More than common sense

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Photo from the PBA

SO... It took a statement from Manny Pacquiao for me to make a comeback at TLIMC. After checking my Christian blog,... lo and behold, my last post was barely seven months ago!

Anyway, let's jump straight to the issue in question. The former boxing champ drew flak from the LGBT community and even some straight guys who also advocate the LGBT rights when he reiterated his stand against same sex marriage in the most awkward of explanations.

Pacquiao, currently a congressman and a senatorial aspirant, likened human relationships to that of animals and said that romantic relationships among two men and two women are nastier those of animals as per mere common sense.

Well-known personalities known to be gays publicly cried foul over Pacquiao with TV host Boy Abunda, despite the boxing legend's apology hours earlier, venting ire on live television.

Before I continue, I made sure that the next words you will see will not hurt my LGBT friends, but I just wanna say sorry in advance if there will be any LGBT member or pro-LGBT rights advocate who may get offended with this post.

Now, here's my take on the issue. First, I agree with most of you that Manny Pacquiao indeed made a wrong analogy of things during that interview with TV5. While I got his point, he simply used the wrong words.

Next, his Instagram post that followed the release of the controversial video interview quoted a Scripture which said, "Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men..." (1 Corinthians 6:9 NIV). I admire Pacquiao's decision to stand firm in his faith for God, but Paul's message to Corinth about that did not end there. Apparently, Pacquiao did not add Verse 10 which says, "nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God," and the most pivotal verse of the said Scripture part, Verse 11 that says, "And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."

Manny was somewhat wrong when he ended his statement with the "masahol" part (or probably his video was cut by TV5 at that part if Pacquiao continued after it). Many interpreted that part as if Pacquiao was saying people who will do same-sex marriage will go to hell. But here's the thing: we are now at the New Testament era, or what Bible scholars would call the "time of grace".

The law says, "If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them, (Leviticus 20:13 ESV)" but that was the Old Testament days or the so-called "time of law". Like I said, we are now at the time of grace. God knows that everyone will fail to follow all of His commandments because sin has already been part of our lives since the time of creation. While God is just and does not want sin to be ignored, He loves us so much being his most special creation. That's why He sent His Son Jesus Christ to earth to take the punishment we deserve, including the punishment for homosexuality. Because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, "sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace (Romans 6:14 ESV)."

While I felt the irony, I find it a good move that some members of the LGBT community sympathized with Pacquiao. After all, Pacquiao did not say that he hates the homosexuals but only the homosexuality. That's what God is telling us. Hate the sin, not the sinners. In fact, He said, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you... (Matthew 5:44 ESV)" Yes, Pacquiao may have sinned more than the mistakes the LGBT members committed as what they brought up, but one should remember that regardless if we sinned only once or more, we are still sinners who have fallen short of God's glory (Romans 3:23) but was given eternal life through Jesus (Romans 6:23). All we need is to believe in Jesus, and we will attain that gift from God (Acts 16:31).

If you want someone who is now feeling the confusion about his gender to realize who he or she really is according to what God said, start by building a deeper friendship. Once he or she feels the love of God in you, then you may start telling him or her what God thinks he or she is.

For the new Pacquiao haters from the LGBT side, I want you to discontinue the bashing. Yes, he may have hurt you a lot, but revenge is not the answer. While I still hope that you will meet God, if you're happy with your life right now, just enjoy it and make the most out of it.

I did not make this post in full support of Pacquiao's senatorial campaign (if you really wanna know my stand on whether to vote for Pacquiao or not whether from a sportswriter's standpoint or not, my Facebook, Twitter, and Ask.FM handles are open 24/7), but I'm here to tell you that God has already forgiven Pacquiao and the LGBT community. Yes, homosexuality is not in the Lord's vocabulary, but He loves us so much that "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8 ESV)." And it's not just common sense. It's the truth. God really loves us regardless of our identity.

Why I like my mom

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MY mother raised me on her lonesome, and she never failed to show her love to me despite the fact that I have my own struggles financially and personally.

Every time I ask my mom to lend me some cash since our two-year-old start-up project, Dugout Philippines, is just beginning to make some mainstream waves, she scolds me because of it.

However, in the end, she still provides for me because after all, she still cares for me.

I vow to her that once DPH becomes more stable, I will return the favor because I love her.

This reminded me more of how King Lemuel described my mom and every woman who fears God.

A challenge given to us by Pastor Jayson Lo during a church event right after the mid-morning service was to read every chapter of Proverbs everyday, starting from Chapter 1 on Day 1.

Although I posted this one on the 24th, I read the final chapter of Proverbs, which talked about the model female Christian.

Verse 10 said, "She is far more precious than jewels." She may not notice it since were nautical miles apart, but despite me sometimes not pleasing Mommy (Sorry, Lord and mom), I treat her as a gem as how God wants me to treat her.

Yes, we may not be as blessed financially, but having my mom is a blessing for me, and I also call her "blessed" just like what Lemuel said in verse 28.

To my mom, I love you so much despite the financial and personal matters. I'm going to return the favor soon.

Probably, one way to give back to her is to give her a "fountain of youth", that is, a collagen drink.

I first tried a collagen drink when someone gave it to me last year. It was tastier when mixed with other drinks, but many prefer diluting the powder only in water.

One of the available collagen powders right now is HyC 150.

Premium HyC 150, developed by FINE Japan Co. Ltd., is now available in the Philippines. Premium HyC 150 is unique because it is the only supplement drink that has the optimal combination of active anti-aging ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, collagen and ubiquinol.

Premium HyC 150 has other benefits that go beyond skin care and a rejuvenated, more youthful look. To maximize the benefits of collagen, one important element, hyaluronic acid, has to be present. At least 50 percent of hyaluronic acid in our body can be found in our skin. Premium HyC 150 contains 150 mg of hyaluronic acid, the optimal dosage to replenish the body of this essential nutrient. Hyaluronic acid acts as space filler by binding to water and keeps the skin wrinkle-free. It lubricates joints, ligaments and connective tissues. It also hydrates surrounding tissue and keeps the collagen nourished and healthy.

Premium HyC 150, exclusively distributed in the Philippines by BrightRAY Enterprises, is now available at Watsons stores. For information, visit www.HyC150.com.

(Editor's Note: This is a sponsored post.)

When we experienced a "storm"

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I never thought my first trip to the Cavinti Falls aka Pagsanjan Falls would turn out
to be a nerve-wracking one. Azrael Coladilla/Azrael's Merryland

In my 27 years here on Earth, I have experienced some of the worst storms that hit Southern Luzon. I endured a week without electricity when "Rosing" hit Metro Manila in 1995. I got stranded and eventually braved the storm when "Milenyo" came in 2006. I and my churchmates got stuck when "Ondoy" was in town in 2009. I witnessed how my former boarding house got ravaged by "Nesat" in 2011 (I was yet to build TLIMC then). And recently, I experienced walking for 13 kilometers just to get remittance because it was a total blackout during another storm last year. But this one, although not really a storm, made me feel I was in one again.

It was my first time at this place called Magdapio Falls, which is better known by locals in the town of Cavinti as the Cavinti Falls and by everyone else as the Pagsanjan Falls. At first, I was jokingly hesitant to go on a balsa trip to the falls because I left my other shorts in my bag (I was sporting the full Master Game Face Media Challenge kit I got during my birthday). Eventually, I decided to go to brave the falls. So me and a group of bloggers went aboard the balsa.

One thing I noticed was that the balsa was overloaded. It turned out, there are supposed to be two balsas, but the other one is damaged, prompting the sailors to maximize the remaining balsa to de-congest the long queue. If not for the fact that we were wearing life jackets, I don't know if we would get up from the deep waters if the balsa got broken.

Well, we made the cave safely. We decided to stay inside for a while while another blogger, Ross Del Rosario, opted to go back because of some minor health issues. We took selfies (I left my tablet in my bag for security purposes) and we went "wild" inside the cave. Then came a group of Koreans coming from Pagsanjan and, as what some 9Gag memes and comments would say, "S*** just got real."

My fear about the overloading just happened. The water flow from the falls became stronger (probably because it was raining almost the entire afternoon in Cavinti), and it was enough to overpower the sailors and the Korean-loaded balsa. We had to save everyone and remind him to stay calm. Moments later, a fellow blogger hurt her right arm. And here I was, all alone way inside the cave and sat a la Kevin Durant (the photo below may help you).

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images (file photo)

I really wanted to go back to the mainland immediately after everything that took place. We eventually got back only to find out that our injured friend passed out. And everyone worried. Rules state that if you made the falls via the Cavinti trek, you have to go back there, the same if you decided to take the boat from Pagsanjan (the easier and the more well-known route, thus, naming the area Pagsanjan Falls although its part of Cavinti) to get there. I don't know how our the tour organizers convinced the boat sailors to get her aboard since they were hesitant at first, but of course it's already an emergency. Eventually, they made it to Cavinti safely.

I prayed for thanksgiving that we were kept safe from the "storm". I was reminded of the past real storms and how God saved me. But of course, what I am more thankful is that the Lord saved me from a more devastating storm called sin. And all it took was a sacrifice by no less than Him on the cross.

"No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you." Joshua 1:5 (NIV)

PS: More of my Cavinti adventures on Stu Traveled and Sporty Guy.

On why even the non-Catholics like Pope Francis

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Azrael Coladilla/Azrael's Merryland

Even prior to his visit here in the Philippines, one thing I noticed about my friends, who are mostly from the Protestant movements like me, as per their social media posts is that they like Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio also known as Pope Francis. I wonder why. It turned out, they are not the only ones who like the pope.

Even non-Catholics all over the world can attest that Pope Francis is a likable church leader. According to Wikipedia, many Protestant, Orthodox, Jewish, and even Islamic communities and even some atheists welcomed his papacy.

For a sportswriter like me, I focused too much on the results, the latest news, and the latest trade rumors that I, despite reading the Scriptures and at times posting and reposting verses on social media, rarely read news from the Catholic church. Probably, the fact that I'm from the Born-Again Christian community adds to the reasons. But after reading a transcript of Pope Francis' message, I begin to appreciate him more.

He started his sermon earlier at the Manila Cathedral with a very important word from Jesus Christ: “Do you love me?… Tend my sheep. (John 21:15-17)”. He continued, "I ask you to share the joy and enthusiasm of your love for Christ and the Church with everyone, but especially with your peers. Be present to young people who may be confused and despondent, yet continue to see the Church as their friend on the journey and a source of hope." He also quoted 2 Corinthians 5:15 saying, "Christ died for all so that, having died in Him, we might live no longer for ourselves but for Him." Simply put, Pope Francis is telling every Christian, regardless of his denomination, to go back to the basics.

In this time where some debate religious groups have turned into something personal and with all the issues concerning the Christian world, Pope Francis is reminding us that we should remember our first love, which is remembering and honoring God and spreading the Gospel as what He commanded. As what the Apostle John told the Ephesian church, "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. (Revelation 2:5a)"

I now understand why Pope Francis is loved by even the other religious communities. It may just be some of what he said, but he knows what every Christian needs now. He really is a champion of faith. To further prove that, a meme I saw bore another important words from him as the caption: "Do not hide your faith. Do not hide Jesus."

The full transcript of his message at the Manila Cathedral can be seen here.

A Principle to Adhere

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As we wear our media passes for an event, we are also subject to be fair, un-
biased, responsible, and Godly in our reports. 

I first got my journalism experience when I was in high school. Although we are "working" at our school, we were taught that it's still unethical even for us student journos then to be biased in our report. Time flies, and now I'm working for two (soon three) online news sites and owning three blogs.

Now working for mainstream media, I have to abide by the rules, and one of the most important rules is to not have some biases. This is especially true in sports, especially if you use to cheer for one team. It may sound easier said than done, but as mediamen, we have to be impartial at all times.

I find it a privilege that my superiors (well, they're my friends) assigned me, an alum from a UAAP school, to the NCAA last year (curiously, they, alums from NCAA schools, reported for the UAAP then) probably so that no bias will be done.

However, some journos still get caught cheering for a particular team or player while flaunting the media passes they have, so it was a no surprise when TJ Jurado sent me and many more media reporters an email regarding this matter.

According to Joey Villar of Philippine Star, the email has something to do with what happened at one Shakey's V-League game when Jun Lumibao, the president of the Philippine Sportswriters Association, was heard getting upset at an apparent cheering of a mediaman at a certain team... with his media pass worn!

The email sent to us serves as a reminder. Here are some excerpts:

"We are journalists, never mind if we are campus journalists—a journalist is a journalist....we, as champions of the vocation, should at all times be neutral, that never should we display any bias before the scrutinizing public. This, however, does not apply to all. Perhaps some of us get carried away and suddenly shed our school colors in the heat of the coverage. Thus, I—a sports journalist for 28 years—appeal to you to uphold the ethics of journalism as you exercise the privilege of a courtside view of the action, and protect the sanctity of the press card."

As mediamen, we have to shed away being alumni of a school and fans of a certain pro sports franchise or athlete. We are the authors (or reporters) of the news people see on papers, websites, and radio and TV news programs, and we should serve as role models of impartial and balanced journalism.

For a mediaman, the press pass is his all-access ticket to the games, but it should never be abused by merely using it to cheer his team live in flesh for free. For my fellow scribes reading this, we are journalists, and we should always practice impartiality as we wear our passes. Keep in mind GMA's slogan: "Walang kinikilingan. Walang pinoprotektahan. Serbisyong totoo lang."

Leviticus 19:15a (ESV)-"You shall do no injustice in court."

Isaiah 52:7 (ESV)-"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, 'Your God reigns.'"

Take a Break, Man!

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Curonam.org

I was supposed to be at the press conference of Aaron Colton in Quezon City, but I got short of cash to go there. Then I found out that there was a Twitter Tweetup eyeball event at the Urbn Bar later in the night. That was two events I was forced to cancel.

But God has reasons behind these, and the quiet time devotional I got from Dietrich Bonhoeffer struck me.

"We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God, who will thwart our plans and frustrate our ways time and again, even daily..."

As Christians, we should be aware that God's plans are not our plans and that His plans are better than ours. I just remembered what He said in Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." It may not necessarily mean literal rest, but God just told me, "Chill out, man!"

I just came from a grueling (I mean that) coverage of the Palarong Pambansa in Sta. Cruz, and I was so tired that I even forgot about covering the Malabon fiesta on Sunday and the time of an MMA event the day after.

That rest became productive. I got one of the longest rests I had since I began my online media career. Indeed, God knows what I need. Thank you, Lord!

Final word: “Listen carefully to my words, and let my declaration be in your ears.” Job 13:17

It's a Matter of Your Own Faith

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Greg Kinnear plays Pastor Todd Burpo in the movie adaptation of the book
"Heaven is for Real". Entertainment Weekly

(Warning: Some spoilers inside, so read at your own risk.)

When I watched "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" last month, I bumped at the full trailer of a movie entitled "Heaven is for Real". After watching the trailer, I said to myself, "I want to watch this movie." Good thing PLDT Home gave me a post-birthday gift as I and three other bloggers got a chance to watch HIFR at the Newport Cinema in Pasay City.

Greg Kinnear starred the film based on the Todd Burpo bestseller of the same title. The movie started with Todd (Kinnear) having a day in the office as a church pastor, wrestling coach, a volunteer firefighter, and a businessman. The movie continued with him, his family, and his church doing fine in their lives. The story took a twist, however, when Todd's son Colton (Colton Corum) got sick badly. Colton eventually recovered, but he told his dad that he saw Heaven, Jesus Christ, and even his sister who Todd and Sonja (Kelly Reilly) lost during pregnancy and his great grandfather, who died 30 years prior to his birth, while getting treated. That led to a series of events that tested Todd's family and even his church. In the end, he realized that indeed Heaven is for real. He preached that in the final scene, and many got moved with the message. The clincher was a statement of the psychologist portrayed by Nancy Sorel: "It's a matter of your own faith."

That's where the Lord moved me. As seen in the screen adaptation, even church leaders like Todd Burpo argue to the Lord about what's happening, especially when their kids tell them that they were in Heaven. But again, it's your faith in God that matters. God spoke to Todd through Colton, and the pastor responded.

However, I noticed that despite being a Christian movie, Tristar Pictures seemed to make it more secular in approach by minimizing the Scriptures used in the movie. While it may help in gaining audience, I think it also shrunk the point of the movie. That led me, though, to look for the "Heaven is for Real" book. Still, I would recommend "Heaven is for Real" movie to my pastor friends.

"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.... By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. (Hebrews 11:1, 3 NIV)