether I'm at school taking a quiz, at home sipping a cup of hot choco, at church leading worship, or in my room praying :)

*Last photo credit

Remojo Family's visit

[May 30,31, and June 1]

It was long anticipated… and when it had come to place, it seemed so swift!

Vanj and I have enjoyed our overnight conversations with two of our our kababata back on our Baguio days, Zion and Kim, while mom and dad also got to spend time with Bro.Barry and Sis.Tess. Sulit :D
Zion also got to share a message of encouragement to the youth leaders-- and whoa, they (we) were definitely blessed! You sure should do that again soon, Zion :D
Bro/Ptr.Barry also got to preach during our youth service. AYOS! Sure I’ve heard him preach when we were still in Baguio City, pero since ang bata ko pang sobra noon, I’ve never really listened to him (siguro).

2009 G12 Int'l Conference (Singapore)

I'm blogging about the G12 Int’l Conference. However, since I do not want to pour out much time just to blog about it (the same way that I do not wish to get much of your time reading), I’d just post short notes and photos re highlights of each day we’ve spent in SG.
Mahaba ba? Compressed na 'to, pramisss.


DAY 1
Day one is a libot day!
Sentosa (where we tried out the fun SkyRide!), Esplanade, Merlion park (which sadly was under construction), a few shopping malls, and Raffles’ street.

DAY 2
Raffles Place mall, bargain shopping at Little India, opening of the conference in the evening.
Ptr. Lawrence Khong, G12 coordinator for Asia, commenced the conference with a message about the challenges of applying the Vision.
“Is it difficult? Yes. Is it possible? Absolutely.” - Ps. LKhong

Ps. Cesar Castellanos (also called CCD) also introduced her daughters that were with him and his wife - Lorena, Sara, and Manuela. They taught the delegates the song Revolution, which I apparently have memorized during last December’s G12 nat’l conference in Manila.
He also talked about the DNA of Christ that now runs in us because the sin and curses we’ve inherited from the first Adam have already been canceled by the last Adam who suffered on the Cross - Jesus Christ. We just now have to join Jesus on the cross so we could celebrate the redemption brought by the Cross.



DAY 3
FCBC (the host church)’s worship team sang Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus. Awesome!
Ps. Khong had a practical teaching about the paradigm shift to the G12 cell church. CCD preached about the unfailing blood of Jesus, which he also got to preach last December in Manila.

During the lunch break, while everyone was busy leaving the hall, I whispered something to my mom in a trying-to-be-moderate tone… “mom, ‘yan ang Deliriousss!” Pero composed pa rin naman ako. :D They were setting up their instruments and stuff on the stage.
Anyway, my mom’s so cool to have responded “sige, picture-an kita sa kanila”. Whoa. Well then, we got up the stage as if no guards were there when Jon Thatcher, Delirious?’ bass guitarist, said something like, “it’s okay. I will just come to you.” So there. Dad took a few pictures of mom and I with JonT! Yay!
I got to talk to him for a while. While talking to him, I thought of how favored I am for having opportunity to meet him.. I mean, they’re set to have a concert in Manila the following week, but I’m sure not everyone from the Philippines will have the chance to hang out with the band like I did with Jon! Whoaaaa. Wala lang. haha.

Anyway, I also got to hang out with my PK (pastors' kids) friends from the PK Republic. Had lunch with them. It was really fun to have had spent time with them. Sosyal daw ang mga PKs-- sa Singapore pa nagmeeting! Haha.

In the afternoon, Sara C, the youngest preacher I’ve listened to, preached about life in the spirit. She talked of how the spirit gives us a means to live out our life’s purpose, how it gives us strength and a chance to learn to rest in God amidst all the random things that go around us. The session was extra special because it was Sara’s 17th birthday :)

Delirious? lead the worship before we had our first session in the evening. Along with them, we sang Rain Down, So Great, and more.

CCD introduced his wife, Ps.Claudia. She shared a message entitled ‘Follow your star, and you’ll shine’. It was all about getting to know our call, our purpose, and being able to match it with commitment.

Sulit!



Day 4

Lorena and her sisters, Manuela and Sara, lead us in singing [and dancing to] Filled with Joy and Revolution.

The day was extra special because Ps.Cesar honored FCBC’s senior pastors, Pastors Lawrence and Nina Khong. He prayed for them and their 144s (288), and even asked Ps.Nina to commit into sharing a word to their church every Sunday. Ps.Cesar even challenged Ps.Nina to enter politics! Now that’s something to watch out for ;)

Pastor CCD shared about three weapons to help us overcome: The Blood, declaration/ word of our testimony, and a life of brokenness.

In the evening, Delirious? had a one-hour worship concert! Yay! I was in the [super] front! Awesome. :D We took pictures with the Castellanos ladies after the concert.

Day 5

We attended FCBC’s Sunday Celebration in the morning. The hall was fully-packed! The church staff was professionally accommodating :) I couldn’t count how many ushers greeted me with “Hello, good morning! Welcome to TFBC. God bless you!”
Ps.CCD preached on that service. he talked about living in God’s purpose.

It was a wonderful experience to have had attended one of their Sunday celebrations.

Had our last shopping at Robinson’s mall… tapos, uwian naaaa….


Yay! Thank you, Lord, for having brought me to that conference!