Tooth and ENT Doctor

As we prepare for the coming week, let us be reminded again of this powerful message. In the message "Believe and Be Restored" we considered our need to believe that what God said is true. He said the death and resurrection of Jesus was the final sacrifice for our sin, and that those who believe would receive the gift of eternal life. Clearly, our Salvation is a gift from God; "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith" (Ephesians 2:8). We did nothing to earn our Salvation and there is nothing we must now do to keep it, we simply must believe; "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). Though our sins are forgiven and Jesus is 100% sufficient for Salvation - though we walk in grace and are absolutely free of condemnation - sin in our life still causes temporary separation and tension in our relationship with God. Therefore, over and over in scripture, we are called to a life of holiness: "As obedient chi...

We all go through the highs and the lows of life. One moment we are loving every second, then we just want to give up on everything all of a sudden. They say that is human nature, a result of several generic, metabolic, environmental, and idiopathic factors. Whatever is the cause though, we can actually control it. It is really all in the mind. We have the power to determine what our mind focuses on. If we harbor the negative thoughts and situations, the longer we stay on the down side. If we fill our mind with good things and positivity, the faster we go up that happy state again. To do this though, a strong faith and right perspective are necessary. We should just always remember that all things work together for good for those who are called according to God’s purpose!

Today is my last day here in Laos and looking back at the past 4 days, it has been an awesome and unforgettable experience. My passion to make a difference in one person’s life has been reinforced more than ever. There is indeed a lot of needs that has to be addressed all over the world and we can do our parts in our own little ways.  Let us continue to live a life of purpose and make this world a better place for everyone.

After a short break and vacation to be with my girls, I am back on the bus en route to the SG office. With a wireless earphone listening to praise songs, I reminisce the weekend that was. Four days are really not enough to spend with love ones. There are too many things to do, stories to catch up and lazy moments to just hug and lie around in each  others arms. These are the precious times that we often  neglect when we are always with them. Indeed, you will never know how much you love your family unless you are away from them. 

Love is the most powerful thing in this world. It is much more than feelings, instincts or emotions. It has an unlimited reach. As Jesus says, ‘Love the Lord your God, with all your heart, soul, mind and strength”. He even demonstrated it by becoming man and dying for our sins!  Love is indeed costly. “ Real love demands sacrifice that can’t be found in self-centeredness. You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving. Sacrificial love requires that we give what we value most.” So if you ask me, ‘Love can only be understood from the actions it prompts. When we bear with the failings and weaknesses of others, divine love reveals itself ( Ephesians 4:2 ). At all costs, this love compels us to give so that we alleviate the suffering of others. Instead of seeking to fulfill our emotional and physical needs (receiving), we humbly give of ourselves ( 1 Peter 3:8 –9)’.

It has been 26 days since I courageously accepted the challenge to come to Singapore and work for a few months, alone and without my family. It is a big move considering that I haven’t lived singly for the longest time and so the anxiety and fear of having to do everything and navigating through life by myself are overwhelming. But surprisingly, despite some first day mishaps, I found myself settling quite well and easy. I guess it is because this ‘exile’, as I call it, is with a bigger purpose, more than just for career advancement. I am going to write about this wonderful journey as it happens and it is a great opportunity to go back to blogging once again.

 When faced with a decision in life, be it big or small, we hope and pray that we pick the best choice. Unfortunately, despite our good intentions, we make bad choices. Sometimes, the stress of being pressed to make a decision as soon as possible makes us settle for what we think is better at that particular time. We choose with a heavy heart, biased against the circumstances that made us choose in the first place. That sets us up to make decisions we wish we hadn't. As a believer of God’s will, I know that there is a path that God wants me to go and another that he doesn't want me to go. The map to the right direction is written in scriptures as all of God’s word “is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that we “may be complete, equipped for every good work.” But then again, even this can be lost in translation in our earthly mind.

Extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner landed safely in the eastern New Mexico desert minutes after jumping from his capsule 128,000 feet, or 24 miles, above Earth. His free fall is said to be faster than the speed of sound. Baumgartner, who was born in Salzburg, Austria, on April 20, 1969, believes that “Everyone has limits – but not everyone accepts them”. He has been preparing for this for five years and he has always believed that he can do it. Shortly before leaping, in footage beamed live around the world on a crackly radio link recalling Neil Armstrong's first words on the Moon, Baumgartner had said: "Sometimes you have (to go) up really high to (understand) how small you are." In our lives, we make life changing decisions that we can never take back. It's done and the repercussions are already there. However difficult to accept, we have to learn to live with it and move on. Felix's phenomenal jump from outer space is a decision h...

Excerpts from an incredible interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, "Purpose Driven Life " Author and Pastor of Saddleback Church in California. His wife now has cancer, and he now has "wealth" from the book sales. Rick said: People ask me, what is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven. One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me. I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense. Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting...

A letter of Paul Flanagan to his 2 children before he died from complications of skin cancer. I would like to tell these to my daughters too. Be courteous, be punctual, always say please and thank you, and be sure to hold your knife and fork properly. Others take their cue on how to treat you from your manners. Be kind, considerate and compassionate when others are in trouble, even if you have problems of your own. Others will admire your selflessness and will help you in due course. Show moral courage. Do what is right, even if that makes you unpopular. I always thought it important to be able to look at myself in the shaving mirror every morning and not feel guilt or remorse. I depart this world with a pretty clear conscience. Show humility. Stand your ground but pause to reflect on what the other side are saying, and back off when you know you are wrong. Never worry about losing face. That only happens when you are pig-headed. Learn from your mistakes. You will...

Dear Dr. Rio Abrenica , Congratulations! On behalf of the Health Unit-Ateneo Graduate School of Business, I am very pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to the Master in Business Administration in Health Program - Batch 8 (2009). We look forward to your enrolling in the MBA in Health... There goes my acceptance letter from AGSB. It's final, I'm going back to school AGAIN.  Of my 37 years of God-given life, 23 years were spent in school. Of the 14 years remaining, 4 were spent in specialty training, 1 in post-graduate internship and a cumulative 1 year in preparing for 3 Board Examinations. So basically, I'm still on my 8th year of living a textbook free life. But I'm not complaining. Every second in that 29 years were all worth it.  There's so much to learn and I think I will never loose the appetite to take in new and exciting knowledge. I'm going back to school because I need to be the best in my position right now. And...

We all go through this life not knowing what will come our way. We live by faith, and by that, it is as if we are walking in a long winding path , stumbling at times, getting lost at times, resting every once in a while, charging and running at times...believing and praying that there is an end to this path somewhere. My life is nothing different to this walk. I had my shares of stumbles, rests, runs and losts. There were also times when I just stopped walking and wanted to give up. But there were also times that I walked so fast I didn't realize how much distance I have already covered. All these are part of my own pursuit of happiness. A life of contentment. A life geared towards doing it's purpose. A new terrain is up ahead in my path...something unfamiliar, definitely challenging. I pray that I would be able to pass through unscathed and a better person than ever.

A natural harvest of lives has been done again through a force named "Frank". This is not saying that the tragedy was expected and should be accepted as is, forgetting about investigating the probable causes and the culprits behind it, I just believe that at the end of the day, what happened was meant to be... and only God knows the reason why. With that said, I hope we come to realize that our life could end just like that, without a warning, anytime, anywhere. We should remember again that this life is not ours, and therefore, while we still have it, let's make the best out of it. Here's one picture-inspired reminder why we should be thankful always of our lives, despite all of the so-called 'trials'! As I jumped off the building, I saw the known loving couple in the 10th floor hitting each other... I saw the usually tough and strong Peter in the 9th floor crying... 8th Floor.. Ah Mei just found her fiance in bed with her best friend... ...

On the very first day, God created the cow. He said to the cow, "Today I have created you! As a cow, you must go to the field with the farmer all day long. You will work all day under the sun! I will give you a life span of 50 years." The cow objected, "What? This kind of a tough life you want me to live for 50 years? Let me have 20 years, and the 30 years I'll give back to you." So God agreed. On the second day, God created the dog. God said to the dog, "You are supposed to do is to sit all day by the door of your house. Any people that come in, you will have to bark at them! I'll give a life span of 20 years." The dog objected, "What? All day long to sit by the door? No way! I give you back my other 10 years of life!" So God agreed. On the third day, God created the monkey. He said to the monkey, "Monkeys have to entertain people. You've ...

Simon Wilder in the movie "With Honors" taught me one habbit when I was still young, that is, collecting stones from every place I visit. I didn't quite fathom his reason for doing such but for me, I did it to remind me of the memories forged during my stay in that place. It really did not matter what kind of stone it was. When I find one with a peculiar cut, I keep it. Or if the color and shape intrigued me, I bring it home. When I became older I outgrew collecting them. I just simply lost interest. Looking back, I remember that the stones I picked from streams where the waters are gushing more strongly were smoother compared to the rougher stones of the stiller and calmer bodies of water. Some had shapes and colors that were distinct to the place. Some were exceptional while others were just ordinary. On a deeper note, stones are similar to people. We are different from one another. Each one of us is unique. We have our own distinguished cuts, shapes and size...

Almost everyone has a jeepney experience that we love to recount again and again.I live in a city where jeeps are a necessity of life if you want to get anywhere. From those scorching hot afternoons when you need to go downtown to those rainy days when you just want to catch a flick at the mall, the jeep is a life saver! If you have ever tried walking a mile under either conditions, then you’ll definitely be able appreciate its presence. On the other hand, smoke, dust and a mix of other sticky and sweaty aromas wafting from one nose to the next is always part of why I also hate to ride this necessity of life at times. And so goes my love-hate affair with jeepneys. My first real jeepney ride, if I still remember right, was when I was in my budding age of 12. The years before, I wasn’t allowed to ride the jeep alone. They told me I was too young and it wasn’t my time (sounds like a love song to me). But that day, I had the freedom to ride on my own! In truth, it was just that there ...

Last weekend, I had the privilege of joining a medical mission in Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro. We attended to the locals and a tribe of Mangyans. It was just a one-day activity so I had to squeeze-in and see 300plus patients for 7 hours. It seemed to be tiring but, just like in the past missions I participated in, it was worth every drop of saliva and sweat! I always have a heart for missions. In fact, it is one of the major reasons why I pursued medicine despite my being a dentist already. I wanted to do more, be used as a channel of blessing for more people. And now that I am able, I want to maximize every opportunity. We all have a purpose in life and I feel mine is this, missions. I am just waiting upon the Lord to put me in wherever I am most useful. This is my path and I've long accepted it. I hope you find yours too.