I like this song. I thought of sharing this to you. It has been playing in my head for many days now.

When God Made You
More Life Album
Newsong feat. Natalie Grant

It’s always been a mystery to me,
How two hearts can come together,
And love can last forever.

But now that I have found you I believe,
That a miracle has come when God sends the perfect one.

Now gone are all my questions about why,
And I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life

Oh I wonder what God was thinking, when He created you.
I wonder if He knew everything I would need,
Because He made all my dreams come true.
When God made you, He must have been thinking about me.

I promise that wherever you may go, wherever life may lead you,
With all my heart I’ll be there too.
And from this moment on I want you to know,
I’ll let nothing come between us, and I will love the ones you love.
Now gone are all my questions about why
And I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life

I wonder what God was thinking when He created you,
I wonder if He knew everything I would need,
Because He made all my dreams come true.
When God made you He must have been thinking about me.

He made the sun He made the moon,
To harmonize a perfect tune,
One can’t do without the other they just have to be together.
And that is how I know its true,
You’re for me and I’m for you cause my world
Just cant be right without you in my life

He must have heard every prayer I’ve been praying
He must have knew everything I would need

When God made you, He must have been thinking about me

—————————————————————————————————–

The couple that I am praying.

When my friend introduced to me this song, I immediately found the lyrics beautiful. I know this could be “ew” to hear, I am positive that as what I understand with the lyrics is the same as what I have for Anamae. I wish I could sing this song to her in a right time and setting. It took me for a moment to realize how wonderful it is to have God as driver in our relationship. We have many quarrels as well. God is there to heal and I praise the Lord because of all the numerous misunderstandings we have, we still love each other. I always pray for this relationship to continue working. As what the lyrics goes, God knew everything I would need because all my dreams come true, when God made her, God must have been thinking about me.

Hello! I am wondering if I still have readers in my blog. Three months have passed since I wrote my last post. All I know is that I have so many stories to tell right now.

WELL YEAH. I left Bohol in May and transferred here in Cebu. My decision to work here in Cebu started since I got accepted and Convergys offered me a job that was two days after our college graduation. Okay, I am in a call center industry. It is something that can be proud of. Why? Even though the job isn’t totally in line with the course I was studying but then the idea of handling an irate customer everyday is something not everyone can do. Am I correct? I am starting to like my job even though it is keeping me like I am harassed at the end of my shift. Okay, that is exaggerating. I know.

My team mates, without the team leader, Kia, Ryan and DM. We were full this time because we just ate our eat all you can breakfast at Jacobos.

I belong to a team where all of us are starters of Convergys except of our team leader, of course. We were 20 in training but we were narrowed to 19 and made as a team. We got a team leader who is so good and considerate enough but then unfortunately, we are currently break as a team. First our team leader is assigned to a different account and 15 of us are assigned to a new team leader, the remaining four are assigned to another team leader as well. The point is when business needs arise; the making of strong relationship would sometimes not continue to grow. I mean, it would really be nice if we were not break as a team.

Since I hit on the floor, I mean since I started taking chats with a customer, my schedule is always been changing and it always starts in dawn. There was a time when my shift would start in 5am, then right now 4:15am, and next week it will be 3:00am. I always have brunch causing me to only have two major meals every day, a brunch and a dinner. At the end of the shift I would rush of going back to our boarding house and take a two hour sleep, like I said I am always harassed every time I end my shift.

Working away from home is really something new for me. There could be times when I cry silently because I miss my loved ones in Bohol. My family’s situation is giving me the reason to work harder. I am just glad Filipinos are like that, it gives me joy knowing that I am able to help them.

I am living in a boarding house where my roommates are my college mates as well. We were actually five, three of us are in one room and the other two ladies live in a separate room. We are making our ways to live a happy life while working away from home. Sometimes when we just had our pay day we would rush into food tripping thing. We can only afford food tripping once it is our pay day. After that, we will go back into saving our money and look for some carenderia with cheaper foods.

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Life is really temporary. Once, I was dependent to my parents. Now, I am living my own and trying to help them. This could also be temporary. Who knows in the following years, I will have my own family and from then on, there will be a lot of responsibility. Temporary. Yeah. Temporary. I hope we are sure where we are going once our days here on earth are over.

Someone asks why did I take a call center job when I can make a good money in building websites, in that case, I could have applied what I have learned in college. I am looking for a smart answer to that question, somehow I just don’t know why. I just know that I am enjoying what I am doing. As for me and my work, it should be happy and it should be for God’s glory.

A lot of my friends tried to convince me to drink a beer like the Redhorse beer. Some ended up to not bother me anymore in giving me a shot. And I am glad because they respect me. On the picture, that is me and the Rehorse beer which is a very popular beer in the Philippines.

Picture this out: A family gathering, let us say your grandparent’s golden wedding anniversary. You happen to sit together with your cousins and have a little chat in the living room. Big bottles of Redhorse beer are found on the table. Your cousins seem to be enjoying the chat while one is passing a shot of beer to each of your cousins. Then it happens that the shot of beer goes to you. It is your time to drink that beer. Because you had stopped from drinking beers and other forms of liquors, you will say “No, thank you.” Your cousin asks “Why?” You tell them “I don’t drink that stuff.” He answers back “Oh come on, are you kidding me? Just try one.” So, what are you going to do then?

I will still say no! That is final.

But why? I don’t want to sound rude to people who disagree with me but I just want to explain my side because a lot of people around me are curious as to what my reasons behind why I always refuse from drinking alcoholic beverages.

Okay. I drank San Miguel Beer, Beer na Beer, Gilbey’s Gin mixed with pomelo juice, Tanduay and the so called fermented coconut wine “Tuba” when I was on my early teen. I stopped from such drinking when I was 18 years old. The reason why I stopped is very personal, in the sense that it was a personal decision.

I’ve learned that saying yes to a drinker who is giving me a wine is not a sign of respect at all. Respect is a condition of being esteemed or honored, like I respect my parents because I honor them for loving me as their son. Saying yes to liquors is not honorable, like we know what will happen to our body if we drink it. Just by saying “No, thank you but I don’t drink that kind of thing” is okay. The drinker must acknowledge your disliking from such drinking if the drinker truly respects you. Because I don’t want to refuse the offer from a drinker is not a good reason for me to drink it. Learning to say no for good is something honorable for yourself. I was wrong when I drank the beer offered to me by my uncle because I don’t want him down.

I’ve also learned that my body is special, a miracle. From a single sperm cell and an egg cell, it formed into a whole new being named Macky who is able to think logically and who is able to build websites. It is indeed a miracle. Right? Being drunk is not something helpful to my body. If I am drunk, it is more likely the same that I am destroyed. And I hate that!

In the Bible, there is no scripture that tells us to stop from drinking these kind of beverages. In fact in verse 1 Timothy 5:23, it states there “Stop drinking only water. Take a little wine to help your stomach trouble and the other illnesses you always have.” Okay I have to emphasize it once more, little wine! And the purpose is healing and nothing else. In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ” You surely know that your body is a temple where the Holy Spirit lives. The Spirit is in you and is a gift from God. You are no longer your own. God paid a great price for you. So use your body to honor God.”

My decision to stop from drinking liquors has nothing to do with religion but it has to do with my faith. I stop because I don’t want to get drunk. I don’t want to get drunk because I don’t want to hurt my body. I don’t want to hurt my body because I don’t want to destroy the temple of the Holy Spirit. I don’t want to destroy the temple of the Holy Spirit because I don’t want God to get mad at me. I can make people not accept me for not drinking liquors but I can’t make God not accept me as His own son.

Well, drinking liquors is fine but what makes it dangerous is when you are drunk. If you want to please the Lord, you know the best choice to make.

Bohol. It is the province where I live in. For this, I am so proud of. Though I live here, there are certain places in Bohol which I am not familiar of. So when my church mates planned to go to Balicasag Island and Puntod Island which I haven’t tried in my life , I did not give any doubt to go. Wow! This should be fun, I thought to myself.

Balicasag Island can be reach by riding on a pump boat from Alona Beach in Panglao, Bohol. We rented two pump boats with maximum of 15 persons each and a fee of PhP 1,500 each. When we were bound to Balicasag, I don’t have any idea what we were going to do first. I just thought going directly to the island. Instead, we spent about 40 minutes of dolphin watching. This could be tiresome if the weather is sunny because the dolphins won’t appear. That time the weather is really sunny. I was bored a bit. Not until I saw the dolphins, I got my energy back. Well, dolphin watching according to our pump boat driver is good if the sun does not appear yet. I see now why dolphin watching is an early activity.

Enough about the dolphin watching. We headed to Balicasag Island. I saw the tower of the island in a distance. I don’t know if the structure is during the Spanish occupation but it was kind of intriguing when we went nearer. The sea waters are clear and I was excited to go for a swim.

When we arrived, I thought of spending our lunch in the island. I did not really know the whole plans of the group. The plan was to roam around the island. Okay. Roam? I saw the island how small it was so I thought to myself that it was okay. The roaming activity was quite exercising, I did not know if I lose some fats for doing so. I was sure I did. It was a strenous activity because it made me thirsty. After doing the roaming activity, we then set to going to Puntod Island or commonly known as the Virgin Island by the locals.

As we got nearer to Puntod Island, I was amazed how the white sand bars connected beautifully to island. God’s creation! I was craving to swim that time. We spent our lunch in Puntod Island. It was a paradise. I enjoyed swimming. I did not care how the heat of the sun burned my skin. Yes, I got sun burns because I forgot to bring a sunscreen. After all, I enjoyed. I told you it was fun.

So that was it. I thanked the Lord for the safe adventure we had and for His wonderful creation. He is really good. Hope you could also try to go there so you can experience what we had experienced. Maybe you can dive or snorkel whatever trip you have.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Balicasag Island has a total land area of 25 has., 1.5 has., of which has been developed into a resort. This ” Special Interest Resort” has been operational since October, 1989. PTA together with the Philippine Navy promote underwater sports and protects a marine life sanctuary showcasing a model for marine environmental conservation, ecological preservation and tourism. (read more from source: Balicasag Island Dive Resort).

PICTURES OF BALICASAG AND PUNTOD ISLAND

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VIDEO FROM PUNTOD OR VIRGIN ISLAND

If you wish to build a website, you need to find a good web hosting and a domain name so your site will be seen in the internet. Most of the starters especially if their purpose is for practicing only, the idea of getting a domain name and a web hosting might be out of their budget. I’m going to rephrase it, you need not to spend any money for your web hosting and domain name.

There are lots of websites out there which offer free web hosting services and free domain services but there are only a few which are worth to sign up. Of course, this is business. Most of these free services require you to place their ads on your website after acquiring a space from their host. But there are also generous web hosting company out there which willingly host you without forcing you to place their ads.

In getting a web host, these technical specifications should be considered before signing up:

1. WEB SPACE – how large the amount of data would you require for you web site. I think for a personal website 200MB – 300MB is fine.
2. BANDWIDTH/DATA TRANSFER – the amount of data transferred to or from the website or server within a prescribed period of time. If you have bigger file size to load on your sites and if you have a large audience or visitors, you need a high bandwidth.
3. AVAILABILITY OF SCRIPTS SUPPORT – these pertains if the web host can execute some files like the PHP and ASP. this depends on the website you are running. If you want to have a site powered by Wordpress, your web host should run PHP scripts.
4. FTP/UPLOADING TYPE- how are you going to upload your files? is it through File Transfer Protocol FTP? or advanced browser uploading? I more like the idea where I can upload a zip file and I can able to unzip it.
5. ADS? – Does the company force you to display their ads? It would be nicer if they don’t.
6. UPTIME SECURITY – Can you assure the host can be 99.99% running?

Getting a free webhosting could be uncomparable to a paid hosting. I just appreciate those companies that offer free and quality web hosting services to people especially those who need another money or paycheck.

One good webhosting I can recommend

If you wish to have a professional shared hosting quality in a free hosting package, come and host with 000webhost.com and experience the best service you can get absolutely free.

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One good free domain I can recommend

In conclusion

I actually use those two mentioned services. It is the same company I have for our Bohol Foursquare (bohol4square.co.cc) site – and I am happy.

Filipino penitent Ruben Enaje is nailed to a wooden cross during a re-enactment of the passion of Jesus Christ in Santa Lucia, province of Pampanga, Philippines, on 21 March 2008. Read more: In photos: 'Holy Week Good Friday' - Monsters and Critics - http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/asiapacific/features/article_1396381.php/In_photos_Holy_Week_Good_Friday?page=1

Filipinos are remembering the death of Jesus Christ through Holy Week. It always brought my attention about how people understands the meaning of Holy Week. So, I decided to make a post about Holy Week in such a way that I can help people understand its true essence.

What is good about Good Friday?

We are all sinners. If people in the old testament killed their best lambs and offered it to God to cleanse their sins, we people need not to do that today because it was all done by Jesus Christ. God chose His only begotten son to die on the cross so as to make us people pleasing to Him. If we can remember how the Israelites spared themselves from God’s wrath in the old testament (read in Exodus 12), it was an expensive thing to do to cleanse their sins. Right now, we only just believe and accept His personal gift of salvation, not only did God cleanse our sins but it is also been forgiven.

I don’t understand such hypocrisy from people who let their bodies pain into agony during Holy Week. It is a wrong concept of penitence. By doing so, you didn’t acknowledge what Jesus Christ had done. It has all been paid. We don’t need to suffer. What He wants us to do is to believe. Besides, we are not saved by our own good works but we are saved by His grace alone. No matter how hard we try in joining long walks of procession or making our bodies sweat under the heat of the sun, God don’t see those things worthwhile.

Repentance is about admitting ourselves that we are sinners and is also about needing His grace. Saying a little heartful prayer about it is what makes God happy. Also, God commands us to forgive those people who hurt us and to ask for forgiveness to those people we hurt.

We are sinners, nothing is perfect. But letting Him rule in our lives, He will change us from glory to glory… until the time God will call us His righteous people.

Happy holy week!

During our Ring Hop Ceremony.

I started to use pencils when I was six and that mom was my teacher. Since then, my life was always about going to school – get taught and be learned. If I have to look myself now, I am so grateful that I actually had overcomed the challenges I encountered at school. For 16 years, I finally made it to earn a degree. I praise the Lord and I thank my parents for this victory. Life here in this world is really a temporary assignment and I believe, being educated is something that makes me ready to conquer the real world!

I graduated with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering last March 27, 2009 at Central Visayas State College of Agriculture, Forestry and Technology – Tagbilaran City Campus (CVSCAFT-TCC). If you ask me what is the feeling, I should say it is thankful.

Reminiscing the college years

After high school graduation, this selecting-a-best-course-and-best-institution worried me a lot. Two reasons: my parents can’t send me to a university that has high tuition fees to pay and I was not that decisive what sort of course I was going to take. So I was told that CVSCAFT-TCC was cheap (I mean cheap tuition fees) and was producing top notchers in board exams. I found out then that I should take an entrance exam first and should pass it so the school would consider me as their student. So to make the story short, I passed and I was one of the 59 CompE first year students of CVSCAFT-TCC.

CompE, I thought, is only about using computers but I was wrong. This course has 9 Math subjects to take which is very far from what I expected. Math 0 (Solid Mensuration), Math 1 (College Algebra), Math 2 (Plane and Spherical Trigonometry), Math 3 (Analytic Geometry), Math 4 (Differential Calculus), Math 5 (Integral Calculus), Math 6 (Differential Equations), Math 7 (Advanced Mathematics) and Math 8 (Probability and Statistics). I mentioned these subjects because going through all these subjects is like going through hell. What is more painful in my course is studying things that is beyond my imagination – like imagining how the electrons behave. Grrr. Electronics 1, Electronics 2, Electromagnetics, Mechanics 1, Mechanics 2, Circuits 1, Circuits 2, Physics 1, Physics 2 and Thermodynamics. Who would have thought I passed once in these subjects?

The prototype of our underground parking lot. We were not really working on our prototype but more of our C program and the circuits. This was during our Third Year in college.	The circuits behind our underground parking lot. I remembwer we had a difficulty in determining the patterns for our stepper motor. It was like Grrrr!
The playback-recorder circuit of Library Noise Controller in a breadboard.	Assembling the project. That hand belongs to my groupmate Jezreel. My part here was doing the PIC Basic program.

What I like in Computer Engineering is the part when we make our projects. That is the time when we get to apply the theories being fed to us by the books and by our instructors. These are the subjects that required us to make projects: Logic 1, Logic 2, Computer System Architecture (Interfacing), Microprocessor, and Design Project for the hardware; C++, Software Engineering and Assembly for the software. In our third year, we exhibited the “Underground Parking Lot” as completion for the subject Computer System Architecture. In our fourth year, we had our Library Noise Controller for completion of the subject Microprocessor. And finally in our 5th year, we recently had our IP Telephony using Asterisk which we made it to the defense.

Acquiring Computer Engineering degree is really hard, I should say. I remember those times when most of us were constantly waiting for the removal list to come out to find out if our names were included on the list. Taking a removal exam is like making your status in the subject either passed or failed. I experienced taking four removal exams. I failed in the subject Data Structure & Algorithm and Thermodynamics. I patiently retook these two later subjects so I can have this degree. I passed the removal exam for my Circuits 1 and Engineering Economy. Not only the subjects did the hard part for this course but also the instructors. I don’t know but I have an instructor who was so unfair. Yeah. I am right with the adjective – unfair – in the sense that he did not check our papers and arrived a grade without any factual basis in making the grade. Some of the instructors too were tightening the pressure on us. I thanked the Lord because it did not result to a trauma for me. Well, that is a bit exagerrating!

Did I say it hard? In first year we were 59. During graduation, we were 32. Computer Engineering makes my life in college both horrible and wonderful.

Congratulations!

My churchmates at home. Celebration after graduation.

It is worth of time to celebrate when we graduated. The last five years in college is a learning experience. Congratulations to my dear batch mates and to my parents! Thank you Lord for providing me wisdom. Well, in conclusion, I should say the feeling of college graduation is always thankful.

I am proud to be a Boholano. With the pristine beaches and eco-tourism sites my province had, who can’t be proud of it? Well, I am sure if you’re such a traveller, you already had in mind about visiting Bohol. Or in fact you visited Bohol and you are coming back.

I know the resorts in Panglao are good. But there is a lot of things in Bohol other than the beaches in Panglao. I am talking about tourists to try the some other beaches of Bohol. This time, I am talking about Kayla’a Beach Resort which is nestled in the paradise cove of Dimiao, Bohol. The resort is really quiet and I can assure you of total serenity while in the resort. The ambience is really tropical that you don’t need to have an aircon inside your room. The cool breeze of the wind is enough to pamper your mood. The coconut trees growing inside the resort are a relaxing thing to see. While you are in your room, you can glance the volcanic island of Camiguin.

Kayla’a Beach Resort will have a soft opening this April 15, 2009 with very low introductory rates. Plus, if you are a Filipino, you can avail of the 10% discount. This is really a good thing for Dimiao, Bohol to have Kayla’a. For sure, the resort would contribute the municipality’s economy.

Kayla'a Beach Resort swimming pool

Overlooking the volcanic island of Camiguin

Kayla'a Beach Resort Restaurant

I am excited because I will be graduating with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering. Praise God for giving me the strength to be patient. Pursuing such degree is really hard. I undergone 8 Math subjects and many physical sciences. All the removals that made me worried a lot before will finally put to an end. Lord God this is for Your glory.

Meanwhile, Kennard Bamuya, who is our mayor asked me to design a cover for our invitation for our Ring Hop Ceremony. I am honored that he asked me. So I decided to put here the design.

LAST UPDATE: March 7, 2009 | Get your free cellphone here!

I like these bands.

If you ask me what are my favorite bands, I will tell you for sure in this post.

My criteria of choosing my best bands depends on the personalities of the musicians (i like them if they are Christians, not necessarily a Christian band), the type of music they are playing (i am more into acoustics and alternative pop/rock), their purpose of bringing out their music to the public and their creativity as well.

So here goes my favorite bands. If you also like them, please tell me. Thanks.

Casting Crowns

I like this Grammy Award and Dove Award winning band so much. You would not think that their songs are religious because of the type of music they are playing. I guess, religious songs do not entirely depend on its genre but the lyrics. What do you think? So enough about that. I also like the blending of their voices. I always notice it in their songs, their style – the Casting Crowns blending, I love it. Just try to listen their “Your Love is Extravagant” and “Who Am I”. The altos are really superb. The band is composed of Mark Hall (the vocalist and at the same time a Youth Pastor), Juan DeVevo, Melodee DeVevo, Hector Cervantes, Megan Garret, Andy Williams and Chris Huffman. Their latest album is called “Peace on Earth”.

Switchfoot

I blogged about them already. Just click here.

Barlow Girl

The band from Elgin, Illinois is composed of three sisters Alyssa Barlow, Becca Barlow and Lauren Barlow. They are very pretty and still campaigning for their stand on purity as in “True Love Waits”. The band’s philospohy is taken from Romans 12:2 “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.” This makes me to like them more. They are an inspiration for teenagers who are waiting for true love. Oh, not just for teenagers but also for yound adults like me. The band has released Another Journal Entry album which includes tracks like Never Alone, I Need You To Love Me, their own rendition of Chris Tomlin’s Enough and Let Go. They also released How Can We Be Silent album.

Hillsong United

Who doesn’t know of Hillsong United? This band is a music ministry of Hillsong United Youth group. This band is quite versatile in their styles maybe because the band is composed of many personalities. Joel Houston and Marty Sampson were the known worship leaders of the band. This band inspired me a lot. Music is really for Him. Way to go for Hillsong United.

Chris Tomlin

Is he a band? Of course not. Lol. This artist possesses quality voice that I admire a lot. He has his own version of Amazing Grace which he added more verses to the lyrics. I saw the DVD of his How Great Is Our God tour and there was this speaker by the name of Louie Giglio who delivered few introductions of Chris Tomlin’s songs and I was so blessed by his message. The Laminin stuff and etc. Amazing grace! Well, Chris Tomlin continues his passion of worshipping the Lord through his music as he released his new album called Hello Love. I am so blessed because I have an American friend who send us this CD. Hello Love album of Chris Tomlin is worth to listen.

Well, it will take me long to describe them all here. I will just mention the others. I also like Stephen Speaks, Third Day, Jennifer Knapp, Sonicflood, Hillsong, Mercy Me, Leeland, Michael W. Smith and Lifehouse.