Overcoming Transitory Angst

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I’m over the initial bout of mild transitory angst. Now I’m looking forward to working. And it pays well, too. :)

Hmm. Someone in the US has come up with a book trying to prove that Jesus didn’t exist and the gospel accounts of him were just an amalgamation of ancient myths from the Middle and Near East.

Sigh. Another one.

Despite centuries of overwhelming documented scriptural, textual, historical, and archaeological evidence supporting the authenticity of the events in the gospels, there are still “liberal” scholars who think they can prove, with a few tenuous and obscure historical links, that Christianity is a lie and the Church is conspiring to cover it up. When In fact, their own “proofs” are often even flimsier than they claim the faith to be. Myself, I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. (Romans 1.16)

Whether you’re with the Roman Church or Protestant, or any other Christian denomination, our faith still stands or falls on Jesus. And this much I know: He existed, He still exists, and He is very much alive, our loving Lord and Savior, father, brother, protector, teacher, and friend. I have felt His love, I know He is real, and by His grace I will stand firm in that faith.

So much to learn…

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Flash, Authorware, Director, Javascript, DHTML, SQL, VB, Fireworks… So much, so much, so much to learn…

New office

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Am typing this from the new office. It’s very small. New job, new long-term commitment to a career option. I should be excited, I suppose. Sort of. Hard to be excited in this tiny office. At least there’s a window beside my workstation.

My HK trip got moved to next Thursday. I’m looking forward to that, but there’s still life after I get back to reckon with. Hmmm… I’m getting a tinge of ennui here. Must be the drab, windowless room I’m in now. Well, it’s time to start learning Macromedia Authorware and Director.

Is anyone even reading this? Why don’t you people out there sign my guestbook?

Who Strengthens Me

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Well, today’s the last day of leave; I’m getting briefed tomorrow for my new job as a multimedia designer. We’re seeing the office and checking out the equipment for the first time. And on Monday, to Hong Kong for training. I’m a bit nervous about this new career. For one thing, like I said earlier, it means staying here in the Philippines, shelving my plans of leaving for greener pastures in the US. Also, in my first two jobs, I had prior experience in both fields: as a digital video editor, I had entered with the benefit of a brief internship on the same platform shortly before that; and when I started as a web design executive, I had been studying HTML-based web design and making my own web pages for years. But now, this is completely new territory that I’ve never touched. While I’ll be receiving training, I have trouble assuring myself that I’ll do well.

Times like this, it helps to remember the Old Testament examples of Joseph and Daniel, who, despite the desolate or oppressed situations they found themselves in, still prospered and succeeded in everything they did because of God’s love. So I ask the Lord to strengthen my faith in His providence. He will make me able, if I only put my trust in Him and lean not on my own efforts and skills. (Of course I still need my talents and skills, but I do well to remember that it is He who enables me, and ultimately He who is responsible for my progress.)

Now I’m not so worried anymore. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Going to Hong Kong

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I’m going to Hong Kong on Monday! But my schedule will probably be so tight I won’t have time for sightseeing or shopping. That’s okay. Just the fact I’m leaving Manila and the Philippines for a few days to go somewhere else in the world — for the first time in years — is exciting enough.

First X-Men Movie

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I have just emerged from the X-Men movie. Pretty good! Well, it was no great superhero epic that will go down in the annals of movie history like Superman did, but I have to say, the creators did a good job of adapting the comic world to an entry-level movie that satisfies X-Men fans and newcomers alike.

Great casting, great script and screenplay, great effects, great directing. Not as much character development as I would have liked, but then, how much development can you cram into a two-hour movie for that many characters? At the very least they’ve established the setting and the team, and managed to make it parallel the status quo in the comic (more or less), down to the white streak in Rogue’s hair.

Some notable characters from the comic were missing, however: Beast. Angel. Gambit. And Iceman was just one of the students. I don’t think the team would be reasonably complete without the original X-Men there. I hope they can find some way to bring them into the story somehow.

Still, all in all, the movie works beautifully. Maybe a bit too fast in the progression (what action movie isn’t nowadays?) and somewhat contrivedly hanging at the end, but I’m edified.

Gosh, this is the first time in a long time I’ve gone to watch a movie all by myself. Last time I did this was with Star Trek – First Contact. Hmmm. I forgot … there’s a war going on down south; terrorist extremists usually target malls for bombings. Maybe I should get out of here.

Oh, another thing that bothered me about the X-Men movie just occurred to me: At certain parts of the movie, Anna Paquin looked a lot like a baby-faced Demi Moore. I don’t like that; I’m fond of Anna Paquin as an actress, but I’m not particularly fond of Demi Moore.

Blogging from Universe Cafe

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I’m in Universe cafe in Glorietta. Gonna have lunch with Mom now. That’s all. Just enjoying the fact that I can blog from anywhere in the world there’s an internet connection. : )

Lazy day, lazy day

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Lazy day, lazy day. I can’t wait till work starts. I should be going to Hong Kong tomorrow, but the trip got moved. But that’s pretty cool: I can tell people, “I’m going to Hong Kong on business.” Nyerk.

The “sago drinks” hoax

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The “sago drinks” hoax is slowly dying out now; the forwards and inquiries about the forwards have stopped coming. That was so fun. Here’s my compilation of refutals on FB4F — made possible only with much help from other contributors.

Hey, cool! I can use HTML tags! Where was my brain all this time?