Anger Issues

Anger Problems.

Anger, if not dealt with properly, can bring about lifelong problems in a person's personal development, relationships, and spirituality. This enemy of the heart needs to be addressed, by the help of God, and the support of friends, in a redemptive way, for it to find rehabilitation and eventual healing.

Anger Management.

Anger says, "You Owe Me!"

Life Lessons From Steve Jobs

Just recently, much attention has been given to Steve Jobs, and the life he lived. A number of Steve Jobs quotes were made available online, and it would be great if we can interact on a few of those. Send us through email (click here) some of your favorite Steve Jobs' quotes. Please include a section where you comment or explain briefly why you like that particular quote.

Steve Jobs said:

"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool i've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything - all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important."

Join Our "Enemies Of The Heart" Online Discussion

We are engaged on a daily battle, hoping that at the end of the day, we come out as an overcomer. We face the challenges brought about by our work, our studies, our relationships, and the like.

However, there is an enemy we seldom are conscious about. These enemies are not from external factors, rather, they are internal. They are heart conditions. If left unaddressed, they can potentially make everything else in your life miserable. Guilt, Anger, Greed, Jealousy, to name a few, are enemies of the heart.

Our Online Bible Studies will tackle these heart issues one by one in a dialogical manner.
We will exchange stories, questions, helps that address these concerns. Most importantly, we will see what the Bible says about these concerns.
We will discuss what it says and see how we can help one another apply its truths to our context. The group will serve as your support group - as we journey together in addressing these enemies of our hearts.

If you are interested to join these Bible Studies,
Please send us an EMAIL. Write In The Subject Field: "EOTH"
In your email, please indicate your complete name, gender (male or female), age, country.
We will send you a reply with the needed details for you to join - for FREE.
We look forward to having you join us soon.
You can also invite your friends to join as well.

How To Stay Safe And Secure Help During An ATM Cash Machine Robbery

ATM Cash Machine Robbery

What can you do if someone threatens your life and forces you to withdraw money from your Automated Teller Machine account? However this information be of help to you, it's still best to know one of the ways to stay safe and secure help in the event that you are being robbed of your money via the  ATM Cash Machine.

1. Stay Calm.
    Keep your presence of mind. Most of all, pray for God's divine intervention.

2. Don't Agitate.
    Do not act in a way that would provoke the assailant to do anything to harm you. Remember, any threat they experience might just force them to protect themselves and harm you in the process.

3. Key In Your ATM PIN In Reverse.
    If your ATM PIN is 1234, you key in 4321.
    Doing this will get your desired amount half way out of the ATM Cash machine.
    It will also alert the police and security without the robber's knowledge or awareness.
    Every ATM cash machine has this feature built in their system, designed to signify danger or a need for help.

4. Not Everyone Is Aware Of This Method.
    Please Share This Information To As Many Friends And People As Possible.
    Who Knows Who Else Would Need This In The Future.
    To Share, You Can Click On Any Of The "Share" Or "Post This" buttons around this blog post.

The Christian, Criminal Justice System, And God's Love

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF SOMEONE TRIED TO ROB YOU?

Criminal Justice System

Almost a week ago, a man broke into our home at 2:30 am.

He was on the process of robbing us of our personal valuables (laptops, camera, musical instrument, kitchen utensils and groceries) when the guard on duty apprehended him. He is now detained at the city jail.

I have a personal burden of ministering to the guy.

I might not be able to change his natural tendencies,

but I know God can, if only this guy surrenders his life to Him.

I also have a burden to reach out to his family,

knowing these would be much difficult times for his wife and young children.

Just the other day, the guy's aged mother, sibling, wife, with their months old baby came to see me.

Their intent was to ask for an apology - not necessarily on behalf of the detained guy. They were somehow hoping that i can do something to facilitate a lighter charge on or even the release of the guy. 

[ Click Here For The Philippines Justice System and National Police Handbook (World Strategic and Business Information Library) ]

SHOULD I FORGIVE AND FORGET?
When i consulted a number of people about this, i was met with varied responses.

Some were for the idea, a number of others were not.

Some thought it would be great for me to meet with the family and somehow convey concern towards them. Some thought otherwise, because this gesture can be manipulated towards their desired end.

How Must A Christian Respond?

There were some who appealed to my being a Christian and preferred I just forgive the guy and have him released from prison. There were some who thought otherwise and preferred the guy stay in prison, serve his sentence, in the hope that he would learn his lesson. Some believed that through his imprisonment, similar robbery attempts in the city will be diminished.

How then should a Christian respond to this experience?

Should one forgive the robber? Of course.

Does forgiving really mean withdrawing the case filed against the robber?

Should one go beyond the offense, and still value the guy and his family as individuals who need to know of the love of God in very practical ways? Definitely. 

Does such a care mean not sending him to prison, so he can still be with his family and face life's challenges with them?

FOLLOW THE LEADER: WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?

As Christians, we are called to be "Christlike" in every aspect of life.

Jesus Christ commends what is good and hates what is evil - so should we.

As Christians, we are not to be apathetic against evil ways. 

Instead, as light, we are to expose the evil deeds of darkness.

Jesus Christ upholds justice - so should we.

He submitted Himself under God's divine justice.

Sin is an offense. In His love, he took our place, and satisfied the demands of God's justice.

Today, God has instituted government, to be an extension of His justice - rewarding what is good, punishing what is evil.

As Christians, we are expected to tell the "truth" and acknowledge the authority God vested on government.

For as long as we do our part in testifying truthfully about what we know really happened, we have fulfilled our Christian responsibility of upholding truth against evil. The government is likewise expected to fulfill its God-ordained duty to institute godly justice in response to the given situation. 

Jesus Christ hates sin, but loves the sinner.

Jesus Christ always hates sin. Likewise, He is grieved, angered, over one who chooses to continue living in sinful ways.

However, His love reaches out to the sinner by grace.

His love doesn't want anyone to perish in their sin and sinfulness.

He cares for the sinner, and calls him towards repentance.

And as one confesses one's sinfulness, He is faithful and just to forgive.

As Christians, we must be motivated by love, in everything.

If we love what is good, we must hate what is evil.

if we love what is for the common good (safety, well-being), then we must hate what is evil (by upholding law and order).

If we love people, we must not tolerate the evil that seeks to continuously destroy them. We fight the evil of ignorance through education; the evil of illnesses through medication; the evil of harm through safety measures; the evil of addiction through rehabilitation; the evil of temptation through moral decency and conduct; the evil of all evils through evangelism and discipleship.

If the guy ends up in jail, for as long as justice is being upheld, this should be viewed from the vantage point of love.

Love for the guy - by not tolerating the evil way/means he chose early on.

Love for the greater public - by instituting just measures for the common good.

Click Here To Understand The Christian faith and criminal justice: Toward a Christian response to crime and punishment (A Deus book)

God's Love

A Christian doesn't stop there though. 

A Christian knows that significant change must begin from the inside out.

A Christian then reaches out with the message of God's saving grace (the Gospel) to the one who is in prison.

Such an act conveys the message that though one is serving the just consequence for its offense (sin), he is still the object of God's love. He must be helped to understand that though the wages of sin is death, God's gift is a life of being forgiven, restored, renewed, set free from the grip of sin. All these, only if one acknowledges one's need for it, through Jesus Christ alone.

A Christian chooses to forgive, not on the basis of the degree of another's offense.

But on the basis of the degree of God's love and grace - first experienced by the sinner, now expressed to another sinner who desperately needs it as well.

A Christian should still demonstrate God's love to the guy's family.

By respecting them as individuals valued by God.

By responding in ways possible to any need they might have.

Not because their family man is in prison, but because God loves them equally well.

In other words, the primary motivation and burden for caring is based on God's love for them and not their very predicament.

God's love and care isn't dependent on one's status and condition in life.

He loves because He is love.

Considering their tendency to leverage that "show of concern" towards their own ends,

perhaps greater wisdom must be exercised in dealing with them.

But this should not keep us from reaching out in love - even to their extended community.  

There will always be the needy among us - and we are called to reach out, care, and share.

Through this, the hurting out there will know of God's love, expressed in tangible means.

Justine Bieber and Things We Need To Change

Have you heard of Justine Bieber's song?
Here are the lyrics of that song.

"Pray" (Justine Bieber)

Oh oh oh...

And I pray.

I just cant sleep tonight

Knowing that things aint right

Its in the papers

Its on the tv

Its everywhere that i go 

Children are crying

Soldiers are dying

Some people dont have a home

But i know there's sunshine behind that rain

I know there's good times beyond that pain

Hey! Can you tell me how I can make a change?

I close my eyes and I can see a better day 

I close my eyes, and Pray.

I close my eyes and I can see a better day

I close my eyes and Pray.

I lose my appetite

Knowing kids starve tonight

And when I sit up

Cause my dinner is laid on my plate.

I got a vision to make a difference and its starting today.

Cause i know there's sunshine behind that rain

I now there's good times beyond that pain

Heaven tell me I can make a change!

I close my eyes and I can see a better day

I close my eyes, and Pray.

I close my eyes and I can see a better day

I close my eyes and...

Pray for the broken hearted

I pray for the life not started

I pray for all the ones not breathing

I pray for all the souls that need it

I pray...

Can you give them one day?

I just can't sleep tonight

Can someone tell me how to make a change?

I close my eyes and I can see a better day

I close my eyes, and Pray.

I close my eyes and I can see a better day

I close my eyes and I pray.

I pray. I close my eyes and pray.

A lot of people around the world cry out for change - for just about any reason. 
They sing about it, shout about it, cry out for it - at times in the privacy of their own hearts, at times, they make sure they get heard. 


Trending now in Tweeter, #ThingsWeNeedToChange 

• "slanderous attitude"
• "diapers"
• "people who cheer up and get over themselves"
• "to stop giving opinion on other people's lives if you're being asked for it."
• "stereotypes"
• "the way students view school. I love school."
• "education as we know it"
• "to actually start changing things rather than just tweeting about it"
• "bullying, no one deserves to be bullied"
• "our perception of reality and the way we trust people blatantly"
• "the way we treat women. we should treat them with the most respect in the world."
• "the justice..."
• "people not praying enough"
• "bedtime"

Knowing what needs change is a good first step!

However, good intentions is not everything.

To get to it, we must be willing to go through it.
There is a price to pay for meaningful change.
Be it personal, relational, social change.

Are we willing to go for it beyond wishful thinking?

What steps have you proactively taken?

If we can just work on one necessary aspect of change in our lives each day,

that would be 365 aspects in a given year!

How much difference do you think will that be, if each of us work on it?

On second thought, how much significant change can we really achieve on our own?

Can we really do so much to direct the course of history for the better? 
How many do you think have made attempts towards that end? 
How many did succeed? 


Do we all want the same kind of change? 
Or will our different intentions and aspirations just pull us apart from different sides? 
Looking back through world history, how many great men have risen and succeeded in changing some things, only for it to be changed by others who come after them?

Don't you think we all need a common center, a vantage point, a true north - for common effort towards change to be meaningful? Without this, wouldn't we all just go through a vicious cycle of changing and being changed? What could that common center be?

In the song, there's a crying out to heaven...

Asking for guidance, better yet, a miracle of change.

But then again, will this be the ultimate solution - an act of prayer?
How many around the world do actually "close their eyes and pray"?
Too many to count for sure.
How much of these are actually prayers for change?
Perhaps it's predominantly about it.


Have you ever wondered to whom or what these prayers are offered to?
Does this mean they all get heard, regardless of the object of those prayers?


When people pray, it is a manifestation that they are not fully in control.
They acknowledge a greater power beyond the natural - the supernatural.
How many supernaturals are really out there somewhere?
To whom or what should we really close our eyes to in prayer, 
for genuine change to really be experienced?
Are we left clueless on this?
Or are we left to ourselves and achieve change through our own efforts?


Readers of this post also enjoy:
Praying to Change Your Life
Praying Scripture for a Change: An Introduction to Lectio Divina
Praying To Change The World: Volume Two
Night Vision: Praying Through Change

People: What Would God Say To Steve Jobs?

"Steve Jobs Resigns From Apple"

Early Wednesday evening of August 24, 2011, news about Steve Jobs' resignation as CEO of Apple hit the internet. 

In response to this, a lot of people expressed their thoughts online on social networks like Twitter. Some people expressed deep admiration for Steve Job and his contributions:

"He was one of the most innovative and incredible men ever. I will not be the only one to shed a few tears over this news."

"I'll miss him. I'll miss his vision. I'll miss his character. I'll miss every terajoule of his near unlimited energy."

Truth be told, there were also a lot out there who hated the man, for reasons relatively theirs.

In all these, I also wondered about what God would say to Steve Jobs.

The God we know of in the Bible is one who relates with people from all walks of life.

In the Bible, we see accounts of his interactions with people - his thoughts, feelings, words, and acts.

If we were then to imagine God talking with Steve Jobs in person, 

the very same God who interacted with the patriarchs of Israel, 

its prophets, kings, priests, men, women, both young and old, 

the very same God who communes with us today through the Holy Spirit and His Word, the Bible, He would most likely say:

"Steve Jobs, I am the God who created you."

"For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb." (Psalm 139:13)

"Steve Jobs, I created you unique - with your own set of abilities, for a noble purpose."

    "I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 

Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well." 

(Psalm 139:14)

"Steve Jobs, no one else is like you. However, I created everyone else equally special, with my purposes for and through them in mind."

    "For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things have been created through Him and for Him." (Colossians 1:16)

"Steve Jobs, your real worth to me is not based on your inherent abilities or occupational success."

    "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, 

it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

"Steve Jobs, your life is in my hands."

    "He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist..." (Acts 17:25-28)

"Steve Jobs, I am fully aware of your drive to be the best that you can be."

    "I know your deeds..." (Revelation 2:19)

"Steve Jobs, I am likewise aware of all your imperfections, short-comings, misgivings, waywardness."

    "I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead." 

(Revelation 3:1)

"Steve Jobs, none of those are a hindrance to my great love for you."

    "For while we were still helpless, 

at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 

For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:6-8)

"Steve Jobs, only you can choose to acknowledge my love for you in a personal way."

    "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:16-18)

"Steve Jobs, your vision, drivenness, innovativeness, corporate and marketing skills, have impacted the way people use and enjoy technology. But only I can bring about lasting impact and change in your life - from the inside out."

    "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?" (Mark 8:36)

    "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; 

behold, new things have come." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

"Steve Jobs, success, my way, is not necessarily about how much you keep for yourself, but on how much you give away following my lead."

    "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal." (John 12:24-25)

"Steve Jobs, the message of my unconditional love is now in a lot of your Macbooks, iPhones, iPods, iTunes, and iPads. Will you now make the choice of taking it into your heart?"

    "Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. 

Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. (Revelation 3:19-20)

Readers of this post also find this interesting:

Steve Jobs

Taking Chances - Glee?

• GLEE! Okay, it seems like Glee is a quest by a lot of people these days. But just what is glee for you? 

• WHAT IS GLEE? The Thesaurus defines glee (noun) as delight, pleasure, happiness, joy, gladness, elation, euphoria, amusement, mirth, merriment, excitement, gaiety, exuberance; relish, triumph, jubilation, satisfaction, gratification, ANTONYM disappointment.

• THE PURSUIT OF GLEE. Now I find the antonym of glee very interesting too! See, the very opposite of glee is disappointment.  I wouldn't want to live in disappointment. Would you? 

• THE PRICE FOR GLEE. It's close to saying, I would do everything it takes, just to experience all that glee is all about. Right? But what must I do? How do I achieve it in this lifetime? Most importantly, how do I take hold of one that doesn't just come and go - oh so quickly? 

• GLEE SONG: "TAKING CHANCES" Just recently, I had the chance to listen to this song. The melody is contemporary. I bet a lot of us out there truly like this song. But when I checked the song's lyrics online,  I somehow wondered, is this the price to pay for glee? 

Glee's "Taking Chances" song lyrics: 

"Don't know much about your life, don't know much about your world, but don't want to be alone tonight on this planet they call earth.

You don't know about my past. And I don't have a future figured out. And maybe this is going too fast. And maybe its not meant to last.

But what do you say to taking chances? What do you say to jumping off the edge? Never knowing if there's solid ground below, or hand to hold, or hell to pay. What do you say, what do you say? 

I just want to start again. Maybe you could show me how to try. Maybe you could take me in somewhere underneath your skin.  

But what do you say to taking chances? What do you say to jumping off the edge? Never knowing if there's solid ground below, or hand to hold, or hell to pay. What do you say, what do you say? 

And I had my heart beating down, but I always come back for more, yeah. There's nothing like love to pull you up, when you're lying down the floor there. So talk to me, talk to me like lovers do. Yeah, walk with me, walk with me like lovers do, like lovers do.

What do you say to taking chances? What do you say to jumping of the edge? Never knowing if there's solid ground below, or hand to hold, or hell to pay. What do you say, what do you say?"

• GLEE SONG: "TAKING CHANCES" Review. Now, I must admit it's never easy being in this situation - lonely, heart-broken, and looking for love - one that truly satisfies. I have had many acquaintances who have also expressed the very same sentiment. Perhaps, you have also read about the same things in a lot of novels; heard the same message in a lot of "love" songs; watched the very same plot in a lot of "love" story movies, at times even on chick flicks! The message? The need and longing is a reality for most people around the world. Nobody wants to dwell in that situation, if only there is a way out. But what are you willing to do just to get out of it? How far would you go for it? What chances are you willing to take?

To be honest, I wouldn't be delighted in any way, hearing my daughter sing this song, ever. I say this on two very important convictions.

As a father, I desire the best for my daughters. No one in their right minds would be apathetic about seeing their daughters in the very predicament portrayed in the song. Oh if only I have the power to make all things possible for my daughters, I would. I would keep them from all hurt. I would make sure they are loved. I would try to make their futures secure - stable, provided for. I would make sure they end up in a relationship with a man who is faithful and true for all of life. But I admit, their lives are not in the palm of my hands. 

However, I can love them as much as I can while they are with me, or within my responsible reach. I will show them the beauty as well as the dangers that are in this world. I will commit myself to protecting them. But I have to do everything to point them to the One who can truly be their sufficiency - God. He loves them more than I do. He cares about them more than I do. He promises to protect them and give them hope and a wonderful future, more than what my earthly life can do and give for my beloved daughters. I trust Him to write their very own love stories - and I will do my best to help my daughters understand and believe that fact.

The second reason why I wouldn't be delighted in seeing or hearing my daughters sing that song is because it's a lie. It wouldn't be right for them holding on to the same value, or taking the same path implied in the song. We all know it doesn't lead to glee, rather to disappointment. 

Instead, I will do everything within my power to teach them about life and relationships as early as possible. Reading a book to them about the subject wouldn't be enough. I need to reinforce it with practical experiences. In time, there has to be a way to let them know the difference between lust and true love. They need to know the value of building healthy relationships, of temperance, of self-control. They need to grow up making godly choices between right and wrong - understanding the life-long consequences of each. 

Talk With Teens About Feelings, Family, Relationships, and the Future: 50 Guided Discussions for School and Counseling Groups 

Do I know what to do in all these? No. I would need all the help I can. I need to build a safe network of relationships with people whom I know who would be of great help, in very practical ways. If I can't find any at the moment, I will surround myself with helpful resources, books, to reinforce the learning and discipline I need to cultivate. 

Parenting: Loving Our Children with God's Love (Lifeguide Bible Studies) 

Having said and thought of all these measures, the challenge is still for me to personally take my daughters by the hand, and lead them through their growing up years. I need to hug them tight day in and day out. I need to communicate to them, in word and deed, that they are cherished and loved. I need to assure them that I am always there, in good times and bad. 

Most importantly, I have to let them know why I am doing all these - it's because God loves them very much. His love for them never ever fails. His ways are sure and perfect. If they obey Him and follow in His ways, He is powerful to shape their hearts and minds and make them strong inside out. I can never fully protect my daughters from the ills of society, try as I must. But God's love covers them for life, never leaving nor forsaking them. I will bow the knee for as long as I live and ask for His divine favor to be experienced by my daughters as they grow up and have lives of their own. In Him, I rest my case. Why take chances when I don't have to? Instead, I trust Him to keep that which is not within my keeping. 

Are you taking chances right now?

Would it not be best to take the right chances instead, while you still can? The following resources are very helpful in reinforcing the message of God's love to our children:

Psaltys Songs for Little Praisers, Volume 1: God Loves Me So Much [VHS] 

It's About Love - Album Version 

Marriage: Our Love, His Story!

It's our fifth wedding anniversary!
I celebrate that by thanking the Lord for His wondrous grace.
Until today, I still am awed at the thought that He has graciously given me such a wonderful, loving, smart, and supportive wife.

I always tell people,  "My wife is not an answer to my prayers, yesterday." Instead, God has given me so much more than what I have asked. If God only based His generosity on my requests, I would not have the kind of wife she is to me today. She is more than what I asked for, nor even dared dream about. Indeed, God has been very gracious and generous. Every moment I spend with her is always an impetus for thanksgiving and praise.

Yes, I have had many insecurities in the past.
"Will I ever have a girlfriend?"
"Will I ever end up marrying my kind of girl?"
"Will there be anyone who would be interested to marry me?"
"What could happen if she knew of my inabilities and weaknesses?"
All these and more preoccupied my thoughts and threatened my aspirations.

Yet, in retrospect, I say God is good.
At times, such a thought just remains a lofty idea, not until you really yield to His sovereign control and allow Him to prepare you and that other person for each other. He doesn't just know what's best, He also gives you who's best.

This book, When God Writes Your Love Story (Expanded Edition): The Ultimate Guide to Guy/Girl Relationships  has really helped me a lot during those times of being anxious over the prospect of whom and when to get married.

During our wedding ceremony, I had the opportunity to sing this song to her.
And this song will forever be my theme: "When God Made You"


My wife came up with this quote about us, yesterday:

"Bellies are bigger, arms are floppier... BUT conversations are longer, laughters are louder, friendship is deeper, goals are higher, understanding is wider, and hugs are tighter! That's after five years... and counting! Thank you Lord for your grace."

Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao's Story of Hope, Resilience, and Never Say Never Determination

I went to the bookstore today to buy something,
then I chanced upon this book right at the "Featured Books Section".
I am talking about Manny Pacquiao's autobiography:

Pacman: My Story of Hope, Resilience, and Never-Say-Never Determination


It caught my attention, not because the book appears to be written by Manny Pacquiao himself, but because for quite some time now,
I have learned to admire the guy.

I am not so much of a boxing fan myself, but who could miss the national fervor when it comes to our much celebrated Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao? Whenever it's his scheduled fight abroad, to a certain extent, the whole country pauses from its regular activities, and "fights" with him. His victory is likewise shared by most of my countrymen, that at the end of the day, there is a sense of national esteem experienced and shared by most Filipinos.


But see, that was not the case during his earlier "fights" in life.
He was practically against life's odds, so to speak, and there was not much who stood and struggled with him to the win. The massive crowds today who cheer for him in his fights in the boxing ring, were never there yesterday when he fought against poverty, lack of opportunities, broken dreams, and all.


Today he is celebrated as a hero, but before all these, he was close to zero - except for innate hope, resilience, and never say never determination. Being born in a very poor family, left behind by their father for another woman, he practically had to support a family of five. He didn't have the opportunity to pursue higher education. Early on, he dreamed of becoming a Roman Catholic priest, but due to financial lack, his mother couldn't send him to seminary. For this reason, Manny Pacquiao pursued boxing to earn a living and put food on the table.


I celebrate Manny Pacquiao, not just for his present boxing victories, but most specially for how he was truly a fighter in life. A lot of Filipinos live below poverty level. Most of them are in that condition for almost the very same contributing factors that Manny Pacquiao had experienced early on. The way out of that predicament might not be through the same route and opportunity that Manny Pacquiao had. But each one somehow needs to have that similar "heart" that Manny Pacquiao had through it all. 


In this fight in life, no one wins by grumbling, finger pointing, or lazily waiting for the right opportunities to come. Worse, no one wins by doing nothing, hoping on luck, depending on dole outs, cutting corners, or involving in corrupt practices. 


Yes, life is never easy. 
Sometimes, solutions to life's challenges are easier said than done.
But no one said it can never be done. Right?
In these challenging times in our lives, 
one of the most important things you can do for yourself,
is to avoid grumblers, and "nay-sayers". 
Instead, surround yourself with people who are not denying reality,
yet see these challenges from a winner's perspective.
Let them inspire you with their lives, their faith, their resilience and determination. 


I can't have all of these kinds of people around me.
But thanks to books these days, in a way it makes up for the absence, to a certain degree.
I myself can begin doing that through Manny Pacquiao's autobiography:


Pacman: My Story of Hope, Resilience, and Never-Say-Never Determination