Dude, Stay Away From Twitter!

In a fascinating article in the Zocalo Public Square, writer Jacob Brogan admitted “I’m ashamed of the way I am on Twitter.” He's ashamed over what he tweets, his need for approval, and even that his mom's tweets are about him and has four times the number for followers compared to his.

Brogan's self-reflection is honest and commendable but if something is causing you to despair, then why not get off Twitter for a while? 

According to The Point, what Brogan describes is what theologians call an “occasion of sin” a circumstance or situation that makes us more likely to stumble. 

It clearly makes sense! Don't play with fire if you don't want to get burned. Recovering alcoholics shouldn't hang out in bars. A person who struggles with porn, shouldn't surf the Web alone or look at a Victoria's Secret catalog. I stay away from cable TV and R rated movies because I struggle with lust.

I'm not advising that we should all abstain from any forms of social media. Just know your triggers and weaknesses. Scripture says, to be vigilant because our enemy is prowling like a lion, looking for someone to devour. We should avoid situations that will cause us to sin and stay away from people and places where temptation calls our name. 

For some people that’ll be social media. For others, it’ll be something else. But for all of us, the advice is the same: Be alert and flee!

Social Media Campaign: 2:30PM Daily for 2.30 Million Prisoners

Just want to share the latest social media campaign I developed for Prison Fellowship.

There are approximately 2.3 million prisoners in America that need our intercession and petition to God. They need to know that we are praying for them and we need to spread the word to other believers to pray for them.

That’s why starting this March, at 2:30PM EST every weekday, Prison Fellowship will post a prayer reminder on its Facebook and Twitter pages using the hashtag #PRAY4PRISONERS, to encourage everyone to pause for a while and lift up these men and women behind bars and anyone affected by crime and incarceration.

We will be posting prayer requests on the general needs of prisoners as well as specific prayer requests submitted to us by inmates (their names and identities will be changed to protect their privacy).

Every prison ministry team needs prayer warriors lifting up the needs of prisoners. Even if you’ve never been inside a prison or jail, you can be a prayer warrior interceding before God for those who are incarcerated. Our goal is to get as many people involved in prison outreach and build an active movement of praying for for prisoners. So join us and become a faithful prayer warrior and speak blessings into the lives of prisoners. As the apostle Paul said, “Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison … (Hebrews 13:3).”

Please remember to follow us on Facebook and Twitter, mark your calendars at 2:30pm every weekday and #PRAY4PRISONERS.

Join the Prison Fellowship Prayer Team here.

Some Golden Bullet-Points from #Dad2Summit

Dove Men Care

Sword training w/ @mcstuntman

It was really good to be in one place with other men who have the same passion as mine. This was the experienced I had last weekend at the Dad 2.0 Summit in Houston TX. It was my first blogging event and the trip was all worth it. I feel energized, affirmed and more inspired to take on my role as a father to my two children and a husband to my wife. The event was more than just about blogging and the business of marketing brands. It’s about fatherhood and how to navigate the challenges of modern life and be proud while doing it.

I wrote down in bullet-points some of the many golden nuggets I learned from the event and posting it here so I won’t forget. Here are some:

•    Never give up on my children. It’s not about the milestones; it’s about making plenty of little moments where my children can hear us and they get it.
•    Stay calm. Be prepared for bra shopping with my daughter in the near future.
•    Act in accordance to my words. Spend time with my children rather than just writing about it.
•    I don’t have to be a trained writer to write or publish a book. All I need is passion, an idea, persistence to make my idea happen and lots of business card.
•    It’s OK to self-promote.
•    My writing reveals my worldview. Be proud and write loud.
•    People are drawn to authenticity. It’s OK to be vulnerable and write about things that exposes you. If a man grabs your testicles, write about it.
•    Improve in my story telling. Practice, practice and proofread.
•    Not all men are slobs. Men from different backgrounds also love their families and want to make their wives life easier.
•    Real men love their children. Real men love their wives. Real men talks about recipes and household chores. Real men talks to their children on the phone using childish-baby voices.
•    I am not alone. In fact, there’s too much competition in the karaoke bar and getting free stuff from brand sponsors.
•    I look good in cowboy boots. I look good sword fighting.
•    I’m not in college anymore. My tolerance for alcohol has drastically dropped.
•    Lose weight easily. Get a shave and facial treatment from Dove Men Care. You’ll be surprised how much pounds you carry with all the hair, dirt and grease on your face.

And there was more that I tweeted that weekend and notes on my notebook that I will review from time to time. Dad 2.0 Summit was quite an experience. I made instant friendships with some and acquaintances with many. I don’t mind visiting it again next time.

Appreciate all the sponsors of the event:

Dove Men Care
Honda
ConAgra Foods
Kraft Cheese
Milk
Sears Auto Center
Turtle Wax
Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co.
Ella's Kitchen
Jamba Juice
Kidde Safety
DadLabs
National At-Home Dad Network
ParentsPost.com
Single Jingles

Introducing New Filipino Daddy Blog on the Important Things in a Pinoy's Life

I'm trying something new and humbly attempts to re-brand my blog. Hope you all noticed the new tagline on the top title header.

"The Living Rice: Filipino-American Daddy Blog on the Valuable Things: Faith, Family, and Country."

Hope the tagline explains it all.

Manhattan Declaration: A Filipino Christian Blogger's New Gig

I accepted an invitation to be a regular contributor/blogger for the Manhattan Declaration’s new blog site. The Manhattan Declaration is a 4,700-word declaration defending the sanctity of human life, traditional marriage and religious liberty in the United States. The declaration was released on November 2009 in New York City and to date has almost half a million signatures in support. Moreover, the Manhattan Declaration is a growing grassroot movement of people taking a principled stand on critical moral issues.

RESPONSE BLOG #2: Can Presidential Candidates in the Philippines Rely on Social Media to Win?

The festive atmosphere during Philippine election campaign is at its peak. Candidates are busy doing campaign staples such as song-and-dance numbers, baby hugs, TV appearances, autograph signing and photo opportunities to earn more vote on May 10th election day. Many of the presidential candidates are also channeling their inner Barrack Obama with the use of social media to win a presidential election. All of the 10 presidential candidates and their running mates are online selling their platform and personalities on popular social networking sites such as Facebook, Friendster, Multiply, Twitter and Youtube.