2009 is HISTORY!!!

The year 2009 is a very "historic" year for me and my wife. It started out really well... I was inducted fellow of my medical society, inducted as a certified specialist in another medical society. My wife was also recently inducted as diplomate of her medical society as well late last year. Our 3rd baby, Daryl, was born to us just this March, and is hands down the greatest blessing for us this year.

This year, I was appointed several functions in the hospital where I work in, which is also something good for us. I was able to start a private clinic, continue my teaching/professorial job and at the same time continue my functions on the hospital. And yes, I was able to go to Coron, Palawan this summer at almost no expense for me. God is good all the time.

All was well. We were fine. We were doing good. And then, just like a flash of lightning, it struck us down to our knees...

First, Ondoy came. Flood waters rose to waist level in our house, which was never flooded in more than 60 years of its existence. Two of our cars were submerged; one was repaired and in running condition now; the other is still non-operational because the computer box was damaged. Yet, we still had a lot to thank God for, we were still blessed compared to the other Ondoy victims.

As we were still trying to recover from Ondoy, we suffered probably the greatest blow we could ever receive. As most of you have read in my previous posts, my wife underwent an operation for a breast mass just recently. Though we pleaded to God that the mass turn out benign, histopathological results showed otherwise. Long story short, she underwent 7 hours of surgery and is scheduled for chemotherapy starting this January. My wife is recovering from the surgery quite well, though she still has some residual pain and weakness in her right shoulder and arm and forearm.
Praise God because we believe and claim that Joann is now disease free. We now pray that Joann will endure the side effects of the chemo treatment, and also for financial provisions for the medications.

And just 1 week after my wife's surgery, i got into the car accident i recently blogged about. It wrecked my dad's car but by God's hand of protection i was not injured.

So 2009 was both good and a very painful year for us. But that year is HISTORY. It's done, and finished. We can't rest on the laurels of our accomplishments, and we can't dwell in the sorrows of our pain for what happened.

It's the first day of the year 2010. No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has ever conceived what God has prepared for us this year. We pray for a deeper relationship with our God and a powerful manifestation of His presence in our lives as a family.

In all that has happened, and in all that will happen, God be praised, for God is still God, and Jesus is still Lord!

ACCIDENT!

Hey, as if last week wasn't tough enough...

I was on my way to school for my last class for the year, driving our toyota vios. Was passing thru the quezon ave cor edsa underpass manila bound lane. I wasn't driving too fast because the traffic was just moderately moving. I was playing (and singing) Don Moen's "I need You Jesus, to come to my rescue..." and then WHAM!!! Something hit me from behind. I wasn' too rattled though but after only 3-5 seconds another WHAMMMM!!! Bigger and stronger and louder.

As I got out of the car (amazingly i was able to), and from the narrative of the other drivers, this is what seemed to have happened.

The bus (owned by Everlasting) lost its brakes and hit the lancer behind me. The lancer hit me (giving me the first WHAM!) and made me hit the BRAND NEW STAREX in front of me. As the bus was about to hit the lancer a second time, the lancer swerved to the left and was pushed aside by the bus. But the rampaging bus hit me this time (giving me my second WHAAMM!!! bigger and stronger) totally wrecking the car from behind and pushing me full force towards the Starex in front of me and wrecking the front portion of the vios.

The sad thing is, the bus owner doesn't want to own up to the damages and they just want to go to court. So off to court we'll go.

God be praised for shielding me from impact. Thank God i had my seatbelt on, which is a real life saver.

I got my trusty Nokia N97 to document the whole thing.

In all things, in all ways, God is still God, and Jesus is still Lord!

What Cancer Can't Do

WHAT CANCER CAN'T DO

It cannot cripple love
It cannot shatter hope
It cannot corrode faith
It cannot destroy peace
It cannot kill friendship
It cannot suppress memories
It cannot silence courage
It cannot invade the soul
It cannot steal eternal life
It cannot conquer the spirit
It cannot overpower God's grace

THIS IS IT!

We just got admitted at the hospital and Joann's scheduled for surgery tomorrow at 9am.

Last night we had around 20 people in the house who joined us in prayer and praise and worship. We sang, prayed, wept, pleaded and heard the word of God.

Now we walk by faith. Now is the time to enforce what we prayed for. What we declared. What we heard and read from the bible. Now is the time for us to stretch out our hands to the outstretched arms of God!

We believe God will heal Joann. We believe He can and He desires to do so. We believe great and mighty things will happen to us because we have a great and mighty God!

Please, I urge you, to please continue in praying that the tumor that would be taken out of Joann's breast would turn out B E N I G N! BENIGN!!! BENIGN!!! BENIGN!!! IN JESUS NAME!!! BY JESUS' STRIPES!!! BY GOD'S WORD!!! BY THE FAITH OF JOANN!!! BY MY FAITH!!! BY THE FAITH OF OUR FAMILY!!! BY THE FAITH OF THE NUMBERS OF CHURCHES AND BRETHREN PRAYING FOR US!!! BY THE WILL OF GOD!!! BY THE MERCIES OF GOD!!! BY THE GRACE OF GOD!!! BY THE LOVE AND COMPASSION OF GOD!!!

LET YOUR MIGHTY HEALING FLOW!!! LET YOUR MIGHTY HAND UPHOLD!!! LET YOUR GLORY NOW UNFOLD!!!

This is it! This is God's time. We wait for You O Lord!

Psalm 118

v.5,6 - I called on the Lord in distress; the Lord answered me and set me in a broad place. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?

v.15 - The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous; the right hand of the Lord does valiantly.

v.17,18,19 - I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. The Lord has chastened me severely, but He has not given me over to death. Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, and I will praise the Lord!

v.21 - I will praise You, for You have answered me, and have become my salvation.

v.23,24,25 - This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in your eyes. This is the day that the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Save now, I pray, O Lord; O Lord I pray, send now prosperity.

LET THY KINGDOM COME, AND THY WILL BE DONE!!! AMEN!!!

Praise and Worship and Prayer Night Tonight

We'll have a night of praise and worship and prayer for Joann's TOTAL AND COMPLETE HEALING tonight at our house in Marikina at 7:30pm. If you can come, please join us as we glorify God for His awesome love! If you're far away, please join us wherever you are in praise, worship and prayer between 7:30pm - 9:30pm.

We believe great things are about to unfold. The devil is trying to dampen our spirits and shake our faith. But we will praise God. Yesterday, we were praying that God dissolve the tumor so no more surgery is needed. We had another ultrasound done. The tumor is still there, in fact, another tiny cyst was seen on her other breast. But we won't lose faith. Joann is scheduled for surgery on friday, 7:00am, and we believe God will manifest HIS POWER AND GLORY!!!

Our God is an awesome God! PRAISE THE LORD!!! PRAISE THE LORD!!! PRAISE THE LORD!!!

The Hope and Cost of Healing

As we continue to believe, affirm by faith, claim and declare that God's healing has indeed come upon us, and healed every bit of trace of disease in Joann's body, the devil keeps on taunting us "is it really that simple?" Just pray for healing and healing will come? Is there no price? Is there no cost?

As we ponder about this, there are times seeds of doubt arise. Sometimes, faith falters. As doctors we have seen how this disease courses through. We have seen the agony of patients. There is even more suffering seen in the treatment modalities... surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy...is this the cost of healing?

I continued to pray today...that God will continue to increase our faith. "Lord, help my unbelief!" is my prayer...God give me the strength and faith to hold on to YOUR PROMISES!!! Strengthen our hearts O God!

We still continue to pray that God will crush and dissolve the tumor, and that surgery is no longer needed. God increases our faith and strengthens our hearts.

My brother told me about another doctor he worked with in one medical mission. She was diagnosed with stage 4 cervical cancer, with lung and liver metastases. She was ready to die, and was even trying on cotton balls on her nostrils to see what she'd look like. But God had plans for her. She didn't undergo surgery, and was seemingly resistant to chemotherapy. But God's awesome hand healed her. GOD HEALED HER STAGE 4 CERVICAL CANCER WITH LUNG AND LIVER METS COMPLETELY!!!. She is disease free up to this day...and her healing came almost 8 years ago.

As if THAT testimony wasn't enough assurance from God. Awhile ago, my classmate, Monica, from way back highschool asked me how i was doing via facebook chat. She and her family are bible-believing christians. She's now based in Singapore. I have asked her to pray for Joann. As we were chatting, I told her that we believe God's healing has already come upon us. Then she began to share.

She told me her dad was diagnosed with lung cancer. He didn't undergo surgery or chemotherapy. HE IS COMPLETELY HEALED! He was healed more than 25 years ago, and is now still strong enough to regularly go to the gym.

Her younger brother, at the age of 2 1/2 yrs old, was diagnosed with Leukemia. He underwent chemotherapy but never lost a strand of hair. He is now 24 years old, a young professional, DISEASE FREE and COMPLETELY HEALED!!!

Her aunt was diagnosed with colon cancer. She didn't undergo chemotx. She is now ok and living in the U.S. SHE IS HEALED!!!

Her mother is now with a ministry called MORE THAN "C"; more than conquerors, more than cancer. They are ministering to those afflicted with cancer. I was able to talk to her on the phone and she left me with this message;

Believe in the power of God! Try to have communion daily at your home, break bread with the family. And everytime you break bread, remember that this, the body of Jesus Christ, was broken and bruised...that WE MAY BE MADE WHOLE!!!

God told me that "Yes, I have the power to heal you. Yes, pray with faith and you shall be healed. Yes, I am the God that healeth thee." But God reminded me that it didn't come at no cost.

The cost is this; Jesus Christ, the Only Son of God, left the heavenly realms, was born in a lowly, dirty manger, was raised up by a carpenter, lived the life of a carpenter. At the opportune age, He preached, He HEALED, He cast out demons, He forgave sins, He changed the lives of fishermen, tax collectors, a prostitute, a pharisee. He fed 3000 people, and again 5000 people. He raised up the dead. And then, after all this...

He was shackled in chains, pulled on a leash like a dog. He was beaten up, bruised, spitted on, whipped and lashed at, shouted and cursed at. He was stripped down, and a crown of sharp, long, penetrating thorns was forced down unto His head. He was made to carry a large plank of wood, which would require multiple med to carry. He was made to walk around the city bearing this cross, stumbling at times, and receiving whips at every stumble. He climbed up a hill, and there He was nailed to the cross. The cross was raised up, and He was given a sponge of vinegar for His thirst. Still, it wasn't the nails but His love for us that kept Him hanging up on the cross. He died. And then, after all this...

JESUS CHRIST ROSE FROM THE DEAD! AND IS NOW SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER! And HE SHALL RETURN SOON!

This is the cost of God's healing, the victory of Jesus in His life, death and ressurection. God's healing comes at the most expensive, most unaffordable price; His only Son. But God doesn't require us to PAY. He only requires us to BELIEVE and have FAITH!

Lord, Thank you for the healing that we now have! You are the God of wonders, and wonderful are Your ways O God!!!

Healing Has Come

I can't explain it.

Last friday, i cried in anguish, despair, desolation. It's like heaven and earth came tumbling down on me and my family. It's like the world stopped moving. Like the sun stopped shining. Like all the colors in the things i see have faded away. As I was driving home, i had to pull over 2 times at the side of the road because i was crying and shouting out to God..."AMA, AMA, AMA KO!!!.....AMA KO, AMA KO, .....MAHABAG KA!!! MAHABAG KA!!!" I didn't have any more words to say. It's all i could say really...

Thank God for the internet, cellfones, facebook. We were able to ask for prayer support from a lot of friends, family, even those far away. And some committed not only to pray, but to ask their prayer groups, their family, their church to pray too. I have asked christian friends coming from no less than 7 different churches, and I know there are more, to join us in prayer. I believe that there is tremendous power in prayer. And even more, awesome power in the corporate prayer of many believers. "A thousand men praying at the same time is equivalent to a man praying a thousand times." This is the way to move the hand that moves the world.

As we continued to ask for prayer support, the word of God came pouring in...
Exodus 15:26 - " And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I AM the LORD that healeth thee."

Hebrews 4:14-16 - " We have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens - Jesus Christ - so let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. We don't have a high priest that is unable to sympathize with our weakness, Approach then His throne of grace so we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."

Romans 15:13 - "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

John 14:1 - "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me."

1 Peter 5:7 - "Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you."

1 Peter 5:10 - "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."

Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

That same friday night, as I was continually praying while holding our 8 month old baby daryl, a rush of peace filled my heart. I don't know how, why, what, when... but somehow i was assured GOD HAS HEALED JOANN! I began to thank God! I don't know how He did it, and how He'll intend to manifest it, but I know he touched Joann and healed her completely.

The next day, saturday, one of our friends whom I asked for prayer support confirmed that this is God's promise. She said "Joann is healed, she is whole and her breast is in normal condition. She will continually see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living."

Messages from friends continued pouring in...in texts, in facebook messages, in posts...ever since I posted "please pray for Joann", the message has been the same. CLAIM GOD'S HEALING. HEALING HAS COME NOW. THANK GOD AND CELEBRATE GOD'S HEALING!!!" At this point, i stopped being pre-occupied about Joann's condition, and started thanking God for His healing!


Jesus said, "if you have faith even the size of a mustard seed, you can move this mountain." God has built up our faith through this. We asked God to increase our faith by His mercy and grace to overcome this disease. I know our faith still needs building up, but we believe it certainly is bigger now than a mustard seed. And to Jesus, a PUNY 2.5 x 2 x 1.5 cm breast mass is certainly NO MOUNTAIN!

As Joann and I were talking about the promises of God, she told me that earlier that day, as she was praying and crying out to God, she felt SOMETHING was being poured upon her...that God's healing was penetrating every inch of her body. We were amazed at the goodness of God.

As of last night, we were still able to feel the "lump". But we are walking BY FAITH now. We continue to THANK GOD AND PRAISE GOD because we know and we declare, GOD HAS HEALED HER ALREADY. We are now praying that GOD WILL DISSOLVE THIS MASS so that her surgery, scheduled on friday, will no longer be needed. And we believe, by faith, God is crushing this mass in His divine hands as of this writing.

Above and beyond us, we know that God's healing has come that His glory may be revealed. We are excited to see how God will use us to testify to His love, power, grace, mercy, goodness, kindness, tenderness and justice! We are humbled at how the God of the universe loves us and chose us to be His servants! We pray that lives will be turned to God and committed to Christ through our testimony.

So please, continue to pray for Joann and me and our entire family; that God's healing would be made manifest by the dissolution of the mass and that surgery will no longer be needed. But i also ask you to pray with thanksgiving in your heart for GOD HAS ANSWERED OUR PRAYERS!

Today, as I drove to work, i was in tears again. But these are not tears of sorrow anymore. These are tears of AMAZEMENT AND THANKFULLNESS FOR GOD'S OVERWHELMING LOVE AND POWER!!! So please join us in praising God and in giving Him glory, FOR WE BELIEVE, CLAIM AND DECLARE GOD'S HEALING HAS ALREADY COME!

P.S. Please join us, wherever you are, for a time of prayer and thanksgiving and worship this wednesday night, December 9, 2009, begining at around 7:30pm. For those of you who can come, we'll have this night of prayer and worship at our house in Marikina.

pls pray for joann

a thousand men praying at the same time is equivalent to a man praying one thousand times!



please pray for joann, my beloved wife. she is 36 years old, loving wife to me and dutiful mother to our 3 wonderful sons. she'll undergo breast surgery on dec. 11, 2009, friday, 7:00am. we are praying for a safe and no-complication ridden surgery, and we are praying and firmly believing that the frozen section and final biopsy will yield benign results.

Our God is good and God is able! Nothing is impossible with God! He laid the foundations of the earth and created all things. He put the stars, the planets, the sun and moon in place. He carved the mountains and the seas, and blows the winds through all the earth. He formed all nations, and formed the complex human body. And God can certainly heal a mere 2.5 x 2 x 1.5 cms mass.

Please be one with us in prayer to move the hand that moves the world. God bless us all!

Breast Cancer

If you are a young lady, in the prime of your career, a mother to very young children, living clean, doesn't smoke, doesn't drink alcohol, with no previous medical problems, no family history of medical problems, you really won't think it could hit you.

But breast cancer can hit anyone, and you don't need to have the risk profile to get it.

Patients usually first notice a palpable breast nodule or mass. Although most breast nodules are benign (>80%), it is still best to have yourself checked by a medical specialist.
There's a spectrum of breast diseases ranging from benign, to pre-maligant, to frank malignancy. There are a lot of diagnostic modalities available to aid in diagnosis. There's breast ultrasound, mammography, scintimammography, fine-needle aspiration biopsy and excision biopsy, with the latter most as the most accurate.

Benign and pre-malignant lesions are readily treatable, usually with excision of the mass alone and with close follow up monitoring. However, pre-maligant lesions are a bit more difficult to diagnose, as imaging and biopsy results may yield inconclusive or even conflicting results.



Frank malignant breast mass have to be treated more aggressively. Clues for the patient if the mass is high risk for malignancy are a hard (stony hard), fixed (non-movable) mass, presence of nipple retraction or skin dimpling, presence of nipple discharge which is sometimes bloody. Then again, excision biopsy is still needed to confirm.

With the advent of modern diagnostic machines, it is easier to catch the disease early on, and to apply corresponding management. Early diagnosis, early treatment leads to better prognosis.

So please, if you feel a lump in your breast, don't delay in having it examined. God moves in mysterious ways, and for those who have breast cancer, nothing is impossible with God. God can move mountains, can raise up the dead, and He is Almighty to heal even the deadliest of diseases.

My Camera Gear Evolution

Just about a year ago, I decided to start the hobby of photography. I researched and reviewed a lot of sites as to what DSLR to purchase. I finally decided to buy the Nikon D60 for my 1st DSLR, bought it at a local shop at Hidalgo, Quiapo. Cost me initially 35thou for the D60 kit (with 18-55mm VR kit lens) plus the 55-200mm VR zoom. I was happy with my purchase and started shooting everything in sight!




Then, just as any newbie in the field, I was hit with G.A.S. (gear acquisition syndrome). I bought a Nikon SB-600 flash, some tripods, some remote flash trigger, bags etc. I sold my 2 lenses and bought new ones. I bought a Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 and a Sigma 70-300. Got tired of the tammy because it's not "wide enough." Sold it and got the hard to find Nikkor 18-70mm. Stuck with it for a while but since I got it "pre-owned" eventually sold it and got the Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 DC EX MACRO, and it's now my favorite lens. Eventually sold the Sigma 70-300 and decided to go WIDE and bought the Tokina 12-28mm.



Early this year, as my knowledge and skills improved, even just a bit, I discovered the limitations of the Nikon D60 and decided to upgrade to the Nikon D90. Sold my beloved first DSLR and went back to Hidalgo to buy the Nikon D90, body only. This is the camera I truly wanted (at least at this point, hehehe). Bought a battery grip for it and this is what I now have.




I think I'll be happy with my set-up for the mean time. Still have a lot to learn. will post shots soon.

I'm Migrating!

Just a few days into blogging, I decided to migrate my blogsite to blogger.com (upon the "suggestion" of my brother blogger.

So here's to a lot of fruitful blogging.