THE NEXT ACT

Vzpomínky na jedno dobrodružství by Robert Fulghum My rating: 4 of 5 stars I love reading Mr Fulghum's writing. It's light. It's fun. And full of insights. This one never miss a thing to entertain and to inspire. Thanks to this book, I got a new perspective on the benefit I got from dancing. Now I am more excited to dance frequently. View all my reviews

Not facing your fear is letting yourself going around in circles or walking back and forth. And the only way to escape the routine and to move forward is to face your fear. It is my own fear and nobody can deal with it but me. And it is impossible to run away from me. I have a son who never seizes to amaze me because of the values I learned from him. It takes a child's pure heart to know the real value of dealing with life. He is a boy who is determined to do what he has never explored before and never stopped trying until he conquers it. At a young age he used to have a fear of going up with lifts. He stares at it. He walks back and forth. He stares it again. Maybe not this time. He makes himself busy with something else. He could not forget. He stares at it again. And it takes a long painful while getting around it. Until he grabs mum's and dad's hands dragging us to enter the lift. Pushes the UP button. And there! He smiles. He laughs. We laugh toge...

I wanted to see this movie expecting that I would experience what it is like being scared by the powerful weather that swipes the earth. With all the news reports on TV and Youtube, man, these are powerful stuff. Well the movie delivers what I expected.  I don't worry about the bad acting because I wasn't there for that. This is a movie for my guilty pleasure. Although, I relish the scene when  dad went to save his drowning son who couldn't get out of the water when he was stuck with a cumbersomely hefty beam that two or three men couldn't hoist. It was heartfelt. The movie won't pass as critically acclaimed but O Yeah I have been in one great ride..

Many thanks to EJ who made this movie and to my loving wife who made so much effort to collect and compile all the photos and videos. This movie, which was exhibited during the surprise birthday celebration is a compilation of my photos throughout the years and videos of my friends and loved ones who gave their heartfelt wishes for my birthday. Thank you, Isadas Family for keeping us always in your prayers. Thank you, Neil and Family. Thank you for sharing Sean's talent in piano playing on my birthday. Thank you, Raul and Cynthia. What you've said was heartfelt. Raul is always my David. Thank you Dom and Family. The trampoline is still there. Like we are always be there for each other wherever we are. Thank you Ed and Cel. Thank you for adopting me during the times when I was just by myself in NZ. Thank you Ed, Luz and Edmar. Thank you for allowing Claire and JC to hangout in your place after school back then Thank you, Elaine. I like your lipstick color! You are w...

“Ask whatever you need”, says the Lord It is easy to understand the words.  It is also easy to understand that He is the truth.  The word is the truth. Yet most of the time no matter how many times you hear Him saying “Ask and you shall receive”, it is hard for us to relate that to the God of truth because we have seen that sometimes we do not receive what we ask for.  If we do the math, God the Truth + the Promise = “Not sure”  There is something missing in the math equation: Us.  Are we true to ourselves?  Are we faithful?  The equation must be God the Truth + the Promise + faithful servant = answered prayer. I have strong confidence that the blessings are pouring when I am where God directs me to go.  When it is His will that you head that way, he will provide the grace for you to reach it.  First you need to find your true place, so as the abundance of God’s Grace is realised.  Let His desire be the desire of your heart....

The Success Principles(TM): How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Jack Canfield My rating: 5 of 5 stars It's a great book unsurprisingly. I have finished it without knowing I am in the last page already. It is a gathering of all the principles of great of books of the same aspect. And some of the great books are also recommended in this book. What contains in this book is nothing new out of several great self-help books but it stands on its own to represent this generation I suppose. View all my reviews

When Bad Christians Happen to Good People: Where We Have Failed Each Other and How to Reverse the Damage by Dave Burchett My rating: 4 of 5 stars The title itself is very catchy. Once you read the title and you have been involved in one way or another to one or more certain community of believers, you know you wanna grab it from the shelves and browse it right away. The browsing part is a turning point to decide whether you want to sit and read or not. I decided to carry on. Some readers may be offended. Yet I would say the ones being offended are the ones who need to read this book most. It is a fact that there are horrible people in the church who act righteous. And this makes the outside world difficult to find them faithful. In the Bible, James talks about Faith and Deeds. One has to prove that he is faithful through deeds. The book hits hard in a funny way sometimes. And it's very creative to lessen blow in getting accross to readers. I was touched with a certai...

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is the Ultimate Book to understand Christianity. I have read so many books about being a Christian. And when I read this, I found that it contains the combinations of all the Christian Books and Teachings I have absorbed in the past. Could it be that the teachings in several Christian Seminars I have been with were based on this book? Some of it are fun and some it are hard to partake. Definitely five stars. View all my reviews

Seriously... I'm Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres My rating: 3 of 5 stars It was funny. Same old Ellen the way I know her and about her in her stand-up stints and her show. Good leisure reading. No pressure. It is completely filled with not so serious stuff. A book that's kdding around. View all my reviews

Watchmen by Alan Moore My rating: 4 of 5 stars Cleverly written. Showcasing the dark side of superheroes. View all my reviews

Inferno by Dan Brown My rating: 4 of 5 stars Dan Brown executed the same formula of his previous works. But hey.. the formula works for me. I like it. http://jonsaintrandom.blogspot.co.nz/... View all my reviews

The Aladdin Factor by Jack Canfield My rating: 5 of 5 stars I have read this book over 15 years ago. Then, it has opened for me several doors of understanding of how important it is to go for what you want. I remember sharing this to my mates back then. And I still want to recommend it for others to read. I would like to recommend myself reading it again. View all my reviews

Kingdom Come by Mark Waid My rating: 5 of 5 stars One of the best graphic novel. A masterpiece. Love it. View all my reviews

“Boxing Day?  What the heck is a boxing day?” I was clueless when I got to understand that this is one of the days NZ celebrates.  And so my mind worked on me at first to figure out by myself what it would be.  The picture popped up from my brain when I first heard Boxing Day was Manny Pacquiao.  And so maybe 26 th of December is special day when every town in NZ would put up boxing rings and celebrate Boxing Day by participating and watching boxing matches.  But then I thought “Isn’t it that Rugby is the big sport in NZ?  Why not Rugby Day?”  And so I played around with my mind a bit and was stubborn by not to look at Wikipedia to end this nosiness.  What do Kiwis do on the day after Christmas?  Shopping?  Maybe back then when people shopped they put all the sold items in boxes and not yet in plastic bags because plastic was not yet invented then.  But why should they come up with a statutory day benefiting merely commercial ...

In the nativity scene, many Inn Keepers turned down Mary and Joseph.  If they have known that they are Big Time Couple, they may have offered the Penthouse and have given the most luxurious leisure they could ever give.  But they had no clue.  Joseph did not play the “Do you know me” card but he remained humble and patient.  How would one know that they are the Holy Couple?  The Three Wise Men and some shepherds had one in common.  They were guided by an Angel.  They knew that something special was happening that night.  A Gift to Mankind was soon to be born.  Baby Jesus is not only for Mary and Joseph to love.  It is for the whole world to love.  And so a multitude of heavenly host joining the angel in singing praise to this baby in the manger,. "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.”  Thank You Jesus for being born.

I was driving and listening to my playlist of Christmas Songs.   Christina Perri was on.   I sang along having a jolly good mood.   We're hanging mistletoe And hoping that it snows I close my eyes and then I can still remember How to get back, home   Let all your memories Hold you close No matter where you are You're not alone Because the ones you love Are never far If Christmas is in your heart   I was heading to two roads that fork.   My usual road is the left road for it runs closer to my home.   And then at the spur of the moment I thought of going the other road for a change.   It is a little longer route but what the heck.   I don’t see any harm.   Choices such as this don’t leave any stress or anything.   Unless I am counting every litre of the petrol, I may perspire while blaming myself what the heck am I thinking?   But I got sufficient petrol.   Wine Red (The ca...

I was having my lunch one day with other colleagues in the council.   I had my “pancit” (A quick-to-cook noodle) which a leftover food on my bday celeb last Sunday and two my colleagues in front of me were having instant noodles with all the opened sachets on the table.   I asked, “Did you cook the noodle just in the microwave oven?”   “Yes”, said one of my colleagues, “it was a lazy thing to do.”   “Yeah and some of it popped out and made a big mess inside the oven”, commented the other colleague.   “That is not true,” he objected.   “I have been working on being tidy and organised for a long time and I think I become good at it.   And hearing one comment like that makes everything about me different and my achievement all gone.”   At that moment, I froze.   And then it made me ponder about the power of words.   One word in an instant can change a hundred years of facts.   A word can make a differe...

“Never try to do anything that is outside of who you are. A forced smile is a sign of what feels wrong in your heart, so recognize it when it happens. Living a lie will reduce you to one.” ― Ashly Lorenzana Living with the truth makes life easier. I may have a much simpler life when I don’t falsify.   It is really hard to maintain a façade which makes me more appealing to a circle of people whom I want to belong.   I have learned that living a low maintenance life can be found when I am true to myself.   No façade.   No lying.   I am what I am and that’s it.   I will take the course where I am best at instead of taking somebody else’ course and fake it.   Again, covering a lie is a high maintenance.   Let nature takes its course in my true self.   True people will find true people. I have been in the road where I have been true to myself and in what I am good at and there were people who said otherwise and tried to claim the tru...