Join and contribute in shaping the future, be part of the One Youth Project Headshot Clinic – The Youth Vote Series
See you on November 14, 2009 from 3pm to 9pm at the 4th Floor Tower 2 of Globe Telecom Plaza Pioneer cor. Madison St. Mandaluyong City. To join, fill up the form at this link.
To promote Youth causes in the upcoming national elections, Youth Vote Philippines and Globe Telecom have partnered to use the collaborative power of the internet in a program called ONE YOUTH.
Under One Youth, young Filipinos promote their advocacies online by joining discussions and by using their profile pictures in social network sites as a way of endorsing of their causes of interest (i.e. education, reproductive health, etc). These photos are collectively called One Youth Project Headshot Clinic – The Youth Vote Series, and will be taken by Fashion photographer NICCOLO COSME.
The photos of this Headshot Clinic will be released in December at the launch of the Youth Vote online forums which aims to produce the One Youth Manifesto – a document containing the final list of advocacies that Youth Vote Philippines will present to our future leaders. See you there and let's get moving for the future of this nation. ______________________ This event is brought to you by: YouthVote Philippines Globe Telecom Project Head Shot Clinic For more information, visit: Globe Telecom YouthVote Philippines
I was just simply inspired by the praise and worship during our Sunday Service yesterday at GCF Makati. I was just amazed at how I can be just captivated by a song and lead me into a reasonable disturbance - enough to keep me thinking awake until 3am this morning. As I was talking with JR (my flatmate and roommate), a lot of realizations came into light. But one key point kept everything intact - that is to have FAITH in CHRIST JESUS whose abounding LOVE never failed us, not a single moment, not one instance. I have a lot to thank GOD for these past few weeks. Life is not one big smooth ride but GOD's faithfulness never left me and HE has continually assured me of His blessings. I am still at awed at how HE has allowed me to GROW and find the true meaning of HAPPINESS and FULFILLMENT. He has blessed my ventures and enlarging my territories. But I only realized this when I was calmed from all my fears and doubts. Earlier, I was pouring out my heart because of all the future things (yeah, I think too much) I kept on thinking. It's really the uncertainty of the future that scares me more than anything. Especially when I feel that I don't want the moment to stop because of the happiness and satisfaction I am currently experiencing. I just simply think too much and after all GOD's mighty work in my life how can I still afford to doubt. I should never stop trusting him. As I mentioned earlier, GOD's love never fails. It endures forever. Apostle Paul testifies to that when he wrote to the Romans (Romans 8:28-38). To us whom HE predestined, called, justified, and glorified - nothing can separate us from Him. It was only lately that I truly understood the meaning of SALVATION and how it can NEVER be LOST. Because of CHRIST's ultimate sacrifice, we BELIEVERS are ALL SAVED. All I (and we) needed to have a little more FAITH and TRUST HIM MORE. Because, ALL FOR LOVE, He gave up His life. ALL FOR US, He died for our sins. Now, how can I still doubt? To us whom He assured the gift of salvation if we just CALL upon His name. To you LORD JESUS, I just lift everything back. Your will be done. (postscript: below is the song which inspired everything and a snippet of the message of Paul to the Romans) ______________________________ More Than Conquerors
28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,who have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. ...38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
ALL FOR LOVE
Mia Fieldes Hillsong United
All for love a Father gave For only love could make a way All for love the heavens cried For love was crucified
Oh how many times have I broken Your heart But still You forgive If only I ask And how many times have You heard me pray Draw near to me
Everything I need is You My beginning, my forever Everything I need is You
Let me sing all for love I will join the angel song Ever holy is the Lord King of Glory King of all
Oh how many times have I broken Your heart But still You forgive If only I ask And how many times have You heard me pray Draw near to me
Everything I need is You My beginning, my forever Everything I need is You
All for a love a Saviour prayed Abba Father have Your way Though they know not what they do Let the Cross draw man to You
Everything I need is You My beginning, my forever Everything I need is You
Libera came. They sang. And they conquered. And I was nowhere to be found.
I was just simply ecstatic when I heard the news that they were coming over here to MANILA for a one-night only concert at the PICC. It's LIBERA and I cannot just simply miss that. I got hooked to them when my cousin ERIK gave me a copy of their album. Since I'm a great fan of Pachelbel he pointed out to me that I listen first to the track entitled "SANCTUS". When I heard it, I was amazed at how the rearranged Pachelbel's CANNON in D and added the lyrics taken from the Latin Rites of the Catholic Mass.
And from then on, I became an avid fan. It was just sad I wasn't able to see them live when they came here. I was busy with a client and was assigned for an out-of-town engagement. TATAY MONCH (who I also influenced) even called me up just to ask me if I was going to watch the concert. To cut the story short, he was there. I wasn't.
For those who do not know them...
LIBERA is a non-profit all-boy vocal group directed by Robert Prizeman. Their name comes from their signature song "Libera," which is based on the Libera Me portion of the Requiem Mass. "Libera" is the Latin word for "free". Most of the boys in Libera come from the parish choir of St. Philip's, Norbury, in South London. The albums, tours and TV appearances the boys do as Libera are in addition to their regular singing as part of the full choir of men and boys at parish choral services.
The boys come from a variety of backgrounds in the London area, attending many different schools, including local state schools, church schools and performing arts schools. Libera recruits boys from any religious denomination and even those with no religious affiliations. Most boys join between the age of seven and ten, however older boys can join if they have the appropriate singing abilities. (wikipedia)
And the boys never fail to captivate their audience. Tatay Monch recounts that it was already the end of the show and they already left the stage but after a while they all came back. The audience was delighted that they were treated to an ENCORE. But the encore was more than what they expected, after the first few notes of the song was played, the entire hall in PICC roared into a frenzy of applause and cheers - the boys are to sing BAYAN KO. The song was especially significant to the FILIPINOS as it is one of the popular patriotic songs that helped stirred consciousness among the Filipino people. Originally written as a protest song during the American occupation by Jose Corazon de Jesus (music by Constancio de Guzman), BAYAN KO rose to popularity as it is often sung in protest rallies and demonstrations throughout Philippine history - more notably during the funeral of Sen. Benigno "NINOY" Aquino, Jr. and the following PEOPLE POWER REVOLUTION where Freddie Aguilar led the crowd to sing the song's chorus. To get a better appreciation as to why I am truly amazed, the video is posted below:
After the song, the entire PICC came down with a thundering standing ovation from the crowd. Even Tatay Monch forgot he was the MONCHITO and started to scream his lungs out. (If I were there, I might have also lost myself, hehehe). The music felt it came from heaven and played just for us FILIPINOS. And I came to realize, if British boys can sing Bayan Ko with such ardour and passion, how much more us FILIPINOS? I doubt that these kids really understood what they were singing compared to us FILIPINOS who know the song since way way back then. How come they can make beautiful music and not us? How come they can sing it and own it like it was theirs? How come? I think the answer lies on our own hands. Let this be a challenge to all of us.
_______________________________ LIBERA enthralled the Filipino audience with a concert at the PICC on October 25 and in CEBU on October 28. Visit them at their official website: www.libera.org.uk
I do not know how to start this post. It seems I have ran out of lines to say but I know there's a need for me to express. So what exactly do I feel right now? First, I'm feeling a rush of emotions I have never felt in my entire life before. It's convoluted and complex. There's both excitement and fear. Totally opposing forces that keeps my heart beating rapidly to God knows how many times per minute. And this scares me.
A deep sigh escaped my chest. (*sigh*)
LOVE really works differently over any other emotion. It's highly unstable and unpredictable but still it is the most reliable of all. It is bound to cause you to experience pain in varying degrees of excruciation but it can also cause you to experience sheer BLISS like no one else felt before. Now, I'm asking, is LOVE worth the risk? Am I ready to step out of my comfort zone and experience it all over again?
For most parts, it's the uncertainty that causes the fear. The mind in its brilliance definitely knows how to concoct a mixture of thoughts enough to poison you heart with all the doubt in the world. These are the very thoughts that make me weak, vulnerable, and totally distrusting. These are the feelings I should learn how to quell. These are the very feelings LOVE should turn the tides on. I should trust LOVE more.
But then there is really no right way of feeling LOVE. I could not contain it and mold it the way I wanted it to be. I know the outcome I want but the road going there is definitely one big question. I just need to have FAITH, learn PATIENCE, and simply rest on our promise. There will always be uncertainty because if there is none, surprises wouldn't be surprises anymore. Life would suddenly become predictable and love will be totally boring. So uncertainty should be the least of my worries. It is MYSELF that I should tend to because the answer to the future lies in my OWN hands. As always in life, there is a CHOICE. And my choice, LOVE is worth all the risk. In the film Y Tu Mama Tambien, one of the characters said that "Life is like a surf, so give yourself away to the sea." Somehow, this is how I feel right now. One cannot be involved with LOVE and not surrender everything to it. For if it not, that would be entirely selfish or worse it is a complete lie. As they say, it does not do to dwell on the past, uncertainty, fear, or doubt and forget to live.
Right NOW, I'm taking the risk. Right now, I'm feeling love, living it, and loving it.
__________________
To YOU, I thank GOD for the gift of you.
I pray to have many more SUNRISES with you. I love you.
VINCE. Financial Consultant/Auditor by day. Food, Photography, History, Trivia, Philippines, Travel, Health, Music, Literary enthusiast (well) most of the time. (I say, too much on my plate...)
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