1. Purpose
Purposeful. That's one word I've been hearing quite frequently from a friend. I've been thinking about it and MY GOLLY. Most of what I do revert to another P - Pointless!
SO. How do we define if what we're doing is Purposeful?
First, shape your purpose. Second, make sure the plans fit!
All my blogs have always entirely been about me me me me me and me. I finally cleaned up my blog because I want it to be Purposeful. And my purpose is to glorify God. The plan? This leaves us to my second P...
2. Passion
Passion is what drives you. It's that something that you'd do even if no one asked you to.
Two years ago, a friend asked me what I was passionate about. I was dumbfounded! It took me quite a long time before I realized what some of my passions are. Hopefully, I'll learn more about them in the NEAR (haha) future.
Obviously, one of the things I'm passionate about is writing! What are you passionate about? :)
3. Privilege
A privilege is a special right not available to everybody. In a nutshell, EVERYTHING is a privilege.
I'll talk more about this on a different post.
4. Provision
I believe I always had been sort of a materialistic kid. Good thing, God knows it so much. Growing up, I had been surrounded with people, whom I believe, have gifts as their love language. YAY! :) Haha.
Yesterday, I received gift #1 on my mental Wish List! YIPEE!!!!!!!
It's an NIV Study Bible. :) I found it in my Mom's shelf. It's really cool since it even has a cross-reference system, maps, pictures of temples/buildings and many other whatchamacallits!
At first, I wasn't exactly gleeful. I was grateful but not totally. I really felt like a total ingrate. I prayed about it then WHOA. I realized that God answered two of my prayers.
Recently, I've been having a hard time reading the Bible since I couldn't fully comprehend what was happening and why they were happening. With the Study Bible, it helped show me some light on a couple of things. (and hopefully many more things in the future! :) )
See? God really knows me and my love language so much. :D Thank you for the gift, Daddy! :)
5. Providence
In the end, I'm really glad I don't get my way. With all my bad decisions and judgments, I literally wouldn't stand a chance without Him. :)
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Love Story #1
"Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame." (Psalms 34:10)
I thought I'd share this paper I wrote for my English 12 class in my first year of college. The activity was to write a memoir. And the catch was that we'd let everyone in our class read it but we were allowed to name it with our pseudonyms.
A few hours, weeks, months, years ago, I would have deemed this story to be a total embarrassment. But as I reflect upon it now, I have come to the understanding that all has come to pass for His glory.
I modified the ending of this essay. Why? I wrote the ending out of a wrong view of love. I've always been lost with ending my essays.:|
I'm sharing this essay because I was just blown away by what I have always known but never really understood about love.
"Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." (1 Cor 13:4-7)
Just now, I realized what this new season that God has put me in. It's the season of learning to love. (So that's why I've been reading and hearing all these love things lately...) And it's something I've been having a really hard time with! I'm having a hard time to love people I live with, people who've crossed me, people who I just don't like, people who are "difficult", blah blah blah. And I even have a hard time loving God! Just this morning, the devotional I read was about the greatest commandment: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." Before, I used to think of this as so commonsensical. Again, I stand corrected. It's good to know that we are selfish. I am selfish. And if I hadn't known about God's command to love, I wouldn't have given it an ounce of a chance. Aren't you glad that God wants to teach us? :)
Loving is hard. But God's grace is sufficient!!! :)
My Teenage Memoir.
She knew it was such a futile scene. Missing school in exchange for long hours inside a crappy old rented van parked at the mall. The drama was something she'd laugh at if she took sight of it on the silver screen. Though at this moment, laughing was nowhere in her heart. “Lord, please don't let me see my Dad with another woman. Hindi ko kaya. Hindi ko alam sasabihin ko.” Her Mom had been prepping her for her theatrical scene with her dad and his *bleep*. “Ayaw mo na ba sa 'kin? Gusto mo Nanay mo nalang 'yung Putaching na 'yon?!” Her mom was insistent that she, the daughter, fend for their family. At thirteen years old, her whole world was a crisis.
Thirteen. The Unlucky Number. Unlucky meets Grace. At the age of thirteen, God had touched this un-special girl's life.
I would have died a long time ago if not for my Dad. Call me Daddy's Girl and I would call it flattery. I and my little brother had always been close to our Dad. He was the best. Of course, kids love spoilers. And Daddy spoiled us good. Mom? She was The Chief. It was not really for this fact that I was more attached to my Dad. I loved my Dad more because he supported me and trusted me in every way. Mom usually pulled me down. Yup, Dad got me going on life. I even remember the only time I cried while I was asleep was when I dreamt I had lost my dear old Papa. Nevertheless, I knew we had a happy family. Or so I thought.
"May Babae ang Papa mo." The four words that could make white turn to black and vice versa. Liar. Liar. Liar! Absurd. Preposterous. NO FREAKIN’ WAY. These were the words that could have flooded the mind of Daddy’s Little Girl at that instant. Truth be told, I cannot remember how I felt upon hearing them. “Liar. Liar. Liar! Absurd. Preposterous. NO FREAKIN’ WAY.” were actually the words of close-minded rumination.
I simply hated my Mom for bad mouthing my Dad. "Sex Addict ang Papa mo, alam mo ba ‘yun?" I hated her for dragging me into all the drama whilst my brother had no idea about what was going on. "Bata pa kapatid mo." "Bata pa din ako." I hated her for thinking that we like him better because we love our material world. Papa’s more than that. I hated her more than I should have hated my Dad.
The day I missed school must have been the day I dreaded the most. That day would have marked the un-ME-est thing ever. On and on, my mom practiced me on what would have to transpire. The grand scheme: Follow Dad’s car in the morning and catch him fetching his mistress. The mistress is a colleague. According to Mom’s secret little spies, it was routine for my Dad to fetch and take home Babalina, the name my Mom frequently used for the ugly old slut . My task then was to confront the perfidious “couple”. I WANT TO DIE. It was simply torture to death for me. I want everything fixed but I just don’t know how I could go on through being the person my Mom wanted me to front.
It’s so trite. In times of tragic desperation, our last resort would probably be to remember God. Prayers streamed through my mind as I hoped for failure. I honestly do not want everything to go as planned. I held on promises to God as I asked Him to deliver me from my momentary Hell. I have never ever prayed so faithfully as I did on that day. And I will never ever forget how God answered my prayers.
God started to bore a new person in me on the day I finally chose to run to Him. I never came to the encounter my Mom had always wished. Days passed. Run Away Christmas Days, UnHappy Birthdays, Bitter Days and the one I hate the most, Deceit Days. You might think it’s terrible how days like these came to my life after I surrendered everything to God. Some situations tend to become darker and darker. But still I'm grateful. In Him there is truly no darkness at all. (1 Jn 1:6) I'm happy that I am finally able to open my eyes, long for the warmth of God's light, and just fall in His loving embrace. His love always protects. His love always perseveres.
Still, I couldn't understand how my Dad could betray my Mom. How could he betray our family? He loved us. He loves us. I have always been so secure of this love. It left me wounded and confused. So many times have I wanted to give up on this family thing, on this love thing. If this man who gave life to me, who saw me as special in his eyes, who assured me of his love for me could deceive me, how then could I possibly be expected to trust everyone else? How then could I possibly be loved?
Love always trusts. Love always hopes. I was always just looking at myself, always just looking at the world. Nowadays, people always seem to view love as an age old topic that they think they've totally figured it out. I believe we are but interns to understanding and practicing real love. Or, in my case, I'm just a preschooler who leaps on demand and learns things the hard way. Good thing, God's love is patient. I've chosen to forgive my Mom and my Dad a long time ago. Despite my apprehension, doubt, wrongs, and many other shortcomings, God's love is able to make everything perfect. (1 Cor 13:10)
-----
P.S. This is entitled Love Story #1 because, by God's grace, a Love Story #2 is on its way! Hihihihihihi
I thought I'd share this paper I wrote for my English 12 class in my first year of college. The activity was to write a memoir. And the catch was that we'd let everyone in our class read it but we were allowed to name it with our pseudonyms.
A few hours, weeks, months, years ago, I would have deemed this story to be a total embarrassment. But as I reflect upon it now, I have come to the understanding that all has come to pass for His glory.
I modified the ending of this essay. Why? I wrote the ending out of a wrong view of love. I've always been lost with ending my essays.:|
I'm sharing this essay because I was just blown away by what I have always known but never really understood about love.
"Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." (1 Cor 13:4-7)
Just now, I realized what this new season that God has put me in. It's the season of learning to love. (So that's why I've been reading and hearing all these love things lately...) And it's something I've been having a really hard time with! I'm having a hard time to love people I live with, people who've crossed me, people who I just don't like, people who are "difficult", blah blah blah. And I even have a hard time loving God! Just this morning, the devotional I read was about the greatest commandment: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." Before, I used to think of this as so commonsensical. Again, I stand corrected. It's good to know that we are selfish. I am selfish. And if I hadn't known about God's command to love, I wouldn't have given it an ounce of a chance. Aren't you glad that God wants to teach us? :)
Loving is hard. But God's grace is sufficient!!! :)
My Teenage Memoir.
She knew it was such a futile scene. Missing school in exchange for long hours inside a crappy old rented van parked at the mall. The drama was something she'd laugh at if she took sight of it on the silver screen. Though at this moment, laughing was nowhere in her heart. “Lord, please don't let me see my Dad with another woman. Hindi ko kaya. Hindi ko alam sasabihin ko.” Her Mom had been prepping her for her theatrical scene with her dad and his *bleep*. “Ayaw mo na ba sa 'kin? Gusto mo Nanay mo nalang 'yung Putaching na 'yon?!” Her mom was insistent that she, the daughter, fend for their family. At thirteen years old, her whole world was a crisis.
Thirteen. The Unlucky Number. Unlucky meets Grace. At the age of thirteen, God had touched this un-special girl's life.
I would have died a long time ago if not for my Dad. Call me Daddy's Girl and I would call it flattery. I and my little brother had always been close to our Dad. He was the best. Of course, kids love spoilers. And Daddy spoiled us good. Mom? She was The Chief. It was not really for this fact that I was more attached to my Dad. I loved my Dad more because he supported me and trusted me in every way. Mom usually pulled me down. Yup, Dad got me going on life. I even remember the only time I cried while I was asleep was when I dreamt I had lost my dear old Papa. Nevertheless, I knew we had a happy family. Or so I thought.
"May Babae ang Papa mo." The four words that could make white turn to black and vice versa. Liar. Liar. Liar! Absurd. Preposterous. NO FREAKIN’ WAY. These were the words that could have flooded the mind of Daddy’s Little Girl at that instant. Truth be told, I cannot remember how I felt upon hearing them. “Liar. Liar. Liar! Absurd. Preposterous. NO FREAKIN’ WAY.” were actually the words of close-minded rumination.
I simply hated my Mom for bad mouthing my Dad. "Sex Addict ang Papa mo, alam mo ba ‘yun?" I hated her for dragging me into all the drama whilst my brother had no idea about what was going on. "Bata pa kapatid mo." "Bata pa din ako." I hated her for thinking that we like him better because we love our material world. Papa’s more than that. I hated her more than I should have hated my Dad.
The day I missed school must have been the day I dreaded the most. That day would have marked the un-ME-est thing ever. On and on, my mom practiced me on what would have to transpire. The grand scheme: Follow Dad’s car in the morning and catch him fetching his mistress. The mistress is a colleague. According to Mom’s secret little spies, it was routine for my Dad to fetch and take home Babalina, the name my Mom frequently used for the ugly old slut . My task then was to confront the perfidious “couple”. I WANT TO DIE. It was simply torture to death for me. I want everything fixed but I just don’t know how I could go on through being the person my Mom wanted me to front.
It’s so trite. In times of tragic desperation, our last resort would probably be to remember God. Prayers streamed through my mind as I hoped for failure. I honestly do not want everything to go as planned. I held on promises to God as I asked Him to deliver me from my momentary Hell. I have never ever prayed so faithfully as I did on that day. And I will never ever forget how God answered my prayers.
God started to bore a new person in me on the day I finally chose to run to Him. I never came to the encounter my Mom had always wished. Days passed. Run Away Christmas Days, UnHappy Birthdays, Bitter Days and the one I hate the most, Deceit Days. You might think it’s terrible how days like these came to my life after I surrendered everything to God. Some situations tend to become darker and darker. But still I'm grateful. In Him there is truly no darkness at all. (1 Jn 1:6) I'm happy that I am finally able to open my eyes, long for the warmth of God's light, and just fall in His loving embrace. His love always protects. His love always perseveres.
Still, I couldn't understand how my Dad could betray my Mom. How could he betray our family? He loved us. He loves us. I have always been so secure of this love. It left me wounded and confused. So many times have I wanted to give up on this family thing, on this love thing. If this man who gave life to me, who saw me as special in his eyes, who assured me of his love for me could deceive me, how then could I possibly be expected to trust everyone else? How then could I possibly be loved?
Love always trusts. Love always hopes. I was always just looking at myself, always just looking at the world. Nowadays, people always seem to view love as an age old topic that they think they've totally figured it out. I believe we are but interns to understanding and practicing real love. Or, in my case, I'm just a preschooler who leaps on demand and learns things the hard way. Good thing, God's love is patient. I've chosen to forgive my Mom and my Dad a long time ago. Despite my apprehension, doubt, wrongs, and many other shortcomings, God's love is able to make everything perfect. (1 Cor 13:10)
-----
P.S. This is entitled Love Story #1 because, by God's grace, a Love Story #2 is on its way! Hihihihihihi
Summer Resolutions (?) by God's Grace!!!!!!
I am so tempted.
To clean this blog up! This is my nth blog already. If you know me, then you know I like new and clean things. It's been a habit of mine to start and start and start something. Some I end well. And some....not well enough.
Hello Summer 2010!
Hopefully, I will start writing again. :)
Hopefully, I will start being healthy again.
Hopefully, I will start with my internship.
Hopefully, I will start living in a new home AGAIN.
Haha, yes, you read that right! Once again, I moved! Please blame it on my case of pseudo-mild ADD. (Yes, I did research and I kind of fit into SOME of the symptoms ahihi.)
Wherever my new home would be, it'll be my 5th home! Just recently, I learned that, based on the Bible, the number 5 is the number of Grace. And that's exactly what I need for the things I'm hoping to start on - God's grace. :)
To clean this blog up! This is my nth blog already. If you know me, then you know I like new and clean things. It's been a habit of mine to start and start and start something. Some I end well. And some....not well enough.
Hello Summer 2010!
Hopefully, I will start writing again. :)
Hopefully, I will start being healthy again.
Hopefully, I will start with my internship.
Hopefully, I will start living in a new home AGAIN.
Haha, yes, you read that right! Once again, I moved! Please blame it on my case of pseudo-mild ADD. (Yes, I did research and I kind of fit into SOME of the symptoms ahihi.)
Wherever my new home would be, it'll be my 5th home! Just recently, I learned that, based on the Bible, the number 5 is the number of Grace. And that's exactly what I need for the things I'm hoping to start on - God's grace. :)
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