Its been awhile since i posted anything at all.
Let me update you guys.
(as if anyone reads my blog, kaw lang tan noh? :))

Dami nang nangyari.
In 4 months or so i'll be of to the States for my MBA.
Ang bilis!
Now all i need to know is where.
Bahala na si God! Its just been way too fast for me, everything that's been happening i guess. Parang kailan lang i was taking Gmat and review, now its crystal clear.
USF, Berkeley, NYU or Boston C?

Wherever is fine, kahit di Cali, pero shempre sana cali pa rin..
God is enough.

Bye bye Kellog had a bad interview with the Kellog man. He told me to speak straight english dehins ko kinaya. Called him pare pa. Its good though. Maybe I'm nt meant to be there; God has other plans. Maybe those guys are too smart for my own good? They won't like my jokes anyway. HOO HOO HAH!

Chances are bleak for the other ivy leagues, but hey, if God wills i won't complain!
Its been real good. Its been great. Dad has been so supportive of me.
Minsan nakakahiya parang pinag-aral ka na tapos pag-aaralin ka pa ulit?
Sometimes i just wonder why me? Why do i have this chance at all? Crackhead like me. Who am I? I'll really make good with this chance and bring home the bacon for my old man.
Wait for me pops. 2 years lang ito then i can retire you na. You can enjoy your horses and all. I love you and i owe you so much.

What this experience has taught me has been to wait. Its hard having your life on hold, not knowing what's next. No control at all. Heck, not knowing if i'll spend the next two years or away has really been tough. My education has really been with my dad sa printing. Handling people, corporate guys, details details details. Detalye as he would put it. But the next two years really will be a test and a joy for me to see how i can improve as a person and as a man for God.

I am blessed. I have these opportunities and chances. I have a dad whose willing to support me and train me. My family has been so good to me. My God has been. Tan has been there always.

I haven't realy felt the months passing so fast with August coming up(start od classes) yet i know it'll be crazy when i realize it fast approaching. Its going to be great. :)

Yeah.
He can take hearts and mold them into something even more beautiful.
Friendship is beautiful.
All the more its the journey of knowing the person without your best foot forward.

yeah yeah yeah.

The past few days have been hectic. My test comes in less than two weeks, September 14 to be precise, and i've still got alot of brushing up to do. I'm fine answering the test, its just the time constraints involved with such.

Despite the pressure mounting, building up due to the coming test, i thank God for the people He's given me to help destress and remember that He uses them to encourage me and to always have in mind that when i do things for Him and i do my best, He will be pleased. It doesn't hurt having family and friends supporting you all the way. These people remind you that they are behind you all the way.

An extra measure of grace has been our bible study group tuesdays. I've been part of people's lives and been involved in helping them grow in their walks with God before, but this group has really reminded me of the joy there is learning from people and serving them. Minsan we get caught up thinking of what we can give to people when actually God just wants us to be quiet and let Him work, perhaps we might learn a thing or two. Its such a privilege being trusted by such good friends and overwhelming that God planned somehow somewhere that your paths meet in such a big, wide world. Nothin compares when these people tell you and assure you that God has worked in your life to help bring them closer to the joy they have now. Who am I, Lord, to be part of such a plan? It is just my prayer that God keeps taking control of what He's started, and that we serve each other well.

God has really been teaching me so much the past few weeks to keep trusting Him with all my plans, big and small. Its just great how a big powerful God would always draw close to us and listen to our smallest rants and biggest supplications. The peace He gives is something i wouldn't trade for anything, the comfort and the silence of being in His will, The joy of trusting in his heart and not knowing what is to come yet understanding that He knows best.

I also thank God for books he inspires people to make. My good friend has always been wanting to lend me her book a love worth giving by max lucado, i just never got it from her. Perhaps i was too busy. But finally i borrowed it from her and i learned so much. you may never read this pero thanks jill. :)
The book gives love a meaning; God. 1 john 4:10- This is love, noy that we loved God, but that he loved us. God is the maker of love and He alone perfects it in us. We will never be able to love tohers like He did, but he develops our character towards that. We don't even have the potential of real love, only God gives it to us.
His illustrations are really good, and insights are really deep. "God can only give authentic love if we let go of our own imitation." We have so many perceptions of what loving is, be it towards our family or friends, how we grew up, but only God gets it right. He made it kasi. Where better to get it than from the creator, the only power source?
"Hope doesn't promise an instant solution but rather the possibility of an eventual one. Sometimes all we need is a little hope." Love endures all things. Do we have the capability to endure all things? Certainly not me! But the grace of God has convinced me that He really is at work in all of us to learn and live this out. The list goes on. Love is patient, kind, etc. Things God is working in us and perfecting in us more and more each day as we trust him more and more.

The book challenged me in the end to rephrase the famous conrinthians verse and put my name in it. I tried it out.

Mike is patient. Mike is kind. Mike does not envy, Mike does not boast, Mike is not proud. Mike is not rude, Mike is not self seeking, Mike is not easily angered, Mike keeps no record of wrongs. Mike does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Mike always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Mike never fails.

Okay pare pakulong mo na ko. I couldn't bear to read this. No sir! No boss! No commander! I'm not patient. I don't always hope trust and persevere. I am not alot of these things.
But that's the point. When we stop pointing to ourselves and just enjoy and trust in God's love, we learn to focus on Him and let Him take control of our lives and change us. In the end, i just sat silent and nodded my head.

God is patient. God is kind. God does not envy, God does not boast, God is not proud. God is not rude, God is not self-seeking, God is not easily angered, God keeps no record of wrongs. God does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. God always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. God never fails.

GMAT COUNT: 24 DAYS TO TAKE-OFF

Time flies!!! GMAT time is just around the corner. Bakit hindi KMAT or Blue mat? or Green mat? Sino kaya may pakana nun?

I'm not really content with my scores for the GMAT mock tests i've been taking. Still way of from the targeted scores, yet i know things will be fine. More practice lang and more confidence and total trust. I know God will see me through. when hasn't He? Its gonna be good.

When I land in any of these schools (in this particular order) i will really be thrilled.
1. Stanford
2. UCLA
3. Rice University
4. Tulane University
5. Wake Forest University
6. Boston University
7. NUS

Yes it can be done. All things are possible. Got to believe it. He said so.

Nanood ako ng I wanna be happy nung isang linggo.

I just want to say it was a very nice movie.
Unang reaction ng mga tao jologs movie siya, NO!
I say before you brand something as corny, give it a chance. Understand what you are labelling as baduy, intindihin muna.
We might learn a thing or two about it. Kahit mga baduy lang na hirit. haha.

Iyong story is how Eddie Garcia and Gloria Romero "break" up because marami silang differences. Well who said being married is easy? i've never been married myself man.
Siyempre they get back together in the end, shempre magkakaheart attack lagi. iyon naman ang laging sakit eh.
Malupit pa rin si pareng Eddie Garcia. Ang lutong ng hirit. Heheh.

Just made me realize again that marriage is no easy thing. Pinag-iisipan talaga. Kahit just getting into a relationship eh. Everything is at stake. Your friendship is at stake.
We're dealing with feelings, emotions, investment. Pain, Joy, all at the same level.
Wow. ang tanda ko na.

I still can't believe how i got to the age of 23.

With all the things happening around me, things i've gone through, friends i've seen go through things, changes that have happened, it just becomes so much clearer how God holds everything in place. His mercies are new every morning.
Everyone has their own story. Mine has been sort of slow. But its moving slowly. And i won't have it any other way because God has His reasons for such.
I was never the smartest kid around. I've always been the type to study only when i needed to. pag bumabagsak na. urong sulong. I've never been the type to take initiative, i was always the one slacking off and being lukewarm in things. que sera sera.
At this age it isn't easy to change such attitudes and bad study habits, but i realized that somehow i've learned to depend on God that He would always be enough and come through. Not because of me but because He gives me grace to be just enough.
Now, its not good to just pass hehe. But i see myself as not the major factor but JC. He allows me to live. He lets me take the steps. He makes things happen. Without Him, game over na.

4 years ago i just wanted to go out in the world and finish school. have kids, get a job, sing.
Who would have thought mike, the underachiever would end up taking an MBA? Even i would have never thought of such. Masyado akong tamad for that. But not because of me, but because God enables me to do so.

Its just funny how when we rely on God and trust Him, He makes us leaders. Paradox talaga. And i'm confident how God will make something wonderful and excellent out of me as He makes me obedient and even more trusting in Him.

the hunks.

hehehe.

vacations with family sure are fun.

sana maulit.:)

Wonderful.


There are just so many things to be thankful for.

Sometimes its so easy to take things we have for granted, air we breathe, love we can give, smiles we can share, help we can offer, people we can drive. Words which can encourage, time we can spend, the ground we can walk on, the breeze that we feel, the rain pouring on us. The talks we enjoy, the voices we can sing with, the ability to drive cars, the clouds above the heavens, the feel of your pillow against your head when you wake up.Your blanket leaning on your shoulder as you snug of to sleep, gasing up your almost empty car, reading the bible early in the morning or late at night. Songs that make your day on the way to work, my mother's voice asking me where i am, my father's calls letting me know he's holding down the fort for me til i come back from my MBA. My sisters always cracking jokes abut how old i act, my brother inquiring if i could drive for him in the morning, ate elsie letting me know the toasted corned beef is ready for my lunch.

The sound of machines running and raring to do production, the chatter of the bindery people as they work like busy bees, the quotations waiting to be signed and faxed to clients. Coffee in the mornings, afternoons, and nights especially at UCC, jolibee's chickenjoy and mais con hielo occassionaly.

I can go on forever but God has given me so many things to be happy about, and if we look even deeper we'll see a million more reasons to be happy and give thanks.
I feel like i just need to interpret my favorite song of the moment, one of my all time favorites; definitely apt for my condition right now.

Protest to Praise
-i just love the title. intrigues the mind. It's like Reklamo patungo sa Pagsasamba. The great irony of how if we just let God know how we feel, and become honest with Him and allow Him to change and break us, we will end up praising Him and finding our joy complete in Him.

I knew the times would come and
now the times have landed
With stinging abrasion
-Time comes and goes. Times when you feel like nothing's happening in your life, you feel bored(in my case reviewing for MBA) Times of testing. Times of joy. Times of waiting. Times of displacement. But in reality, these are the times we can and may be transformed to someone/something better.

As ready as I seem to be
It's never like I planned it, yeah
-This is the start of the breakthrough. When we begin to complain, we question God, we are anoyed at God, it seems like God may not be doing anything. Does he really know best? Does he really loves us? MANNN!!! We begin to demand, stomp our feet, question Him. We pour out our hearts and are just dead honest, we want answers and we want the truth from Him.

I'm wrestling my thoughts I'm overcome
Would you give me up I'm asking Lord
-We begin to think who are we to question the living God. Who am i but mere dust? Who am i but a shell of a man without God? I'm not worth much Lord, do you really love me so much? Why?

There's no where I sense Your presence here
So I will cry out, until I go
-We begin to desire God's presence even more and more. We acknowledge we need Him and Him alone. Total surrender is almost reached. We seek Him with all our minds, hearts and souls. We desire one thing. One thing, to be with God and just enjoy Him.

From Protest to praise
You're always amazing me
-The wonderful process of changing people through transformation. Honest, broken people reaching out to the living, ever present God. The life of clay in the potter's hand, accepting its role that all it must be is still and let the master mold the clay to be the pot He should be. And the process of the Master having to break the pot again to make the clay into whatever the Master wants the clay to be again. The process. The change. The transformation.

You're changing me slow, but surely
And You're gonna see me to the end
-Ahh. The sheer beauty. Can't help but shed tears at this part. I'm a work in progress!! I'm gonna be the man God wants me to be! All i have to be is patient with Him and trust He is not done with me yet. Regardless what happens, i am in Him and He will finish the work he has started in me. I'm for real! Jesus said He;s gonna see me to the end!! What else can i say? I'm going to make a lasting impact on this planet because God loves me and use me for his purposes.
How long will I be forgotten by You forever
You're not making sense here
Seems like eternity
has made a home between us, yeah
-The silence. The desert. The hard times when we feel God isn't with us. The times we feel God has left us, has forsaken us. Where'd the King go? We can't seem to find Him. We waver in our trust and commitment to Him.

You're changing me slow but surely
I just can't help but see it that way
Cuz You're gonna see me to the end
-The change. The beauty. The process. He makes all things beautiful in His time.

Kudos to shaida. Her testimony made my day yesterday. You'll never know how you encouraged me and challenged me, pero mabuhay ka :)
Queen of faith, man. Galing. Again, your life reminded me yet again that we may not always get what we think is best for us, but by trusting God, we are assured that we are at the center of His will; and the lessons we learn are lessons we can never buy nor purchase. In those times of testing, we are renewed and changed. Characted is formed.