Crossroad.

Oh how I love it when it's New Year!

It's exciting to think about what can happen this coming 365 days.

My friends, let me share to you two phrases of inspiration

that struck me as I was reflecting for the coming year.

We are approaching another crossroad in our lives -- a new year.

Stop. Look. Listen.

Stop

Take time to reflect. To think about the future.

Stop complaining. It's no use.

Stop the timidity.
Stop being in the middle. Have a cause.
Stop with the destructive habits. It will get you nowhere.
Stop being a mess.

You may have hundreds of reasons why, but still its a mess.

Stop the unnecessary anxiety. This year is yours.

Look

Look back and learn.

Look forward and leave the shit behind.

Look for ways for improvement.

You would be more of a person this year.
Look more into your blessings.
If you would give attention to them, you would be happy.
Look more into the eyes of your loved one.

Look up. Think. Pray. Dream.

Listen

Listen to God who gives direction.

Listen to the changing times.

Listen to your parents and everything will be well.

Listen to a friend who needs help.

Listen to the belittled people.

Listen to your body, try not to abuse it.

Listen to your heart more often.

Go. Grow. Glow.

Go

Go where you want to go.

A life full of regrets is a tragedy.

Go to wise people and seek advice.
Go out of your comfort zone once in a while.
Go and find a solution to your porblem.
Go out and make new friends.

Go for a vacation and see the beauty of God's creation.

Go tripping with family and friends.

Go for a healthy body. Exercise. Get into sports..

Grow

Have a sense of growth.

Expand your territories.

Learn new skills.

Find a mentor.

Develop your passions.

Get better than the year before.

Challenge yourself.

Achieve.

Claim it.

Glow

Be at peace.

Do your best at school or work.

Gagawin mo na lang, galingan at gandahan mo na.

If today, you are picking up the grapes,
tomorrow you will be the drinking wine.

Have faith. And you will move mountains.

Enjoy life. It's too short to grumble about it.

Take it easy. Find grace under pressure.

Be a light to other people's darkness.

Invite someone to Church.

And make them feel 'pwede pala mabuhay ng ganito.'

Its simple. You've heard these before.

But all of us needs to be reminded sometimes right?

This year is a fresh start. Go on and truly live.

Thank you Lord for your faithfulness in 2008.
And I thank you for assuring me for 2009.

Didoy

'Roadtrip'

This Christmas, Mayi and I made a radical decision.
Instead of giving gifts to our dear loved ones,
we reserved our simple treasures
and planned to give it to the poor in the streets.
We felt the Lord leading us to do this, so we obeyed.
We initially planned to clothe the poor since we wanted to do
something new, a gift that would last longer than a meal.
So we ordered 100+ customly printed shirts
with our message for our dear bros and sis in the streets:
"Ikaw at ako, mahal ng Diyos".

We knew that the Lord blessed our initiative because when people
learned about this, donations started pouring in.
So instead of just clothing the poor, we were able to feed them.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who shared
what they had, their time and treasure,
to make this activity a success.
The Lord will surely give you back more than you gave.

On Christmas Eve we drove around
Makati and Manila streets on a 'Roadtrip'.
With Mayi and I are our dear friends Jem and Christine
who volunteered to help us in the gift-giving.
Our rally point was in Sanctuario de San Antonio at 8am.
We started with a prayer of thanksgiving
for the overflowing blessings
that gave us the grace to give.
When the backdoor of the Revo was opened,
we were amused to see that there were a lot of people
running from several directions already expecting us.
It was funny because even some average passersby
also lined up for the goodies.
"Just give it all," I said to myself.

Afterwards, we drove through the following areas:
Ayala Ave., Kamagong Area, Osmeña Highway, Quirino Ave.,
Nagtahan, UST Area, Quiapo, Lawton, Roxas Blvd.,
CCP Area, Buendia Ave.

At the end of the trip, sweaty, smelly and tired,
we treated ourselves to lunch in Tokyo Tokyo.
Nagutom din, kaya rice all you can. Haha.

We met a lot of our brothers and sisters in the streets.
And we felt that the Lord was happily with us.
We experienced again a miracle,the gifts were multipied.
There was lot more to give than we estimated.
Though our hands were giving, our hearts were full.
I loved the roadtrip because it proved
that a random act of kindness from a stranger is possible.
It was a priceless gift to see them with their genuine smiles.

By the way, we also gave to the people who go unnoticed
like the security guards, the Pulis Oysters who clean up our roads,
and the 'takatak' boys (vendors who do business near stoplights).

During the trip, there were moments of silence in the van
because we were all touched with what was going on.
We all went home to our families to spend the rest of the day.
With the fullness of heart after the roadtrip,
I must say I was able to sincerely feel the joy of giving.
That it's really better to give than to receive.
In fact, once you fully give, you won't think of receiving anymore.
At the end of the day,
I presented this simple offering as a welcoming gift
to the only one whom we need to receive in life, our dear Jesus.

Oh, it was a perfect day.
Thank you Lord.

-Didoy

My Christmas List

I've been struggling with silence for the past two weeks.
Maybe it's comes with the holiday season.
I observed that people are just laid back during this time of the year.
I myself have been busy having fun,
and I've not been taking down notes.
Or maybe I'm just lazy enough to write. Haha.
My fingers lost fire because the weather's cold and
it's so inviting just to snooze around.
Anyway it's Christmas break already!
Haha. Yahoo!

Here I am, writing again because I feel the need to.
I'm sharing to you my Christmas break to-do list.
Why did I bother to post it?
Because laying it down means to me
that I bravely give you my word to fulfill the list.
This is new to me,
I've never been this bold to broadcast my plans ahead.
But this is my way of helping myself. Haha.
It's my challenge to self-discipline actually.
In my list, some are already checked out,
and I plan to finish the list
before coming back to school on Jan. 5.
In the list, you'll find some serious stuff, and some silly stuff as well.
I hope you might find some meaning into my scribbles.


Things to do on Christmas break 2008:

Everyday:
-Wake up early.
-Read the bible.
-Exercise.
-Have breakfast with Mom.
-Write.
-Dream.
-Relax.
-Talk with someone.
-Read.

In my quiet time:
-Rest and reflect in His presence.
-Plan for the coming year. Make resolutions.
-Organize the written plans for YLSS 28.

Family:
-Stay at home most of the time.
-Fetch Ate Tatee on Dec. 24, 4:05am, Cebu Pac flight from Singapore.
-Play Dota with Gerard.
-Read with Iday.
-Play with Cheenoe.
-Yes to any family activity.

With Mayi:
-Gift giving to the streets. (will blog on this after the activity)
-Christmas date.
-Watch a movie.
-Shopping.
-Coffee date.

Cell group:
-Meet. If unavailable, have a schedule for next meeting.
-Direction from Jan
-Assign prayer leader

Planned and confirmed Parties:
-Subsction C2 KTV party
-Carlof and Jan White party
-BLDYouth's Kalikimaka Luau
-FCH's Stockholder's Party
Still waiting for confirmations for other reunions.

Play and practice:
-Piano
-Guitar
-Basketball with Kuya Aboy and Seton friends

Read:
-Prayer of Jabez (3rd time)
-Deliverance from Evil Spirits
(found this interesting old book in our mini-library at home)
-New book (Still undecided)

Update:
-Blog
-Friendster

Clean and Fix:
-My study table
-Closet
-Piano tuning at home

Watch:
-Downloaded movies (5)
-Love Actually
-Finally finish House Season 4

I would've wanted to write more.
But I'd like to keep it attainable given the time I have.
Also, I choose to open myself to the surprises from the Lord.
I'm sure there is. God loves surprises.

Friends, do you want to have a meaningful time this holiday season?
Make plans. Write it down. And do it.
In life, nothing beats a dreamer who follows his dreams.
Aside from His presence in our lives,
God has given us a precious gift --- Time.
Spend it wisely, because most are at poverty on this nowadays.
Have a quiet time alone with God. Be thankful.
Be with your family.
Be with the people who give meaning to your life.
Give back all the blessings you received during the year.
Prepare for the coming year.
Spend time to improve yourself.
Revisit your forgotten talents, add fire to your passions.
There are a lot of things that can add meaning to your Christmas season.
Just remember to have a great time in doing it all.

Wishing you a wonderful and a meaningful Christmas,
-Didoy

The Iloilo Experience

Overwhelmed.

It's the closest word I could think of

to describe how we felt when we were in Iloilo.

Zach's Tree flew there last Saturday afternoon.

We were warmly received in the airport by the organizers

bringing along some snacks for us on the way.

We went straight to a hotel prepared for us! Wow.

Then we proceeded to St. Paul's Iloilo for the Marian Festival.

After setup, the program began. First was a chorale contest.

And we were asked to be judges! Haha.

Then we were up for the Worship Concert.

It was a worship experience I would never forget.

Afterwards were the awarding and picture taking. Hahaha.

After the event, they treated us out for dinner and drinks.

Then we were back in the airport for the earliest flight back to Manila.

I realized that you cannot really outgive the Lord.

When you give, it will come back to you like an overflowing river.

He really surprises you beyond your expectations.
I felt that God was treating us with joy for saying yes to his call.

And you know what, because of the experience,

it moves me to give more.

Because I am blessed, I will bless the world.

To St. Paul's Iloilo, thank you for the honor of having us there.
Thank you for the warm reception, and the love you expressed to us.
You keep us inspired in our craft. God bless all of you!
Special thanks to Dexter, Ms. Kaye, Ms. Con, and Hansel
for touring us around after the concert. =)

We pray Lord that you would bless your Zach's Tree,
enlarge our territory, that you hand would be with us,
and you would keep us away from evil.
Grant our request in Jesus name, Amen.

Mike, Mico, Arya, Mayi namiss namin kayo.
But I'm sure there would be more of these next time.
Sana ma-complete na tayo.

Friends, I spared you a long article about the experience. Haha.
Because this time, I want you to see the details in pictures!
Yup, I want you to check out our St. Paul's Iloilo experience
in Carlof's multiply site. Feel free to comment. Have fun!

http://pajengjeng.multiply.com/photos/album/386/Zachs_Tree_Minus_Three_in_Ilolilo_12062008

*******

By the way, I really had a great long weekend!
Because all those I listed in my previous entry, was done.
It's so fulfilling!
Thank you Lord for being faithful to complete my long weekend.

Didoy

My Long Weekend

I'm writing this entry before I go to sleep after
10 long hours of studying for a Pharmacology long exam tomorrow.
Yup. Ten grinding hours at Starbucks to study drugs.
And my class hours for tomorrow is 7am-6pm.
*blink* *blink*
No, I'm not complaining.
Two years into med school,
I've long accepted the fact that this is my life.
BUT...
I've also learned the wisdom that there is more into this life.
Not just to make it through Medicine and be a great doctor someday,
but also trying to be more as a person,
living the fullness of life,
and giving justice to my existence in this world.
So during weekends, I dedicate my time to the things
that add more meaning into my life.

As I go to sleep tonight, I'm dreaming of the long weekend ahead.
Oh it's gonna be a great time!

Saturday:
I'll fly to St. Paul's Iloilo to be part of an annual vigil
in celebration of the feast of the Immaculate Conception.
I'm so blessed to be with my dear friends
Kerygma preacher George Gabriel, Carlo Fernandez,
and Pier Asuncion as we lead the whole student body
into a worship concert.
And to be able to jam with my gifted friends, doubles the thrill.
We are so keyed up about it!
It's an honor for us to be invited there, ready with our passions to
give praise to the Lord and be His ministers through music.
Yahoo!

Sunday:
We'll be back to Manila by the earliest flight.
And we will go straight to The Feast in Valle Verde Country Club.
It's a weekly event wherein people gather to worship,
learn from a preacher, and celebrate the Eucharist together.
I consider this as my 'going up a hill to pray'.
I learned this kind of attitude from Jesus.
After performing the miracle of feeding the five thousand men,
"he sent the people away and went up a hill by himself to pray".
(Matthew 14:23)
Humbling isn't it?
Jesus himself, the God that he is, set aside everything just to pray.
He made time to go up the hill to be refreshed
after ministering to His people.
If you go on with reading the bible passage,
you would find that when the evening came,
Jesus performed a miracle again. This time he walked on water.
Every Sunday is my time for that 'hill experience'.
I get refreshed, revived, and helps me offer to the Lord
all that I've been through during the week that has passed.
Friends, I invite you to go up the hill once in a while.
It keeps you from burning out because of life's work,
and it keeps your head from swelling up because of life's successes.

In the afternoon, I'm coming home.
Our family spends Sunday afternoons to visit Papa in the cemetery.
Since Papa passed away,
we made it a point to be together during this time.
It's like Tolkien's Fellowship of the Ring;
all the members of the family, from all our busyness in life,
becomes reunited with a common purpose:
to be together and just have fun.
We pray, have a picnic, and enjoy each other
with kwento and kulitan.

In the evening, my Kuya Aboy and I
bond with our high school friends for a basketball game.
We are currently training for an upcoming basketball league
organized by the alumni of our beloved alma mater.
When we were younger, my Kuya and I are die hard sports buffs.
We were in the varsity teams of volleyball and basketball.
And when we face each other during the intramurals,
we would be really slugging it out. Well, that's another story. Haha.
Up to now, we are still keeping up with sports despite our schedules.
And oh, one more reason why we are still hanging on to basketball.
We are gaining weight. Hahaha.

Monday:
Thank you Lord for this extra day off!
Definitely I'll be getting some extra sleep. Yehey!
I'd be able to dine with my family on a weekday.
I'll get to play the piano and maybe write a new song.
I'll get to play with Cheeno, our cuddly baby dog.
I'll get to watch TV and DVD's!
It's funny when I get teased by my friends outside Med school
because I'd be such a loser into their jokes
especially when it's about TV.
Oh well, I don't care. Haha.
The best thing about an extra day is that
I get to hang around the house and just be there.
It opens an opportunity for anything that I'd be with my family.
I'll just be relishing the time that I'm home.

***
My friends, the keyword is BALANCE.
Life is like God's blank music sheet.
He's given us the gift to choose what kind of music to fill it with.
What we compose is what we would be singing and dancing with.
Choose to fill your life with not just one kind of music,
but with melodious masterpieces that resound with love and purpose.
Because as we stand at the gates of heaven when mortal life ends,
the Lord will not ask us on how successful we are,
nor on how much we have done for Him;
but on how much we have joyfully sung our hearts out
and found meaning into His gift of life.

Have an exciting time making music!

Didoy


P.S.
Check out the link to know what I referred to as The Feast.
http://preacherinbluejeans.com/channels/3/the-feast

When God Awakens A Miracle

I felt like I was in prep school awaiting for his field trip day.
Then the weekend came.

*Kerygma Conference 2008.
November 29-30 in Philippine Sports Arena (Ultra).

The biggest Catholic learning event every year.
It's my first time to be a delegate.
And I was awakened.

During the entire weekend, miracles happened all thoughout.
I saw the lame walking, the deaf hearing, the blind seeing. Literally.
There were prophecies of freedom from sickness, debt, and addictions.
The worships were awesome!
You can feel the angels worshipping with us.
There were 6000+ people, young and old,
praying in tongues all at the same time.
It was very powerful!
And the soulfood was overflowing from the comical preachers.
The event was like a feast that God prepared,
and we were deeply satisfied.
I felt first hand how God works miracles.
Let me share to you my cherished miracles of the weekend...


1st Miracle: My family were delegates too.
This is the biggest blessing.
It was unusually easy for me to convince them to come to the KCon.
When I'd invite them to events,
they would normally give me reasons like
the place is too far, it's magastos, or they have appointments already.
But as for this event, they were different.
So I was not surprised when we felt the evil one at work double-time
to prevent our family to be together there.
Early in the morning last Saturday,
they travelled from Las Piñas to Ultra for almost 3 hours
when it would normally take them only an hour max.
I left my dorm early so I could reserve seats for them,
but I got harried because of their lateness for more than an hour.
I learned that apparently, there was an unusual road block in EDSA.
And they had to stop midway in their travel
because the van almost overheated.
I'm sure they got harassed as well. But still they went.
So when they finally arrived,
there was no nagging, no blaming whatsoever.
A miracle in itself. Haha.
I just thanked the Lord they still came through.
This paved way for us to receive what the Lord had in store for us.


2nd Miracle: Healing for the family
Since my dad passed away three months ago,
we as a family really had to be strong for one another.
We unconsciously kept our feelings to ourselves
just to be strong especially for Mama.
But in the weekend, we were able to cry our hearts out,
express our love for each other through hugs and kisses,
and let ourselves be healed by the presence of the Lord.
And we were able to worship the Lord,
singing songs and raising our hands as a family again.
Mama and my youngest brother even had a vision of Papa
telling us to hold on to each other,
and that we are the greatest children.
We felt whole again.
And we experienced God awakening us
from a deep slumber of mourning.


3rd Miracle: Freedom from Impurity
This one is very personal for me.
I am recovering from an an addiction for the longest time
and I am really having a hard time
especially when the temptation is too hard to resist.
It came to a point in my life when I even asked myself:
What's the sense in this? I'd fall into sin again.
But the Lord has His perfect timing.
When I'd start to be callous again,
He runs to his prodigal son and hugs me tight,
celebrating and rejoicing because his son has come back to Him.
During the weekend, I was moved to kneel down and offer to the Lord
all the impurities in my life, my addictions, my fears, my desires.
This time my tears felt like they were blood,
and Jesus was crying with me.
I was led into a prayer of healing and commitment to purity.
Finally, I was set free.

***
These are just some of the miracles I personally experienced
during the Kerygma Conference.
All who went there experienced their own miracles in their lives too.
But I'm sure everybody would agree that the greatest blessing
is knowing that we could be the miracle
to each other and to the world.
Why? Because the Lord has empowered all of us to be so.
There's so much we can do!
Want to experience a miracle? BE THE MIRACLE!

My friends, I'm sharing this in my blog because
this is my loving way to bless you.
If you feel blessed, I invite you to pass it on.
Do a loving act to someone.
In our own simple ways, we can bless the world, one person at a time.

See you in Kerygma Conference 2009 at the Araneta Coliseum!

Didoy

*Kerygma (Greek: κήρυγμα, kérugma, pronounced "kay-roog-ma")
is the Greek word used in the New Testament for preaching
(see Luke 4:18-19, Romans 10:14, Matthew 3:1).
It is related to the Greek verb κηρύσσω (kērússō), to cry or proclaim as a herald,
and means proclamation, announcement, or preaching.
--Wikipedia

Breathe.

I'm tired.

This is very unusual for me.
Not that I don't get tired.
I do just like everybody.
But what makes the difference now is how I'm responding to it.
It seems that I've stretched myself too thin
that I begin to break.

Physically, I've got a cold that won't go away.
And my allergies are unbelievably not in control.
And yes, I'm gaining weight. Ouch.
Doc's advice: watch the diet and make time for exercise.
Boom.

Mentally, I'm thinking too much.
And as usual, the tons of information I have to
digest and absorb in med school.
Sometimes I wish there is a usb port in our brains.
Then just copy all the needed information in an instant.
But I have to face it.
God created us to enjoy the journey, not just the destination.

Emotionally, I'm cluttered.
Not just with my own issues,
but helping others with theirs.
Can't turn down a friend right?
Wrong.
Sometimes you let them learn by themselves.
Let them be responsible.
Maybe that's what He wants me to do now.
I can't give what I don't have at the moment.
Have to remove the speck of dust in my eye first
before I can begin to help others with their log.

Socially, I'm just a bit affected with the drama here
with my friends in med school.
But I know it's part of the process.
First phase:
The group gets connected and enjoy each other.
Second phase:
Get to know each other more comfortably without the masks,
and sometimes you unintentionally hurt each other.
Third phase:
The group solidifies and takes the friendship in life-long proportions.

The goal is to get through the second phase
as fast and as completely as possible.
Done with the hurts, no more strings attached
while learning wisdom side by side.

Spiritually, I'm still optimistic as always.
I'm just in a plateau after a steep slope of growth in undertakings.
Now I'm more conscious of the cliche
'slowly but surely'.
And oh, I forgot to bring my Bible back to the dorm.
I missed it because of the razzle and dazzle of the morning rush.
Tsk. I'm unarmed now.
Good thing for emailed readings for the day.
But still it's uncomfortable without my Bible by my side.
Good thing my bro could bring my bible here tomorrow.

Inhale deeply.
Exhale slowly.
Whew. Good thing for this breathing space.
We all go through this don't we?
And I believe this is helpful at some point in our human voyage.
It feels good to embrace it.


Didoy

Doctor In The Making

Mayi is gonna be on TV this saturday!
She co hosts Mustard TV (kid's show), shown on TV5 at 7am.

It was already past 11pm last Monday
and she was still in the office because of the shoot.
Since its Monday is her commute day,
I just can't let her take a cab and go home alone late in the evening.
So, I surprised her in her office,
bringing along a new set of flowers for her vase in the office.
I arrived in Shepherd's voice with Mayi still shooting the segment.
Man, she was so stunningly pretty
and exuding a lot of confidence and finesse!
Great job my dear.

Then it happened.
Right after the shoot, she was vomitting all over the girl's room.
My initial impression was she was just too stressed from the shoot,
plus the temperature in the set was way too hot because of the blaring lights.
Too bad for her first time.
So I fed her some ice chips which partially relieved her headache.

On our way home, she barfed again. I can't blame her,
the crazy taxi driver must've thought he was driving a roller coaster.

I tucked her in her bed, gave her a good night kiss
and I went back to my apartment.
It was 2am.

I was checking her from time to time the next day.
She didn't go to work because she had fever, and her head was throbbing.
She had a poor appetite and was very weak.
So I probably thought, there is an inflammation and infection.
I asked if she was feeling any pain in her abdomen,
but she consistently said no the whole day. So appendicitis was unlikely.
She reported another episode of vomitting
so I advised her to take in more fluids to replace what she lost.

I went to her house after class.
I gave her a dose of 'kisspirin' and 'yakapsule'. Haha.
We ate dinner and she did finish her meal albeit her poor apetite.
I thought she was gonna be ok.
Not until she threw up again, losing all that she ate for dinner.

I called my mom first to confirm if my impression was correct.
We both agreed it was acute gastroenteritis (a.k.a. the stomach flu).
From her diet history, apparently she got it from a reheated lasagna.
She told me if we want it to be confirmatory,
we had to do a fecalysis (stool exam).
But immediately, we need rehydration.
So I had no choice.
Replacement of fluids through other another route was necessary.
Poor baby, we have to do an intravenous insertion to make you well.
I asked permission from her parents to do it at their home
rather than spend thousands of pesos in the hospital.
And they both gave me the authority and the money to do it.
(Good shot didoy! Haha.)

Luckily, Ate Meyan, a close cousin of Mayi who is a nurse,
is staying at their house for the meantime while fixing her papers to U.K.
So together we bought all the stuff needed for the procedure:
1 liter D5NSS (5% dextrose in Normal Saline Solution)
1 liter D5NM (Balanced Maintenance Solution with 5% dextrose as follow up)
1 venoset
1 gauge 24 needle (we opted a pediatric needle to minimize the pain upon insertion)
1 Micropore tape (according to Tita Babylynne, it's micropone! Haha.)
cotton balls and alcohol

Mayi was obviously fearful with the needle.
She had a traumatic experience with it when she was a child.
I really tried hard to convince her to give her hand to me so we can begin. Haha.
I explained to her the need for the procedure,
and that I assured her she is gonna be fine.
We prepped her hand and everything was ready.
As the needle was smoothly inserted through her vein in the right hand,
we saw Mayi really crying her heart out.
I find it adorable and a little exaggerated. Haha.



We run the solution at 40 gtts (drops) per minute.
And to be followed up with the D5NM after. (nosebleed na ba? haha.)
I watched over her through the night and stayed with her the whole day today.
So I wasn't able to go to class.
I initially planned to do so this morning,
but seeing her in such condition melted my heart.
I said to myself, the point of studying to become a doctor is this;
to care for people and make them well with all that it takes,
especially the people close to your heart.

We completed the IV therapy and she was up and about again.
It's the sweetest thing.
To see her being weak and frail before
and back now to her usual bubbly self again.
No wonder doctors are inspired people.
What a noble purpose.

Thanks Mayi for inspiring me more to become a great doctor someday.
I'll take care of you my dear, I promise.


Didoy

Monday Mornings...

It's Monday morning and I'm back in UST.
My bro and I woke up early and left home
at 530am to beat the morning rush.
After an awesome weekend,
it's back to school, back to work.
Back to the med books, quizzes, decury,
recitations,and nerve-wrecking exams.
Back to the dorm, and living away from the comforts of home.
You do the grocery, fix your laundry, find food for yourself,
clean the room, pay the bills, and all the independent stuff.
I'm back to eating fastfood,
and to the sleepless nights studying.
And the list can go on and on.

But I keep on coming back.

Why?
Because I have a dream.
I dream to become a world-class doctor someday.
To be a healer of the sick and the dying.
To take care of my loved ones when we grow older.
It will allow me also to provide for my own family in the future.
I dream that through my profession,
I could help make the world a better place.
And these reasons are enough for me to undergo all of these sacrifices.

There are low moments when I tend to ask myself,
what the hell am I doing here?
But I keep on striving.
Because I believe on a higher purpose that God is calling me into.
And I just need to do my part.

Wanna know a secret?
When you dream,
its a great help to have fellow dreamers with you.
In Med school, I meet people that come from different backgrounds,
with different abilities, and with different reasons why they are in Medicine.
But we are united with one purpose.
That's why we help and encourage each other to achieve our dreams.
In tough times, we hang on hard to each other.
In joyful moments, we party together.
Without them in my lowest moments, I would've quit.

Friends, keep on dreaming.
Let's dream together.
It may be our legacies to our future children and to the world.

Didoy

Home Sweet Home

The 2nd semester has begun.
Good thing it's the end of the week
but my Pharmacology class ended past 6pm already.
Crazy professors.
Why did they schedule the popularly voted as the hardest subject
on a Friday with the class hours extending past 6pm?
Save the best for last?!
Oh, I remember. We are post-graduate students already.
Stop with the whinge Didoy.
You chose this life. Haha.

After class, my friends and I had dinner at a favorite place
to relax our overloaded heads before heading home.
Then I went to my dorm to fix my laundry for the week
and the stuff I need to bring home.
At last I'm ready to go.

Going home is simple.
From UST, I ride the jeepney to the Manila Post Office in Lawton
and from there, I ride an FX going to Las Piñas.
But with a Friday night traffic, it's a totally different story.
As usual, I was asleep during the whole FX ride going home.

"Para po!" I instantly shouted when I woke up
and saw the McDonald's and KFC outside our village.
As I alighted the vehicle,
my legs hurt because we were so cramped inside.
Then a brush of wind greeted me.
Hmmmm.
*Cough* *Cough*
A bus just blasted me with its emissions.

As I walk going inside the village, I notice how our neighborhood
has grown. Seems like every week I'm away,
there's always something new when I get back.
Then the blues hit me.
Oooh, I miss my friends in the neighborhood.

I hear our big dogs (I mean big pitbulls!)
woofing their hearts out as I come in the gate.
Sometimes I'm afraid to get near them
because after a week, they don't seem to know me anymore. Haha.

At the door I saw my beautiful Mom,
blessed me with her hand,
and I warmly kissed her in the cheek
as I said 'I love you Mama'.
I saw my sister Ate Chi eating
and I had the chance to be with her for late dinner.
Yes, I ate dinner again. Haha.
I can't resist the pork siningang and fried fish cooked by Yaya.
After dinner, I saw Kuya Patrick watching DVD in the living room.
I just sat there with him and watched a movie as we usually do.
After the movie, I played with Cheenoe our baby dog.
My fingertips touched the ivory keys of the piano again after a week.
As I right this blog, I'm side by side with my sister on our laptops,
she's doing her research while I do my homework
for a Youth leaders meeting tomorrow.

Nothing beats the feeling.
After all the busyness of life,
its just so comforting to know
that I am home.

Didoy

Change is the Proof of God's Existence

I've had it.

The feeling just overwhelms me.
I thought everything was just doing fine,
and then insiduously,
without warning,
chaos comes in.

Then it hit me. Hard.

I wanna change.

Or better yet,

I choose to change.

I choose to be more careful of my words,
to add some humor and to speak encouragement.

I ch00se to study harder.
Really study and enjoy my passion to become a healer.
I almost lost the drive a few months ago.
Now I have a brand new semester to conquer.

I choose to wake up on time.
Yes, I'm still struggling to be on time for my activities.

I choose to shake the dust off my feet.
When events, people, words just weigh me down unnecessarily,
I let it go and move on.

I choose to understand.
Mean people are only mean when they are threatened.

I choose to affirm.
It's better than to criticize.

I choose to be happy.
Amidst all that beset before me,
I keep my smile and know everything is gonna be fine.

I choose to strive for respect,
than to be liked.


Dear God, make me new again.
Amen.


Didoy

Little Community

It was a long and hard October for all of us.
So last Thursday night, our cell group met again.

Let me share to you first the details about our cell group.

Our purpose:
To have a circle of friends that builds faith,
gives hope, and cultivates love.

Members:
Jan Silan, Ryan Matignas, Carlof Fernandez, Andreus Cosio, and me.

Our Code:
Respect is of utmost importance
Reflect on the Word of God and on life
Reveal oneself totally
Respond to one another's needs
Regularly meet

What we do:
Every month, we make it a point to meet and dine together.
We read the bible.
We shamelessly share our life stories. No matter how dark it may be.
We share wisdom and fraternal correction.
We share our plans and dreams for the future.
We pray hard together.

Let me share to you my latest bull session with them...

We ate dinner at 8pm.
Tita Weng (Carlo's mom) cooked for us adobong may gata.
It was awesome! Thank you po!

After dinner, we started with a short worship led by Andreus.
Then we read the bible about the readings in line
with our direction for the night,
Storms in life.
The Gospel we read was taken from Matthew 8:23-27
The title reads: Jesus calming the storm.

Each person gives his reflection and shares about himself.
Experiences, struggles, feelings, blessings, everything.
After one person shares,
each of us speaks to that person who shared.
It can be affirmations, fraternal correction, prophecy, anything.
We are careful on this part, we do all of these with love.
Then the person prays for himself,
after which the whole group prays for him.

We shared to each other our storms in life.
Some of us are in the storm, another is after the storm,
and another feels that there is a storm coming into his life.

During my part,
I shared to them that I'm in the transition from the storm
to the calm after the storm.
My past month has been like a seesaw of good and bad events.
I survived my final examinations.
I almost failed 2 subjects in Medicine,
but like a miracle, its all good.
I got drunk a lot especially when semestral break came.
And in my drunkenness, I did stupid things. Like flirting with girls.
I thank my friends who understood
and safeguarded me at those moments.
Tsk tsk. I'm sorry po Lord.
My lustful addictions haunted me throughout the month.
I felt I'm a bad witness.
I had a successful team building with my classmates in Batangas.
I was blessed to be with my friends to have a vacation
in Lipa and Pampanga.
I get to spend time at home and rest.

And then my brothers turn came to speak to me.
They affirmed me first before they corrected me.
Ryan said that as much as he is already
locked and loaded to correct me,
he said that I only need to be gently reminded of things.
Haha. Thanks bro.
They felt how I felt.
They suggested that
I should give more importance to what I have now.
Especially with my blessings.
For Mayi. For my dreams.
And if I do that, it would help me resist temptation.
That I already know what I should do.
They believe in me. Just a little push to wake me up.
They support my decisions, and will help me with my weaknesses.

It took us hours to make the full circle.
We are so into it that we finished
past 1am already
The record time we finished is 3am.
And at the end of our sharing, we took time for planning.
We gave feedback and suggestions to solidify our group.
And then we rightfully closed everything with a prayer.

We went home inspired to change and to dream.
We felt light yet full of wisdom and guidance.
By the way, its not only once a month we relate, but everyday.
We communicate especially in times of trial.

Why do we meet? Because we feel the need to.
We help each other to become better persons.
We feel we are not alone in our weaknesses.
We feel free to be who we are, no masks to make us feel accepted.
And we learn much from our meetings.
Realizations we cannot learn on our own.
So we will continue our group and
hopefully share the experience to others.

Friends, having this little community has changed our lives.
I urge you to form a cell group with your closest friends.
With these little communities, when combined, we can make the world a better place.

Praying for you,

Didoy

"The group of believers was one in mind and heart.

None of them said that any of their belongings were their own,

but they all shared with one another everything they had.

With great power the apostles gave witness

to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,

and God poured rich blessings on them all."

Acts 4:32-33

The Tree is Planted

In the middle of my sem break,
I thought I was on a hiatus from everything.
Not until writing becomes an itch that wouldn't go away.
It feels so good to give in.

Sembreak at last!
And it started with a blast!

After being bombarded during the Final examinations in Med school,
my heart, body, and soul shifted focus on 'G Thing'.
A two night concert for the benefit of BLD Youth Encounter #19.
(October 17-18, 2008 in Kublai's Bar and Grill, Katipunan)
I was so excited to release and break free!

I'd spare the details of the concert,
so that you would come and see us next time. Haha.

Below are some pictures from the event...

Thank you to all who came!

Jesus rocks!

Just enjoying the night.

I must say that it was an awesome feeling
to jam and make music for the Lord.
Especially with a band who feels the same way, with the same passion.
It was uplifting experience for all who came.

This post is the story behind the band's name ---Zach's Tree

Thanks to the Y.E. class #18, a call to serve came.
Souled Out was the former name of the band.
Yeah, it had a great name recall, but it had little meaning.
Plus, we found out there are already existing
local and American bands with the same name.

It all started with an overwhelming desire
to express how you feel deep inside.
We wanted to do something fresh,
to come out with something new.
Armed with our passions: music and serving God,
we obeyed the call.

It was a blessed band planning at Greenhills Starbucks.
With the direction from Kerygma preacher George Gabriel,
our band was christened with a new name. --- Zach's Tree.

The name was taken from the Gospel of Zacchaeus.
He was a tax collector, a little man regarded by the people of his time.
When he heard Jesus was coming to his town, he wanted to see Him.
But because he was little,
the crowd gathered prevented him to see Jesus.
And you know what he did? He climbed a tree.
That's when Jesus saw Zacchaeus, and told him,
'Zacchaeus, hurry and come down from that tree
because I will dine at your house today.'
Thus salvation has come to his house.

Our band realized that all of us are like Zacchaeus in our own way.
That we all have our littleness in this world.
We want to be that tree for all the 'Zacchaeuses' out there.

Why?

Because we, the members of the band.

all had our own moments like Zacchaeus.

We want you to experience it as well.
And we see that this is our purpose, our calling.
That is to build a foundation for you

to see and experience Jesus in a new way.
That's why our genre is a new generation

of praise and contemporary music.

There are new songs with the oomph ,
while old songs become new again.
Music that is fresh, dynamic, and invigorating.

Let me share to you our dream.
That one day, we will be touring around the Philippines
and hopefully around the world to be agents of change through music.

And that the music will run through the generations to come.
So that millions of people would see Jesus

and be uplifted from their littleness.

Seems larger than life?

Hey, why not?

There can be miracles when you believe.

Zach's Tree

Remember the name.

We will rock the world with Jesus.

Are you with us?

Didoy

"The seeds that fell in good soil stand for those who hear the message

and retain it in a good and obedient heart,

and they persist until they bear fruit."

Luke 8: 15

God's Cake

Let me share to you a forwarded story from Fr. Larry Tan SDB
It was part of his homily for the funeral mass of his brother in law.
This story saved my day...




Sometimes we wonder,” What did I do to deserve this?
Or Why did God have to do this to me?”

Here is a wonderful explanation.

A daughter is telling her mother how everything is going wrong.
She’s failing in algebra, her boyfriend broke up with her, and her best friend is moving away.

Meanwhile her mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like a snack, and the daughter says: “Absolutely Mom. I love your cake”.
“Here have some cooking oil,” her mother offers.
“Yucks! Says her daughter.
“ How about a couple of raw eggs?”
“Mom.”
“Would you like some flour then? Or maybe some baking soda?”
“Mom, those are all yucky!”

To which the mother replies:
“Yes, all those things seem bad all by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There goes my whining.

You see, I'm in the final stretch of my final exams this week for the 1st semester.
I'm struggling to put up with the demands of Med school
and I'm having a hard time with particular subjects like Pharmacology.
I'm into sleepless nights, lots of coffee, and stress.
Plus, I really miss home.
I wanna have breakfast with Mom, watch DVD's with my siblings.
I wanna play with Iday our baby in the house, and with Cheenoe our dog.
I want to relax. Breathe.
A romantic getaway with Mayi.
Plan for the upcoming YLSS, concerts, teachings in the community.
Dine out with friends. Go to the beach.
Read books unrelated to medicine, play the piano for hours.
And the list could go on and on and on.

But hey, the Lord taught me a lesson today.
It's like almost a loving slap on the head.
And I'm glad He did in His perfect timing.
It's like Jesus telling me to walk on water in the middle of the storm.
I obeyed.
But because of the seemingly big waves and strong winds(and floods in UST),
my faith hesitated and now I'm drowning. But He streches His hand,
rescues me, and tells me...
'Didoy my son, why did you doubt?'.

Boom. A strong hit to the core.

There is an appointed time for everything. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-15)
For now, study hard dude. That's why you are supported in school.
Focus. Focus. Focus.
Dids, you are gonna be a great doctor someday.
So do your part excellently.

I believe now Lord.
Thanks for never failing to remind me in moments like this.

I feel better now.
My to-do-list can wait.


Didoy

Waking up is the hardest part...

This is supposed to be short.
I'm just taking a break from studying
Medicine and Clinical Pathology finals.(ho-hum)
Just had the writer's itch. (woooh... feeling writer na.)

Last Saturday, I have a 9am rehearsal with Zach's Tree (my band)
at a studio in Makati.
Since its early, I opted stay at my dorm in UST that is 15 mins away
from the studio than to go home in Las Piñas.
So I set my alarms (yes, i have multiple alarm systems)at 7am.
It gives me just enough time for me to read the Word,
have breakfast,a good morning bath, suit up, and enough travel time.
But alas! I woke up at 7:30am!
And my alarms have been ringing for 30 minutes already.
And instead of jumping out of bed,
I said to myself the proverbial killer line:
just 5 minutes more...

The next moment I opened my puffy eyes,
it was already 15 minutes past 9am!
S***! (sorry for the word, but I really said this aloud that morning).
My heart and body raced to suit up and get a cab
that I even forgot to brush my teeth and put on deo!
Good thing I brought my bag along prepared the night before,
with the toiletries, clothes and stuff
because I was attending a debut that night.
I couldn't let it off my mind. It happened again...

You see, I have this problem of waking up on time.
It's an everyday struggle for me.
It's been a chronic condition.
Though relatively there's a significant improvement,
I still have those moments when I get lazy waking up
and get jolted out of bed because
I'm so late for a class or an appointment.

Below is the list of the measures that have been done to remedy the problem:
-I bought a loud ringing alarm clock.
-My phone is set with a multiple alarm function.
-My thoughtful dormmates already took upon themselves
to wake me up in the morning.(thanks guys)
-Sometimes even Mayi, my lovely girlfriend calls my cell just to wake me up.
-I chose a dorm just accross the street to the entrance of my Med school
so that I don't need to wake up early.
-I take a cab than to commute.

But all these still somewhat fail. It's frustrating.
Okay, I'm so embarassed with myself at this moment...

As I write this blog, I felt that there is something missing in the list.
Me.
I realized that with all the possible solutions to the problem listed
(and there could be more),
it is still up to me if I'm gonna wake up or not.
It's still up to me to move my ass out of bed
and drag myself to the bathroom.

That it is much more comfortable to wake up with less sleep
than to sleep longer and be late.
That being late reflects my self discipline.
That being late is not all about me.
I have to value the time of other people as well
because they managed their time just to be punctual.
That I may have all the reasons in the world to be late,
it is still time wasted.
That the early bird catches the worm. (tweet tweet)
That there are a lot of wonderful reasons
why wake up diligently every morning:
time to reflect on the Word, breakfast,
early morning greetings to mayi,
not being in a hurry, and a lot more!

It's a humbling experience again for me.
Can you help me?
I would appreciate hearing from you.
Pleas leave a comment on how you try to keep up with your schedules.
This is one area of my lifestyle I want to work on.
With much hope and faith, I would conquer this in God's time.

"I can do all things with Christ who gives me strength"
-Philippians 4:13

Lord, thank you for this experience.
Teach me to value every moment you give to me.
That there is always time for everything.
A time for resting, and a time for work.
Grant me the grace to know when is the right time for each. Amen.

Didoy

P.S.
Here are some pictures of my band.
Special thanks to Carlo Fernandez (center) our musical director.
First Picure(from the right):
Pier Asuncion on drums, Mico Fernandez on lead guitar,
Carlo Fernandez on bass, Mike Fernandez on rhythm,
I'm on keyboards, and Arya Herrera on vocals.

Come and watch a 'G Thing',
a concert to lift your spirits up featuring Zach's Tree
in Kublai's, Katipunan on Oct. 17 and 18. Gates open at 7pm.
For tickets call Paola #09227706245 #09178257628.

LIKE A VIRGIN!

Come on. It was just a title to rouse your interest. Haha!

Welcome! Welcome!
As early as now I thank you for following my blog! (seesh..)

As I write this, I recalled that a long time ago, I said to myself that blogging was just a waste of time. Wow. Talk about eating your own words.

Bear with me as I pull my guts together to blog. I'm a newbie, a freshman. Like a virgin in the blogger world...

I have 3 reasons why I started to blog.

One...
I want to have a breathing space.
With the crazy and complicated lifestyle that I chose, I want sometime alone to reflect and write my thoughts, realizations, blessings, mistakes, and all that I find meaning into.
I learned from a friend that if you have experiences that are worthwhile, put it into
3 P's. ------ Paper, People, Prayer.
This is the paper part.

Two...
I was inspired to blog because of 2 persons.
First, i found inspiration in one of my best buddies, Jan Silan.
Check out why I got so inspired --- http://jan-silan.blogspot.com/.
In the long years we've been friends, I just recently became aware that he knows how to write and make sense. Haha! Thanks bro.

The other person is Bo Sanchez. He's my idol.
God really gave this person the gift to write and inspire millions.
Visit http://bosanchez.ph/ and be blessed!

These two persons have their place in my list of people who has molded my character.

Three...
I want to bless others.
Sorry it sounds corny. I would just like to believe that I can contribute something to the world. This is one of them. I started blogging because I had a holy discontent. A feeling that wouldn't just go away unless you do something about it. I want to share to others how good the Lord is. I want to share to you the blessings, wisdom, corrections, and all the Lord has been teaching me in life. I feel so blessed, I can't contain it! I want you dear readers to experience it too!

Can I share to you a dream?
My ultimate dream is that when God decides that it is time for me to leave this world, I hope that when I meet Him in heaven, my Father will pat my back and tell me (ala Hancock)... "Son, good job."

Okay, am I being too preachy?

In my blog, I promise to make sense.
You will get to know me. Allow me to be connected to you as well.
You will read the 'humanness' of a person thinking aloud.
A passionate heart and mind writes.
I'd be expressing my thoughts sensitive to what I think is best needed.
So, when it calls for me to be tell all and no holds barred, I will.

By the way my dear readers, I appreciate comments. It humbles me to listen.
Let me know what you think alryt?

So there. My first ever blog. This is history for me. Yeah! *fireworks*

Oh by the way, my picture there in the header was from my band's shoot for our upcoming concert. Learn more about my band, Zach's Tree next time.


Didoy