Autobiography: The Story of Our Lives

The questions we ask ourselves define the meaning of our lives. The answers we arrive at tell us who we are.

These are our questions.

This is who we are.

Eragon - movie review

Watching the movie Eragon is like eating a small cup of congee after you've been starved for a week - you know there's something good there, but it ends up sorely lacking.

To read the rest of the review, click here or visit the FullCup site.

Magic in my blood

i used to be the hermit of the basanos, but now... (got this from DinDin, by the way)

You are The Magician

Skill, wisdom, adaptation. Craft, cunning, depending on dignity.

Eleoquent and charismatic both verbally and in writing,
you are clever, witty, inventive and persuasive.

The Magician is the male power of creation, creation by willpower and desire. In that ancient sense, it is the ability to make things so just by speaking them aloud. Reflecting this is the fact that the Magician is represented by Mercury. He represents the gift of tongues, a smooth talker, a salesman. Also clever with the slight of hand and a medicine man - either a real doctor or someone trying to sell you snake oil.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Maid Miriam

Just got off the elevator with this goddess:

Ms. Miriam Quiambao

It's like cosmic surfing in the wake of a comet. The luminous beauty can blind you.

What's so Amazing About Grace?

Philip Yancey's writing has a wonderful quality supremely suited to the line of work he has chosen: he can make his readers re-evaluate things they thought they already knew.

Re-reading What's so Amazing About Grace for the upteenth time since I first got a hold of it back in college, I am amazed how little I still know about Grace -- and how Yancey's book clearly presents this often wispy subject.

To read the rest of the review, click here or visit the Fullcup site.

the hiatus

Like I've always known, it's not really that hard, although it remains a temptation whenever I sit and turn on my PC.

Two weeks to go.




In the meantime, watch this:

I Japanese!

Got this from the artistmonk


As the wandering storyteller:

My japanese name is 猿渡 Saruwatari (monkey on a crossing bridge) 聖人 Masato (sacred person).
Take your real japanese name generator! today!
Created with Rum and Monkey's Name Generator Generator.

As slither dude:

My japanese name is ?? Komatsu (little pine tree) 拓海 Takumi (open sea).
Take your real japanese name generator! today!
Created with Rum and Monkey's Name Generator Generator.

As Moks:

My japanese name is 猿渡 Saruwatari (monkey on a crossing bridge) 誠 Makoto (sincerity).
Take your real japanese name generator! today!
Created with Rum and Monkey's Name Generator Generator.

As Mark Isaiah David:

My japanese name is 秋本 Akimoto (autumn book) 直樹 Naoki (straight tree).
Take your real japanese name generator! today!
Created with Rum and Monkey's Name Generator Generator.

Coolness.

Dancing to a different beat

Movie Review: Happy Feet

At the concluding parts of the movie, I must admit that there was only doubt in my heart – for how could one penguin, no matter how adorable he is – change events that are so obviously beyond him? How could one penguin change the set ways of humans? How could one penguin affect the whole Antarctic Circle? I would not have acted like Mumble did. He saw a need so he went ahead and tried to do all that he could to do what needed to be done, despite not having a morsel of an idea what he could do. He walked blindly into the unknown – with only the conviction that something must be done. Despite the pre-knowledge that this was a kiddie movie and that the producers would present a suitable resolution, I only had doubt.

To read the rest of the review, click here or visit the FullCup site.

Wii kicks ass

There's no other way to describe it -- the title says it all. Nintendo's newest gaming console bitch slaps competition like Marshall's massive hands as he gives Barney the 1st of five officially-sanctioned hits.

(If you don't know the show I alluded to, you really should start getting a hold of HIMYM).

Back to Nintendo's Wii (pronounced as 'we'), while other gaming consoles such as the PS3 and XBox 360 are engaged in pissing contests on the number of pixels rendered and additional, yet mundane things you could do with the console (such as watching DVDs), Wii leaves them all behind as it delivers a feature looooooooooooooong longed-for and imagined but never-before delivered: kinetic play.

Remember Daimos? Instead of lamely pushing buttons and pulling levers while battling enemy monsters, the hero is instead acting out the moves of the robot -- if he wants Daimos to kick, then he'd have to act out the kick himself. Wii does the same. With the help of a wireless controller that responds to your own actions, console gaming has just been redefined.

Imagine the soft thwack! of the tennis ball as you time your swing perfectly to return the unimpressive serve of your opponent. Maintain your stance and mind your elbow swing as you try a hole-in-one in golf. Carry the weight of the mountain in your swing as you chop off the heads of your enemies. Concentrate when you release that 10-pin when you play bowling. All of these done in real-world live action, baby. It's body kinetics at work, and it's far more satisfying than button mashing.

Like most new technologies, there are several hesitations about the Wii, like the fact that it takes more energy to play. But that may not be bad at all, as we combine exercise and play in a previously unfathomed level. Keep swinging that Wii controller the whole day and your actual swing might just improve a notch. It's easy to use, and everyone -- including those perpetually befuddled on which button to push, can use it.

I won't be surprised if the next generation of this console would have several wireless transmitters to be placed on different parts of the body and a 360 degrees goggle for a whole virtual reality experience. Yeah, that's how awesome this technology promises to be.

So you can have the chance to salivate on your own, you could view this video from the Wii site. Check it out. I like this console so much I'm beginning to believe in Santa again.

Moving FullCup

FullCup has moved to its new online home!

Join in the fun! See an extensive collection of FullCup pictures, an update on the weekly messages and music at the Cup, a review of the latest music/concerts/christian books or movies, and a calendar of our activities! visit http://fullcup.multiply.com

UNtiED

Review: Hillsong UNITED Live in Manila
21 November 2006
Ninoy Aquino Stadium



When I first heard that Hillsong UNITED would play in Manila, I must admit that I wasn't as thrilled about the idea as my friends were. Not because I didn't like them; there's a reason why UNITED's songs are a staple at FullCup after all -- they're talented musicians and, more importantly, their songs speak to FullCup's young regulars -- but the thought of going to a worship-concert that is predominantly more of a concert than worship initially didn't sit well with me.

To be fair, I have always been a tad uneasy with corporate/group worship. I'm more of a one-man-raging-at-the-storm-and-his-God kind of guy. Even at church, I always sit nearest to the window, eyes closed or locked to the distant sky. As I sing with the congregation, I'm flung light years away -- to a place where there's only me and my God. As some friends who have witnessed the rare tears I let go during worship ask me why I cry, I always give them the same answer: if I can't cry to my Father, to whomelse can I cry? In short, for me, worship is an extremely intimate and personal event. Having around 30 or so people with me is disconcerting enough -- what more with a couple of thousand?

But it was a concert, so I decided to go. Some might say that it's a praise and worship event and not a concert, but that's not being honest -- we came there for the band; otherwise we wouldn't have needed to pay P800 to get in. Ask anyone who argues if they'd pay that much to watch FullCup Project or Alab or any other worship team in the various churches in the metropolis. Yeah, I thought so too.

So I came into the event with misgivings. If it were packaged as a concert, I wouldn't have had any problem, but the event's tagline pegged itself as "the worship night of your life" -- a tall and presumptuous claim by the marketing people, if you ask me. Besides, I believe one of the must-do's of a praise and worship team is to never NEVER interfere with the worship of the people -- either with botched playing/singing or by the 'celebrity status' by the team. If a guy comes to church primarily to hear the team perform and secondly to worship, the whole point is ruined for me.

As concerts go, UNITED did extremely well. From the get-go, everyone in the stadium was jumping up and down, joining in at virtually every song of the line up. Nevermind that the venue was too small, or that the organizers continued their bad habit of overselling tickets, or that the aircondition was woefully ill-suited for the number of people who came, or that five minutes into the concert and the combined sweat of the throng and space constraints of the venue gave an unpleasant smell, or that the LCD screens were ridiculously small, or that the organizer's spokeperson kept using the Name of the Lord to manage the crowd. The band was superb, the audience extremely enthusiastic. As concerts go, we were having a hell of a good time.

Fortunately, 'a good time' is so... pedestrian, compared to the plans of my God. Sometime after the first two or three songs -- just after letting the people scream out their excitement for actually being in a UNITED concert -- the whispers of the Spirit began stirring in the heart. The circumstances might have been far from perfect, but Jesus did promise that whenever two or three are gathered in His name, He will be there. And as He has always been, that night too, He was faithful to His word.

A little later in the evening, the band gave exhortations and clarified the purpose of their tour -- something that the Spirit was already whispering in our souls. Between shouting and praising and clapping, and singing, some of us found ourselves talking with God despite the stars right before our eyes.

God is in control. I was reminded of that last night as I sang along with the Christian's counter-culture version of the Black Eyed Peas, U2, or any of the hottest bands these days. If I believed that God is able to work through my sins and shortcomings, why shouldn't He be able to do the same despite the complications brought by UNITED's talent and fame and the star-struck attitude of the audience?

Somewhere along the way, we found ourselves worshipping, more than joining in on the concert. Suddenly, the songs were not just excellent, they were true. Despite my initial misgivings, I found myself having the time of my life -- like any other time I was aware of my God's presence.

In the end, as one of my most favorite UNITED song goes, my God saves the day, and His Word never fails. My God made a way... it's gonna be all right. A good time is not what He intended, therefore He gave us an amazing grand time. UNITED's passion and performance was able to usher us into communing with our God -- and that, I think, is the highest praise that can be given to any worship team.



Author Notes: This review is also posted on FullCup's new site. It's still under construction, and we'll launch it real soon, but hey, feedback on the new site is welcome Ü

beautiful ones

I’ve always wondered how it would feel to be the face in the billboard. To have a face or physique that could well earn a living. To be able to make the hearts of girls thrum with the merest sight of me, and to leave them giggling and flustered with a simple smile.

How does it feel, to have that power? How much more effective could i be if i had a face like Piolo Pascual’s, which, they say, can make knees tremble and hearts buckle? If I had the height and physique of Marc Nelson, how much easier could my life become?

To read the rest of the article, click here or visit Still Earthbound.

cabin fever

im restless and nauseous and my feet are raring to go. I can't keep my thoughts coherent and I keep forgetting stuff I'm supposed to remember. I can't keep focus -- it's like a withdrawal for some addiction.

I want to propel myself away.

I'll just walk and walk through Session Road and get lost on many of Baguio's streets. I need that -- I need to get lost. I need the time to wander around and give opportunity to the voices in my head to settle down and organize themselves. I need to pray. I need some decisions.

So if this trip my friends and i are planning won't pan out, I think i'd go on my own. stay in a hotel, get up early, watch the city wake up, walk all day, not talk to anyone, and get lost.



that would be good.

The right to dare You

neena's recent post came as a shrill whistle violently jerking me from an unnoticed slumber. "HOW DARE I SETTLE FOR LESS?" my mind screams. For wasn't I made for the stars? Isn't my creator mightiest of all? Am I actually saying He's impotent? 'Cause that's what I'm saying everytime I settle for what's not best.

When was the last time I asked Him to move mountains? To silence demons, to raise from the abyss? When was the last time I asked and confidently expected from my father? When did I stop badgering Him for His promises? Why in the world have I allowed myself to believe in my own lies (my self worth, the things i think i would be incapable of doing) instead of taking Him for His Word?

i'm more of a fool than i ever thought i was. Refusing my father's hands to work on me because I stopped expecting Him to do so -- essentially castrating my God on my life as I've settled on what I see in everyday. I call those who turn their backs on Him as imbeciles while I'm here satisfied with scraps when I'm invited at an honored place at His table. I've known myself a liar all my life, and I actually allowed myself to believe in my own propaganda.

Moron.

I can't wait for You to bring me to my knees and raise my head to the heavens, Abba.

high calling

a mini-exodus of sorts is happening among the young people of our church, specifically the college students. Some of these young people -- dear friends of ours -- have moved to a student-oriented church, letting go of ministries and without really meaning to, hurting some of the people they have left, and raising confusion among the youth still with us.

I get why they leave -- this 'new' church's main focus is missions and the call of adventure, the very thought of being personally called (me! he called my name!), stirs a passion and bestows a sense of purpose and direction that the youth craves. It is no coincidence, after all, that most conversions happen in college -- this is the time when one decides the kind of person he will be for the rest of his life. This is the time when we ask ourselves the most about our purpose in life and where we want to go.

This 'new' church issues a clear call and provides direction to all those willing to take it -- and it is undoubtedly a worthy calling. To spread the Word of God is a privilege and a duty commissioned to ALL believers. For the love of their God, they are trained to the high calling of becoming his speakers and church builders where worship of the Christ is nonexistent.

For a young man who looks desperately at the huge cosmos and asks himself what it all means and wonders where his place is in this vast mystery, the clear and unequivocal calling of missions is like a blazing lighthouse in the middle of a dark, stormy sea. Here is a clear-cut direction. Here is an evident purpose. In the tempest of confusion that we call life, an unambiguous course -- a clear vision -- is a lifeline we all search for.

Frankly, in the list of options a confused young man can choose in his life, devoting oneself to missions is one of the better calls he could answer.

My church, however, focuses on a more vague, less clear-cut vocation: the high calling of everyday living. We are charged to shine as christians regardless of who we are or where we're placed -- no matter how seemingly ordinary it is. On our jobs, our families, our duties, ourselves. Our task is to sweep the floor, teach children, sell our goods, pray faithfully, be a gentle boss, a father-friend, an honest officer, a cheerful fisherman, a good friend, a diligent student, a law-abiding everyday man -- all done in the way that Jesus would want us to do.

It is a far less... flamboyant vocation. Unlike in missions where the harvest is readily apparent, the fruits of everyday living for Christ is harder to determine. Not a month would pass when a 9-to-5 guy would ask himself if the small cubicle in his flourescent-riddled office is where he's really meant to be and if the stack of papers in his desk really glorifies his God. To the overwhelmed mother who has to change the diapers of her baby while cooking for her three other children, everyday living can seem more of a burden than a godly calling.

And yet, the Bible says that eternal life is given to every believer regardless of their post. Whether you're a pastor or a barber, you have the same calling -- to worship the Lord with your life. There is no 'higher calling' simply because you are already called to do the utmost: to live for your God.

I get why some of our youth left our church -- heck, i get the same heart pounding desire to drop everything and join missions like they do. I just hope that in time, they realize while it is a worthy endeavor, it is not the only thing they can do for their God. There are no hierarchies here, no question on which vocation is more favored. The command is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all of yourself -- wherever you happen to be.


(*photos from shutterstock)

not-so-fresh press

gave up on seeing it in print two weeks after i submitted it, but PDI's youngblood finally printed my article last Saturday. To my legions of fans (yes, that's you, mom), you could (re)-read the piece here.

John says it's badly edited, and he has a point. Osteen's name comes out like a surprise left hook -- all you could mutter is, 'where did tha come from?'

(*photo from shutterstock)

we all need a nathan

Kevin "the token white guy" recently made a post on the nathan of our lives. and he's right. we all need one in our lives.

come read Ü

sa buong magdamag

ailene's casual mention of a woman singing "yayakapin kita, mahal ko, sa buong magdamag..." propels me to a memory, a wish, a dream of cool nights, hot lights, and a woman singing her heart out, twisting one's soul to pudding. my knees buckle, my breath quickens, and once again, i am among the throng of bodies bumping, watching from afar.

do you remember?

the woman's captivating voice ensnares me, and whisks me away to a room dark, but not blinding; hot, but not suffocating. the rhythm thrums, my head sways, the cold drink makes me even more thirsty, and our eyes meet. careful. uninhibited. calculated. free. mysterious. familiar. she's mine, and she never is.

an unguarded moment and a heady opm that floods me are all it takes to make me remember things i thought i'm past doing: dancing with someone. a kiss worth worlds. getting lost in the crowd. pulsating loins. a heart about to burst.

i love being in love.

(*photos from shutterstock)

easy days

Yesterday's holiday was a godsend -- woke up to an ethereal peaceful morning and proceeded to play games all day. was finally able to finish both the evil and good campaigns of EA Games' Battle for Middle Earth 1. Next stop: BFME II. (thanks to Glenntot for giving me the games).

Was also able to sneak in episodes of How I Met Your Mother and Grey's Anatomy. Robyn is so dreamy. hehehe. I'm going to watch LOST later, if i have the time. Thanks to ida for her downloads.

Merienda was fun. Donuts and hotdogs and puto bungbong and isaws. Leah was hungry so we pigged out.

This post is pointless... but so relaxing. kinda like my day yesterday.


let's have more of that, shall we? Ü

talking in shadows

and perhaps it was fitting that we talked in shadows.


because there are things that we do that we keep in the dark. we lie and keep it hidden... precisely because we know that it won't last long in the light.

but we have to. because aren't we more than conquerors of these things? isn't our birthright worth more than this warm porridge, inviting as it may seem while we're ravenous with hunger but utterly worthless compared to what we're exchanging it for?

we drag our skeletons out in the day, painful and shameful as they may be, because we know -- WE KNOW -- we've been purchased out of the dark. So we exorcise our demons, our bondages, our illicit thrills, because as princes clothed in robes as white as snow, wallowing in the muck is an abomination to the King who is in us.

so in your quest of deliverance from these things that haunt you, some things remain. Your King is still with you. Transgressions would need to be exposed and thrown into the abyss. I still stand with you.

it will hurt.
we will bleed.
and we will lose some of the things we cherish.

but we will be free.