kamusta ako? (how is ME?)

the last time i blogged was on thursday.. it's been 3 days since then.. so kamusta naman ako? in case interested kayo sa mga pangyayari sa aking makulay na buhay, narito po ang ilang updates.. hehe..

Thursday:
- presentation sa psych. ok naman.. kaya lang kailangan pala ng documentation.. so after the presentation, pumunta ako sa SC para magrent ng pc at gumawa ng documentation.. ayoko ng bumalik pa sa monday para lang magsubmit nun.. before ako magrent, bumili muna ako ng pagkain kasi naman gutom na ako.. and those who know me very well will agree that i can't stand an hour without eating anything.. hehe.. mabilis talaga ako magutom kahit pa marami naman akong kinakain.. kasi nga sakit ko talaga yun.. so yun nga, i did the docu, printed the paper, and went to PHAN to submit.. by the way, sa mga hindi nakakarelate, ang SC po ay shopping center at ang PHAN naman ay Palma Hall Annex kung saan matatagpuan ang Departamento ng Sikolohiya o Department of Psychology.. ang lalim kasi masyado e.. hehe.. ok na sana.. masaya rin pala ako nun kasi binalik ni Ma'am yung mask at map namin.. akala ko walang grade yun pero meron pala.. at nakakatuwa kasi perfect ako.. hehe.. at dahil masaya ako sa result, share ko sa inyo yung write up ko sa mask (just imagine kung anong itsura ng mask ko..hehe.. basta simple lang).. maikli lang 'to.. promise.. *wink*
The mask that I made represents my simplicity. I could best be described as "a little red riding hood with a fighter's soul". I chose the color pink because it's my favorite color and it's also a shade of red. I intended the shading from light to dark because that's who I am: simple, innocent-looking, seemingly vulnerable, but getting stronger and wiser with each experience that I go through.
gusto ko pa nga sanang ilagay sa write up "i'm simply amazing" o di kaya "i'm simply irresistible".. hehe.. just kidding.. =p
anyways, sabi ko nga kanina, ok na sana.. kaya lang may konting problema, pagtingin ko sa wallet ko, P20 na lang ang laman.. goodluck! pano ako makakauwi nun? kahit san ako dumaan, more than P20 talaga yung pamasahe ko.. kaya kulang talaga.. nagtext ako sa mga alam kong nasa up din.. dapat kay Ma'am ako hihiram kaya lang nakakahiya sobra.. hindi ko alam kung kailan pa uli kame magkikita.. alangan namang pumunta pa ako sa up on monday para lang bayaran yung P5 or P10 na hihiramin ko sa kanya diba? so nagtext na lang ako sa mga tao.. umupo sa sunken, at naghintay ng reply mula sa mga tinext ko.. mabuti naman at may sumagot.. at ang nakakatuwa pa, may utang nga pala siya sken.. kaya hindi na ako kelangan humiram.. hehe.. nakakatuwa talaga kung paano ako paglaruan ni God.. pero sa totoo lang, hindi man lang ako nag-worry kasi i know God will provide.. sabi ko sa Kanya kelangan kong makauwi at alam ko magbibigay Siya ng taong tutulong sken.. ang saya no? iba talaga pag si God best friend mo e.. He will never fail you.. ^_^
- music min practice. syempre ito ang favorite activity ko.. na-exercise ko na naman ang aking voice box.. hehe.. wala lang.. i just love singing.. and nothing or no one can ever stop me from singing (and writing as well).. you can try, but you just can't! =D

Friday:
- ano nga bang nangyari nun? wala akong maalala.. hehe.. saglit, i have to check my journal.. ayun.. wala lang.. walang masyadong importanteng nangyari maliban sa nagdaldalan kame ni boi.. tumawag kasi siya.. at nagdaldalan din kame ni jat.. tama ba? friday ba yun? oo, tama.. hehe.. kasi last week madalas kameng magdaldalan e.. thursday, friday, saturday.. wala lang.. tamang tawanan at kulitan lang.. ayun lang.. hehe.. pero may nabasa ako sa journal ko na nangyari rin nung Thursday.. after the music min practice.. we had dinner dito sa bahay kasi dumating si kuya pip.. so konting fellowship lang.. nakakatuwa lang kasi tamang bonding lang kame.. tsaka basta.. happy lang.. ayoko ng ulitin yung sinabi ko sa journal ko kasi basta.. hehe.. alam ni jat kung bakit.. hehe..

Saturday:
- happiness is.. spending time with people you love.. hehe.. wala lang.. nagremit lang kame ng tithes at JMDF sa center.. at nakakatuwa kasi may conference shirt dun.. isa na nga lang e.. large pa.. pero binili ko pa rin.. ipaparepair ko na lang.. sayang talaga e.. umm, ayoko ng banggitin yung mga hindi magandang bagay.. pero in general, ok naman ang araw ko.. tamang bonding din kame ni sidh.. at ni jat na kakulitan namin ni sidh sa text.. hehe.. tapos syempre CLP.. medyo late nga ako nakarating kasi naman may tinapos pa akong importanteng regalo sa dalawang importanteng tao sa buhay ko.. alam na nila kung sino sila.. ^_^ at dahil birthday ng aking anak na si velle, kumain kame sa jollibee.. pero hindi kasama daddy nila kasi kung saang lupalop pa ng pilipinas pumunta.. hehe.. ayun lang.. natural, sumali ako sa discussion nila.. at hindi ko pwedeng kalimutan ang pagkanta.. yehey! module 2 na next week at pwede ng pumalakpak at magtaas ng kamay during worship.. todo na 'to! haha..

Sunday:
ngayon po yun.. wala pang masyadong nangyayari.. syempre, mass kanina.. at kumanta na naman kame.. sabi ni papa ang ganda raw ng 'power of Your love'.. syempre naman.. version namin e.. hehe.. punta ako kina rhoan ngayon.. makikikain.. hehe.. graduation kasi ng sister niya.. tapos mamaya naman, dito sa bahay.. may meeting daw sina velle.. at syempre may kainan uli.. haha.. bukas, may service team meeting dito rin sa bahay.. sana may pagkain din.. haha.. mukha na akong pagkain.. pero di pa rin ako tumataba.. oh well, i'm looking forward to Tuesday kasi check up ko na naman.. ano kayang sasabihin ni Doc Ed? tapos sa Saturday, sa De Los Santos naman.. kay Doc Mario.. pera na naman yun.. hay.. pero ok lang kasi inaalagaan naman nila akong mabuti e..

ang haba na naman ng post ko.. hindi talaga halatang madaldal ako.. hehe.. alis na ako.. punta na kina rhoan.. gosh, late na ako.. hehe..
God bless everyone! ^_^
it's so nice to be happy.. shalalala.. everybody should be happy.. shalalala..
[napansi ko lang, puro pala 'hehe' at 'haha' yung post ko no? hindi obvious na masaya ako.. haha.. na naman.. =D]

************************************************************
at ngayon ay Monday na.. ang daming magandang nangyari kagabi pag-uwi ko galing kina rhoan.. tamang bonding lang kameng pamilya.. what i mean is yung family ko sa community.. (jat, melai, velle.. c eric kasi may sakit e).. the girls stayed with me until around 10am this morning.. basta sobrang saya lang na magkakasama kame.. hehe.. and by the way, tamang movie marathon din pala ako.. turbulence 1, 2, 3.. astig! the best yung turbulence 3: heavy metal.. ayos talaga.. ayun.. hanggang dito na lang ang daldal ko.. i need to go na.. may service team meeting pa kame.. nakaw ko lang ang oras na 'to.. hehe..

God bless everyone! ^_^

some quotes from the movies i've recently seen..

xXx (Vin Diesel as Xander Cage):

"Most people talk a lot. Few are up for the moment." -Yorgi, Anarchy 99

assault on precint 13 (Ethan Hawke):

"The mind is the only unchartered territory." -Ethan Hawke

"Never take for granted the greatest power of all - the power to choose." -Priest

"You're nobody 'til somebody loves you." -some song

"I just think of living. I want to live as opposed to I don't wanna die." -Ethan Hawke

the bucket list (Morgan Freeman as Carter Chambers and Jack Nicholson as Edward Cole):

Conversation..

Carter: "Everyone is afraid to die alone."

Edward: "I am not everyone!."

Carter (in his letter): "Everyone IS everyone."

"Find the joy in your life." -Morgan Freeman

"When you die, close your eyes and open your heart." -Morgan Freeman

*i was able to watch the bucket list by accident. i intended to watch 27 dresses but i couldn't find it.. there are 20 movies in that cd and unfortunately, it has no menu which i can use to search for the movie that i want to see.. mano-mano ang paghahanap.. and eventually, napagod na rin ako kaya nakuntento na lang akong panoorin yung movie.. i didn't know that it was the bucket list kasi hindi naman pinakita yung title at the start of the movie.. but since it starred Morgan Freeman, i assumed that it was a good one.. and i was right.. the movie was so touching that i wasn't able to hold back the tears when Edward was speaking at the necrological service for Carter.. i was inspired by how Carter and Edward handled their condition.. they both had terminal cancer and they were given around 6 months to live.. instead of staying at the hospital, waiting for death to arrive, they toured around the world, visited the places they've never been to, and did the things that they weren't able to do in the prime of their youth.. basta ang ganda talaga.. i won't be able to discuss the movie in full because i still have some other things to do.. una na dun ay ang paliligo.. may presentation kasi kame sa psych ng 1130.. hehe.. sana lang hindi ako malate no.. anong petsa na? haha..

good morning and God bless everyone! ^_^

happy birthday analyn! =)

27 March 2008
10:11AM

moments of reflection..

Don't tell God how big your storm is, tell your storm how big our God is. ^_^

i was going through some old things, papers, and stuffs.. being the over-organized me, i can't last a week without fixing something, reading old materials, and throwing away wastes that i've been keeping for the longest time.. and because tomorrow, we'll be selling plastics, metals, and papers again, i need to look through the old stuffs again.. and i found these materials worth sharing..

"Conviction is worhtless unless it is converted into conduct." - Thomas Carlyle

i just remember Sir Jim's favorite line: a principle is not a principle until it costs you something. wala lang.. naalala ko lang bigla..

by the way, i made a mistake on my last post.. it was assault on precint 13 and not assault on prison 13.. sorry.. ^_^

moving on, here are some of the stories, writings, etc., that have helped me reflect and slow down today.. i hope you could find the time to read them.. they're nice, really.. have a great day everyone! ^_^

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ECHO

A son and his father were walking on the mountains. Suddenly, his son falls, hurts himself and screams: "AAAhhhhhhhhhh!" To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating somewhere in the mountain: "AAAhhhhhhhhhh!"

Curious, he yells: "Who are you?" He receives the answer: "Who are you?" And then he screams to the mountain: "I admire you!" The voice answers: "I admire you!" Angered at the response, he screams: "Coward!" He receives the answer: "Coward!"

He looks to his father and asks: "What's going on?" The father smiles and says: "My son, pay attention." Again, the man screams: "You are a champion!" The voice answers: "You are a champion!" The boy is surprised, but does not understand. Then the father explains: "People call this echo, but really, this is life. It gives you back everything you say or do."

Our life is simply a reflection of our actions. If we want more love in the world, create more love in our heart. If we want more competence in our team, improve our competence. This relationship applies to everything, in all aspects of life; life will give us back everything that we have given to it. Our life is not a coincidence. It is a reflection of us.

**something to think about..again, i have learned that if i love life, life will love me back. ^_^**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Most Beautiful Woman (guys, you need to read this.. para 'to sa mga lalakeng hindi magawang makuntento sa kung anong meron sila.. hehe.. tamaan 'wag magalit! =p)

There was a man walking on the beach who looked up and saw the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He was awestruck, captured, stunned by her beauty. He could do nothing but forgot everything and followed her. He was so intrigued by her beauty that he followed her for hours on the beach.

For a long time she did not notice him following, but eventually the beautiful woman turned around and asked the man who he was, and why he was following her.

The man explained that he was so captured by her beauty, that he had never seen any woman as beautiful as she was, that he could not help but to follow her, that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and would she be his.

The woman replied, "I am very flattered at such a compliment, but surely, this could not be true, for if you had turned to look behind you, you would have seen my sister who has been following you, and she is ten times more beautiful than me."

The man turned to look, and saw a homely looking girl behind him. He turned to the other woman and said, "I'm confused, your sister is not more beautiful than you. Why would you tell me that? You lied to me."

The woman looked at him and said, "And you lied also, for you turned your head."

**kasi naman e, most beautiful woman na nga diba? could anyone be more beautiful than the most beautiful? c'mon! obviously, bolero lang talaga mga lalake.. may most beautiful woman pa silang nalalaman tapos narinig lang na may mas maganda pa, kinalimutan na yung una nilang sinabihan ng 'most beautiful'.. ang bad talaga! hmp! yan tuloy, ginto na naging pilak pa.. buti nga! hehe.. hindi po ako man-hater.. hindi po.. wala lang.. sana lang kasi makuntento diba? tsaka kung hindi pa sigurado, wag mangangako.. sinungaling tuloy ang nagiging labas niyo.. hehe.. peace! ^_^**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Give Up

Give up complaining... focus on gratitude.

Give up pessimism... become an optimist.

Give up harsh judgments... think kindly thoughts.

Give up worry... trust Divine Providence.

Give up discouragement... be full of hope.

Give up bitterness... turn to forgiveness.

Give up hatred... return good for evil.

Give up negativism... be positive.

Give up anger... be more patient.

Give up pettiness... become mature.

Give up gloom... enjoy the beauty that is all around you. [so true! ^_^]

Give up jealousy... pray for trust.

Give up gossiping... control your tongue.

Give up sin... turn to virtue.

Give up giving up... hang in there!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leaving the City of Regret (this is my story too)

I had not really planned on taking a trip this time of year, and yet I found myself packing rather hurriedly. This trip was going to be unpleasant and I knew in advance that no real good would come of it. I'm talking about my annual GUILT TRIP.

I got tickets to fly there on WISH I HAD airlines. It was an extremely short flight. I got my baggage, which I could not check. I chose to carry it myself all the way. It was weighed down with a thousand memories of MIGHT HAVE BEEN.

No one greeted me as I entered the terminal to the REGRET CITY International Airport. I say International because people from all over the world come to this dismal town.

As I checked in to the LAST RESORT Hotel, I noticed that they would be hosting the year's most important event, the ANNUAL PITY PARTY. I wasn't going to miss that great social occasion. Many of the towns leading citizens would be there.

First, there would be the DONE FAMILY, you know, SHOULD HAVE, WOULD HAVE, COULD HAVE. Then came the I HAD family. You probably know old WISH and his clan. Of course, the OPPORTUNITIES would be present, MISSED and LOST. The biggest family would be the YESTERDAYs. There are far too many of them to count, but each one would have a very sad story to share.

Then SHATTERED DREAMS would surely make an appearance and IT'S THEIR FAULT would tell us stories (excuses) about how things had failed in his life. And each story would be loudly applauded by DON'T BLAME ME and I COULDN'T HELP IT.

Well to make a long story short, I went to this depressing party knowing that there would be no real benefit in doing so. And as usual, I became very depressed. But as I thought about all this, it occurred to me that this trip and the subsequent PITY PARTY could be cancelled by ME.

I started to realize that I did not have to be there. I didn't have to be depressed. One thing kept going through my mind, I can't change YESTERDAY, but I do have the power to make TODAY a wonderful day. I can be happy, joyous, fulfilled, encouraged, as well as encouraging. Knowing this, I left the CITY OF REGRET immediately and left no forwarding address.

Am I sorry for the mistakes I've made in the past? Yes, but there is no physical way to undo them. So if you're planning a trip back to the CITY OF REGRET please cancel your reservations now. Instead, take a trip to a place called STARTING AGAIN. I like it so much that I have now taken up permanent residence here. My neighbors, I FORGIVE MYSELF and the NEW STARTs are so very helpful.

By the way, you don't have to carry around heavy baggage, because the load is lifted from your shoulders upon arrival.

God bless you in finding this great town, if you can find it (it's in your own heart), please look me up. I live on I CAN DO IT STREET.

**nice, isn't it? ^_^ i sincerely thank the one who wrote this story.**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

18 Pieces of Advice from an Unknown Author

1. If you want your dreams to come true, don't oversleep.

2. The smallest good deed is better than the grandest intention.

3. Of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important.

4. The best vitamins for making friends... B1.

5. The 10 Commandments are not multiple choice.

6. The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.

7. Minds are like parachutes.. they function only when open.

8. Ideas won't work unless YOU do.

9. One thing you can't recycle is wasted time.

10. One who lacks the courage to start has already finished.

11. The heaviest thing to carry is a grudge.

12. Don't learn safety rules by accident.

13. We lie the loudest when we lie to ourselves.

14. Jumping to conclusions can be bad exercise.

15. A turtle makes progress when it sticks its head out.

16. One thing you can give and still keep... is your word.

17. A friend walks in when everyone else walks out.

18. The pursuit of happiness is the chase of a lifetime. [agree! sinabi rin ni Sir Jim 'to.. pero we can still be happy pa rin naman.. CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY and you will be. ^_^]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Ten Most Important Things are...

1. Love. The special feeling that makes you feel all warm and wonderful.

2. Respect. Treating others as well as you would like to be treated.

3. Appreciation. To be grateful for all the good things life has to offer.

4. Happiness. The full enjoyment of each moment. A smiling face.

5. Forgiveness. The ability to let things be without anger.

6. Sharing. The joy of giving without thought of receiving.

7. Honesty. The quality of always telling the truth.

8. Integrity. The purity of doing what's right no matter what.

9. Compassion. The essence of feeling another's pain, while easing their hurt.

10. Peace. The reward for living the 10 Most Important Things. ^_^

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Seventh... and the Last.. but Definitely not the Least.. i swear, this moved me big time!

Be A People of Prayer!

"Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his window open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days." - Daniel 6:10

Consider Daniel for a moment.

Here is one of the great rulers of the Persian empire - in charge of the King's affairs and of the affairs of the entire government.

If anyone is really busy - it's Daniel.

But...in spite of all this, he makes it a point to set himself apart from the world and pray three times a day.

How busy are we.. really?

And what are we really doing?

If we are neglecting the important things of God, we are simply doing more than God intended.

Let us keep our priorities in order. Let's be a people of prayer.

**sounds challenging huh? yeah, it is.. but then again, we need to be prayerful as it is our communication with God.. and in order for us to nurture our relationship with Him, we need to communicate with Him..**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

whew! that's a lot of typing.. and as expected, my shoulder aches and so does my back.. but it's okay.. i felt good that i was able to share these wonderful stories/passages.. they've touched my heart.. and i was blessed.. it is my responsibilty to pass on the good news.. ^_^

i am sick but that won't stop me from evangelizing.. and if writing is my talent, i'll use it to declare to the world how great and good my God is.. and how He moves in my life.

God bless everyone! Smile and be happy always. God is good all the time and He loves us so much. ^_^

last note: Work becomes worship when done for the Lord. May we always work for the greater glory of God. We are blessed. Let's be blessings to others.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

P.S. Never save something for a special occasion. Every day in your life is a special occasion. Take hold of every moment. "One day" is far away.. or might never come. What we have is the "here" and "now". Live each day as if it's your last. ^_^

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

and i won't let this day pass without sharing more encouraging stories with you.. i may not have tomorrow to do it.. so i might as well live by the principle i've been talking about and Og Mandino's been talking about.. live today as if it's your last.

i can't believe how God talked to me today.. just this afternoon, who would believe that i was able to read every single story, testimony, article that ate jing turned over to me when i was appointed as the new servant of our chapter.. i've been keeping those papers since December of last year but it was only just today that i was able to read all of them.. just a day before i sell them all.. like i said earlier, tomorrow, we'll be selling the old stuffs.. we've been cleaning since last week and there's already a lot that needs to be thrown.. pero in our case nga, we sell plastic bottles, tin cans, and every recyclable material na may halaga.. we live by the principle 'may pera sa basura'.. hehe.. pero dahil na-touch ako sa mga nabasa ko, i'll spend some time typing them para ma-post ko sa blog ko.. at para ma-print na rin (for my journal).. ang tibay ko no? may blog na, may journal pa.. hehe.. wala lang.. sabi naman sa inyo, writing is my first love e..

enough of my lenghty introduction.. supposedly tapos na ako pero hindi ko talaga kayang hindi i-share yung iba pang stories e.. God spoke to me through them.. i'll let Him speak to you too.. i remember what Tito Taffy said during his talk sa ILC, "you could be the only Bible a person can ever read".. and i won't let this opportunity to spread goodness pass.. life is too short.. ^_^

read on.. listen to God's voice..

************************************************************

TWO FROGS

A group of frogs were hopping contentedly through the woods, going about their froggy business, when two of them fell into a deep pit. All of the other frogs gathered around the pit to see what could be done.

They saw how deep the pit was and the dismayed group agreed it was hopeless. They told the two frogs they should prepare themselves for their fate, because they were as good as dead.

Unwilling to accept this terrible fate, the two frogs began to jump with all of their might.

Some of the frogs shouted into the pit that it was hopeless, and that the two frogs wouldn't be in that situation if they had been more careful, more obedient to froggy rules, and more responsible.

The other frogs continued sorrowfully shouting that they should save their energy and give up. They were already as good as dead.

The two frogs continued jumping as hard as they could, and after several hours of desperate effort were quite weary.

Finally, one of the frogs took heed to the calls of his fellows. Spent and disheartened, he quietly resolved himself to his fate, lay down at the bottom of the pit, and died.

The others looked on in helpless grief.

The other frog continued to jump with every ounce of energy. His body was wracked with pain. He was completely exhausted. His companions began anew, yelling for him to accept his fate, stop the pain and just die.

The weary frog jumped harder and harder and wonder of wonders, finally leapt so high that he sprang from the pit.

Amazed, the other frogs celebrated his miraculous freedom.

Then gathering around him asked, "why did you continue jumping when we told you it was impossible?"

Reading their lips, the astonished frog explained to them that he was deaf, and when he saw their gestures and shouting, he thought they were cheering him on.

What he had perceived as encouragement inspired him to try harder and to succeed against all odds.

The simple story contains a powerful lesson. "There is death and life in the power of the tongue."

Your encouraging words can lift someone up. Help them make it through the day.

Your destructive words can cause deep wounds; they may be the weapons that destroy someone's desire to continue trying or even their life.

A careless word can diminish someone in the eyes of others, destroy their influence and have a lasting impact on the way others respond to them.

Be careful with what you say.

Speak life to (and about) those who cross your path.

The power of words.. It is sometimes hard to understand that an encouraging word can go such a long way.

Anyone can speak words that tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in difficult times.

Special is the individual who will take the time to encourage another.

There is enormous power in words. If you have words of kindness, praise, encouragement, speak them now.

Listen to your heart and respond. Someone somewhere is waiting for your words.

**see how powerful words can be? kaya next time na magsasalita kayo, mag-isip muna kayo.. hindi niyo alam kung kaninong buhay ang sinisira niyo dahil sa iresponsable niyong pananalita..[kasama rin pala ako dun.. aiza, be careful with your words..*wink*]**

************************************************************

RAIN (Author Unknown - but whoever he/she is, i thank him/her deeply for sharing this story)

A little girl had been shopping with her Mom in Target. She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful red haired, freckle faced image of innocence. It was pouring outside. The kind of rain that gushes over the top of rain gutters, so much in a hurry to hit the earth it has no time to flow down the spout. We all stood there under the awning and just inside the door of the Target.

We waited, some patiently, others irritated because nature messed up their hurried day. I am always mesmerized by rainfall. I got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the world. Memories of running, splashing so carefree as a child came pouring in as a welcome reprieve from the worries of my day.

The little voice was so sweet as it broke the hypnotic trance we were all caught in. "Mom, let's run through the rain," she said.

"What?" Mom asked.

"Let's run through the rain!" She repeated.

"No, honey. We'll wait until it slows down a bit," Mom replied.

This young child waited about another minute and repeated: "Mom, let's run through the rain."

"We'll get soaked if we do," Mom said.

"No, we won't Mom. That's not what you said this morning," the young girl said as she tugged at her Mom's arm.

"This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?"

"Don't you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, 'If God can get us through this, he can get us through anything!'"

The entire crowd stopped dead silent. I swear you couldn't hear anything but the rain. We all stood silently. No one came or left in the next few minutes.

Mom paused and thought for a moment about what she would say. Now some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly. Some might even ignore what was said. But this was a moment of affirmation in a young child's life. A time when innocent trust can be nurtured so that it will bloom into faith.

"Honey, you are absolutely right. Let's run through the rain. If God let's us get wet, well maybe we just needed washing," Mom said.

Then off they ran. We all stood watching, smiling and laughing as they darted past the cars and yes, through the puddles. They held their shopping bags over their heads just in case. They got soaked. But they were followed by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars.

And yes, I did. I ran. I got wet. I needed washing.

Circumstances or people can take away your material possessions, they can take away your money, and they can take away your health.. (they can even take away your love and your life.. hmm.. aminin! may mga guilty.. hehe..) But no one can ever take away your precious memories.. (yes, they can't.. i'm sorry, but you just can't.. haha..) So, don't forget to make time and take the opportunities to make memories everyday. To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven. I hope you still take the time to run through the rain.

**personal note lang.. i've always enjoyed rains.. basta wala lang thunder and lightning.. hehe.. i love singing, walking, running through the rain.. who wants to get soaked with me? ^_~**

************************************************************

THANK YOU (By Oprah Winfrey. I don't know the original title but it's all about gratitude.. it's a good read. ^_^)

I live in the space of thankfulness - and I have been rewarded a million times over for it. I started out giving thanks for small things, and the more thankful I became, the more my bounty increased.

That's because what you focus on expands, and when you focus on the goodness in your life, you create more of it. Opportunities, relationships, even money flowed my way when I learned to be grateful no matter what happened in my life.

"Say thank you!" Those words from my friend and mentor Maya Angelou turned my life around. One day about ten years ago, I was sitting in my bathroom with the door closed and the toilet lid down, booing and ahooing on the phone so uncontrollably that I was incoherent.

"Stop it! Stop it right now and say thank you!" Maya chided. "But - you don't understand," I sobbed.

To this day, I can't remember what it was that had me so far gone, which only proves the point Maya was trying to make. "I do understand," she told me. "I want to hear you say it now. Out loud."

"Thank you." Tentatively, I repeated it: "Thank you - but what am I saying thank you for?"

"You're saying thank you," Maya said, "because your faith is so strong that you don't doubt that whatever the problem, you'll get through it. You're saying thank you because you know that even in the eye of the storm, God has put a rainbow in the clouds. You're saying thank you because you know there's no problem created that can compare to the Creator of all things. Say thank you!"

So I did - and I still do. Only now I do it every day. I kept a gratitude journal, as Sarah Ban Breathnach suggests in Simple Abundance, listing at least five things that I'm grateful for. MY list includes small pleasures: the feel of Kentucky bluegrass under my feet (like damp silk); a walk in the woods with all nine of my dogs and my cocker spaniel Sophie trying to keep up; cooking fried green tomatoes with Stedman and eating them while they're hot; reading a good book and knowing another awaits.

My thank-you list also includes things too important to take for granted: an "okay" mammogram, friends who love me, 15 years at the same job (and loving it more than the first day I started), a chance to share my vision for a better life, staying centered, having financial security.

I won't kid you, having money for all the things I want is a blessing. But as I look back over my journals, which I've kept since I was 15 years old, 99% of what brought me real joy had nothing to do with money. (It had a lot to do with food, however.)

It's not easy being grateful all the time. But it's when you feel least thankful that you are most in need of what gratitude can give you: PERSPECTIVE. Just knowing you have that daily list to complete allows you to look at your day differently, with an awareness of every sweet gesture and kind thought passed your way. When you learn to say thank you, see the world anew. And as Meister Eckhart so eloquently stated: "If the only prayer you ever say in your whole life is 'Thank you God', that would suffice."

**enough said.^_^**

************************************************************

again, God bless everyone! ^_^

26 March 2008

7:37 PM

busy as a bee..

first of all, allow me to greet everyone.. Happy Easter! ^_^

like i said, i am busy.. and i can't afford to spend too much time in blogging.. just a quick update on what i've been up to since the last time i went online..

Black Saturday: Eugene and his classmates held their practice sa aming munting bahay.. konting jamming with the Meralco boys.. tapos music min practice sa chapel..

Easter Sunday: Mass. Lunch and fellowship with the music ministry. Household with Melai and Velle.

Monday: Psych 101 group meeting. Acad-related stuffs. Scrapbook-making (finally, natapos ko na rin ang scrapbook na naglalaman ng debut moments ko.. haha.. 4 years ago pa yun pero ngayon ko lang nagawa.. hay!)

Tuesday: Happy Birthday Boi! ^_^
i did a lot of computer work today - psych 101 presentation plus some other stuffs. sakit na ng likod ko.. hay.. sabi ni doc danny, kelangan ko na talaga ng therapy.. nagtext din si kuya tirso.. he asked me kung pwede mag-upper household dito.. syempre i answered 'yes'.. ^_^

by the way, i was able to watch three films during the past three days.. (one movie per day.. hehe).. the phantom of the opera, xxx, and assault on prison 13 starring the gorgeous ethan hawke.. [see pic]

i'm sorry but i won't be able to discuss them.. sabi ko nga busy ako e..*wink* basta they're nice movies.. you won't neglect watching them..

"anywhere you'll go, i will go too.. love me.. that's all i ask of you.." ~Raoul, Christine, Phantom [The Phantom of the Opera]

*wala lang, i just remember singing this song while walking with him.. and he said, "love naman kita ah?" haha.. kaloka.. wala lang.. ching* ^_^

if the heart is always searching, can you ever find a home? [Lenten Reflections]

-yes, in God's heart and in the hearts of the people who truly care.. ^_^

19 March 2008

today, i'd like to thank these people: sistah (cat), alvin, crix, wewe, zharina, chai, and analyn banan.. you're my angels.. thank you! *hug*

by the way, eat bulaga's lenten presentation was very touching.. i watched "ang mga anak ng maestro" and i was really moved.. i think all of us can relate to mr. moises (the maestro) because all of us have led others at some point in our lives.. and what is a better measurement for success than to see the improvement in the lives of the people you've touched? truly, happiness and success are measured not in awards, not in money, not in fame, but in the lives of others to whom you have been a blessing..

may this Holy week be a time for us to reflect, examine our conscience, and ask ourselves, what good thing have i done for my neighbor today? how have i been an instrument of God's love? have i done something wrong? have i hurt someone? things like that.. i hope we'll all have a meaningful Holy week.. let's be blessed and more importantly, let's be a blessing to one another.. *power hug* especially to those who need it. ^_^

thank you also to the music ministry.. mom, dad, jat, sidh, allan, eugene, kuya rhed, kuya rap, eric, razel, sheryl, rhoan at kasama na rin si kuya toto.. sobrang nag-enjoy ako sa kainan at kantahan.. sa birthday ko rin ganun ha? hehe.. tagal pa yun..

**happy birthday jat!**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

20 March 2008

today is Maundy Thursday.. and i learned from Monsi that 'maundy' came from the Latin word 'mandatum' meaning 'commandment'.. and true enough, as we remember the Last Supper, we are also given a new commandment.. John 13:34-35 says, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My dicsiples, if you have love for one another." And this is also the theme of the CFC community for this year.. i was moved by the homily given by Monsi.. according to Him, if we would just follow the commandment that Jesus gave us, there would be no suffering, no pain, no hunger.. if we would truly care for our neighbor, there would be heaven here on Earth.. unfortunately, most of us are insensitive of the needs of others.. we don't even bother to listen to them.. the Lenten season is the perfect time for us to do these three important things: prayer, fasting, and alms-giving.. these focus on others.. not on ourselves.. when we pray, we pray for the people who have no one to pray for them.. when we fast, we remember the people who don't have anything to eat.. we share in their misery.. and when we give, we share the blessings that God has given us to our less fortunate brothers and sisters.. loving is giving.. and giving is loving.. let's not be selfish.. let's not focus only on our needs.. we are asked to love.. and to give ourselves to others.. in the same way that Jesus loved us and has given His life for our salvation..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

21 March 2008

i stayed at home today.. i wasn't able to go to the Church and participate in any of the activities because i am sick and couldn't find the strength to get up.. yesterday, i just attended the mass with mama and arnold and helped a bit in the business of our chapter.. hindi ako nakasama sa Alay Lakad, which i do every year.. nakakalungkot pero ganun talaga e.. hindi ko pwedeng pilitin ang katawan ko.. yun nga, after the mass, tumulong na lang ako sa lugawan business ng brothers na kasama sa household ni kuya toto.. pero hindi rin ako nagtagal kasi nilalamig na ako at medyo gabi na rin.. when i got home, natulog na ako.. i woke up at around 1230 kasi ang init at ang bigat ng ulo ko.. i received a message from melai which says, 'hi mom i mis u n poh'.. hay.. miss ko na rin sila ni velle.. and i can't wait to see them again.. buti na lang sa Sunday matutuloy na rin ang household namin.. ^_^

anyway, yun nga, tamang pahinga lang ako dito sa bahay.. hindi kasi ako makabangon.. i guess effect na rin ng gamot 'to.. nagpaalam ako kay papa na pupunta ako sa simbahan para makinig ng siete palabras pero hindi ko nga kinaya kaya sa t.v. na lang ako nanood..

by the way, before i forget, i would like to thank the following people for inspiring me today: mel, velle, patrick iho, boi, alvin, analyn dear, crix, nap, wewe, deo, sis rona, kuya pip, nardo, cat.. salamat.. at sa mga dumalaw, kuya don & eugene.. tenk u po.. ^_^

going back to the seven last words.. among those seven, two had the greatest impact on me.. siguro dala na rin ng magaling na speakers.. nga pala, sa channel 5 ako nanood.. sabi ni velle, sa channel 2 daw nag-share si brother meng torres, SFC din.. anyway, yung may pinakamatinding tama sken e yung 4th and 7th words.. but first, let me enumerate the seven last words..

Seven Last Words/Siete Palabras

1. Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.

2. Today, you shall be with Me in paradise.

3. Son, behold your mother; Mother, behold your son.

4. My God, My God, why have You abandoned Me?

5. I thirst.

6. It is finished.

7. Father, into Your hands I command My Spirit.

4. My God, My God, why have You abandoned Me?

ano nga ba ang kahulugan ng pag-ibig? naks. pag-ibig na naman.. kaya ba ako tinamaan kasi pag-ibig ang pinag-uusapan? hindi naman.. medyo lang.. hehe.. ok.. when we were in grade school, uso yung mga slum book/autograph.. actually until high school pa nga diba? aminin.. hehe.. and one of the questions na hindi nawawala sa autograph e yung 'what is love?' at ang madalas na sagot: love is like a Rosary, full of mystery o hindi kaya love is like a river that flows forever.. at marami pang iba.. pero sa totoo lang, sabi ni Father Quilaquil, ang pag-ibig ay nararamdaman, nakikita, naririnig, naamoy, at nalalasahan. in other words, ang pag-ibig pala ay may kinalaman sa senses.. i guess yung best way to explain my point is through an example.. based po ito sa karanasan ko lately.. i chose not to use the examples given by the priest kasi sa tingin ko mas maganda kung galing sa sarili kong experience yung mga sasabihin ko.. mas personal.. and besides, eto rin yung way ko of reflecting.. kamusta na ba ang buhay pananampalataya ko? ok, game na..

hindi lingid sa kaalaman niyo kung anong mga pinagdadaanan ko ngayon.. pero sa kabila ng lahat, masasabi kong ramdam ko pa rin ang pagmamahal ng Diyos.. i know i've said this countless times before.. pero this time, magiging mas malalim ang gagawin kong paliwanag..

nararamdaman ko ang pagmamahal ng Panginoon sa pamamagitan ng mga tao sa paligid ko..

sa mga magulang ko na walang sawang nag-aalaga.. kay mama na nagluluto ng pagkain ko, kay papa na araw-araw dumadaan sa mercury para bumili ng gamot ko.. wala ako dito kung hindi dahil sa kanila at sobrang suwerte ko dahil sa kanila ako ipinagkatiwala ng Diyos..

sa kapatid ko na laging handang ipagtanggol ako.. kasama ko sa tawanan, sa iyakan, sa kantahan, sa kainan.. sa lahat ng hamon ng buhay..

sa mga tito at tita, lola, mga pinsan, at lahat ng kamag-anak ko na patuloy na nagdadasal para sa kalusugan ko.. kay tita ana na hindi nag-aatubiling pahiramin kami ng pera.. sa mga tita at tito ko sa probinsya na tumatawag/nagtetext para kamustahin ang kalagayan ko..

sa mga kaibigan ko: westlife sisters, tweet2, cs batchmates, iv-2 amos (rona, osang, boi, renz, rhea), de castro classmates and schoolmates (crix, nap, wewe, analyn banan) at sa lahat ng nagpakita ng concern na hindi napapagod kamustahin ako at nagsabing ipagdadasal nila ako.. sobrang nakakagaan sa pakiramdam pag alam mong maraming nagdadasal para sa'yo.. and i'll forever be thankful na kayo ang mga naging kaibigan ko..

sa mga kapatid ko sa community lalo na sa mga ka-chapter ko at kasama sa music ministry (kuya pip, ate jing, mom, dad, jat, sidh, kuya don, at sa lahat) ganun din kina alvin at cris ng taytay chapter, kay doneck at isaac ng laguna, kay zharina na yfc.. sa kanila ko nararamdaman ang tunay na kahulugan ng kapatiran.. salamat sa mga panalangin at sa pagpapalakas ng loob ko..

sa mga anak ko at best girlfriends sa community: velle, melai, rhoan.. wala na akong masabi pa.. sa totoo lang, ramdam ko na ang pagiging isang ina kay melai at kay velle.. sa kanila rin ako kumukuha ng lakas at inspirasyon.. pati na rin ng motivation para lumaban.. kasi sabi nga ni melai.. 'paano na lang sila?'

sa mga doctor ko: dr. abe, dr. adraneda, dr. oreta, dr. caro, dr. guevarra, dra. acantilado na nag-aalaga sa kalusugan ko.. at nagparamdam ng totoong concern sa kondisyon ko..

sa kanila ko nararamdaman, nakikita, naririnig, naamoy, at nalalasahan ang pagmamahal ng Diyos.. sila at ang marami pang mga taong ginagamit ng Panginoon para bigyan ng kulay ang buhay ko.. sa bawat yakap, bawat 'i love you mom/sis/unai/aiza/bebe/bunso/ate/anak' na naririnig ko mula sa kanila, bawat 'kaya mo yan yuna/dito lang kame/we'll pray for you' na sinasabi nila, lalo akong tumitibay at naniniwalang, masarap pa ring mabuhay.. dahil sa kabila ng mga hindi magagandang nangyayari, marami pa ring dahilan para magpasalamat sa bawat araw na lumilipas.. sila ang dahilan kung bakit naniniwala akong kailanman, hindi ako pinabayaan/pababayaan ng Diyos.

kung ang bawat isa sa atin ay magiging biyaya sa isa't isa, kung lahat tayo ay magiging sensitibo sa mga pangangailangan ng ating kapwa, kung lahat tayo ay magpaparamdam ng pagmamahal ng Panginoon, marahil, wala ng magtatanong ng ganito: "Diyos ko, bakit Mo ako pinabayaan?"

pananagutan natin ang isa't isa.. we were created for a purpose.. and the essence of our existence is our service to others..

7. Father, into Your hands I command My Spirit.

napakasimple lang nito.. Jesus said these words when He could no longer bear the pain.. when He was about to die.. He surrendered His life, and His Spirit, and His whole being to the Father.. likewise, we are called to offer our lives to God.. when we feel that we've had more than enough sufferings, we just need to surrender.. sobrang nakarelate ako kasi lahat ng sinabi ni Father kanina, yun ako.. sick, hindi pa gagraduate, may problema sa pera, nanghihina, malapit ng sumuko.. sabi niya, ihinga lang daw namin kay God lahat.. and that's what i did.. last Wednesday, when i was at the adoration chapel, i just thanked God for everything that He has done.. at sinuko ko na lahat sa Kanya.. i know He knows everything.. sabi ko nga sa mga nakakausap ko, naniniwala akong matatapos din lahat ng ito.. i''m letting go and letting God.. He alone is God, and I surrender to His will..

i would like to end with the following quotes/text messages that i've received from people i hold dear.. i had a very meaningful Holy Week.. i hope i was able to share some of my learnings with you.. i was blessed.. and i pray that i may be a blessing also.. smile people! God loves us! *power hug* ^_^

~.. you always do a little growing up everytime you do a little letting go.~

~you are aware that you are less than what some people prefer you to be.. but most people are unaware that you are so much more than what they see.~ [nardo, thanks for sending me this message.. ^_^]

~God is the greatest companion 'coz no matter how imperfect you are, and no matter what happens in your life, God will still be there to give you the greatest love you've always wanted.~

~the best way to walk each day is not by walking with nice shoes, but by walking with God. walk not only by feet, but walk with faith in your heart.~

~sometimes, God breaks our spirit to save our soul. sometimes, He breaks our heart to make us whole. sometimes, He sends us pain so we can be stronger. sometimes, He sends us failure so we can be humble. sometimes, He sends us illness so we can take better care of ourselves. sometimes, He takes 'everything' away from us so we can learn the value of 'everything' we have.~ [i've gone through all of these already.. and i agree..]

~sometimes, you need to experience everything so that you would learn.. there's no easy way in living life so live it as it is. cry. laugh. be crazy. and don't miss the chances that life is giving you because the most important things are not things at all, most of the time they are PEOPLE making your life worth living.~ [very true.]

~the heart is like a Rubix cube.. someone is supposed to mess the cubes first so someone else could fit the colors perfectly.~ [awww.. wala lang.. hehe]

~you will never leave where you are until you decide where you would rather be.~

~your work for God will always count, whether big or small; for He marks well your faithfulness when you have given all.~

kuwento..

hayy.. at isa pang hay.. ito ay isang mahabang post so please bear with me.. i woke up early and headed to the university health service.. again.. i need to see doc ed.. pagdating ko dun, wala si ate janet, yung secretary niya.. at ang malungkot dun, wala rin si doc ed.. he is out of the country.. kaya pala sa april 1 pa niya ako pinapabalik.. i texted mama and papa.. and they have decided na sa capitol med na lang kame pumunta.. mas mabuti raw kasing makapagpaconsult na ako ngayon.. Holy week na kasi at malamang wala ng mga doctor starting tomorrow.. so after the networking exam, which was a tough one, dumaan lang ako saglit sa main lib para i-hug sina dan, binoy, at chai, tapos diretso na sa capitol med.. dun na kame nagkita ni mama.. una naming pinuntahan ang room ni Dr. Tuason.. pero wala siya.. his assistant, Dr. Pete Guevarra, is already out.. 10-12 lang daw kasi ang clinic niya.. pero dahil naawa sa amin ang assistant niyang si ate tess, tinawagan niya si Doc Pete at salamat naman kasi bumalik siya.. kaya lang, ang nakakatawa, si Doc Pete pala ay isang cancer surgeon.. pero ang galing pa rin ni God kasi gumawa pa rin Siya ng paraan para hindi masayang ang punta namin dun.. may tumawag kay Doc Pete, isang ortho surgeon.. si Doc Leo Daniel Caro.. so Doc Pete referred us to him.. pumunta kame sa clinic niya sa 11th floor ng capitol med.. eto na.. isa pa.. hay.. may bago na namang natuklasang problema.. ok na sana e.. sabi kasi niya sisiw lang daw yung scolio ko.. at wala na raw akong ililiit pa.. although problema ko rin ang scolio, hindi yun ganun kalala.. so i don't need to worry.. kaya lang.. may problema pala ako sa balikat.. hay talaga.. eto, mag-reresearch ako tungkol sa sakit na yun.. binigyan niya ako ng gamot at nagsabi siya ng mga dapat at hindi ko dapat gawin.. sabi rin niya, i need to drink gatorade.. kasi dehydrated na ako.. water is not enough daw.. regarding my gastro problem, ok lang daw yun kasi may gamot naman ako.. basta kelangan ko ng gatorade or hydrite every afternoon.. isabay ko raw sa merienda.. ang yaman ko no? ang sosyal.. hay.. i'll see him on the 25th.. medyo nakakatakot lang pero alam ko namang hindi ako pababayaan ni God.. matapang daw kasi yung gamot na binigay niya sken.. so if ever hindi ko kayanin yung effect, punta na lang daw ako sa emergency kasi he won't be around starting tomorrow.. sa tuesday na uli siya babalik.. most probably, i'll undergo therapy.. pero baka hintayin ko na lang din si Doc Ed.. hay.. windang na ba kayo? ako rin e.. problema sa tyan, sa likod, at ngayon, pati pa pala sa balikat.. pero i know in time, God will heal me.. sabi nga ni doneck, hindi hahayaan ni God na masayang lang lahat ng nasimulan ko.. kanina tinanong ako ng isang family friend namin kung kelan daw graduation namin.. i told her that i won't graduate yet.. at malamang tumigil pa ako.. wag naman sana.. i'll spend the whole of summer for my treatment.. i lost weight na naman.. 79 pounds ako before.. 78 na lang ngayon.. pero sabi ko nga, naniniwala akong maaayos din ang lahat ng ito..

sa lahat, maraming salamat..

sa mga kamag-anak ko sa iloilo, wag po kayong mag-alala masyado.. kaya ko po 'to.. salamat sa mga dasal niyo..

sa mga nakausap/nakatxt ko ngayong araw at kagabi: mark, alvin, cris, crix, kuya don, isaac, doneck, te ericka, boi, sobrang salamat sa pagpapalakas niyo ng loob ko..

sa lahat ng mga mabuting tao sa capitol med: Ate Tess, Ate Babes, Doc Pete, Doc Danny, thank you po! sana po marami pa kayong matulungan..

at higit sa lahat, sa mga minamahal kong barkada.. tweet2..

alpha, mars, at sa mga na-hug ko kanina, chai, dan, at binoy.. sobrang salamat.. mahal ko kayo.. sobra..

sa mga patuloy na nagdarasal, bahala na si God magbalik ng kabutihan niyo.. salamat ng marami..

two exams down.. pero marami pang requirements.. kaya ko 'to.. aja! thank you people! *power hug*

God is good all the time.. be blessed everyone! ^_^

now the Son of Man is glorified..

i can't think of a better title.. actually, i'm currently singing that song in my mind.. now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him.. wala lang.. dinadaan ko na lang sa pagkanta ang lahat ng hindi magandang nararamdaman ko.. [sigh..]

i went to the doctor again.. this time, O.B. naman.. i received some good news and some really bad news.. good news muna.. i just need to take some medicines to regulate my menstruation.. pero ok lang daw yun.. in time, i'll be okay.. however, i am advised to see a spine surgeon ASAP.. my condition isn't as good as i thought.. all this time, i have been taking high dosage medicines but my body hasn't responded positively yet.. clearly, it's not simply muscle pain, but nerve pain.. i don't want to discuss the details anymore.. but just to give you a clue on how i am going, i am not okay yet.. ngayon ko lang din na-realize na seryoso pala yung kondisyon ko.. i'll consult with a spine surgeon as soon as i can.. hay.. basta alam ko, matatapos din ang lahat ng ito.. i'll be fine.. soon..

sa lahat ng mga nakausap/nakatxt ko ngayon, maraming salamat.. sa mga patuloy na nagdarasal para sa kalusugan at kagalingan ko, maraming maraming salamat sa inyon lahat..

i know i have promised that i'll talk about the zte broadband deal and schizophrenia.. i'm afraid i have to break my promise.. wala na kasi akong time.. and wala na rin akong gana.. basta ganito, pahapyaw lang.. i've watched the gma news and public affairs special, 'koneksyon' and i am more convinced that something was indeed anomalous in the zte broadband project.. i just wish and pray that the truth will come out and that justice will be served.. my ultimate goal is for our country to be corrupt-free.. hay.. nakakalungkot.. tama, power can corrupt even the most pure of minds. people will do everything to obtain and remain in power.. kahit na marami na silang naaapakan..

regarding schizo naman, some facts lang.. about 1% of the world population are schizophrenic.. and 50% of them commit suicide.. the sad thing is, 10% of those who try to end their lives, succeed.. just some numbers.. i hope somehow it had an impact on you..

that's all for now.. God bless everyone! ^_^

God loves us despite all the trials.. *power hug*

~*when the oceans rise and thunders roll

i will soar with You above the storm

Father, You are King over the flood

i will be still, know You are God*~

* i wrote this on march 17 *

what the hell is wrong with crying?

just asking.. but i won't talk about it.. konting daldal lang.. i just want to clarify that i don't cry just to get the attention of people.. at hindi rin ako umiiyak para magpaawa whatsoever.. umiiyak ako 'pag hindi ko na kayang itago yung hirap at sakit na nararamdaman ko.. remember the quote from one of my posts? nabura ko na yung post na yun but here's the quote i'm referring to: "We cry when our hearts couldn’t hide the pain anymore.. cry if you want.. THAT’S NOT A WEAKNESS. It actually heals the wounds that laughter can’t cure."

ganun lang ka-simple.. pagod na ako.. hindi ko na kaya.. yun lang.. tao lang ako, nahihirapan at nasasaktan din.. you won't understand because you haven't experienced what i have gone and am going through.. pero kung kayo ang nasa kalagayan ko, siguro, mapapagod din kayo.. madali lang sabihing, 'wag kang umiyak' pero kung mararamdaman niyo lang yung hirap ko, baka sabihin niyo pa sken, 'cge, umiyak ka lang.. para kahit pa'no gumaan yung pakiramdam mo.' alam niyo ba kung gaano ka-hirap magtago ng sakit? syempre hindi.. wala naman kayo sa lugar ko e.. anyway, i don't need to explain myself.. basta yun lang.. hindi ako umiiyak nang walang malalim na dahilan.. sabi ko nga masaya ako diba? kasi pinipili kong maging masaya sa kabila ng mga nangyayari sken.. at oo, hinahanapan ko ng magandang dahilan kahit yung pinakamahirap na pagsubok.. sa totoo lang, i never questioned God.. nung mga nakaraang taon siguro.. at mababasa niyo yun sa ibang post ko sa blog.. puro talaga ako tanong dati.. pero ngayon, hindi na ako nagtatanong.. basta naniniwala lang ako na may dahilan lahat ng bagay.. pero gaya niyo, tao lang din ako.. marunong din mapagod.. yes, i am stronger now.. pero hindi ako bato na walang emosyon.. na hindi marunong masaktan.. hindi po ako manhid.. sabi ko nga kay kuya tirso at kay melai, ngayon na lang uli ako umiyak.. kasi sobra na talaga.. my cross is already heavy for me to carry.. pero gaya rin ng sinabi ko kay kuya pip, hindi ako susuko.. hindi katumbas ng pagsuko ang pag-iyak.. kung susuko ako, dapat matagal na.. sobrang dami ng nangyari sken na kung tutuusin, pwede ko ng gawing dahilan para sumuko.. pero hindi ko ginawa.. pinili kong lumaban.. at yun pa rin naman ang prinsipyo ko ngayon.. i will never quit..

hay.. sabi ko konting daldal lang.. napahaba na naman.. hehe.. sorry naman.. ayun, umm, salamat nga pala sa mga taong patuloy na naniniwala at sumusuporta sken (naks! parang artista lang.. haha).. sa mga taong nakakaunawa, nakakaintindi, basta nakikinig lang, nagdadasal, at nagmamahal, sobrang salamat! pati na rin sa mga taong lagi akong kinukumusta at sa mga taong tumutulong financially.. maraming thank you talaga! lalo na sa'yo batch! thank you! ^_^

*****************************************************************************************

happy moments..

last Friday was among the best.. i had reunion with my high school best girl friends, ruth and mary anne.. sobrang saya lang kasi ang tagal na naming hindi nagkakasama.. well, the last time was on January ata.. but since then, hindi pa uli kame nabubuo.. e di ba nga nung Friday din yung punta ko sa ortho.. at dun niya sinabing lumala yung problema ko.. nadagdagan pa.. kaya this week, punta rin ako sa o.b. so, obviously, medyo hindi ako okay.. i mean, yes, i still managed to smile.. pero ang bigat nun sken.. pero ang galing talaga ni God kasi He knows when to send people when they are needed.. i know nasabi ko na rin 'to before.. pero uulitin ko pa rin.. kasi ito talaga yung totoo.. ayun nga, after class, nagkita kame ni mars.. and she hugged me.. and that hug mattered a lot.. after naming kumain, pumunta pa ako sa engg para tumulong sa paggawa ng scrapbook for Sir Jim, the P&G general manager who had been an inspiration to all of us who took CS 197.. around 6pm, i left UP and headed to galleria to meet with ruth and mary anne.. i was really happy to see them again.. we had dinner at red ribbon, courtesy of mary anne.. and i ordered an extra rice.. hehe.. ang konti kasi ng kanin e.. super busog talaga kame.. unfortunately, none of us had a camera.. pero dahil special ang moment na yun, naghanap kame ng studio.. haha.. pose kung pose talaga.. ayun, wala lang.. nakakatuwa talaga.. at eto pa, nagkataong nandun din si nap sa galle.. at dahil iba ang way ng dalawang sisters ko sken, kelangan ko ng kasama pauwi.. in other words, magkasama kame ni nap.. at nakita ko pa c me-ann.. na kilala rin pala ni nap.. wala lang.. small world talaga no? ayun.. kahit nakakapagod, happy pa rin.. sabi nga ni Edwin McCain, these are the moments, i thank God that i'm alive.. ^_^

*******************************************************************************************

there's nothing good about goodbye but the memories and the learnings you will carry with you for all time..

Saturday was our last day sa aming leadership class.. and i can't help but be somehow sad.. for the past four months, Saturdays have been exciting because i know that i'll be learning something new from Sir Jim.. nakaka-miss lang gumising ng maaga at magmadali para hindi ma-late.. hehe.. sobrang dami talagang naturo sken ni Sir Jim at ng buong P&G.. lalo na sa disiplina.. pero everything has an end.. unfortunately, even the good ones.. sabi nga sa kanta some good things never last.. why can't they last? ganun talaga, life goes on.. pero sabi rin ni geo, this is not the end, but tshe beginning.. and this i'm sure: every memory and learning that i gained from the leadership class will remain with me for the rest of my life.. in fact, i am already able to apply some of the things that Sir Jim has taught me.. lalo na sa pagkilala sa sarili ko.. at syempre, sa paggawa ng tama.. i will never forget this statement from him: do the right thing no matter what the price. sabi nga, it takes less time to do a right thing than to explain why you did it wrong. ^_^

*******************************************************************************************

lessons from the Homily on Palm Sunday..

the Homily focused on the pastoral letter distributed by the CBCP.. medyo political, pero ang galing kasi marami rin akong napulot na aral.. mas naintindihan ko yung seventh commandment, which was the main topic of the letter.. the seventh commandment says: thou shall not steal.. and did you ever realize that stealing isn't just in the form of money? we can also steal time, love, and everything else that a person has.. for example, when we are late, we steal someone else's time.. when we kill, we steal someone else's life, and when we seduce a person who is already taken, we steal also steal that person from his/her partner.. so, lahat ng mang-aagaw ay magnanakaw rin! basta, everytime we get something from someone, be it money, time, love, or whatever, we are violating the seventh commandment.. ang bigat ano? so be careful.. akala natin minsan ok lang yung mga ginagawa namin.. little do we know and realize that we're already committing sins.. kaya yun nga.. dapat careful talaga tayo.. and syempre, be responsible for our actions.. ^_^ by the way, we need to do restitution as an act of repentance.. without restitution, there won't be absolution.. ano ba yung restitution? it is saying sorry for the sin we have committed, giving back what we stole, and committing not to steal anymore.. ang hirap no? pero kelangan nateng gawin.. sabi ko nga, we must be responsible for our actions.. yun lang..

one final note on courage.. why is courage a wonderful thing? because, according to Sir Jim, it is rare. and what is courage? it is telling even the people we love what is wrong and what is right.. minsan kasi hesitant tayong sabihin sa taong mahal naten na mali na yung ginagawa niya.. pero mali yun.. we should have the courage to correct the people close to us.. if we really care about them.. and lastly, ito yung pinakamahalagang sinabi ni Father Babes kanina.. ang pagbabago ng bansa ay nagsisimula sa pagbabago ng puso ng bawat isa..

*******************************************************************************************

manny's victory..

nakakalungkot isiping hindi convinced ang mismong mga boxing analyst na pinoy sa pagkapanalo ni pacman.. wala lang.. hindi ko napanood yung buong game pero sabi nina papa, deserving naman daw si manny.. wala lang.. i can't comment that much kasi nga i wasn't able to watch the game.. pero basta happy ako na nanalo si pacman.. ^_^

*******************************************************************************************

schizo.. ZTE.. etc..

i'll talk about them next time.. promise.. i need to study for an exam.. hanggang sa muli.. God bless everyone! ^_^

last na pala.. thank you jat and batch.. for including me in your prayers during your household.. sobrang salamat.. *power hug*