God Wants His Steak Well Done

God went to a restaurant and ordered steak. The waiter asked him, "Do you want it medium rare, God?" He answered: "Well done, good and faithful servant."

That's exactly what the master said in Matthew 25:21 and 23. And while the Biblical story is not talking about steak, we could still learn from this:

• God wants us to be well done. God doesn't want his sons and daughters to be half-cooked, he wants us to be well done. The world's standards may say "medium rare is best," but may we instead follow God's standard to keep pressing on until we are cooked to His well-done perfection.
   
• God puts us in heat to make us well done. God allows trials, challenges and problems in our life not to burn us out but so we can be who He wants us to be. When we're out of the pressure cooker, God can then tell us, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
   
• God wants us to persevere and be patient. Well done steaks take longer to cook at a higher temperature, thus it will also take patience and perseverance to not give up during the process. Just trust God that He will take you out of the heat in His right time (He's never late).

God is interested in developing our character and making us find our strength in Him. So let's bring delight to God and endure as we are being cooked, because there is plenty at steak (pun intended).

Lesson from a Fallen Screw

Thanks to the screw for falling and giving me this thought to ponder on.

When All Your Fave Teams Make It to the Final Four

There are four teams I closely keep an eye on in the NFL. They are the Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks and the Indianapolis Colts. Throughout the regular season, I cheered them on and was happy all of them made it to the playoffs.

Three of them made it to the bye and one had to go through the wildcard phase, but ultimately, all of them won their respective divisional round matches. That's great! But now I have one dilemma. They now have to face each other. Whose side will I be on?

One Pebble Cab: Year 5

New year, new calendar! Thanks to Mercury Drug for this one.

Happy new year, dear One Pebble Cab readers! Thank you for visiting my blog, and I hope that in one way or another, I have provided relevant content to you in the past years: from music, stuff that could possibly make you laugh, to information that might be useful in one way or another.

2015 marks the fifth year of OPC. And though this shall be a busy but definitely blissful year ahead for me (hint), I am aiming to increase my output, at least in the number of entries. A quick look at the Blog Archive reveals that my posts have been on a decline in each year, and I hope to turn it around this time.

As you may have already observed, there is yet another bit of change for OPC Hits, this blog's staple music chart. This year, there will be three charts: Popsounds (top 10 pop songs), Praise Parade (top 10 praise songs), and Pinoy Picks (top five OPM songs), allowing me to categorize and give the tracks more opportunities to be featured.

I also intend to come up with more creative ideas and fun stuff that I could share with you, so watch out for those. So, well then, I hope you'll hang around regularly to get your dose of OPC goodness. Wishing everyone the best of everything this year. God bless!

Merry Christmas: God in Ctrl

Today, let us all remember that God sent His son Jesus to us because He loves us. He is the one who can Ctrl-Z (undo) our wrongs and Ctrl-Y (redo) what needs to be restored. God is our F1 (help) in time of need, and He will not Alt-F4 (quit) on us. We just have to Ctrl-O (open) our hearts and invite Him into our lives so He can make all things Ctrl-N (new) and Ctrl-S (save) us into eternity. Merry Christmas!

At Home and on the Road

Home Radio. This announcement comes six weeks late, but nevertheless, I am delighted to tell you all that I am now back on-air since June at 106.7 Home Radio Cebu. I'm once again having a whole lot of fun in carrying on with my duties as a radio disk jockey that would give a jumpstart to the listener's day. I am thankful for this opportunity, and I do hope to really brighten up your mornings with some crazy stuff you'll love and enjoy. So I'm inviting all of you to join me and listen to the Morning Madness from Mondays to Saturdays, 6 to 10am. Tune in or stream in as I dish out your daily radio-vitamin while playing today's hit music!

Morpheus Road. I just recently finished reading the Morpheus Road trilogy. I am not actually into ghost stories but given the fact that it was written by my favorite D.J. MacHale of Pendragon fame, I just had to read it. The books tell the story of best friends Marshall and Cooper, and their adventures in The Light, The Black and The Blood. Looking back, I thought it would be scary, but it really wasn't. It was a good read, and I recommend it to those who are looking for suspense and thrill. Now, I'm looking forward to the author's new series Sylo; its first book has just been released this month.

The Pig in the Prodigal Son's Story

The Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-24) in the Bible is very familiar to most of us, but the emphasis has always been on the father, the son, and sometimes, the elder brother (and understandably so). But today, as we went through this passage at church, it occurred to me that there is yet another character in this story.

How did the prodigal son finally see that it is better in his father's presence? He met a pig.

In this story, the pigs could represent the children of God:

• They were fed even during the famine. God provided for their needs, and so does God provide for the needs of His children.
• They were considered animals of the lowly kind. We must be willing to put ourselves in a position of humility and let God use us.
• They made the prodigal son realize that life would be better if he returns to his father. Ultimately, they led the son back to his dad, just as God's children should also lead people back to Him.

Do you want God to use you so His lost children could be found again? If so, be a pig.

OPC Recommends: Guitar Master

When my guitar's nut got broken, I started looking for a good quality, yet affordable guitar repair service. After reading good reviews about them online, I've decided to bring my guitar to Guitar Master, a guitar shop in Lapu-Lapu City. They also sell great-sounding acoustic guitars, as well as ukeleles, with very friendly prices.

My guitar with its fresh nut.
Thanks, Guitar Master!

Though Guitar Master is a little bit far if you're from Cebu City, it's quite easy to get there. From SM City Cebu, just take a MEZ-bound V-Hire (fare is P25.00). Once it has crossed the old Mactan Bridge and immediately after it has taken a left turn, you may then get off. With signages indicating where it is, you won't miss it. It's at one of the stalls in the newly-constructed commercial building on that corner. (By the way, I'm told this is their new location. Their old location was a little bit farther on the same street.)

Sir Ronnie, the store's owner/manager, is very accommodating. I handed over my guitar to him, and was told to come back the next day to pick it up. While I was there, I also asked about the guitars on sale. Ordinary acoustic guitars are sold for as low as P1,500, while the ones with pick-up are at P1,800 each. Their premium guitars are at P4,000 and up. At the mall, these guitars are priced at around twice as much for the same quality.

When I returned the next day, my guitar has already been fixed as promised. I tried playing it, and it sounded as good as it did before. And the best part: the repair only cost me P200.00! Without hesitation, I definitely recommend Guitar Master for your guitar needs.

GUITAR MASTER

ML Quezon Highway, Pajo, Lapu-Lapu City

Owner/Manager: Mr. Ronnie Pangatungan

Contact nos. 0939-9079527 (Smart),

0922-8036636 (Sun), 0917-3230151 (Globe)

Click here to find Guitar Master on Google Maps

Pebble Bytes

12:51. I’m speculating that Krissy’s watch was broken when she wrote this song. She and Ericka sing "it's twelve fifty-one" on the first chorus, but if it was exactly 12:51:00 at that time, it would already be 12:52:12 on the second chorus, but they still say "twelve fifty-one"!

One Tab. If a trusted brand calls their tablet One Tab, I'd probably buy it. It would feel like they named it after my Cebuano moniker, Juan Tabian. On second thought, since they named their device after me, maybe they should give me one for free!

Basketball. I used to play basketball when I was in elementary. I wasn’t the best but I say I was competitive enough. But then, I stopped when I was in high school. It was during this time that my playmates started to grow tall... and I did not.

Code Immersion, Tooth Extraction

What a Saturday! It started off with a carry-over work extension from Friday night. And after only about 5 hours of sleep, I went to see the dentist and finally had a problematic tooth removed!

Code Immersion. Admittedly, since I’m still relatively new in my current job, I’m a bit slower in completing my work assignments. So when I was given an urgent task, I needed all the help I can get. Thanks to our team leader for the coffee, it kept me fully awake in the early hours of the morning; thanks also to the teammate who helped me until the resolution of the issue (because of his knowledge, it was run-and-gun and no longer trial-and-error); and, thanks to God for the strength, wisdom and the guidance that took me through the challenge.

After all the tracing and debugging, it only took three lines for the correction (and no, I didn’t create the bug, I just fixed it). But, on a positive note, I’m still thankful that through this particular code immersion, I was able to dig deeper into the code and understand the system more. I have now gained some confidence that I can do better in the next tasks that will be on my plate.

Tooth Extraction. I also went to the dentist, and after he checked my third molar, he recommended to have it extracted (as opposed to filling it with pasta). After three rounds of anesthesia and around fifteen minutes (it was apparently a little difficult to remove), I waved my wisdom tooth goodbye. I also got my teeth professionally cleaned while I was there. Thanks, Dr. Trocio!

For your dental needs, you may check out the services of:

My extracted tooth, which I
took home as a souvenir.

EMMANUEL L. TROCIO, DMD

Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center
B. Rodriguez St., Cebu City
Monday to Friday, 8am-4pm
Landline: 253-9891
Mobile: 0906-3714548

Sto. Niño Diagnostic Bldg.
3rd Floor, Room D
B. Rodriguez St., Cebu City
Monday to Friday, 3pm-6pm
Saturday, 10am-4pm
Sunday by appointment
Landline: 412-8803

And by the way, DMD here stands for Doctor of Dental Medicine, not dî madá! Hehe.

31 Reasons Why My Mom Is Cool

She is a blessing to me. She is patient. She is caring. She is surprisingly strong. She is dependable. She is wise and shares her knowledge. She is generous. She is creative. She is simple yet amazing.

She supports me. She guides me. She motivates me. She encourages me. She comforts me. She inspires me. She understands me. She disciplines me.

She single-handedly raised me up. She has initiative. She shelters me, but she's not overprotective. She pampers me, but she doesn't spoil me. She compliments when I'm right. She corrects me when I'm wrong.

She lets me grow. She thinks well of me. She brings out the best in me. She listens to me. She is proud of me. She loves me.

Happy mother's day, Mom! I'm proud to be your son and I love you! 

Baguio Been

Trip. The Victory Liner bus left the Cubao station on time, but it was only out of EDSA after about an hour. Traffic: very uncool. But what's cool is the bus had free wi-fi service, courtesy of Sun Broadband. I was able to test it out during one of the stop overs, and the verdict: Connection is good and the speed is fast enough. We finally reached Baguio at around 1:30am, or after seven and a half hours of being on the road.

Taxi. The taxis in Baguio don't have air conditioners, as these are very unnecessary. That makes the ride cheaper: flagdown is only at P35.00 with P2.00 increments. We took one to get to where we stayed for the night. We finally were able to doze off and rest at around 2:00am.

Been. After some setback, we were finally able to explore Baguio in the afternoon. It was still drizzling a bit, but the sky thankfully lit up soon after. With only limited hours in our hands, we were able to go to Burnham Park (where I learned that I suck at rowing), Mines View Park, the Mansion House, and Wright Park, as well as a quick stop at the front of the Baguio Botanical Garden. We then ended up at SM City Baguio, before we headed back to base. After a good night's sleep and a good breakfast, we headed early to the Victory Liner terminal for our 9:40am return trip to Manila.

Touchdown Manila!

Airplane. On the plane, I initially enjoyed looking at the window, seeing the city lights. But as we moved farther away from Cebu, all I could see was the dark night sky. So I decided to take out the book lent by Godsend Debbie and read some Freaky Fact or Fiction: World Records. I also actually kind-of anticipated for an in-flight game, but as I found out, not all flights have one.

Airport. At NAIA, while waiting for mom who was on a later flight. I decided to see if they got free wi-fi services. Well, there were two public networks I could connect to, but none could provide internet access. I wonder why that is. Once mom arrived, we stepped outside only to confirm that the immediate exit to the terminal only had fixed rate and yellow cab taxis. Since Mom was rather in a hurry (and hungry), she opted to just take the more expensive yellow taxi to get to our next destination. To find out how to get a regular white taxi, check out this post.

V. Luna. The V. Luna General Hospital is quite relaxed and peaceful, unlike most hospitals. Maybe because it's exclusive for military personnel and their families. We went there to see my uncle (who is confined, but now fine enough and on his way to recovery) and aunt. We had breakfast at the hospital's canteen before going up to my uncle's ward. Where I could say that some hospitals may give you a feel that you'll get sicker staying there, this really is a place where one could recuperate. I was even able to take a comfortable short nap on a reclining chair (not sure how it is called).

Bus Terminal. We went to the Victory Liner bus terminal in Cubao after lunch. There was a long queue! (It doesn't help that we are lining up along with fellow passengers who will be going home to their provinces for Undas.) After more than an hour, we were finally able to secure 6pm bus tickets for Baguio. Since we had time to kill, we spent it at SM Cubao, before heading back to the bus terminal at around 5pm.

Taxi and Jeepney

Journal 002. If Bachelor Girl has a song titled "Buses and Trains," I have a blog entry titled "Taxi and Jeepney." Hehe.

Taxi. Just when I thought I could be early to work last Tuesday, stomach trouble strikes. Then the jeepneys were few and all full, forcing me to take a taxi. Instantly gone was my P100 (and I forgot to ask for a receipt), but at least I've learned that it's only 4.3 kilometers from home to the office. I could pay the minimum fare on the jeep then next time!

Jeepney. My two cents: (1) Ayaw kuhita ang driver kung motunol ka og plete. Use your mouth (but don't shout) to let him know. Your pagpanguhit might startle him and cause an unnecessary vehicular accident. Also don't give any fare to the driver when he is maneuvering a turn; it might distract him and make him lose his concentration. Road safety should always be a priority. (2) I believe it's our responsibility as commuters to bring enough coins and/or small bills with us especially in the morning. As we often read: "Sinsilyo lang sa buntag." Just saw a father and son walk off the jeep without paying their fare after the driver refused to accept their P100 bill, as he didn't have change for it yet. If that's your technique to get a free ride, well I say that's an ugly thing to do. As for drivers and conductors, I just request you to please give us the correct change (as well as honor discounts for students and senior citizens). After all, it's also been said: "Ang tamang magsukli, maraming suki."

Pebble Talk: Pilot Edition

Journal 001. Dear Mark and Courtney, I've read from Kresia's blog about her wishing that more of her friends post more about what's going in their lives. Well, here's one from me. Sort of.

Rise and Shine. Woke up today with bright daylight, I really thought it was already late and I overslept. Yet, it was still 6:15am, good enough time to get up out of bed. (I usually wake up between 6:00 and 6:30 in the morning, with my cellphone alarm set at 6 o' clock, plus up to a couple of snoozes.) And it was raining! I thought it was a gonna be a difficult commute to the office but thankfully, the rain stopped as I was preparing for work.

Cold. Our workplace's temperature is too low. I urinate too many times. Plus today, my newly cut short hair also somehow contributed to a headache caused by the two aircons blowing its cold air directly on my head (one in front, one at the back). You know, less hair, less protection. But a new pwesto away from the ice-breathers would also most likely help. Now here's hoping my headache would be gone when I wake up tomorrow.

Long Queue. After Saturday's grand opening of the Krispy Kreme stores in Cebu (Ayala Center and IT Park), the lines are still long when me and Godsend Debbie checked it out tonight. So we just decided to postpone our first Krispy Kreme purchase until either we have time to endure the queue, or if the queue ain't too long anymore. But it's gotta be sometime this week! The earlier, the better.

Pendragon. My opening sentence (mentioning Mark and Courtney) is a reference to Pendragon, a ten-volume book series I really recommend. Its author, DJ MacHale, also has a current trilogy called Morpheus Road. Which reminds me, I gotta read Book 2 real soon!

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