Here are my top 29 blessings from God for 2009:

1. Growing everyday with my walk with Christ.

2. Loving my Sweetheart more each day & celebrating 10 years of marriage.
3. Dating, sharing, cuddling and just living life with my Sweetheart, Yet.

4. Health of my two boys Gelo & Monty.

5. Gelo & Monty both in Honor Roll.

6. Spending time with my two boys playing.

7. Exercising, dieting and loosing weight.

8. Debt Free! Financial Peace of Dave Ramsey.

9. January 2010 wedding of my only brother Eric to Cace Ilagan. Welcome Cace to the family.

10. Health recovery of my Aunties Siok Muy & Gloria.

11. Joy, Peace & Health of my parents, parents in law & siblings.

12. Loving encouragement & support of my family especially my parents.

13. Birth of first niece Olethea.

14. Jannica, our youngest sibling already a college student @ UST.

15. First year as a pastor.

16. Serving in Victory Greenhills, awesome Spiritual Family, awesome Pastoral Team and the best leadership under P. Dennis Sy and Thammie, thank you for your love & friendship.

17. Addition of P. Jayson Lo & Hermie Serrano to our Victory Greenhills Team.

18. Having Lyka Chua as KIDS Ministry Admin.

19. Having the best team in KIDS Ministry; thank you Arlene Sy, Lysa San Agustin, Jun Gomez, Natalie Yip, Rashid Sidic and Bu Buenazedacruz for your selfless leadership.

20. 100 KIDS Ministry Team Members in our roster of volunteers, hats off.

21. Expansion of KIDS Ministry Center, Promenade.

22. Graduating ENCM with honors. Undoubtedly, the best learning season of my life!

23. Mentoring & learning from both young & matured couples.

24. Learning to love books and becoming a perpetual learner. Check out: BOOKWORM.PH.

25. Anvaya Cove share from Mom, our paradise here on earth.

26. New Year-Singapore Trip from Mom & Dad, see you all when we get back January 3.

27. 3GS Iphone from Achi Grace & Aya, thank you so much!

28. Provision for God to purchase a 32 inch Panasonic LCD.

29. Our new family toy, Wii Guitar Hero World Tour.

From Our Family To Yours, A Blessed 2010.

We just concluded our Christmas series at Victory Greenhills and it was a very refreshing revelation of the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ. Immanuel, God is with us; Jesus was with us. He was sent by God the Father to live amongst us to be our substitute and to bridge the gap that sin created between God and us. Jesus is the light, the light that takes us out of the dark and the light that is the source of all light. Jesus is the Lord of All, if He is not Lord of all in our lives, He then is not Lord at all. When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, He takes the one and only spot. This is a 100% or nothing deal and that comprise all aspect of our lives. It can’t be 100% in our relationship and 99% in our finance.

It’s 3 days until Christmas, are you in the dark? Who or what rules your life now? God is with us. God is faithful, He fulfilled a promise that He made 700 years back with the birth of Christ and sent our redeemer who took away our sins and died for us. Now what part do we have, accept Him and repent. Acknowledge Him as our Lord and Savior and turn away from our old ways.

Luke 3:4 ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.
Luke 3:5 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth.
Luke 3:6 And all mankind will see God’s salvation.’”

This Christmas, let us prepare our hearts so we can experience Him, experience real contentment, experience the living water that won’t make us thirsty again, the real freedom from any kind of fears or chains.

From my family to yours, a very Merry CHRISTmas and God’s blessing to you all.

I’ve heard this song thousands of times but it struck me differently the other day.

When Jesus was born in that manger 2000 years ago, there wasn’t any festivities, no funfare and not even a holiday declaration. Surrounding Bethlehem, people were in famine, in fear, uncertain and some are hopeless. Then the Savior was born, in that humble manger because no one wants to take them in. 700 years after the prophesy of Isaiah for a child to be born of a virgin, Jesus was born.

No longer do we put our hope on anyone else but the one true Messiah.

Are you groping in the dark? Do you feel lonely? Do you feel alone, unloved, unwanted or unappreciated? Do you seem to have it all but still not satisfied?

It’s Jesus you need, the source of light, and the one true light. To light your darkness and you would never feel alone ever again. Let Him in your heart this Christmas and enjoy the real reason for this season.

Merry CHRISTmas!

See you all 3 and 5pm services at Victory Greenhills.

I never was a book reader, only now do I love reading books and that’s because of the influence of my mentor-friend Pastor Dennis. I have read more books this year than in my 35 years on earth. One good thing that happened is that my kids now are into reading too. They even have started their own library.

I have never imagined being a patron of bookstores and now am a loyal customer. Now I value being a perpetual learner and I believe the classes in ENCM helped a lot to open my eyes too. I try to allot an hour a day to reading books, that’s aside my devotional & bible reading.

I’ll be blogging about the books I’m reading, now am reading The Great Investment – Faith, Family and Finance of T.D. Jakes and IT by Craig Groeschel. My devotional is Experiencing God: Daily Devotionals. Monty is reading Star Wars Novel: Boba Fett. Gelo just finished volume 5 of 39 Clues. While A Life You’ve Always Wanted is amongst the 3 books my wife Yet is reading.

We really have to be perpetual learners to mature not only mentally but especially spiritually. Can’t forget the tagline of G.I Joe, truly “ knowing is half the battle.”

Please check my favorite online bookstore www.bookworm.ph.

I just got off the phone with a credit card company; I’ve been trying to have one of my credit cards cancelled for almost 3 months now. Come to think of it, it is now easier to apply for one than to cancel.

I can remember the time that I had 8 credit cards to my name and I can buy a 3 series BMW with them. Credit cards are loaded weapons on the wrong hand, believe me, it was my old life. Usually I get them maxed out during the Yuletide Seasons. This is the most festive time of the year and we are so happy shopping for all our family and friends. The malls are all so decorated, the Christmas scent is very inviting, the colors are so lively and alluring and the bargain and promos are so irresistible. That is Christmas commercialism and that got me before. This year, we made sure to shop early, shop wise, shop with cash!

Is credit card evil, when you can’t control it, yes. I still use my credit cards, am down to two. I use it like a debit card now. I use it and then I put on the envelope the cash or check for the payment of the said purchases.
Is money really the root of all evil, NO, the LOVE of money is. And when you are slave to it, whether accumulating or in misspending, then it becomes evil rather than a blessing.

I’ve been receiving a lot of counseling requests and a lot are concerning money. Most marriages conflict also involves money. This CHRISTmas season, I pray that you don’t let money be the source of the festivities, rather focus on the Reason for the Season, Jesus Christ!

I’m celebrating my 36th birthday today and people tell me that it’s hard to think of a gift for me because I seem to have it all. Well materially that’s a lie because my want lists seems to be getting longer, but overall I do have it all.

I have it all because I have a relationship with Jesus and I have my Sweetheart Yet, Gelo and Monty with me. That really completes me. I almost lost them, but I fought hard and sacrificed to keep our family together. It was not easy but realizing how God was working especially those times in the dark helped me through. It was an uphill climb but I worked on my relationship with Jesus first then my relationship with my wife and kids were restored in the process.

Lord, thank you for the 36 years, thank you that I am complete because of You. Lord, one thing I pray for this coming year is the desire in our hearts to have a daughter. Lord, I honor You with the works of my hand and my life. In Jesus Name, Amen!

Next….My Family & Friends… and then My Job as God’s Sevant……

Christmas undoubtedly is my most favorite time of the year. The atmosphere is so festive and people are very cheerful. Yup, I love the gifts, the food and the endless parties too. A friend approached me the other day quipping how her head is not into the season. That she seems so out of focused compared to the years passed.

How about you? What do you focus on during Christmas? Is it on the gifts, party schedules, decors or vacations?

Christmas started as a pagan festival. It has evolved over Centuries from St. Nicolas, Santa Claus, flying sleigh, poinsettias & Christmas Trees. But the true meaning of Christmas is the story of the baby born that brings hope to us all and is our Savior.

Do you know that December 25 is not even the real date of when Jesus was born? The date just coincides with a festival from centuries passed. Commercialism has already tainted the true meaning and essence of Christmas.

This season can be the year’s most hectic but let us not forget the true meaning of Christmas. Let us not forget the real reason why we celebrate Christmas is the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Merry CHRISTmas to you all & your family. God Bless!

Isaiah. 9:6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

I know that most if not all were hit by the message that P. Dennis preached last Sunday and I am one of them. We are going thru a series Beyond Sunday where we talk about how we worship God everyday and not only on Sunday. Our measurement of faith is not just on a Sunday in church but daily, especially out there in our workplace.

The very first responsibility given by God to us is to work. We have to treat work as a blessing and not a curse.

Col. 3:23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,
Col. 3:24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Biblical attitude on work, we should love work because it’s from God. Work at it with all our heart because we are working for the Lord and that our pay is in heaven.

”GOD IS WATCHING YOUR DILIGENCE NOW TO DETERMINE WHAT YOU CAN BE TRUSTED LATER.”

1Cor. 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

So whether in the work place, in your career, school, ministry or at home, work at it with all your heart and honor God with your work. We should set the standard.

Our current series Victory is one of my favorite, we are talking about how to worship God not just in the setting of our church and not just on a Sunday. There are people that only worship on a Sunday and this series focuses on the why and how to worship beyond Sunday, it should be a lifestyle.

The Sunday prior we talked about the Heart of Worship, why it is important to worship from the heart. The Sunday that just passed, we talked about the body as instrument of worship to God.

Yes our bodies are created to worship God. But we at times defile our bodies that it doesn’t bring Him honor. Not only how we at times not take care of our body or present our body but how we make use it. On Sunday, we could be raising up our hands in worshipping and surrendering to God but beyond Sunday we use our hands to touch, hurt or steal from somebody. Our eyes maybe are so fixed on God’s word on the projector screen on a Sunday or we close our eyes in worship to Him. But beyond Sunday do we fix our eyes in those prohibited sites in the Internet or read those provocative magazines. How about our mouths? Do we sing our heart out during praise and worship but shouts or uses obscene and vulgar languages beyond Sunday?

Romans 6:12-13
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.

SEE YOU ALL EVRY SUNDAY 3 AND 5 PM AT VICTORY GREENHILLS!