Ox

It's the Chinese New Year and we're eating tikoy. Tikoy, by the way, is a glutinous round rice cake traditionally served during Chinese New Year believed to bring "sticky" good luck for the whole year in this year that they call Year of the Ox. I always find it funny how they assign each year to an animal. I'm still clueless where the idea come from.

I learned today that the well known greeting "kung hei fat choy" which means "wishing you happiness and prosperity" is not a preferred greeting by older Chinese. The reason? It smacks crass materialism . The better greeting would be "kiong hi", which simply wishes happiness, pointing out that wealth doesn't always mean happiness. Agree.

As for me, I don't have to entrust my life to some cake for prosperity. I have a God who is able to make all grace abound to me, so that in all things at all times, having all that I need, I will abound in good work (2 Corinthians 9:8). It has always been a year of God's faithfulness for me, year after year after year. The blessings I have came from Him who makes everything "work together for good for those who love Him" and not to some ox or monkey.

I was supposed to greet you "kiong hi". Let me say God bless y'all, instead. :-)

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The Great Mekong Find

Imagine a place where you will discover two new creatures a week. Well there is such place -- the Greater Mekong.

A total of 1068 species in the period of one decade (1997 to 2007) were newly identified by science in Greater Mekong, a region composed of the six countries through which the Mekong River flows including Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and the southern Chinese province of Yunnan.

According to World Wildlife Foundation (WWF), the new species discovered include 519 plants, 279 fish, 88 frogs, 88 spiders, 46 lizards, 22 snakes, 15 mammals, 4 birds, 4 turtles, 2 salamanders and a toad. Whew! That's a long list! Scientists say that these discoveries only attest to Great Mekong's reputation as a biological treasure trove.

Among the new finds is the world’s largest huntsman spider with a foot-long leg span. Mammal discoveries is a rarity in modern science yet several new mamals were found including an Annamite Striped Rabbit.

The surprises doesn't only come from the number of species discovered but also on how they were found. Most were discovered in unexplored jungles and wetlands but some showed up in strange places like a local food market such as the Laotian rock rat. In another instance, Siamese Peninsula pit viper was found slithering through the rafters of a restaurant in Khao Yai National Park in Thailand.

This reminds me the verses in Genesis. When God created everything. For sure there are still a lot of creatures out there that humans are still unaware, but God knows all of them. He created them.

And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.

And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1: 20-25

All images courtesy of World Wildlife Foundation

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Happy Birthday Meg

It's my good friend's birthday today and I thought of giving her a little tribute.

That's Meg. I first met her in our church's little old red car. Our "cell" group (that's how we call our small group fellowships in the church) and theirs joined for a little pool party. She was so shy and frail that she almost shrunk when she was introduced to the people inside the car. She hardly talked but she always wear that shy smile.

It took a while before we became "really" friends. Of course it was always me who initiates a greeting every time we would see each other on the street. I would call her "Tipay" then. That's the nick she used in one game that we played during the party.

Nine years after, here we are, really good friends! And her shyness has already "shyed away". She was one of my college crush (or maybe more than that... hahaha!), which she knew. I was so embarrassed when I knew that she knew and I couldn't look at her in the eye (yaiyks! talk about being cheesy)! But we went past that and our friendship now is one that is bound by God's love and "with absolute purity" as said in 1 Timothy 5:2. It's just a blessing, looking back, how God nurtured such a beautiful friendship.

One thing that exudes in Meg, more than the pretty face, is her love for God. She faithfully serves God as a tamborinee in our church and she does it with grace and utmost worship. It was just lately that I discovered how tough a woman she is. Amazing how God changed her from a frail little girl that she was. She has a gargantuan appetite, by the way. She loves to eat and to cook. She loves the camera and the camera likes her, too. Fortunately.

Relationships, like friendship, are among the wonderful things in the world. It's God's gift. In many ways, God shows His love to us by friends who care, laugh, cry and rebukes us.

Dear readers, in case it crosses your minds, she's not my girlfriend. Just pure love for a sister in Christ.



By the way, we have a huge huge collection of pictures together as both of us likes the camera's flash and shutter. It's in here.

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Death Note

I don't wanna die at an old age. Sixty would be okay for me. I have several reasons, yeah, selfish reasons. Watching the local indie movie "100" made me think again about death and dying. Like they always say, there are only two realities in this life -- death and paying taxes.

The movie was about a woman who, in the prime of her life and career, was diagnosed of cancer and has three months left to live. Instead of being sorry, she planned how to spend the last days of her life by making a list of what she (and her loved ones) wants to do -- from resigning in her job, to settling her credits and throwing his credit cards, to breaking up a wrong relationship, to Hong Kong travel, to skinny dipping under the bright moonlight... oopps, too much spoilers. It was poignant as it was funny and you can't help but be drawn to the story. You'll laugh and then you'll cry.

The movie capitalized on good storyline and brilliant casting. The cinematography wasn't flattering but it won't bother you. The acting was superb. Mylene Dizon, the lead actress who played the role of Joyce seemed not to be acting at all. She was so natural. Other casts were as great like Joyce's bestfriend (Eugene Domigo) and her mother (Tessie Tomas).

One line in the movie that I remember was, "If everyone wants to go to heaven, why is everyone afraid to die?". This one is actually true. Many are afraid of dying in the same way that they are not sure if they are going to heaven. While many dismiss heaven and hell, there is an unexplainable longing for every human being that he wants to fill. In the Bible it says that God has put eternity in the heart of every man. That is why man longs for happiness, looks out for goodness and desires contentment. There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man that only God can fill. He can't find it in anywhere else -- science, relationships, material possessions. Only God can fill it. The sad thing is, man dismisses it because of sin and unbelief. Because believing in God entails that man should let go of his selfishness.

Everyone will soon confront death. And life after death will soon confront the soul of every man. In one part of the movie, Joyce asked her friend, "What if there is no life after death?". Her friend replied, "Well, you won't know anyway. Because if that is true, there's nothing else to know."

I believe that there is life after death and there is a God whom I will be facing when I die. This is faith -- being sure of what I hope for and being certain of what I do not see... and even if others don't believe. One thing I know is God fulfills his promises and His love is ever abundant. Click Here to Read More..

God told me to SMILE

How could I've missed it!

I was browsing my Multiply account and I bumped into one of my friends' blog about what she saw last night. She said that she saw God smiling!

What she saw was similar to the picture above. It's as if God has sent an emoticon to his creations. The bright yellow light on the left is Venus and the blue one on the right is Jupiter and the moon crescent below.

Even if I didn't see it, the picture brought me so much encouragement, especially as I deliver the message about the Second Commandment tonight. The Lord commands His people not to bow down and worship "anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below". Yet He uses His creations to amaze us and tell us that He is ever present and His love and grace is eternally abundant.

When I consider your heavens,the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars,which you have set in place. -Psalm 8:3

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The Second Commandment

I'll be the speaker for our weekly youth fellowship this coming Tuesday. For this new semester we will be having a series about The Ten Commandments. My topic will be the Second Commandment.

"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments."

I'm preparing my message and I pray that the Lord will teach me what to teach my youth listeners. Click Here to Read More..