“What do you do when Dow Jones is down, the Nasdaq is down, housing values are down…consumer confidence is down, employment is down, commercial real estate is down and you wonder, is anything going up these days? Well, some things are going up. The opportunity to serve people, that’s going up. The market for hope, that’s going up. The chance to build a life on a foundation that will endure through storms, that’s going up. And that’s true, because certain fundamentals remain unchanged. God remains sovereign, the beauty of forgiveness is still greater than the stain of sin, the Bible is still the word of God. Prayer remains the most remarkable communication available to the human race. Love still defeats bigotry, faith still beats despair. The greatest scandal in this sorry, dark world is still the scandal of the Cross, God’s mercies are still new every morning, the tomb is still empty, the Church is still marching, the kingdom Jesus announced is still expanding and does not need a bailout or a stimulus package. That’s the good news.”
This podcast is full of gems!
“Your life is not primarily your project. We all think it is, but it’s not. Your life is God’s project. The apostle Paul put it like this: ‘For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.’ God made you, and then God made certain things for you to do, and they are uniquely designed for you to do. You are not your handiwork. Only God fully knows what you are intended to look like. Only God knows what your full potential is. And God is more committed to your reaching that potential than you are. The best version of you. And God is guiding that process is all the time, and he has all kinds of tools at His disposal. And He is very patient and He never gets discouraged.”
Do you want to hear more? Listen to the podcast by downloading it on iTunes.
One day ago, I had no idea who Drew Brees was. While I don’t follow football religiously, I do enjoy the rare moments that I get to catch a game! Then I watched the Super Bowl (I opted to cheer for the New Orleans Saints!) and I saw this quarterback speak, and immediately I could tell that there was something different. I knew that this was a man of faith. And he doesn’t just talk the talk; based on what I’ve read, he also lives it. Watch this interview and be inspired:
To read more about Drew Brees and what happened at the Super Bowl, click on the links above. Meanwhile, here’s a tearjerker that I read on the ESPN website. The punter who executed perhaps the most crucial play of the game, Thomas Morstead, tells a heartwarming story about Frank Gansz, Sr. Read it.
Last December, a couple of my friends and I wanted to throw a Christmas party for the kids and teens of the Jesus Loves the Little Children Foundation. But our schedules weren’t working out so we moved it to 2010 with a different plan: a field trip to Manila Ocean Park. Meanwhile, a friend of ours from church, Harvard Uy de Baron, also had a desire for the foundation he leads (U! Happy Events Foundation) to have an Ocean Park event. To cut the long story short, we all joined together to come up with the event now known as Fish & Kids.
Here’s our grand “family picture” from last Saturday:
I really appreciate Harvard and the U! Happy Events team for the work they put into this. Because of them, more kids were able to come, and everything just went smoothly. The volunteers were awesome for donating their time and funds to sponsor the kids, not to mention that they were all excellent ates and kuyas! Thank you to everyone who supported this event–you all made this happen! Everyone had a blast!
Come one, come all! If you’re free on February 6 (this Saturday) from 10 am to 2 pm, come and be an ate or kuya for a day! For more details (fees, directions, etc.), click here or on the photo below. I hope you can join us! (And if you’re coming, wear blue — the brighter, the better!)
I love watching the Grammys. It always feels larger than life to me and I always look forward to the mash-ups and collaborations. The show isn’t done yet, but so far, my favorite performance was that of Green Day with the cast of American Idiot: The Musical.
Congratulations to my friends Joe Bonifacio and Carla (Rica) Peralejo for finally tying the knot AND finally having their FIRST KISS! I’m so happy for these two; they really make such a great couple.
Watch Jason Magbanua’s Same Day Edit Video here: (If the video doesn’t appear below, just click on the link!)
If you ask me, as much as I love hundreds of books and movies, I still believe the Bible holds the greatest stories in history. The problem for me is that there are far too many stories for me to keep track of (I can’t remember where to find them all!). Enter the NKJV Greatest Stories of the Biblecollection. In theory, it sounded like a good addition to my little library: all the greatest stories of the Bible in a storybook format. So when I had the opportunity to review it, I welcomed the chance.
My first thought? I wish it had illustrations. Now THAT would really make it a storybook for keeps! Sadly, the entire book is just filled with text. However, I like the fact that the stories are easy to find, thanks to a simple but comprehensive index at the back of the book. Want to remember what happened to Daniel in the lion’s den but don’t know where to find the story in the Bible? Just go and check the index! Easy as 1-2-3. I like it. It’s also nice to open it up before I go to sleep, as if I were to read a bedtime story to myself. (And when I have kids one day, I’m sure I’ll do the same for them, too!)
However, I’m not a huge fan of the NKJV translation. While it’s essential for some people, I still need time to get used to it, having been used to the NIV/TNIV, NLT, and The Message. I like exploring different translations of the Bible though, so I’m still going to give it a chance.
I hope they come up with a small gift book or pocketbook version that can be carried around. Unfortunately, the bulkiness of this book ensures that it’s not leaving my room anytime soon. Here’s hoping I don’t forget about it!
I grew up watching The Golden Girls, so I think it’s uber-cool to see Betty White still around and still as charming as ever. When I hit 88, I hope I’ll still have my sense of humor! Watch her Lifetime Achievement Award acceptance speech at yesterday’s Screen Actors Guild Awards (you can fast forward to 4:31):
Crass jokes aside, I’ve always enjoyed Conan O’Brien’s quirky humor and I’ve been a fan of his since my high school days. I especially loved the sketches with Andy Richter on the early days of Late Night with Conan O’Brien, like the Year 2000 and Desk Driving, among many others. Although I haven’t been a regular viewer the last couple of years, I was still incredibly saddened by what went down at NBC.
I think Conan’s incredibly talented, and I can’t wait to see what he’ll do next. I’m pleased to see that he ended his run on the Tonight Show on a really classy note. Good for you, Conan!
(In case this video gets pulled off YouTube again, just go and search for it or try to watch the full episode over here.)
Growing up, I loved watching Sesame Street. It was my dream (and it still is one of my dreams) to be on the show one day, haha! It’s great to see that they still come up with awesome stuff! Today, I want to share these cool clips with you. Enjoy!
I'm a teacher, writer, speaker, photographer, doodler, and sometimes an all-around multitasker! I'm passionate about following Jesus, equipping and empowering the next generation, and extending hope and love to people. I love God, I love my family and friends, and I love being random. :)
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I’m listening to this message by author John Ortberg at North Point Community Church. I had to hit the pause button to type this quote in. Powerful!
