Christ Revolution

During mass today, the priest defined revolution as 'complete change.' He says that a revolution is very different from rebellion. Christ revolutionized the way the Jews approached their way of life. He didn't rebel against the authorities, but he sought to revolutionize. He was very consistent with the prophecies in the Old Testament, and corrected the Pharisees when he said,"The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. Mk 2:27." He was also bold in saving an adulterous woman to be stoned to death when He said, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her. John 8:7" He also revolutionized the way leadership is viewed. He said, "But whoever would be great among you must be your servant. Mark 10:43"

What are the areas in our life that needs a complete change? What are we to revolutionize? It may be a bad habit, a "favorite" sin, our vices, or our destructive attitude. In our family, are there hurts that need healing? Are there negative character traits that we inherit that we need to revolutionize? In our society, what are the corrupt systems that we need to change? We are not to wait for change to happen, but we have to make change happen by changing ourselves. The Christ revolution starts within each of us.

Listen to Dream Big

1+1+1=1

It's the Feast of the Blessed Trinity. We have God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, but they are one and the same God. So it's 1+1+1=1. It defies math. It's indeed a mystery.

I was reflecting during mass, 'What if all was revealed? What if there was no mystery in life?' I guess it's like taking an exam, and knowing all the answers to all questions beforehand. There would be no reason to study, to research, to experiment, to discuss. We would not learn anything at all, since the answers are already there.

'What if I knew the time and hour of my death, and how I will pass away?' Maybe it would be too much for me too handle. Like the Holy Trinity, life is designed as a mystery. We seek for God and His will for us. He reveals what we can handle. There is a mysterious reason why we are where we are today. As long as we remain faithful to Him, like Job, even if all was taken away from Him, the Lord blessed Him even more later in his life.

The Bible reveals God's will for man. But it is written in a way as how Jesus told parables. We have to seek for His will, discern, make choices based on His holy Word. I believe it's the mystery that makes life such a great adventure. We'll never know what's going to happen tomorrow. The more reason why we have to put our faith in God.

"I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth." Jn.16:12-13

In Love Again

Falling in love all over again. That's the main message of the new Shrek movie. It was fun seeing Shrek win Fiona again. In our relationship with Jesus, we often take God's love for granted. Yet, everyday the Lord tries to win us all over again. Last night He showed me a beautiful display of the moon on a clear sky. This morning, I woke up to a lovely wife and 2 wonderful kids. Just this afternoon, I had a movie bonding time with my son with a highlight of icecream. We have everything, but often we just don't see it anymore.

A priest once said during a retreat, "The moment we forget to thank the Lord, we start to become discontent and complain." But the Lord reminds us in Hebrews 13:5, "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Oftentimes we complain of the lack and fail to see that with God, we have all we need. "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. Psalm 23:1"

Lord, thank you for Your love. We thank you for our family and friends, our work, the food on the table, and your wonderful creation that shouts 'i love you my child.' May we fall in love with you all over again, each and everyday.

Serving Others

I remember my Dad who just passed away last December. I recall of the service he did for others. He was close to the village's security guards in particular. He loved serving in the Security committee. Even if we transferred to another village, he still ended up serving in Security. He would have a communication radio with him in the room, always monitoring the village's safety through the guards. He had coffee with the guards and talked about day to day happenings. He had time to listen, even the smallest of incidents. He was always ready to serve, even if it meant endangering himself as long as the village was safe, as long as we were safe. Even with this particular aspect of Dad's life, I believe he had lived a full life, serving the Lord through others.

Everyday is a gift. We all have 24 hours to spend, and what happens in the minutes of these hours is our offering to God. Each day comes with a challenge. How can I serve others, so God may be glorified? "As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace. 1 Peter 4:10"

Growing in the Spirit

I had a chance to serve last night by giving a talk in the Divine Mercy Church in Boni, Mandaluyong. The talk I gave was 'Growing in the Spirit.' I was reminded that in order to grow, we can view Christian life like a wheel. Jesus, being at the center of our lives, as the hub; our Christian life as the outer rim; and our tools for growth as the spokes. Spokes get strength from the hub (Jesus) and give support to the outer rim (our Christian life). The spokes are prayer, study, service, fellowship, and sacraments. Through these spokes, we aim to achieve fullness. It is not about balance, but about experiencing Christ fully in each of these 'spokes.'

The very thing that struck me was about prayer. That our goal is not to pray, nor to pray well, but to be able build our relationship with the Lord through prayer. There may be times that we go to mass, so we can go to mass, but missing out that we are there to experience Christ and worship Him.

Living life as a follower of Christ is not easy. We need to be in fellowship with our brothers and sisters, supporting one another in growing in the Spirit. As we struggle with our humanity, may we strive to be closer to our divine Lord so we may overcome and live life in the fullness of Christ.

Everybody Wins

We need to develop an 'everybody wins' approach in our dealings with people. Yesterday, I heard of one CEO explaining how his customers benefit in the business, how he is helping street kids to go to school, as well as explaining how his company earns profit. After explaining all these, the crowd applauded, more convinced that what they are into isn't just a 'money game.' No wonder this man was so passionate about his product. He knows that everybody wins.

'Everybody wins' is not about pleasing people. It's about helping them. Some might not be happy with certain decisions, but if you're greatest intent is to help them and guide them to the Lord, you want them to win. It is also about sacrificing a part of ourselves, so others may gain.

In a society where 70% are poor, definitely not everybody is a winner. We need an equitable distribution of wealth. Everyone should have what they need. In acts 2:45 "Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need." What does the poor need? Shelter, clothing, health care, basic food nutrition, education, livelihood, and most of all, faith, hope, and our love. A simple vision for our society can be, 'everybody wins.'

Christ wants everybody to win. He has won over sin by His death on the cross. We are winners in Him. But if we start to act like losers by going back to our 'favorite' sins, we forfeit the victory He has for us. "But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 15:57"

Positions

In high school, I was privileged to be part of the basketball varsity team. I didn't score much points in games, but I was one of those who triained really hard during practice. I wasn't the best player but I was chosen as team captain (to this day, my friends wouldn't believe me). When I remember this part of my life, I still can't believe that I was the team captain. I didn't even want to have that position. It was enough for me to help the team win games in whatever way. May it be encouraging them, suggesting a play, bonding with them, or cleaning the court.

Reflecting on the gospel:
"Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee,came to Jesus and said to him,“Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” He replied, “What do you wish me to do for you?” They answered him, “Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left.” Mk.10:35-37.

These guys wanted positions really bad. From the priest's homily I heard, "Because of man's brokenness there is a tendency to seek for affirmation in positions." Positions are not necessarily about organizational positions. Positions may be about our pride and desire to be recognized. We want to be higher than others in terms of our opinions and ideas. We right away conclude that the other is wrong. We always want to be on top, and we are offended if someone challenges our aspirations and directions. When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John. Mk. 10:41.

John Maxwell argues that the lowest level of leadership is leadership by position. "You are only leading them in name and your leverage is only what authority has been given to you from above." Leadership is not in the titles that we hold, but in the way we serve and relate to others. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. Mk 10: 43-44

Now I know why our coach chose me, because I was willing to clean the basketball court, run the most laps, and care for my teammates. May we serve others the way Jesus served us...with all of His life.

Stage Father

My son is two years old and for the first time he performed on stage before 7,000 people. To the best of his ability he danced the action song "Adventure of a Lifetime." In most parts he would just look at his ates and kuyas and then he would catch up with the more familiar dance steps. There were about 50 people who danced on stage, but my eyes were just focused on my son.

Our Father in heaven is omnipresent. He has His eyes set on you and me. He is always present and watches our every step with delight. He is our biggest fan. There are times that we can't catch up with demands of being a Christian. But still, patiently, he keeps up with us, applauding every move that we do right.

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 1 John 3:1

Unlimited Refills

My friend and I went for coffee and was pleasantly surprised that the coffee was affordable, of good quality, and best of all...unlimited refills! Restaurants who offer 'Rice all you can' or 'Eat all you kanin' never fail to attract the hungry man.

In life, where do we get unlimited refills? Last sunday was Pentecost sunday. We remember how the Holy Spirit filled the hearts of Jesus' disciples and were empowered to boldy spread the Good News of Salvation throughout the world. "And they were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim (Acts 2:4)." Since then, the Lord sent the Helper, the Advocate, the third person in the Blessed Trinity so we can get 'unlimited refills of the Power of God.' Everytime we come before Him in prayer, we acknowledge our weaknesses and our sinfulness that cause the 'power leaks.' We implore upon the Spirit to refill us so we can continue to do His mission.

May we continue to avail of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, given to us for free, with unlimited refills.

All Things are Possible

Jesus looked at them and said, "For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God." Mark 10:27

In the gospel, Christ explained how difficult it is to be saved. "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God. Mark 10:25." We can only therefore be saved by God's grace and mercy. In service, we are brought to the point of impossibility. We can plan all we can and execute with the best of our ability. But there will be always instances when things are beyond our control. There will be situations that God's grace will have to be implored and we are brought down to our knees and see Him take over.

Our faith also calls us to dare great things for the Lord. We are led to be aggressive and persistent in our evangelization. We are led to be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, even if it sounds humanly impossible. When we declare, "that's impossible" we are actually closing the floodgates of heaven to work through our faith. When we say, we can't tithe because it is financially impossible, we actually prevent God's blessings to work in our lives. Let not our humanity prevent God's divinity to work in our personal lives, in our livelihood, in our studies, and in our service. Indeed the creator of the universe can make all things possible. The bigger our faith, the greater the possibilities.

Rest in God

There is a different kind of feeling when you are home. A feeling of unexplained restfulness as if there was something unloaded off your shoulders. Today, when I got off the plane and stepped on the land of my birth, I felt this kind of restfulness. Being here in Cebu, i feel my body recharged and my spirit renewed.
St. Augustine of Hippo said in his prayers, "My heart is restless until it rests in You." Being with God is being in our true home. Only in God can we truly be comforted, healed, and renewed. In our time of prayer, there is also this unexplained restfulness. The feeling as if our whole body is being drained of its worries that stress us. Specially when we are before the Blessed Sacrament, there is a soothing presence that heals. May we always be with God, may be truly home.

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A Leader's Success

A leader's success is to be able to grow his team to the point that he is not anymore needed. Being a leader is not about owning the work, but about giving it away. we need to multiply ourselves and build people better than us. It takes trust and sacrifice. We trust that whom we mentor can do it and we let them know and feel that we trust them. We sacrifice to let them make some mistakes on their own and let them learn from them. Experience is still the best teacher.
Like a father teaching his son to ride a bike, he encourages his son that he can do it and at the same time ready to catch him when he falls. The sacrifice is in letting go, letting them go through hardships that will make them become strong leaders.

Land of Promise

What is peace? Peace is not the absence of conflict, but to be living in harmony. During mass, we greet each other, "peace be with you." We are actually praying for that person to have the Holy Spirit in his life. The Holy Spirit produces peace. Peace is something we all hope for. Visiting Mindanao today, i recall of the many stories of wars, bombings, and massacres. Much blood has been spilt on this land. Healing has to start and it is up to the new generation to build a new Mindanao.
Mindanao is often said to be the Land of Promise. We should start to bring God's promise into the land. But I said to you, "You will possess their land; I will give it to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey Leviticus 20:24." There is hope. We have to dream for Mindanao, for the sake of the rest of the Philippines. They say that Mindanao is the Philippine's window to the world. How other countries see Mindanao is how they will see the whole country. Let us work towards what Pope John Paul 2 prophesyed, "the Philippines will be a light to Asia and to the World." Let us claim God's promise of abundance, peace, and prosperity.

In Spirit and Truth

Going from one Kids Village to another is such an adventure. I started off on Thursday with Mindanao, in Koronadal City. I then flew to Manila on Saturday morning and traveled by land to Subic. Now it is 2am in the morning of Sunday and I'm on my way to Bacolod city. My body aches of the travel and I am about to fall asleep on the floor of the NAiA 3 terminal. Though my body may seem to give up, but my spirit is strong and full.

Witnessing the different Kids Villages throughout the Philippines is such a great privilege for me. Seeing the kids excited to pray, dance, and sing for our Lord enlivens my spirit. It is amazing how these kids have put Jesus in their hearts. We know that when they worship, it is the truth. Kids are very honest when it comes to how they feel. If they feel discomfort or boredom, they will show it. That is why when they worship, we know that it comes from their hearts and that they are excited to meet Jesus once again. Like children, we hope to pray in spirit and in truth.

God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." John 4:24

The Desert of Self-discovery

The desert, a vast land that is seemingly endless. I had a chance to be in one in a mission trip to Dubai. I wondered how people know their way through the desert if the landscape changes every time a strong wind blows. It is not the same place as what we may have seen before. But of course there's a compass that points us to a general direction. And there's the north star that guides us.

The desert is also associated with being thirsty. If you're out of water while walking on sand under scorching heat, an oasis is something you would want to find.

In the Old testament, we remember how the Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years. From the gospel, we recall that Jesus was in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights, before embarking on His mission, "Filled with the holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil. Luke 4:1."The desert allows us to discover who we are. The question 'who am I?' comes to our lives every so often like when we were deciding on a course to take in college, when we were looking for the right job or business, or when we go through a quarter life or midlife crisis. For a time, we get lost, finding ourselves hungry,thirsty, empty, and vulnerable. I could understand that this was the best time for the devil to tempt Jesus with wealth, fame,and power. I could also understand that God wanted Israel to rediscover and realize who they were and their purpose, during those 40 years in the desert.

When we are in the desert of self-discovery, our own ambitions become less important and God's will becomes clearer. But the journey to self-discovery passes through hunger, thirst, and temptations. Our compass and north star is God, who always guides our way, even when the landscape of people and circumstance changes. Without Him, we will get lost and we will succumb to temptation. While in the desert, nothing else is more important than God and our faith in Him. Through Him, we eat His word, the bread of life that fills our hunger. We drink from His oasis, His blood of sacrifice, that will satisfy our thirst. These will make us strong against all temptations. Once we get past the desert, there's a renewed affirmation of who we are. The desert experience comes not only once. We arrive there in the most important decisions in our lives and we have to be firm in our faith. Others get stuck in the desert, some do not survive it, but with God's grace we hope to be enriched, strengthened, and renewed by this challenging experience.

By the Fruit We Will Know

We will know if our decisions and actions are right if we see evidences of the fruit of the Spirit. Did it produce peace and joy? Have we bcome patient, kind, generous, faithful, and gentle? Have we gained self-control over temptations? To be Spirit led, is to have peace even if people persecute you. If there is absence of peace, there may be questionable discernment. There is a stirring in the heart that helps us to be led to His will. May all we do and decide produce the fruit of the Spirit. By the fruit we will know.

the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Galatians 5:22

Team KFC...Possess the Islands!

This is the final preparation week for three big simultaneous CFC Kids for Christ Island Kids' Villages in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. There are many things to be finalized and the task ahead is huge. Some of us feel the high pressure and are getting stressed out. We feel the need for more manpower support, for the battle ahead is great. Timothy reminds us, "As for you, my son, be strong through the grace that is ours in union with Christ Jesus" 2 Timothy 2:1. He further exhorts, "Take your part in suffering, as a loyal soldier of Christ Jesus" 2 Timothy 2:3.

Yes, we are soldiers of Christ going into battle. A battle over the hearts, minds, and souls of a new generation that will become world changers. A new generation that will aggressively pursue the vision of 'Families in the Holy Spirit renewing the face of the earth.' Our 'battle' experiences will make us better soldiers, better full time workers, better coordinators for our King. I imagine the time when we will all meet once again and talk about our challenges and the victory that our Lord has given us. We will come back different, with battle scars but gaining a heart full of courage!

The call is clear, to bring kids to the Lord and build a bright new world. Let us claim victory over our mission areas! Let us possess the islands! "For you are about to cross the Jordan to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God is giving you, and you shall possess it and live in it" Deuteronomy 11:31.

Lord, we claim victory over Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao! By Your grace, by Your power we will succeed.

Relapse or Real Love

My friend injured his ankle while playing basketball last Sunday. He seemed to recover fast and was trying to walk it out even with a little discomfort, psyching himself that its going to be alright. After 2 days, he was able to walk well as if nothing happened. But last night, he complained that his ankle was hurting much, more than ever. He he had to rest it out today, the whole day. What happened was a relapse.
Sometimes, without resolving issues and having genuine forgiveness, we act as if our hurts and arguments are already healed or settled, only to cause much more damage later. We tend to be just 'civil' about relationships. In the meantime, like an unattended injury, it becomes worse. When new issues come up, the old unresolved problems suddenly surface, causing much more resentments, causing a big 'relapse.'
What do we do? We seek. First, we seek for the grace of humility. Without this, relationships will get nowhere. Then, we seek to understand. Listening will go a long way. All of us were raised in different homes with different childhood experiences. What triggers the other might not be an issue to another person. Allow each other to express and unload feelings without interruption. As Covey would put it, 'seek first to understand then be understood.' Then, we seek to forgive. It is not an issue of who has the greater fault, what matters is who has the greater love. As Christians, we were taught by Christ how to love. He said, 'Love one another as I have loved you' John 13:34. We know that despite our sins, Jesus has forgiven us and bore our sins through His death on the cross. The healing will come when we have decided to forgive. There will be no relapse, only real love.

Songwriting Tip# 6: Have a Handy Recorder

It's important to have a gadget where you can record your song in an instant. There are times that suddenly a melody comes across your mind or a beat or an idea for an intro. Sparks of inspiration can easily be forgotten when our focus is diverted. It helps if your cellphone has a voice recording feature, so you can hum your melody or sing out an inspired chorus directly to your phone. Another way is to video yourself, including the chords that you play.
You can stack your recorded 'inspirations' and get back to them anytime. The temptation though is that because you are confident that you have stored the initial parts, there is a lesser tendency to finish the song. Be sure to finish what you have started.

Listen to ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME

ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME (2009) lyrics and chords

Adventure of a Lifetime

SEND ME (2004) lyrics and chords

send-me

I Give My All (2003) - lyrics and chords

IGIVEMYALL

No Shortcuts

Yesterday, we were on our way to Subic. We passed through a route that's supposedly a shortcut going to NLEX road. To our surprise, the shortcut was closed. We had to look for another way to get to NLEX which cost us an extra hour of travel.
There are things in life that we want to arrive at, and we'd want to take a shortcut rather than the usual route. Things like wanting to change people right away, changing systems, losing weight, or having substantial income. We want to get there right away, as fast as we can. We forget that in taking shortcuts, there are valuable lessons that we miss out. Lessons like patience, valuing hardwork, spending quality time, and appreciating process. In life, there are no shortcuts. Get quick rich schemes may lead us to nothing in the end. Crash diets will let us lose weight at first to eventually gain back more than how we started. We are frustrated in demanding instant change in people, while not spending time to understand them, train them and help them.
Also in faith, there are no shortcuts. We have to deny ourselves, carry our crosses and follow Him. This is the road to heaven. Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Matthew 16:24. We may have crosses to bear, and how we wish they were all gone. But these crosses bring us to our salvation and are sent to us for a purpose. There are no shortcuts, only one way...through Jesus Christ. Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6

In the Line of Service

Two nights ago we went to the wake of a Couples For Christ brother, Tito Guy Manansala, who was formerly a sector Kids For Christ coordinator. He died while doing what he was most passionate about, teaching music. Three years ago, his wife, Tita Chai, also passed away while teaching the kids to dance in preparation for the International Kids Village. They died while serving the Lord. Their lives were dedicated to serve God through serving others with the talents God gave them. We honor them for the great love they have given, living life in the fullness of Christ. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13

The Gift of Trust

John 14:12
"I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father."

The Lord entrusted to us the great work of spreading the Gospel of salvation. He showed us the way, and even affirmed us that we will be able to do greater works through the power of the Holy Spirit. What a gift He has given us! The gift of trust. He trusts that we will continue what He started. He trusts that we will call on His power to be able to do His will. He trusts us fully.

I believe this is the challenge we face everyday. How much do we trust our family, our members, our co-workers, and our leaders? Without trust, the work cannot grow. Sometimes it is hard for us to let go, because we want things to be perfect but to the greater expense of losing someone's confidence in themselves. Our creativity and leadership can be unlocked by the trust someone gives to us.

Let us approach someone today, and let them feel how much we trust in them.

Lord, thank you for trusting us and sending your Spirit to help us. Help us to trust others as you have trusted us. Amen.

Streetlights and God's plans

Someone once told me that the Lord reveals His will like streetlights lighting up as you walk along the path. Not everything will be revealed at once. There will be times when we do not understand why such things happen to our lives right now, good or bad. But in time, in His time, the reasons will be revealed. What is important is to keep the faith, be firm and steadfast in doing what is righteous.

Jesus said to his disciples: “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. John 16:12

The Need for Healing

Recently, I have been hearing many of my friends and relatives getting illnesses. I get much emails and texts of prayer requests for the sick. In December 2009, my Dad passed away because of cancer, and just now I saw on facebook that one of my uncles have cancer as well. Many of our couple coordinators in the KFC ministry are also going through physical sicknesses.

During last Saturday's concert with 29AD, more than half the crowd approached front of stage when Tito Bob Serrano said, "Anyone who is in need of healing, come to the front." God's grace poured out as the song 'By His Wounds' was sang. The song's powerful line is "By His wounds we are healed, despised rejected for our sins. He made us whole, by His wounds we are healed." I saw how God's people was moved by the Spirit, healing them emotionally, spiritually, and physically.

One of the worship leaders, Charlie, reflected on Matthew 9:21. It's the story of the hemorrhaging woman who has suffered for 12 years and got healed by Jesus. "She said to herself, If I only touch His cloak, I will be healed." This is the faith that we need. Faith that we will be healed in His time, with His will. Faith with a desperate need for the Lord.

Lord, may You heal us and the people who need it the most. Nothing is impossible with you, even the dead rise when you command. We surrender our doubts, fears, and sinfulness. Take control and let Your Spirit lead us to your healing presence.

Heal Our Land

Philippine elections tally still ongoing. Whoever wins, may they be used by God to heal this broken land. They have to lead by humility and prayer, continually seeking the Lord and turning away from sin. It has been written how God will heal our land:

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

I hear Jamie Rivera's voice in the background. Many of us also lead, may it be a household, a music ministry, subordinates at work, an organization, or our own families. May we be an example of humility and live a life of prayer. Together as a people, as a nation we claim that God will indeed heal our land.

Songwriting Tip #5: Lyrics or Melody? It's Up to God

Which comes first? The lyrics or the melody? This "chicken or egg" query is the most frequently asked question regarding songwriting. The answer to that: whichever the Lord reveals to you first. There are times that you strum a certain chord pattern and a melody comes out. There are also instances that we are inspired to write down and express a realization or an emotion.
In my experience, the advantage if the melody comes first is that the song is most likely to have a very catchy chorus and a complementing stanza melody. The challenge is to write down an inspiration that will capture the feel of the music.
When you write the lyrics first, a great advantage is that the song can have a very unique outcome of its melody since it's based on the words and the emotions behind the poetry. It is less likely to be structured and the song is not "boxed in." The big challenge is to shorten some of your written verses to fit in the desired number of syllables to match the song timing. You may have to change many of your original lyrics.
The best thing to do is to allow the Lord to lead you whether what you are holding now is a pen or a guitar. It's His song anyway.

Songwriting Tip #4: Build Up the Message of Your Song

Do you have anything to say? What is it that you feel? The answers to these questions can be communicated by speech or better yet, by SONG! St. Augustine once said, “Singing is twice praying.” Music is such a potent tool to communicate and express our innermost thoughts and feelings.On the blank below, write down a key message that you want to deliver. It can be a word or a phrase. (ex. love for God, expressing a romantic feeling, etc.)_____________________________
List down five(5) topics related to your key message. (ex. love for God: forgiveness, peace, joy, etc.)
1.___________________________
2.___________________________
3.___________________________
4.___________________________
5.___________________________

Next, write down how you feel about each topic. (ex. forgiveness: freedom)1.___________________________
2.___________________________
3.___________________________
4.___________________________
5.___________________________
With these information, you can now proceed to write a draft composition. What is vital is that you have a clear message and that you can visualize the emotions that will match to the tune you will be creating.

Let Go and Let God

I just came from the 'Freedom' Healing Concert with 29AD. God's presence was truly overwhelming! I had a chance to be a worship leader in one of the segments. There we sang live for the first time the song "Let God" that I finished writing just a week ago. 29AD did an amazing job arranging the song. The song is about surrendering to God and trusting in His holy will. We need to let go and let God take control of our lives. There are hurts and pains that we keep in our hearts. We have addictions that enslave us, unforgiveness that consumes us, and worries that depress us. These are things we need to Let Go and Let God! Let God forgive us, heal us, and help us. Let God grant us the freedom He has bought at the price of His death on the cross.

GOD IS ENOUGH (2003) Lyrics and Chords

God is Enough Lyrics Chords

Songwriting Tip #3: Believe in Yourself

A basic requirement for song writing is CONFIDENCE. If you don’t believe in yourself, then most of the time others won’t. Stephen Covey suggests in his Seven Habits of Effective People, “Begin with the end in mind.” Believe 100% that you can be an excellent song writer. Stick with that goal, and you will see how fast your skills develop. State three(3) reasons why you can be an excellent song writer.
1.___________________________
2.___________________________
3.___________________________

A New Nature and the Power to Serve

It's SFC baptism season and I'm privileged to have been invited to give talks to different chapters. This is the talk (Receiving the Power of the Holy Spirit) where the CLP participants get to praise and worship God through music and receive their Spirit given gifts. The talk mainly stresses on two points: The Holy Spirit gives us a NEW NATURE and the POWER to SERVE. We are given a new nature that transforms our sinful ways into the ways of the Lord. We are enabled as true Christians by having the power to serve God beyond our own human limitations. It's amazing how the Holy Spirit works! We often forget that God has sent us the Helper to guide and strengthen us in all that we do for Him. Stressed out? Giving up? Not just yet, remember that there is a Higher Power waiting to be called upon.

Acts 1:8 But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you will be Witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Songwriting Tip #2: Find Out Why You Want to Write Songs

Can you state three(3) reasons why writing songs is important? State your reasons.
1.___________________________
2.___________________________
3.___________________________
The question above aims to let you realize that songwriting can affect lives. It may be a hobby or a skill you want to harness, but best of all it is something of worth and importance. Answering the “whys” will bring out your passion for songwriting. When time comes that you feel lost and tired in writing songs, the “whys” will bring you back on track.

Let God (2010)

Let God lyrics

Songwriting Tip #1: Have the Passion

A musician with great passion will later outdo a musician with great skill. How many times have we seen someone so gifted in an instrument but never dared to write or even finish a song he has started? I know I have. Dozens of them. Passion always creates possibilities. Passion drives us to learn more each day until we become excellent. Having a passion for songwriting will ignite endless possibilities to creating a musical masterpiece.

God is Enough "the making"

Songwriting has always been my passion. In high school, we had songwriting contests and music projects. I was also playing in a band at that time. While trying to come up with a fresh song in my room with my keyboard, my mother suddenly knocked, and had this urge to say, “Why don’t you write songs for God?” She then stepped out of my room and left me with a question that still rings clearly inside my head, up to this very day. I wasn’t in YFC yet at that time. But somehow, God started to reveal his plan for the gift He has blessed me.
When I joined the YFC youth camp in 1995, I fell in love with God’s music. I delightedly suffered a LSS (Last Song Syndrome) of “Sure Foundation” that lasted for a whole two weeks. I always looked forward to every opportunity to worship, and hoping, just hoping, that one of the songs would be Sure Foundation. At the strum of that familiar guitar intro, I just knew it was my favorite worship song playing. I jumped for joy like a little child, excited to see his father. Right there, I then said to myself, “I am going to sing songs of praise ‘til the day I die.”
In 2003, I became very close with this guy who’s “over blessed” with the wonders that he could do with a piece of wood with six strings…Mike Serapio. Besides being a guitar genius, he manifested a passion for music that I’ve never seen from anyone. More than that, he had the undeniable desire to evangelize, to testify his life’s journey with God, through song. Through him, my high school passion of songwriting got reignited, and the haunting words of my Mom visited me once again, “Why don’t you write songs for God?”
Being missionaries in Manila and away from family who were in province, there were times that our faithfulness and dependence on God was tested. There were situations when we were out of money and had to eat on noodles on some days. But God always provided for us through the generous people whom He sends. There were moments when we felt lonely and depressed, missing our loved ones, but by just opening the Bible, God’s unfailing love comforted us. There were instances that confusions beset us, tough choices had to be made, but God always lit our paths and led us to the right direction. Reflecting on His goodness, Mike and I concluded, “God is Enough.” Thus, our first song was born.
Composing songs for the Lord is a result of an overflow of love for Him. It is an expression of thoughts and emotions wrapped in heavenly melody for God’s pleasure. It is a thirst for His presence, inviting the Lord to satisfy us with the peace and joy He pours into our hearts. A song for God is an eternal reminder of His promise, and our faithful response to His Word.
Is there a sweet melody gently playing in your head? Is there a strong force stirring in your heart compelling you to share God’s message? Get a pen and paper, and start to write. You need not know how to strum a guitar or even know how to carry a tune. All you need is love for the Christ, Jesus our Savior.
Psalm 96:1
Sing to the Lord a new song;sing to the Lord, all the earth.

7 years

It's been seven years since Mike and I wrote God is enough. How time flies. We were then single men. Now we have our own families, still continuing to live on God's providence and grace. Still, God is enough. I'm starting this blog to share insights and inspirations from the One above. Thought it might help someone who might come across this blog. We'll be posting some recent song compositions and would appreciate your comments. God bless you and keep on praising Him.

Kirby