Friday, January 25, 2013

How should a leader act? Look at the best leadership role model…EVER

It saddens me that I will not be able to attend my church's latest nationwide leadership conference.  The said conference will be on the same day as the Open House of the school I work in (and where my kiddos go to school).  Darn it.

Well, I know the basics of what great leadership is, and it's been modeled by the greatest leader of all time: Jesus Christ.  Whether you're in business, you're employed, you're a parent, whatever…Jesus' leadership principles will bring you to sorely-needed excellence.

Andy Stanley, one of the best leadership communicators on the planet, awesomely summaries the gist of Jesus' leadership in one of his talks.  I have a short clip of the talk below, and please check it out if you want to know, in a matter of a few minutes, how a leader should act.



Saturday, January 19, 2013

How much is your P200 worth? It could help save a child’s life.

Two hundred pesos could buy you a 2D movie ticket with snacks to spare.  Two hundred pesos can buy you a Micro SD card for your phone or a flash disk for your files.  I load up on Sun Cellular’s UnliText 200 every month, which I use heavily.  My favorite comfort food, White Hat’s sourdough waffles, is roughly P200.

How much is your P200 worth?  Well, if you live in Cagayan de Oro City, it could save a child’s life.

Meet Cherubim and Micah, two adorable little girls who live in Cagayan de Oro City.  From the picture below, they look healthy, bright, and active.


However, one of the twins is seriously ill.  It’s the one on the left, Cherubim.  She was diagnosed with right kidney hydronephrosis…and she urgently needs an operation.

Friday, January 18, 2013

Awesome examples of changed lives

(Note: This blog post is quite video-heavy.  I suggest that before you read on, you scroll down to the videos and start the streaming by pressing play then pause so that you won’t have to wait.  I strongly suggest you do not miss or skip the videos, as they are very, VERY powerful and this blog entry revolves around them.  Big thanks.)

LOL!!
My favorite movie of last year was probably The Avengers, and one of my favorite scenes from that movie was when Loki, after shouting at the Hulk that he is a god and would not be bullied by a “dull creature,” gets totally and pathetically mauled, his deity made totally helpless by the latter’s overwhelming brute force.

But let me ask you something: is the God that we worship a “puny god”?  Is the brute force of our circumstances too overwhelming for Him to handle?

Short answer:  No.

Long answer:  No, but then many believers often (mistakenly) think so.  Yet, our view of Him, whether He’s big or puny, affects our actions and decisions.

I propose (well, I got this from recent Sunday messages) that our Heavenly Father is not a “puny god” but the God of the HOW MUCH MORE.  

Now, you may be saying, “Look, Mr. Lessons Of A Dad, you don’t know my situation.  It’s just too dire!  There’s absolutely no hope for me!!”

You’re right.  I don’t know the troubles you are going through.  But, I DO know that Jesus knows…and if you're His child, then He has promised you peace, because He has overcome them.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

To illustrate my point, allow me to show you the first video.  Ariel had it really rough.  He was frequently molested as a child, then he became a drug addict, then he became a prostitute, then…something beautiful happened.



Sunday, January 13, 2013

I had the perfect retreat, thanks to the venue, the material, and the students themselves.

One of the major projects I had to take care of in the school I teach in is the annual retreat of the senior class.  Again, it was awesome…awesome for many reasons: the retreat venue, the material, and the students themselves.

I take charge of this event each year, and I just want to express here why I enjoy this project so much.

Let me start with the venue.  Mountain Pines Place is the perfect venue to hold all kinds of retreats, family reunions, and corporate team building events, among others.

The place very quiet, as it is nestled in the mountains of Sitio Bagalangit, Manolo Fortich, just about two hours away from Cagayan de Oro and ten minutes away from the popular ZipZone Adventure Park (close enough to enjoy the action but then far enough not to get affected by the hustle of the crowd).

In fact, if you think about it, that’s one of the venue’s main strengths.  You can almost physically feel stress peel off your body as you get lost in the quietness of the place, its rustic charm, and the pristine pine forest that surrounds it.

Good bye stress, hello nature's beauty!
Then there’s the food.  Oh yes, the food!!

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Mikey Bustos’ Opo Pinoy Style Gangnam Style parody is a riot!

I used to be a mild fan of Filipino comedian youtube sensation Mikey Bustos.  I say “used to be” because I am no longer a mild fan, but now I’m a big fan of his.  Why?

He recently made quite possibly (to Filipino minds, anyway) the best Gangnam Style parody to date.   You may have seen local news feature it or swimming around in Facebook, and I liked it so much I will post it here.  Mikey Bustos’ Opo Pinoy Style is a total riot because the lyrics are so full of light-hearted jabs at our Filipino culture.  I also love how well done the video presentation is.  Here’s the video:



If you can’t figure out the lyrics, then you can check out the (slightly imperfect) lyric video that someone else made.

I’m pretty sure you thought Mikey Bustos’ Opo Pinoy Style Gangnam Style parody is a riot as well.  Indeed, It’s More Fun In The Philippines.

(This blog site, Lessons Of A Dad is mostly about parentingmarriage, and other topics aimed to develop the reader’s mind, body, and soul.  However, I don’t mind putting out the funnies every once in a while; and Filipino patriotism is also a regular topic of this blog site.  I’d consider it an honor if you’d follow or subscribe to this site.  You can also go to my Facebook page here, and I’m also on Twitter at @lessonsofadad)

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Reflections Of An Eventful 2012 part 2


Here is part two of my reflections of an eventful 2012.  If you missed part one, you can click here.

4. Fried from too much activity.  

No doubt that 2012 was a productive year.  The problem was, I got really, really fried.  I was wearing plenty of hats, and there were lots of expectations in each of them.  I’m not a very good multi-tasker, but I don’t think even the best jugglers would’ve be able to take on the schedule that I had without being a little burnt.  Dad, husband, blogger, asst. head teacher, GM of a few projects, Lifeshaper, young couples discipleship group leader….oh dear.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Reflections of an eventful 2012 part 1

As per my blog’s tradition, every end of the year I will come up with a reflection on the year that has just passed.  Of course, since Lessons Of A Dad is only a little over a year old, this is my second such blog entry, the first being among my most popular article as it talked about Sendong, traveling, defeats, and other stuff.

So, as I type this on a restful vacation morning, I look back and reflect on an eventful 2012.

1. Be careful what you pray for, because God has a sense of humor.

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