We wonder how we can seize time and put it on hold.

No matter how hard we try to freeze or slow down time, it can never happen; it will never happen.

Time is elusive. Time is intangible. It flows on its own.

Man hasn’t found any natural and artificial way to contain and manage time. We can only manage ourselves and our resources according to our chosen time.

We are grateful for the good things that had transpired. We dream to become better persons each passing day. We know that the best is yet to come.

Reflecting on the past makes us realize our character, top priorities and shortcomings. After reflecting, we have to change our mind and to move on. It’s a process of self-reflection and self-correction.

Gaining foresight—a better perspective of the future—would inspire us to keep on learning rapidly and correctly from our experience and from the experience of others.

But life is not just about the past and the future. We have to deal with the present also.  Passing through challenges shape us into better persons, if that’s how we want to become.  We must be assertive in making right decisions; otherwise, someone will decide for you. How we communicate our decisions is another story.

At the end of the day, many of us try to figure out if there are things we need to stop doing and to keep on doing, being mindful that we want to improve the quality of our life until we reach our twilight years.

“Remember your Creator in the days of your youth…” – Ecclesiastes 12:1

Do you have a plan for your personal growth next year?

If I were to give one new message before year 2011 ends so we can fully embrace year 2012 with delight, it would be about “planning for one’s personal growth.”

There is no “person” here on this earth who is primarily involve in your personal growth, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, except you. However, you can consult someone or a group of people about growth so you can have time to think about it in detail.

It’s a blessing from the Lord to have people around us who are willing to help us proactively,  whom we can be accountable to, in different aspects of our life—-like our career, health, spiritual life and ministry commitments, and family life if you are married and/or you have kids.

God, in His sovereignty, ,may choose to set His “perfect will” or “permissive will” on man. And many times, God would honor our aspirations if these are in line with His desires.

So, what do you want for your life?

Plan for your personal growth while the new year is still unfolding.

Let me suggest a few things on planning:

Be God-centered 

We have to define who will be our audience, the center of our life. May God be the author and finisher of our faith.

Be Responsible

The Lord has given people different stewardships.  We should learn to manage the resources, the people under our care, the time, and ourselves.

Be Objective

This is where real planning comes to play. Set targets.  Create tasks to achieve targets. Adjust when things aren’t happening as expected. If we plan, we can have several options and make choices, or change it afterwards. Else, there’s nothing to do and there’s nothing to change.  Never lose sight on what you want to achieve.

Be Willing

Capable people started with their willingness to learn and do things and, eventually, they became competent. Capable people used to be incapable until they took the leap of faith.

Here we go! We’re moving to year 2012!

Have a safe, blessed and prosperous New Year!

Since there are millions of videos available in “youtube.com,” I thought of creating an archive of some great, well-loved songs through Vodpod.

Here’s one song that would inspire and give us the energy to finish year 2011 strong and to jump start our 2012!

“NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE” [ live video]  - Planetshakers feat Israel Houghton

“NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE” [lyrics and music only] – Planetshakers feat Israel Houghton

With the Christmas holidays, we have plently of time to view movies of year 2011 and of the past years.

Looking back, we wish we could rewind and linger on those captivating stories one more time.

And now it’s Christmas again. And for the hopeless romantics, they “hope” that they could fast forward the season with a single click, so they will just be missing the girl of their nightmares, I mean dreams, for a swift moment!

Now, let’s go to our main topic.

Christmas is a time of giving. It is a season of sharing. We give from the abundance of what we possess. But have you thought about giving something to God this Christmas?

There were shepherds living out in the fields near the town of Bethlehem, where Jesus just got born (about 2,000 years ago). When an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds and spoke where Jesus was, suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

These angels gave glory to God through praising.

You can also offer the gift of praise to God, with your voice.

Aside from the gift of praise, there is also another thing we can bring to God.

A group of wise men came to the house where Joseph, Mary and their child Jesus where staying. These Magi bowed down and worshiped Jesus. They opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.

You, too, can give the gift of material wealth to God, tangible possessions that would bring honor to the Lord.

But if there is something more grandiose than praise, more costly than material wealth. It is the gift of obedience.

Joseph and Mary obeyed in spite of the odds coming their way, struggling through their relationship as an engaged couple—-and then as married ones—enduring long travels, and moving out of their comfort zones. Giving sacrifice to God is good, but obeying Him is better. Joseph and Mary chose the latter.

Do you have a voice you can offer to the Lord? So, praise or sing from your heart.

How about a gift of material wealth that would bring glory to God? Then, give cheerfully.

Have you started obeying His word? Simply trust God and you will find yourself obeying Him. Also, God will give you supernatural grace to obey.

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—-how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

So, c’mon and let’s celebrate.

Friends, have a joyful Christmas!

Reference:

Gift of Praise  - Luke 2:8-20; Psalm 103;  Hebrews 13:15

Gift of Material Wealth – Matthew 2:1-11; 2 Corinthians 9:7-8

Gift of Obedience – 1 Samuel 15: 22;  John 10:27; Matthew 1:18-24 and 2:1-23

Gift of Salvation and all things –  Romans 8:28-39; John 3:16

Date: December 08, 2011 – December 11, 2011

Time: 10:00 am – 7:00 pm

Venue: Hall 1

For more information, jump into these links:

http://comddap.org/comddapexpomanila2011

http://www.smxconventioncenter.com/smx/index.php?p=1398&month=12&year=2011

Nothing excites the mind than doing something new or different. Also, improving ourselves on the things we’re passionate about will give us some thrills.

Convert informative “YouTube” videos, which you like, into MP3s through this link:

snipmp3.com

Pop it into your portable devices and you’re all set.

Play it!

Note:

* – secular songs

Use “Bentley View.”

Visit these sites to get info on the said browser and other freebies by Bentley:

http://www.bentley.com/en-US/Community/eSeminars/Bentley/Bentley+View.htm

http://www.bentley.com/en-US/Free+Software/bentley+view.htm

http://www.bentley.com/en-US/free+software

http://www.bentley.com

I started viewing videos about Friedman’s thesis since two weeks ago.

Before we watch the videos on this article, let me tell you about the 3 Eras of Globalization, according to Friedman:

Globalization 1.0  (year 1492 to early 1800s)

>  countries and governments were the main protagonists

Globalization 2.0  (early 1800s to year 2000)

>  multinational companies led the way in driving global integration

Globalization 3.0  (from year 2000 to present)

>  not built on countries and on companies, but around individuals

So let’s sit down ‘coz these videos are pretty long to watch:

“The World is Flat”

“The World is Flat”

“Thomas Friedman: The Global Marketplace and the Common Good”

“Time Interviews Thomas Friedman”

Check out these links:

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/9079/philippines-eyes-methane-gas-deposits-off-isabela-aurora

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benham_Rise

For details on Android software, check out these links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_(operating_system)

https://market.android.com