Making money out of Blogging, I signed up for SOCIALSPARK!

This blog has been a blessing to me, since I started last February. Blogging is easy and very enjoyable, you know, just writing about your life, your ideas, your feelings, and even somehow advertising your services! That’s what I did, and basically TAMPERPROOF WORSHIP has become a blog that shares my ideas, my experiences, and also my expertise…playing music! In a sense playing music is my line of work, and so I call it a profession, therefore, I can use my blog to be my profession related to music! Ah! Whatever I mean, Im just saying that Im making money out of my blog either by blogging, or advertising my services!

Since we’re in the topic of blogging, there have been many sites that have helped me earn some bucks. Yup, just write and you get remunerated! Well, the business of blogging indeed has boomed and what’s important is that advertisers see this as a great way to spread the word, whether it’s a product, or just a buzz!

Some sites also sponsor your blog because they just want their site to be known. A specific site I want to endorse is SocialSpark, where you can actually meet and advertise to new people around the world! What’s so neat is that Ir ead their CODE OF ETHICS, they indicated there that they place high regard in disclosure, or full transparency. What they mean is they want the blogger, (which is me) to let it known that I get paid in what I do. This way, people who read your blog can know for which advertiser you are working with, and get connected to them also! Isnt it cool? Well, whatever the case, SocialSpark is one of the coolest sites I’ve ever been to. Why don’t you join now? Just click on the link and presto, you’re there! Enjoy your blogging!

new songs coming!

Last night, as we were preparing a line up for Sunday's songs, God gave me a tune and a topic about serving Him. Our series this May is refreshing oneself in God's healing waters, and the specific topic is Jesus' washing of the feet of the disciples, so I needed to write a song about service. Serving others is great, but serving the Lord is the best!

I thought that us serving Him is really just a response to what He has already done! I can never serve Him out of my own initiative...why? He served me first. The same when I say I love Him: God loved me first, and died for my sins even when I was still hopeless. He chose to love me. What is amazing is to know that He has loved me with an everlasting love, and has drawn me with His loving kindness!

Going back, so my song will revolve around that topic, and ideas from His Word. Not yet complete though, coz I realized that the line up wasn't finished yet! Well, after it was finished I felt I needed to pray more about the song's structure and poetry. Oh, my fervent prayer is that my words wouldn't be too much "my" feelings, but more of who He is, and facts from the Word! Lord help me write YOUR song! I pray that He would give me the chance to write more songs for Him! I love singing to my great God!!!

Watch out for the new song!

My Music: Where is it Heading?

I've been writing alot of worship songs since I got involved with our music team as a worship leader since 1997. I've been blessed to have written over 60+ songs and by God's grace over 90% of the songs have a very high retention and appeal to the congregation. Though of course it is not the goal AT ALL, since we know that it's what God would think that matters, but practically speaking, you have to think about the congregation (crowd, audience) who will sing the songs, so it does have a factor.

Moving on, I'm very blessed to have been chosen by God to write such well-loved songs like Heartcry, Take Me, Pumarito Ka, For Eternity, This is the Day, Worship You, Alay, etc. God could've chosen anybody to do that for Him, but still, even though I am a dirty, rotten sinner, He used me. Praise the Lord... With that said, I feel I'm not giving His songs much justice by sharing it only to our local churches, and sadly, even just to our congregation. I know the songs can go farther and be a blessing to other bodies of believers elsewhere. Be it paid or not, my goal is to see the nations worship, and I would love to be part of that by letting the songs entrusted to me be hymns of praise, of thanksgiving, of devotion, of worship to our God.

The thing that troubles me is this... I don't know where I'm heading. I have this weakness of being in too many duties at the same time, spreading myself too thin, and ending up not accomplishing really BIG-TIME for God. I also have the love for many things, an interest for many subjects, and a desire to be student and also a leader. I am so confused. I ask not that God would take away these wonderful gifts from me, but I ask that He would give me the will, the wisdom and the character to decide on which I should prioritize and pursue.

Right now, the songs are just sitting here, waiting to be a blessing to others. I desire for God to help me record these songs, lead me to producers who will fund the recording and publishing, and distribution, even promotions of these songs. If any of you might want to help me in this endeavor, please help by praying for a good laptop computer that I may be mobile in recording and editing from our church and our home, a good condenser microphone, and lastly, please pray that God would provide for me musicians who are really capable and talented, and who have hearts to worship the Lord.

If you want to express your help in any way possible, please contact me at botbydblud@yahoo.com or by calliong my phone 0918-9066377. May the Lord bless you and keep you in His love and grace!

MANILA STRING MACHINE TAKES TO FLIGHT

On May 13, 2008 the Manila String Machine's debut performance as a small string orchestra was a huge success! Composed of six violins, two violas, a cello and a double bass, we performed for the glorious 30th Anniversary of Prudential Life.

Though Manila String Machine is known for being a music service provider, I decided to name the small string ensemble with the same name, and the clients loved it, as well as my coleagues, who were highly capable, professional, and talented musicians.

Dressed in our tuxedos, the members of the Manila String Machine provided dinner music, AVP background music, walk in music for presentors, background music for the awardees, and accompaniment for the PrudentialLife theme song Did You Fill The World With Love and If We Hold On Together. As expected, string music elevates the ambience of a high class event, but LIVE string music makes it even soar higher.

Included in our repertoire for the evening were Astor Piazzola pieces, arranged for strings, Winter Games Theme, 1984 Olympic Theme, James Bond Theme, and the Godfather Theme, just to name a few. Manila String Machine's resident arranger Rommel Camba, is a very skillful arranger, weaving into his arrangements the beautiful flow and harmony of string music. His talent is exceptional, and he workd very fast, either just by giving him the piano piece, or just the audio, the outcome is fantastic.

With the success of the first performance as a group we seek to serve clients who would want to hear us play as a small chamber orchestra, complete with brass, woodwinds, and percussion. Maybe the next step is looking for a client who may be needing strings with a small brass/woodwind section, and a standard rhythm section composed of drums, electric bass, electric guitar, keyboards and a piano. It would be a challenge for us, but the Manila String Machine depends on God's help and grace, therefore we will succeed!

To know more about The Manila String Machine's services you can view my blog named Manila String Machine, or check out MSM's multiply site, and scroll down to see the older posts! Or contact me at (0918)9066377, or 6453027. You can email me at botbydblud@yahoo.com too.

Bless the Lord!

PASSION AND CHRIS TOMLIN IN THE PHILIPPINES

I was invited to join a seminar by the Passion Team last May 12, and was surprised to discover that the seminar was for leaders of youth groups/ churches to help out as volunteers in the upcoming PASSION WORLD TOUR, which includes artists like Louie Giglio and Chris Tomlin. They will be holding this "concert", on august 1 at the ULTRA. Oh, I was informed that this is not a concert, but rather a worship celebration and a time of teaching, strengthening, building and empowering college students to live their lives for Christ. Invited in this event are college students, youth workers, and even youth pastors who are looking for fresh approaches to address our young people's roller coaster lifestyles! Do email me about this great event since I might be part of the volunteers who will help in whatever capacity we can. Oh, if you need more information, just log on to www.beccamusic.com.

I love to sleep!

To those like me who love to sleep, I could just imagine a soft pillow on a warm, comfortable mattress, airconditioning set at a very cool temperature, some soft music playing your favorite classical piece on cello, and lighting is just perfect to lull your tired eyes to sleep. I am blessed to enjoy these luxuries, except the airconditioning, and have truly enjoyed every moment of sleeping except for.... BED BUGS! I had a friend who had an apparatus to get those bedbugs out, and immediately, life turned to normal!

Leadership by Example

I am blessed to have people under me who are good men and women of the Lord. Whose desire is to serve the King and to make His glory known. I have been leading our worship team in church, and for some reason lately, my friends and co-servants who serve under me have noticed and commended my being a loved leader.

In all honesty, I don't see myself as a head of an army, much less even the head of a company of soldiers, I just do my job and I want to get the work finished as clean and as early as possible. But praise the Lord in my service to Him, many of the young people have been blessed by the attitude I have taught them, to never be arrogant, but in humility regard others better than themselves.

In the ministry, integrity, and passion must go hand in hand. Besides that it is imperative to have a servant heart. But it all becomes effective if we lead by example. We cannot be generals who fight the war behind the last line of defense. I believe in a leader who is always in the front, raising the banner, and declaring, "follow me to VICTORY!" Ha, the picture of a champion!

I am far from my dream, but in my opinion, i will always be heading towards that direction. MAybe I will never reach my goals, and would lead only a handful of soldiers in my lifetime, but it is all worth it, if i knew, that some faithfu; men and women followed my lead, as i led by example. As the Apostle Paul said, follow me, as I follow Christ.