2009 is just about done. As usual, I thought I'd go over some of the most significant moments of the past 365 days in my life as a father, a husband and a sojourner.
Feel free to read along [it's your time after all], click on the links and reminisce with me.
Having gone over all the events that have transpired, all I can say is, truly, God is good!
I hope you, too, will find yourselves similarly, if not even more greatly BLESSED this coming 2010.
God's blessings, favor and grace to everyone!
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Our year got off on a great start when our beloved Chuck passed the UPCAT! Needless to say, we were all so proud of our #1 son and, now, "isko ng bayan"! (This more than made up for the minor dampers of almost all our major appliances failing, especially our beloved TV.)
My high school batch had our reunion after 25 years! - Amazing. Quarter of a century later and we were all still the same idiots, just with bigger paunches and less hair. I say that in the most respectful manner! 
After that, I had to venture out in faith. With absolutely no money for it, I had to trust God anew for my airfare to the US. To make matters more interesting, my 10-year US visa had expired. I needed a new one and fast! To compound matters, I was apparently beginning to manifest signs of "post-polio syndrome".
Not good.
Thankfully, the Lord armed my soul with one Word: 2 Chronicles 16:9.
FEBRUARY - A Time of Testing and Affirming Faith
Last year, after almost 2 decades of existence, our JAS sign got written up in a major news daily! This month, it was vulgarly covered by a bright LED TV screen that effectively blocked its visibility. 
Would this be "the end of Mt. JaS"?
Would this be "the end of Mt. JaS"?Well, in spite of what could be considered a major damper, what can I say but "God is good!" The US government granted me a new visa! And just in the time of nick! Thanks to them, I got to attend not just 1 but 2 MCIN Conferences - one in Orlando, FL and the other in Dallas, TX!
I also finally got to have my date with Lady Liberty and when I was invited to preach in NY by my good friends, Joey and Gigi Mercado!
In Dallas, I also went on my very first safari and fed a buffalo! Imagine that? I also I got to worship with my Christ-family in Relevant Church there!
Back in LA, I got to witness, first hand, what I like to call "The Eye of God". This was a very personal moment for me as I had been holding on to His Word this whole time.
MARCH - A Time of Healing
This month saw me back in Vancouver, VBC where, among other things, my brother David took me to the Capillano bridge! This particular point in my physical and spiritual Faith Journey brought home a major lesson in my heart that God had been impressing upon me from Day 1 of this year.
I think I finally got it - I am NOT a cripple.
APRIL - A Time for Action
Fresh from my stay with him, kuya-mentor-pastor Jaren commissioned me to put together 3 projects: 1) a medical mission for his US team to hold in Angono, Rizal; 2) a gathering of worshippers where he would share his vision for a world-record breaking event; and 3) a grand reunion of JOHIA, dubbed "Scattered, Now GODthered". This month saw the ScaNowGa meetings coming together and things beginning to take shape.
Incredibly, the minute we started taking action, God's hand of provision and favor seemed to bless us with several good things, including a new flat screen HD TV to replace our dearly departed old one.
MAY - A Time of Miracles and Impossibilities!
All those meetings eventually culminated in a Triple Triumph, what with the one-day Medical Mission in Angono, the worship convergence that was iMerge, and the JOHIA Reunion all happening just as planned. The latter took place simultaneous with Rose's long-delayed operation, which the Lord totally turned into a wondrous miracle of provision! All told, we even ended up making money!
All this only highlighted the "impossible life" that we have been living all these years! Praise be to God alone!
JUNE and JULY - A time of Transition
For the very first time, I became a >ahem!< "seminary professor" when I taught a class in Bible seminary! I was invited to teach a Homiletics class by Rose's previous employer, Manila Bible Institute.
This month also found me asking no one in particular, "Who am I?" In response, I got a literal "Call" - a phone call that would bring me and my family to a Crossroad and open a great door of opportunity for me and usher into my life one of the greatest challenges I have ever faced.
This was also the time when we welcomed into our home a precocious little brown furball whom we named "Kayu", short for "kayumanggi". Amazingly enough, the lone "dog-hater" of the family soon ended up becoming the little she-pup's most adoring fan! When Rose needed to stay home for more than a month, cute Kayu kept her company and they ended up bonding and becoming the best of friends!
JULY
With the gracious permission of our then-home church, ICS, our family began the work in Angono - that of pastoring the fledgling church birthed from my wife's school there. Sunday afternoons started seeing all five of us hailing a cab and heading to Purok 6, Sitio Mahabang Parang where we would worship with and share the Word to the growing body of believers there.
AUGUST - A Time to Look Back and Move Forward
This month saw our entire family go back to revisit one of our seminal ministries - the small church that we helped pioneer in Malanday, Valenzuela 18 years ago!
Yes, it was time to witness the Debut of what was now Jesus Lord Almighty Church, Valenzuela! It was so good to see it not just "still alive" but alive and well! It now had at least 4 daughter churches, with one as far as in Mindoro! Glory to God!
This was also the time when JASMin was born! It would now seem that the blockage of the JAS sign earlier this year was a precursor of "Greater things": the launching of Jesus Alone Saves Ministries in Angono, Rizal. As one dear friend [correctively] pointed out - "When God closes a window, He opens a door." Yup! A big one!
SEPTEMBER - A Time of GREATER Things
As if being pastor of one church wasn't a big enough challenge, this month saw us take what is probably one of the biggest steps of faith we've ever taken as a family yet. With the blessings of our pastor in ICS, September saw me become the senior pastor of Makati Hope Christian Church! I kid you not, this has turned out to be quite the challenge!
And speaking of challenges, I also took on the dare to blog for 30 days! Thankfully, I was kept company by a pro. 
And then, just when I thought I had bitten off more than I could chew, the whole nation met its match when, after 42 years, it was inundated by the Noahic floodwaters of ONDOY. 
OCTOBER - A Time of Overcoming
Turning tragedy into triumph, our nation rose from its traumatized condition and showed to all the world anew that our God-given resilience and ability to minister to "love its own", even in the times of greatest calamity, is still one of the best reasons to be "proudly Pinoy"!
For our part, we in MHCC came together the students and parents, faculty and staff of Makati Hope Christian School and embarked on a relatively huge relief operation that ultimately lasted 'til mid-November and ministered to almost 2000 families in over a dozen flood-hit areas that included Taguig, Taytay, the urban poor community next door to our church, Talim Island, Valenzuela, and others.
NOVEMBER - A Time of Coming Together and Letting Go
This month saw me fly back to Laoag for Greater '09! T'was good to be reunited with my MCP-A family! It was good to come together with some of the "heroes" of my life - Mommy Lorie Cruz, Doris Guzman of MCIN, the young warriors of MCP. Sadly, our beloved "ate" Cristy could not be with us as she had to be in Butuan, preparing for her soon-coming departure for the US to be with her mom in Colorado.
That conference effectively marked the end of an era for MCP-A.
DECEMBER - A Time for Gratitude
This month Rose and I hit 20 years, by the grace of God.
It's amazing to think that, just five minutes ago, I met this lovely, selfless, giving, God-loving woman, dated her, married her and had three wonderful, beautiful, intelligent, gifted, talented kids with her.
It's even more amazing to think that, after 20 years, she's still here. You see, as if to underscore our good fortune, another dear couple, good friends of ours who got married just a few days after we did, announced their divorce during our anniversary week. This was sad, sobering news.
And now, with just a few hours from Rose's 44th birthday, and barely three days away from the coming year, what have I learned from all the days and events that have transpired?
That He is true to His Word; what He says shall come to pass, no matter how seemingly improbable or impossible. And for as long as we are on His side, GREATER THINGS ARE YET TO COME!
