A Glorious Thursday

Coming home, the moon is bright tonight. Seeing it that way is like an affirmation of how God’s glory shone today. At the end of the day, to God be the glory!

For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”

- Philippians 2:13

StrengthsFinder Assessment

I’ve finally taken the time out to take the StrengthsFinder 2.0 assessment.. and voila! Here are the results:

My top 5 strengths boxed in pink are (including what struck me in their respective descriptions and what I like others to see most in me):

1. Adaptability - slow down to take in the world’s loveliness; live in the present; recognize the goodness of individuals; flexible to change
2. Responsibility - place a premium on doing everything correctly; go out of your way to do what you promised
3. Connectedness - more optimistic about the world’s future; sense of being linked to other people means a lot more than finishing first or claiming a reward
4. Belief - place more importance on the purpose and value of what you do than on the monetary rewards that accompany success; strive to find meaning in your existence; adding value to the lives of other people; zealous - fervent and enthusiastic - about solving problems that affect the quality of your life
5. Learner - great desire to learn and continuously improve; discovering new ways to use your talent energizes you; maintaining an intellectual status quo is unacceptable to you

Currently going through the action items and checking on which I can apply soon..

If you’re reading this, I strongly suggest that you buy StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath (Php899.00 at Fully Booked).

Going Beyond Myself

It is my prayer, “Lord, Thy will be done.”

God’s Way, Not My Way

Today, as I was supposed to start my “soul searching” for what I really want to do, I am just blessed to have stumbled upon a video on Richard Poon’s life. I have always thought of him as a “made” man, but having watched the video, I learned that he had a lot of struggles before getting to where he is right now. 

The main message I got? Be faithful to God; God is always faithful to us. Things may not go as how we want it, but His ways are perfect.  He wants us all to succeed. And we will succeed as long as we are faithful to Him.

Back and Alive

I know I’ve been missing in action for a while with some groups of friends, but tonight, I’m back!!! And so is my love (and low EQ) for food! It’s Camille’s birthday and as usual, food at their house was irresistable! I think I had 3 rounds of the viands and I had a slice of the banoffee cake, a slice of buko pie and a mound of fruit salad!

With food and friends, I’m just soooo glad to be back! Missed my loveydoves!

 Gel, Mak, Yans, Din, Cam with Lyel and Wil

And just as it ended with a filling, fun night, I am just happy to share that I woke up to an encouraging verse this morning:

So we can confidently say,
“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?” - Hebrews 13:6

That verse wiped whatever fear I was feeling yesterday. I think I have always been afraid of man — of the evil things man can do. But I am thankful for God’s Word for reminding me of that I am with the Lord. I shall not fear. So today, I faced the world so alive and free!

The Not So Accidental Plan

Aids: “It’s not by accident that you went to the 4pm service today”

I went to the 4pm worship service today because I had to meet someone — the new person who will be joining our small group. I was all for it! Excited as I was to meet her and welcome her to the group, I was not all too excited to go to the taglish service. Personally, I prefer the english service. However, quite interestingly, I really enjoyed the 4pm service earlier, from the praise and worship to the very end. I took home a lot and I’ve been actually thinking about the preaching since then…

Choosing between Righteousness and Sin is very much evident when we have to make major decisions like thinking whether to go into a business deal that may be classified as “under the table” to provide well for your family or cheat on just one test so you can pass and graduate this year. But such choice is actually also present in every little decision we have to make that we normally don’t give much thought to (i.e., what to eat — salad or Cheetos, whom to have lunch with regularly, whether to change lanes when driving, etc.)… Of course, we don’t have to spend so much time deciding on a very little thing.. but a quick check would be to ask, “Will this decision glorify God?”.. and if you have a relationship with Christ, you will actually get to know what would glorify God when you keep on reading His Word (aka the Bible).

But aside from being blessed by today’s preaching, I was blessed by finding Aids this afternoon..

I was actually looking for Chel, who serves in the 4pm and 6pm Kids Church services, because I haven’t seen her for a while. When I went to visit her right after the 4pm service, I didn’t find her there, but I found Aids! When I saw him, he was reading a book on trading (something that was not required for his present work, but it was something he found he was meant to do).. Somewhere along the way while catching up, he shared with me a book that significanlty helped him realize his strengths and how he is using the knowledge he got from it in how he does or thinks of things today.. And for some reason, I was just compelled to rush to a bookstore and get a copy. It was like someone was saying, “You have to get this book… NOW!”

And that’s what I did.  I could not wait. I bought a copy, even if I had to go to another branch to just get hold of a copy of it tonight!

Although I have yet to start reading it (and I am just itching to start), for some reason, there’s something that’s telling me that this may be the start of my journey in finding and getting a job that I will really love.. As in there’s really a push, a compelling force for me to read.. the feeling is different.. and that’s why I’m so excited about it. I’m so excited about what I will be finding out!!!

I wish I can share exactly what I have been planning the past week for tonight… but all I can share is that getting this book ties in so well to that plan. Actually my plan did not materialize (I think I was still relying on my own ability), but reading this book first seems to be a better plan already.. I know it’s too early to tell — I’m preempting something that has yet to happen — but I know, there will be a big revelation here.

Proverbs 16:9 “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” (NIV)

Woohoo!

Wow! I am just overjoyed.. I feel so richly blessed and I am so thankful for the blessings, the answered prayers, the grace.. God is amazing!

I just came home from a culmination of the 7-day prayer and fasting season for the Church. I already expected that the church will be packed, but I didn’t expect to park at the farthest end of the road! 

The above picture shows the area where I started walking from where I parked. And in the picture, one still couldn’t see the church. It was that far!!! It was like my week’s exercise already! Haha.

But I was just amazed.. All those cars lined up on both sides are just some of the MANY people who believe God will be delivering breakthroughs this year! And we declare victory already over them.. God has won the victory already for us!

And just as we are just all praises to God, and for His magnificence over our lives, we are all just too thankful as well that the fast is over! For days, my mind has been filled with pictures of food here and there.. and tonight, it felt like a mini fiesta!

We had sinigang na baboy, potchero, tortang talong filled with sisig, shrimps, fried cream dory, cheese sticks spiked with green chilis with mango-wasabi sauce, and Serenitea for “dessert”!

And as much as my tummy is now satisfied, my heart is just filled with gratefulness, hope, and love.. it just overflows. 

Nadet asked us what we were thankful for in 2011 and it’s just heartwarming that many of us included the small group, some even having it as the first thing they said.  Truly, the small group has really been a big part of my 2011. It is God’s own doing that He placed me in this particular small group, which has helped me grow in my faith in Him. Thanks to God indeed for the fellowship every Thursday.

We had another round for what we were hoping for in 2012.. We all have different hopes and it’s just even more exciting to hear about those, believing that God will fulfill them.  And while other things may not be our focus for the year, we believe that God will take care of everything in His perfect time. 

I’m just really pumped up right now… I can’t contain it.. I just need to shout how marvelous God is! He is a God of wonders (really, how the seemingly impossible become possible!), who answers prayers! He is One who provides, One who loves, One who comforts, One who saves..

It is my prayer that more and more people will get to know how great He is this year. If you are reading this entry, I pray that God will just bless you and give you an even more open heart to receive Him daily in your life and have that longing to want to get to know Him better each day. May you grow a stronger relationship with Christ, bound in His enduring love, and always step in faith as you live out your life for God’s greater glory… It is my testimony that life is so much different when you have Christ in your life.. It’s a trillion-times-over better!!!

Self-Respect

No matter how open I am to the world of possibilities, this year, I am not going to waste time going on a date with someone who seems totally wrong for me. 

I’d like to expound further, but I will just have to credit it to self-respect for not doing so. 

I’m just glad I’m able to decipher what is “totally wrong for me” early on

Blissfully Blessed

Hey, it’s 2012! Yay! I don’t know why, but I just really have a good feeling about this year.. no matter how the question mark for the 2nd quarter onwards seems to just flicker on me.. I just have hope.. It is a promising year.. Just really excited as well!

But as much as I am excited for an amazing 2012, I would like to remember the blessings I’ve had in 2011.. It had been a really good year

1. Renewed faith in God, re-entering into a relationship with Him
2. Having finally gotten over something with peace in my heart after 9 years
3. Having found the courage to move on and sail forward
4. My sisters and their families coming here for Christmas
5. My trips — CDO, Davao, Korea, Taiwan, Marinduque, Cebu, El Nido
6. Rebuilt friendships — Hotseat (especially Mel), Chi, Michelle, Homer
7. Sustained friendships — (I don’t want to miss out anyone )
8. Strengthened friendships — Iya, Shobe Kat
9. New friends — my small group and church friends, Genna
10. Opportunity to serve God through Kids Church
11. Opportunity to hep others through two outreach programs
12. Promotion and having been really able to improve something at work
13. Realizing what I want in my future partner — we must have the same #1 passion, with no compromise
14. Trying a whole lot of different restaurants — with a string of dinners with friends!
15. Having been able to bake after a long, long, time something experimental but turned out to be yummy!
16. The love of family and the service of helpers
17. The success of my dad’s heart transplant
18. My sister finding a job
19. Having tried out Plana Forma (at least once!) — a treat from my sister! (this is more of a feat!)
20. Having watched musicals and plays
21. Having had the courage to start putting an end to something — in search of what I really want

A Lovely Christmas

It has been a crazy December with get-togethers almost each night. As much as each one of them had been such a joy to experience, it is the one with my family that tops everything else. 

This year is definitely different. My sisters and their families (with my nephew and nieces!) are spending Christmas for the first time in the Philippines. I’ve been looking forward to this season since nine months ago and here we are.. together… and even if things do get crazy with the kids, I think we’re all just enjoying our time with one another.

And here we are! I am so not for taking pictures in the mall, but what the heck, it was the only time we had an opportunity to take a picture by a Christmas tree! At least it was tall and pretty

It’s been a tiring, but lovely Christmas.. and perhaps all the more meaningful remembering why Jesus was born into this world — to give us a beautiful, abundant life… And life has indeed been beautiful.

Vida’s Surprise Birthday Party

This will just be a pictures-posting entry… Happy 25th birthday Vidapotie!

Vida’s reaction when her blindfold was removed:

Time to blow the candles!

Photobooth galore — with Hotseat!

It was a great photofest with Margs and Mangz! Fun, fun, fun!

And a costume-less picture with Parokya (Camille went off to the parking area already )..

 And a pose with the party organizer and the celebrant! — I found the blurry version nicer :p

Have a funtabulous year ahead, Vids!  Fun night, right?I felt like it was my birthday — it was such an enjoyable event! Thanks to Nico for organizing the whole thing!

A Crazy December

It’s just the 4th of December and yet things have been really hectic — and it will get even more hectic in the coming days/weeks! I’m no longer excited, but I’m more of anxious of how things will turn out. I know I shouldn’t be.. I should just lift it up to God and pray that He will give me the grace to face each day boldly and confidently.

And that’s been how my life has been lately.. I feel like each and every day, I am living on God’s grace. Even when I don’t deserve to see things through, I somehow just do. And that’s definitely not my own doing. As I type this, it’s dawning on me even more how great and powerful God really is. 

For tomorrow onwards, I will definitely be needing God’s grace. SUPER. Whoever may be reading this, please do pray that God will give me the strength, wisdom and the heart to make each day count, doing each and every single thing with passion and excellence. Oh how I really need to pray for that.

Despite the craziness of the month, I do hope and pray that I will not forget what Christmas is about — Christmas being the top-of-mind connotation for December.

Christmas is about Jesus.

And today at church, we entered into a new series on the colors of Christmas, starting with the color green. And when we talk of the color green, we often associate it with life — and that is why God sent Jesus into the world.

 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” -John 10:10 (NIV)

  3 points:

1. Jesus came / Jesus has come
2. so we may have life
3. a fulfilling, abundant kind life — one charged with purpose and meaning

And so whatever it is we are facing (and I too am reminded), no matter how dead sometimes we may seem in our situations, Jesus gives us life. A very timely message for my upcoming week! A refreshing thought — one that keeps me hinged on putting my hope in God and just Him alone.

And I am reminded by the song by the Casting Crowns with lyrics that goes “It’s all because of Jesus that I’m alive”.

I couldn’t imagine how I’d be right now if I didn’t have Jesus in my life. I think now more than ever, I look forward to Christmas not so much for the festivities and get-togethers, but to really welcome the coming of Jesus. Now I see Christmas with fresh eyes, with a deeper understanding. Hopefully with a renewed heart too.

A Good Morning Breakfast

A good Saturday morning breakfast! Ahhh… native hot chocolate.. yummmm!

And our happy faces after a good breakfast.. I just love our smiles in this picture!

A Taste of Bluewater

So this is what I’ve seen after my flight missed adventure.. It was already late afternoon and the clouds have already come together, but just having a good view of a body of water set against the sky is already just serenely beautiful..

And we rounded the day off being entertained by a great group of drumbeaters and dancers who happen to also know how to dance with fire!

Tomorrow, I intend to just really chill and relax… and enjoy a good, leisurely Saturday

A Flight Missed Adventure

I am still quite dazed at how my morning went. I woke up to Eka’s call at a little past 5:30 in the morning.. PANIC!!! I should have been on my way to the airport for my 7:20am flight to Cebu. But I couldn’t just get up and go.. aside from imagining the race I’ll have to do to beat the morning traffic, I was nowhere near ready. I have not packed a single item and I felt weird if I travel without taking a bath!

So the first thing I did was to go online and search for the next available flights. Too expensive or too late in the afternoon. I called PAL. Tada! They have a 9am flight. But while the booking was being processed, the system suddenly registered an overbooking! So I settled for the next best thing — a 2pm flight at half the price of the 9am flight. Not bad. At least it bought me time to plan the things I’ll be bringing.. but I still had to be at the airport before 10am to pay for my ticket.

And because I was still rather distraught from the idea that I missed my flight, it was such a challenge to pack and get going…  perhaps it was also because I may have gained even more weight and I kept fitting clothes just to check if I look like a lumpia in them. Haha!

As if to curb the frantic feeling of the morning, as I was on my way to the airport, amidst a rather cloudy sky, I saw a rainbow — a very beautiful rainbow it was!!! It was like saying “Things are still looking up despite the rather crazy start of the day”. DESIDERATA!

Actually, there are a bit more eccentric things that happened along the way, but having missed a flight really gave me a mix of feelings or thoughts that drained me… like “Why did I not wake up to my alarm?”, “How can I afford to miss a flight?”, “Oh no, I cannot bail on Pat and Eka — this was our annual getaway”, “Have I really been killing myself lately by going home late each and every night?”..

But despite the feeling of having been “drained”, I knew from the very first second I started to panic that everything will be okay (but the feeling of panic and frenzy just wanted to linger on haha). And it’s just a peaceful feeling knowing that I know that no matter how crazy the situation may get, I know things will be okay. 

This perhaps is indeed the “way of the Desiderata” :p

A Word of Celebration

Today, beyond learning a new word by its dictionary meaning, I’ve begun to have an understanding of what it really means in a deeper sense.. It’s fascinating how the word relates to my recent blog posts.. and well, to how it speaks of how life is turning out for me..

Desiderata: plural of ‘desideratum’ which means something wanted or needed according to Dictionary.com.

After reading though the poem version, “Desiderata” by Max Ehrmann, I’ve come to understand that it is a word that expresses a celebration of the goodness that life brings… It is the word one blurts out for every little victory, every little good thing that happens.. Relating it personally, it is the very word to describe the feeling of having peace despite the internal turmoil.

Below are the lines that have really struck me — these are the first and the last lines of the poem:

 Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.”

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.”

Beautful, isn’t it? It makes me appreciate even more the state I am in this season. It definitely is a beautiful world, no matter what the circumstances are.

… and I appreciate my friend who introduced me to the word and to the poem — Super thanks Alden!

That Cozy, Quaint Coffee Shop

Just barely putting my things down in my room, I got a call from Mel asking me if she left her small wallet/pouch on the passenger seat. Tracing back to the time we left the coffee shop, I asked her if she remembered bringing it along when she rode the car. Quite hazily, she uncertainly said she could have. She said I could just check it in the morning, but for peace of mind, I went back down to see. 

After checking, I returned Mel a call, telling her calmly, in these exact words: “Mel, you have to go back.” And she, sounding composed herself, said, “Okay, okay, thanks!”

Just when I was trying to search for the coffee shop’s number on the internet, Mel was already calling me. She had just gone back to the coffee shop and told me, “I’m gonna cry… for joy.” She said the moment she went back, she was already being met by the staff telling her that she left her wallet. And they let her even check the wallet to see if everything is still inside. The owner shared that they only opened the wallet to check the owner’s identity. 

It’s heartwarming to hear such episode of honesty and kindness in a country where one would almost surely conclude that once you’ve left a valubale item somewhere, most likely you’ll never get it back.

Quite rhetorically, I asked Mel, “Best coffee shop in Antipolo?” Mel said “Yeah!!! I’ll treat you there.”

I hope that coffee shop and all those who are part of it will be blessed a thousand-fold for their ethics and the warmness that they give to their customers. It was actually my second time to go there tonight, but even before the wallet incident, it has already won my favor. True for both experiences, Sega Cofi is invitingly accommodating and cozy, on top of having delectable foods that are paired nicely with their delightful beverages (plus free wifi access!).

This was my chai tea latte, while waiting for my grilled chicken sandwich.

Facing All Fears

Tonight I have decided to deal with something that may seem to have been very difficult to deal with a few weeks back. And now that I have faced it in the face (forgive sounding redundant), I’m just glad I have already finished coming to terms with it. 

Having taken things slowly and facing things only when I’ve felt I’m already ready have certainly helped me have peace. It was only last Friday that I was ready to see and know, and only last Monday that I realized I was already ready to talk. And although the talking will surely not happen soon, no matter how ready I am, I just smile at the thought of finally feeling ready — it just means I’m good to go. I’ve accepted things already and I am just so looking forward to embrace all that come my way. It is peacefully liberating.

Just yesterday, I was discussing with a friend how time seems to fly so fast… and that I’m not sure if I want it to fly fast or for it to stand still. My friend said, for me, time should stand still since I’m so busy that I don’t stop anymore except to eat (currently only half true and half not.. haha!). 

Personally, I would like for time to stand still too.. during this very season — a season of “down times” — not because I want to go ‘emo’ over it, but because I want to feel each and every moment that God is carrying me through my circumstances. Recently, I just feel like I’m floating, but in every good sense of the connotations for ‘floating’. It’s like I’m just really passing through this phase. And when this season has passed, I would be able to fully appreciate the rising of the sun after a rather cloudy atmosphere. 

*sigh*

Still ever in awe of how God orchestrates things

Amazing Grace

I’m tired, my body’s weary (as in it really just wants to crumble into pieces), but my spirit rejoices. Today is such a testimony of God’s amazing grace that it will be a shame not to blog about it.

I don’t even know where to start. How do I begin to describe my day? I was anxious and yet not too frantic yesterday knowing there’s a lot in store for today — a heap of work deliverables and my very first time to share in the small group meeting.

So 2 things:

1.  a heap of work deliverables -  I’ve been really struggling to get things done the past weeks, maybe even months. Yesterday, I felt like there was just so much to catch up on that have become almost insanely urgent. Knowing that the work will most likely be even more challenging plus I wasn’t also really prepared yet for my sharing, I really prayed that God will let me get through today… and He did. I had every item on my today’s checklist done (normally, some things get rolled over to another time). I actually feel it’s one of my most productive days at work! Two SOPs started and approved in one day? Amazing!

2.  sharing with the small group for the first time -  Here, it’s not just sharing in 3 minutes how some the topic applies to me; this was actually sharing for the majority of the meeting’s duration. I already knew two weeks before that I was going to share what I’ve learned from the Singles’ Getaway. I learned so much that I definitely have so much to share. I had a hard time preparing though because I couldn’t get things to flow in such a way that the sharing will sound coherent.

I had something drafted a few days back, without any references yet to Bible verses, and very much felt unfinished. The draft was so short. I was thinking, “Where did all those things I learned go?”.  I was stuck. I had to keep on making time to prepare for it, but this week was very busy with a series of get-together dinners after work. I kept falling asleep on my draft when I got home — which was what happened last night (my almost last chance to really sit on it).

When I woke up, I was starting to panic. I was telling God I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to prepare as I should have and kept praying that He will give me words for the sharing. Although worried, I felt like God was saying, “Don’t worry so much. I will be with you.” Hence, it must have been why I was able to be seemingly miraculously productive at work today. 

The small group meeting was at 7:30pm. A few minutes before 7pm, I was still not ready but I kept praying to God. At 7pm, I was doing a whole new draft of my sharing — almost totally scrapped the one I have previously prepared; it was an overhaul. In 30 minutes, God just fed me the flow, the Bible verses, which parts of my life I will share.. Definitely, that was not me. It was really God. I wouldn’t have been able to share how and what I shared if I relied on my own ability.  I’m just glad that it was God who worked in me.. and I’m glad to have been used to glorify Him even more. 

And as I am left once again in awe of His amazing grace — really amazing grace! - God confirms what He did for me today through my Bible phone app that automatically flashes a verse by midnight (it’s past midnight at this point):

And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. -Matthew 28:20

Thank you, Lord. Thank you for being at each moment of my day. Thank you for these amazing graces you’ve given me today. I don’t deserve them at all, yet You still gave them. Your ways are just amazing!

—-

A series of P.S.’s:

1. We were 18 in the small group meeting. Our small group is no longer ’small’! When I joined in August, we were only 6… that’s times three!!!  Before I joined together with Francis and Nicole, Nadet, Che and Chel were praying for the group to grow in number… from three of them, God answered their prayer.. and even multiplied it by six!!! See, God answers in His time. Sometimes, He gives us more than what we ask for

2. So what did I learn from the Singles’ Getaway?

 WHAT SINGLES NEED: JESUS

“And in Him, you have been made complete.” - Colossians 2:10 (NASB) - I am already complete in Christ!

 “If our passion is the Lord, we can trust all our other passions.” - as shared by Quest during the Singles’ Getaway

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” - Psalm 37:4

Choose Wisely

Here are words to remember from a good friend:

“Nasa guy yan Denise. Kaya choose wisely.”

Indeed, indeed! And this is why I’m not settling for just anyone who makes his presence felt. He has to be the one that God is preparing for me — and I know that when I meet him, God will just whisper “He’s the one.”

Oh how excited I am for that day. The wait, no matter how long - days, weeks, months, or even years - will definitely be worth it. I just hope, it’s sooner! Haha.