Wednesday, March 9, 2011

A Moment of Conversion

I never could have imagined myself attending a chastity talk, although I am a believer of chastity and purity. But one thing led to another and I found myself at SMX two Sundays ago seated right at the back of a chastity speaker himself, Jason Evert! I had no idea what he looked like. All i knew was that he was American. And because the person in front of me was the only blond person I saw in the jam-packed SMX , I figured it was him.

Honestly, my understanding was that it was going to be a talk about love and relationships, not about chastity. I also heard really positive feedback from his prior speaking engagements upon arriving to the Philippines just 2 days before. Hence, I decided to listen and pick his brains.



The program started with a Holy Mass. After which, I was introduced to Jason by a friend of mine and we spoke for a bit. Jason must have read what was going on in my mind and so he picked me as a volunteer at the beginning of his talk. He wanted to start his talk with the question, "how far is too far" in a relationship.  And to illustrate his point, he made me put on a "lady gaga" wig and acted out as if we were on a date.  And in an instant, he lifted me upon his shoulders! One hand supporting me, and one hand holding the mic! Deep inside, I was thinking, Wow! This guy is strong! I stand at 5'11 and Jason was just about 5'7. He was probably 30 lbs. lighter than me. Then he lifted me towards the end of the stage and asked me if he should still go on. Of course, i said NO! And he took me down and thanked me for volunteering!



So what's his point? The point is not to put our loved ones in danger.  He said that asking "how far can I go with a girl without sinning" can be put more positively into "how far can I go with a girl in protecting her innocence".  Think of it this way. He invited us to think of our future wife who may be dating another guy right now. How far do we want that guy to go with her? It is like Stephen Covey's "thinking with the end in mind", the end here being marriage.  Then he said "girls, do not allow a guy to lift the veil of your body before he lifts the veil in your head--in marriage."

To illustrate his point further he cited statistics in the US which says that those who married as virgins has a divorce rate of 70% less than those who were not. This was taken from a 700-page book research in the US with the largest survey respondents.

What made me think deeper was his analogy of our love for our future wife with the love of Christ for the Church. He quoted St Paul's letter to the Ephesians. I couldn't help but think of Mel Gibson's the Passion of the Christ when he described how Jesus suffered for us, His Church, His Bride.  He said that that's how much we have to be willing to suffer for our future wife. And part of that sacrifice is to live a chaste life now. We need to free ourselves so that we can love!



He told girls not to fall into the misconception that perhaps if she allows a guy to invade her privacy, he will love her more.  On the contrary, that is the best way for a guy to lessen his respect for a girl. Then, he told us the story of a lady named Cristalina. When she allowed her boyfriend to have sex with her, he started mistreating her and calling her names.  After a while, the usual excitement of being together was gone.  Love had been confused with lust.  Until her mom insisted and dragged her to attend a chastity talk , finally she decided to break off with the guy.  Instead of engaging in sexual acts, what she did was she started writing love letters for her future husband whom she did not meet yet at that time. Letters indicating 'i did not give in to temptation tonight because i am saving myself for you!' . After a few years, on her wedding day, she gave them all to her husband, who happened to be Jason himself! She also gave him a white candle with a fresh wick (as a symbol of preserving her body up to the time of marriage after her conversion).

After Jason told this story, I felt quite uneasy. If I were in his shoes and would have to talk about the past of my future wife, it would really be awkward. But I realized that it was Cristalina herself who wanted the story told so that girls will not fall into the same error she fell into. I salute their courage! It summarizes what he said earlier: that love can wait to give but lust can't wait to get.

In this light, he mentioned the dangers of pornography.  Boys, especially teenagers, may be incited to get into pornography to show that we are men, indeed.  He turned that around and said that on the contrary, pornography emasculates us--which means, it makes us less of a man because we become slaves of our passions.  Men are those who know how to be strong in the midst of peer pressure.

He also said that addiction to pornography is the best way to shoot your future marriage in the head. Why? Because you start creating a fantasy world about sexual pleasures which increases your dissatisfaction for the body of your wife. It makes you easily dislike your wife since you are used to flipping from one female body to another in a matter of seconds. You also tend to only see the external beauty of your wife and may judge her worth for her body.  He told us the story of his friend who was a porn addict who divorced his wife three months after their marriage. 

For those who are into porn and sex, God is not judgmental. They may be like that because they have not known better. He admitted being into porn before. And so he recommends a "change of heart"--to make a commitment to live a chaste life.  For a start, receive the sacrament of Confession. In fact, there were 5 priests at the end of the hall receiving people for Confession. Obviously, that wasn't enough to accommodate the thousands who gathered that afternoon in SMX. By the way, the youngest person in the crowd was 4 yrs. old and eldest was 90. I estimated the attendance to be around 5,000 to 8,000 people.

He also touched on modesty, especially in dressing up well, without being provocative.  Modesty does not mean wearing long gowns and old-fashioned clothes. You can look classy without showing too much skin.  The way we dress also shows the respect that we want people to have of us.  He invited us to be "nice" and not "naughty" in the way we dress up so we elicit more respect from the people we meet. Showing too much skin is a sign of desperation, as if you are calling out to guys to look at you.



Overall, it was a truly inspiring talk, with a good combination of humor and wit. His stories were very touching and meaningful. I wasn't surprised to see a number of people crying as he was speaking. He was a great speaker, i just felt that sometimes he spoke too fast that it was difficult to absorb everything that he was uttering. How I wish that more people could have attended and listened to him speak. If only I had known earlier, I would have invited you guys myself. But at least he created a website that contains videos of him speaking and testimonials from other individuals like his wife Cristalina & former America's Next Top Model who decided to live a life of conversion to God.

I strongly suggest that you guys check out his website, www.chastity.com . I'm sure you have many questions, and he has the answers to them right there. On the cover page of his site, there's a quotation from one of my most admired Saints whose words of wisdom never fail to guide young people. It summarizes the beauty of chastity and the positive approach we should have on it: "When you decide to lead a clean life, chastity will not be a burden for you. It will be a crown triumph. " - St. Josemaria Escriva, The Way 123.

For me, this is the most important lesson that I got from the talk. THAT IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO CHANGE! God is always giving us a second chance, and a third chance, and so on… that's how merciful He is! What matters is what you do with your life from now on. God will not judge us. And the best way to start is by receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation & being truly sorry for our sins. I know most people will be hesitant to confess our sins to the priest because of shame or embarrassment. BUT do you know what the priests are really thinking? Deep inside, they are saying to themselves, "hey, i truly admire this person for confessing, because it does not matter to him/her what others may think, but what he truly cares about is what God thinks of him."

Since it is now the Lenten season, it would be best to repent and free ourselves to love. Before our game today vs Air21, Fr. Ed gave me a blessing and reminded me that we all have our shortcomings, but despite that, we must keep trying to do good and remember that God is always there waiting for us to return to Him!

101 comments:

Ivanna said...

Hi Chris, you're quite impressive. We're thankful the youth have you to look up to. Hope to have you, too, in one of our talks. Keep it up! - Ivanna, www.iamstrong.org (organizer of www.realloverevolution.com)

sunnyday said...

Hi Chris,

I'm so grateful for coming across this blog entry since I didn't make it to any of Jason Evert's talks. Thanks for letting me get deeper insights into what transpired at SMX. What an inspiration Jason is, and that story about Catalina and her conversion, even more inspiring!

It's a good thing John-D (Borra) posted the link to this entry on FB. Wishing you the best on your game!

Unknown said...

"Happiness is not about finding the right person. It's being the right person." -Pastor Steven Furtick's blog (www.stevenfurtick.com)

I guess it all comes down to loving God first. Because when you're filled with the love of God, the love that will flow out of you is pure and complete. =)

Eugene said...

Sir Chris,

Very inspiring. Good thing you shared it to us. Thanks a lot! :) A lot of people are waiting for blog posts like this and I hope that you won't stop inspiring more people especially the people from my generation. I'll be watching your game vs. Ginebra on March 30. Good luck :) God Bless.

Reyapeh Sinajon said...

You're really anice guy Mr. Tiu. And I'm not wondering why many girls like you... Thank you for this very inspiring blog entry. Stay nice and God Bless you always. :D

ritchell_my_belle said...

Hello chris, wow! You really did a blog about the Talk in spite of your hectic schedule. Your time management skill is truly superb! Anyway, thank you for your insights about the topic and I kinda like it too that your blog is just about the right time for the beginning of Lent. Too bad, I told myself that one thing I’m gonna abstain from during Lent is using the net (i.e. blogs, twitter, facebook, etc). But I guess just one comment to your blog wouldn’t be too sinful? ☺ . Again, thank you for introducing us to Jason Evert via your twitter. I didn’t actually believe that you would be able to do a blog about the Talk that’s why I already did my own research about him and his works via www.chastity.com during that time. His site is very helpful and I enjoyed most of the topics that they feature there and I intend to share to the rest of my co-catechists significant topics which we can use on some of our session plan for the teens here in Singapore before their confirmation.

In my personal lives, I would always be grateful to friends of mine who introduced me to St. JM Escriva’s works and I absolutely agree with his words of wisdom in leading a clean life. By the way, my youngest sister is getting married this 10th day of April, 2011 in the Philippines and so most of us are going back to Pinas to witness their matrimonial vows. One thing that I am a little proud of myself is the fact that I was able to impart to the future bride and groom the importance of chastity and having God in the center of their lives. I know I made my sister cry one time just discussing about these topics yet, I guess it all boils down to the fact that we both love each other and as Christians we do have our responsibilities to face these issues. For everyone, especially unmarried couples, there will always be temptations all around but asking for God’s wisdom and grace would be one perfect solution. To you, Christopher John Alandy-Dy Tiu, thank you for sharing your values with us, fans, through your blog. I salute your parents for making you the man that you are now! God bless you always!

@ritchell77

Jazz said...

wow Chris that's a amazing experience of you thanks for sharing to us. . . how i wish i could attend that show so that i could be more educated about chastity.

borly said...

Great read, Chris. Hope he comes back for another talk so I can watch him live. For now, I'll visit his website first. Thanks!

pat_o said...

Hey Chris!

I hope you know that you are doing a lot of good by posting this blog entry. As you may know, many young people look down on purity and modesty, but look up to YOU. So who knows how many hearts and minds you are going to be able to change by setting this example. Count on our prayers and support! God bless you!

Pat Ocampo
Pure Fashion Manila

Anonymous said...

Learned a lot from your post! Thanks for sharing with us what you've picked up from Jason Evert's talk.

God bless you more! :)

Gen said...

your new post is great...

ung mga kwento nung speaker parang dun sa movie na "Fireproof"

Gudluck sa games mo!!!

Gen said...

your new post is great...

ung mga kwento nung speaker parang dun sa movie na "Fireproof"

Gudluck sa games mo!!!

Anonymous said...

From J.R.
This blog is so inspiring. Let us spread it in all our blogs, FBs, tweets, etc.

Perhaps, Chris, you can be another Jason Evert, so the message can be spread to a much wider audience?

Anonymous said...

Hi Chris, please write more about these things: values to help young people realize that it is still possible to be good and remain good in this confused world.

You admire Jason for being brave. I admire you for being brave to speak about these things too. They are just what young people like us need, especially in these times :)

Anonymous said...

Thanks for being one of God's angels. Truly, you can inspire people to change...for I'm definitely one of them.I came back to being a PT again bec. of your talk at the Ateneo bonfire( when your team won the championship), and just last month, I also became a cooperator of Opus Dei
. May God bless you more..

Anonymous said...

Thanks very much for this, Chris!
This is just the kind of inspiration that our young people need these days.

Thank you!

Anonymous said...

Hi, Chris, I am priest and I am very grateful that you talk about this topic without any human respect. Keep it up! Our Lord and our Lady for sure are very happy about what you do

ruby said...

Wow! I am deeply touched by your post. I am your fan in the field of basketball but you even give me reason to admire you holistically.
With this 3 point write up you can expect a standing ovation from your followers. Continue being an inspiration to others.

will always be a tiunatic-mianz_0908

Gfaith31 said...

Nice day Chris,

"I'm lucky", that's the word that came across my mind after reading your blog. The love story of Jason Evert and his wife Christalina really inspire me. Hope to personally watch the chastity talk.... :)

Thia said...

What a heartfelt and honest reaction to Jason's talk and mission! Will pass this on to my children and all the young people I know.

joycie20 said...

I found out about this blog entry thru one of your tweets. Thanks for sharing the talk about chastity. I'm currently living in the United States and almost all of the teenage people here are doing it. But we always have a choice to not do things just because everyone else is doing it. I'm your fan, ever since I was in high school and now I'm a Nurse already and I find this blog entry so enlightening. Youth today should read this.

Vince P. said...

Hey Chris! On behalf of Catalyst, we are very much surprised and grateful to your special participation to the cause! We hope to see your continuous support and may we all share to others what Jason left us.

Thank you and God Bless!

Vince P. said...

Hey Chris! On behalf of Catalyst, we are very much surprised and grateful to your special participation to the cause! We hope to see your continuous support and may we all share to others what Jason left us.

Thank you and God Bless!

Daryl Zamora said...

Thanks for this, Chris! Am sharing it with my friends.

lora said...

Was so touched by this, Chris! The chastity message is so powerful especially when it comes from a young man people already look up to. Keep up the good work, and the great example you so naturally set. We need more men like you. More power!

van said...

Thank you for sharing your thoughts about the talk. I managed to look into your log because of a friend who posted it on his FB wall.

I was really amazed to see you write so vivid thoughts about a not-so-common and perhaps 'deviant' topic to this generation.

Hoping that you continue to shine your light to young men and to influence women as well.

Thank you and God bless you always!

van said...

I am really shocked and amazed at the same time that you actually wrote thoughts on a not-so-in topic and probably a 'deviant' one to this generation.

I'm impressed your courage too of posting your position regarding this matter.

Hoping that you continue to share your light to others, especially to young men and women by being a good example.

Thank you and may God continue to bless you always Chris!

Regards,

Van

Anonymous said...

very nice blog entry chris. your really awesome. :) continue being a good example to everyone. :)

-Ivy

Anonymous said...

I'd like to thank you for sharing your experience. I know you have inspired a lot of people as an athlete but I admire you more as a man with strong moral and spiritual values. Keep on posting and more power to you, chris!

marz15 said...

Hi Chris,

WOW what an inspiring blog..thanks a lot, continue inspiring youths...GOD bless :)

Anonymous said...

wow..!:)
THANK YOU...:)

Anonymous said...

Maraming salamat po, Chris!

It's so brave of you to come out in the open with this stand.

Thank you for your beatiful words about confession! The youth will do well to hear your message!

badlongon said...

great job Chris! I'm happy to see your blog. Hope there will be more of Jason Evert in the Philippines in the future as we struggle to fight against institutionalizing abortion, sex education, euthanasia, divorce, gay marriage and women ordination.

God bless.

Lian said...

Hey Chris! Thanks for this post. A friend invited me to attend, too, but unfortunately, I already had other engagements. Great insights!

By the way, you might not remember but I met you at the Urdaneta Village Park just recently, one Thursday (March 3, I think). You were getting warmed up for a game against Alaska later that afternoon. I was with some kids and my co-teachers from Makati.

Have a good weekend ahead!

Anonymous said...

thanks for sharing this ;) - jazi

Unknown said...

Hi Chris,
I envy you, I wish I was able to attend Jason Evert's talk..anyway I just want to share with you two of my favorite authors. I highly recommend Joshua Harris' not even a hint, it's about lust;what it is and how to overcome it. He also wrote I kissed dating goodbye and boy meetes girl. I know you have a girlfriend and so I recommend "passion and purity" by Elizabeth Elliot. These are excellent books which helped us NBSB's (No Boyfriend Since Birth) to keep on
waiting for our God's will.
God Bless..!

Anonymous said...

i enjoyed reading this. great insights! very inspiring! :)

Anonymous said...

very inspiring.. nice one :)

Anonymous said...

hello sir, I enjoyed reading your blog especially this CHASTITY talk. as a 16-year old youth you have inspired me to keep myself from doing things that I might regret someday. it opens my eyes to the fact that many youth of my age are very curious about how it feels and because of curiosity they might try it.

I hope you will continue doing good for others.

Goodluck & may God bless you and your family.

christelle ann co said...

hi kuya chris !!
because of ur blogspot im looking forward to attend chastity too.. actually everytime i heard chastity boredness always cross in my mind but when i read ur blogspot it begin to change .. keep it up ! ur inspiring many youths like me .. :)

Anonymous said...

After reading your blog, I was wondering if it has ever crossed your mind that God may be calling you to something special out of the ordinarines of life? Keep up the good work! A lot of people look up to you and your influence to their lives is simply tremendous. I am one of those.

Unknown said...

Thank you!

Glenn said...

Wow, this is cool :)

elmon said...

Hi Chris Im so grateful that I read this inspiring story this really taught me a lot and hope this generation will realize what a true man is.You're truly a good influence .And for that you're now my idol.

elmon said...

Hi Chris I'm very grateful to be given a chance to read your story it truly taught me a lot and i hope more men will be able to read this and realize what a true man is.Your a good influence and because of that you're now my idol.Good luck to your team smart Gilas.

Anonymous said...

Same as joycie20, I live in the US as well. This is a very nice entry, but I'm sure more than 70% of teens here would laugh it off, and most people in their 20s or 30s would say that I'm missing out. It's probably a culture thing -- high schools giving out contraceptives for free, legal abortion clinics in some states, ease of getting child support, and TV shows that promote sex and teen pregnancies (just to name a few) make it seem "cool" to young people.

In high school, I had a Biology teacher who would always remind us girls to save it until marriage. She told us her story and about how much her husband respects her a lot because of it. She would look really proud/happy whenever she'd tell us her story, and this inspired me because... well, who doesn't want a happily married life? :)

I had a boyfriend who pushed me to give it up... and we're not together anymore because "things didn't work out". I assume it's because I didn't grant his request, but I'm really glad I didn't. Now I'm with someone who's much better and willing to wait, and I'm much happier in this relationship :)

Anonymous said...

very well said Chris. Jason was kind enough to share this to us. I hope this really appealed to everyone who has a relationship out there, coz I for sure don't have one. Thanks for this post Chris, I know now what I will do in the future. I hope the best for you and your partner, and of course to all the lovers out there. Quit PMS, do the right thing.

Chii Tseng said...

Wow. Thank you for posting this one. It's very inspiring. I never heard anything about Mr. Jason Evert but the moment I read your post, it's like, 'Wow! He's a good speaker.'

betoy said...

gr8 pst

Anonymous said...

Chris, i was one who was there at SMX, and honestly, i was asking myself why in the first place you were there when you could have been busy with your career (basketball). but when i chanced to read your clog, it suddenly dawned on me that God has put you there so that you would write a beautiful summary of a beautiful talk. YOu just made it!!!! thank you! God Bless to you and to Smart Gilas.

Maudie said...

Hi, Chris, I'm happy to have stumbled upon your blogpost. I will recommend this particular post to our teachers in our morality class who is as of now discussing Chastity. It is quite refreshing to know that there are people like you who use their being a celebrity to advance the message of truth and the Good News! Thanks so much.

Anonymous said...

this is one of the most inspiring blog I've ever read...so touching!

Anonymous said...

Hi Chris,
Thank you for posting that blog. It is so refreshing to read this topic from a "celebrity" May the Lord strengthen you to lead a chaste life before you get married.

sherilyn said...

hi chris,

Truly inspiring..Actually, I've never been in a relationship with opposite sex before and it's a good thing to know these things from your sharing..At least this will make me a good start if that time will come..

However, your insights also cover our relationship with others such as our family and friends..even with ourselves..so this is really nice..I will spread the word...

Thank you and God Bless..:)

peggy aplSEEDS said...

what a wonderful and amazing post. i am so pleased to know that there are still young men like you. i pray that God will give you the grace to continue to remain strong in your conviction to resist temptation and that you will surround yourself with people who will support you. God bless you!

Justin said...

Hi Chris,

Your friend told me that you had a blog so I visited it. Amazing post! I hope that a lot of your fans will read this. You really conveyed well the message Jason Evert was trying to tell us. Love can wait to give but lust can't wait to get. Good luck and God bless! :) Good job vs. San Miguel! :))

Anonymous said...

Ei Chris...
I am inspired to push on with my "writing-inspiring" skills... hehe

Your an inspiration now! :)

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam! :)

-jake

HeARTworks said...

Hi Chris, I'm not into basketball so have never heard of you before, but now I won't forget. Keep on being a good example for the youth. Most of what they see on TV is trash and is really the devil's way of getting them on his side. The young need more to inspire them and fire them up. They need ideals. They need more people like you to listen to. God bless you! Patsy from
HeARTworks

Anonymous said...

your blog about chastity is really great. hope that more words about chastity will be spread to more persons.

gud luck and GOD BLESS

Mimi Oh Republic said...

Hi, I was there too.. It was amazing that this guy (Jason Evert) has so many things to say about chastity because that's what we need nowadays - to give people a deeper understanding of what love is really all about especially teenagers.

malu babia said...

Hi, Chris. That was a very good sharing and it was one which made me read through until the end, even until the end of the comments of the many others who read it, too. You were very effective and I agree with one who said that you can be a Jason Evert, Jr! Continue to be as you are... You are among a "rare breed". Good luck in all aspects of your life (especially in getting the right woman to become your future wife).

Anonymous said...

I want to add my expression of admirtion - and gratitude - over what you are sharing. You are God's angel!!

Anonymous said...

Please write more on topics like this--on helping your people cherish our timeless values.

It is so inspiring to hear these things from a guy like you, Chris.

I think your secret is what you mentioned: confession. Perhaps one day you can write more about that too...

caelo said...

Hi Chris! I pray that there will be more role models for the youth like you. God bless you always and keep you in His care!

Kristine said...

Amazing post! I'm glad he went to the Philippines and was received very widely! I've seen his videos but never seen him live even if I live closer to him (Canada). I'm glad to see a semi-celebrity like you promote these ideas. And even more impressed you know who St. Josemaria is! Will be praying that you do more good in the world. Truly a role model.

erin said...

Your so amazing Chris..as a CHRISTIAN I feel so sad nowadays that many of my age are not valuing chastity/purity anymore..I'm just reading some of your tweets in twitter and I clicked this blog..How nice..Your smart, nice and a good influence to all of us!...God Bless you on your career..I'll be your fan forever..^_^

Anonymous said...

Hi Chris,

Wow! It's been long since I followed you on twitter but this is the first time I came across this awesomely inspiring blog of yours (and my first time to watch you play yesterday - vs B-Meg - you played well STILL).

You are an inspiration to a lot of young people.

I never heard of Jason Evert but you did him a great introduction.

I will be visiting this blog regularly as I do my blogging, too, @ http://chrisdaoanis.wordpress.com.

More power. Keep inspiring. Keep shining.

God bless.

- Chris

Anonymous said...

May I share this on my fb profile? Thanks.
A lot of the young are really struggling on this matters of love vs lust (including me). This kinds being shared to the youth is so worthwhile

christelle said...

i already read ur post actually twice but everytime i check out ur blogspot i cant help but to read it again .. it inspires me ..kuya chris hope u wont change stay as good as u are ..i really admire u ..hope someday i can meet and greet u in person !! and kuya chris just one favor plss ?? follow mo nman po ako sa twitter ?? pls pls ?? hirs my e'add chriztelleann@yahoo.com .. i hope u can grant my wish !!

P-chy (crazypeach) said...

I thank you for such nice thoughts...you truly are a blessing to everyone...not just to your fans.

I really hope all people think like you. This world would surely be a better place.

This is the topic everyone needs to sit back on and think on it thoroughly.

This is another reason (with many other reasons)why I truly admire you. Your thoughts are so inspiring! Worth repeating again and again. Please continue to be our inspiration.

It's okay if you take a while on updating your blog. I know when you update it again...your new thoughts will be precious for sure. It will be worth the wait! Everything you post is so inspiring and precious! Thanks so much again for sharing your thoughts!

Anonymous said...

Hi Kuya Chris!that was last FEB. 27, 2011, ryt? haist...u know wat, i was there too!i was really got surprised by that guy who went up on stage and put that wig and join the speaker with his interesting introcdution!at an instance, i got shocked, my legs were shaking, and i cried..huhu..because at last, I SAW u! :)..a week before that talk, i was really excited because of its topic.."napapanahon" kc tlga xa...and i really need some enlightenment regarding this issue "sex".. its not that because im dealing with it ryt now..haha...becoz i never had one (you know, a boyfriend)..haha..nyways, its just that, some of my freinds were somewhat opening some revelations regarding this, and unfortunately, i don't have this perfect or nice advice to give them.. because i really don't have enough knowledge regarding this..until i received this invitation from the parish youth ministry im actively joining ryt now..hehe..moreover, all i was expecting wen we got there was to listen and make some notes, and put those things i will learn forever in my heart and mind..attending a talk like that is an overwhelming experience for me already..but what overwhelmed me most was the thing that "you were there too"..huhu..i really cried from the bottom of my heart, my tears just fell off that instant..:'(..i shouted ur name..i was screaming..whoooo! and clapping,,for i think 3-5 mins..haha..and my friends and even the priest seating behind us..don't know what to do just to stop me screaming..hehe..well anyways, after a while, i calm down..and found my self realizing something..realizing that..actually,there are many ways where i can see or meet u personally, it could be on your ball games, practice games, in ur school (ateneo),if i want to.. or even meet u along the way..but it never happen that way.. it happen in a way where in we both went into a place and attended a gathering, not exactly preaching about GOD, but somehow a gathering about HIM..becoz most of the people there where members of the chruch.hehe..im just glad that it was through GOD that i got the chance to meet u in person..although it was not that too close..(because i just saw u on the big white screen)..recognizing ur presence there..was fairly enuf for me..PRAISE GOD tlga..hihi...i experience two wonderful moments straight in just one day :)

Anonymous said...

your cool man!I am inspired by your courage..

Allan Whistletop said...

We need more good guys like you in this world, specially here in the Philippines. Keep it up and be a role model to everyone! God bless always ☺

Anonymous said...

Hi Chris, I'm a mom of three teenagers and I'm happy to know at this era there are still youth such as you..very good role model for our youths. Keep up the good work and more blessings to you. I'm sure your family must be so proud of you.

clent daryl said...

hi po kuya Chris! i find you very blessed and gifted. keep it up..

clent daryl said...

you're very courageous and i am very inspired...hope i can invite you to have a talk too..

Ishmael F. Ahab said...

Wow! Thank you for sharing this. I have never attended any of Jason Evert's talk. I only got the chance to attend Michael Voris' talk. Reading your blog post about the Chastity Talk of Jason made me realize that I missed a good talk. Being chaste and not letting the self from being enslaved by lust is a heroic act, especially now that we are bombarded by pornographic or quasi-pornographic contents in the media.

Thank you for talking about this. At least I got a glimpse of the Chastity Talk. All Filipino teenagers need his wisdom. I will attend his talk if he ever returns.

Mary June said...

Good evening Chris. Even though I wasn't there at the chastity talk, I learned so much from your blow by blow account of that talk here in your blog. After reading your blog, I became very inspired to preserve my virginity until I get married, yes I'm still a virgin until now. Thanks to my guardian angel.

Mary June said...

Good evening Chris. Even though I wasn't there at the chastity talk, I learned so much from your blow by blow account of that talk here in your blog. After reading your blog, I became very inspired to preserve my virginity until I get married, yes I'm still a virgin until now. Thanks to my guardian angel.

Anonymous said...

you're really impressive chris.. goodluck sa games..

*sna more guys will be like you.. haha

Anonymous said...

Hi Chris! I just followed you on twitter .. I really admired you and i think its fate that i came across your blog and read this topic. I preserve myself for my future husband and I am always praying that God is in his heart and we have the same level of spirituality and faith in him.

I am yearning for a God centered relationship and I' am still waiting for that best man to come into my life..

I admire you Chris Tiu more power ad God Bless :)

Terry said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mary June D. said...

Hello Chris. I like it. I hope Jason Evert will also have a chastity talk in Cebu City.

Tim said...

Hey Chris, really brave of you to share your beliefs like this. Thought you were just another jock. I'm glad you proved me wrong.

I'm going to try this out. let's see where that takes me. thanks man!

Pattyp. said...

Hi, Chris. I hope you find the time to update your blog after holy week about your whole PBA experience (making it to the semis and hopefully, the finals), about what's next for Gilas, and the like. Really looking forward to reading a new basketball-related entry of yours.

Have a peaceful holy week and God bless you in tomorrow's game. (Please give Ginebra a good fight, like you always do. If they make it to the finals, make sure they get there the hard way.)

Anonymous said...

..nakakainspire:)

Anonymous said...

do you have your official twitter and facebook account? :)

MP said...

Hi Chris, I have an eight year old son and 2 of my greatest wishes is for him to study at the Ateneo and to be like Chris Tiu (seriously)! I also went to the Ateneo years and years ago and isn't it any Atenean's wish, for their kids to be educated there and embrace the AMDG motto, as well? And like any parent, I'd like for my son to be as well-rounded, grounded, humble, and family and God-loving as you. I asked my husband (who went to DLSU - unfortunately haha!) to read your blog and what do you know - he now understands why I aspire our son to be like you! Thanks for being an inspiration not only to the youth but to parents like me. You really do your parents proud.

kalliepepper said...

hi Chris...

i've read this entry a month ago, just after you posted it - been a fan of yours since your UAAP days [haha parang ang tagal na no?]. ngayon lang ako magco-comment kasi honestly, i didn't know how to react back then. i was so surprised, and happy, to know that the celebrity guy i admire the most respects and practices chastity.

i'm currently reading Eric & Leslie Ludy's "When God Writes Your Love Story" and the book is tackling the same topic - preserving yourself for the one that GOD has reserved for you. and i'm embracing that. THANK YOU for being one of us.

keep up the good work Chris. while I'm not a big basketball fan, i'm a fan of yours and will always support you all the way. syempre kasama na din ang Smart Gilas dun!

p.s.:
ang gwapo mo sa new Clear commercial mo... ^__^

Charmzz Pielago said...

Hi Chris! :) I'm thankful that you shared Jason Evert's talk. While reading your blog entry, I had so many realizations and at the same time I was hoping that more people like Jason Evert would inspire others, especially the youth, on how important it is to be pure and chaste. Honestly, after reading your blog entry, i shared it to my friends in facebook and in twitter hoping that they would have the same realizations as mine.
Kudos to you, Chris! :) more power! <3 <3

Charmzz Pielago said...

Hi Chris! :) I'm thankful that you shared Jason Evert's talk. While reading your blog entry, I had so many realizations and at the same time I was hoping that more people like Jason Evert would inspire others, especially the youth, on how important it is to be pure and chaste. Honestly, after reading your blog entry, i shared it to my friends in facebook and in twitter hoping that they would have the same realizations as mine.
Kudos to you, Chris! :) more power! <3 <3

James Joshua Escandor said...

Hi,

your post is quite impressive.Actually(and Honestly)I didn't know about Jason Evert but your post make me easier to understand what he said/told to the people (especially you 'cause you are there.I'm weird!!).without a doubt it's a inspiration to person/couple/wife to love each other without sin (?>?). thanks to you.why?'Cause you inspire people (like me of course!!) and to other not even loves you (inspire on you,who have crush on you,or a fan of yours)but on your personality like an angel fall to earth.thank you for reading this comment hope you read (PLEASE!!!)

Elyds said...

Hello Chris! I am blessed with your article. I pray that God will continue to empower you so that you can instill change especially among the youths today. Do visit www.febc.ph.God bless you.

Anonymous said...

zup..dude chris!!
nice experienced..thanks for sharing your wonderful discovery,,ive learned a lot..nose bleed nko.di ako snay sa ganito..hope for ur success!!sana ma-meet na kita in person..watch ur game live...sana sooN invite me huh!! im beng

C said...

Hi Chris,

Just dropped by to say that I was fortunate to have stumbled upon this blog entry during a time when I needed enlightenment the most.

Just last year, I chose to call it quits with a guy I used to date simply because he took it against me when I was not ready to give myself to him a few months after we started going out. Initially I felt bad having to break off with him. It took quite a while for me to recover from the hurt that I went through (I actually thought he was "the one"!). However, after reading this post, I took it as a sign from God that I did the right thing.

As of late, I still haven't found the right person yet, but I still do not regret my decision of letting that guy go. I am just thankful to the Lord for providing me with a great support system in the form of family and close friends. :) I'm enjoying my single life one day at a time (Bata pa naman ako at 24 so why not haha!), and I don't see myself settling down anytime soon, or settling for less. Whether I end up with somebody or not, I simply choose to live life with a smile and live each day with God by my side. More power to your blog and God bless!

Anonymous said...

Chris Tiu never fails to make me weep even when I am in the peak of joy

Truly, you are Filipino's ambassador of PATRIOTISM AND HOLINESS.

EDSAboy said...

Ikaw na! Mas busy ka pero mas detalyado ang kwento. :) God bless you sir!

Serviam said...

It's good to see that Jason Evert has come to the Philippines. I hope he comes to Europe too someday.

Anyhow, judging by the many positive comments here, you've done the world a great service by leading many people to the truth about sexuality.

God bless!

Anonymous said...

you are just the kind of guy any girl would be proud to bring home to mom and dad. Gosh.. You are my crush na!! :) Hope you walk your talk. But as far as I can see, you are pretty decent...

Andrea Cruz

Anonymous said...

I saw your interview in Arnold Clavio's show. You mentioned about your blog regarding chastity and curious as a cat i seached the blog. I was not disappointed with what I have read. I agree with every point you have mentioned. You are a living proof that there is indeed a person who is practicing faithfullness even before he meets his future spouse. The message of your blog is the same as the message from the book "when God writes your love story".

God Bless and may you continue to be an inspiration to others.

Best regards,
Ghenny Loyola

Anonymous said...

Praise God I was able to attend one of Jason Evert's series of talks in the Philippines. This world has too much about popularity, what we need is purity. Chastity is in!

Chris, thank you for being such an inspiration to us young people. God bless you! :-)