Able to Gain Ideal Weight

After this 15 days sickness, I actually lost 10 pounds, from 181 to 171 pounds.  I do not know if I should be happy about this or not.  Now, I am on my targeted weight.  My original target weight is 165 to 171, so I guess I was able to reach my goal.

The sudden thinness of my body seems has a price to pay.  It seems I have lost a little bit of my kagwapuhan.  After taking a closer look, my legs are so thin, the calves that I have been developing and were great were now gone.  The bulging muscles on my arms are gone as well.  My legs seems like chicken feet and my arms like chicken wings.

So, should I be happy about this weight loss or not.  I need to start my workout again next week.  Still eating antibiotics until Tuesday.  Maybe I have to start Friday, simple weights and wonder how long will my body to form beautifully once again.

I maybe vain, but that's the way life is for us singles hehehe... still hoping to attract someone not only with my brains, spirituality and love but also looks hehehe... wala na talaga akong masulat... bored at home lang talaga hehehe...

15 Days Fever

This is the worse sickness so far that I have encountered in my entire life.  It is really better to be operated at least you know what your sickness was.  So far, it was not dengue, just plain fever.   It has been categorized as FUO or Fever of Unknown Origin.  Since platelets went down a little maybe prevented by tawa-tawa leaves so parang dengue.  The fever was daily going down by .5 degrees so dapat typhoid but blood test does show that it was typhoid.

All test were made including malaria, typhoid, H-fever all were negative.  We have to call in specialist maybe it is infectious disease.  I had my 2-D echo, ultrasound of who abdomen, blood culture trice.  All found to be negative from any infectious disease.

So, we can only conclude that it was part of the spiritual warfare last month on the Prayer Challenge.  The night after all of this fever was over was the last battle, after the visit by an evil spirit in a dream and was able to cast it out successfully, I know the fever is finally over.

I praise God for so many people who are much concern and has been prayer for me.  It was indeed an honor to have friends who are really concern.  God remains victorious in times of trials, for He prepares us for the next challenge in the battle zone.  God took care of me in my times of misery.  I almost thought God has forgotten all about me.

During the 15 days of fever I stayed in the hospital for 9 days.  Among the fifteen days, 5 days I was burning 24 hours from 37.7 to 40.5.  The rest of the days will have 40.  It was so uncomfortable even lying on bed.  No angle is comfortable.  The IV has to be transfered from my right hand to left because it was already swollen after a few days.  My last three days, when the infectious disease doctor came, her immediate order was to remove the IV and stop all medicine to check everything.  God was indeed faithful because during those three days the fever started to decline fast.

I am still felt weak after the whole ordeal.  I only lost 5 pounds but my face will say I am slimmer than ever.

I thank God for His healing grace and thank everyone for your continuous prayer.  I also thank friends who did not visit.  I got the rest I needed.  Visiting sick people should be swift, but many do not understand that.  They prefer to chat and chat and chat.  They forgot sick people needs quietness.

Next time you wanted to visit sick people, simple tips.  Do not ask what happen, ask what is the sickness, pray for the person and then leave.  This is what I usually do, when I visit.  Voices irritates sick people.

Leaving But Still Very Busy

Finally, I have bid my farewell with our congregation last Sunday.  I have to do it though my contract with the church expires on October.  I think this is also a good move, since I have no other opportunity to say goodbye, and second, there will be a six months of adjustment for our congregation while I am still in their midst so that they would have prepared my departure and not affect them emotionally.  Feeling eh noh... parang very important pastor leaving... eh hindi naman.  hehehe...

For many people, six month or a year before they resign or retire would be a browse through the wind as more and more responsibilities are being unloaded from them.  But it seems, it is not with me, I really felt though some responsibilities have been taken away, I am still as busy as ever.  I even felt busier than before.  I am really exhausted.  Someone should treat me for a vacation in East Coast and Toronto for a break.   Feeling ko lang din yun...

I have preaching engagement almost every week.  Just finish my last sermon for our church last Sunday. Tomorrow, graduation messages for Makati Hope Elem and High School, and I have not finished my message for the Elem group.  Still have weekly preachings on Sunday until October with daughter churches.

This March the prayer challenge has also slowed me down because of the spiritual warfare.  We also have Precept seminars that I need to take charge.  I have not decided to join the Family Camp of the church because after the camp, I have to rush for San Pablo for the Easter Sunrise Service.  Then, off for the Southern Luzon Youth Camp where I am scheduled to preach 4 or 5 messages, which I have not prepared.

Then, I will be off with Performers' Circle for our evangelistic meeting trips to Vigan, Laoag, Baguio, and La Union.  I am also trying to organize the co-workers excursion.  Rest for a week then off to Sta. Cruz, San Pablo and Lucena for the same Performers' Circle evangelistic meetings.

There are still lecture invitations for faculty development that I have not answered.  Then 80th Anniversary is at the doorstep.  I am coordinating Heavenly Melody concerts, the Performer's Circle Musicale, Joint Choir, the Love Feast, Joint Worship and successive alternative worship services.  Then, it seems I have to push our arts team for the decor since its already April and we have not seen any information with regards to the 80th Anniversary of the church.  My goodness... I think I will be truely exhausted before I leave UECP.

I think, I have missed out somethings pa... I am almost everyday confused which one should I do first.  And this summer, I wanted to learn Photoshop and maximize the use of my camera to upgrade myself to semi-professional level.

My goodness... really no time to find a right wife and get married and settle down.  Oh.. Geran, wag na hihirit ah... hehehe

Natamaan DAW!!!

Praise God!  I was able to deliver my last pastoral message to our congregation yesterday.  I had difficulty preparing my message and so, I especially fasted for a day seeking God for guidance.  It was my last since the church has not scheduled me any other preaching activity for our worship service for the rest of the year.

I thank God for giving me insights and was able to deliver His message.  So many people really said that the message struck them hard.  I believe this was God's blessing and an evidence of God's presence in the lives of our members.

But I asked a question every time someone would give me such a comment.  Simple question, "so, have you decided to join our prayer meeting on Tuesday?"  The answer is always "no."  This make me furious hehehe.... Sabi ko nga, "hindi ka tinamaan, daplis lang.  If ever meron next time, magpapasabog ako ng bomba para tamaan ka talaga!"  hehehe...

How can you say God really spoke to you and has not moved you to action.  I think this is a misconception of being struck by the Word of God.  When God speaks, it should be something that really moved you to action because the revelation and realization is important.  What is really happening to our people?  This is a big question mark to me now.  How can we really move our people to act according to the Word of God?  If we cannot apply the Word of God in our life, then there is no point coming to church.  We cannot live a victorious life in Christ without the application of the Word of God.  We have heard the message but not perceiving -  this is more dangerous.

Thinking out loud, I thought to myself, maybe it is really time to use my prophetic preaching once again.  Prophetic preaching is very important and crucial and it will definitely move people to action or be strike by God.  This has been proven effective before but often use will also make the people numb.

Anyway, maybe God's time has not yet come.  I just need to pray more.

O Lord!  Awaken Your people to the work you have left behind.  In Jesus Name, Amen!!!

Simple Protocol

I was a little disappointed few days ago because a graduate school failed in simple protocol.  I almost got embarrassed if I have not checked their office. hehehe...

A few months ago, I received an email asking whether I will be attending graduation rites or not.  So, I replied, "Yes, will be there because I good friend is graduating."  Afterwards, I have not received any communications.  A few days before graduation, I decided to call up the office and inquire what is the call time.  And to my surprise, I was informed that only faculty who have taught two courses and above will be allowed to march with the graduates.  Of course, with modesty, I said, "Oh, ok, no worries!"  I taught my first course only this term.

I thought, this is graduate school and yet they failed in simple protocol especially on treatment with their graduate school professors.  They should have not asked me in the first place whether I would attend graduation or not; or they should have replied to my email that I am not yet allowed to march with the graduates for the following reasons.  Better, if they could have just sent the policies about that matter to all faculty.  At first, I really felt embarrassed when I asked what was the call time and I would get such a reply.  And it would even be a greater embarrassment if I went there in my toga and would be asked to step aside.  Good thing, God moved me to ask and save me from all of those embarrassment.

It was not really a big deal for me. I attended the graduation by the way.  I did not boycott it... hehehe

But isn't it incredible for a graduate school who teaches graduate studies to miss out simple protocol!!! Maybe it is simple, that is why such simple things are oftentimes neglected.  Anyway, past is past.  I just want to blog this for my personal record purposes only... hehehe

Refreshed with Family

Our prayer meeting tonight has allowed me to appreciate more my family.  Though I have a lot of frustrations with my family, praying for them tonight seriously has allowed me to have a renewed appreciation of them, especially my dad.  I praise God that a lot of people came again to tonight prayer meeting.  I was especially blessed with the message and witnessing so many siblings, family, and couples were together praying for each other.

It would be a wonderful opportunity to see our church full of families that are praying together.  I believed many has a renewed experience and a special opportunity to experience praying together as a family tonight.

Praise the Lord!!!

God's Gonna Do It Again!!!

Few decades ago, there was a great revival that happened in UECP.  There was this two ladies from China who came to preach the gospel.  The evangelistic meetings started 7 days but it continued until it reach 21 days.  After that, UECP was never the same again.  UECP's number boosted a record high that until now is still the biggest Filipino-Chinese church in the country with the largest church worshippers.

It has been quite sometime that our number is more than a thousand.  It has kept going up and down but we were not able to breakthrough our mark.  Sometimes, it is frustrating because it seems all works are in vain.

I praise God for listening to our prayers for the past month.  It has been a month since we started our prayer meeting challenge.  Last week our prayer meeting attendance doubled from the average of 55 to 120 participants. Last night, we reached 150 participants.  We have not reached this number of prayer meeting participants since our church split last June 2000.

It seems God is going to do something to our church as we celebrate our 80th year.  He will bring revival.  All the more we need to come to pray for our church now.  We cannot allow our prayer meeting to plateau in a certain number or all of these things will fall into "just another church activity."

I personally hope that we reach 25% of the total Sunday worshippers by the end of the month and that is 300 church members coming to prayer meeting.  Thinking the 80/20 principle, if we have 300 as 20% then our church Sunday worshippers would have grown to 1,500.  If we have 500 as 20% then our church Sunday worshippers would have grown to 2,500.  Isn't this exciting?

I am very much excited how God is working in our church right now.  I believe God is gonna do it again; to bring revival in UECP.  I hope more and more church members would get excited in attending prayer meeting and stir up a spiritual revival among members of our church.

I also pray that those people who have not come to prayer meeting will reconsider so that if ever God started to act in a special way, they are part of it rather than left out.  I suddenly remember the 10 virgins in the Gospel.  Five were ready and five were not... I hope all are part of the five who are ready when the LORD stirs up UECP.

TO GOD BE ALL THE GLORY!!!

This Tuesday, we will prayer for the different needs of our family.  See you there!!!