Let's Make This Last (Piano)

Saw this among my old videos. It's the original version of a song I wrote and played for Joseph and Carla's wedding entitled Let's Make Our Last.



Lyrics:

I.
I'm recounting
How it all began
One smile,
One okay,
One laugh,
Another day
Another everyday with you
Another everyday with you

Chorus 1.
I was hoping
Somehow knowing
It was you
I was soaring
Completely falling
Fast for you

Still many things unplanned
But come take my hand
The future's vast
Let's make our love last

II.
Has it sunk yet?
Has it sunk at all?
The thought,
Of you,
Of us,
Us two
Finding the best thing that there is
We've found the best thing that there is

Chorus 2.
I was wondering
Was I dreaming
But it's true
Life's unfolding
I'll be growing
Old with you

Still many things unplanned
But come take my hand
The future's vast
Let's make our love last

Bridge:
I
Neve thought
I needed someone
Was fine on my own

'Til you
Came along
And proved me
So wrong

Now I'm captured
Enraptured
Captured
Enraptured
Captured since you answered

Halloween Thoughts

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
- 1 John 4:18

With Empty Hands

The things of impatience
The things of my pride
The heavy expectations
The thorns on my side
I let go
With empty hands
I hold on to you

The things I can't say
The things I can't show
Things I want to forget
Things I'd rather not know
I let go
With empty hands
I hold on to you

What I Want

Not a mansion in heaven
Not a castle in the sky
Not a mountain top experience
Not my name in stone
Not the respect of men
Not the applause of crowds
Not barns overflowing
Not vans with new wine
Just Your love
Someday her love
In my home
In my heart
As the light
Of my life

Disappearing Dream

Waking
A mirage
Disappears

Reminding Myself

My Father, my strength
I'm helpless and weak

My savior, redeemer
I'm stuck again

My faith, my hope
I'm full of doubt

My promise, my portion
I have nothing left

But there is no dream that's too great for you,
No emptiness too deep

There is no struggle you can't win,
No enemy you can't defeat

And there is no storm you can't calm,
No evening too dark for your light

Brothers Bonifacio - Now Showing

Somewhere in Time
There is a dumb movie everyone seems to like called Somewhere in Time. I used to think Christopher Reeve was cool as Superman, but this movie killed it. I won’t ruin the story for you, go watch it, you might just like it. This is actually considered a classic and is the mother of all time-traveling romances (though one of the most implausible). I remembered it because I heard the main theme recently in a restaurant. Somewhere in Time by John Barry was one of my favorite pieces, and hearing it really made me miss having a piano at home. There’s already an empty room in my apartment where my piano will reside once I can afford one. If you don’t know what piece I’m talking about listen to it here.

I’m not really the type of person that misses things or people (though there are exceptions), but I do like to look back at great memories and remember the people that made these special moments. Memory is a powerful thing, it allows us to travel back in time and enjoy once more the beautiful things of the past. One of my favorite quotes is from J.M. Barrie, the author of Peter Pan, which goes, “God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December.” That’s what I’m doing now as I lie on my couch typing this. I’m enjoying once more the warmth of our full home that fittingly is located on 28 Rosas Street.

I just noticed I used two Barries in one section. It doesn’t matter. I just noticed.

Anyway…


The Notebook
One of my favorite movies, and I don't know if I should say this, but I will anyway, is The Notebook. It's not my absolute favorite movie. Let's be clear about that. That would be Legends of the Fall. (Three loyal brothers, good-looking middle son, long hair… What's not to like?)

Despite it being written by the guy most responsible for making husbandry (not to be confused with farming) insanely difficult by planting all these rose-colored ideas in female brains, Nicholas Sparks, I like The Notebook because it's the story of two crazy people, crazy enough to fall in love, crazy enough to try, fail, crazy enough to try again, and crazy enough to see it through.

Even at the end of the movie they're crazy. Something in her brain keeps her from remembering, and something in his brain keeps him around to remind her - everyday. Not exactly what I would call my dream life - or anyone's.

I was reminded of this kind of crazy after one our family lunches few Sundays ago. As has been happening more frequently, our conversion made its way to one of our inevitable topics: me and females. To be more accurate, me and my lack of them.


Joe: What about Isabel (I put this name randomly so don't get any ideas)?
Me: What about her?
Joe: She's nice. Pretty too.
Me: Yup.
Mom: Why are you guys so looks oriented?
Me: Do you want ugly grandkids?
Mom: har har.

-

Mom: My wish for you is that you marry someone who is moral and wise.
Me: Did you marry Pop because he was moral and wise?
Mom: No.
Pop: She married me for my looks.
Brothers Bonifacio: Hahahaha!

During the back and forth, Joshua went: I'm really happy I fought for Kristie.
Me: What do you mean?
Joshua: I'm really happy that even when no one approved of her we stuck it out.

My initial thought was: Wait until you have to feed her and watch your happy turn into a Happy Meal. But driving home later that evening, I thought about what he said. Joshua can be understatedly profound, and he brings a perspective to this performance-oriented brotherhood. He's a constant reminder to me that God has called us to love people.

And that's when I remembered The Notebook.

Because when I think about love, I don't think about the wisest and smartest people I know. When I think about love, I actually think about people who were so in love that they had gone beyond comprehension, as if they had gone crazy. When I think about love I think about the story of a boy who had nothing, a girl who should have known better but didn't, who put their trust in the greatest Love available to us, God, and didn't let anything get in the way. I'm talking about my folks by the way, and they just celebrated their 28th anniversary this month.

I know I'm known for being an Asian Professor Higgins, but I have to say, that really inspires me.

Isaiah 64:8 - 9

Yet, O LORD, you are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand.

Do not be angry beyond measure, O LORD;
do not remember our sins forever.
Oh, look upon us, we pray,
for we are all your people.

One Size Doesn't Fit All

It’s easy for us to be judgmental of others. I have to admit I catch myself having condescending thoughts of people who don’t meet a certain expectation or standard. Until we become the object of judgment then we’re all of a sudden hoping for more understanding and patience to exist in the world. I know I feel this way when I fail.

Sometimes the source of our being judgmental is when we take our own experiences and use it as basis to measure the lives of others. Sometimes we think that just because we did well at sales everyone else should. Or sometimes just because we understand things quicker, those who don’t are dumb or slow.

When the team was conceptualizing (or re-conceptualizing) this organization, we began by thinking about people in their work and careers. This led us to realize that we needed to go deeper than just jobs – we needed to address vocation.

Vocation is more than a job. It is a calling, by God, to be a certain person and to accomplish certain activities.

As we looked through the different stories of people in our community that have made a difference in their vocation we noticed some similarities:

1. All of them were different.
Some were young, others old. Some were men, others women. Some were businessmen, some were political leaders, some were soldiers, some were artists, and even others religious servants. Some inherited wealth, others started from nothing, some borrowed, and some had investors. Even as they all fulfilled their calling, they all did it in their own unique way.

The second thing we noticed was:

2. All of them were incomplete (or downright ruined) until God stepped-in.
As each of them traveled their own path, they all faced a wall, a personal dead end. Whether it was a financial challenge, an emotional one, something relational, or whatever, every single one of them hit a point of need that nothing they tried could address.

Until God stepped in. Until He made things beautiful in His time.

So we decided to avoid making the very common “one size fits all” mistake, which is, to take something and apply to everything without taking into account the differences in people’s experiences, backgrounds, circumstances, and attitudes. We have decided to stay away from the “dos” and “don’ts”, and “step by step guides”, and the “no fail formulas”.

I just want to encourage you by presenting stories and ideas of people who have answered their calling in faith, which means to take on responsibility, to take on failure, to take on criticism, to take on challenges, and believe that God’s grace is there working, preparing, creating, redeeming, transforming, correcting, revealing…

…Revealing. It’s that word again. God revealing Himself able to meet us where we’re at, with our own limitations and failures, and able to answer every individuals’ unique need. He knows that there’s more than one size, shape, color, and heart. He knows because He made us that way.

Isaiah 59:1

Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save,
nor his ear too dull to hear.

Isaiah 41:8

"But you, O Israel, my servant,
Jacob, whom I have chosen,
you descendants of Abraham my friend,

I took you from the ends of the earth,
from its farthest corners I called you.
I said, 'You are my servant';
I have chosen you and have not rejected you.

So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

"All who rage against you
will surely be ashamed and disgraced;
those who oppose you
will be as nothing and perish.

Though you search for your enemies,
you will not find them.
Those who wage war against you
will be as nothing at all.

For I am the LORD, your God,
who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you, Do not fear;
I will help you.

Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob,
O little Israel,
for I myself will help you," declares the LORD,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

"See, I will make you into a threshing sledge,
new and sharp, with many teeth.
You will thresh the mountains and crush them,
and reduce the hills to chaff.

You will winnow them, the wind will pick them up,
and a gale will blow them away.
But you will rejoice in the LORD
and glory in the Holy One of Israel.

"The poor and needy search for water,
but there is none;
their tongues are parched with thirst.
But I the LORD will answer them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

I will make rivers flow on barren heights,
and springs within the valleys.
I will turn the desert into pools of water,
and the parched ground into springs.

I will put in the desert
the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive.
I will set pines in the wasteland,
the fir and the cypress together,

so that people may see and know,
may consider and understand,
that the hand of the LORD has done this,
that the Holy One of Israel has created it.

Holding On

Our prayers reach heaven
Every wish, every hope
Every call, every cry

Faith believes
He sees, He hears
He feels, He cares

Faith trusts
He answers in silence
He moves in stillness

Our prayers return
In each sunrise, in grace
In each day's end, and rest

Isaiah 37:20

Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O LORD, are God.

Mark 9:23

"'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."

The Sound of Tears

List'ning to your crying
My words are a puddle
Evap'rating til dry

October 4, 2010

Crumpled bed
Impressed
On one side

City Escape

Mosquitoes nip on my legs, but let them feast on our entwined limbs. The scrapes on my knees sting, throbbing like our beating hearts. Security patrols the grounds, envying us, for our moment, with hopes burning brighter than the stars. Inevitabilities may haunt us, but close your sad eyes and calm your anxious heart. My love for you stays, even when I'm not around, to be your open field in a cruel city, your starry night in dark times. So you won't forget, which I fear someday you will, let me remind you with a kiss.