one way... one truth... one life...

Heart Transformation

2006-12-10T02:48:00.000-08:00

Thank you Lord for all of the things you’ve taught me throughout.. My life..

Just these past few days, wow, it’s been the most transforming week of my life.

*you taught me to see true beauty, to value health and see what you see beautiful… that yes in every person’s heart makes everything finished even if its not yet. Even people who has not said yes, was created to say yes, and that to you is hope enough for you to see them as a finished product, in her true beauty.

*you taught me to value money. I’ve wasted a lot of money; I waste a lot of money. I create debts, now I see that they’re pretty pointless, you provide as we ask, even when we don’t ask, your love has its way of providing us all we need. The money you give each obedient heart is enough for his needs, and you always give more, blessed more to be a blessing to other people. Every cent has its purpose, some meant for me, some you gave me to give to others. Money should not be wasted on things you’ve not allotted it for. Always seek you for guidance about money.

*you taught me to be less dependent to food, to respect my body and have it glorify you, not by having people notice it, but by being healthy and allowing positive lifestyle usher in positive attitude and emotions. Health is directly connected to our well being spiritually; it helps us focus a lot more our eyes at you. Not eating too much food allowed me to focus my eyes more on you rather than my body. It allowed me to focus my time energy and thoughts at you more than when I’m busy eating and feeding my flesh. This goes the same with too much entertainment and passive time.

*you taught me the true meaning of rest. Sabbath = Mary of Bethany. It’s not spending time doing nothing or unproductive things, its about spending time off stress and tiredness. It’s about spending time at your feet, resting in your love and abandoned in your presence, its soaking and being refreshed by your passion. Its not rest from church, rest from the bible, it’s about rest from the world and more of you.

*you taught me to plan; you showed me that if I don’t manage time, I end up wasting a lot of it doing things I don’t value. I miss out a lot on what you wish to do in my life. Wasting time sitting in a mall has never amounted to anything. It meant so much more for me to spend it with my family. I realized that my family is not getting any closer in being saved because I refuse to even spend my time with them. You taught me that my mere presence around them allows you to reach their hearts. Wisdom and obedience about time gets rid of a lot of unnecessary emotions, stresses, broken relationships, spending of resources, tired moments to even seek you. “Being wise about time” ushers in the fulfillment of your will in every part of our lives.

*you taught me to watch what I say, that what I say is powerful and when used in a wrong way can destroy lives, my life and others. I learned to encourage instead of make coarse jokes. I learned not to hold back your words of wisdom but share it that it may engulf my heart and the hearts of who hears them. I learned to watch my thoughts and my words in the most subtle moments in my life, like after every intense experience with you, that it will not set a foothold in my heart, nor will I be used to strike fiery arrows in others’ hearts.

*you taught me to make a covenant with my eyes, that it’s not just about not having lustful and vain objects in my mind and heart, but also that I run and stay away from anything that would even give the slightest hint of it. You taught me not to entertain any thoughts that are not from you and to allow you to take captive each and every thought that comes into my mind. The enemy uses the slightest hint of lust and sin as a foothold in the heart, if we learn to make a covenant with our eyes, keeping it and our minds pure and holy; we get rid of a lot of unnecessary battles in our lives.

** most of all this, You taught me that with out you, all these learning are like a hole in the ground that I dug, its deep but empty. I pray o father that you fill it with your glory and love Lord. These things I learned will go in vain if not sustained by your fiery love oh Lord. There’s more to it than just knowing by mind and trying to practice it with all that I have. It is about your glorious love, your endless love that sustains me and fills me with purpose and hope. It is only in you that I am strengthened to pursue, stand up when I fall. It is only in you that I am able to move in confidence that all will be alright.

You transformed my heart oh Lord. I desire to be disciplined and to be obedient because I know that you teach these things not just for you to be glorified but mostly coz you love mo that much. As is draw near to you, you draw near to me, revealing your ways, transforming my heart in every way possible towards that me that you’ve created. The “me” that you purposed to be married to your Son, equally yoked, created holy and loved by your infinite LOVE.

New Heaven.. New Earth

2006-11-20T06:42:00.000-08:00

Revelations 21:1-4
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

Bridegroom's cry

2006-11-20T02:41:00.000-08:00

fire in my heart that i cant contain...
let us drink from the streams of your desire for your bride..
let your tear fall down on her head, your tear of desire, of your hunger..
allow her to know that you love her with love everlasting..
i see that you have nothing to gain from me, yet you say you desire to have this little heart of mine..
oh lord oh lord
allow your bride to see.. your love, your burning love for her...
im seen lovely in your eyes, even in my weakness..
whisper love songs from your heart..
that she will see what set her free...
i am yours and you are mine

oh i desire to see the church lay her life before you..
not to be afraid of hell but to be in longing of you...
see the church worship in spirit and in truth..
the truth of who you are...
the spirit of God!!!

i long to see your face... i long to see her see your face..
let your love conquer my entireity... the love of Jesus...
let your love conquer my desires..

i long i long to hear those words from her lips..
the only words that can overcome my heart... oh how i long for your voice for it is sweet to my ears..
come dance with me, lift your feet off the ground and glide through my arms.. im holding you im holding you
do not fear.. im holding you.. i am holding you..
come come, follow me to the secret garden, lets smell the flowers together, eat the fruits of the freshness trees together..
come lets frolick across the field singing melodies of love...
come and drink.. come and drink.. come and drink from the river of my heart..
let the desire of my heart be the water you drink.. let it be the food you eat..
oh my bride... oh my bride... come and look into my eyes as i gaze into your beautiful ones...
wear this dress.. i prepared for my bride.. wear it and stand as my bride.. wear it and carry the identity it comes with.. wear it..
and oh wear this crown my queen.. wear this crown my love.. it is righful for your beauty.. oh the gold and the diamonds on it do not compare to your eyes my darling
it does not compare the glow of your skin... oh my bride let me hear those words from your lips.. oh my bride let me set my eyes at your face always..

take me by the hand o lord.. take me by the hand and make me yours
i am yours you are mine..
make us one..
make us one..

Bop' til we drop

2005-12-05T01:00:00.000-08:00

Charter change is just another diversionary tactic, goes ever person who is either an anti-charter change or an anti-arroyo activist. The whole idea of shifting to a federal-parliamentary form of government has been going on for ages now, but its just now that reactions to the idea has been very negative, as if the people really just don't want to go with anything our president wants to happen. May these opinions come out of anger, or out of a very careful analysis about the issue, the reaction from every mouth don't change. Maybe there are one or two who are actually pro to this idea, but most violently disagree with it. Who can lame them? With all that's happening to out nation, it's like no idea gives a full proof solution to any of our dilemmas that people can't even trust the plans of those who are in office. So what are we to do now? Obviously voicing out your suggestions on getting out of this crisis doesn't work, because everyone else has something to say about it. So what then? How about actually looking into this idea of “hers”. If you sit and think about this, decentralizing our government and shifting into this different form of government is actually a good idea. We've done everything we can to make this system that we have now work, ok maybe not everything, but history shows that so far, this system hasn't brought us anywhere. It's been a series of ups and downs for our nations, caused by different factors in the society. But don’t you believe that there’s another, more effective, way to do this. Maybe cha-cha's the answer, maybe its not. We can never really know until we actually risk all that we have and go with it.

So many factors are affecting the people's opinion whether they’d want something like this; most of it is their hatred, not towards the president, but towards politics itself. The name of politics has been so trashed over already over time and that any good intention that it may actually have all seems blurry to everyone else. No trust can ever be formed towards it and cause of this; any good thing that they actually have will never reach the people in it's fullest of greatness. If you ask me about it, i think what should happen is that everyone put out their pride, anger, greed, and hatred, and once and for all sit together and look towards what would be good for the nation as a whole. The only reason we never get to make good decisions for the country is that everything is always aimed inwards towards ourselves, whether we be highly elected officials or simple normal citizens, we always aim all good towards us. But this is impossible, sacrifices must be made, and a great loss lies ahead. Risking is a must and opening our minds and thinking widely is what we need. Every single person, opposition or not, official or not, rich or poor, boss or employee, powerful or weak, we all need a paradigm shift. Di na pwede tong pachambachamba, di na rin pwede tong puro violence, we are given great minds that can bring forth a perfect society, but all of that's tainted by sin, and that’s what we need to give up to get through all of this.

Like what i always say, God has something planned for this country, but none of us actually look into that plan. We all voice out our opinion thinking that we have the best solution in the world, but I tell you this, all our thoughts will go down in vanity in the end, there's an opinion that matters the most, an opinion that is full proof that will change EVRYTHING for the better of EVERYONE, how hard is it to give at least 10 mins of our day and ask Him about His opinion, how hard is it to actually pick that book up and read the Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth?

Me, Myself, and I

2005-11-14T23:40:00.000-08:00

Pursuing one's self interest is different from selfishness.. but doesn't selfishness mean being concerned chiefly and only with oneself? all things that a person want to happen to himself or have, whether good or bad, are indeed something selfish. And true enough this is what drives alot of human beings to work harder and attain better, for their own selfish needs. Yeah it's weird to say that to someone who has no money at all and is the guy who works the hardest, but it all boils down to getting what he wants and needs, whether it's for the good of him or not. Let's say what if he's doing it for his family or friends? he'd still be doing it for something HIS.. which still boils down to selfish reasons. Sadly this is how the world is and has been for ages already. no one can trust another for even the simplest things. This factor will only be erradicated in a couple relationship when each don't need anything from the other, but when chaos and needing comes, it's everyman for himself. That's how people's minds work nowadays, and this is exactly what every person is looking at in every circumstance they go through in life.

But isnt it that in the back of each mind one hopes to have a relationship with someone full of trust and peace? isn't it that everyperson, if asked what kind of friend or spouse they want, would right away want someone they can FULLY trust and would also FULLY trust them, but suddenly changes his/her mind about it because he himself can't be trusted into doing that? Would'nt it be nice to have everybody working and earning for one another even if they don't even know each other? Wouldnt it be nice if people weren't motivated by selfish needs and wants but instead be motivated out of their love for their neighbors and their nation? I know what youre saying right now.. "it's impossible". But i would like to point out that a lot of people, i mean A LOT, wishes to live in such a world that i mentioned below, but then again ALL of them would much rather have it ALL for themselves. you see the problem here? how can we ever achieve a world of trust and kindness if we ourselves arent trust wothy and kind. I know youre probably disagree with what i just said but think about it, youre stuck in an island and youve been starving for a month now, and you meet a person who asks for your cookie, would you give it? .. im sure you'd say yes but i doubt that you will once that situation becomes a reality. Men will point out excuses such as "it's unfair if he eats while were both hungry" (well you could've halfed it but why'd you eat it all?) or "i own it so i should have that cookie." and that just shows how selfish each heart is. I would love to agree in saying that us humans arent selfish, but that would be lying.. that's what we are. but sadly almost all of us think that it's something natural and is something normal. Then lemme tell you this..

I've seen and met people who would give their last food to someone starving even if they themselves are starving, and other people who would refuse to recieve it not coz of pride but coz they know that the giver is also starving. These people are the people who would end up sharing the cookie rather that have the whole for themselves. And this kind of thing comes out, not from thinking and trying to be nice, or just mere culture, or pride even, but out of the love that they have learned to develop even to complete strangers. Is this love possible to achieve? well it is, but with how deep our selfishness has already been planted it's gonna be difficult. But like any habit it requires practice. wow i make this sound so simple but it isn really. People would ask why they have to do this when they can have everything for themselves. i think this statement is a pitiful excuse for being something they don't really want to be deep inside. But i assure you that everyone, even you and me, want this world of peace and trust to become a reality. And i think its something innate to us already. It's like we know we are created to live in a world like this but seems so impossible with how the world is today as we see it. But is it too late for us to get rid of our selfishness, and wouldn't it be futile if i do it and others won't? Well if we don't start now, when will that world become reality?

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The blueprint of life that God has planned for everyone of us is something so perfect, greater than we can possibly imagine. It's just sad that this plan can never be put into action in our lives because of our sins, because we'd much rather pursue our own plans in life and we have a hard time trusting and believing everything our creator has said to us from the very beginning. we have a hard time even believing in his existence when all our lives He's been the one keeping us alive and allowing us to live even if were all worthless selfish beings. Even with our pride, lust, and greed,.. still, God so loved the world that He gave His only son to die for our sins just so that we can, for once, live free of and from sin. We dont have to stay being selfish beings, even if the whole world's still selfish, you don't have to, coz Christ died for us so that we can have a chance in getting into that world we all want to live in, all we have to do is believe and trust in what He is saying, that we can change and be freed from further doing these stupid things.

Survey-Shmurvey

2005-10-04T00:43:00.000-07:00

Behavioralism.....
An aspect of Behavioralism in aiding in predicting political behavior is basically marginalizing the normative theories because it doesn't help in the empirical science of politics. In respect to both SWS and Pulse Asia surveys, their attempts or pursuit in an coming up with an empirical statement is a method or chracteristic thats of behavioralism. They do surveys to come up a tangible truth that although can still be tested as to whether indeed true or false, can come out as something everyone can hold on to through large survey samples and very small error rates. To put this all short, their methods attempt to make all judgements made "scientific"

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A thousand and two hundred sample?

Statiscally, its prefferable to use a bigger sample size than that.. the ideal actually would be 60%.. but to answer whether or not 1,200 respondents are enough, maybe it is, judging all statistical methods and analysis be done smoothly and with extreme care. Compared to the entire population, 1.200 is really so small to come up with a generalized answer or to generalize the opinions of the Filipino people. But if continuous polls are done within the same people so that changes in time would be considered because people's minds are totally unpredictable and the slightest things make people's thoughts about something change. Also take into consideration what kind of people these respondents are, whether they belong to a specific economic level in the society, etc. Their exposure to media and the entirity of the topic being asked about should be considered too. All factors that may affect these people's votes should be studied carefully to come up with a mathematical equation that would justify the validity of the results of the surveys. But like i said, 1,200 is too small of a sample size, and, although possible, will be far more difficult than just choosing a bigger size. Many discrepancies may arise and errors in outcomes will surely show up.

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Alot can be done by carefully monitoring each and everything that goes on in these surveys, a deeper study on the statistical analysis and a constant adjusting of methods based on the attitudes of respondents might help make the results of these surveys more exact.

Politikus Sciencus

2005-10-02T08:35:00.000-07:00

Science: sci-ence
-The observation, identification, description, experimental investigation, and theoretical explanation of phenomena.
-Such activities restricted to a class of natural phenomena.
-Such activities applied to an object of inquiry or study.

Anyone asked what Politics is would easily say some shallow opinion on what it is, usually based on what they hear politics is like on t.v. not exactly giving an answer on what politics is. This is mainly because people have given the meaning of politics such small level of importance in their lives. To many it's something they'd say "i don't have to know what it is, what i know is that its messed up.". I looked up the dictionary definition of politics and i came up with this:

Politics: pol-i-tiks
-The art or science of government or governing, especially the governing of a political entity, such as a nation, and the administration and control of its internal and external affairs.

So it is a science therefore it should be something more than a meaningless random thing that anybody can simply ignore..

What makes it a science is probably that it's a thorough study of something, something which is the Social world. As we know, politics is a social activity.. it's something that majorly involves people and their thoughts and actions. But it goes beyond than just people talking, its also a system or culture everyone needs to have in order to survive in terms of rational order and peace living in a world full of "other" people. It's something so important that so many theories have been put up about it, so many political systems have been put up adjusting each on the values and norms of people in different places on Earth, in short.. politics is something no one can probably live without. It requires alot of study and a contionuous seeking for wisdom in how to make politics, so we'd say, perfect.

The study of politics, its processes, principles, and structure of government and of political institutions, involves both science, involving methodology and analysis, and hermeneutics which means interpretting. Social science is something that constantly changes, this is because people are pretty much unpredictable and studying it requires alot of adjusting and observing. But to understand the social nature of politics, the actions of the people involved in it should be interpretted. With how politics differ and evolve in many places, to come up with a standard interprettation of it is difficult. That's the study done in political study, to continually interpret it so someday we'll come up with a norm in politics, and also as a science it's continually understanding it and adjusting the patterns of political systems to it's actors.

To put this all short, the study of politics IS a science, it requires heck of information, historical research and analysis of events, it requires major observation on its nature and flow, it varies in different places, it requires a whole lot of studying. Its so complex that has been considered a mystery to many, because of its deep and varied nature. It requires scientists to interpret it and give the people a better understanding of how the world is, it creates theories of being and theories of people's social nature, it brings about many hypothesis, understanding it requires methodology and experiments, it requires statistics and scientific analysis, and in the end of all this study, hopefully a feasible valid conclusion will come about. Politics is a continuous search for social patterns, governing systems, peace and order giving bodies. Its a search for wisdom, understanding, harmony and Meaning. Doesn't that sound like your everyday science homework? I think that's enough reason to believe the study of Politics as being a science.

Political study is an art, branch, a discipline, education, erudition, information, learning, lore, scholarship, skill, system, technique, and wisdom. And i think that makes it analogous to any other form of science.

Natural politics

2005-09-25T05:04:00.000-07:00

The definition of politics one would get in repeatedly reading different articles about the current status of politics in the different sides of the Earth is simply an unfinished definition of it. Many definitions of politics will come out from different kinds of society. In a place with a well functioning political system, politics will easily come out as something truly positive from the people's mouths, on the other hand, in the rest of the countries, politics is considered something negative, whether its a failure, insufficient, confusing, and as some would put it chaotic. Ofcourse this is based on what the people of a nation would say also basing it on the performance of both the system and the people governing it. Tracing it back from where it started, politics basically came out of a need for it. Ofcourse, why else would it still be here if it isn't necessary to a state or a society? Politics in the first place is truly something everyone needs in order to peacefully coexist with fellow people in a world that has it's limits of territory and habitable spaces. It came out in a society where assumably each voice was considered in coming up with a set of rules and a standard way of living that will put every individual in a peacful and outflowing way of living. In aiming to live by a life that is peaceful and in order, there has to be something that everybody has to agree on so that all will be put at peace, because if all are to do whatever they will to, surely chaos will arise and presumably it will lead to extinction of human kind. I know its too much to say that we'll end up being extinct but thats most likely what all this will end up in if nothing is settled. Even animals have their way of living peacefully with the members of the same species, and definitely we are not like animals, we are way more advanced than them especially because of our ability to think, and this allows us to put up a more organized and a more functional body or system of governement that will allow us to have the common lifestyle each desires.

Politics for me is basically the voices of every individual all put together to come up with a standard way of living that will be considered to each as a norm so that all are able to coexist with one another peacefully and orderly. Politics is a socical activity, it is something that isnt exclusive (although its becoming something like that) to those who are, how i would say, gifted with larger vocal chords and have the ability to speak louder than everyone else. Yes it may seem like a circus in most cases but this is just because of the circus people they allow into politics. If politics and governing could be done by people who doesnt operate in greed, anger, lust, pride, and self pity, it ought to think that politics will be at its full potentioal in giving the people the way of life each deserves.

In the case of the philippines, truly everyone in politics should first undergo a class on basic politics. They have to learn what politics is really about, and what politics should really be like in our country, especially now that our country is going through something that should already be considered as state of emergency. Im not belittling our officers in their knowledege and ability in governing, its just that their thoughts and way of governing should be put in the right perspective. Personal desires for personal benefits should've already been abandoned before they even stepped into office. Because truly, now that they have made themselves "public servants" all desires and interest should all be aimed towards the "public", in trying to build up the country and it's people out of misery. If you ask me, being a Godly (note:not religious or "churchious") nation is what will put all things in place. An incorrupt and incorruptible leader with incorrupt and incorruptible followers all aiming towards a peaceful well functioning nation, with people filled with joy and freed from misery, as each and everyone gives up their everything (not forcibly but out of the goodness in each heart) to both serve the country and be "citizens" of it, putting out greed for money and food, anger, unforgiveness, pride, a mind that does not accept correction, and lust; thats what everyone should be aiming for. Isn't that what "natural" means?