I normally abstain from saying anything about politics (Philippines or American). But I want to mention a couple of things.
Fellow blogger Arnold Gamboa has posted about Eddie Villanueva's unholy alliance with false prophet Apollo Quiboloy. I happen to agree with Arnold. Check out his post, watch the video and draw your own conclusions.
I'm sure I have Jesus is Lord members who read my blog. Understand this: I'm not trying to belittle the JIL church (or Brother Eddie himself). But I believe any man can make a mistake, and thus any man is subject to correction (read about Paul's rebuke of Peter in Galatians 2:11-14).
Then there's the email going around claiming Manny Villar owns a mansion in Utah. I've already received this email
twice three times. People forward this junk without doing any research. The truth is the mansion pictures are from Bel Air (Los Angeles, California) and this mansion doesn't belong to Villar. Another hoax email circulated a few years back claiming this mansion belonged to the president of Zimbabwe. You can read the
whole report at snopes.com.
In case you are wondering, I'm also not trying to endorse or belittle either man as a presidential candidate. I can't vote here (I'm not a Filipino citizen), so I haven't taken the time to really study the different candidates' platforms and philosophies. I'm just encouraging you to use discernment in all things.
Last night's book launching was an incredible worship and celebration experience. Thanks so much to everyone who worked so hard to make it a special event!
Special thanks to the following:
Church Strengthening Ministry (my publisher).
LJ Salceda
University Baptist Church
Arla Fontamillas
180 Degrees Music/Drama/Missions Team
I'll be posting pictures on
my facebook fan page soon. If you have pictures from the book launching feel free to post them there as well.
In this episode:
*"I think my girlfriend is in love with someone else."
* "I'm jealous when my girlfriend wants to go out with her friends."
*"I'm 20, he's 40 and I've fallen for him. Is this wrong?"
Just go to the podcast page (kuyakevin.lybsyn.com) to download or look up Basta LoveLife in iTunes. This podcast is 100% free.
Just wanted to give you guys one final reminder:
The book launch for
Learning the Hard Way is this Friday, February 26th at 6:00 pm at University Baptist Church (located across from FEU, next to McDonald's).
By the way--the book is already out in some Christian book stores (like Philippine Christian Book Stores).
To God be the glory!
In this episode:
*I have two boyfriends and I love them both--what should I do?
*How do I make a woman fall in love with me?
*Is living together before marriage advisable?
Just go to the podcast page
(kuyakevin.lybsyn.com) to download or look up Basta LoveLife in iTunes. This podcast is 100% free.
I just wanted to give a quick shout-out to all those who attended TLW at FEU today. Thanks so much for coming and listening! Special thanks to FEU Guidance/Counseling and the Peer Counseling Group for setting up this seminar.
PS: I know some of the students had to leave a little early--please spread the word about the book launch on February 26th.
Hey guys,
Just wanted to let you know I haven't forgotten about this blog. I'm just super-busy right now with all the speaking gigs.
Usually I try to write a quick post after every speaking engagement in order to say "thank you" for the invitation. That just hasn't been very practical for this month. So I'll just say a
big thank you to everyone who has invited me and/or attended a seminar so far.
The next couple of weeks will continue to be hectic, so I probably won't be posting much.
In this episode:
"I caught my boyfriend flirting online and broke up with him. Was this the right thing to do?"
"Is it wrong to flirt?"
"How can I know if a guy is sincere?"
Just go to the podcast page (kuyakevin.lybsyn.com) to download or look up Basta LoveLife in iTunes. This podcast is 100% free.
To Those Who Submitted Stories for
Learning The Hard Way,
I need to hear from you. I should be able to get copies to you soon.
Here's the problem: a few months ago my gmail account was
sidejacked. The
gutless maggot poor misguided youth erased
all of my emails, so I don't have your contact information. Some of you have been in contact with me since the hack. But there are few I haven't had any communication with since they submitted their stories.
Please email me if you contributed a
Learning the Hard Way story (this includes the stories already posted here on the blog). Just re-send a copy of the story you originally sent and I'll let you know if I used in in the book. Most of the stories I used here on the blog will be in the book. I think I told most of you whether or not I would use your story when you first wrote. Anyway, please get in touch with me.
Erwin did an incredible job in designing this cover. It'll be out any day now--I'm excited!
I'll be talking about love/purity issues TONIGHT,
February 5th and
February 12th at
Friday Night Youth Gig (6:00 p.m.). Please come and invite your friends.
Address: 818 N. Reyes Street, Sampaloc, Manila (in front of FEU and beside Mcdonald's Morayta).
February 19th is the Youth Gig Valentine's Banquet, and February 26th is the book launching for
Learning the Hard Way.
This week on the Basta LoveLife Show:
"Help--I'm addicted to cheating."
"Which should you follow: your head or your heart?"
"I've been basted. Should I keep pursuing her anyway?"
Just go to the podcast page (kuyakevin.lybsyn.com) to download or look up Basta LoveLife in iTunes. This podcast is 100% free.
Opportunity often comes disguised in the form of misfortune, or temporary defeat.
-Napoleon Hill.
I heard the above quote yesterday while listening to one of my favorite podcast. It's so true, and it caused me to think about a post I've been meaning to write.
There are a lot of exciting things happening in my life and ministry right now. I'm simply overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude and excitement over what God is doing.
But most of you are not aware of the process that has led here. I've been reflecting on the number of times I've experienced rejection or setbacks over the past decade. These experiences, though painful and/or frustrating, were crucial in bringing me up to this point. Allow me to share a few:
I earned a Master of Divinity (theological degree) in 2000. I found a job near the school, so I decided to stick around the city and take a few more classes. Later that year I learned that a college ministry organization was hiring part-time staff to implement a city-wide campus strategy. I was really excited about it--my supervisor at my "secular" job told me they would work with me on my schedule if I was hired. The interview went pretty well, and I eagerly awaited their response. I thought God was finally opening the door for me to do campus ministry--something I had wanted to do for years.
Rejected--I wasn't offered one of the part-time positions in campus ministry. I kept looking for other campus ministry positions in the States, but doors just didn't open.
Fast-forward a few years. I ended up pursuing campus ministry here in Manila through a missionary organization. I moved here in July of 2002, an experience that has changed my life forever. But this new ministry opportunity was not the end of "rejection" experiences. I'm just getting warmed up.
I got interested in publishing around 2004 or so. I wanted to make a book out of my personal ministry journal--something that would inspire others to consider becoming missionaries. I did some research and put together a sample for a professional Christian manuscript service. Rejected: they told me it just wasn't interesting enough to attract readers.
I had been in the Philippines for a couple of years by this time. I wanted to see if campus ministry opportunities in the States were an option for me (I was trying to plan ahead for the time when my term with the missionary agency would end). I sent my resume around, but couldn't get anyone to take me seriously.
2005 came, and my term with the missionary agency was coming to an end. Leaving the Philippines just didn't feel right, and I asked the agency for another 2-3 year term. This was a time in which the organization was cutting back personnel here, so they declined my request. I ended up raising my own support and coming back as an independently funded missionary.
Fast forward to late 2006. God was doing wonderful things through our True Love Waits seminars, and I sensed the need to write about relationship/purity issues. I had written a few posts on this blog, but still wasn't sure exactly where it was going. I offered to write some articles for a friend of mine who was starting up a new website for youth. Rejected again--without going into all the details, my friend declined my offer.
I had written several articles by late 2007, and I got up the nerve to mention the possibility of publishing a book. My blog readers were very encouraging. Within days (literally) of that post, I experienced a breakup. Painful as it was, it really helped me in writing some of the chapters about breakups and heartaches.
These are just a few of the "misfortunes or temporary defeats" I've experienced over the past decade. But let's rewind and think about a few of them:
*I probably never would have come to the Philippines if I had found a campus ministry opening in the States in 2000.
*The same goes for 2004-2005. If a campus ministry opening had presented itself in the States I may have taken it and missed out on these last four wonderful years of ministry in Manila.
*I may not have developed this blog to the point of publishing a book if my friend had accepted my offer to write for their ministry.
There's a lot more I could say here. But I want you to think about a Bible verse:
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
--Romans 8:28
Guess what--God knows what He's doing! And sometimes this means allowing His children to experience rejection. God loves us too much to sabotage His long-term plan with our short-term wants.
Have you experienced rejection or setbacks? Don't give up--God is trying to teach you some valuable lessons and set you up for greater things.
