Men in Progress | April 2015

In This Issue:

The Builder Getting the Best Job

Real Men Driven to Sell or Called to Serve?

You’re the Man! Enriched Lives Gadgets & Gizmos Technology and Honoring God

The Gym Wellness Now

“Everybody has a vocation to some form of life-work. However, behind that call (and deeper than any call), everbody has a vocation to be a person to be fully and deeply human in Christ Jesus.”

—Brennan Manning

The Builder

Getting the Best Job

by Revodem Avarientos

I

f we want to get the best job, we need to be the best man. There are two main aspects that I would suggest if we want to get the best. First is the spiritual aspect which is seeking and discerning God’s will and favor. The second is the practical aspect which is the part where we do our homework.

Spiritual Aspect

When seeking God’s will, we need to ask God first for His guidance through prayer, then our perspective on things will become clear. We also need to seek God’s instructions from God’s Word and the advice of mature individuals in faith. Input from these two sources can give us clarity and a sense of direction in seeking God’s best.

Practical Aspect

We need to know ourselves and our capabilities. Let’s ask ourselves, what would we like to do if money was not a factor (e.g. hobbies)? What are the things that we do that we are good at? Can our current finances cover this career path that we’ll choose?

Once we have the answers to these questions then we need to take the initiative in looking for job opportunities through job search websites.

We can also consult with professionals in the field we are interested in to get their technical advice. Let us review our credentials and evaluate our competencies. If we think that we are still not sure or lack experience then maybe we can explore and get the feel of the job by volunteering or taking projects for free. We may also need to take courses to improve our credentials.

If we feel that we are ready, then it is time for us to get hired. With faith and all our backup credentials, we apply for the job with confidence.

Let us be patient in applying and not be discouraged if at first we do not succeed. Since we have already met some of the people on the same field, we should ask them as our reference. Do not forget to put your volunteer experience on your resume, especially if it is the same field as the one you are applying.

Real Men

Driven to Sell or Called to Serve?

by Alvin Eleazar G. Tud

Mr. Hilario Penus, a former salesman turned staff-worker of One Hope Philippines, sees his work now as a calling from God. He lives in Cainta with his wife Lina, three adult daughters and one teen-age son.

How did you start in sales?

N

agsimula ako sa sales 1980, sa Phil. Cocoa Corporation. Sabi ko, ito na ang break na hinihintay ko sa buhay dahil undergraduate ako. After four years, nakapasok ako sa Coca Cola. Uniformed salesman ako dito, may dalang delivery truck. May basic pay kami, na higit na mas malaki kaysa iba, bukod pa sa commission at incentives.

Anong motivation n’yo para magtrabaho noon?

Walang iba kundi pera… mas malaking benta, mas malaki ang commission. Kapag maganda ang performance mo magiging kandidato ka for promotion. May pressure din na ma-meet ang quota kasi may kapalit na insentibo plus magiiba ang tingin sa’yo ng kapwa mo ahente at immediate superior, gagawin mo lahat—ang mali gagawin mong tama, para maabot ang quota.

Paano po nabago ang inyong buhay at pananaw sa work?

Hindi maganda ang ending ko sa company na ito. Noon, hindi ko kilala ang Panginoon, kaya ang lahat ng desisyon ko ay nakabase sa sarili at mga nakikita ko. Naghahanapbuhay ako akala ko para sa pamilya, ang major reason pala ay para sa akin. Kumikita ako ng sobra kaya na-involve ako sa drugs na naging habitual.

Hinatak nito ang buhay at pamilya ko pababa… everything apektado. Napaisip ako: ano ba itong ginagawa ko? Sino ba makakatulong sa akin?

Tapos natanggal ako sa trabaho.

Isang dati kong kasamahan ang nagpakilala sa akin kay Hesus. Noong una, tinanggap ko si Hesus pero wala sa puso ko, nagba-Bible study ako para kunwari nagbabago. Later, nakita ko ang kabutihan ni Hesus sa buhay ko. Sa isang prayer meeting sa church, isinuko ko ang buhay ko sa Panginoon. Nagkaroon ng katahimikan ang buhay ko at bagong kagalakan ang aming pamilya. Nagkaroon ako ng bagong trabaho bilang driver ng isang missions organization.

Mr. Hilario Penus with his family.

Sa One Hope Philippines, nakita ko ang kapangyarihan ng Diyos. Nagugulat ako, kahit mas maliit ang kinikita ko, mas masaya, at mas maginhawa ang buhay ko ngayon. Salamat sa Diyos! Ang tatlong anak kong babae ay mga professionals na, working in good companies, at ang bunso kong lalaki ay 2nd year college na.

Ang blessing ng Panginoon hindi lang galing sa iisang direksiyon—hindi lang financial, nariyan ang pag-aayos ng buhay, mga successful na anak, magandang family relations. Natuto akong makinig at magpahalaga sa ibang tao. Ngayon “behind-the-scenes” ako, pero tanggap ko ‘yan wholeheartedly. Sabi ng boss ko, si Ty, hindi mahalaga ang posisyon kundi kung paano mo ginagawa ang trabaho mo. I provide support for the staff and partner nila ako sa pagde-deliver ng mga Book of Hope sa mga bata.

Anong challenge n’yo sa ating mga readers?

Ang driven man ay taong successful pero sarili ang dahilan ng kaniyang tagumpay.

Kapag called ka, ano man ang propesyon o posisyon mo, ang magiging dahilan ng iyong tagumpay ay ang Panginoon. Hindi kailangan na nagtatrabaho kayo sa isang “ministry.” Kahit anong work, pwede n’yong ide-dedicate sa Panginoon. Naniniwala ako by doing that lalo kayong magiging mahusay at magtatagumpay sa inyong ginagawa.

You’re The Man!

Enriched Lives

by Joshua T. Kho

When my uncle and I compete, most of the time my uncle wins, whether it be playing computer games or sports. Today, my uncle Richard C. Kho, MD is a leading name in the field of ophthalmology in the Philippines. One time, he was the president of the Neuro-ophthalmology Club of the Philippines. But most importantly, I believe what he treasured most from his work was that he was able to successfully operate on my grandmother and was able to return her eyesight to normal. From almost being blind to having a clear vision, my grandmother’s life was enriched by my uncle’s dedicated work! Nice!

Today, some folks work for a company with huge pay, regardless if the job matches their God-given skills and talents. Later on, feelings of regret that they wasted time on their current jobs creep in.

To address this common problem, let’s take a look at Jesus and his work- the reason why he came in to the world. In John 10:10, in being the Good Shepherd, Jesus said, “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” (NLT)

We all are people enslaved by sin and without hope. In short, we were spiritually poor. Then Jesus came and with him was life (John 1:4). His work was to enrich our lives, to give sight to the blind, to make rich the poor, to make heirs those who were slaves.

At the cross, Jesus finished his work and as a result we now experience peace, joy, and righteousness. How wonderful is that!

Therefore, the priority of our work should be just like Jesus—to first and foremost, “enrich lives, not only our pockets.”

Hence, we ought to assess if our Godgiven skills are really maximized in our chosen career, or to the jobs we are applying for, so that we can excel and just like Jesus, enrich the lives of others, and bring glory to God!

Gadgets & Gizmos

Technology and Honoring God

by Christian Pascual

I

t’s 2015. Technology is evolving at break neck speeds. Information is at our fingertips.

Cell phones are called personal mobile devices, while appliances and computers are converging into intelligent devices.

Information is customizable for our personal preferences. Now we have wearable health bands that can monitor places we’ve been and personal health stats. We also do transactions electronically and very soon many megacities will be cashless societies.

The glue that binds all this innovations is the internet. The internet was conceived by the US government during the 80s as a means of interconnecting several computers on real time and without restrictions to location. Since then the internet’s use has been encompassing, and it has made the world a global village with easy, affordable, limitless communications.

With all its benefits, the internet has its dark side. Porn has never been so easy to access. Recent studies in the web show how it’s starting to affect the mental psyche of individuals and has likened internet use to drug addiction. There’s also the study of poor mental health correlated to selfies. People tend to over share information which should have been private. Now the biggest ongoing tech issue in the United States is about privacy and security.

So how do we embrace technology? Should we head off to the mountains and forsake the wired life, or we meet it head on? Technology in itself is not bad - but the love for it as the love of the world is. We may better learn to control our urges for the latest tech or lest we be controlled by it.

We say we follow Christ? Then let’s use technology to honor God. Utilize it to share the gospel and personal stories of faith. Seize the opportunity made by social media to encourage one another or for the church to pray for events as it happens in many parts of the world. We should be a part of this.

Honor God. Use the internet wisely.

The Gym

Wellness Now

by Czakei Faye P. Lardizabal, RND

D

id you know that in the Philippines a 2014 survey by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) revealed that three out of 10 Filipinos were overweight and obese? The prevalence of overweight Filipinos is expected to increase significantly by 2015, which means more health problems ahead. According to the World Health Organization, obesity and being overweight ranks 5th among the leading risks for global death, with some 2.8 million adults dying each year. Thus the Philippine Association of Nutrition Inc. (PAN) urge Filipinos to take the food they eat seriously, emphasizing that nutrition has an overall impact on health.

Achieving a healthy diet is a matter of balancing the quality and quantity of food that is digested. There are five key factors that make up a healthful diet: 1. It must be adequate. By providing sufficient amounts of each essential nutrient, as well as fiber and calories, makes for an adequate diet.

2. It must be balanced. This means you do not consume one nutrient at the expense of another, but rather get appropriate amounts of all nutrients.

3. It must be controlled. Calorie control is necessary so that the amount of energy you get from the nutrients you consume equals the amount of energy you expend during your day’s activities.

4. It must be moderate. Don’t eat too much or too little.

5. It must be varied. Variety refers to consuming different foods from within each of the food groups on a regular basis.

Buy fresh foods that have all its nutrients and vitamins still intact, rather than processed foods which lacks nutrients and often contain inordinate amounts of sugar, salt, saturated and trans fats, all of which are associated with the development of diseases such as atherosclerosis (blockage of blood vessels), heart disease, stroke, cancer, obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes, and other illnesses.

With careful planning, a healthy and balanced diet providing optimal nutrition can be achieved and maintained to promote wellness.

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EDITORIAL STAFF Editor Alvin Tud Layout Design Patrick Tan Distribution Johnson Li MIP/MOMS Editorial Staff (L-R): Patrick, Alvin, Evelyn, Kim & Johnson

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