GAME 1 : BULLS VS PACERS KEYS TO THE GAME

            While the Pacers controlled most of the game, the Bulls showed what has carried them to 62 wins all season. Down 98-88 with 3 minutes left in the final period, the Bulls rallied 16-1 to grab the series opener.

            Derrick Rose Led the game with 39 points and 6 assists, the final dime to Kyle Korver break the tie with a 3-point shot. After a miss by Danny Granger, Noah grabbed the rebound and Rose put the game away at the free throw line with 14.8 seconds remaining.

            Aside from the Bulls MVP candidate, Derrick Rose, there are keys that helped the Bulls escape the series opener with a win.

Defense

            The Bulls offense starts from the defensive end. Deng covered Danny Granger, limiting him to just 6 points in the first half before catching fire to finish with 24 points. . Pacers guard Darren Collisson had 15 points in the first half, but had just 2 points in the final 2 quarters. Hansbrough had 22 points for the Pacers, but the rest of the team had 11 points or fewer.

Rebounds

            A team cannot score without the ball. Securing the loose ball either to gain or retain possession gives your team another opportunity to score, especially in clutch situations.

In tight games, the team that controls the boards has a much better chance of winning the game.

            The Bulls led the boards 48-34, 21 off the offensive glass and 8 of them from Joakim Noah. The Pacers have 13 offensive boards as a team.

X-Factor: Luol Deng

            While much of the focus is on Rose, Deng quietly does much of the dirty work without being noticed. Averaging 17.4 points in the regular season and scoring 18 points in the First Round Opener, Deng is the most consistent starter in the Bulls lineup. He even plays longer minutes than Rose during the 82-game stretch, with 39 minutes per game.

The Bench

            The Bulls supporting cast is a defensive powerhouse. Though not as potent offensively as the starting lineup, their bench has a more solid defense. With both Boozer and Noah missing a total of 59 games in season, their back-up proved ready for the challenge and filled up the missing roles effectively.

            In Game 1, the Bulls bench leads 25-23 points from the bench, just a mere two points. But it was Kyle Korver who delivered and made the tie-breaking 3-point shot off a pass by Rose to turn tables around in favor of the Bulls.

When everybody thought the Bulls will just soar over the Pacers in Round 1, the Pacers proved it all wrong by giving the Bulls all they could handle. They have made it an interesting series. What adjustments both teams will be making remains for Game 2 to be seen.

After the opening thriller, everyone is anticipating another battle for the second game of the series.

Manny Pacquiao and Success

Manny Pacquiao became the first in history to earn 7 titles in 7 divisions when he demolished Cotto during the eventful Firepower. The fact that it took so long for someone to achieve this kind of feat simply means that it is a very difficult task to accomplish. But what made him so successful? How did he do it? Here are a 5 things that have contributed to his success.

Action

Manny Pacquiao is a man of action. He doesn't just say what needs to be done, but does what he needs to do. He knows his priorities and acts on them first hand. He does not leave for tomorrow what he can do for today.

Heart

Manny has passion for what he does. No matter who his next opponent is, he practices hard and always opts to go the extra mile. No one is too great for him to lose his heart, nor is anyone too small for him to engage half-baked. He does things to the best of his abilities and strives hard to continue to improve his skills.

Focus

Even in the aftermath of the typhoons hitting the Philippines during his training camp in Baguio, being visited by fans, and doing activities that seemed to affect his training, Manny stayed focused. He didn't allow himself to be distracted from all the fuss that was going on. Yes he did entertain politicians and fans visiting him, a little cocktail party, and even visited typhoon victims, but when it's time to go back to business, it's only business that he attends to.

Humility

After defeating Cotto and earning the 7th title of his career, Manny still declared, "I'm just an ordinary boxer." He never considers himself as better anyone else. He doesn't underestimate his opponents. He doesn't think that he is the best, but he works hard to be the best that he can be.

Faith

Before and after every match, Manny kneels down on his corner and prays for "Thy will be done." He prays that he will be able to give a good fight, that he and his opponent be kept safe from serious injuries the sport holds, and whether win or lose, whatever is the will of his Father up above, so be it. His display of faith is there for every person to see. One doesn't have to be a Christian to see that he dedicates his fight in the hands of God, that we might also follow what the Church have taught us all the time: to seek the Lord's will and ask for His wisdom and guidance in everything that we do.

These 5 things are not just given to Pacquiao. These things are priceless and do not require too much effort to acquire. In our own little ways, whether at work or at school, we can acquire these traits by doing things and chores with all our hearts. It doesn't have to be boxing, as Pacquiao does.  It doesn't have to be big. It can be the work that we have right now, or maybe the simple chore that we have at home. Big things come from small beginnings, and so did the Pacman. Always remember that the things that happen today are supposed to prepare us for a greater challenge tomorrow, just as Manny began as an unknown boxer to a champion who is acknowledged worldwide. Best of all, the God that watches over our champion is the same God that watches over all of us. All we need to do is bow down our heads and pray that he might bless us for the things that we are doing and praise Him for all the good things that He has shown to us.

May God bless us all.

My Thoughts on Firepower: Pacquiao Vs Cotto

History was made on Saturday, November 14, 2009, when Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao beat Miguel Cotto. With referee Kenny Bayless stopping the fight 55 seconds into the 12th round, the Pacman officially became the first boxer in history to win seven titles in seven divisions.

Cotto came in strong in the opening round when he delivered powerful jabs. But Pacman dominated the welterweight champion in virtually the next 11 rounds knocking him down in the 3rd and 4th round.

After a convincing performance over the latest former welterweight champion, Pacquiao erased all doubts that cloud his legitimacy as the pound-for-pound king. The two knockdowns prove that his power is strong enough to bring a welterweight champion to the canvas. He proved that his chin and body are hard enough to withstand a welterweight punch when he took 93 power punches. The 276 power punches that landed speaks that his speed and accuracy are still blinding even to a formidable welterweight in his prime.

At the end of the night, Pacquiao placed himself as one of boxing's all-time greats, joining the likes Ali, Leonard, and Hagler. But there is still one more test that people would like to see: a showdown with the former pound-for-pound king Mayweather. But will that fight ever happen? That will be for Bob Arum and Money Mayweather to discuss. Pacquiao and his team for sure will not back down if the price is right. He never did. He never will.

‘White Lady’ seen at CBCP headquarters - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

‘White Lady’ seen at CBCP headquarters - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos


I just would like to share this story. Well, it's Halloween.

Trick or Treat...

Jamming for the Lord at Olanggo

"Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.  Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.  Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise." Psalms 33:1-3 (KJV)

Music is from the Lord. He is the one who created it. He gave us voices so we could sing praises, and instruments that we might make music to lift up His name. As David made psalms and raised his songs to the heavens, we too are called to worship Him with the gifts that he has given to us.

Last Friday, we went to Olanggo for the same reason David sings in the fields, to raise our voices and let the people hear songs for the Lord that they might know about His love through music.

Even through bad weather and unforeseen power outage, still God gave us power that the band could play, and stopped the rain that we might sing and dance on the sands and grasses of the island. It was already late, but never too late to raise ourselves in worship.

After the concert, we took refuge in the fine resorts, air-conditioned rooms, and soft beds. It was 1 AM but still awake enough to chat with our friends. We called it a night and finally rested our bodies for the journey home at daybreak. We are leaving, but the message that was left in the hearts of those who heard will stay forever.

My Younger Brother's Graduation

Three and a half years ago, I stepped into the stage waiting for my name to be called, so eager to receive the diploma which I have worked so hard for 5 years in college. It was such an awesome experience, knowing that I was a step closer to my dreams. I had finally closed the door of college life, and was ready to face whatever challenges my chosen career had to offer.

Last Saturday, my youngest sibling stepped into the same stage I walked through. He had that anxious look on his face, not sure if everything was true. Finally, all his efforts had paid off. After all the ups and downs that he had with his colleagues, he can finally celebrate graduation rites with his peers. He had the face of a victor, one that has failed and bounced back, tested and proven worthy of the prize that he will receive once his name is called.

At last, the long wait is over. My brother, with his right hand he received the diploma, the precious trophy which every student works so hard to obtain, a symbol of educational success and an emblem of triumph. I could see my parent's faces, bright with joy that finally, they had done an obligation that took more or less 18 years to complete. More importantly their son is finally ready to face the world.

After the graduation ceremony, we celebrated the event with food and drinks, in the company of our friends and family. Now, only one of my siblings is still left studying. Soon he too will walk through this same door. Soon enough. When that happens, the party will be grander than ours, not because he is a parent favorite, but because our parents will finally finish the role of getting us ready for the professional world, that all of us are able to stand on our own two feet. It is greater, because their children have grown into men, and no longer boys...

The Shroud of Turin: True or Fake?

The Shroud of Turin - an artifact that is believed to bear the image of the Christ. Christians revere to it as the burial cloth of Jesus of Nazareth when he was laid in his tomb. It is celebrated as a relic that shows the passion and suffering of the Savior when he died on the cross.

The authenticity of the shroud has been subject to intense debates by Catholics and people of faith, historians, and scientists. Though carbon tests performed on the shroud show that the relic is made during the medieval era, possibly between 1260 to 1390, scientists have not been able to prove how the image was left on the linen cloth.

Not until recently. An Italian scientist, Luigi Garlaschelli, has claimed that he is able to reproduce the Shroud using materials and techniques that was available in the medieval centuries.

Is the Shroud true or fake? The mysteries covering  this controversial artifact may soon be unearthed. Whatever is the conclusion to this historical question may impact the image of the Catholic Church and possibly the Christian community. But it should not in any way influence the Christian faith. It may affect the number of pilgrims that would go and see the relic, but it should not affect the growth of the Christian Church.

The Shroud, should be regarded as just another artifact. If it should be a fake, we still cannot deny the resemblance of the image left on the shroud to the popularized image of the Lord Jesus Christ,  thereby deceiving many of our fellow Christians. For whatever purposes the relic has been made, we cannot condemn the Church, only the ones that had made such a hoax. If it should be true, we can use it to remind us of the sacrifice the our Lord has made. We can use the pilgrimage to strengthen our faith.

We should not worship the cloth, just as much as we should not worship the cross. These symbolized  Christ's passion and suffering, not Jesus Christ himself. We cannot replace the person neither by his image nor his burial cloth. Only by grace can we be saved. Salvation is something only the Holy Spirit can grant us. It is not something he left us with, nor a faker, can do.

For more information, please refer to the links below.

Yahoo News: Italian scientist reproduces shroud

Wikipedia: Shroud of Turin