Psalm 23

Its end of the month, and I'm sure many working professionals had a long day today. I'm glad I'm not one of 'em? Hehe, kidding. Sometimes after a tiring day at work all you wanna do is grab a small snack (that is, if you got so preoccupied earlier at work and you haven't taken anything) then hit the bed.

As I was talking to a good friend earlier, I was reminded of my favorite verse. The psalm of David, Psalm23. I also remember somebody told me about the workplace version of this Psalm. So I googled and found this. I dunno who the real author is (credits to him/her), however, it's worth sharing. Read on..

The Lord is my real boss, and I shall not want. He gives me peace, when chaos is all around me. He gently reminds me to pray and do all things without murmuring and complaining.

He reminds me that he is my source and not my job. He restores my sanity everyday and guides my decisions that I might honor him in all that I do.

Even though I face absurd amounts of e-mails, system crashes, unrealistic deadlines, budget cutbacks, gossiping co-workers, discriminating supervisors and an aging body that doesn't cooperate every morning, I still will not stop, for He is with me!

His presence, His peace, and His power will see me through. He raises me up, even when they fail to promote me. He claims me as His own, even when the company threatens to let me go.

His Faithfulness and love is better than any bonus check. His retirement plan beats every 401k there is! When it's all said and done, I'll be working for Him a whole lot longer and for that, I bless His name.

I hope this will not just conclude your day, but will give you the joy & energy for a fresh tomorrow. It's December olredi! yey! =)


Thanks for reading. G'nyt. c",)


P.S.
You might wanna check this out as well.. Psalm23.NIV.BibleGateway. God bless you.

Reason for this Season

'tis the season to be jolly
Fa la la la la la, la la la la

I love this holiday season. It's the busiest time of the year. And to Pinoys, Christmas has started as early as September, because to most "BER" marks the beginning of December Season, Lol.

As the year enters 4th quarter, we'll find lots of people preparing for this holiday. High-priced airline tickets, yearend batch prep, adorned streets with glittering lights, sale, shopping spree, heavy traffic, parties, raffle prizes, and gift-giving. Yes, it's the time of the year where almost everyone are excited to share their blessings -- a cool atmosphere rife with generosity =)

My friends initially didn't plan for a Christmas party as most of us will be flying back home and we have committed to do an outreach instead. But we just simply couldn't resist the joy of gift-giving. So when our lovely sister Jejen (the "energizer"..rather, the "organizer) sent out Kris Kringle invites, she received an overwhelming response :)

Here are my makukulit friends (Thanks Jejen for this pic!)


Well, I believe the highlight of this festive season is not food, long vacations, cold weather, christmas decors, nor parties, but the spirit of giving. God started this when He sent his one and only son into this world to offer us all the gift of salvation (Jn3.16). The good news about God's gift was revealed to people by God's angel when Jesus was born.

An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. (Lk2.9-11)

And Jesus also confirmed why he came, ...God wants us to experience abundance through Him.

"...I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (Jn10.10.NKJV)

What a great joy knowing this wonderful gift from above. And I'm thankful I have received this gift. I hope we're sharing the same experience. I'm also grateful for my family and friends :)

For this holiday season (or in any other seasons), no matter what gift(s) we receive, let's continue to be thankful (1Th5.18), and acknowledge the gift-giver. And most importantly, in the same way, let's remember to acknowledge God for all these, after all He is the reason for this season.

Thank you all! Thank you Lord! and Happy Holidays!!! c",)


PS. You might want to read this article and be inspired: The Gift or the Giver - What's your focus?

God bless! =)

When nothing else matters..

"At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." Lk21.27.NLT

After coming home from a clinic visit, as my clogged nose kept me awake all night, I just grabbed a book, turned on my ipod and hit the bed hoping to wheedle myself into sleep. I heard this track once again from Max Lucado narrating about a scene, describing Jesus' second visit. To some it could be just the sign of the end of days, period. But to Christians it's the day when nothing else matters but the exhilaration in seeing God's glory.

I like how M.Lucado portrayed the scene, it brings such a wonderful feeling of assurance and expectancy. It's not as terrifying as what I've recently seen in the sci-fi disaster film 2012 (nice CGI & effects btw), but it's more of a sight where everyone are, yes still surprised yet excited because it is a day to be anticipated for it is also a day of His promise.

and the narrative goes...

You are in your car driving home. Thoughts wander to the game you want to see or meal you want to eat, when suddenly a sound unlike any you've ever heard fills the air. The sound is high above you. A trumpet? A choir? A choir of trumpets? You don't know, but you want to know. So you pull over, get out of your car, and look up. As you do, you see you aren't the only curious one. The roadside has become a parking lot. Car doors are open, and people are staring at the sky. Shoppers are racing out of the grocery store. The Little League baseball game across the street has come to a halt. Players and parents are searching the clouds.

And what they see, and what you see, has never before been seen.

As if the sky were a curtain, the drapes of the atmosphere part. A brilliant light spills onto the earth. There are no shadows. None. From whence came the light begins to tumble a river of color - spiking crystals of every hue ever seen and a million more never seen. Riding on the flow is an endless fleet of angels. They pass through the curtains one myriad at a time, until they occupy every square inch of the sky. North. South. East. West. Thousands of silvery wings rise and fall in unison, and over the sound of the trumpets, you can hear the cherubim and seraphim chanting, "Holy, holy, holy."

The final flank of angels is followed by twenty-four silver-bearded elders and a multitude of souls who join the angels in worship. Presently the movement stops and the trumpets are silent, leaving only the triumphant triplet: "Holy, holy, holy." Between each word is a pause. With each word, a profound reverence. You hear your voice join in the chorus. You don't know why you say the words, but you know you must.

Suddenly, the heavens are quiet. All is quiet. The angels turn, you turn, the entire world turns - and there he is. Jesus. Through waves of light you see the silhouetted figure of Christ the King. He is atop a great stallion, and the stallion is atop a billowing cloud. He opens his mouth, and you are surrounded by his declaration: "I am the Alpha and the Omega."

The angels bow their heads. The elders remove their crowns. And before you is a figure so consuming that you know, instantly you know: Nothing else matters. Forget stock markets and school reports. Sales meetings and football games. Nothing is newsworthy. All that mattered, matters no more, for Christ has come...


Thanks for reading. God bless you.

c",)

Out of the picture?

Do you enjoy looking at your stack of photos? Well, I do. I mean even those old prints where you see a skinny or healthier version of yourself with a big smile and wearing outmoded duds ('could be the "in" thing during that time, hehe).

Every time I see 'em when I'm sorting out some stuff at home, I always find myself sitting in one corner leisurely going through each of the photos, contemplating with a silly smile. As I finish browsing them, you'll see in my thought bubble these words.. "It's such a joy seeing myself with my family and/or friends in those Kodak Moments, lol!"

What if I'm not in any of those pictures? Or maybe I'm not even present in any of those events? Do you think I'd be keen to go through 'em over & over whenever I catch sight of 'em? Well, I could still be interested, if those in the photographs are important people in my life. But still, it's really different when you've actually witnessed those captured moments. Otherwise, there's just nothing to reminisce! =)

One time I asked myself these questions, "Do I also picture God included in my life?" "Were there any instances that I took Him out of the picture?"

Okay, I don't wanna dwell in the past. I'm glad that I can picture myself enjoying in His presence, His blessings, and His smile. And that's through my families, friends, church, and workplace. It's my prayer that everyone shares the same experience. Because if we take Him out of the picture, it's gonna be just like an overcast photograph.

They say a picture should tell a story.. it speaks a thousand words. Likewise, including God in our lives would paint both our life stories and His story. Just like a fascinating, full of life photo.

Smile as if like you're being photographed! :)

Thanks for reading. G'nyt and God bless y'all!

c",)


When I See You Smile

Sometimes I wonder
How I'd ever make it through,
Through this world without having you
I just wouldn't have a clue

'Cause sometimes it seems
Like this world's closing in on me,
And there's no way of breaking free
And then I see you reach for me

Sometimes I wanna give up
I wanna give in,
I wanna quit the fight
And then I see you, Jesus
And everything's alright,
everything's alright

When I see you smile
I can face the world, oh oh,
you know I can do anything
When I see you smile
I see a ray of light, oh oh,
I see it shining right through the rain
When I see you smile
Oh yeah, Jesus when I see you smile at me

Oh God there's nothing in this world
that could ever do
What a touch of your hand can do
It's like nothing that I ever knew

And when the rain is falling
I don't feel it,
'cause you're here with me now
And one look at you Jesus
Is all I'll ever need,
you're all I'll ever need

Chorus

Sometimes I wanna give up
I wanna give in,
I wanna quit the fight
And then I see you Jesus
And everything's alright,
everything's alright

Duties and Taxes: What?

I was looking online for any info pertaining to how duties and taxes are computed in case I bring home a bulky electronic item back to PH, but my searches landed on various non-gov sites who are altruistic enough to offer, well, some handy information. Nonetheless, I still did not find what I was looking for -- even after skimming through the Bureau's website. I did found, however, an FAQs (the most informative section in their site) which somehow could still be misinterpreted by some (their staff included, hah!). Hence they have this one line disclaimer at the bottom of that FAQ section that says..

"Note: This FAQs is merely a guide and does not contain all Customs rules and regulations."


So what comprises the fees being charged to the items subject to duties and taxes? Can we at least get an idea of around how much we should be preparing once we get to customs at the airport? And where does all those fees will go, or at least what's the basis of their computation? Has anyone seen this info? Should this be made available to the general public?

At least I can be certain that "yes" is the answer to my last question =)

I came across this blog from a guy who had a terrible experience with the digital media player he purchased online in Sg. He ended up paying almost half the cost of the purchased item. Check out this page for the full story. He even published the receipts and corresponding fees charged that doesn't clearly justify fair cost. You will be surprised at the fees.

I visited Singapore Customs website to see if such info are furnished in their website (and maybe to make some sort of comparison? haha. Okay, okay, I can't compare Ph with Sg. I just hope Ph will make some improvements someday... i really hope.. really hope). Anyhow, I'm happy to see that SG have made all these transparent, even the fees were documented.

SG Customs: Info on Duties and Taxes
SG Customs: Documentation and Fees


Some useful information (I hope..)

Ph Gov Forum: Some Customs Tax Guidelines
PH Embassy in Sg: Duty and Tax Free Priveleges
PH Bureau of Customs FAQs

c",)

TechLife: Will you take a bite? (Part3)

Why are there so many people nowadays closing their windows and opening their doors to have taste of that.. not red nor green but white.. fruit with a small bite from Mr.Jobs on one side?

Well, I've seen a lot of review comparisons of these two Operating Systems, as well as the machines they're running. Or should I rather say the machines running these two OS's, haha. And yes, they both appeal to various consumers, however, to some it boils down to whether one is a mac or a pc zealot. But among the apple to apple.. err.. apple to pc video comparisons I've seen, this one hits the mark. Unbiased and just straight talk from a normal desktop user. Check out this vid.


(video courtesy of youtuber LACK78)

Without a doubt, Windows has opened the door.. hmm, this doesn't sound right, hehe, okay rephrase.. Windows has succeeded in bringing desktops to our home and offices. Mr.Gates has made significant contributions to the world of computing. But as technology advances, competition gets tougher for the manufacturers of these wares. Some geeks may continue to rant about their antagonists while others are enjoying these clash of the titans since it's us, the consumers, who'll really benefit from such competitions.

So back to my previous question.. will you stick to your well-loved & long-established OS or will you take a bite?

Gnyt! and have a great week ahead! Ciao! c",)

Self Portrait in Papercraft c",)

When an artist gets inspired to work on something, expect to see a sterling work from that person. Certainly dexterity, passion, and creativity will be his/her key ingredients in making an art piece.

Last month, while other people were busy shopping for an outfit for their Halloween party, this guy named Eric Testroete, created his own costume. Inspired by Big Head mode seen in video games, together with his friend Jen, they designed a wearable 3D self portrait. His friend took his photo, then he rendered his portrait in 3Ds Max and a little help from Photoshop & Mudbox 2010 software, then he printed the image that has hundreds of tiny triangular patterns and he cut it into various shapes. After folding the cut out rendered pieces, he glued them and formed his self portrait paper craft!

Here are some of the images I saw from his website. Excellent isn't it?
Yes scary masks are perfect for halloween, but sometimes a comical costume like this can fit that occasion too! :)





Curious how he made this? Check out Mr.Testroete's site.

Good night and God bless!

Ciao! c",)

C'est La Vie

It's November 1st! So I was thinking what'll be my first entry for this month. Sharing a song that I like is always on top of my head, and that's because my mind ain't functioning right hence I couldn't think of any sensible thing to blog, nyehehe.

I need to be inspired to be able to come up with something to talk about. So I asked myself, "What inspired me today?"

Okay, this morning I attended the 2nd Sunday service, afterwards I had lunch with friends and ate one dollah ice cream at Orchard with 'em. Then I headed to Tampines CC for my usual agenda, next I enjoyed another free ride home, and finally did my last batch of laundry. :)

What really motivates me to enjoy each day is knowing that God is always by my side. The message today at the service is really encouraging. Thanks to Ps.Larry :) Change is inevitable indeed.

Actually, the phrase I quoted in my blog header somehow talks about the same thing. Yeah, that's life. And effecting change involves making the right choices. And these choices when entrusted to Him, will surely produce better results.

God's love can CHANGE our lives. Or, allow me expound the capitalized word and write it this way..

God's love can..

C hange
H earts
A lmost
N aturally, and this
G reatly
E nriches

..our lives.


Things changes, life changes, it's a fact. C'est la vie. So make the right choice. G'nyt and God bless you. c",)


Dare You To Move
Artist: Switchfoot

Welcome to the planet
Welcome to existence
Everyone's here
Everyone's here
Everybody's watching you now
Everybody waits for you now
What happens next?
What happens next?

I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened before

Welcome to the fallout
Welcome to resistance
The tension is here
The tension is here
Between who you are and who you could be
Between how it is and how it should be

I dare you to move
I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move
I dare you to move
Like today never happened
Today never happened

Maybe redemption has stories to tell
Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell
Where can you run to escape from yourself?
Where you gonna go?
Where you gonna go?
Salvation is here