One more.

I just came home from a wedding rehearsal. The wedding is tomorrow, and this will be the fourth wedding I’m attending this year, third one I’m going to sing at. The couple asked me about 2 weeks ago to sing at the ceremony, which is such a privilege, but I just realized that I don’t have a huge wedding repertoire to choose from, I had to scramble to find a song. Thank God for my 13-year-old cousin, Diane, however. She will be accompanying me on the guitar to a song called “Beautiful Surprise” by india.arie, one of my favourite artists. Beautiful song with beautiful lyrics. I was saving this song for my own wedding, but it looks like I’m going to have to find a new song to sing for that special occasion. Or maybe, I should write one. Oh well, it’s not going to happen anytime soon, so I have plenty of time (hah!). Now, I need to figure out what to wear.

I think an update is in order.

It’s been quite a while since I last posted. Here’s a summary, of what has happened since my last post:

• Annual Porras Clan Thanksgiving : Held at the Lacabas’ home in Cerritos. As usual, food was a-plenty. We had the usual Thanksgiving fare like turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and corn. But then of course, there’s my Auntie Emily’s famous pot roast in mushroom au jus, and this year she pulled out all the stops with the au jus and added seafood in it! Yum-o! After dinner, we all sat down and watched April and Jeremy’s wedding video, and reminisced. Tears flowed once again, thanks to Christine! LOL She started the cry-fest! And thanks to Dorothy as well for singing “Always Be My Home” during the candle ceremony, which made us all teary-eyed! Sheesh!
• New Kids on the Block concert: April and I went to the NKOTB reunion concert at the Nokia Theater LA Live! in Downtown L.A. (by the Staples Center) and had a blast, singing along to their classics like, “The Right Stuff”, “Please Don’t Go Girl”, “If You Go Away” (my personal fave), “I’ll Be Loving You Forever”, “Hangin’ Tough” and much more. What a trip down memory lane! I had such so much fun at the concert despite the fact that my ears were ringing from 30-year-old women screaming in my ear! LOL They are all still HOT, but I’m partial to the “Dark Knights” – Jordan and Jonathan! Those 2 have always been my favourites, with Joe a close third. I can’t wait for a summer tour! Oh, and their new CD, with all new songs, is pretty good.
• “A Night of Thanksgiving” Fundraising concert: In Harmony participated in a fundraising concert sponsored by Crossroads Christian Fellowship to benefit their summer mission work (and church-plant) in Coron, Palawan, Philippines. A lady named Stephanie Reese, who starred as the lead Kim in Miss Saigon in Germany, headlined the concert, along with Sal Malaki, a tenor from the Los Angeles Opera, and the sole Filipino member, as well as Edward Granadosin, a tenor, formerly of the University of the Philippines’ Madrigal Singers and a Christian contemporary group, Back on Track.
• Towards the end of November, I was offered the position as Music Director of Olive Christian Church, the church I’m currently a part of, which I accepted whole-heartedly and gratefully. It’s a bit overwhelming, but I consider it a blessing and a privilege. I have to admit, when I had shared it to some people, I receive some reactions that I didn’t quite expect. And I’ll just leave it at that. All I know is that, the Lord has called me for a reason, and I’m doing His work, not mine. God will do what He said He will do, I’m just a vessel that He’s using. And I say, “use me, Lord”. It’s unfortunate that some people see it either as a job, a menial task, or some extra-curricular activity at church. On the surface, that may be true. However, it’s so much deeper than that, and I take it very seriously. It’s a long road ahead, and there may be some bumps along the way, but God will accomplish what He’s set out to do with the Music ministry at Olive. I’d appreciate everyone’s prayers and support.

Christmas is almost here! But somehow it hasn’t hit me yet. I guess it will start to hit me when I finally get myself to the stores to go shopping for gifts. However, I’m looking forward to our holiday break and just being with family and friends. I’m grateful for family and friends and it’s always a blessing and a joy to spend this season with them.

In light of the events of late.

Congratulations to President-Elect Barack Obama. I am praying that God will grant you the wisdom to lead this great nation. God bless you. There are a lot of great expectations, but people have to realize you are human, and you have strengths and weaknesses. I hope they realize that and just be supportive of you.

With that said,

Is there any hope? Of course, always… in Jesus Christ!
—Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)- “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Is there an answer to the world’s problems? Yes - Jesus Christ.
—2 Chronicles 7:14 (ESV) “if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Is there hope for change? Yes! Only real change comes by giving your life to the lordship of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I was listening to Frank Pastore’s radio show on KKLA 99.5 FM a couple of days ago and he urges us (brothers and sisters in Christ) to outlive and out-love the world, the way Jesus wants us to.

Matthew 5:13 “you are the salt of the earth” - go forth and preserve, give flavour and sting.

It’s that time of the year again.

I woke up this morning with the sniffles. Ugh! It’s that time of the year again! I’ve been sitting here at work, sneezing and blowing my nose endlessly. I took some allergy medicine but it doesn’t seem to work. I really hope it’s just the allergies because I cannot afford to be sick, especially in the next couple of months what with all the church functions and singing. I actually didn’t get sick at this time last year, I’m determined to fight this off! More liquids, lots of rest (hah!). I ain’t goin’ down ya’ll. Prayers please! Thanks much.

Last Sunday, our church, Olive Christian, celebrated 15 years of God’s faithfulness! We sort of pulled together the planning almost last-minute, but it went really smoothly (almost!), except for the fact that we started half-hour later than we intended. We were blessed to have Saddleback Church’s Ohana (their Aloha Friday Night group), and they shared to us their gifts in song and dance. Praise God for a wonderful time and for those who came and celebrated with us!

I’ve heard it said that death usually comes in threes - and it’s certainly the case these past couple of weeks. Two weekends ago, my Uncle Joel (my mom’s cousin), passed away. He died of a heart-attack and he wasn’t even 50 years old. He is survived by his 3 kids: Jeremiah, Abigail, and John. Their mom passed away about 7 or 8 years ago. Then last weekend, my friend Marnie informed me that her aunt passed away. And just yesterday, she also informed me that her paternal grandmother passed away in the Philippines. It’s always an emotional blow whenever a loved one passes on. I know it all too well. The first few days, you go into survival mode, because there are so many things to take care of. It only starts to hit you when everything’s done, when the dust settles so-to-speak. And that’s when you actually mourn. And I’m sure that my cousins and my friend will go through that phase. But I know that they take comfort in the fact that their loved ones are in Jesus’ arms (they were all believers), and hold on to the hope that they will see them again someday. Please keep all of these families in your prayers. Thank you.

OK, let’s switch gears and not end this on a somber note. Still reeling from last night’s episode of Heroes - what in the world is going on?! It’s getting crazier and crazier and more confusing! Bad guys turning into good guys and vice versa! Have to wait 2 weeks for a new episode. They’re making up for a not-so stellar season last year (and of course, the writer’s strike didn’t help!). Should be a good season.

My blatherings end here for tonight.

My heart’s desire…

I’ve been listening to this song here at work over and over… The greatest desire of my heart, but because I am human and in this imperfect flesh, I find it a struggle at times. But I press on, by His grace, I press on…

“YEARN”
(by Shane & Shane)

Holy design
This place in time
That I might seek your face, my God
My God

Lord I want to yearn for You
I want to burn with passion
Over You, and only You
Lord I want to yearn for You
I want to burn with passion
Over You, and only You
Lord I want to yearn

Your joy is mine
Yet why am I fine
With all my singing and bringing grain
In light of Him

Oh You give life and breath
In You we live and move
That’s why I sing

“96,000″

Allow me to rave about this a little more…

“Sylar stole my brain.”

I’m a bit discombobulated right now. Thus, the title of this blog. I feel like Sylar did steal my brain. I’m not quite sure why I’ve been the way I am for the past few days. I noticed this ever since I returned from New York. The time-difference wasn’t THAT drastic, so I highly doubt that’s the reason (I’d be totally surprised if it is! - LOL). I don’t quite know how to describe it, it’s like my brain is in a fog right now.

NYC Tales - Part deux:

My trip to NYC was way too short. I wish I had stayed ’til the end of the week. Just when I had started to get used to the time difference, it was time for me to return to L.A. I didn’t even make my way uptown! That’s OK, I’ll save it for my next NYC trip. (Yes, I’ve caught the bug again!)

The wedding was wonderful, by the way. I had mentioned on my previous blog the reason why I went to the East coast, and that’s because one of my cousins got married. The ceremony was held at a beautiful Catholic church in New Jersey (St. Aloysius). The reception was held at a country club in upstate NJ. I’ll post some pictures as soon as I’m able to.

Was able to meet up with my friends Ken and Grace and finally meet their kids, Karael and Kal-el (any Superman fans out there?). It was also great to see his mom, Auntie Beth, whom I haven’t seen in years, and his brother Kevin, who was also visiting, from Toronto. We swung by their condo and did a little bit of catching up, as well as watch Ken’s big-screen debut in “Transformers” - haha (well, he wasn’t actually in the movie, there was a clip of him at BotCon last year and it was included in the Special Features disc). Also met up with my friend Karen, who used to live in Long Beach and went to the same church as me. She moved to NYC about 3 years ago, it was great to see her again. Can’t forget the Big Smooth himself (he’ll be Big Poppa soon!), our friend, and ex-Ordinary People compadre, Bo. He accompanied my family and I on our whirlwind tour of Manhattan, and we got to reminisce about the days when we were young…BOP! (inside OP thing, just listen to Boyz II Men’s “Thank You” for reference).

Highlights of this trip: the 4-hour whirlwind tour of Manhattan with 11 people (my family - we’re quite a sight to behold when we’re on family trips - LOL), a 3-hour boat tour around the whole island of Manhattan (I highly recommend this, especially for those who’ve visited NYC, but want a different perspective on it), Grey’s Papaya, walking around the Village at night (I’ve always wanted to do that), buying apple crisps at Magnolia Bakery, finding a Yogurtland in the Village, “IN THE HEIGHTS”!!!!, posing for pics with most of the cast (but no Lin-Manuel Miranda - bummer), Century 21 (gosh, that place is insane - LOL), and of course - White Castle Burgers’ CRAVE CASE!

All-in-all I had a fantastic time, even though it was quite quick. All the more reason for me to take a trip back, and soon I hope! Pictures to follow soon!

“Heights” Cool Musical - “Bet On It”

My new fave. While I was in New York this past week, I went to see a new musical called, “In The Heights”, on Broadway, which won the Best Musical at this year’s Tony Awards. April and I got front row (dead center!) tickets via lottery (courtesy of Gary) for last Tuesday’s performance. Needless to say, I was hooked. Which brings me to this video that I’m posting right now. It’s by the creator of ITH, Lin-Manuel Miranda. I believe it’s a promotional video for his then off-Broadway musical, which spoofs Zac Efron’s “Bet On It” from HSM2 complete with the dance moves! Hilarious!

Anyway, if you liked “Rent” or if ever you’re in New York and wonder what musical to see, I highly recommend “In The Heights”.

NYC Tales - Part 1

As I had mentioned previously on my blog, I am in NYC! Today was “see-NYC-in-4-hours” kind of a deal, as some of my relatives have never been to Manhattan before. It was a whirlwind tour and we hit pretty much the major places to go to, including Rockefeller Center. As soon as I set my foot on Rockefeller Center Plaza, I immediately did my “The Right Stuff” dance along with my friend Bo and my cousin April, in honour of the New Kids’ May 5th performance at the very same spot! I wish I had someone capture that on video, but we were too giddy to do anything else but dance, so it will only live on in our memories. Good times, good times.

I’m so wishing I’d be back in L.A. for their concert this Wednesday, but alas, I will be still be on the plane heading home, while the concert is going on. :’( I’ll just have to wait ’til November 26th to get my chance.

I’m exhausted, time to hit the sack! Good night! (actually it’s technically morning now)

NYC, here I come!

I’m leaving for New York City this Friday, along with most of my relatives, and my mom. We’re all taking separate flights but we’re heading to New York for the same reason - one of my cousins, Rachel, is getting married this Saturday. I will only be staying for 5 full days over there, but I will definitely make it a point to savour every moment I spend in the city that has become very dear to my heart. Not only am I looking forward to the wedding, which will probably be very beautiful and emotional (they’ve been together since high school), but I’m looking forward to discovering NYC again. This will be my first time back to New York since 2002. I had been to NYC back in 1997 during a tour with my university chorale - was there for 2 days and 1 night, then again in 2001 once, and twice in 2002. I’d been wanting to return but have not had the opportunity nor a good reason to visit until now. I’ve always been praying for a proper holiday, and the Lord granted it! Praise God! So, “start spreadin’ the news, I’m leavin’ today”… well, actually, I’m leavin’ Friday - haha!

While in NY, I will try to catch a show (or 2) with my cousins. Possibly visit places that I was never able to visit during my previous trips to Manhattan. Too bad it’s not summer anymore, I really would’ve love to have checked out Shakespeare in the Park. It just reminded me of my friend, Nina, who’s currently doing missions with YWAM (Youth with a Mission) in England. She had mentioned to me over chat the other day that she was going to go to The Globe Theatre the following day and catch one of her favourite plays, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (also one of my faves). That is a dream come true! Shakespeare in the Park would’ve been as close as I would get to see Shakespeare’s work, until I actually get myself to England and watch it at The Globe. One day. *sigh*

Anyway, I will definitely post pictures of the trip on all of my many homes in cyberspace. LOL ‘Ta!

“Defying gravity…”

Guess what I’m seeing tomorrow night…for the 2nd time!

I love musical theater (and wish I could be in one), and Wicked has become one of my favourites. I really wish I could see the original cast, especially the original Elphaba (Idina Menzel - LOVE her!) and Glinda (Kristin Chenoweth - LOVE her too!). There are talks about a movie version of this (I wonder if they will ask Joe Mac to play Fiyero, and would he want to do it?), and I hope they do get both Idina and Kristin for the movie.

HEROES!!!

Season 3 starts tonight! Can’t wait! I’m waiting for Claude’s (Invisible Man, a.k.a. Christopher Eccleston, a.k.a. Doctor Who) return.

Madness!

I’m counting down the minutes ’til the end of the day. And what a day it has been! It’s our first week back from summer break so everyone’s been coming in or calling in to pay tuition fees, and finding new schedules for their lessons and such. Of course, we get the occasional irate parent complaining about late fees, etc… Argh! All the phone lines were ringing simultaneously and I’ve been answering inquiries all day today, I sound like a broken record! Anyway, thank God that the day is almost done! I actually have a few minutes to spare before heading in to do a presentation. In about 14 hours, I’ll be doing this all over again… FUN! I know I complain, but I love being busy. I can’t wait for October though. I finally get to take an actual holiday in years! During the first week of October, I will be heading to New York, along with family, to attend a cousin’s wedding, and some R-n-R in NYC! I haven’t been back to NYC since 2002, so I’m really excited about this trip. The past few times I’ve traveled out-of-town were usually for gigs, so they weren’t really actual holidays. I wish I could stay longer, but I need to be back at work right away because of the new semester that’s starting in October. *sigh*

I have beef with Starbucks by the way, and it’s about the new cups for their cold drinks. They’re actually using some sort of material that’s 15% less plastic, but it’s not very flexible at all, I have a hard time sticking the straw through the lid! And the lids aren’t very secure at all. This is unacceptable! I’m about to write them an e-mail expressing my dissatisfaction with the new plastic cups. *throws a fist up in the air*

I still have to get my hands on a copy of Heroes Season 2 DVD. Season 3’s coming up in 2 weeks, and I’m very excited! Apparently, a lot of the characters that I thought were gone forever are returning this season, including Claude (The Invisible Man, a.k.a. Christopher Eccleston, a.k.a. Doctor Who! - did you see how I managed to bring it back to Doctor Who? LOL). Ahhh, geekdom…

I’m sitting here at Starbucks…

…freezing my buns off, when it’s completely the opposite outside - so hot! You should see me right now, I’m actually wearing a hoodie! LOL I think they overcompensated for how hot it is outside! LOL

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to worship at a different church. It was our joint church service with our mother church, North Long Beach Christian Fellowship, and our other sister mission churches, the Cambodian and Hispanic congregations. We always have our joint services every time there’s a 5th Sunday in a month. Since this time around, our church, Olive Christian, didn’t really have any major part in the service, I took the opportunity to go visit Calvary Chapel - La Habra where my friend Vanessa worships. As much as I love our church family in Long Beach (the mother church, Olive and the Cambodian and Hispanic congregations), it was actually quite refreshing to be among other believers outside of the walls of our church building. It’s very rare for me to really just go to a church and just sit there and soak in the Word. Yesterday was just that. I didn’t have to think about leading worship or the congregational singing. I just sat there and listened to the word of God. I felt recharged.

Earlier today, I got to hang out with one of my oldest (in length of time, not in age - haha) and dearest friends, Marnie. We had lunch and then watched a Filipino movie showing at one of the theatres in Pasadena. I rarely get to see her, but it’s always fun when I do get to see her. We usually try to meet up every-so-often, but we end up seeing each other once a year or every 6 months. LOL I really hope to get to spend more time with her, she’s one of my oldest friends, whom I’ve known since birth. I will definitely make an effort to see her more often.

The fan-girl in me…

… had a moment yesterday. I attempted to see New Kids on the Block at their signing at Best Buy in Burbank, CA. LOL I know, I know, such a fan-girl. I didn’t actually get to meet them since I didn’t know about the signing until I checked my e-mail at work some time around noon, and I received an e-mail with the subject-line, “Meet New Kids on the Block”. Don’t know why I got that e-mail the day of the actual signing… But anyway, the e-mail said that they were going to have a signing around 7pm, but you have to pre-order their new CD earlier that day to get a pass to meet them. So, I sat there thinking, “gee, thanks for sending me the e-mail the day of!” Anyway, I went about my business, trying to finish up stuff at work, then 5:30pm hits, I finished what I needed to do, that was when I got the urge to just hop in my car and drive over there, just to see what was going on. I got there and saw that the line for the signing went all around the building. From what I heard from some BB workers, these people have been in line since 3am! Crazy! Well, I walked into Best Buy just right before the New Kids came out, and almost got trampled on by a bunch of 30-somethings, screeching at the sight of them… It was hilarious and frightening at the same time! I thought I was among teenaged girls! (And I thought watching an ‘NSync concert among 14-15 year olds was insane!)

Anyway, I didn’t get to meet them, but I did get a good glimpse of them, albeit 20-feet away, especially Jonathan, who is my fave, since he stood up a couple of times. But, it brought back a lot of my high school memories back when I was in Toronto (I had the tapes and the pullout posters from the teeny-bopper mags like BOP! and Tiger Beat - LOL), I felt like I was 15 all over again! LOL But even though I didn’t get to meet them, I was very entertained just watching the whole spectacle, seeing grown women crying because they had just met their fave New Kid! And some of them even brought their kids along! It’s a family affair! I’ll probably be seeing the same thing on Nov. 26th. Can’t wait… LOL

“I think it’s time for me to make a change…”

One of my favourite parables in the Bible is the one about the Prodigal son in Luke 15. I think it’s one of the most moving portraits of God’s unconditional love. Every time I hear this song from FFH, I keep imagining the prodigal son singing this song. I also think about those who have strayed from walking with Christ, and hoping that someday they would actually realize that they need to change before they fall so far away from God.

LITTLE CHANGE by FFH (Far From Home)

You’ve seen it all before
You open up the door and I just turn away
Walk the other way
You offer so much more
than I could ever ask for
But I say thanks anyway
I go on and on alone
Make believing I can make it on my own

(Chorus)

I think it’s time for me to make a change
And start walking back to you
Before I go so far away
That I can’t hardly see you
Reaching out,
calling the prodigal I said I’d never be
Now what I need is a little change

I’ve played the game before
But now the game is
taking more than I can give
And I’m dying to give in
But you’re holding out for me
But what you’re holding out for me
I can barely see
Because my visions’ so dim
I try, but I can only hardly recognize
This light that should be blinding my eyes.

(Repeat Chorus)

He wants his preciousss role again…

While I’m still holding out hope for the possibility that they would cast James McAvoy (my favourite Scot, next to Billy Boyd) as the young Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit, casting for Gollum is still up in the air as well because as of now, they haven’t formally offered it to Andy Serkis, Gollum/Smeagol himself! Argh! C’mon now! This is a no-brainer! They have to bring back Andy to play Gollum! I’m already ecstatic that Ian McKellen is back on board, they need another familiar face, it’s what the public wants (well, it’s what I want. LOL).

Now, about casting Thranduil (Legolas’ father), may I suggest Jason Isaacs? My only reservations would be that he would look so much like his Harry Potter character, Lucius Malfoy, when he dons that blond wig! LOL Other than that, I think it would be a very good casting move.

*steps off her geek soapbox*

“I want my preciousss role again…” ARTICLE HERE

Umm…huh?!

All weekend long, I’ve been frustrated with my laptop. “Why?” you ask. Well, a virus infiltrated it. And the worst part, and I’m not really proud of it, it’s all my fault! I tried to download something from the internet, and that’s what I get! Argh! I tried calling Dell’s technical support and ask them to walk me through reformatting my laptop. However, they said that since I bought the laptop at Best Buy, they have a deal with Best Buy that all tech support of all comps bought at Best Buy would be done by their “Geek Squad”. So, I tried calling Best Buy’s Geek Squad and asked if they could walk me through reformatting my laptop, and guess what they told me? Call Dell’s technical support! Ummm… OK. I mentioned to the lady on the other end of the line that I had already done that and they suggested that I call Best Buy. I asked her what to do at this point, so she suggested that I should take my laptop into a Best Buy store and ask them to reformat it for me. However, it would not be covered by the Performance Warranty that I purchased when I first bought my laptop. I should ask if it would be covered by the Manufacturer’s Warranty. OK, all this song-and-dance it’s a bit frustrating. I just need someone to help me reformat my laptop. After an hour on the phone (on hold, most of the time), I decided to take matters into my own hands and did a System Restore on my laptop. Thank the Lord, it looks like it worked! I couldn’t believe I spent an hour on the phone, and I didn’t get any help at all, and all I did was a click of the mouse, and it seemed to have fixed (I’m thinking temporarily) the problem! I really hope the problem won’t come back (Lord, please.).

Anyway, enough of my laptop woes. I’m gonna get some dinner. Watching Anthony Bourdain eating authentic Chinese food (in China, of course) is making me really hungry. I love his show, by the way, and Samantha Brown’s as well. I like pretty much every show that the Travel Channel airs. Yes, even Bizarre Foods! LOL

I feel like I’ve been gone so long…

I’m contemplating on whether I should go to the gym after work or head on over to Starbucks and prepare my lesson plan for Sunday school. I am feeling a bit sluggish today, partly because of the weather, and partly because laziness is slowly creeping in. Maybe I’ll study for a bit and then head over to the gym, they close late anyway.

I’m really excited about starting up our Wednesday Bible study again. We took a bit of a break right after the two weddings (April’s and Babie’s), and somehow it seemed like we were going to be on hiatus… permanently. But, praise God that He didn’t allow that to happen and impressed upon the heart of Pastor Rico Almiranez (PCC-Fountain Valley) to help us get it started again. I do miss our old set-up, doing inductive Bible study. However, I see how it can be a bit of a deterrent to others who are not part of our little circle. It would be hard for someone to kind of join in, and could completely get lost in what we’re talking about. We’re hoping that this new set-up would be a bit more “seeker-friendly”, since we are doing more of topical discussions which are relevant to what we’re going through as young adults/adults, and its practical applications. We’ve even brought back “praise and worship” time, which is nice because it helps us focus on Christ and be in tune with the Holy Spirit. Not to mention the fact that I’m starting to play my guitar again! It’s been collecting dust for the past few months! I pray that God will continue to give us the desire and the commitment, as well as give us the opportunity to invite people to come and join us, especially those who are seeking for more than what this world can offer.

Last Sunday, I, along with Cat, her parents, and Lawrence, was able to spend lunch with good friends/family that I haven’t seen in a while. April and Jeremy were down here in the So Cal area from their honeymoon in Malaysia, so we got to spend lunch with them, along with Babie and Mike, whom I haven’t seen in a while as well. It’s always nice to see good friends and spend time with them even if only for a little bit. These people are definitely a blessing to me, as they have been used by God, in one way or another, in encouraging me in my walk with Him.

For my brothers and sisters, I would like to share some prayer requests, if I may:

• Papers – most of you know what this is all about. Continue to pray for God’s will, and for patience on my part.

• Teaching Sunday school – I’ve been asked to take over the junior high and high school class. Pray for commitment on my part, and the kids’ desire to learn more about God.

• Finances – God always provides. Pray that I will continue to trust that He will provide, and to be a good steward of what He has already provided, and to live within my means (which is not always easy, especially in this materialistic world)and lastly (and people will be shocked that I’m being open about this):

• God’s will for me as far as a partner in life is concerned. To be honest, I haven’t really been praying about this and I haven’t felt the urgency, until now. Although, I have to say, I’m not desperate, but if it’s God’s will that I be married, I pray that He will continue to prepare me and whoever He has in store for me, until He feels that it’s time for us to meet. (Okay, ya’ll can pick up your jaws off the floor! LOL)

Before I forget, tomorrow is my cousin Emmeline’s (a.k.a. “Nini”) birthday. Happy Birthday, Ni! Have fun in the Philippines!

Nov 26 - rendezvous with NKOTB at the Staples Center! (Thanks, Sherry!)

I chopped off my hair.

Check it…

Got bored with my long hair. I think they took off almost 8 inches. It feels a lot healthier. I might keep it like this for a while.

Someone send me to Comic-Con!

Here’s the schedule for Comic-Con this year. Thursday, July 24th is the day!

12:00-1:00 Doctor Who—Writer Russell T Davies (Doctor Who), executive producer Julie Gardner (Torchwood), and writer Steven Moffat (Doctor Who) discuss their creative process and experience working on the BBC’s Doctor Who—Britain’s most successful sci-fi franchise—with exclusive clips and a Q&A session. Ballroom 20

1:00-2:00 Torchwood—Writer Russell T Davies (Doctor Who), executive producer Julie Gardner (Torchwood), writer Steven Moffat (Doctor Who), and actors John Barrowman, Gareth David-Lloyd, Naoko Mori and Burn Gorman discuss their creative process and experience on working on BBC America’s highest-rated show ever—Torchwood— followed by a Q&A session. Ballroom 20

John Barrowman and Co. are gonna be there! And Burn Gorman who played Owen in Torchwood! I love him!

Check these guys out! They are insane!



Brit-boys who can spit. The best of both worlds, indeed.

Is it 8pm yet?

I’m really, really sleepy right now. I’ve been sleepy since I got to work today. I’ve already had my Starbucks drink but didn’t have any kind of effect on me. I brewed some coffee here at work and helped myself with a cup - still no effect whatsoever! I don’t understand why I’m so sleepy. I slept considerably early last night (11-ish) and woke up around 9am! I don’t understand. (My eyes are actually half-closed as I’m typing this)

Southern California is experiencing a heatwave! Last Saturday was insanely sweltering hot, I didn’t know what to do with myself! And there’s no a/c at the apartment, so you can imagine how uncomfortable it was. Sunday wasn’t as bad, at least there was a breeze which made it a bit bearable. It has gotten better today, but it’s still 82 degrees outside and it’s almost 8pm. I should go to the beach or something. Anything to keep cool. A pool sounds good right about now.

Pray for the people of Iloilo City, Philippines. They were hit by a storm recently and lots of residents have lost their lives and have been displaced because of the flood that resulted. A pastor-friend’s family has been stuck on their rooftop without food for the past few days! Let’s lift them up in prayer.

Mr. Tumnus to play Bilbo Baggins?

There’s a buzz around Hobbiton that James McAvoy (Mr. Tumnus in Narnia, and Wesley Gibson in Wanted) is on the top of the list of actors being considered for the role of Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit!

If that happens, I will be one happy Ringer! I’ve loved James since seeing him in Rory O’Shea Was Here!

B-day.

Today would’ve been my dad’s 65th b-day. Happy birthday, Dad. I miss you so.

Lakers vs. Celtics tonight…

The legendary rivalry has been reawakened! This should be good for NBA. I could go either way on this - I used to love the Lakers back in the ’80s (during the “Showtime” era), and my dad used to love the Celtics (he liked Larry Bird’s style of play, not too showy). It doesn’t matter to me whoever wins, as long as they put on a good show for all of us. Although, I do like to take the mickey out of friends that I know are big Laker fans by telling them that I’m rooting for the Celtics. Makes it more interesting, you know?

Man, I miss my Jordan-era Bulls. *sigh*

Since the last time I had a proper post…

I haven’t had a proper post in a while, save for a couple of random videos and such. I guess I’m just too lazy to think of things to write about. (haha) But, I thought I should just post a quick update on all the happenings during the past month.

My friends Norlyn and Mike got married a couple of weekends ago. It was a very nice, and intimate ceremony. I was asked to coordinate the music part of the ceremony (i.e. praise and worship, and the unity candle song). Norlyn asked me to sing a song called, “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us” during the lighting of the unity candle. What a beautiful song it was, especially if your only background instrumentation is an acoustic guitar. The song speaks about the depth of God’s love for us, that He sacrificed His only Son, Jesus Christ, to save us, even though He didn’t have to, because we don’t really deserve it. It was a great day altogether, and I’m very happy for the newly-weds!

Last weekend, 3/4ths of In Harmony (i.e. Joyce, Tine and I) along with Tine’s kids, Nevaeh and Tristen, went up to Alameda (near Oakland) to visit the other newly-weds, Prel and Jer, and spend Memorial Day weekend with them. Jer’s brother Nat, their good friend, Elson, and Joyce’s boyfriend, Gary, also came. It was a nice getaway from L.A. altogether.

That Sunday morning, we went to visit a church in Hayward called The Neighborhood Church, and was very blessed by the Pastor’s message. I can’t recall it right now (since it’s too early in the morning, I should be sleeping actually - LOL), but I did write down notes. I’ll share them with you when I get a chance. But a couple of things stuck to me about the message - even though I feel like my life is at a stand-still or that I haven’t accomplished anything, I have to remember that God isn’t finished with me yet. As the verse says, (can’t recall the reference, and I’m paraphrasing) “He who began a good work in you, will be faithful to complete it”. When I think about the circumstances that have brought me to this point in my life thus far, I need to remember that God isn’t done yet. There’s more to come. Another thing that stuck to me was, some of us Christians don’t let the spirit of God work in our lives (or something to that effect) because it will be “too convicting”. We’re too afraid to face the fact that we’re not living Christ-like lives, or possibly don’t want to give up our worldly ways. I’ll try to expound more on that when I get a chance.

As far as my summer movie list is concerned, I’ve only seen one so far and that is Prince Caspian and all I have to say is, Orlando who? ahahahahahhahahahahaha

I have yet to see Iron Man (I know…LOL) and Indiana Jones (I know!)

On that note, I’m gonna get some zzzz’s.

Currently listening to: “Summertime” by NKOTB

Mark King, Jaydee Bass Solo, ‘The Tube’ 1985

Another video of Mark King doing his bass solo, on a Jaydee Bass. The video was shot in 1985 (I was 10 years old - Oh wow!).

Mark King (Level 42) “Mr. Pink” Bass Solo @ The Jazz Cafe

Mark King, lead soloist and bassist of the ’80s Brit-funk/pop/jazz group Level 42 (”Something About You”, “Lessons in Love”, “Running in the Family”), is my favourite bass player of all-time. He popularized the “slap-style” technique. On this video, he plays a headless bass with LEDs. Actually, the man can go faster than what he’s doing on this video.

They're "toxic".

Totally forgot how much I love this group.



Check them out in Vegas, when you get a chance. Well worth it. They’re at the Planet Hollywood Hotel.

Like fine wine...

Just gets better, and HOTTER, with age. ;)

Someone come with me to see them if they ever come to L.A.!!!

Summer movie extravaganza!

So many movies to watch this summer, soooo little time (and $$$)!

Iron Man - I have yet to see this!

The Dark Knight - Heath Ledger as the criminally-insane Joker. His action figures have been selling out in stores in NYC.

Prince Caspian - Given said that soon as Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes) comes on screen, he’ll yell out “I am Prince Caspian” complete with the accent. Weird boy.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - like I’m going to pass this up! One of my favourite movies series of all-time (see my Favourites list).

The Incredible Hunk - I’m hoping this will be a complete upgrade from Eric Bana’s The Hulk (that was really lame, no offense to Eric Bana, just the graphics department).

Wanted - James McAvoy, ‘nuf said.

Hancock - Another Will Smith summer movie!

Mamma Mia! - why not?

Hamlet 2 - Steve Coogan (I’m Alan Partridge) and Shakespeare? C’mon, it’s already funny just thinking about it!

Not thorough enough?

Not thorough? Try working everyday and basically doing everything, and see how much thorough one can get. Someone needs to put themselves in another person’s shoes, and then maybe they’ll earn the right to complain.

Of course, someone will read into this and think that it’s about them, as always. And you know what? It probably is.

More ear-candy.

Check it out.



They’re so good, they make me sick! Think Take 6 plus 1, and a bit more hip-hop? They are called, Naturally Seven.

And they lived happily ever after...

My cousin, April, got married this past Saturday to her bestfriend Jeremy. It was a wonderful day, but not without tears (of joy, of course). I thought I was going to be able to keep my composure and not cry, but soon as I saw her dad, my Uncle Jess, crying while walking her down the aisle, the waterworks started! Then, I look over to where her mom, Auntie Fel, was and that was it!

Pictures can be found at my aunt Patricia’s Multiply site:

Lacaba-Wu Wedding Photos

Up next is my friends Norlyn and Mike’s wedding in a couple of weeks! Looking forward to that one!

Ahhhhh!!!

They’re back!

This is too much! Look at Jonathan! He was my fave. *sigh* Still cute. He’s what, pushing 40? Still looks good! And Donnie, I loved him in Band of Brothers (Lt. Carwood Lipton)! Mmmm… I’m thinking of going to see them in concert when they tour this year, since I didn’t get a chance to when I was in high school (during their heyday). Anyone wanna go with me?
Just in case no one has a clue as to who these guys are, they’re New Kids on the Block.

One more.

Don’t know why, but I’m on a serious Rockapella trip. Here’s another fave, song they wrote with me in mind called “California Sad Eyed Girl”…haha I need sleep.

Scotty boy, I know you did. lol

I miss this song...

“Don’t Tell Me You Do” by Rockapella. They need to put back this song into their live concert repertoire…PERMANENTLY.

And for the “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?” fans, here’s a gem.



"The warrant!" Fun times.

Still up.

It’s almost 2am and I’m still up, watching re-runs of America’s Next Top Model - Cycle 1 (darn it, VH1!), and I’m thinking Janice Dickinson has such an abrasive personality. She is comparable to nails running down a chalkboard. Gosh, I need sleep!

Gush alert!

I love DOCTOR WHO!!!

and Torchwood too (Captain Jack Harkness!).

That’s it, I’m done.

Feeling a bit nostalgic.

I was perusing through Myspace and made my one of my very rare visits to the old school Ordinary People Myspace page. Looking through the pictures just took me way back, and I realized that I miss being in that ministry a whole lot. I can’t believe that it’s been more than 10 years since our first concert together, in the summer of 1997. Last year, we celebrated the 10-year-mark of that ministry with a new set of fresh faces performing the same musical production we did 10 years ago, The Extra Mile. I praise God that the legacy lives on! Anyway, to get a jist of what I’m talking about, head on over to the Ol’ Skool OP Page.

From one of the topical studies that I read today - “The Vital Importance of Biblical Discernment” by John MacArthur (a.k.a. “Johnny Mac”) Just wanted to share with all my brothers and sisters. Here are a couple of excerpts

“…discernment is an area where most Christians stumble. They exhibit
little ability to measure the things they are taught against the infallible
standard of God’s Word, and they unwittingly engage in all kinds of unbiblical
decision-making and behavior. In short, they are not armed to take a decidedly
biblical stand against the onslaught of unbiblical thinking and attitudes that
face them throughout their day.”

“Discernment, the ability to think biblically about all areas of
life, is indispensable to an uncompromising life. It is incumbent upon the
Christian to seize upon the discernment that God has provided for in His
precious truth! Without it, Christians are at risk of being “tossed here and
there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians
4:14).”

I've finally joined the 21st century...

… in studying the Bible that is. I’ve recently discovered that Crosswalk.com offers online Bible study for people like me who spend a lot of time in front of a computer. It’s pretty convenient and when I actually have some down time at work, I just click on over to that site and catch up on my reading (I’m way behind, by the way). It also helps you keep track on your readings, and it’s very useful for inductive study (gives you cross-references, footnotes, and you can even make notes). They also have topical studies by different preachers, writers, commentators from Rick Warren to John Piper.

So, if you’re someone on the go, and who always find yourself in front of a computer, I recommend Crosswalk.com.

Wow...

…33.. I still can’t believe it. *gulps* haha

No fanfare, no bells and whistles. Spent the whole day doing absolutely nothing, which was bliss! The one day I didn’t think about what’s waiting for me at work. Ahhh… that was a good birthday… Hey, I’m low-maintenance, I’m easily pleased.

Got to have lunch today with Geneyem and baby Sabrina. It was great seeing both of them. Last time I saw Yum, she was just about to pop! Let’s do it again sometime G!

Thanks for the birthday wishes!

My week, summed up.

Earlier this week, I received sad news that the mom of a family friend passed away. My mom, aunt, and cousins and I went to the viewing on Tuesday night, to pay our last respects and show our love and support for the family. Old friends whom I haven’t seen in years were there and although it was a very sad occasion, it was quite heart-warming to see old familiar faces as well.

It’s been raining quite a bit this week. Not a fan of it, I must say. I hate driving in the rain for the most part. Last night was quite challenging in particular, driving home from my friends’ house. The rain was pouring quite hard, and as I was making my way to the freeway, I was debating whether I should just talk side streets home or hop on the freeway (which will be quicker). At the last minute, I decided to hop on the freeway. Boy, was that a bad idea! My tires were skidding (is that a word?), and I couldn’t pick up my speed because I know for sure I was going to fishtail it if I went any faster than 40 miles/hour (I know! On the freeway!). I prayed that the Lord would keep me safe, and He did. Mental note: Do not take the freeway when it’s pouring rain!

This week, I’ve been rediscovering Doctor Who. I haven’t had a chance to watch David Tennant as The Doctor, but I’ve been catching up on the season in which Christopher Eccleston is the Doctor, and I’m hooked! I just love him! I think he’s such a fantastic actor, who hasn’t really gotten a lot recognition up until last year, when he joined Heroes as Claude, the invisible man. I really hope his character comes back (didn’t he die? I can’t recall. But it’s TV, they can bring back characters who are supposedly dead - haha).

Last night, I went to see The Color Purple (the musical) with April, Babie and Cat. Wow! It was great! It was an enjoyable experience. I was laughing out loud in some parts, hootin’ n’ hollerin’ in some, and cried in some. At some points, I even felt like we were havin’ church! (*throws hands up in the air* “Weeelll…..”) Michelle Williams, of Destiny’s Child fame, played Shug Avery. At first, I didn’t quite know what to expect from her, but I thought she did a great job with that character. She had most of the “big” solos/duets. It was moving, and the actress who played Celie (I believe this was Whoopi Goldberg’s character in the film), was so engaging. Her name escapes me at the moment. I felt for her as Celie. You really don’t need to see the movie to appreciate the musical. I haven’t (I know, shame! - haha). Well, I’ve seen parts of it when it was shown on TV once, and have started reading the book when I was in highschool, but I’ve never seen (nor read) it in its entirety. If you haven’t seen the musical, I recommend you check it out.

"Just and Illusion..."

Song lyrics from “Just an Illusion” by Kevin Max (formerly of DC Talk)

Loving the good life won’t produce your heaven on earth
The fatal seduction?
The assumption you can live without God in your life.

It is so simply put, but it drives the point across. Sadly, even Christians take on this mind-set. Some of us are so caught up in the trappings of this world, the line between being of Christ and being of this world is blurred to the point that the line is not there anymore. And they think it’s OK, because no one else sees the sin. But God does. We always here it said, “we can be in the world, but not of the world.” When are we taking a stand for Christ? We’d risk compromising our faith just so we can be with the “in” crowd? Jesus said, in Luke 21:17 (ESV), “You will be hated by all for my name’s sake.” And a lot of us can’t handle that because we worry too much about what the world thinks of us, than what God thinks of us. I hear people criticize fellow Christians for being “too Christian” or being in “the bubble” so-to-speak. I can understand why that can be a source of criticism. But when I think about it, some of these Christian brothers and sisters just strive to live a life worthy of the calling. Maybe the way they go about it could be viewed “legalistic” in some aspects, but their desires and intentions come from wanting to please God and show Him how much they love Him. Can I say the same thing for myself? Not quite, but hopefully, I can.

This year, I pray that the Lord will truly do some major changes in the way I view my life and this world. There are things I know that need a complete overhaul, and things that need reinforcing. I’m at a stage in my life where I need to be thankful for everything that God has provided me with. I don’t have a degree, and I know that people look at that as some sort of failure or disappointment. Therefore, I don’t have the “dream” job I’ve always wanted. I know I made wrong decisions in my life, and God showed me the consequences of those decisions, but He has led me out of those consequences, and is continuing to help me accept this part of my life. Who knows what the next year will bring? But I need to learn to be content, because God showed me that He is faithful and He continues to provide for my needs. I’ve learned how to live by faith. My prayer is for God to help me continue to focus on things that matter, things that are of His, and try to accomplish the work that He’s set out for me to do. Everything else is “just an illusion”.