Almost two years ago, I started my first blog, courtesy of a pastor friend, Jonan Castillon. He encouraged me to blog as part of my healing process. I was at the peak of leadership and service when attacked by chronic heart ailment, compounded by unusual nerve disorder. Such condition had constrained my active life of service. Most of my time was spent at home due to limited mobility, making me vulnerable to discouragement and depression.
Pastor Jonan’s successful journey in on line niche was contagious that despite my skepticism, I entertained the idea. However, I did not know how to start. Thus, despite his hectic schedule, Pastor Jonan took time to tutor me hands on blogging. Thereafter, I experienced the gradual process of growth comparable to my healing process.
Dubbed PADAYON: Our Life Journey, my first journal blog was an attempt to inspire readers to continue the commitment in service, no matter what. PADAYON is an Ilonggo term which means continue. In deeper sense, it connotes moving/going on (or never give up) despite adversaries or adversities.
My friend’s advice worked. I found joy in blogging. My interest in writing was revived. Rather than fretting over my limited mobility, I made use of my time in blogging. I poured out my thoughts and emotion into the blog and found relief. Hence, I opened another blog to ventilate my suppressed commitment to the service of the people towards development. Its first name was Networking-for-holistic-development. Later, I changed the name to Development concepts, issues and concerns to broaden its coverage. Recently, however, it was renamed Social Work and Development to give it a focus.
The inspiration continued. Hence, I created a sharing blog, Faith Journey, serving as forum for life and faith experiences of people who have survived the test of times and circumstances. Likewise, a venue for sharing and learning from one another so that others would also find inspiration in their faith journey.
Learning and enjoying the blogging world, I decided to maximize the beauty of web linkages and networking. Hence, another blog to provide an opportunity for others to share their resources. Dubbed Resource Sharing for Development, this blog is an attempt to widen my services to humanity through linkages and networking of developmental and service-oriented blogs and bloggers.
With four blogs to maintain, my mind had been busy. Slowly, my focus was diverted. Instead of spending most of my time observing my seemingly deteriorating condition, I was obliged to give time to my blogs. My vulnerability to depression caused by the delay in healing process started to diminish. There was a paradigm shift in my mind and heart. The delay of complete healing became an opportunity to evaluate my life and faith. I have more time for self and family. More time to read the bible, pray, meditate, reflect, put faith into action in almost all aspects of life. All the wonderful things previously deprived of me due to very hectic schedule prior to ailment.
By creating a family blog i.e. Lariza. Website, I tried to consolidate all my other blogs to continue my service and ministry. Hopefully, to give inspiration and restoration of self-confidence for those who are devastated by harsh realities of life in various forms.
But my blogging exodus did not end there. Before the resumption of my hectic schedule, I succeeded to create three more blogs.
Both are official web sites of the organizations my 
wife and I helped put up. NETSnews for an independent inter-denominational seminary based in Escalante City, Negros Occidental. ICON Network, official website of the Iloilo Coalition of NGOs and POs- a network of non-government 
organizations (NGOs) and people’s organizations (POs) in Iloilo. And CPU Catalyzer, publication of the Department of Social Work, Central Philippine University.
The development in blogging and subsequent inspiration to me has been reflective in my health condition. While I have not mastered yet all the blogging technology, I feel contented to see the progress. Likewise, although I have not fully recovered as far as my health condition is concerned, I appreciate any progress big or small.
However, my hectic schedule, especially when I resumed my work, constrained me to update all my blogs. It’s good that Christmas break has given me time to visit my blogs, review and evaluate them. Subsequently, I have decided to give each blog a focus or niche and transfer respective posts to where they belong. More so, that the alarming trend in our religious organizations has inspired me to create another blog that will focus on the Convention Baptist Ministers Association and Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches. PADAYON KATIPAN serves as reminder to keep up the covenant, to continue the good things we have started, especially for the development of our pastors.
Henceforth, blogging will be a ministry.
