Lessons of a Dad

Top 10 CCM artists that I wish would come to Cagayan de Oro

2013-05-24T21:16:00.003+08:00

(This post is on the video-heavy side. Before reading, I suggest you scroll ahead and hit play and then pause on all the vids so that they start loading while you read the text here.)

I live in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines. While I love the place, there are drawbacks. One such drawback I will focus on here, with my version of a solution.

You see, we’re a small provincial city in the 3rd world…and when it comes to concerts, of course the local population cannot afford the big names in the international music world. So what do we have to contend with? Well, if international fare is your thing, you’re gonna have to contend with 60’s, 70’s and 80’s old-timers that have had their heyday before some of us were even born. Good thing if it were The Rolling Stones or U2, but…no. You’ve seen the billboards of the usual fare we’ve had, and with the exception of Color Me Badd and All For One, I am SO not a fan (The Lettermen? Please…).

My suggestion? Event organizers take note: if you guys can get CCM artists over to Cagayan de Oro, that would be the awesomest thing ever. What’s CCM? Well, I’m not gonna tell until the end of this blog entry. Let’s just say that they’re not big-time mainstream artists, so they would likely not fetch the steep price tag. They’d also have a captured audience with many people not only here in the city, but in the Philippines as well, so for sure you’d fill up the Limketkai Atrium if ever you’d have them around. CCM…what’s that? Ah-ah-ah, I said I’m not telling yet.

What I AM gonna do, however, is make a list of THE TOP 10 CCM ACTS THAT I WISH WOULD COME TO CAGAYAN DE ORO. CCM spans many sub-genres, so this list is a mix-up of rap, rock, and soulful tunes…and I’m sure you’ll get what CCM is by the time you reach the end.

So, without further ado: CDO event organizers, if you guys can bring these CCM artists over here, you guys would rule my world!!

1. Lecrae

Without a doubt, my favorite CCM artist is Lecrae, who just snagged a Grammy a few months back for his album Gravity! He’s a very passionate, not to mention versatile, rapper, and his message is something I’d love my kids to listen to over and over again (which they do, he’s a favorite of theirs, especially my son).

The first video I’m gonna feature is the first song that I liked from Lecrae, called Don’t Waste Your Life. I also feature it because it is the best rap-a-long video of his songs. Check it out.

If you wanna see how he can kill it on the stage, here’s his performance of a medley of his songs in the recently finished Passion 2013 (the coolest conference out there). Many of my favorites are here, like the above song (Don’t Waste Your Life), Dum Dum, God is enough, and it ends with my new favorite song of his, Tell The World. Powerful lyrics, that song. Enjoy.

Oh, and turn the volume up. Way up.

Now, wouldn’t you rather have your teens listen to this rather than rap songs that are full of cusswords and talk about drugs and female body parts?

2. Britt Nicole

CCM has many wonderful female artists, but in my opinion, the current “it” girl is Britt Nicole. She’s quite young, but has been around quite a long time with three albums, Say It, The Lost Get Found, and Gold.

My family members are big fans. Her latest song in the radio, and my middle child, Mesoo's, favorite song on this list, period, is Gold, a song that proves she's CCM's queen by being the #1 song on the Weekend 22 (a CCM countdown show) for one solid month! Here’s the lyric video for your enjoyment.

Also enjoy the magnificent acoustic version of Gold (some say it's better than the original).

Britt Nicole's biggest hit to date (although Gold may soon surpass it) is All This Time (it was #1 for 7 weeks), which was about a traumatic event in her childhood. I love her acoustic version of it, which I feature below.

3. TobyMac

I used to have a love/hate relationship with TobyMac’s work; but this past year, he really got on my good side. I love his reinvention of his style of music and I now consider him one of my favorites. He’s a lot of people’s favorite CCM artist, too. His song Me Without You (which I feature below) was number one on the Weekend 22 like, forever; and he recently snagged a Grammy as well.

His more current hit is Steal My Show. It’s a great song, too...with a great message about something that many of us Christians struggle with (even more than our struggle with sin). That love/hate relationship is a thing of the past. I’m now a TobyMac fan.

4. Kari Jobe

Another “it” girl in CCM. Her voice is SOOOO beautiful and haunting. I always hear my neighbors sing her songs every morning, and it starts my day off on a wonderful note. The song she’s most famous for is Steady My Heart, and instead of a lyric video, I shall post the beautiful official music video here for you. The words come out clear anyway.

Here’s another song of hers, an acoustic version of We Are. If you haven’t fallen in love with her and her voice in the first video, you’d love her in this one. She is one very anointed woman, and it’s no surprise that she’s a favorite to those who also lead worship.

5. Hillsong United

If you give Hillsong United a centavo as royalty fee every time one of their songs is sung in youth ministries and even main worship, they’d be GAZILLIONAIRES by now. That’s how popular their songs are, and a concert by them would fill the Atrium up in no time. Here’s a favorite song that I hear so many times in youth ministry, Your Name High.

Another song of theirs that I won’t ever forget is Adonai. It's an older song, but it has a special place in my heart because it was popular during the time I lead the youth group of my church many years ago.

6. Chris Tomlin

Chris Tomlin is most known for the song that has been sung in churches everywhere, How Great Is Our God, but he's had several other great songs as of late.

One of my favorites from his newer songs is Whom Shall I Fear. It's has become somewhat of an anthem for me. With the challenges of life and the perils of keeping it together day by day, it feels good that "I know who goes before me / I know who stands behind / The God of angel armies is always by my side."

Here's his Passion 2013 performance of that song, sharing the stage with Kari Jobe, Dave Matthews Band, Kristan Stanfill, and others.

His other recent hit is White Flag. The white flag, as so well displayed in those old Looney Toons cartoons, means surrender. Indeed, although it's not a nice word, surrender is what we need to do: surrender the control of our lives to God.

7. Newsboys

Probably the biggest CCM hit last year is God’s Not Dead by Newsboys. It’s such a catchy tune and it became an anthem to so many people. My favorite Christian radio personality loved that song so much that he would sometimes sing along with it to the point that it sounded so comically terrible.

My all-time favorite Newsboys song is Way Beyond Myself. It was also the song that introduced me to these guys.

8. Jamie Grace

Other than Britt Nicole, my daughter’s favorite CCM female artist is Jamie Grace, and she is really popular among the young teen girls of JZone. With good reason, too. Her songs are catchy, and the message is simple yet it expresses the deep trust that the singer has for God.

One of her most famous songs is God Girl, an anthem for Lynn and her JZone friends, and I offer that song here for you. May our daughters be God Girls.

Another favorite song of ours is You Lead. May this catchy tune speak volumes in that the best way we can truly live our lives is to have God at the forefront of it.

9. Group1Crew

This group has also had a banner year last year. Their song He Said was one of my favorite songs of 2012, and it got me through some tough times. I’m so glad I got to hear that song when I did. I just love their chill-out sound so much…and the message of this particular song, focusing on a particular promise of God, spoke volumes to me.

Of all the songs on this list, this song probably ministered to me the most.

Their latest hit, which became #1 earlier this year is His Kind Of Love. It’s quite an apt song as we had Holy Week last month. Unfathomable, indeed, is His kind of love.

10. Matthew West

One of my favorite CCM artists is Matthew West. He’s a tremendous songwriter whose songs have lifted so many people out of desperation and moved them into inspiration. Although it's not his newest work, my all-time favorite song of his is More, and it’s another awesome song to listen to when you feel down in the dumps. I heard on the radio that it has stopped a girl from committing suicide, and that's because it so powerfully shows you how much you are loved.

Another hit he has is called Forgiveness. Matthew West often writes songs based on letters that he receives, therefore these songs have an awesome story behind them. Well, Forgiveness has an AMAZING, almost unbelievable, story behind it: it's based on a letter of a mom forgiving her son's killer, and the forgiveness was so total that she helps him out of jail and they become friends (WOOOOOOOOW!!!).

So, I guess by now you pretty much know what CCM means, right? It means Contemporary Christian Music, and there are many people who are big fans...fans who would be willing to pay if ever any of these guys visit Cagayan de Oro City. If you want to get a daily dose of CCM, and you live in Cagayan de Oro City, you can tune in to The New J 103.3 FM. They play CCM pretty much all day, every day.

Now, the main reason why I turned their names into links is not because I want to make a buck. I mainly did it because I'd like for you to support these guys by buying what they work so hard to produce. Why? Well, because in an age where music glorifies things that you wouldn't want your kids to imbibe (the sex-drugs-rock n' roll lifestyles of the musicians even more so), lo and behold, here we have musicians who exemplify the wholesome opposite. These guys are awesome, not just in the studio, but in their everyday lives as well: true role models, indeed.

I couldn't be happier that my kids are fans of the artists on this list (especially Lecrae, Britt Nicole, and Jamie Grace...probably in that order). Many of my students see the beautiful Kari Jobe as THE model of a worshipful heart. I hear teenagers rock out to Hillsong United every Saturday at my daughter's youth group, JZone.

It also pains me to limit this list to just ten CCM artists. There are so many other great ones, and I'm going to continue to feature them on this blog. Listen to them on 103.3 as well. Stay tuned...and truly, support these fantastic artists.

Now, if you're a CCM fan yourself, who are the artists that you like to come over to our city?

(This blog site, Lessons Of A Dad is mostly about parenting, marriage, and other topics aimed to develop the reader’s mind, body, and soul. I’d consider it an honor if you’d follow or subscribe to this site. You can also go to my Facebook page here, and I’m also on Twitter at @lessonsofadad)

Video of Nick Vujicic’s message in CCF Manila

2013-05-19T21:41:00.001+08:00

Hello folks! As you’ve read in my last post, international inspirational speaker Nick Vujicic is here in the Philippines (Manila, to be exact) to bless us with talks on UNSTOPPABLE FAITH in the CCF Center on May 18, and UNSTOPPABLE DREAM in the Smart Araneta Coliseum on May 20.

What I forgot to mention was that today, May 19, 2013, Nick Vujicic gave the Sunday messages in the CCF Center as well. What a treat that was to the congregation there. The previous two events I mentioned are ticketed events that charge for admission. But the one today? Hey, that’s just going to church…and the one giving the Sunday message is one of, if not THE most inspirational speaker on the planet.

And CCF, delivering its usual awesomeness, already has the video up on youtube. Boy, that was quick! And so, for those of us who missed it, and those who want to be inspired, here’s the video of Nick Vujicic’s Sunday message in the CCF Center in Manila. Enjoy!

Check out Nick’s book, Unstoppable, as well as his other books. He truly is an inspiration to us all. Thank you so much, Nick Vujicic, and congrats to CCF for a job well done.

(This blog site, Lessons Of A Dad is mostly about parenting, marriage, and other topics aimed to develop the reader’s mind, body, and soul. I’d consider it an honor if you’d follow or subscribe to this site. You can also go to my Facebook page here, and I’m also on Twitter at @lessonsofadad)

International inspirational speaker Nick Vujicic is live in Manila this Saturday! Got your tickets yet?

2013-05-14T06:49:00.001+08:00

One of the most popular and powerful inspirational speakers on the planet, limbless Nick Vujicic is live in Manila starting this Saturday! Got your tickets yet?

This Saturday, May 18, he will be in Christ’s Commission Fellowship or CCF for short (if that sounds familiar to you as a follower of this blog, it’s because I go to CCF-Cagayan de Oro, and I often blog about the activities there). On April 20, Nick would be in the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Here’s his promotional video of his upcoming Manila visit.

If you haven’t heard of this guy yet, you must be living under a rock. For the past few years, he’s been taking Youtube by storm. His videos have been giving hope to over 100 million viewers.

One of the most recent videos that feature him is also my personal favorite. He boldly exclaims God’s goodness in Oprah’s show, despite being born with no arms and no legs. Enjoy, everyone!

Visit the Nick Vujicic LIVE in Manila Facebook page for information on how you can get tickets (pray they still have them available, I heard they’ve been selling like hotcakes).

May the Lord use him mightily.

This tour, as you may guess, is to promote his new book, Unstoppable. He’s an author of so many other books as well, and for sure they’re gonna be on sale during these events; but if you can’t go to them, or if you want to avoid the crowd, or if you want the Kindle copy, then you can get them here.

(This blog site, Lessons Of A Dad is mostly about parenting, marriage, and other topics aimed to develop the reader’s mind, body, and soul. I’d consider it an honor if you’d follow or subscribe to this site. You can also go to my Facebook page here, and I’m also on Twitter at @lessonsofadad)

Natural sugarcane juice – truly a sweet alternative to unhealthy drinks

2013-04-29T23:57:00.001+08:00

One of the most frustrating things that parents have to deal with when it comes to nutrition is that even though we can be vigilant in providing high-quality, nutritious food at home, when our kids are away, the outside world has very few wholesome choices to choose from.

Be it malls, fast-food joints, and school canteens (this is the most frustrating one, because we leave our kids in this place 5 days a week with a whole lotta trust), we really can’t avoid junk food, fatty food, a huge lack of green stuff, and sugary drinks.

So what are you gonna do, homeschool your kids and keep them in the house 24/7 under lock and key? (No offense to homeschoolers. I think home schooling is great.)

Well, when it comes to unhealthy, artificially-flavored sugary drinks, a friend and neighbor of mine proposes a solution that I think schools, school canteen owners, and small entrepreneurs should take note of: Natural sugarcane juice – truly a sweet alternative to unhealthy drinks.

He (my neighbor) invited us to try some of the stuff out (we sometimes call it tubo juice, tubo being the Filipino word for sugar cane), and my kiddos and I love the stuff immensely! I must’ve imbibed a gallon worth—without fear of health consequences, which I will explain later.

Check out the video below, which I took when my kids tried out the tubo juice. (There are different varieties of the machines. This is one of the bigger ones, but there’s a tabletop version too.)

Now, if you want one of these bad boys so that you can set up some health-promoting drinks in your establishment for a change (school canteen owners, please consider this), then contact me by email at lessonsofadad@gmail.com.

I shall now use the rest of the blog entry to discuss to you some of the great health benefits of sugarcane juice (info from the flyer). Even though unhealthy table sugar comes from the same thing, you’ll be very surprised that this (far less processed) product has wellness written all over it!

Contains less sugar than other popular drinks
Though naturally sweet, sugarcane juice contains only about 12% sugar per serving (all in raw unprocessed form).

Safe for diabetics
Sugarcane juice is a low glycemic drink that can be enjoyed in moderation by type 2 diabetics without fear.

Promotes weight loss
Sugarcane juice stabilizes blood glucose levels which help promote weight loss in overweight people by making them feel full for longer periods while delivering only 38 calories per 100ml.

Fights cancer
Studies have shown sugarcane juice makes the body more alkaline, which fights cancer, especially prostate and breast cancers.

A vitamin superhero
One serving of sugarcane juice is packed with rich doses of calcium, chromium, cobalt, copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, and zinc. It also contains vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5 B6, C plus a high concentration of phytonutrients, antioxidants, proteins, and soluble fiber.

Gives sustained energy
A glass of sugarcane juice is rich is complex carbohydrates which gives you sustained energy; helping you work harder, play sports, and concentrate on studies.

Reduces cholesterol
Drinking sugarcane juice reduces the level of bad cholesterol, both LDL and triglycerides, promoting healthy heart function and circulation, which has a positive impact on endurance and sexual health.

Anti-UTI
Sugarcane juice is healthful for kidney function; promoting clear urine flow and makes the urinary tract resistant to UTI.

Improves digestion
Juice extracted from sugarcane is also good for digestion, as it can work as a mild laxative because if its high potassium content.

Protects teeth against cavities
The raw enzymes in sugarcane juice actually help prevent tooth decay.

All these wonderful health benefits come in a natural juice that tastes really good! Kids, if they’re like my kids, really, really love it and when we tried it out at my neighbor’s house, drank cup after cup of the stuff.

If you’re a school canteen owner or an entrepreneur, my friend says that your return of investment (ROI) could be anywhere from only 2 months to a year. He’s very busy working on putting up one of these machines in SM (we live in Cagayan de Oro) so that we Cagayanons can enjoy the healthful benefits of this great product firsthand.

So, again, if you’d like to find out more about this juice or how you can invest in the machines, just email me at lessonsofadad@gmail.com. I’m a bona fide sugarcane juice convert, as this is truly a sweet alternative to unhealthy drinks. If this was offered in school canteens, I’ll make no bones about providing my kids with the means to drink lots of the stuff (besides, disposing of the residue also poses a great lesson on waste management and composting, right?).

(This blog site, Lessons Of A Dad is mostly about parenting, marriage, and other topics aimed to develop the reader’s mind, body, and soul. I’d consider it an honor if you’d follow or subscribe to this site. You can also go to my Facebook page here, and I’m also on Twitter at @lessonsofadad)

PS: I strongly suggest you also juice fruits and vegetables as part of your health routine. Invest in a good juicer and check out these juicing recipes.

Get the HUGE early bird discount for a great children’s summer activity

2013-04-10T01:12:00.000+08:00

If you’re a parent of young children (4-11 years old), and you live in Cagayan de Oro City, allow me to ask you a question.

Do you want your kids to have great fun over the summer, and while doing so, he or she would learn more about God and biblical principles? I don’t think any church going family would say no to that, right? Well, here in the Philippines, most families are church-going families, but the vast majority of the churches Pinoys go to usually do not have much in terms of programs that disciple and nurture children (which is a shame, really).

Well, if you’re a follower of my blog, you’d know that I’m a proud Lifeshaper volunteer of my church’s NxtGen Ministry (the name of my church’s children’s ministry), and every summer, we have the biggest NxtGen event of the year. Consider this blog entry an invitation, and I suggest you register now to get the HUGE early bird discount on this great children’s summer activity!

What I’m talking about is our yearly summer DVBS, and this year’s theme is called Studio GO! For one week, May 6 to 11, 2013, children from ages 4-12 (although, honestly, I notice most 12 year olds prefer JZone as compared to NxtGen) will enjoy three hours of games, stories, skits, snacks, and crafts…all the while learning about Jesus and life-changing Biblical principles. Here’s a video that was aired at church last Sunday, to show you what we mean.

Now, as the video says, the early bird discount runs until April 28. The difference between P450 and P600 is pretty big, so if I were you, I’d register, pronto. The host church's name is CCF, and...

For details contact:

Christ's Commission Fellowship – Cagayan de Oro
Papa Juanito’s Square, Limketkai Drive
857-3000 (PLDT/Philcom)
09175976574 (globe)
09228223236 (sun)
09209386766 (smart)

Prayer before the crazy games start (water balloon dodgeball, anyone?)

DVBS has done some amazing things to children. I know this from personal experience, as all my kids are DVBS products and the eldest one serves in ministry passionately (with the younger ones itching to do the same when they get old enough).

Last year, when I handled the DVBS, I heard of kids who would wake up and get dressed at 6am in the morning, ready and excited to go to DVBS…which starts at 2:00 in the afternoon.

I heard kids who would cry in the car when they realized that they’d be late, even just 5 minutes late.

I heard of one child, a sponsored kid abandoned by his parents, who received so much renewed hope from the DVBS that he went home, wrote the lyrics of all the songs on Manila paper, and shared them to the other kids in his neighborhood.

Two of the many awesome volunteers that make our DVBS events so great.

My favorite one was another child, an invitee whose parents were on the verge of splitting up, whose disposition changed so much after the event that it convinced her warring parents to try out the church. Her parents now back together and more in love than ever. And it all started when she attended DVBS as a guest of a child who attends the host church.

I’m sure there would be similar stories this year, there always are. I don’t know if I can be a part of it, due to work schedule conflicts, but I will try my utmost to be involved in minor roles.

So, what are you waiting for? Studio GO! Is just around the corner, and I strongly suggest you avail of the early bird discount.

I’ll close with the thank-you video of MAIN STREET, last year’s DVBS, to show you what your child can expect in his or her 5 days with us. See you (hopefully, that is).

Update on how you can continue to help sweet little Cherubim

2013-04-02T12:12:00.000+08:00

Cherubim is on the left

If you follow my blog, you may have read an article I did a few months ago about the plight of a sweet little girl, Cherubim. If you haven’t read it, allow me to use the next paragraph to put you up to speed.

Cherubim has a kidney disease that would require an operation to save her right kidney (see their story here). Her parents, being quite resourceful, opted to sell Save A Kidney mugs to Cagayan de Oro residents to help fund the operation. Even if both parents are working, the cost of the operation to save Cherubim’s life is quite insurmountable, and their goal was to sell 1,000 mugs as soon as possible.

That was as of January 19, 2013, when I made a blog article on the subject.

It’s now April, and this update also serves as a second plea to help this family during this darkest of times. No more buying mugs this time, I’d like to help them out by bringing to you the link to their paypal button, so that donations can be made there.

The family is now in Manila filling out some requirements for the operation and trying to get help there. I was told that they were not even close to garnering the 1000 mugs needed to help them out, and recent visits to the doctor have shown that Cherubim’s case is quite complicated and the operation must be done the soonest possible time.

They have to raise P200,000 to give their baby girl the treatment she needs. Like I said, just about nothing is more painful for a parent that to see his or her child suffer…and I cannot leave them alone in their plight. I have met the mom and the twins when she delivered our mugs. The girls were adorable (I wish I took their picture).

So, here I am, asking you guys once again to help them out. Click this link so you can go to their paypal account. Also, please pass this along to your friends. P200,000 may be an insurmountable amount, but together, we can make a difference.

“But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” (1 John 3:17-18)

Once again, their paypal account: (click here)

(This blog site, Lessons Of A Dad is mostly about parenting, marriage, and other topics aimed to develop the reader’s mind, body, and soul. I’d consider it an honor if you’d follow or subscribe to this site. You can also go to my Facebook page here, and I’m also on Twitter at @lessonsofadad)

Goodbye Lessons Of A Dad...and thanks for the memories.

2013-04-01T11:13:00.003+08:00

After a lot of soul-searching this Holy Week, I had to make a very hard decision.

You see. Time is really my enemy, and I'm getting worn out juggling too many responsibilities. I've come to the conclusion that I have to de-clutter. I have to unload one of my activities...or else I'd go crazy.

And I've decided that the burden I have to unload (and I say this with a very heavy heart) is Lessons Of A Dad.

I love blessing people with my work, but I'd be a hypocrite if I wasn't after the monetary benefits as well...and my blog hasn't earned me a penny. Therefore, I need to move on to more, um, lucrative endeavors.

So, I'm gonna have to say goodbye. And this is really goodbye.

It's been a great two years (well, two years in June). I love how I have impacted lives from all across the globe. It's such a humbling experience saying that what I posted helped their marriage (one even went on a marriage retreat because of my blog post on The Story Of Us). I truly loved talking about parenting, the ministry activities in my church, the Montessori education of my kids, and health/wellness.

Most of all, I will fondly look back at all the comments and all the new friends I met because of my blogging endeavor.

It really makes me tear up, but I hope you understand that I have to do this. God bless you all, and goodbye Lessons Of A Dad. Thanks for the memories. If anything, I'd love to see your comments, below, one last time before I shut this thing down (I'll also delete my FB page after a few days as well).

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.... HA!! Happy April Fool's Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm not very good at these things, but I sure hope you fell for that one.

These amazing events could change your life, your marriage, and your children

2013-03-25T16:42:00.003+08:00

Most people (wrongly) think that once you get married, you’d effortlessly live happily ever after. Ditto with having children: you’d think that when the bundle of joy comes, he or she will always be, well, a bundle of joy.

But reality is quite different, isn’t it? Those of us who are married with children know that both keeping the marriage alive and raising the kids well take lots of hard work. So much so that you’d probably wish colleges offer marriage 101 or parenting 101 as subjects.

Well, I have good news for you. I belong to a community that advocates family development and youth development quite strongly, and I would like to share some of our upcoming special events for you, in order of when they happen during the year. If you live in Cagayan de Oro City and you want to enhance your married life or the lives of your children, then check out these events!

The first event is for the teenagers. Renowned motivational speaker Francis Kong (more on him later) said that it is easier to start and maintain a business than it is to raise a teen. But if your teens belong to a great group and are involved in worthwhile activities, your struggles will be lessened considerably. Enter WIRED, this year’s theme for JZone’s yearly summer camp. Cost is P2000 per teen (the early bird promo rate ended yesterday, sorreh...).

My daughter has benefited greatly from the last two summer camps. She made great friends (friends that you’d be proud to call your kids’ friends), and was very excited about becoming the excellent young woman God has called her to be (and indeed, many of her peers and even adults admire her greatly). Oh, of course, it’s SO much fun…and as proof of that, here’s last year’s thank you video.

The next event is for the kids. If you want kids to love God, then you have to speak their language (FUN!!), and one of the best ways to do that is the DVBS, a Kidschurch activity designed to show our children the love of Christ and letting them have so much fun while doing so. This is also a yearly event, and, this year’s theme is Studio GO! Basically, it’s about encouraging our kids that to get of the complacency couch and GO…to actually make a difference in their own circles of influence, using characters like Gideon, Esther, and others, as models.

There will be a preliminary meeting soon to discuss prices, dates (likely 2nd week of May), and activities. Stay tuned! In the meantime, to show you what your child can expect, here’s last year’s tribute video.

Next event is for married couples. Our marriage enhancing events have garnered praise from attendees (often saying that even if they've attended these things elsewhere, ours is very powerful, Biblical, and practical), and we’re offering another one this year. Last year, The Story Of Us marriage retreats garnered such high praise that it had to be held 3 times, and even then it wasn’t able to have everyone aboard. We’ll have The Story Of Us again, although it will no longer be a weekend out of town retreat, but instead it would be a marriage seminar. While I would’ve liked it to be the former, the good news is it’s closer to home, being held here at the Xavier Sports and Country Club.

I’ll once again emcee the event, so I’ll see you there as well. Here’s the vid from the previous Story Of Us.

Lastly, we will have a huge parenting event for parents of teens. Remember my mention of Francis Kong? Well, he will be in Cagayan de Oro this September along with his mentor, parenting speaker extraordinaire, Peter Tan Chi (known for Parenting That Makes A Difference). These two guys are my idols in raising up kids, and this time around, they’ll talk about raising teenagers in ParenTEEN.

They were around three years ago in Parenting Winners, and it was such a rare treat to see the best speakers in parenting back to back that I thought we’d never seen anything like that again. Well, I was wrong, and this time it’s for the parents of teenagers. Since my daughter is now 13, I absolutely cannot wait for this event to come. September 7 is the date. You can check out details in the picture, above.

Oh, they will also talk to young people as well, so this will probably be one of the biggest youth events of the year, to boot.

Oh yeah, as a bonus, in the CCF in Manila, this May, renowned Life Without Limbs motivational speaker Nick Vujicic will grace our main church there and give what I am positively sure is gonna be an amazing talk. This dude is a youtube sensation and he even glorified God in the Oprah show. Imagine that.

Watch this video of Nick on Oprah. It is AMAZING!!!!

And so there you have it. Excited yet? I am. Let’s do this CCF-Cagayan de Oro (and the Manila CCF, in the case of Nick Vujicic)!! Let’s make 2013 our most impacting year yet.

(This blog site, Lessons Of A Dad is mostly about parenting, marriage, and other topics aimed to develop the reader’s mind, body, and soul. I’d consider it an honor if you’d follow or subscribe to this site. You can also go to my Facebook page here, and I’m also on Twitter at @lessonsofadad)

UPTOWN COW delivers best quality fresh milk to uptown CDO residents

2013-03-21T19:06:00.000+08:00

Do you want the freshest milk you can taste delivered straight to your doorstep? Are you one of those who wants a healthier milk alternative than what is available in the supermarkets?

If you live in the uptown subdivisions of Cagayan de Oro (Xavier Estates, Pueblo de Oro, etc.) then you’re in luck. UPTOWN COW now delivers fresh milk to uptown CDO residents!

As you would surmise from the flyer, the milk that UPTOWN COW would distribute will give CDO uptown homeowners a product that is far superior than what is offered in supermarkets. It is fresher (the cows are milked just one day before delivery); the cows are raised on a pasture instead of commercially raised (not cramped and disease-laden, virtually eliminating the need for the cows to take antibiotics, etc.); the choco milk has less sugar than what you get elsewhere; and there’s a raw milk option to increase the health benefits even more.

Simply put, if you buy milk from commercially raised cows (like from the big companies), where they live cramped, diseased-laden lives, raised on commercial feeds instead of grass, then you may run the risk of getting a whole lot of chemicals in your milk (see Who Knew this Cocktail of up to 20 Chemicals Was in Your Glass of Milk?)

It’s far better to get your milk from pasture-raised cows like the source of UPTOWN COW’s milk, a dairy farm located in nearby Alae. But then, as the flyer also advertises, I’d like you to try the raw milk option.

Yes, raw milk. UPTOWN COW is, to my knowledge, the only supplier to offer raw, unpasteurized milk as an option. I’ve been a believer for a long time now that raw milk is the healthier option. This viewpoint is a bit controversial, so I’d like to invite you to make a decision for yourself…and for the raw milk viewpoint, visit http://www.realmilk.com/brochures/real-milk-brochure/

You can also check out the article Why You Don’t Want to Drink Pasteurized Milk for a strongly worded opinion on the subject.

Anyway, no matter what side of the fence you’re on, UPTOWN COW delivers to your door both raw and pasteurized milk at competitive prices and in plain or choco flavors. Well, if you live in uptown CDO, that is.

Unfortunately, I have to remove the numbers from the flyer sample above, as it would be bad news to leave numbers online. Instead, please email lessonsofadad@gmail.com so that I can serve you there.

Oh, and lastly, please like UPTOWN COW's Facebook page.

(This blog site, Lessons Of A Dad is mostly about parenting, marriage, and other topics aimed to develop the reader’s mind, body, and soul. I’d consider it an honor if you’d follow or subscribe to this site. You can also go to my Facebook page here, and I’m also on Twitter at @lessonsofadad)

Tomorrow is the day!! SUN and MOON: A Miss Saigon Adaptation

2013-03-06T03:00:00.000+08:00

One more dawn, one more day, ONE DAY MORE!!!

Oh, wait, wrong musical. That song was featured in The Abba’s Orchard’s first musical play done two years ago, but it sure is apt for what is waiting for Cagayan de Oro musical lovers.

Tomorrow, March 7, 2013, The Abba’s Orchard School’s Erdkinder (high school) program will have it’s first of two shows, proudly presenting SUN and MOON: A Miss Saigon Adaptation Showtime will be at 7pm at Liceo de Cagayan’s Rodelsa Hall, tickets costing P250.00 each.

You can contact the Facebook page if ever you want tickets, or you can visit the school to get the tickets as well (call 855-8800 for the Alwana campus or 309-0487 for the La Granja campus to see if there are any left). Tickets will also be sold at the door, of course.

To whet your appetite, I’ll give you a behind the scenes video footage of practice. This was among the first tries at the songs, they’re way more polished now.

If you like what you saw (and heard), then feel free to come to Rodelsa Hall tomorrow night, at 7pm, and see our humble attempt in presenting the beloved songs of Miss Saigon (I say “our” because I work there, and my daughter is one of the cast members). It would be directed by one of Cagayan de Oro’s most beloved directors, Ms. Anita Q. Santos, and everything she does is fantastic (we know, she’s directed several of our projects).

Ok, so if you want to see SUN and MOON: A Miss Saigon Adaptation, then save the date: Thursday, March 7, 2013. If you can’t make it, we have a second show on March 9. Both shows are 7pm and tickets would be P250 each. Rodelsa Hall is the place to be!!

Once again, I’d like to thank our sponsors:

Co presenters: Mahoe Mahogany, Sunbee Travel and Tours, and Homechoice Planners and Construction Corp.

Major Sponsors: Mountain Pines Place, Bagalangit Ultimate Bivouac, Galam Music Lounge, Axis Gym, ABS-CBN, Pearl Spring Purified Drinking Water, Pearlmont Inn, Barkadahan Grill, Fargo Motors, MVP Video, and Sun Star-Cagayan de Oro.

Sponsors: Treelife Coconut Sugar, Ventura Residences, Mindanao Ace Marketing, 5N Glass Supply, Red Lemon Digital Media, Dimsum Diner, Legacy Printing Press, Students At Work, CDObloggers, May Lugtu, the Alauya family, and the Ceballos Family.

Minor Sponsors: Fernie J Advertising, Armand Ansaldo Photography, Stonestown Suites, JNLink Inc.,

See you there everyone!

(This blog site, Lessons Of A Dad is mostly about parenting, marriage, and other topics aimed to develop the reader’s mind, body, and soul. I’d consider it an honor if you’d follow or subscribe to this site. You can also go to my Facebook page here, and I’m also on Twitter at @lessonsofadad)

The Abba’s Orchard School presents SUN and MOON: A Miss Saigon Adaptation

2013-02-23T18:25:00.001+08:00

Sorry I've been gone lately. There's a very good reason I've been very busy and unable to blog. It is below. Here's an article that I sent to one of our media partners. I'm also publishing it here (with minor modifications).

The Abba’s Orchard School Erdkinder (high school) program, in cooperation with Mahoe Mahogany, Sunbee Travel and Tours, and Homechoice Planners and Construction Corp., proudly presents its second musical play, SUN and MOON: A Miss Saigon Adaptation, this coming March 7 and 9, 2013. Both shows will be gala performances at 7pm, with tickets selling for P250 each.

Back at the director’s helm is one of Cagayan de Oro’s most beloved directors, Ms. Anita Q. Santos, who has worked with the school in all of their plays, all garnering great success. A true master of her craft, she successfully took a bunch of inexperienced Erdkinder students and transformed them into musical stage performers worthy of a rousing standing ovation in 2011’s I Dreamed a Dream: Highlights and Images of Les Miserables, The Abba’s Orchard’s first ever musical play.

She intends to deliver the same excellence with this latest project.

SUN and MOON: A Miss Saigon Adaptation is the Abba’s Orchard school’s humble attempt in performing many of the beloved songs of one of Broadway’s longest running musical plays. It follows the story of Kim, an innocent Vietnamese orphan who has no choice but to become a bargirl. On her first night on the job, she meets Chris, a U.S. Marine, and a genuine romance ensues. However, not all is well as the Vietnam war rages on around them and a crazed man from Kim’s past comes back to haunt her.

Find out how the story of Kim and Chris unfolds. For ticket inquiries, you can call the school at (088) 309-0487 or visit the SUN and MOON: A Miss Saigon Adaptation Facebook page.

Big thanks go out to our major sponsors: Mountain Pines Place, Bagalangit Ultimate Bivouac, Galam Music Lounge, Axis Gym, Pearl Spring Purified Drinking Water, Pearlmont Inn, Barkadahan Grill, Fargo Motors, MVP Video, and Sun Star-Cagayan de Oro.

Thanks also go out to our sponsors: Treelife Coconut Sugar, Ventura Residences, Mindanao Ace Marketing, 5N Glass Supply, Red Lemon Digital Media, Dimsum Diner, Legacy Printing Press, Students At Work, CDObloggers, May Lugtu, the Alauya family, and the Ceballos Family.

In case you'd like to know what to expect, here's a video montage of our first ever musical play, I Dreamed a Dream: Highlights and Images of Les Miserables. My middle child, Mesoo, played the role of little Cossette. Mrs. Thenardier back then is now our Kim, and Fantine will be Ellen this time around (they were sophomores then, they're now seniors).

The Erdkinder (German for “children of the earth”) is Dr. Maria Montessori’s ideal for the adolescent program that sets the youth to explore their evolving sense of dignity and justice in a simulated micro-economy. The micro-economy becomes a laboratory for life for the teens and by the teens, where they live and practice production and exchange, community and leadership, hard work and diligence.

First in Asia (at The Abba’s Orchard at La Granja Estates, Baungon, Bukinon), and second in the world, this prepared environment called the farm also becomes the venue for the academic theories learned in the classrooms to see application and find relevance. And within this academic rigor that the high school students go through, a major component of the Erdkinder Program is Self-Expression --- from Socratic Seminars and Debates to Painting and Photography, from Dramatis Personae and Coffee Houses to major theatre productions like SUN and MOON.

Enjoying intimacy in your marriage

2013-02-12T22:27:00.003+08:00

photo courtesy of intimacyinmarriage.net

Here’s another post for couples, in honor of Valentine’s Day. Like the previous one, it’s an audio broadcast from Focus On The Family. This one, though is about enjoying intimacy in marriage (so, obviously, this blog post is not for younger readers).

Today’s lesson is brought to you by a regular on the program, Dr. Juli Slattery. She very effectively ministers to married women in the area of intimacy, being a psychologist and author of several books (a particular book, No More Headaches: Enjoying Sex and Intimacy in Marriage is the resource for this particular session).

This may surprise you, but there are lots of problems in this area. Many husbands and wives bring baggage from the past (sexual abuse, promiscuity/fornication, being used as an object, etc.). There are many wives who also struggle with not feeling attractive for their husbands, fearing that he would not be satisfied with her. These are all lies, and these topics and more and more are shared in this audio. Enjoy

You may wanna check out part 2 of this broadcast

Other recommended reading:

(This blog site, Lessons Of A Dad is mostly about parenting, marriage, and other topics aimed to develop the reader’s mind, body, and soul. I’d consider it an honor if you’d follow or subscribe to this site. You can also go to my Facebook page here, and I’m also on Twitter at @lessonsofadad)

Can CDO-based teens find out about true love? Yeah, if they attend these.

2013-02-12T21:59:00.001+08:00

If you're a teen living in Cagayan de Oro (or you're like me, a parent of a teen), you need to check these two events out. Two great events that would teach on a subject that is very confusing: true love. It's confusing because society has warped love so badly that many people, especially young people, get lost in all the static. As any teen what true love, one that honors the other person, really is and you'll probably get a blank stare.

May these two events help in junking all the counterfeits about love.

If you're teen is in high school:

If you're teen is in college:

CCF-CDO

Feb. 14, shouldn't be a big deal for teens if they know what true love is. However, Feb. 15 or 16 should be. I will be a virtual school bus on the latter, since my 13 year old daughter, Lynn will bring lots of friends. Hope to see your teen there as well.

The New JZone Center is right next to CCF-CDO. If you don't know where that is, it is right across the street from the Mallberry Car Park Entrance.

Oh, you might wanna also view two of my blog posts on my advice for teens:

Put fun back into your marriage -- a hasty pre-Valentine's Day post

2013-02-07T17:07:00.000+08:00

It’s now February, and you know what that means…LOVEY DOVEY BLOG POSTS!!!

I wish...

No, no, don’t get me wrong; my marriage is fine. Thing is, I will not be able to write content-rich blog posts this month. This is the busiest year I’ve ever had at work, and this would probably be the busiest month of the busiest year.

The next best thing I can do is to deliver marriage-related posts with audio content from one of my favorite sources, Focus on the Family. The cool thing about these is you can just press play and you can do something else while listening, as it’s only audio, not video.

So here’s the first one of those. Since Valentine’s Day is around the corner, we husbands have to think of something special for our wives. I'm scheming to do something especially embarrassing for my wife this year (we take great joy in embarrassing each other every Feb. 14; it all started when I had flowers delivered to her right in the middle of class way back in college, giving specific instructions for the delivery boy to interrupt the professor’s lecture to give the flowers…and we’ve tried to get each other back ever since).

Thing is, the stress of everyday living, and plain and simple familiarity, can make even the mushiest of unions turn bland. Valentine’s Day gives us husbands (well, the ones who care) a chance to reignite the flame of romance, if just for a day.

And so, allow me to share this audio clip to you, called “Injecting Fun Back Into Your Marriage.” Listen and enjoy…so that you can enjoy your marriage. If you want more resources, you can check the book list below the clip. May you be blessed…and, exactly a week from now, go get her, Romeo!!

Recommended reading:

(This blog site, Lessons Of A Dad is mostly about parenting, marriage, and other topics aimed to develop the reader’s mind, body, and soul. I’d consider it an honor if you’d follow or subscribe to this site. You can also go to my Facebook page here, and I’m also on Twitter at @lessonsofadad)

TGIFriday's now in Cagayan de Oro. OH YES!!

2013-02-02T09:02:00.000+08:00

I’m not a food blogger (check out www.foodanddesserts.com, www.tastecaster.com, and www.morefoodadventures.com for great Cagayan de Oro food blogs), but I am a huge foodie. I like to eat and I eat a LOT. Plus, having grown up in America, I have been exposed to many different restaurants and types of cuisines, and therefore I often have something to say when it comes to good eating.

Speaking of America, one of my favorite casual dining restaurants during those days was TGIFridays. I loved the great food, the variety of their menu, their huge servings (that’s a must), and the chill-out atmosphere. As you would expect, when I moved to the lovely provincial town of Cagayan de Oro, Philippines a decade and a half ago, I went through some serious foodie withdrawals.

Fast forward to 2013, and, thank the food gods up above, TGIFridays is now in Cagayan de Oro City!!! At Ayala Centrio Mall to be exact.

All photos courtesy of my new friend, the owner of www.bogieswonderland.com

Do you know how happy that made me?

Even cooler, I was invited to be among the bloggers in the new restaurant’s recently-held press drive. Now, Lessons Of A Dad is about parenting, marriage, Christian ministry, and similar topics, and therefore I usually don’t do these kinds of gigs. But will I allow myself to miss out on a chance to once again eat in one of my favorite childhood restaurants after so many years of abstinence?

HELLLLLLLLL NO!!!

So, as I entered T.G.I.Fridays, I was immediately greeted by helpful, friendly staff who guided me to the table where my fellow bloggers and other members of the press were staying. Our server was a jovial, energetic young man who really made sure we enjoyed our stay. The first impression in any restaurant is always the service, as it can make or break the dining experience no matter how the food is. TGIFridays scores big in this area…especially later when the whole staff, even the managers, danced a well-choreographed Gangnam Style and other numbers--a sample of what they usually do when it’s a full house and the guests are waiting for the food to be served.

Me (in red) and my CDO blogger friends

And now to the main event, THE FOOD…and boy, was it delish!!

The first to come were, of course, the appetizers. We had two of them, both getting heavy plus points with me.

I’m a huge nacho fan, and these were among the best I’ve tasted.

I also liked this appetizer platter. Never had a chance to get the wings, though. :(

Then, the main course. Now THIS is why we come to TGIFriday's

To me this is a cross between an appetizer and main course...and I loved it!

Oh yes, this is the king of burgers. You’ll never crave for any other burger again.

I love the Jack Daniel's ribs. They used the famed alcoholic drink to flavor this bad boy.

The good folks at TGIFriday's really know how to impress. When we were totally satisfied, we then were offered desserts…awesome desserts! I’m not much of a dessert person, but I couldn’t resist. Especially the first one.

The oversized oreo. This was totally, sinfully, delicious! I totally love oreos, and so this was heaven.

The mudpie pops. I liked this too, as I'm a fan of mudpies. And it’s cool that it’s in lollipop form for easy sharing.

Look, as great as these pictures are, they sooo do not do the meals justice. You can’t taste pictures, you know. Just take my word for it: get off your computer and head on over to Ayala Centrio Mall's TGIFriday's to experience what I’ve longed to re-experience for over 15 years.

Just remember, over there, it's always Friday!!

(This blog site, Lessons Of A Dad is mostly about parenting, marriage, and other topics aimed to develop the reader’s mind, body, and soul. I’d consider it an honor if you’d follow or subscribe to this site. You can also go to my Facebook page here, and I’m also on Twitter at @lessonsofadad)

Cain and Abel with abs? This is gonna be the funniest Sunday yet!!

2013-02-01T00:26:00.001+08:00

This next Sunday will be my Lifeshaper team’s turn to serve our 7-12 year old children in our Kids’ Church (it’s our turn every 1st Sunday of the month). It’s gonna be an awesome Sunday for sure. Or, at the very least, it’s gonna be a hilarious Sunday.

I mean, Cain and Abel with abs? This is gonna be the funniest Sunday yet!!

Our lesson

We use a lot of techniques to get the children’s attention and to make them imbibe the lesson. In 1.5 hours (the length of our worship service at CCF-CDO), we use object lessons, dance/action songs, memory verses, videos, skits, and small group discussions…all in an hour and a half. My team is famous (infamous?) for being the team that puts an extra dose of hilarity in our skits. It can sometimes get ridiculous, to the point that the children’s howls of laughter or our general noise-making are so loud we can sometimes be heard in the main worship area. It helps a lot that two of probably the funniest, most animated people in the entire church are on my team.

And this Sunday, we’re gonna have two of our guys wear shirts with abs drawn on them, because that’s how we roll (and that’s probably how Cain and Abel rolled, too, knowing how perfect the weather was back then). Note that one of them has a really huge tummy. HAHAHA. This is probably gonna be the funniest Sunday in all our funny Sundays…I just hope we don’t get ourselves excommunicated.

Oh don’t get me wrong, we’re not silly for the sake of silliness. We simply know that humor is a powerful and effective ministry tool if used properly…such as strongly delivering God’s profound truth right after we loosened up their minds with a dose of laughter. It works! They remember.

Anyway, the team and I would be flattered if you would have your 7-12 year old children visit us next Sunday (Feb. 3, 2013)...if you live in Cagayan de Oro, at least. See the colorful picture below for directions and worship schedules. (Hint: I strongly suggest you come to the 10am service, as from experience that’s the liveliest session)

Our lesson theme, if you didn’t scrutinize the first picture of this blog post, is “Uncontrolled Anger Is Dangerous.” I will end this post with a snapshot the memory verse that the kids will learn (and it’s usually my role to teach it, with actions).

See you on Sunday!!

Recommended Reading:

How should a leader act? Look at the best leadership role model...EVER

2013-01-25T19:38:00.000+08:00

It saddens me that I will not be able to attend my church's latest nationwide leadership conference. The said conference will be on the same day as the Open House of the school I work in (and where my kiddos go to school). Darn it.

Well, I know the basics of what great leadership is, and it's been modeled by the greatest leader of all time: Jesus Christ. Whether you're in business, you're employed, you're a parent, whatever...Jesus' leadership principles will bring you to sorely-needed excellence.

Andy Stanley, one of the best leadership communicators on the planet, awesomely summaries the gist of Jesus' leadership in one of his talks. I have a short clip of the talk below, and please check it out if you want to know, in a matter of a few minutes, how a leader should act.

I couldn't have said it better myself. If you want a book that studied how Jesus lead, I suggest Lead Like Jesus by Ken Blanchard. I actually lead a study on this, and it has allowed a lot of people realize what they've been doing wrong at the workplace.

Also, I am likely not able to make a blog entry of the upcoming Open House of the school I work in, because I'm responsible for some things and I'll be like a running headless chicken; but I welcome you to check out my entries of past Open House events. If you are on the hunt for a good school, then your search ends here.

Here's my son working on his Casa (preschool) Montessori material.
Here's my daughter working on her elementary material.
Then of course, the Erdkinder (high school) where I work and where my eldest is currently a freshman.

Other than here in Cagayan de Oro, we have campuses in Davao, Manila, and Cebu (see here for addresses). The campuses here and in Manila are full-fledged farm campuses, the only ones in the whole Asia-Pacific region that has the whole Montessori curriculum (from Infant Community to Erdkinder farm campus)

Some Andy Stanley books:

(This blog site, Lessons Of A Dad is mostly about parenting, marriage, and other topics aimed to develop the reader’s mind, body, and soul. I’d consider it an honor if you’d follow or subscribe to this site. You can also go to my Facebook page here, and I’m also on Twitter at @lessonsofadad)

How much is your P200 worth? It could help save a child’s life.

2013-01-19T23:15:00.000+08:00

Two hundred pesos could buy you a 2D movie ticket with snacks to spare. Two hundred pesos can buy you a Micro SD card for your phone or a flash disk for your files. I load up on Sun Cellular’s UnliText 200 every month, which I use heavily. My favorite comfort food, White Hat’s sourdough waffles, is roughly P200.

How much is your P200 worth? Well, if you live in Cagayan de Oro City, it could save a child’s life.

Meet Cherubim and Micah, two adorable little girls who live in Cagayan de Oro City. From the picture below, they look healthy, bright, and active.

However, one of the twins is seriously ill. It’s the one on the left, Cherubim. She was diagnosed with right kidney hydronephrosis…and she urgently needs an operation.

The parents are both working, but they have to shell out an insurmountable amount of money to save their daughter’s life. Ever resourceful, they’ve started a fundraiser.

They need to sell 1000 “Save A Kidney” mugs at P200 each to cover the cost of Cherubim’s operation. If I’m not mistaken, their computation does not include the medicines that come after the operation, so I personally feel that we have to help them surpass the 1000 mark. Not only will I help them out by making this blog, but I’m going to buy me several mugs. I’m a coffee and tea drinker, anyway.

Simply put, no way would I leave them to fight this fight on their own. I’m a parent, and one of the worst things a parent can go through is seeing a child suffer. Heck, I can barely stand seeing my kids go through the flu.

But much worse is a parent learning that a child’s life is on the line, and learning that to save the kiddo would require something pretty unreachable. That is a situation no parent should face…and I ask you, no, beg you to help them out.

Check out the Save A Kidney facebook page (one of the notes has information on how you will receive your orders) and help them reach or even exceed the 1000 mark. If you live in Cagayan de Oro, then by all means place your orders (the “s” is not a typo). If you live outside CDO, you can also order and have delivered to other locations in the country, then you can also share the facebook page to those you know who live in CDO; or you can order and have the mugs given to CDO-based friends and family.

What is your P200 worth? It could help save a child’s life. Are you willing to do so?

“But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” (1 John 3:17-18)

Awesome examples of changed lives

2013-01-18T18:00:00.000+08:00

(Note: This blog post is quite video-heavy. I suggest that before you read on, you scroll down to the videos and start the streaming by pressing play then pause so that you won’t have to wait. I strongly suggest you do not miss or skip the videos, as they are very, VERY powerful and this blog entry revolves around them. Big thanks.)

LOL!!

My favorite movie of last year was probably The Avengers, and one of my favorite scenes from that movie was when Loki, after shouting at the Hulk that he is a god and would not be bullied by a “dull creature,” gets totally and pathetically mauled, his deity made totally helpless by the latter’s overwhelming brute force.

But let me ask you something: is the God that we worship a “puny god”? Is the brute force of our circumstances too overwhelming for Him to handle?

Short answer: No.

Long answer: No, but then many believers often (mistakenly) think so. Yet, our view of Him, whether He’s big or puny, affects our actions and decisions.

I propose (well, I got this from recent Sunday messages) that our Heavenly Father is not a “puny god” but the God of the HOW MUCH MORE.

Now, you may be saying, “Look, Mr. Lessons Of A Dad, you don’t know my situation. It’s just too dire! There’s absolutely no hope for me!!”

You’re right. I don’t know the troubles you are going through. But, I DO know that Jesus knows...and if you're His child, then He has promised you peace, because He has overcome them.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

To illustrate my point, allow me to show you the first video. Ariel had it really rough. He was frequently molested as a child, then he became a drug addict, then he became a prostitute, then…something beautiful happened.

Folks, our almighty God is sooooo far above our “puny” circumstances. I believe that with all my heart. But wait, there’s more…

If you’re His child (John 1:12), you can experience His blessings, and oftentimes this comes in the form of God amazingly changing your life, doing so waaaaaay beyond what you could ever do under your own power. I’ll give you a verse:

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:10-11)

Here’s another story that loudly gets this point across. Dawn was a sad victim of an unfaithful husband. He was totally unrepentant of his infidelity, to the point that he even said, “I love you” to his mistress right in front of his wife’s face! But, as you will see, the story of restoration is beyond jaw-dropping.

If your life is a MESS, I’m convinced that God can turn that into a MESSage. Going through a TEST? Let God turn that into a TESTimony.

That is, if you allow Him, and I strongly suggest you allow Him. Both the videos above were results of a big, big God overcoming their puny problems…and I’ve seen many such testimonies in my personal life and circles as well. Why can’t He do that with yours?

All CCF churches nationwide (including us in Cagayan de Oro) just had our prayer and fasting. It was a powerful week where all church-goers prayed and fasted with incredible fervor, asking the God of this universe to be the God of how much more in our lives.

Then, the new direction of the church is to make praying, fasting, and fellowshipping a regular yearlong culture in the congregation, not just a one week in a year thing.

We’ll need it, too, because there will be LOTS of soul-blessing activities in store for 2013. Of course, I’m going to inform you through my blog. One event that I’ll mention now, though, is that two of the best parenting speakers in the country will return to Cagayan de Oro!! I made a blog entry of their previous visit 3 years ago, which you should check it out. This new event will be called “ParenTEEN” and it would be in June 22, 2013.

So stay tuned to Lessons Of A Dad, because these awesome examples of changed lives are just the beginning. May the God of the how much more bless you mightily this year.

(This blog site, Lessons Of A Dad is mostly about parenting, marriage, and other topics aimed to develop the reader’s mind, body, and soul. I’d consider it an honor if you’d follow or subscribe to this site. You can also go to my Facebook page here, and I’m also on Twitter at @lessonsofadad)

I had the perfect retreat, thanks to the venue, the material, and the students themselves.

2013-01-13T22:42:00.001+08:00

One of the major projects I had to take care of in the school I teach in is the annual retreat of the senior class. Again, it was awesome…awesome for many reasons: the retreat venue, the material, and the students themselves.

I take charge of this event each year, and I just want to express here why I enjoy this project so much.

Let me start with the venue. Mountain Pines Place is the perfect venue to hold all kinds of retreats, family reunions, and corporate team building events, among others.

The place very quiet, as it is nestled in the mountains of Sitio Bagalangit, Manolo Fortich, just about two hours away from Cagayan de Oro and ten minutes away from the popular ZipZone Adventure Park (close enough to enjoy the action but then far enough not to get affected by the hustle of the crowd).

In fact, if you think about it, that’s one of the venue’s main strengths. You can almost physically feel stress peel off your body as you get lost in the quietness of the place, its rustic charm, and the pristine pine forest that surrounds it.

Good bye stress, hello nature's beauty!

Then there’s the food. Oh yes, the food!!

Our Japanese night. YUM!

A lot of people go to that neck of the woods (pun intended) for the adventure parks, but one would seriously miss out if they don’t go to Mountain Pines Place for the food (and therefore I know some groups who stay at Mountain Pines Place for the food and solitude, and then go to the other side of the mountain for the fun).

The ladies, chilling out

The buffet meals are masterfully prepared and very delicious. Furthermore, much of the veggies and herbs are grown right on site, so you are sure you get the freshest ingredients. I especially like their robusto salad dressing, which is probably the best salad dressing I’ve ever tasted. You should also try their spareribs, a second treat Mountain Pines Place is famous for (next to the robusto dressing).

Last year, Mountian Pines Place was a venue for our church’s couples’ retreat. This summer, it is the proposed venue for the youth ministry’s youth camp (between 200-300 rowdy teens). There are several other team buildings, family reunions, and even weddings already lined up; and so you are interested in booking the place, please don’t hesitate to do so by going to their Facebook page here.

Goals and dreams workshop

The second reason why I thought the retreat was so great was the material. I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but over the last few years, The Abba’s Orchard Erdkinder has held some darn good retreats…and this year was the best so far.

It helps a lot that many of the faculty are discipleship-minded lay leaders in churches and other organizations. As a result, we have LOTS of leadership-based material, personality-development material, and spiritual-development material at our disposal.

Andy Stanley: one of my favorite communicators

In fact, the material is so good that I feel sorta bad only 18 people (our whole senior class) get this kind of quality stuff. Maybe someone would like to get our services in case they want a retreat for their students? That’d be cool.

Learning about forgiveness from Rick Warren

We gave students excellent video presentations from some of the best resource speakers in the world, like Andy Stanley, Rick Warren, and Wayne Cordeiro (who I feature in my blog entry about fighting burnout). Many of the faculty, including myself, also spoke (my boss is a top-notch speaker in his own right). We also gave them lots of purposeful games and workshops designed for both fun and function. And, again with the great help of the wonderful place, we gave them a chance to pause and reflect.

It was a wonderful experience for those teens. I wish more young people can get that kind of stuff.

Lastly it was also excellent because of the teens themselves. One of the reasons why I simply adore my job is because I get to mold younger people as their teacher. What I love about the method of the school I work for (a Montessori school) is how they focus on higher order thinking skills and we also allow, encourage even, them to express themselves.

The results are some mighty powerful discussions, deep discussions that sometimes I don’t have the answer for. Hurts and grudges are also expressed and then smothered in the spirit of forgiveness, and they come out of the retreat refreshed and rededicated to their roles as leaders of the high school community.

This latest Abba’s Orchard Erdkinder Seniors Retreat was the best one to date, thanks to the venue, the materials, and the students themselves. I always thank God for opportunities to serve others like these. I do hope I can have many more chances to do this.

(This blog site, Lessons Of A Dad is mostly about parenting, marriage, and other topics aimed to develop the reader’s mind, body, and soul. I’d consider it an honor if you’d follow or subscribe to this site. You can also go to my Facebook page here, and I’m also on Twitter at @lessonsofadad)

Mikey Bustos' Opo Pinoy Style Gangnam Style parody is a riot!

2013-01-12T11:30:00.001+08:00

I used to be a mild fan of Filipino comedian youtube sensation Mikey Bustos. I say "used to be" because I am no longer a mild fan, but now I'm a big fan of his. Why?

He recently made quite possibly (to Filipino minds, anyway) the best Gangnam Style parody to date. You may have seen local news feature it or swimming around in Facebook, and I liked it so much I will post it here. Mikey Bustos' Opo Pinoy Style is a total riot because the lyrics are so full of light-hearted jabs at our Filipino culture. I also love how well done the video presentation is. Here's the video:

If you can't figure out the lyrics, then you can check out the (slightly imperfect) lyric video that someone else made.

I'm pretty sure you thought Mikey Bustos' Opo Pinoy Style Gangnam Style parody is a riot as well. Indeed, It's More Fun In The Philippines.

(This blog site, Lessons Of A Dad is mostly about parenting, marriage, and other topics aimed to develop the reader’s mind, body, and soul. However, I don’t mind putting out the funnies every once in a while; and Filipino patriotism is also a regular topic of this blog site. I’d consider it an honor if you’d follow or subscribe to this site. You can also go to my Facebook page here, and I’m also on Twitter at @lessonsofadad)

Reflections Of An Eventful 2012 part 2

2013-01-08T21:26:00.000+08:00

Here is part two of my reflections of an eventful 2012. If you missed part one, you can click here.

4. Fried from too much activity.

No doubt that 2012 was a productive year. The problem was, I got really, really fried. I was wearing plenty of hats, and there were lots of expectations in each of them. I’m not a very good multi-tasker, but I don’t think even the best jugglers would’ve be able to take on the schedule that I had without being a little burnt. Dad, husband, blogger, asst. head teacher, GM of a few projects, Lifeshaper, young couples discipleship group leader….oh dear.

My eldest daughter, Lynn, also felt the burn of overtaxing herself. After topping the high school entrance exam (one of the very few indicators of performance and ability, since there are no grades nor rankings in a Montessori Elementary program) expectations were sky high, both from us and what she placed on herself. She’s also one of the key players of the varsity soccer team, a team noted for winning championships. She also has been asked to be part of the worship team during youth ministry on Saturdays, and then later on she was noticed by the main music team and was sometimes asked to be among the main group as well, and they practice Saturday nights. Combine that with her teen girls discipleship group that meets every Saturday mornings, her Saturday schedule would mean that she leaves the house at 10am and would come back home at around 9pm, and then on Sunday she has to be at church by 7am and leave by 2pm. She’s also a member of my Lifeshapers team, and so every 1st Sunday of the month we lead the Kids’ Church, which is quite grueling (but very fulfilling), also requiring us to do the 7am to 2pm Sunday schedule.

She was a whirlwind of activity, but by the time December and her school’s 2nd trimester final exams came along, she was burnt to a crisp…and it showed in her grades. They weren’t tear-inducing terrible, but they were way, way lower that what she can do. As disappointed as we were on the results, nobody was more angry at Lynn than Lynn herself. It also made me reflect on my own burnt-to-a-crispness and here’s what I thought:

• No doubt we both have to unload in 2013; to declutter the excess weight. The key idea is to let go of activities where another person can take over and it would still move on without much change. We keep the activities that really require our specific gifts or else things will go south, pronto. We let go of the good, so that we can focus more on the great.

• We should also learn to Fill Our Tanks more, as a principle. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, click here…it would revolutionize your fight against burnout.

• Sleep. I now realize more than ever how critical sleep is to success. Activity is always birthed out of rest. A well-rested person would be a productive person. If I compromise sleep, my productivity and concentration are zombie-like.

5. Tragic deaths.

A good friend of mine, a guy I’ve known for more than a decade, died this year. He lost his year-long battle with cancer. What got me thinking was that he was only 2 months my junior, at the prime of life. So, so young. We also had many of the same passions and advocate many similar things. He was also a great guy, to the point that at least one person had to ask, “Why did such a good guy have to go so early when there are so many cancers in society stick around?”

• Shameless plug alert: the next time you are thinking of buying a phone, please make it Cherry Mobile. Not only is it a proud Cagayan de Oro product, my late friend made the default ringtone..

• My friend's death is again another reminder to prioritize relationships. We just don’t know how much time we have we have with our loved ones, or how much time our loved ones have with us. I have seen nobody, my friend included, ask to hold his stock portfolio during the last moments of life. I’ve never seen anybody ask to see their trophies or accolades one last time. At their last moments, people realize what’s truly important: relationships. Don’t wait till death is imminent to realize this.

• These events force us to think of our own mortality. The guy was just two months my junior, so this hits especially home. Therefore, speaking of relationships, the most important relationship we can ever have is our relationship with God. As the often quoted verse goes, “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36) I’m glad my friend spent the last years of his life doing only two things: 1) knowing God, 2) making Him known.

• Here’s a good video by one of my favorite speakers, Francis Chan, on what I just talked about:

6. Lessons Of A Dad’s 2012: A success, but do I need to add more teeth?

I’m gonna go straight to reflections, and so here I go:

• I was very pleasantly surprised that I was able to win the Goodblog Best Text Blog Entry. Even cooler is that I got some pretty nifty prizes because of it, such as a new watch (which my wife always uses), huge computer speakers, and (my favorite) a new backpack. Awesome, right? The article that I fielded to win that award was An Interesting BUY PINOY Experiment. If you haven’t seen it, check it out!

• A bigger blessing is hearing how some of my articles have gotten some people through pretty tough times. I love the comments, telling me that the articles gave them goosebumps, or have made them realize things (such as the one I made after the Colorado shooting tragedy).

• I’m thinking of starting another blog, this time on Real Estate (since I live in one of the better subdivisions in CDO, plus I sorta have my ear to the ground in the industry). As much as I love this blog, it’s not earning. I need to learn how to earn online.

• Honestly, I don’t know what’s in store for Lessons Of A Dad in 2013. While I love writing here, there’s a lot on my plate in other areas, such as work, my new blog project, ministry, and a re-dedication to being the best parent for my children. I make no bones that this is last on my list of priorities. However, I know I shouldn’t stop. The inspiration this site has given others is a wonderful testimony; and my boss himself said I have a gift. So…there’s more where that came from.

• 2012, which was a very politically charged year, also make me think about putting some teeth into my posts. It was easier to write strongly about touchy issues when there were so few people visiting. But now with hundreds from all over the world visiting every day, I opted not to touch on them for fear of offending some readers. I didn’t want to get messy. However, I felt a bit guilty about playing it so safe and sanitary when a very controversial bill here in the Philippines passed recently and I did not give my voice on the subject (I was against it). I’m now thinking that this blog needs little messy now and then.

Well, I hope you enjoyed part two of my reflections for 2012 (click here for part 1). I hope your 2012 has been fruitful, and I pray that 2013 would be even better. God bless you all.

(This blog site, Lessons Of A Dad is mostly about parenting, marriage, and other topics aimed to develop the reader’s mind, body, and soul. I’d consider it an honor if you’d follow or subscribe to this site. You can also go to my Facebook page here, and I’m also on Twitter at @lessonsofadad)

Reflections of an eventful 2012 part 1

2013-01-02T14:12:00.004+08:00

As per my blog’s tradition, every end of the year I will come up with a reflection on the year that has just passed. Of course, since Lessons Of A Dad is only a little over a year old, this is my second such blog entry, the first being among my most popular article as it talked about Sendong, traveling, defeats, and other stuff.

So, as I type this on a restful vacation morning, I look back and reflect on an eventful 2012.

1. Be careful what you pray for, because God has a sense of humor.

I remember in the beginning of this year, I asked God for two major things in 2012:

a) I would be exposed to material that would build my leadership skills. You see, I am not the natural leader type, but I know that my job would require more and more leadership abilities, abilities that I need to learn; and,

b) I would like to share God’s Word/principles, and the benefits of a lifestyle that abides to such, to people. You see, I come from a church community that has strong advocacies towards family (marriage, parenting), personal development, young people, and, at the core of it all, building strong Christ-committed followers. However, I just feel that this country would be a much better place if more, lots more, become equipped like these churchgoers are equipped. I understand that not everyone is willing to come to my church, so my prayer was to bring the principles outside of its walls.

Well, God can have a great sense of humor, and He answered both my prayers in ways I could not imagine. So, here they are (with reflections):

• Amazingly, the family business that my mom and my wife currently work in has allowed me to give talks to their employees regarding leadership. Specifically, my material for the talk was the bestseller, Lead Like Jesus, which is one amazing book. So I killed two birds with one stone: a) I have to read the book and prepare my talks, so I’m learning a lot; b) I teach these principles to people who don’t go to my church. Wow, what answered prayer. I had six sessions of talks with them, and it all went very well (at least I hope so), I look forward to serving them more in 2013.

• I volunteered to use my teaching gifts to facilitate the GLC program this year, GLC 3 specifically. The GLC program in my church is a 10-month course that teaches on several topics like apologetics, making disciples, counseling, family life, Bible survey (where you have to know all the books in the Bible, who authored them, the audience, etc.), and so many others. Well, when it was my turn, lo and behold, out of all the bazillion different topics that I could be scheduled to facilitate, I got, you guessed it: Leadership. Really, Lord? Really? The church staff had no idea of the prayers that I had. I had another six sessions of awesomeness as I learned fantastic leadership principles, and then I had the privilege to guide the GLC students through the Leadership workshops and material. Awesome.

• At around the same time this is all happening, my church held a mid-year leadership summit. We always have one at the beginning of the year (which had a great impact on me, as you will see below), but a mid-year one? Correct me if I’m wrong, but this is a first. My wife and I got the invitation to attend, and one sentence read that “In the said event, we will be learning some leadership essentials that will help us in shepherding the flock the Lord has entrusted to us.” More learning about Leadership, Lord? Overkill much?

• Now that it's the beginning of 2013, we got an invitation for yet another church leadership summit, two of them, in fact (Jan 5, 2013; then on Jan. 25-26). More learning about leadership. Will I attend? Oh yes!

• My take home here is simple – when God answers prayer, He answers BIG. It reminds me of a verse “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” (Ephesians 3:20) Yup, that’s how I felt.

2. Kids Church…what a year in ministry.

As I said earlier, 2012’s first leadership summit had a very strong impact. In fact, it moved me to tears and something out of that became one of my biggest decisions in 2012. A little background first, though:

My church has always had a good children’s ministry, but I thought there could be room for improvement. It’s a critically important ministry, maybe the most important, and I felt that lately, with the focus on ministering to adults and the GLC and stuff, our kids (including MY kids) were getting the short end of the stick and I was quite vocal about it. It’s not done on purpose, of course, but this is how things can sometimes go in organizations…especially volunteer ones.

This was especially true with the DVBS, which is a ridiculously fun kiddie event that we used to hold every summer. During the earlier years of CCF-CDO we held excellent DVBS’s, and my eldest children were products of that. As our church takes in more kids…I was worried that said new kids (including my youngest child) would not have the excellent foundation that the older ones have. Again, I was vocal about it, like noisy gong and clanging cymbal vocal about it.

Well, enter the first Leadership Summit of 2012. The whole event was powerful, but one that really struck me like a jackhammer was a message by Singaporean pastor Edmund Chan. I’ll never forget one powerhouse sentence he said; and I don’t remember the exact words, but the jist of it is, “Do not turn God’s blessings into your excuses from serving Him.”

Ouch.

I was transitioning into my new role as Assistant Head Teacher of (in my very biased opinion) the best high school in town. I thought the huge workload I’ve been blessed to take responsibility of is a good enough reason to not take a more active role in our children’s ministry (translation: running my big mouth and not much else). Boy, did God use Pastor Edmund to call me on my baloney.

Thank you DVBS volunteers. You guys were awesome!

There was no more running. God placed that burden in ME because it was ME He wants to use (funny, nobody else was complaining). I took my discipler aside and I promised him, the church, and God himself that I would spearhead the return of the DVBS…and then make myself available to whatever needs the Children’s ministry has in the future.

I made a blog entry about the DVBS, which you can see by clicking here. I hope you don’t mind if I feature the thank you video that was made after it.

Also, the church has since transformed the Children’s ministry, renaming it Kids’ Church and making it totally awesome. We had mentors fly in to teach us how to make every Sunday a great Sunday for the little ones. The results were, and continue to be, amazing. I’m so glad to be a part of the awesome Lifeshapers team, and I’ll continue to give my all in this ministry until God wants to use me elsewhere.

My reflections:

• I now hear of kids who get angry at their parents for not hurrying up to get ready for church. Epic. They really enjoy what the Lifeshapers do every Sunday.

• There was this one kid who, after the DVBS, wrote all the songs on large Manila paper and taught them to his neighbors. These cheerful songs were about forgiveness, loving God, and being faithful to Him and to others. Note: I heard that this kid lives with extended family (neighbors of a church-goer, hence his joining DVBS) because his parents abandoned him, unwilling or unable to take care of him. Can you imagine the change in the trajectory of his life brought on by the DVBS? Can you imagine the lifelong impact? Brings me to tears.

• The same challenge issued to me, I now issue to you if you’re a church goer: “Do not turn God’s blessings into your excuses from serving Him.” Look, if Jesus is tapping you on the shoulder, asking you to serve His people in any way, how can you refuse that?

• I’ve found something during the DVBS week: if you want teenagers to grow in Christ, have them serve, especially serving kids. They LOVE doing so, and they put in their considerable energies into it. Lynn is now bona-fide Lifeshaper as a part of my team. She LOVES the responsibility, and she even leads a small group of kids now.

• Like I said above, I again feel that CCF’s kids (or kids from our kinds of churches) shouldn’t be the only ones benefiting from these great programs. I have a burden of exposing other kids to a DVBS or Lifeshapers somehow. But how? A Lifeshapers mentor then told me, “Well, why don’t you hold a DVBS in your subdivision?” What a great idea!! When my daughter, who was just behind me, heard it, her eyes lit up and she shouted, “YEAH! Let’s do that!!” So, here’s a prayer topic…a DVBS uptown.

3. Children are getting bigger, and they traveled without us…twice.

Earlier this year, I reached two milestones simultaneously in my youngest child graduating from Casa (preschool) and my eldest graduating from Elementary (see this article for details). Wow, this is the first time in, what, 11 years (since my eldest started school at 2 years old) that I have no preschooler in the brood…and now I also have a kid past elementary. I’m old.

It was also a milestone in that during the summer break, both my eldest and my middle children, Lynn and Mesoo, traveled by plane without any of us adults with them (they visited my dad’s relatives in Roxas City and had a little fun in Boracay while they were at it).

Then, just last month, Lynn traveled with many of her classmates and schoolmates to Hanoi, Vietnam in our Odyssey (a sort of mega-field trip that happens once every 6 years). I couldn’t go with her because I was tasked to handle another Odyssey group that went to Palawan.

Reflections:

A pic at the hotel buffet during the Vietnam trip. Appetizing?

• Time just flies so fast!! My youngest child is no longer a cuddly little boy with “bowl” hair that bobs up and down when he runs. And my daughter is no longer (and she insists she is no longer) a little girl that’s into little girly stuff. Oh no, they’re growing…fast! Soon, they’ll all be bigger than me, and so…

• I often reflect how I am as a dad. I often wonder if I got them started right. In some ways, I’m confident that I did raise them well. In other areas, I wish I could rewind the clock and do it over again. Ditto as a husband.

• One goal next year is to be more purposeful in teaching them life skills. I noticed that I was lacking in that area this past year (and I had lots of electronic competition, too…I have to do something about that).

Well, this piece is so long that I will have to finish this in Part 2 of this article (UPDATE: Part 2 is done). I hope you enjoyed my Reflections of an eventful 2012.

(This blog site, Lessons Of A Dad is mostly about parenting, marriage, and other topics aimed to develop the reader’s mind, body, and soul. I’d consider it an honor if you’d follow or subscribe to this site. You can also go to my Facebook page here, and I’m also on Twitter at @lessonsofadad)

My two theme songs for 2013

2012-12-31T10:26:00.002+08:00

I'm still working on my "Reflections on 2012" article as of this morning. It's a doozy and most likely will be split into 2 parts.

To whet your appetite (and in my efforts to fight off sleeplessness-induced writer's block) I will, in the meantime, give you my two theme songs for 2013. Both of these songs, similar in message, put in music what I want my life to be like in the coming year.

The first song is Good To Be Alive by Jason Gray. I only did a fair-to-slightly-satisfactory job at this in 2012. I am hoping 2013 would be better for me.

The next song is The Proof Of Your Love by For King And Country. I'm so glad I have a benchmark, and some empowerment, to live the way I want to live for 2013.

"Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." (John 13:25)

Happy New Year to everyone, and have a blessed 2013. My reflections article, at least the first half, will come out tonight, Lord willing.

While waiting, I'd consider it an honor if you'd connect with me through any of the ways displayed on my right margin (twitter, facebook, etc.)

Making health and fitness a top priority in 2013

2012-12-27T11:47:00.001+08:00

It is quite predictable that among the top of every New Year’s Resolution list that we all come up with is the desire to be healthy and/or lose weight. Evidence of this is that the highest sales on exercise equipment come around this time of year.

2012 was a good year for me in this area. Not perfect, but good…and allow me to share with you my tips on how to be live a healthy life on a budget.

It’s a funny thing that many of the resolutions regarding health or weight loss are among the first resolutions that are broken. Ok, it’s not a funny thing, it’s more of a sad thing, really. As I reflect why this is so, I’ve come to the conclusion that:

Most resolutions are too ambitious, like a supermodel body by summer ambitious. In fact…

Most resolutions are based on appearances or numbers on a weighing scale.

Most people who make these resolutions think that very restrictive, and therefore very uncomfortable, dieting is the only way to meet their goals. Think bland food, tiny meals, expensive shakes, etc.

Most people think that a lot of time should be invested in their fitness regimen, and are therefore are unwilling or unable to make it happen.

Becoming fit requires an expensive gym membership or expensive and space-reducing home equipment.

At the core of it all, is that becoming fit is simply not pleasant.

As I said, I had a good year in the fitness department in 2012. Of course, I don’t have rippling abs and bulging muscles, but do you really need those? What I did enjoy over the past year is great health and energy, maintained weight well within the ideal weight range of my age and height, and no lifestyle disease whatsoever during my last executive check-up (which says something because I’m in my mid thirties and I am set to “inherit” every lifestyle disease there is, from high blood pressure, to asthma, to cancer, to diabetes…you name it, I’m supposed to get it...key phrase, "supposed to")

So, first of all, I’d like to give answers to the bullet points above, based on my experience and testimony. I will just give a smidgen of my answers below, but I will describe each in detail in future articles.

For the first two bullet points, I suggest a paradigm shift: DON’T FOCUS ON APPEARANCE OR WEIGHT! Look at this from a bigger perspective. Seriously, will looking like a supermodel make you a better parent or a better man/woman? Instead, focus on health. Your fitness goals should revolve around a higher quality of life and to live disease-free…and if you look better and weigh less as a result (which is inevitable), then it’s a bonus. Bonus, not focus.

On the bullet point about diet, well, I love to eat, and maybe it’s a bit unfair on my end that I can eat anything I want and still be skinny. However, there are tricks that will allow you to enjoy your food and be guilt free (even aiding you in losing pounds). There are tricks to make healthy food very delicious. Oh, and I subscribe to the thought that you should not be afraid of fat…fat, the good fat, is your friend and you should have lots of it. (I suggest you read a book by one of my favorite authorities on health, Dr. Bruce Fife, called Eat Fat, Look Thin)

If lack of time is your excuse, then you may be encouraged to know that my exercise regimen only takes 15-20 minutes, tops. This consists of high-intensity interval training and one-set strength exercises. Again, the goal is not a bodybuilder’s physique, it’s just reaching and maintaining a respectable level of health and fitness…and to this end my workout suits me just fine while allowing me the time to do other, more important things.

Being healthy is expensive? It doesn’t have to be. I used to be a gym rat, but now, times and priorities have changed. I’ve learned that an obsession with fitness can be like a vice, robbing the more important things in life the time and money they deserve. All I need today are a good pair of running shoes and home dumbbells.

I can’t really help you, though, on the last one. If you have a negative mindset on exercise, then it will be tougher than ever to get started. But I hope what I said here would make adopting a healthy lifestyle look like an easier pill to swallow that you once thought. Be encouraged that even as a lazy, and very busy working father of three, I can make it happen…so can you.

To close, I will follow up this article with several others meant to show you in more detail how I maintain a healthy lifestyle. They include:

• The food that I love to eat, and my body doesn’t hate me for it.
• My daily workout regimen that all busy people can adopt.
• Healthy habits that don’t cost a cent.
• Putting health and fitness in perspective.

I will make it a priority to publish more health articles in 2013, and so the follow up ones to this article will be published in the coming weeks. On that note, I suggest you subscribe to my blog (see links below) and/or check back to this article from time to time, as the bullet-points above will become links to the new articles as they are published.

Comments are welcome, and my God bless you with the Happiest, and Healthiest of Holidays!