Yolanda Adams’ Victory for Best Gospel Performance, beating out Israel & New Breed’s Not Forgotten,  Donald Lawrence & the Tri-City Singers’ The Blessing of Abraham, Chris Tomlin’s Made to Worship,  and Tye Tribbett & G.A.’s Victory. This song is dope and off tha hook!
[youtube="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WN87sKfoXsM"]

Thanks to this, I’m not too bummed that Ayiesha Woods lost the Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel album nod to Third Day. The Grammy voters love Third Day.

For a full list of Grammy winners, click here.

I’d made a mental note to blog about Lynn Johnson’s For Better or For Worse, but as mental notes made in my murky brain are wont to do, that note disappeared faster than government workers at the stroke of 5.

I’ve followed this strip since I was seven, when it was included in the Stars and Stripes newspaper my father used to take from the old Prince of Wales restaurant in Makati. I remember enjoying it immensely, and was saddened when my father stopped going to the restaurant to take the newspaper. Hahaha.

Fast forward to 2005, when I rediscovered the strip by purchasing a For Better or For Worse book from the now-defunct Libris bookstore at Market! Market! It was an amazing book, and when I realized that the strip’s characters aged in real-time, it just overwhelmed me in a positive way.

Fast forward to 2007, when I decided on a whim to search for For Better or For Worse on the Internet, and discovered its official website, with a literal wealth of information and strips! I was shocked to discover that Farley died - although in my book, Grandma Patterson died too - and Lawrence was gay. Michael and Deanna are married. It was an emotional thing for me to revisit and rediscover all these people, who, while fictitious, were real to me, and deal with issues that were important.

I invite you to visit the official website of Johnson’s For Better or For Worse and discover the world of wonder that makes this comic strip truly amazing.

… girl or boy.

Sorry, bitin ba?

I’m not sure yet, but we’ll get the doctor’s request for an ultrasound today, and we may know Baby Deen #2’s gender by tomorrow! Keep posted on what gender Nathan’s sibling is going to have, and what name will finally be given to this future hero(ine) of God!

Update: Cathy and I opted to postpone the ultrasound so we’ll find out Baby Deen #2’s gender on my birthday.

My heart bleeds for Globe prepaid subscribers who are forced to undergo the indignities of rate hikes that ideally will result in a lot less text spam. No, really, I do understand why they would be upset, because money nowadays is tight, and every centavo saved is vital to our survival. I understand.

Prepaid subscribers – who probably make up the bulk of mobile phone users in the Philippines - are getting a ton of value with these promotions. Unlimited text, unlimited text and call… One’s mobile lifestyle can literally survive on P620 a month.

Meanwhile, I have been a postpaid Smart subscriber for more than four years. My plan has hovered around P1300, yet I have found spending easily more than P1500 monthly, easily and regularly going over my maximum number of SMS and phone allotment. To make matters worse, I am locked in to this plan for at least another year and a half, thanks to the two-year plan that gave me a free phone (which I apparently could’ve bought for P5,000.00).

I am therefore led to ask, ‘Why stick with a postpaid plan?”

This entire Globe furor has made me realize that I am being duped as a postpaid subscriber, forced to pay extra when I don’t meet standard allotments, when prepaid subscribers enjoy ‘sky’s the limit’ privileges.

Do we not have a right to be pampered too? Just because we are by far in the minority, does this mean that we should not be given any perfunctory ‘Thank you’s’ with promotions, perks, or points to make us feel there’s a reason to stay postpaid?

We, the postpaid subscribers, are still part of the foundation and the sustenance of the telecoms. Prepaid subscribers can opt to boycott or transfer to another network; postpaid subscribers are legally bound to the telecoms. This is not to mention the hassle and inconvenience of regular bill-paying and account challenging in cases where dubious calls show up on our bills.

Would it hurt you, Globe, Smart, and Sun, to also think about us, the postpaid subscribers? At this point in time, with options for unlimited service available on prepaid service, there is virtually no value in staying postpaid. Mark my words, when my contract runs out, unless the telecoms comes up with some kind of loyalty program that will make me feel as special as the prepaid subscribers, I will happily join the ranks of the latter.

Prepaid subscribers think they have it tough. Try going postpaid, kiddies, and see how well-treated you guys really are.

Sometimes, I can’t believe there actually is a woman who loves me for me.

Last night, I went through Cathy’s and my ‘memory boxes.’ A memory box is a box that, well, houses your precious memories, and Cathy and I each have one. In these boxes we have stored cards, knick knacks, and keepsakes from all our years together.

I had such a rush of emotions going through the boxes. Reading the cards with the terrible poetry and the mushy sentiment. Reading through the lines during that four-month period of separation when I left DLS-CSB to work at MyPhilippines, when we almost broke up but didn’t. Reading and reminiscing, grateful to God for His Hand that kept us together.

I can’t believe it’s been almost nine years. I met Cathy June 1998. We became a couple September 12, 1998, and wed December 7, 2002. Next year, we’ll actually celebrate ten years of knowing each other.

Ten years. Only by God’s grace.

I remember there were people who felt it would never work. Like that guidance counselor whose reaction to Cathy’s telling her that she and I were a couple was nothing short of offensive shock. Like those family members who perhaps somehow hoped I’d end up with someone different, or that Cathy married a pure Chinese man. Like those people whose fairytale lives are marred somewhat by the thought that a person like me could actually attract someone like Cathy.

Then I remember the good times. And the not-so-good times. And it boils down to three values, all of which show themselves prominent in our memory boxes.

The first is we communicate. Our cards aren’t empty. They are full of stories, of emotions, of our life together, the direction where we headed and where we continued to go. We spoke of what we wanted, what we didn’t want, and the desire to communicate because we knew this would make our relationship open and strong.

The second is we grow. You can see the growth in our cards. My earlier communications had the occasional expletive and sexual innuendo; you could see the change I am so grateful to Cathy for bringing me to a relationship with Jesus, and grateful for her prayers everyday.

The third is we trust. I am human, and flawed, and Cathy knows that. Nevertheless, she continued to trust that I would remain faithful to her - and I continue to do so. Through the years, I may have stumbled on pornography, self-stimulation, and doing things behind Cathy’s back, including bingeing on chips and soda. Each time, I came back to admit these faults to her, and she’s forgiven me.

The biggest hurdle was when I entered a costly venture that, all summed up, virtually wiped out our nest eggs. Any lesser woman would have left her husband by then. Not Cathy. She trusted God to provide, and trusted I would bounce back. A godly woman who stands by their not-so-perfect husband sends a message of love and positivity out to the world, saying “I promised this man for richer and poorer, better or worse, and I’m standing by it.

Looking through my memory box, I am in awe of God’s goodness. Sure, there may not be millions in the bank, and day-to-day living can be stressful more often than not, but everyday, I wake up to the three biggest blessings of all: a godly woman for a wife, a beautiful family, and a brand-new day I can use to make good memories for myself and others. And that’s what counts.

[youtube="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3KKCmoBDw4"]

I saw Pastor Blake’s slip-up a long time ago, but this is just too funny to pass up passing to you guys. Talk about unfortunate spoonerisms.

As if that weren’t enough, the pranksters at Prank 3:16 played a horrific practical joke on Blake. Oi vey.

I’ve uploaded two new designs onto Faith Factor, both of which are I-Pod inspired. Feel free to make a purchase and support a Christian designer!

[youtube="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zA64g3pi97M"]

This is so wrong. I’ll bet Benj would LOVE it.

Mars is amazing! HA!

[youtube="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw8Y-0qEjSU"]

The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything: A Veggietales Movie hits theaters February 2008! Please, God, send a distributor to bring it to the Philippines!

Woohoo! Nathan will have a blast!

By the way, swing by Cathy’s new Multiply page and add her as your latest contact, okay? My baby’s now a techie.

Cathy and I discussed our baby name shortlist (which included some of your suggestions), and these are the finalists:

Girl

• Catharine Jean (Pure + God is Gracious); potential nicknames include Cat, Catharine, and ang walang kamatayang CJ)
• Chloe Jo (Young and Blossoming + God’s Gracious Gift); potential nicknames include Chloe, Jo, and ang walang kamatayang CJ)
• Caitlin Faith (Pure Soul + Loyal); potential nicknames include Cate, Catie, Cat, Caitlin, and Faith)
• Charlize (Beautiful Star); potential nicknames include Charlize, Charlie, Lizzie, and Liz)

Boy

• Nicklaus/Nicholas/Nikolai John (Victorious + God is Good); potential nicknames include Nick, Nicky, Nicko, and ang walang kamatayang NJ)
• Nicholas Jon (Victorious + God’s Gift, because Jon is a derivative of Jonathan, not John) potential nicknames include Nick, Nicky, Nicko, and ang walang kamatayang NJ)
• Noah (Rest); only one potential nickname here: Noah

What do you think? Vote in the Comments box (or until I can install a poll box)!