"From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised." Psalm 113:3

It has been a month since I've last posted - my bad. It's not due to lack of things to write about, it's just that the past couple of weeks has been crazy. But this early morning, 3am to be exact, somehow I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep. What else is there to do but update the blog, right? RIGHT!

Here's what I've been up to lately... other than sailing of course.

The month of August ended by moving to my own apartment. Thanks to my friends in LaCrosse (JJ, Joy, Joel, Becky, Mike, Glenn, Bing, Miranda, Sara, Anita) and Madison (Nobregas, Reynolds, Jeff, Matt, Sara), the move went smoothly. Of course, I was worried that there wouldn't be enough hands to do the work. But, God provided and my friends delivered. He even brought a couple from LaCrosse to help out in Madison. How sweet is that?! I am enjoying my new place - somewhat of a change from owning a house but it will do for now! It is right next to the bike trail that leads to downtown and the capitol plus shops and restaurants are right below my building. What more can I ask for?!

The IronMan competition was in MadTown last weekend! A bunch of crazy people were swimming, biking, and running all day for the race. I got a chance to watch from the lake for the swim portion and it was amazing!! At 6 in the morning, the water was calm with a glassy surface as the sun rose from the east. Fifty minutes later, there were man-made white caps and waves that overtook the water as the athletes jumped into the lake. What a sight! As a kayak volunteer I helped out directing swimmers to get back into track. Then at the very end, I got to follow the last swimmers and cheer them on to the finish line. I couldn't help but be inspired by what they would go through to push and define their limits. Deep inside I was wishing that I was as crazy as them and that I would be doing this too. I'm sure to these athletes this doesn't come easy - Yes, the race day is tough but even tougher is the day to day discipline and dedication in training for the race. This reminds me of life in general... our Creator has created us in the likeness of God - more than just what we define as a 'normal man'. How does that look, exactly? Well, Jesus lived this life for us. I would look at him and say 'He's crazy - I can't do that'. But, if I am to live for what I'm created for then I'll have to believe that this is possible. I will have to discipline myself in training to become more like him.

I might not be crazy enough to be an IronMan but I'm crazy enough to be a follower of Jesus. I can pass on an day race but I cannot pass on the race of life.

Who would have thought that I can sew and stitch?!

Last night I stopped by at MATC to participate in making a spinnaker. I didn't think I had much to offer other than a pair of free hands but not before long, I was running parts of the sail through the sawing machine!! The best part about this experience was that I met a bunch of new sailors and got to work with some instructors from the sailing club. On land, we were on equal footing and it felt good! At one point, I even got an honorary tech plus rating from one of them. Too bad it doesn't count on the water. I could have sewed all night to becoming a fleet captain :o)

It's amazing what a pair of free hands can do!

Been sailing a lot lately. In fact if, if I'm not in the house, I can only be in 2 other places and one of them would be the lake (hopefully on a boat). Sailing has become an obsession. When I'm done with my lessons, I come home at night thinking about tacks and jibes, imagining how I can do them better next time. When I see a rope lying around, I would pick it up and practice knot tying. The other day, I ordered my sailing books from Amazon and since then I've been checking the mail, everyday, if the package has arrived.

Obsession is such a tricky thing. It breaks the rule of "doing things in moderation" and you know what happens when you don't do things in moderation?! I must say though that the sweet thing about being obsessed is that it gets me to focus on one thing and all the energy that I have is poured into that. I get things done quickly and have lots of fun and adventure in the process. In return, it is this adventure that fuels my obsession.

Now, if I can just be obsessed about the right things then I would be able to accomplish so much more. But then again, can I really control the 'object' of my obsession? Or, will it be too late because once it's labeled then it already is?!

To the God of all things, I pray that you guide my path.

Yesterday, a group of church planters in the Madison and Stoughton area got together for some food, fellowship, and (ultimate)Frisbee. We ate, we ran, we sweat, and we had fun.

This is the beginning of Week 8!!

Since I love to travel, I thought this was a neat widget. In the past 3 weeks I've visited Turkey, Jamaica, and Costa Rica while staying in Madison!! If you want to know more check out this link... the world in the city. Enjoy!!

So, I've moved to Madison. Two weeks ago, with the help of my friends, I packed a midsize U-Haul trailer with some of my stuff, pulled it accross I-90 and drove to Madison, WI.

The awesome thing about being new in town is that somehow, I feel like I have a license to explore and try new things. If it doesn't work out or if it turns out to be a bad idea, it's OK. Time and effort not wasted!!

Here are some of the stuff that I've done so far...
1. Found BestBuy - a 30 minute errand turned into a 2 hr tour - got lost on the way home but found Barnes and Nobles.
2. Rode with a bike club - on the 2nd small hill I thought I was going to run out of air, in my lungs not my tires, did I mentioned that this was their intro group?!
3. Started exploring different kinds of food. The first week was Turkish, last week was Jamaican, this week is still TBD. This is turning out to be really fun. Check out this site for our version of 'where in Madison are Jenn and Juli?'.
4. Served at the food pantry and met some people - what a humbling experience.
5. Biked around Lake Monona... or at least half way around it. The trail said 'Lake Loop' but somewhere along the way the trail was going farther and farther away from the lake so I turned back instead.
6. Went to the farmers market around the capitol building and ALMOST milked a cow.
7. Got lost driving around town...over and over again!

Oh, the joy of unfamiliarity with everything around me! The freedom in not having a schedule or appointments to keep other than the day to day work that needs to be done. The excitement in each and every activity, even in those that seemed mundane. The new perspective that each day brings. This is something to be cherished, nothing to be rushed!

ps. if you know something that I must do or at least try in this town send me a note.

Ewan ko lang....

I don't know why but everytime I tell a non Tagalog(Filipino) speaking person that I can speak in a different language, Tagalog, they always want me to say something... even though they won't be able to understand what the heck I'm talking about?!

Next week I'm getting all my wisdom teeth pulled. I've always wondered why those teeth way back in my mouth are called 'wisdom' teeth. Do you know why they are called that?

I'm hoping that when everything is said and done all that will be taken are my 4 back teeth. I'm not quite ready to part with my 'wisdom'. I don't have enough to begin with.

March is here and that only means one thing - March Madness!!!

Conference tournaments have already started... Duke, the only undefeated team just lost to NCState.... what will happen next...

Don't miss next weekend's selection Sunday! Start thinking about your brackets. Last year's big winner was Glenn. Who will it be this year? I will be sending out the e-mail invite next week so make sure you sign up and join the fun.

If you need a place to watch the games, come on over, chances are I'll be watching them too!! although I might be working at the same time.

Enjoy the month of March, it only comes ones a year. Once the ball goes up, anything can happen.

Go UCONN!!!

Today I got a sweet surprise!

I got home from work ready to shovel snow only to find out that the front walk has already been shoveled.

Thanks neighbor!!

This past weekend I did a missions trip down south.

Friday night I packed my car and drove 2 hrs to meet up with my team in Madison, WI. Note that the temperature outside didn't get any warmer as one would expect from heading south. Friday night set the tone for the whole weekend. Kate led worship using the passage from Psalms 73:22-28. The last verse says... ' But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.'

Saturday came, Gene prepared an awesome breakfast then gave us instructions on what we will be doing, distributing 1000 door hanger invites in the neighborhood while praying for each house. Then he proceeded to encourage us by telling the story from the early days of Cornerstone where after a mass mailing, a couple came to received Christ. After that pep talk, 6 year old Spencer wanted to read a passage in Luke. Juli looked it up and it turned out to be the parable of the good shepherd... he left the 99 of his sheep who were safe and looked for the 1 that was missing... after he found it, he celebrated. Talk about a God moment! Half an hour later a group from Mauston and Janesville arrived to help us distribute the fliers. In spite of the frigid condition, we went out to invite our neighbors and prayed blessings on them. Here's another God moment for me... I would say about myself that I have a heart for God, I have a heart for the church, I have a heart for mission, and I have a heart for my team, BUT my heart was not particular to Northside Madison. After praying for this community as I walked around the neighborhood I could not help but catch a glimpse of God's love for these people. Before the end of the afternoon, I have developed a heart for them as well.

Sunday came and it was time to prepare for the service. This was the first time in a service that half of us were here as part of the team, although from where I stood you would have never guess that. Everyone including the kids knew what they should be doing. Me, I found myself observing what was going on, the only thing that I really had to do was make 36 cups of coffee. The service started, friends and families from the neighborhood and other churches came to join us in worship. By 11:30am the service was done, chairs were put aways and building was close. But the church kept on going...

Most of the group went out to lunch but Juli and I went to meet one of her friends at the Italian restaurant. In my 7 years of residence here in WI, this is the first time I'm meeting somebody who is Filipino. Honestly, I was more anxious about this than distributing door hangers. This meeting turned out to be awesome due to a couple of things... one, because she's a Filipina that's always a plus on my book... two, the conversation was not awkward even though I didn't know her.... three, she shared about her involvement in the community which was what we were curious about... and lastly, Juli was there with me and that makes a ton of difference. Not before long, between Juli and I, our opportunities to get plugged in our community just opened up. Don't be surprise if you hear one day that I'm running a basketball clinic and Juli is running for a seat in congress :o)

Sunday night was a fun night. We celebrated Gene and Becky's February birthdays. The kids kicked us out of the house and everybody celebrated the time apart in our own ways. Over dinner Gene presented a complete campaign for the church plant, from scheduling to marketing to advertising! Even though he was oozing out of ideas, we had to stop the bleeding and put the plug. It was getting late, time to head home and be with the kids.

Monday came and I was exhausted. After playing out on the snow and throwing football with the Reynolds I headed back north to LaCrosse,WI.

This ends my weekend missions trip. I look forward to the day when this becomes my day to day life. But until then, this will have to do.

Have you ever felt like a burrito?
The temperature here in Wisconsin has dipped in the negatives in the past couple of days and I haven't done much, outside of work, other than stay inside my house. Once I get home, I immediately proceed to wrap myself with a blanket then off to the red couch to lounge. Describing the current weather here as freezing is an understatement. Like a burrito I try to stay 'tucked' but once in a while I do get un-wrapped, like when the phone rings or when it's time to get something to eat. I didn't really know where I was going with this so I'll just end it here...

Yippeee, I've filed my income tax!!!! Need I say more?!?!

It has been 2 weeks and I still can't get this song out of my head. I don't know who this was written for but when I think of where my journey with God has been and where it's heading, I can't decribe it any better than this... 'Hanging by a Moment' by Lifehouse...

Desperate for changing, Starving for truth
I'm closer to where I started, Chasing after you

I'm falling even more in love with you, Letting go of all I've held onto
I'm standing here until you make me move, I'm hanging by a moment here with you

Forgetting all I'm lacking, Completely incomplete
I'll take your invitation, You take all of me now...

I'm living for the only thing I know, I'm running and not quite sure where to go
And I don't know what I'm diving into, Just hanging by a moment here with you

There's nothing else to lose, There's nothing else to find
There's nothing in the world, That can change my mind

As a gizmophile, I can't help but drool over the new iPhone. Fortunately, it's not available for sale until June of 2007, this should give me enough time to come up with reasons on why I should get one. Maybe by that time owning one will be justified.
Let's see.. why do I NEED an iPhone...

1. I have 3 gadgets that I carry with me all the time, a cell phone, an iPod, and a PDA - it might be a good time to consolidate.

2. My cell contract will expire at the end of March - it might be time to switch from SprintPCS.

3. It looks cool!

This list is not looking good. Help!!!

Things that makes you wanna go hmmmm...

My neighbor's garage has been in shambles for at least a year. A month ago I saw a sign on it, one of those yellow cardboard from the city, that said 'Condemned'. Last week a construction crew came in and tact new sidings on top of the current wall. Eight hours later, there was a new garage. Or at least on the outside it looks like there was a new garage. Every time a drive by this structure, I always wonder. Why bother? What's the point of having something to store your 'stuff' if you know it can possibly collapse anytime? Why not just build a new garage if you're gonna go through the trouble?

It dawned on me today that there are times that this is exactly how I go through with my day. I take a shower, put on fresh clothes, wear a smile and go about my day as if everything is fine and dandy. Inside I'm breaking, falling apart, and struggling. God must be asking, why? why bother putting on a facade - when deep inside you know something is not right? Is it easier to deal with the issue than hide it?

Hmmm....

To start the new year I thought I'd post a challenge to myself. This year, I am going to attempt to diligently read the Bible. This not a small feat for me. I like doing things for a small period of time, then I need to move on. I get bored easily. So, in order to increase my chances of success, I've enlisted some of my friends in joining me in this journey and most of them agreed to do so. So far it has worked, I've already gotten e-mails from them checking on me. I know that it has only been 5 days but the outlook is good. My friends are not only checking in on me but also praying for me. I, in return, am doing the same for them.

This year is going to be a year to work on disciplining myself, and this is where I'm starting. We'll see how it will turn out.