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Who am I to ask of The Lord, if in times of great suffering, in times of great ridicule and persecution, I do not look to Him or acknowledge His greatness.

I am a Catholic. I am a believer. However dismayed I have become of my Church, I will always have the greatest faith in my Lord Jesus Christ.

It has become unpopular, almost blasphemous to say His great name, but however much I do not wear my religion and faith on my sleeve, because I choose to do so in action, I would like to remind my readers, lest I become a hypocrite, lest I become one of those who cower behind the ridicule, that in the times when it has become unpopular to do so, I stand up in great faith beside Him.

I shall exclaim and proclaim, that I am nothing in this world without Him. I give all the glory to Him.

I have a blessed life, no matter how I cut it, I am blessed.

I have a great family, good friends, I have more than enough to spend for many lifetimes, and yet I have all of this now. There are times that life is just too good to be true, and in all my dreams, I wouldn’t want my life any other way.

Today, I nourish my spirit, renew my vow to welcome in my life any challenges that come my way, and all the while, staying strong because I know in this journey, I am not alone.

I am blessed.

I leave you all, with a song by Chris Tomlin, “How Great is our God”, probably one of the most uplifting and inspiring songs I have yet to hear. It’s a great way to reflect on this Ash Wednesday, to give thanks, while this great and inspiring music plays in the background.

Awake from a hectic Christmas Eve, meeting up with friends, meeting up with family, attending mass, and spending the opening minutes of Christmas with loved ones. I’m blessed, I know, and I can only be thankful for all the blessings that have been bestowed upon me.

But you know, I feel a deep longing that many Filipinos away from their homeland feel. A dual tugging of hearts, a gratitude to a nation that has given me so much, but great love for the nation that gave birth to me. Christmas is a time of great joy and of great sorrow for me, and I’m okay with this.

Today, I also thank you my dear friends for staying with me here in this corner of the internet. As you know I have been busy with Filipino Voices, such great compassionate individuals over there, patriotic writers, and I have this deep sense of duty to them and to the readers, to make it as successful as it can be. I am thankful that these writers constantly rekindle my love for my country and for my people.

The holidays is an accumulation of emotions, and I welcome these emotions with open arms. Love is the overwhelming emotion for me this Christmas morning, and as Christmas day is just about to wrap up in The Philippines, I on the other hand will start mine. I will relax today, reflect on the blessings that have been given to me, the most important of all will always be my relationships with friends and family.

I reflect a great deal on our fellow Filipinos that have so little this Christmas, the great many Filipinos who live under the umbrella of poverty, a tattered umbrella which we cannot ignore, nor should we ignore. I imagine a great many families who will have had a simple noche buena, whose happiness is anchored not in gifts but because the time they spend — it is with their family.

I reflect on what we should all be thankful for, and if we only knew the great many things we have that so many Filipinos could only wish and hope for, I think the tangible things we focus on like material gifts, don’t seem so tangible after all.

My dear friends, I hope you will have had a great Christmas, no matter if this was just another day for you, the important thing is, is that you experience the love this day symbolizes.

May God Bless us all, The Filipino people, and The Philippine Republic.

Allow me, if I am not too late to list a couple of the emerging and influential blogs from my perspective this year. Disclaimer, however, is that this list is a last minute list, and my apologies to those who may be deserving but I just haven’t had the time to blog hop as of late.

Second disclaimer is that these blogs are the ones I enjoy and probably know the writer or writers as well, and as such, is probably a bit biased. But nonetheless, these are my entries, and I hope you do get to read a few.

1. Cebu Bloggers – Well because I am an honorary member, I’m from Cebu, and I really think they (we) are making great strides. This group is one of the most cohesive groups that we have in The Philippine Blogosphere, and I’m very much proud to be part of such an outstanding group of individuals. Mga bisdak, mga gwapo ug gwapa gyud.

2. Patay Gutom – another enjoyable blog, funny, original, and a wonderful set of great bloggers.

3. Letsgosago – I drop by once in a while here, hope you do too.

4. Focal Glass – Great blogger, good friend, a Cebu Blogger, outstanding photographer, and this guy just takes awesome pictures.

5. Adaphobic – Ada, well, she’s nice. A good blog too. Hey, two for the price of one

6. Tunay Na Lalake – Okay, I hope this blog keeps on going, sometimes you just need a respite from all the serious stuff that’s going on, and this blog is just damn funny.

7. Father Blogger – This guy inspires me to be a better person.

8. Dare To Speak Out – Excellent insight on current events, she’s commented on Filipino Voices before, and I’ve always enjoyed her take on things.

9. Writing To Exhale – I’m jumping on the bandwagon here, but this seems to be a very promising blog, go read it!

10. Anthology of Marocharim – Marck’s take on poetry and Fiction. This guy is good. way too good that sometimes he doesn’t know it.

My apologies, I’ll include the rest of the links later when I have more time.

Today, I am thankful for a life that is filled with much blessings. As I look through the years, indeed the most important blessing in my life is the love of friends and family. My family for always being there and the unconditional love that I could always count on.

And as a practicing Catholic, the love I have for God will never waiver, I may struggle at times, but that love will always be there. I rarely ever wear my faith on my sleeve, I don’t announce it to the world, but that it is in the simple belief that my faith is not centered in public demonstration, but in how I lead my life, and the conversations I have with The Lord in the solitude of my mornings and evenings.

This anniversary of my birth is quite different this year, because I am celebrating with a sense of greater purpose, where in the past I have concentrated in the road of my career, always gauging the milestones that I have reached… today and these past couple of months, I have come to the realization that I could contribute to a greater good because of what has been provided by technology. My self has taken a backseat, while I sit in amazement at fellow bloggers and writers who continue to put forth the most wonderful of efforts in engaging the issues of the day.

Indeed, I feel that this has been a rebirth of not only democracy as we know it, but on a personal basis, a rebirth of how I define public service.

I may not be in front of the cameras, because honestly, I don’t like the limelight, but I am happy in the fact that I work each and every day toward a greater goal, and it is through Filipino Voices that a greater goal can be achieved. As to that goal, it shall be the embodiment of the exchange of ideas, that may also lead to action, on the different fronts of advocacy. It is in knowing that I am surrounded by willing minds, passionate Filipinos, and those who are willing to trek with me into the unknown.

There are so many individuals that have shaped the way I conduct my life, that have shaped my happiness in my everyday journey, and that stick with me through the ups and downs… and to those individuals, thank you for a life that is as fulfilled as it could possibly be.

My cup runneth over, and I am teary-eyed to even acknowledge my blessings… Here’s a toast, to many more years to come!

Nearing the day where I should celebrate the anniversary of my birth, I find only one true happiness in the world today. The truth that there are those who care with such a compassion that their lives are the living example of service to humanity.

I know some of these personally, and many more on a non-personal basis.

We should all ask ourselves this question every day: “am I making the most of what I have been given?”

For me, I come across this question in the forms of intellectual debate and discussions, at functions and in ordinary everyday life. As if the question of human good can be encapsulated in the form of which economic theory we should all be working on?

But, sometimes, complexities does not lend itself the desirability of what most people seek — and that is simplicity.

How can we, as individuals, in our own daily lives, contribute to a better society, irrespective of what economic theory our own government and officials adopt.

The private sector can do as much as the public sector, and the motivation can often be the simple basic good, which I believe is inherent in many of us.

As I grow each day, and as I age each day, I no longer ask myself the good that I can do for myself, but the good that we can do for our society.

And thus, when moving forward with the goal of providing the platform for discussion and debate as seen over at FV, I have come to a basic belief that even though we disagree on many levels as to how to attack a problem, I look to each individual and see the goodness with which that person has conviction.

We are not socialists or capitalists, we should all be humanists connected in fate. The collective fate is the idea I would hope everyone sees our nation in.

Our future lies in the prosperity of our citizens, let us hope that we move collectively in that direction, working towards that end, because sometimes the market of humanity can often move separately, leaving the marginalized to fend for themselves.

The thought of the day is that while we control our own destiny, sometimes we can also determine the destiny of others through the act of good and compassion.

I am an eternal optimist, a constant dreamer, an abundant soul. I live on the challenges of the day, and dwell on the solutions that come my way. I see The Philippines as an ongoing project. Imperfect. With flaws. With numerous problems. But beautiful and worth the constant struggle to lift it out of the mediocrity of its current state.

Won’t you stand beside me in this struggle? Meet our challenges? To have said, we did something, will always be enough for me.

To have done nothing, stood still, kept quiet, and lived our lives separate — that would be a shame.

No, wait, I had just come to the realization, that with the awesomeness that is Barack Obama now in office, that this could only mean one thing.

It is now… CITIZEN GEORGE W. BUSH, AND CITIZEN DICK CHENEY

I could hardly contain myself this morning, that any semblance of the flu that I had left probably left me for good. In any case, I’ll try to write a more memorable post for posterity with regards to the Inauguration of President Barack Obama. So, while you wait for that groundbreaking literary work of mine, please do visit filipinovoices.com

Happy New Year to one and all! 2008 is almost over and The Philippines and The Filipino people has withstood yet another tumultuous and very interesting year. I don’t do year end reports too well, because frankly, I’m always too busy at the end of the year to make such a report.

But, I can say this, it was one of the best years so far in terms of being a blogger. I finally met a few bloggers which made this whole year even better. I revealed my age, my face, and by mistake, my identity. Well, so much for being anonymous.

The most important thing that has come out of this year, for me at least, is the fact that FilipinoVoices.com was born, out of 9 or so bloggers that started the journey with me, I am proud to say, the list is growing. We are slowly, but surely, getting to the destination, and making a difference as a blogger, I am happy to say, is a reality.

In any case, 2009 is going to be the year, where we up the ante a bit, I am hoping more people will realize that they too have a responsibility of being aware of the issues, because we are either part of the solution, or we are part of the problem.. And apathy is part of the problem.

I leave you all, with warm thanks for keeping me company in this blog, going along on my journey, and for reassuring me, that the goodness in people can extend to this place we call the internet.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

In these times where many things are uncertain, a few things will always be certain, that happiness will always be ours to decide, and that this happiness often comes from following our hearts, our passion, and from the love of friends and family. Truly, the tangible riches of men pale in comparison to what can be obtained by our most sincere and thoughtful relationships we have with family and friends.

Just a thought, because on this eve of Christmas Day, I hope we feel this love from the relationships we have in our lives.

And to you my dear readers, my fellow bloggers at Filipinovoices.com, and my friends and family, a wonderful, blessed, and peaceful Holiday Season.. Merry Christmas

– Yours Truly, Nick

Tomorrow, I will be witness to history, to a man whose time has come, and for an electorate clamoring for CHANGE. I will be out in full force, along with many other Barack Obama supporters, and I will cast my vote along with millions of other Americans, and bear witness, in hope, that my vote will be part of the votes that will thrust this Senator into becoming the new President of The United States of America.

Civil rights leaders will say, those who marched with Dr. King, that they lived to see the day, the first black Party Presidential Candidate, and now, in just a little more than a day, could be, our next president. As a Filipino, I am almost jealous, that what can happen in America, has not happened yet in The Philippines. But I will let go of that jealousy, for now, because maybe, just maybe, Filipinos the world over, will be inspired and CHANGE may just come in the form of an inspired Filipino citizenry. Much to be desired, much to ask for, but I can dream.

But then again, i shall digress, whatever your political leanings, Obama or McCain, if you are Filipino-American, please vote, it is your duty, and it is your right.

As for myself, I shall transform into a giddy little high school kid, waiting in line, to bear witness to something magical. A moment in history, that will happen just once, the fulfillment that all men are created equal, even when it comes to the Presidency of The United States of America.

I watched this last night on CSPAN, and thanks to Manolo for reminding me about it.. here’s Barack Obama roasting John McCain at the annual Alfred E. Smith Dinner.

Here’s the second part,

Which line was your favorite?

I liked so many of it.. this one was good, a great jab…

“I got my name Barack from my father…. it’s actually Swahali for “That one.”

Speaking to an intelligent and admirable individual a few weeks back, I came out with a sort of conclusion about how our piled up issues can become something of a nightmare, when one focuses on these issues too much. It is indeed a sacrifice in itself to stay current on the issues, work towards the betterment of the nation, and yet still stay positive about a brighter future for our children.

Being jaded is becoming numb, because you have seen the worst, you have worked towards the best, and yet the worst seems to always prevail. When a nation such as ours have seen the corruption from up in the hierarchy all the way down to the citizenry who participates in the vote buying process, it is no wonder why being jaded does not come across as our very own national medical emergency.

And yet, as they say, knowing is half the battle.

It is better to be jaded than being apathetic, because it shows that you care, but have become numb in the fact that the nation we love so dearly is cyclical in its corruption, poverty, and lack of prosperity. It seems we have shown glimpses of our true potential only to be bogged down by the likes of Eraps corruption, The Arroyo Administration’s blunders, and indeed the inefficiency of many of those in power.

And yet, being numb still shows you care, being jaded often does not mean permanence, it just means that you need to bring life back to the passion that lies dormant.

In any case, participation is still the only way to get ourselves out of the rut of just becoming someone standing on the sidelines, instead of being someone who is part of the process. It is our government, it is our nation, and if we want to make it better, then we must take it upon ourselves to take action, either through a private institution, through public institutions, or even through our lives, by being an example of what is good with our nation.

It is by our own example that we can make the most impact on our surroundings. Let us say to others, do what I say, and follow my lead. Let us be leaders of today as well as nurturing the leaders of tomorrow.

He’s a terrorist because of “his name”. And so goes the many of the idiotic statements that people propagate because they are too lazy to think for themselves. If we can judge someone solely on his/her name, then how can we expect to choose a president in a sound manner? The answer, of course, is that you can’t. And such a mentality exists when people join rallies, close their eyes, and go along with nonsense propaganda drivel.

Here’s a video, that should terrify any American, because it shows, that this is how some American voters really think, and their votes will reflect a hate for Senator Obama, that is based totally on false accusations, propaganda, and utter nonsense.

Here’s the full video of the second presidential debate in Nashville with John McCain and Barack Obama

As I watched The Presidential Debate with John McCain and Barack Obama just a few hours ago, there has come a realization that Barack Obama has an indeed proved his readiness, has indeed proved his presidential pedigree, above and beyond that of John McCain. When John McCain’s camp decided to step up its negative attack in the form of ads and Sarah Palin calling out Senator Barack Obama, it was a step back once again to the days of Karl Rove and his revving up the conservative base strategy. But when the personal attacks start to not only become rhetoric and then goes towards being an all out disrespect of a candidate, it’s nothing short of despicable.

Earlier last night, when John McCain referred to Senator Barack Obama as “That One” it took his candidacy from being desperate into the realm of despicable. When one cannot even respect their opponent, how can one lay claim to the highest and most important position in the land? This is no longer about issues for John McCain, because when he goes for the issues, he is beat, his platform is no longer about a better America, it is about desperation.

“That One”, it reminds me of when Ross Perot, a billionaire tycoon who ran for President in the nineties, who referred to African-Americans as “those people”.

What disrespect, an almost hint of racism, John McCain has lost me for good. His hero is Teddy Roosevelt? I believe, Karl Rove and George Bush eerily mirrors the heroes that John McCain is mimicking these days. What a real shame, America please wake up, the demeaning attitude of the McCain campaign should no longer have legs to stand on.

I’m pissed off because John McCain knows all the lies that are being flung at Senator Obama, and not only does he know about it, his camp is spearheading many of these attempts, including his nonchalant disrespectful statement addressing Barack Obama as “That one”.