but in the past month, it has come up another level.  its the 7-10k level and its a “FANTABULOUS (fantastic & fabulous)” feeling!!!!  pls allow me to say thank you to a group of people who challenged my “rutful” running ways.  its like receiving “intravenous caffeine shots” vs sippin coffee.

1.  Isa my daughter - who kept entreating me to join her in races.  never felt the need to since i run regularly but its been a great source of bonding for us, at least the training part since she joins more than me.

2. Eilleen my wife -she has been doing 1hr “cardio” 5x weekly since the day she was born it seems & she eats whatever she wants!  now my 35-45 minute “cardio” 3x weekly is up to 45-60 minutes 4x instead.  now i can eat more too Hallelujah!!!!

3. My ministry colleagues -Juray Mora, Ferdie Cabiling, Ariel Marquez, Nixon Ng & especially mr. running MAXIMIZER Ado Bernardo.  these men are the “running freaks” (& triathletes) that average some 35-45kms weekly!!!!  told you they are freaks (well sorta? but not really, they are nice people, most of the time, HA!).

special mention too to one of my closest friends Arnel Vizmonte.  he probably averages 50-60kms weekly.  (he is another freak am telling you!)

its great to have people around us who inspire us beyond our comfort zones!

Sydney. Got to see the sights and try the great Aussie outdoors, truly beautiful. But I went home with a little bit more wisdom and challenged to serve God even more by Joshua and Yinka. The work they do despite the many obstacles and lack of full time workers is amazing.

New York. Finally saw the famous movie sights of Central Park, finally got to walk around its famous lake and bridges. It was like being in the many movies I had seen. The greatest sight of all was the presence of God in the lives of Jun, Mabel and their children. The miracle of Sarah’s ballet scholarship, Stephens piano, Seth’s budding athletic career, the house they rent, the furniture, the groceries etc… God is a wonderful provider!

San Francisco was a time of rest, food and fellowship with Oly, Gel and their amazing daughter Hunter. This trip gave me the time to get to know Gel and Hunter. It was as if we had known each other all our lives. The welcome and hospitality was second to none. Friends encourage and bless you without limits.

Penang was ministry, food and an infusion of strength. Jojo, Ida and their family have always stood with my family for many years. Their constant prayer for us, timely phone calls and gifts have given us the spark to keep going. Their willingness to keep starting all over again for the sake of following God is a strong example to me. The whole family’s (Jonathan, Jenny, Jo, Louis and Sabina) involvement in ministry was picture of hope for me.

As I think about these amazing friends, I remember the Bible says that God is a friend. God can be a source of strength, source of wisdom, source of encouragement and even the real source of blessing. You can visit this amazing friend anytime, anywhere in whatever situation you maybe in. This friend sticks closer than a brother. This friend even said, “never will I leave you, never will I forsake you”. A friend is a tremendous blessing!

so now, here i am, safe back in the arms of “piping-hot, black, palpitation strength, no cream, no sugar, just pure caffeine” COFFEE. 

LORD, thank you for great leaders like Nelson Mandela who model humility for us all, and show us that “quitting is leading too.” 

But there are also wrong mindsets and thinking that we grew up with as Filipinos. These mindsets are ingrained in our culture but are completely against the Word of God. It doesn’t just sadden us but it affects negatively the people around us. These mindsets should no longer exist once a Filipino becomes a Christian.

Join as in our youth services every Friday 7pm and Saturday 3pm as we talk about what the Bible has to say about the different Pinoy traits and mindsets.