REAL impact
THE PRICE AND PRIZE OF PERSEVERANCE by Rene P. Garrido
J
ust like other guys, I was desperate looking for someone to love. I watched many of my friends find one with little effort. There were those who could easily win a girl’s heart because they possess traits that girls find desirable and outstanding. For many years, the longing for a life partner got so intense that I experienced the agony of waiting. I was determined at all cost to court somebody I would marry someday. I didn’t want to enter a relationship that started almost perfectly, only to see it crumble like a sandcastle. As a young Christian then, I was willing to wait for the woman who was God’s choice for me. There were times though that I entertained the idea of settling with just anybody who’d cross my path just to end my disappointment. As I continued to wait for my beloved, I talked to God like a child asking Him daily when she would come. The only sign that I asked Him to show me was simply love at first sight. One day, during one of my church visits, I met somebody whom I felt was God’s answer to my prayer. Since I believe that God has directed me to this person, I immediately courted her. With more than a dozen suitors trying to win her affection, I saw a tough road ahead of me. Eventually, she told me she rejected all of us. This rejection gave me a glimmer of hope to persevere and remain patient. Since that time on and despite two rejections, I was determined to pursue what I have already started. I sent her a note, a letter, or a card six times a week for seven uninterrupted years to let her know she was always on my mind. When she rejected me the second time, I decided to bid her goodbye. For the last time, I asked her to 2
simultaneously pray with me every 9pm that I would ultimately forget her. Many years passed since we parted. I continued to remind God of my desire for a wife. I told Him I already courted the woman I believe was His choice but I was rejected. I did my part and it was now His turn to do the courting for me. Before long, God arranged circumstances and events that made us friends again. God showed me the right approach towards a blissful and meaningful relationship. As one Pastor shared, “I won’t rush into blinded lust. Like a fine wine, I will let this love get better and better with each coming year. I will love myself, love others around me, love Christ, and in doing so my love will attract the greatest love of another. I will wait and though it will cost me to wait, I will remain firm because in waiting, my desire to love another will grow, and my heart will be strengthened.” Finding a virtuous woman to become my wife was very difficult. It was like looking for a needle in a stack of hay. Only very few are fortunate to find one. That virtuous woman is the exceptional woman defined in Proverbs 31:10-31, whom a loving and concerned mother desires for her son. Although virtuous women are extremely rare, finding one should be a priority. After seven long years, I was very happy that God answered my prayers. He gave me Bels to be my wife; life is simply not complete without her. Prayer, patience, and perseverance were keys to the realization of my dream.
a man’s journey
Gadgets & Gizmos
The REWARDS OF HUMILITY
Trading Card Game
by Revodem Avarientos
by APMedia Staff
I am a man in progress. Far from perfect, sometimes I fail, but that does not discourage me to strive to become a better person. One principle that I am slowly and still learning today is the wisdom of being humble.
It’s hard not to compare the way we played games decades ago to how kids play games now. During the 90’s we would get bruised arms and knees from playing outside our homes and under the sun. Today, we get sore thumbs from playing indoors with our mobile apps and video games. Times have changed, games have changed. Well, not entirely, because there are still some that have stood the test of time.
Here are some realizations that I learned in practicing humility. Humility begets friends. I have experienced that the more you show humility to others, the more they want you to be their friend. When you are humble, people can easily open up to you because they feel that they can trust you. Humility begets blessings. When you have friends, you do not only position yourself to be a blessing for others, but you also open yourself to be blessed by them. There were instances that I have been blessed because I accommodated friends through random acts of humility. Humility saves relationship. By being humble you put the welfare of others before yourself. Often times, this means losing an argument or being uncomfortable, but you will save the relationship. I learned this the hard way when on one occasion, I insisted to push what I wanted, but in return lost the closeness of a friend. I realized in the end that our friendship was more important than the issue I was fighting for. It took a while to bring back the friendship and I apologized for being selfish. Humility reduces stress. It takes a great deal of maturity to show humility. One has to have great control of his emotions. People who could not control their emotions are usually stressed individuals who often feel insecure. Humbleness, though it may seem giving up your position of favor, is releasing yourself from the stress of having to prove yourself. Pride is the opposite of humility. Exhibiting meekness is never easy because our natural tendency is to prioritize ourselves before others. I know I still have a lot to learn about being humble. The Bible says, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” Proverbs 11:2
One of those games is trading cards. I remember when I was a teenager, I would spend hours with my friends trading cards after school. We had epic battles using our own strategies as we tried to outwit the other. We also brought our surplus cards, made playing decks out of the blue, and tested it immediately. It was complete fun. Now I have a nephew who’s almost always busy with his technical gadgets, and spends a lot of time watching television shows. I introduced him to the game of trading cards just to see if he would like it, and it went well. It was awesome actually. Right off the bat, here are the things that he learned: 1. Sportsmanship 2. Honesty 3. Friendliness 4. Respect 5. Strategy 6. Taking care of toys 7. Fun 8. Being part of a community 9. Improved math skills Not bad if you ask me! Some of these qualities cannot be learned in front of the screen. The important lesson to learn with this kind of game is that we get to have fun with someone, and not with something else. 3
fitness & health
Proper Posture, Proper Health by APMM Staff
O
n a publication called Labstat updates from the Philippine
Statistics Authority dated October 2015, it stated that during 2011 and 2013, back pain was the most common type of occupational disease.
This
information was based on a nationwide survey that covered 8000+ establishments with 20 or more workers in 69 industry groups. It’s hard to say that things have become better, because it has most probably become worse. More and more people are experiencing chronic body pains, of which back pains are the most common. It is good to know that now, more than ever, physical exercise is encouraged. We need to stay physically active to decrease the chances of having chronic pains in our bodies. But what if for some reason we can’t become physically active? What other options do we have? Well, we can start by improving our posture. Proper posture is hard to determine, so here are some tips on
how to know if your posture is correct and how to improve it: To determine proper posture while standing, go to the nearest wall you can find and lean on it, making sure that the back of your head, your back, shoulders, and buttocks touch the wall at the same time, while the heels of your feet are around 4-5 inches from the wall. That should be your posture when standing. The same goes while sitting: the head, back, and buttocks should be aligned, with the arms and legs at a 90-degree angle to the table and floor respectively. Consciously do these corrections to your posture whenever you have the chance, and it will invigorate you both mentally and physically. Proper posture will make you more productive in whatever you are doing.
EDITORIAL STAFF Editor-in-Chief Kim Snider Issue Editor Joshua Kho Layout Design Patrick Tan Distribution Johnson Li Like us on Facebook “Men in Progress” 4
Published quarterly by
Asia Pacific Media Ministries Unit 2608 Raffles Corporate Center, Emerald Avenue, Ortigas Center, 1605 Pasig City, Philippines Telephone: 914-9767 E-mail: mip@apmedia.org Website: www.apmedia.ph Reproduction of photos and articles is prohibited without permission.
Vol. 6 Is. 19 2017
STRENGTHENING THE CORE
STRENGTHENING THE CORE
THE IMPORTANCE OF PLANNING REAL IMPACT
THE PRICE AND THE PRIZE OF PERSEVERANCE A MAN’S JOURNEY
THE REWARDS OF HUMILITY
The Importance of Planning by Joshua T. Kho Interview with Mr. Aron Tolentino, the senior pastor of Crossway Church. He also acts as the Camp Director for the annual youth camps in their church and has great experience in organizing events.
I
t is the year 2017! To make the most out of this year, we need to have a plan. Some people just go with the flow, but Mr. Aron Tolentino believes
planning is essential. Here’s what he said: What is the purpose of planning? Basically, planning is a means to achieve a goal in the most efficient
GADGETS & GIZMOS
way. You can actually achieve a goal without planning, but it will cost you
TRADING CARD GAME
realistic so that it can be achieved. You don’t try to achieve a certain goal
more in terms of money, resources, manpower, and time. What happens when we plan is we make sure that it is doable and by having unrealistic means. One useful planning method is what they call
FITNESS & HEALTH
S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound) goals.
PROPER POSTURE, PROPER HEALTH
When did you start to appreciate the benefits of planning? When I started overseeing the youth ministry in our church, I had a lot of ideas on my mind that I wanted to implement, but I didn’t know where to begin or how to make it work. Then I got a hold of the book entitled
“Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.” Alan Lakein
Purpose Driven Youth Ministry. That book helped me engage in planning and it gave me a clear picture of how to make all these great ideas come together to achieve a single goal. Without planning it would be chaotic. What do you do when things don’t go according to your plan? A good planner considers everything involved in a project. He will cover all the bases, and not leave a stone unturned.