Dinner at AFC

Before Kentucky Fried Chicken had its place in Angeles City, AFC (Angeles Fried Chicken) was already known to serve Angeleños the tastiest chicken with very delicious gravy.

Last Sunday, we were again arguing where to eat dinner. And as an eldest of the group, I decided to take them to AFC. I miss that cozy ambiance.

The restaurant is located near Marlim Mansion. When you enter the establishment, you will first notice the covered patio. You can see the street from the inside because the walls were of glass windows. Another door will lead you to the dimly lighted main dining area. The waiters are all wearing their red uniform that perfectly match the tables clothed with checkered red.

We sat near the aquarium which is the coldest part of the restaurant.

We ordered 2 pieces of chicken, a big serving of AFC rice and a pitcher of Iced tea. I could barely finish my 2nd piece of chicken. It was a very satisfying meal yet we only paid less than P600.

Learning to unlearn

I am disgusted by the thought that I would be spending my lifetime as a corporate slave. I couldn’t bear the thought that I will get old living from paycheck to paycheck, setting aside just few pesos to save for my rainy days or worst is to save for my own funeral.

I thought about my father who died after merely couple months when he got diagnosed with cancer. His company didn’t provide him health insurance. Good thing that he was qualified to be my dependent in our company’s health card or else I wouldn’t have known where to get all the money to pay his hospitalization, medicine, among other expenses.

My father didn’t leave us with heirloom for us to live a comfortable life. He left us with a piece of land though and a great memory as a father and friend.

I love my father. I felt bad that he spent his entire life working hard to give us education and provide us with all our needs. And looking back, I thought that he really didn’t have a lot of chance to enjoy.

After he died, I was all broke. The situation put me in huge debt which I’ve been paying until this time.

All the liabilities hurt me so badly. This makes me realize that if I am to become a parent, I would like to make sure that I would leave a decent amount for my bereaved family, perhaps a decent amount to keep them going and to cover including my funeral expenses.

Whether I like it or not, the future will come. Whatever decisions or actions I will make at the present time will definitely create an impact in my future.

Right now, I obviously got money issues. I am a slave to my job because that is the only source of my income. I was hoping that instead of letting money control me, I should be in control of money and my life. Would that ever be possible? I am not losing my hope. I would slowly and willingly entangled myself to the wrong ideas about money, and start to learn on how to make money work for me rather than the other way around.

God's Simple Plan of Salvation

Not so long time ago, I adhered to the belief that I have to do good so God would find me righteous in His eyes. But I was also confounded on the question on how many good deeds I have to do so I would enter His Kingdom. Does God follow a certain ratio or percentage on the good deeds that I have to do versus the sins that I commit? It is impossible that I wouldn’t sin. It almost impossible not to tell a lie – a white lie is still a lie. What if I die right there and then, does that belief assured me on where I go after this life. Later on in my life, I met a friend who shared the bible to me. Indeed the bible is the only testimony of the living God. I never thought that all the questions would be answered by a single book – a book that had gone through an almost endless bloody bath and battles to make it available to us all.

My friend asked me if I was saved (saved from eternal damnation or hell). He asked if I was sure if I will go to heaven when I die. That is the same question that I’ve been asking myself for a long time. The religions out there offered me their religion but they never offered me the salvation. So what am I supposed to do?

It became clear to me that whatever good things I do doesn’t count for my salvation. “…We are all as unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags…”(Isaiah 63:6) “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) Therefore, salvation is from God and not from myself.

Let me share what I learned that you may have your salvation too.

The bible gives us the plan of how to be born again which means to be saved. How? First, is to realize that you are a sinner. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 6:23) As a sinner, you are condemned to death including eternal separation from God in Hell. “For the wages [payment] of sin is death.”(Roman 3:23).

We only die once, and right after our death is our judgment whether we go to heaven or hell. “…it is appointment unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrew 9:27)

But God loved you so much He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus, to bear your sins and die in your place. “He hath made Him [Jesus, who knew no sin] to be sin for us…that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (II Corinthians 5:21)

Jesus had to shed His blood and die. “…Without shedding of blood is no remission [pardon]” (Hebrews 9:22)

Although we cannot understand how, God said my sins and your sins were laid upon Jesus and He died in our place. He became our substitute. It is true. God cannot lie.

“God… commandeth all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). This repentance is a change of mind that agrees with God that you are a sinner, and also agrees with what Jesus did for us on the Cross.

In Acts 16:30-31, the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas: “…‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ And they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved ...’ ”

Simply believe on Him as the one who bore your sin, died in your place, was buried, and whom God resurrected. His resurrection powerfully assures that the believer can claim everlasting life when Jesus is received as Savior.

“But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John 1:12).

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13).
Whosoever includes you. Shall be saved means not maybe, nor can, but shall be saved.
Surely, you realize you are a sinner. Right now, wherever you are, repenting, lift your heart to God in prayer.

In Luke 18:13, the sinner prayed: “God be merciful to me a sinner.” Just pray: “Oh God, I know I am a sinner. I believe Jesus was my substitute when He died on the Cross. I believe He shed blood, death, burial, and resurrection were for me. I now receive Him as my Savior. I thank You for the forgiveness of my sins, the gift of salvation and everlasting life, because of Your merciful grace. Amen.”

Just take God at His word and claim His salvation by faith. Believe, and you will be saved. No church, no lodge, no good works can save you. Remember, God does the saving. All of it!

God’s simple plan of salvation is: You are a sinner. Therefore, unless you believe on Jesus Who died in your place, you will spend eternity in Hell. If you believe on Him as your crucified, buried, and risen Savior, you receive forgiveness for all of your sins and His gift of eternal salvation by faith.

You say, “Surely, it cannot be that simple.” Yes, that simple! It is scriptural. It is God’s plan. My friend, believe on Jesus and receive Him as Savior today.
If His plan is not perfectly clear, read this tract over and over, without laying it down, until you understand it. Your soul is worth more than all the world.
“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36).

Be sure you are saved. If you lose your soul, you miss Heaven and lose all. Please! Let God save you this very moment.

God’s power will save you, keep you saved, and enable you to live a victorious Christian life. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Do not trust your feelings. They change. Stand on God’s promises. They never change. After you are saved, there are three things to practice daily for spiritual growth:
• Pray -- you talk to God.
• Read your Bible -- God talks to you.
• Witness -- you talk for God.

You should be baptized in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ as a public testimony of your salvation, and then unite with a Bible-believing church without delay. “Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord . . . .” (2 Timothy 1:8)

“Whosoever therefore shall confess [testify of] Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32).

(excerpt from http://www.godssimpleplan.org/gsps-english.html)

5 years and counting

Some people are innately talkative and amiable. They could be a promising sales people. But for a person like me who seems to be born with a natural timidness which I never seems to outgrow, the sales job didn't came easy.

Working at night was also very challenging at first. Changing my body clock was very difficult. During my first few months, I sometimes missed going to work because I failed to wake up. That was really embarrassing but things like that happens. A lot of my colleagues experienced the same too.

I actually thought that I wouldn't last. But amazingly, I've already spent 5 years in the company and still counting.

We had a dinner last time to recognize some people who have done tremendous sales job and those who have spent their years with the company.

19 Copung-Copung

I had a long discussion with my brother and her girlfriend on where to eat dinner one evening. We were all starving from rummaging the mall in search for a perfect gift.

We got a lot of choices. There are so many good restaurants in Angeles City. But I was specifically looking for a restaurant that serves a perfect kare-kare that could match the cravings of my taste buds.

We finally decided to go to Copung-Copung in Balibago along McArthur Highway, just near Saver’s Mall. I’ve been here before. It is a perfect place to check native cuisine.

All the nipa huts outside were all taken so we decided to stay inside the main covered dining area.

A lot of things we see were mostly native. The walls were made of bamboos, the table and chairs were wooden and the decorations were ethnic. The attendants were wearing local costumes. And they served food in a small kaldero for the rice, palayok for the sinigang and in kawali. The plates were made of tins.

The place was really cozy. Their service was good. They serve good food at reasonable prices.

If you happen to be in Angeles City, this is a great place to go.

And the greatest of them all

Children have the most innocent smile of all. They smile to express their delight. A smile from a child is lovely to behold, a genuine of expression void of worldly malice.

Last time while I was walking along the street, I shot pictures of these kids selling fruits and vegetables on the pavement. I pitied these children who were forced to do labor for survival. Just like any other kids, they deserve to play and enjoy their childhood. They deserve shelter, proper clothes and decent meal. They deserve good education. However, because their parents are Aetas (natives in the Philippines), who were once forced to go down from the mountains due to Pinatubo eruption back in the early ‘90s, these children were brought to this kind of life in the city.

It breaks my heart to see them. Their future is so bleak unless the people or the government would revolunize the existing system that we have and really do something to help even the poorest of all poors. I was comforted however, that despite of their situation they can afford to smile as I was taking their pictures.

Paco Park

I finally got the chance to visit Paco Park with Belle. The place was so serene and quaint. I loved the walks on the pathways and enjoyed the cool morning breeze. My eyes wandered, appreciating this old place. Good thing I brought Nikki, my DSLR to take pictures of Belle accentuating this ancient place.

Paco Park is one of the historical landmark located within the city of Manila. It was originally planned as the municipality cemetery for the aristocrats during the Spanish era.

The cemetery is circular in shape. The niches were placed within the hollow walls. The top of the second outer walls were made into pathways for promenades. And a Roman Catholic Church dedicated to St. Pancratius was built inside the Park.

The remains of the national hero Dr. Jose Rizal was buried there. By the 1912, burials in the park were ceased and most of the remains were transferred.

During the Second World War, the Japanese forces used the park as an ammunition depot.

During the term of President Diosdado Macapagal in 1966, restoration was done and the park was converted as a national park.









To read more information about Paco Park, just visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paco_Park