Top 10 English Words

I have always loved words more than numbers.  Yep, numbers are actually kind of cool, but words, for me, have more depth.  Numbers are objectively cold.  A 1 is a 1.  A 1 can never be a 2.  They are what they are.  Words, however, are subjectively dynamic in its articulation.  A word can have a variety of meanings or usages.  Take for example the word “pretty”.   Pretty can mean beautiful.  It can be used as an adverb, as in “pretty much” or “pretty good”.  In fact, we can use “pretty” as an adverb in a phrase that is opposite of the meaning of “pretty” per se.  The phrase is “pretty ugly”.        

Words are colorful and empathic.   And among them, here are my top ten favorite English words…

10.) INTELLIGENCE

Among English words, I found “intelligence” to have the most subtle but obvious implication of power.  We are now in the Information Age.  There’s no more important asset than intelligence.  Wars are won by intelligence (yes, espionage-related intelligence).  In politics and business, the better the intelligence is, the better the decision making – for earning future yield – will be.  Nowadays, information and knowledge are the cards in the poker game of life.  The better the quality of these means the better cards in your hand, thus better chances of winning.

9.) VERSATILE

This adjective imply that the object (usually a person) is well-rounded.  Multi-faceted.  Multi-talented.  Flexible.  Wide area of knowledge, interests and/or skills.  That means having depth.  Which ultimately means the person is fun, interesting, can fit in well, and not boring.  It’s one of the most valuable descriptions or compliments that one can ever give somebody.

8.) LOVELY

I consider the word “lovely” as the highest adjective to describe something or someone that is beautiful, pretty, or gorgeous.  So whenever I use the word, it means I have given my highest praise on the degree of beauty, appeal, or pleasantness.

 

7.) COOL

Cool has been used as slang for something that is good, or nice, or interesting, or remarkable, or amazing, etc.  And that’s a reason why I like the word.  It can have different intensity of meaning and ways to handle it.  But the main reason I like the word “cool” is because of its definition as being calm.  It portrays an appearance of tranquility and control, even in midst of excitement or pressure.

  

6.) IF

I once heard someone speak that “If” is the biggest word in the world.  Because it means a condition… a stipulation… a requirement… an assumption.  Before an effect or event to happen, the “if” should happen or be met first.    

5.) THUS

I also like its synonyms “therefore”, “then”, “hence”, and “ergo”.  I like the word (and its synonyms) because it presents a conclusion after an analysis or evaluation.      

4.) GRACE

Grace means a gift that is undeserved and unearned.  It means a love that is unconditional.  Instead of punishment, reward or blessing is received.  As a Christian, the word “grace” is a sweet sound to the ears.  For us Christians, it means Christ dying for our sins, saving us from eternal death and suffering in Hell, and giving us eternal life in Heaven instead.  Ah, to know why “grace” is one of my favorite English words, I’ll let John Newton explain (read the lyrics of the immortal song he had penned, i.e. “Amazing Grace”) in my behalf. He articulated perfectly how so, er, amazing grace is.

3.) LOGIC

When the word “logic” is mentioned, it gives a feeling of rationality, sound judgment, and order.  The word “logic” came from the Greek word “logos” which means “sentence” or “reason”.  I love the word “logic” because I love the essence of “logic”.  It is the study of the principles of valid inference and correct reasoning.  I sincerely believe that logic, if wielded properly and when based on true premises, will lead to the truth.  And I always desire the truth.

2.) AWESOME

People, including me of course, tend to overuse both “cool” and “awesome” to describe almost anything, but more so with “awesome”.  “Awesome” is greater than “cool”.  If I think of “lovely” as the highest description for the degree of beauty and such, I think of “awesome” as the greatest of all positive adjectives.  It is the highest form of adjectives like good, great, glorious, fascinating, amazing, remarkable, and such. 

1.) WHY

“Why” is my most favorite word because when the “why” is answered, something is made clearer.  The “why” is the most complicated to answer.  Usually, in the case of “what”, “who”, “when”, and “how”, the answers are just exact objective facts.  But the “why” requires further deliberation since the answers are all about motivations, purposes, and reasons.  When the “why” is known, there is a deeper understanding of the whole picture.      

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Thank You, Dallas Mavericks

Congratulations to the Dallas Mavericks for winning the 2011 NBA championship.  This is their first in franchise history and coming off the team that beat them in '06 Finals makes this sweeter for them.  

After my Lakers got eliminated, I was rooting for the no. 8 Memphis Grizzlies to win the championship since that would be an epic underdog story-journey.  But I was not bitter at all when the Mavs were able to beat my team.  No, I saw that they have more heart than the Lakers in their series, and if the Lakers can’t have the championship this year, then the team that beat them should have it.  So, when the Grizzlies got beaten by the Oklahoma Thunder, I have no problem rooting for the Mavs next.  The Dallas Mavericks deserve this title.  They had already beaten the defending champs in the second round, thus, the championship was theirs for the taking already.  I believe my man Kobe also share the same sentiments with me.

Dirk Nowitzk will now go down in history as one of the greatest players that played this game.  He already has his All-Star and All-NBA selections.  He got his MVP.  All he needed was the validation that he’s a true winner.  And now, he’s an NBA champion and his Finals MVP is his certification that he led his team there.  One funny thing I want to point out was the different reactions between Dirk and Kobe’s game clinching performances.  Though both deserved their Finals MVP, and had been a great impact in the game-clinchers despite poor shooting performances (Dirk: 9-27 shooting, Kobe: 6-24 shooting), Dirk received praises while on the other hand Kobe mostly received criticisms when the Lakers won last year.  Comments on Dirk’s went like: “despite shooting poorly at the start, Dirk scored 10 points in the 4^th quarter to lead his team to the championship.”  While on Kobe, the comments went like this: “choking in the biggest game of his career, Kobe’s teammates bailed him out and carried him to the championship.”  In spite of the fact that Kobe grabbed 15 rebounds in that game despite of being a guard and scored a game high 23 points, 10 – like Nowitzki – of which came in the 4^thquarter, in the context of a gritty and epic defensive Game 7 battle where both teams shot poorly!  In Dirk’s case, it was Jason Terry who really majorly carried the offensive load in that Game 6.  Just shows how Kobe suffers from unfairness and bias of haters.

 

Jason Kidd, 38 years-old, and 17 years in the league finally got his title.  But he did not get it by “hitchhiking” with a good team, i.e. the Gary Payton-route.  Though past his prime, he was still a major piece and a starter in his championship-winning team.  Kidd was definitely the best point guard of the past decade (2000s).  Sorry, Steve Nash, but that’s true.  J-Kidd was better than you.  Despite of your two MVPs, you never had Kidd’s rebounding and defensive skills.  I also think that Kidd was a better passer than you, Stevie.  And now he got his much deserved ring.  Will you ever get yours?  (You might if you became a Laker next season. They really need a good point guard right now.  LOL)    

Jason “the Jet” Terry impressed me much this series.  Lamar Odom might be the Sixth-Man-of-the-Year this season, but Jet was the “Sixth-Man-of-the-Year” of the playoffs.  Coming off the bench, he was almost like a Kobe-esque gunslinger.  He was kind of badass this Finals.  He commented that the best defense he had encountered in the playoffs was Portland’s and that LeBron – an All-Defensive first team selection and who was brilliant in defending the MVP Derek Rose – won’t be able to shut him down.  And he backed those words.   Though there were times LeBron contained him, he was able to torch him most of the Finals.  I also like how Jet acknowledged God in the Mavs’ success in his interviews.

The rest of the Mavs roster was fun as well.  Tyson Chandler’s rebounding was a great help and he did some damage inside.  Former All-Stars Shawn Marion and Peja Stojakovic finally get their rings as well.  But I wonder why Peja never got any significant playing time in the Finals?  Could it be because his shooting expertise (he was a killer during the Laker series) couldn’t compensate for his poor defense?  But I trust Rick Carlisle had his reasons (more about him later).  Shawn Marion and Deshawn Stevenson were significant contributors in defense and also gave very important help in offense.  Along with Kidd, the three of them were Dallas’ major defensive force in slowing LeBron and D-Wade.  The starting shooting guard for the Dallas in the Finals was 5’9 J.J. Barea and the Heat couldn’t figure out how to stop the spark he gave the offense.  He was not extremely fast, but the little guy was able enough to tear up Miami’s defense.  Brian Cardinal saw some surprisingly significant playing time this playoffs.  And he was a true “garbage man”, willing to sacrifice his body in taking charges, and had the veteran smarts in how to fit in the offense.  Also take note that the Mavericks missed their starting All-Star shooting guard Caron Butler for the majority of the season and all throughout the playoffs due to injury.  This made me think how strong the Mavs could have been if Butler was healthy.  

Rick “Jim Carrey” Carlisle is sure is smart.  He was a master of rotation, match-ups, and adjustment.  He was able to assemble a perfect lineup to dictate the game or to resolve a given need, respond with strategic adjustments immediately, and was able to utilize his roster’s strengths effectively as he brought the best out of them.  The Heat’s Erik Spoelstra is a good coach, but he was definitely outcoached by Carlisle in this one.  Kudos to Carlisle.  In this Finals, the man showcased how smart he really is. 

But the fact that the Miami Heat lost is more important than the fact that the Mavs won the title.  If the Finals was between the Mavs and the Bulls, I would have still rooted for the Mavs, but I would have not cared much if the Bulls did beat the Mavs.  My desire for the Heat to lose just increased the intensity of my desire for the Mavs to win. 

This Finals, the Dallas fans were not alone in cheering for their team.  Those that rooted for the Mavs to win (or more so for the Heat to lose) was a coalition of, in addition of Mav fans, Laker fans like me (who didn’t want to see their Heat rivals to win a championship), Bulls fans, Celtic fans, Miami Heat-haters, LeBron-haters, Bosh-haters, Wade-haters (if there are such.  But this was the season we saw some of LeBron’s doucheness rubbed off on Wade, so there are probably Wade-haters now), the Federal Republic of Germany, gamblers who bet for Dallas, and – probably most important of all – the Cleveland Cavalier fans and the residents of Cleveland and Ohio.

It’s natural for good teams to be hated by others.  When a good team gets success, it would have defeated other teams to get there, breaking hearts of the fans of those teams in the process, thus, it will be hated by those teams’ fans.  Especially if that team wins over and over again throughout the years (e.g. the Los Angeles Lakers).  There will be plenty of raging, jealous hearts emerging as time passes.  Heat is a good team, it can’t be denied.  They have two of the top 5 players in the NBA, and their third option is in the top 15 or 20.  They have an awesome defense (I was really impressed by their team defense and Wade and LeBron’s individual defensive performances).  On paper, indeed, winning a championship seems easy with their talent.    But the hate for the Heat is different.  The hate for the Heat is not because of any jealous animosity for being a greatly talented team and how successful they become.  Prior the 2010-11 Season, before any success can be earned, the Miami Heat had already become the most hated team in the NBA (and probably in all of sports).  And the hate for them grew as the season progressed.  Why are they hated like this?  They are hated because it is only a natural response for an audience to hate the villains of a drama.  And that is what is happening here.  They have made it clear that they are the villains.  Consider these things: their coming together seemed to be something deviously contrived, and it didn’t help that Pat Riley, the orchestrator of this, looks and acts like Gordon Gecko;  LeBron James’ “The Decision” circus; the extravagant celebration party they threw before the season started as if they had already won the championship; the infamous and arrogant “Not 1… Not 2… Not 3… Not 4… Not 5… Not 6… Not 7…” proclamation of how many titles they will win; the sudden emergence of more Miami Heat fans (which spells B-A-N-D-W-A-G-O-N-E-R-S); the ridiculous “Fan-Up” campaign (you have 3 superstars and, still, it’s hard to fill up your arena?!  This just proves that Miami is the worst NBA team fanbase there is); crying like immature babies when they started losing during the regular season; they made ESPN their worshippers and media puppets, i.e. the Heat Index (to be fair, this is ESPN’s fault as well); their continuous display of arrogant and narcissistic behavior throughout the season and playoffs during games and interviews… plenty of reasons to hate the Heat. 

If the Heat had won, ridiculous revisionist history will be written, the arrogance and narcissism of this team will be fed instead of punished, the bandwagoners would be unjustly rewarded, and the Heat nation will have the last laugh – and an evil one that is.  Thus, the Mavs prevented all of this.  Like an epic “good vs. evil” story, the heroes won, proving that good will always triumph over evil.

And for that, along with my congratulations, I also give my heartfelt thanks to the Dallas Mavericks.  Thank you very much.  Bask in the glory and joy of this championship.  And take good care of the Larry O’Brien trophy.  The Los Angeles Lakers would be taking it back next season.   

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Math is Badass

In fiction, the use of Math is heavily romanticized.  Like in the TV show “Numb3rs”, where Math is used to aid the FBI against crime.  Then again, I have read that such practices are actually being done in real life!  Also, in Isaac Asimov’s “Foundation” books, there is a science called Psychohistory (which I had already discussed in a list of thought provokers), in which actual sociological and historical factors are converted to statistical-probability equations that would make it possible for the prediction of the future of humanity.  Sounds absurd?  But consider that others are actually venturing on mathematical study that are somewhat parallel to some Psychohistorical concepts!

Clearly, Math is badass.  And, believe me, not only in fiction, but in real life as well.

When I was a kid, I hated Math.  And I grew up hating it all throughout my academic life.  (Though, ironically, I was “Best in Math” in Nursery. LOL) However, I have loved mysteries and puzzles and logic (long before I learned that that’s the word for that process or exercise), but have not realized that Math was the most perfect avenue where I can work them out.  When I was about a young adult, I started to see how special Math real is.  And I felt regret, since I haven’t started loving it when I was a kid, when it’s the best time to learn its skills.

I know no real Math.  Yeah, I know basic algebra and such.  I mean the REAL Math.  The mind-blowing Math.  The Math that appears to be the key to the mysteries of the universe.  Math, as much as Science, is not a panacea, nor it can answer everything.  But, still, it is a very invaluable tool in expressing or interpreting seemingly incomprehensible facts of reality into some form of comprehension.  The Mathematical World is magical.  I find it amazing how numbers and equations can interpret reality, even across its visible boundaries; and how numbers and equations can prove a fact before an actual hands-on scientific experimentation, when experimenting about it is still impossible or it hasn’t been figured out how to carry out the experiment.  There are concepts of Quantum Physics (and also in other sciences, but mostly this) that only Math can touch.  Sci-fi concepts like time-travel and alternate universes are not laughable ideas at all because of Math.  Besides, Math can and have proven things that were thought unthinkable before, like for example, establishing that, at the essence, matter and energy are the same thing.

    

But there are also cases when something that is impossible in the world of reality is only possible in the world of math.  Examples are mindblowing paradoxes (e.g. Zeno’s paradox or the “Achilles and the Tortoise” paradox).  They are sound in paper and equations, but in reality, they are impossible.  Below is an example of a geometrical paradox.

Also consider how Math, without any logical or mathematical fallacy, proved that 1 and 0.9999… are equal.

assume that 

x = 0.999999...

multiply both sides by 10 

10x = 9.99999...

subtract both sides by x (which is 0.9999999...) 

10x - x = 9.999999... - x

or

10x - x = 9.99999... - 0.99999...

which becomes,
9x = 9

divide both sides by 9 

9x/9 = 9/9

which results to,
x=1

conclusion 

1 = 0.999999...

And as we continue to learn more about the world of Math, we see how really mindblowing it is.

Of course, there will be times when it’s impossible for numbers and equation to tell the whole story in a particular case or system (e.g. basketball statistics), since there are some other aspects or factors of the system that can’t be put into equation.  However, there might come a day when someone will build a perfect equation that would be able to successfully translate ALL the factors and aspects of a case or study, allowing it to become the perfect and final word on the subject.  As I’ve said, Math has already proven some things to be possible which had been thought impossible before. Who knows, maybe in a century or two, people would be doing real-life Psychohistorical analyses.    

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Floodgates (at Bicol Celebration of Hope)

Will Graham, grandson of famous evangelist Billy Graham, went to Pili, Camarines Sur for a massive 4-day evangelistic crusade entitled "Bicol Celebration of Hope", where thousands of people - from different churches across Bicol - participated.  It was held at Pili's Freedom Stadium (inside the Sports Complex) from April 28 to May 1, 2011.  Aside from local performers from Bicol churches (which went through auditions in their hometowns), there were also Christian celebrity guests (during the day we performed, it was Barbie Almalbis and Donita Rose) that performed and gave testimonies.  Our band, Floodgates, was asked to open Day 2 (April 29).  We just recently got the official video (personal video recording was prohibited during the event) from the organizers, and here it is:    

click here for more videos

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Analysis of Christianity Part 3 - "Basics"

(Previous: Part 2 - “Believing in God is Only Logical”)

Due to the inevitability of religion being imperfect, Christianity functioning as a religion is not perfect.  There is no perfect Christian church.  And due to this imperfectness, Christians have different ideas on Christianity and are not able to agree with each other on ALL the doctrines and concepts.  That’s why there are divisions.  That’s why there are plenty of Christian denominations and churches.

But, still, even if there are disagreements, ALL Christian churches share the belief on a set of important doctrines or concepts of Christianity.  These important beliefs are the core of Christianity, that if a church does not agree in just one of these, then it is very probable that that church is not really a Christian church even if they claim that they are. 

 

What are these basic beliefs that all Christians agree to?  I will use the Apostles’ Creed as a guide to discuss these basic beliefs, since they are already organized and summarized in it.

First, a brief background on the Creed…

The Apostles’ Creed – contrary to the name might imply – was not written by the Apostles or any Apostle.  It is known as such because the clauses are in accordance with the teachings of the Apostles.  The origin of the Creed is not easily determined.  But it is the common creed by the early Christian Church (circa 2^nd century A.D.).  It had been used during those days for catechisms, as a comprehensive set of reminders, for instructions, for reference, and a material to use when defending the faith against heresy and attacks.  Since then, the Apostles’ Creed’s contents were the common denominator of all Christians’ beliefs.

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I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth

Christians believe in the existence of God.  Not only does the belief in God is established, but three other things about this God are established as truths to be believed: a) the Father person of the Godhead or Trinity; b) He is Almighty – sovereign, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent; and c) God is the Creator of Creation. In Part 2, I had already discussed extensively about the existence of God and that He had created all things so I don’t need to say much about this.    

And in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord

Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  He is the Son (or Word) person of the Godhead or Trinity.  And that He is the Head of the Church (…our Lord).  There are those that say that Jesus was just a mere man, a prophet, a good rabbi, denying that he is God.  This claim is unbiblical, and once an organized religion or church say that Jesus is just a man, then it is a clear indication that such church is not a Christian one.

Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary

Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of Man.  He is God incarnated as man.  100% God and 100% human simultaneously (a mystery).  As stated in the gospels, Mary did not have any sexual intercourse with anybody when she got pregnant with Jesus.  It was the Holy Spirit that put him in her womb.     

Why did God need to be incarnated as Man in the first place?  He needed to be able to become a Second Adam, a qualified representative of mankind, just as Adam was the representative in mankind’s behalf in Eden.  Mankind can only be represented by a Man.  As Adam brought curse to mankind, Christ, as the Second Adam, meant to bring hope and salvation.

Suffered under Pontious Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried

To wash the sins of mankind (or, rather, specifically speaking, His sheep), Jesus took it into himself to be humiliated, tortured, beaten, spat, ridiculed, slandered, abused, and to be crucified and killed on the cross.  He endured the hell of a suffering (pun intended) that was meant for mankind as punishment for sin.  He became clothed with mankind’s sin.  And he took the curse upon him (“Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree,” as the Scripture declared).  And he died.

He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead

Jesus descending to hell is just a matter of poetical semantics.  The English word Hell was taken from the Greek word Hades (since the New Testament was written in Greek).  Hades might mean Hell, the place for eternal torment, but it can also mean Death or the realm of the disembodied spirits (hell, but the letter “h” in lower case).  Death happens when the spirit is separated from its vessel in the flesh, and when Jesus died, his spirit had really left his body (“You’re your hands I commit my spirit”).   Thus, “descending to hell” merely means that Jesus’ spirit left his body and passed into the abodes of the spirit.  This merely emphasizes that Jesus’ death was as human as it can possibly be; that there was a real death that happened.  This is in context with the second part of the clause.

The second part states, “the third day He rose again from the dead.”  So, Jesus was under the power of death until the third day.  The empathic reality of his death magnifies the empathic reality of his resurrection.  Indeed, Christ’s resurrection is very very important.  His death would have been meaningless if He hadn’t risen from the dead.  Christianity would have, in the Apostle Paul’s words, in vain.  The resurrection was an essential part of the completion of Christ’s mission in saving us from our sins.  When he rose again, he had gotten victory over death and his claims of being the Son of God and of being the Messiah are affirmed. 

He ascended into Heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty

Forty days after his resurrection, in plain view of his followers, he ascended to Heaven.  Christ’s Ascension completed the Resurrection.  Now, He is glorified and honored by the Father.  In Men’s custom, being in the right side is the place of glory, honor, and power; therefore to sit on God’s right is the place of highest glory, honor, and power, which Christ now enjoys as a reward for his accomplished mission.  And now sitting on the right side of the Father, the Son is now in the perfect position to have His Father’s ear all the time, to mediate and plead for His sheep since he is our High Priest.

From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead

Christians believe in a “D-Day”.  Which is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.  There is no exact date stated in the Scriptures on when will it be (“Of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not angels of heaven, but my Father only.”).  But Christians are instructed to live each day as if it was the last since Christ will come unexpectedly (“like a thief in the night”).  During his first coming, he came humbly, born in a smelly manger.  But in this Second Coming, he will come in all glory and power.  He will come as a Conqueror, with the Mighty Armies of Heaven with him and his saints (the Christians) by his side.  He will also come as a Judge of mankind.  All humans throughout history shall stand before the Judgment seat, where the righteous – those that are made righteous by Christ’s blood – and the wicked will be separated.  The righteous will come into the glorious joy of the Master, while the wicked – along with Satan and his angels – will be dismissed to eternal damnation in the Lake of Fire (Brrr. Always gives me goosebumps when thinking or talking about this).

I believe in the Holy Ghost

Christians believe in the Holy Ghost person in the Godhead or Trinity.  Some claim that the Holy Ghost is a mere “energy” or “force” and not God.  This is, of course, false and unbiblical.  The Holy Ghost is God.  He was the promised “Comforter” by the Son, the One that will replace Him as the day-to-day Companion of his disciples, before he ascended to heaven.  Christians also believe that the Holy Spirit dwells in every Christian’s heart and works on him and through him.

The Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of saints

Firstly, the label of “holy” on the Church means, not because its members are now without flaws, but it is holy because its Head – Jesus Christ – is holy and he had made his Church holy.  And someday, the Holy Spirit’s sanctifying process would completely make all of the Church’s members perfect. 

The Christian Church is expressed as “The Holy Catholic Church”.  This was not intended to mean as the Roman Catholic Church at all.  The word “Catholic” means universal.  The Christian church is universal, meaning it is not exclusive to any race or culture, which would require submission to an earthly citizenship or cultural traditions as a condition to join, but it is open to every tongue and nation. 

Just as the Church being “Catholic” means that it is universal, not dependent on race or culture, it is also universal in the sense that it is not exclusive on any denomination.  The Church does not mean as something limited to organization.  Indeed, there are plenty of Christian denominations.  But the Church means the Christians as a whole.  And though Christians are divided by denominations and by their personal opinions and interpretations of biblical doctrine, they are one as a Church, because the Church is the Body of Christ, Christ being the Head.  Christians are one in Christ. 

The word “saint” means someone set apart, and thus, all Christians, who are set apart for Christ, are saints.  And “the Communion of the saints”, means the united, harmonious and sacred fellowship of Christians, regardless of their differences and lack of agreement on all doctrines.  All Christians are brothers and sisters in Christ and fellowship among them is very imperative.     

Now, considering all the things mentioned above, it also means that a membership to a church does not make you a Christian or grant you salvation.  Only with a personal encounter with Christ will one have salvation and be a truly sincere Christian.  Thus, any church or religious group that claims that they are the only “true” church and only those that are members of their church will be saved is a sure giveaway that they are not a true Christian church.

The Forgiveness of sins

After the Fall of Man in Eden, mankind was under the bondage of sin.  And the consequence of sin on mankind is being separated from God, because being holy, He hates evil and can never associate with it.  Because of sin, there is death (“the wages of sin is death”).  We might be breathing and walking physically, but in the eyes of God, since we humans are destined for death (and Hell), we are dead already.  We are spiritual zombies.          

But because of God’s grace and intervention, He had sent His son to save us from our sins (already discussed above).  And, by this, Christians believe that Christ is their Savior, by his blood they are cleansed from sin and clothed with his righteousness, making it possible for them to be reconciled and have a personal relationship with God.  Moreover, this allowed those that are forgiven to be free from being slaves of sin, allowing the Holy Spirit to dwell in them, making them holy, and enabling them to live lives that are pleasing to God.     

The Resurrection of the body

As already mentioned before, all of humanity throughout history will stand before Jesus Christ when he returns to be judged.  Thus, there will be a resurrection of all dead – righteous and wicked – in general.  The resurrection will not only be limited to our souls, but our bodies as well.  We will rise with the same bodies that our souls had left when we die.  We can never tell how can this be brought about, but in God, all things are possible.  There will be two types of resurrection: for the wicked and the righteous.  The resurrection for the wicked will be of shame and eternal revulsion.  Their bodies and souls shall be thrown to the Lake of Fire, but though their bodies will be annihilated by the fire, their souls or consciousness will remain, and they will suffer the burning for all eternity.  On the other hand, the righteous, though their resurrected bodies will be the same as that in which the soul have dwelt in, will undergo transformation into glorious and beautiful spiritual bodies.  Christians believe that Jesus is not only the redeemer of the soul but is also “the Savior of the body.”  Thus, there will renewal of the body (after its resurrection) as well as the spirit of someone that is of Christ.  And, blameless before God, they will be received by Him to enjoy eternity in His presence.            

And the Life Everlasting

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  Thus, all deserve to die.  But because of Christ, instead of death, Christians received the gift of immortality instead. 

God gifted life to man for one purpose: to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.  But after the Fall, in which the curse of death replaced the gift of life because of sin’s entrance, man lost this purpose.  However, God sent His Son, that through Him, by grace, we would receive Eternal Life, destroying the hold of the curse of death, and we would find our purpose once more.  Eternal Life is the great gift in which will enable us to perform the purpose why God had created us: to glorify God and enjoy Him FOREVER.  Though Eternal Life will climax once eternity begins, the gift of Eternal Life, however, starts as soon as one receives Christ in his life, and not only after the resurrection.  Thus, performing our purpose can start as soon as on that point, which will carry on in eternity.  Eternal Life is having the privilege of being able to enjoy the happiness of Heaven, as this immortality will be spent in basking in the overwhelming glory and splendor of God forevermore.      

* * *

Take note of the fact that there are churches that claim to be Christian churches but are NOT, and there are those who belong in Christian churches but are NOT Christians.  That’s why knowledge of these basic and universal beliefs that are shared across Christianity is useful since it’s an effective determinant if one is a true Christian.  A true Christian believes all of these truths.  Though believing in all of these is not a “requirement” to get saved or be born again, belief in them, however, is a “proof” that one is saved or born again.  

As mentioned several times already, Christians however do not share an agreement on other doctrines.  These debated doctrines are “irrelevant”, in the sense that they will never put a Christian’s authenticity as a Christian on doubt, considering he believes in the core beliefs.  These separations and disagreements happen because of good ol’ flawed human nature.  Humans are stubborn, proud, tend to rely on personal wisdom and ability, and give importance to personal conveniences.    

Of course, Christians function with a desire to glorify God and as lovers of truth.  So if a Christian does err in some of his doctrinal beliefs, then it is not because he is malicious and intentionally motivates himself to cause confusion or separation, but it is because he sincerely believes that his erroneous doctrinal beliefs are the “truth” and they “glorify God”.  And stubborn as he might be in holding on his doctrinal beliefs, if discussion or study will show him that he was wrong with his doctrinal opinions – the Holy Spirit opening his eyes – then he will acknowledge his wrong understanding and would now believe in the true doctrine.  Because, again, Christians desire to glorify God and find the truth.

(I think the most popular or “hottest” of doctrinal debates is the “mechanics” of salvation between the Reformed view against the Arminian view.  Personally, I believe that the Reformed view is the correct biblical view.  That’s why it’s what I will discuss next: Part 4 - “Salvation and TULIP”)        

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Top 10 Pro-Wrestlers

John Cena sucks.  Let’s establish that.  I don’t understand why most of today’s wrestling fans love him.  Back in my days (90’s to early 2000’s), he will definitely be dismissed as trash by the fans.  I admit, I liked Cena back before he became a WWE icon.  He has this mean charismatic smartass rapping tongue and entertaining antics as a white hip-hop.  Now, I can no longer find him charismatic nor entertaining.  I say it again – and if you were already a fan during the Attitude era, you will agree with me – John Cena sucks.

In this list are the top ten wrestlers that I found most entertaining and charismatic – two factors to determine the quality of a wrestler.  Professional wrestlers are not only tough athletes but good actors and can sell their characters very well.  Actually, I find that those that are good actors are rewarded more in this business than the athletic ones (since if it’s the other way around, Billy Kidman should have had several world titles during his career).  I am not saying that athleticism in wrestling is unimportant, but I think being able to make your character’s personality more interesting is more important than athleticism.  It doesn’t matter if a wrestler is a babyface (good guy) or a heel (bad guy).  Fans appreciate creativity or good characterization when they see it, regardless of being a good or bad guy.  Besides, in wrestling, the characters and storylines are dynamic and ever changing.  A wrestler might be a babyface in this storyline, and then a heel on the next, and then back to babyface.  And so on with the cycle.   Some wrestlers are better off as babyfaces, some wrestlers are better off as heels, and some are good either way.

By the way, before starting, I want to make this clear, this top 10 should not be interpreted as who is the top 10 greatest according to my opinion.  This list means my top 10 favorite performers (though the top 1 of this list is also who is, in my opinion, the greatest of all time in the history of wrestling).

10.) MICK FOLEY

He was given the nickname the Hardcore Legend because of his trademark toughness.  In his career, he had endured an unbelievable amount of painful stunts just to make the matches he is in – especially the hardcore and no-holds-barred matches – more compelling and badass.  Together with the Rock, they had formed the second most entertaining duo (I will mention later which I think is the first) in wrestling: the Rock N’ Sock Connection.  He was known to characterize three personalities: Mankind (the most famous and fun), Dude Love, and Cactus Jack (the most hardcore).  At one Royal Rumble, though Mick Foley lost, all three personalities had participated!  His signature move is the Mandible Claw, in which he put a sock on his hand and grabs his opponent’s jaw. 

9.) STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN

The Texas Rattlesnake was the ultimate anti-authority figure in the WWE.  He answered to no one.  He was badass and uncompromising.  He was a primary reason why the 90’s was known as the Attitude era – which had put more grit into the WWE.  Just looking at his signatures – from his Stunner, to his beer drinking, to his gesture of raising his middle fingers – you can determine how much of a rebel he is.

8.) THE HURRICANE

This is no joke.  I really liked the Hurricane.  Yes, he’s mostly used for comic relief, but his ridiculous antics and mannerisms as a superhero in the wrestling world really cracked me up.  I actually find it sad that he had not much success as a competitor. His most funny (and best) moment was during his short but memorable feud with the Rock (where the Rock made fun of him and called him “the Hamburglar”).     

7.) KANE

Not the Kane now, but the legendary masked Kane of the past.  Prior to removing his mask, Kane was the most terrifying star in WWE.  Terrifying in the sense that his mask added to the mystique of mystery about him.  There is a reason he is nicknamed the Big Red Machine, as he was like an unstoppable mechanical force of destruction.

6.) BATISTA

I have to add someone with Filipino blood on this list.  Batista was just an enforcer-type of wrestler before he was catapulted to superstar status when he became a world champion.  I think he was made to be so to replace Goldberg as being the “Animal”.  But I find Batista better than Goldberg.  He’s classier (but still retaining the savageness of being the “Animal”), more charismatic, grittier, better with the mic (an important and invaluable skill in the trade), and does not seem to exaggerate as Goldberg does with the “Animal” characterization.      

5.) THE UNDERTAKER

He had also donned a “Hell’s Angel biker”-type of character, but he is more famous as the eerie, scary Deadman.  With his “back from the grave”-persona with Underworld powers as the theatrics of his character, he is the most intimidating wrestler in the WWE.  But more than theatrics, he is also among the most formidable and skillful wrestlers in the ring.    He can even tightrope on the top rope, something impressive for a seven-footer like the Undertaker.

4.) TRIPLE H

I cheered against Hunter Hearst-Helmsley when he was feuding with my favorite wrestler (see number 1).  But though I cheered against him, I respect him as a wrestler and performer.  He is one of the greatest ever in the business, and at his best when he is a heel.  He and Shawn Michaels form the most entertaining duo in wrestling with D-X.  And he was also the leader of one of the best heel groups ever, Evolution.  The best moment of Triple H was during his tagteam match with Stone Cold against Christ Jericho and Chris Benoit.  Somewhere in the match, Triple H’s left quadriceps muscle burst and rolled up his leg.  A famous orthopedic surgeon would describe it as as if someone had shot off a gun inside the muscle.  Triple H surpassed the limit of human tolerance for pain, as he continued to finish the match, even enduring a Walls of Jericho along the way.  That epic performance showed Triple H’s heart and dedication for his trade, earning him the respect of everyone.    

3.) SHAWN MICHAELS

HBK or the Heartbreak Kid is one of the most dedicated and skilled performers in the WWE.   His finishing move, the Sweet Chin Music, is one of my favorites.  No complicated hype but still cool. Sometimes he deliver it after some build-up or flair, but it is at its best when it comes out of nowhere, knocking his opponent unconscious.  In a way, the Sweet Chin Music reflects its wielder; unpredictable, fundamental, effective, sexy, and striking.  As an icon, HBK is one of the most beloved ever.  

2.) RANDY ORTON

My most favorite wrestler in the post-Attitude era, Randy Orton would fit well during that Attitude era (unlike Cena).  I had seen great potential in him when he was being built up by Evolution to be “the future.”  And then he became the Legend Killer (targeting legendary figures), became the youngest world champion, and, now, he’s one of the top superstars in the WWE and consistent champion or contender.  Most of the time, he’s a heel, but even during those times, with that smirk and arrogance in him, he was lovable.  These days, he is the Viper (though I kind of like his arrogant Legend Killer persona more), cunning, uncontrolled, and deadly.   Just like a Viper, his signature RKO finisher can strike unexpectedly.  It is so entertaining to watch those RKOs coming out of nowhere.  My dream match is between him and the number one in this list.         

1.) THE ROCK

The People’s Champ.  The Brahma Bull.  He was captivating, entertaining, and electrifying.  He was blessed with a witty and charismatic tongue, his promos delivered with unique flamboyance and humor, and he had coined plenty of trademark catchphrases.  He was that great with the mic that I remember that there was a time, that even though he was the heel and talked trash against the audience, they still cheered for him!  He was not that breathtaking in terms of ring athleticism but his collection of delightful antics, behavior, mannerisms, facial expressions, and body languages made his ring performances special.  He was also passionate with wrestling, and it is demonstrated by how much effort he put in performing, by the creativity he shows, not only in building up his character, but also making his opponent’s character look good, making the story more interesting.  I don’t need to elaborate more how much a great performer he is since you already know that he is now a Hollywood actor (proving my point).  The Rock is the best.

That’s why it’ll probably drive me mad if the writers require the Rock to lose against, ugh, Cena in Wrestlemania 28.     

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I Love Writing. I Love the Lakers. I Love This Blog. Happy 5th Year Anniversary!

Five years ago, on May 2006, I created this blog.  The first post I wrote was about how, as a Laker fan, Laker defeats are made more painful when there are plenty of haters surrounding you that celebrate when the team fails.  More about that later.   First, I want to talk about why I decided to make this blog.  I made this blog to house most of my written works.  Later on, I would also use it to archive my videos and host my photo albums.  But initially and primarily, this blog was for my writings.  I wanted to create a form of “autobiography” of myself through my writing and discussion of various topics (and, now, also through the photo albums of my life and videos) and not just explicit journal-type writings of what happen in my life.  I write about all things that interest me or what was on my mind at a particular time, and through these, a reader might catch a glimpse of who Bernel is.

In those five years, I had written more than a hundred posts – in essays or scribbles – on a range of topics in this blog.  I love to write.  I write to organize my thoughts.  I write as therapy (in fact I consider it as my best form of therapy for myself).  I write to chronicle a particular moment I want to look back to.  I write as a pastime.  I write for fun.  I just love to write.

Yes, I love to write.  It doesn’t matter what particular mood I am in (though the mood does help a bit with the quality and style), I will write.  Even if I would have to write about something painful, the act of writing helps in easing the pain (as I’ve said, it’s the best therapy).  Indeed, the mood is (almost) irrelevant.  Five years ago, my first post in this blogwas prompted by the Los Angeles Lakers’ disappointing defeat at the hands of the Phoenix Suns.  The underdog Lakers surprisingly took a 3-1 against the favored Suns, and it looked as if the Lakers would pull off an epic upset.  However, the Suns won three straight, winning the series 4-3.  It was hearbreaking to a Laker fan like me.  More made painful by the rejoicing of the Laker haters (note: just part of being a sports fan).  But writing about it was healing.  Coincidentally, now in the 5^th year anniversary of that debut post of the blog, the Lakers suffered a heartbreaking loss once again.  This time, being swept by the Dallas Mavericks, ending the dream for a third straight title.  And just like 5 years ago, to write about my thoughts about it will ease the disappointment.

When the LA Lakers was down 2-0 (losses coming from the Lakers’ homecourt), I was not worried.  They are the type of team that can come back from it.  Then, the Mavs took a shocking 3-0 lead.  Even if there was no team in NBA history that came back from a 0-3 deficit to win a series, I was never really totally anxious.  I have been a Laker fan for more than half my lifetime and I can say that I am a tough enough fan to trust my favorite team – even if it’s improbable – to win 4 straight games.  I would only go down when the Lakers’ elimination had been certain.  Until then, my attitude was still “meh”, though it’s very unlikely to still win the series, I – with my Lakers – would go down fighting. 

But there you go.  A 4-0 sweep.  Kudos to the Mavs.  They certainly did a great job and deserve to win the series.  I am proud of the Lakers team, for what they accomplished in these last four seasons, reaching the Finals three straight, and winning the championship two straight.  Yes, I am proud, but I am a bit disappointed as well.  As a fan, it seemed to me that they did not give their best at it.  I know that they were capable of doing better (I now have second thoughts if Pau Gasol is really what I thought him to be: greatest power forward in the NBA; maybe I was quick at concluding it.  He was definitely “Ga-soft” this playoffs).  Still, I love this team and trust that they will rise up from this defeat, like they always did in the past (It is very likely they would try to trade for Dwight Howard in the offseason).  In the highs and lows, I hold my head up high, proud to be a Los Angeles Lakers fan.  To be honest, this recent Laker defeat did not sting me as much as their past defeats (especially in 2008, although their 2009 and 2010 victories made up for it).   Hmmmm.  Maybe it is due to being a tougher fan now than before, as I mentioned a while ago.  Or maybe because I am so happy nowadays that even a Laker defeat does not bother me much (*wink*wink*).  Anyway, I am optimistic of the future.  (By the way, after the Lakers got eliminated, I’m rooting for the Memphis Grizzlies to win the title this year.  That would be awesome!)     

I love writing.  I love the Lakers.  And I love this blog.  These will never change.  5 years old, my dear readers, this blog is 5 years old.  Or 5 years young, if you prefer it that way.  Either way, celebrate with me.  Looking forward for the next five years… and beyond.  

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