Exactly last week, we’re scheduled to have 2 food tasting. One was in the morning at MMLDC (Antipolo) and another one in the afternoon at Fernbrook. It was already raining the night before, but since it has been raining almost everyday for the whole month, I took it as another ordinary rainy day.

I got up, excited to go to work. I wore my ever relieable slippers since it was raining hard. Before going to the food tasting at MMLDC my brother asked me if he should go and take pictures. Since we have a theme for the food tasting (I was very excited about this cause our stylist and I worked hard for the concept.) I looked up to him and said yes, unknowingly the next time I’ll see him will be at 9 am the next day.

Ian, who took this picture, together with our Sales Team got stranded last Saturday. They left at the office at 9.30am, they arrived their respective homes 2am the next morning.

Then Ondoy happend and we all know, atleast some of, the stories of changed lives in just a blink of an eye.

As I write this I can’t help but be thankful for God’s amazing grace. I told my mom that one of her and my dad’s best decisions in life, aside from surrendering their lives to Christ and getting married was building a house on top of a valley. My mom smiled and said, “it is all from God. We didn’t know that this things (flood etc.) will happend but see God knew, and He spared us.” Just like Noah

I am thankful that God spared our family, extended families and loved ones from harm. Yes it is all from God. When God blessed you so much, you CAN”T return it by apathy. You have to give back. 

Listening to stories of my officemates, watching them softly cry, as they tell their stories,  (in our company 60 families were GREATLY affected by the typhoon) broke my heart.  While they were telling their stories, I silently plead to God to meet them in the midst of these.

It was a heartbreaking and moving experience for me.

Just like wearing a new pair of contact lenses, I got a better understanding that everything comes from God. EVERYTHING. This experience also made me remember that investing on earthly things should not be on top of my list of priorities. That people, relationships, compassion, love, faith, prayer, evangelism and life are far more valuable than non-living things that makes me happy for a short time.

Now this song has more meaning than ever:

Blessed Be Your Name

Blessed be Your name
in the land that is plentiful
Where your streams of abundance flow
blessed be Your name

and blessed be Your name
when I’m found in the desert place
though i walk through the wilderness
blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out I’ll turn back to praise
and when the darkness closes in Lord still i will say:

blessed be the name of the Lord
blessed be Your name
blessed be the name of the Lord
blessed be Your glorious name

and blessed be your name
when the sun’s shining down on me
when the world’s “all as it should be”
blessed be your name

and blessed be your name
on the road marked with suffering
though there’s pain in the offering
blessed be your name

every blesssing you pour out i’ll turn back to praise
when the darkness closes in Lord still i will say:

blessed be the name of the Lord
blessed be your name
bleseed be the name of the Lord
blessed be your glorious name

you give and take away
you give and take away
my heart wil chose to say:
blessed be your name (blessed be your name lord)

HEADBAND

TURBAN -  a traditionally muslim headress consisting of a long scarf of linen, cotton or silk that is wound around a small cap or directly around the head.

TURBAN

Yes I perfectly know that we’re not allowed to wear turbans at the work. SOOOOO before you tell me that I’m wearing a turban might want to check the meaning of it first  or even seach google and look for pictures how TURBAN should look like. OKAY?! Besides I don’t wear turbans. I don’t even own one. RRWAAARRR!

I love love songs! Not love songs that has good melody but senseless. But love songs that can articulate one’s deep feelings for the other. I think I’m deep. HAHAHA.

So one of the events that I handled last week. This song was rendered beautifully by a mini-orchestra (I forgot their name so sooorry!) But they are really, really good. Amidst the running and making sure that everything during reception is okay (because that’s my work! hahaha), I really stopped and listened to them sing this song for the couple.

 So I start looking for the lyrics and mp3s that I could download. And I am trying to influence Faye (our new ads and promo officer) that this is the best song for her bridal walk. (And if she won’t use it I will!!!!) hahaha.

So I’m sharing you this.

BEAUTIFUL

From the Moment I saw you,
from the moment I looked into your eyes
there was something about you
I knew I knew
that you were once in a life time
a treasure near impossible to find
and I know how lucky I am to have you

Chorus:
Cause I’ve seen the rainbows that can take your breath away
the beauty of the setting sun that ends a perfect day
and when it comes to shooting stars, I’ve seen a few
but I’ve never seen anything…as beautiful as you

Holding you in my arms
no one else has fit so perfectly
I could dance forever with you, with you
and at the stroke of midnight
please forgive me if I can’t let go
cause I never dreamed I’d find a Cinderella of my own

Chorus:
Cause I’ve seen the rainbows that can take your breath away
the beauty of the setting sun that ends a perfect day
and when it comes to shooting stars, I’ve seen a few
but I’ve never seen anything…as beautiful as you

Chorus repeat:
Cause I’ve seen the rainbows that can take your breath away
the beauty of the setting sun that ends a perfect day
and when it comes to shooting stars, I’ve seen a few
but I’ve never seen anything…
Oh Oh, Oh no, I’ve never seen anything…as beautiful as you

from the moment I saw you,
from the moment I looked into your eyes…

I am beginning to be a certified workaholic. I’ve been working 7 days a week now. The last Sunday that I attended church was July 12. Not that I chose to, but because I have to.

My officemates are begging me to take atleast 1 day off. I think they are afraid that I will transform into a monster soon. Hahaha.

Loads of papers. Yikees! Should start planting more trees.

Although I can feel that my body is begging me to rest. I have lots of tasks in my hands. And for a restless (literally) girl like me. It’s easier to complain rather than see the big picture.

While waiting for the truck to load the food, I paused and contemplated on these verses:

“Consider it pure joy, my borthers, whenever you face trisals of many kinds, because you know that testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete not lacking of anything.” James 1:2-4

How I often take forgranted the opportunity to grow and mature and welcome it with an ungrateful heart instead. How convinient it is to complain and whine and make others feel for you. 

 So I stopped, I paused and I pray:

“Lord, Thank you for my job. Because You blessed me more than I can imagine. Thank You, because You love me enough that You stretch my limits so I can enjoy a deeper and more intimate relationship with You. Thank You because I know, I can always meet You whereever I am. And Thank You Father, for giving me the opportunity to glorify Your name. Please be with me. Amen”

After a few weeks I passed my vacation leave for the ‘grand vacation’ with the boyfriend, He finally booked his flight. The plan is for him to arrive in Manila on a Friday night so he could have his rest then we’ll start the ‘real vacation’ on a Saturday and leave on a Sunday so I can go back to work Monday. Apparently he did not listened to me and booked another airline which doesnt have the flights that we originally scheduled. So now he’ll arrive in Manila on a Saturday afternoon and leave on a Monday morning. That means one, we won’t be able to spend the whole day of the Saturday he’ll be arriving  and two, the driver of the car we’ll rent or my dad will go with him at the airport when he leaves, cause I have to be at work.

After a few minutes of arguing with him for not doing things my way. I paused and this truth, like a slapped on my face, came over me. ‘Gratitude’.

Just like how much I hate it when I coordinate an event and people didn’t thank me after.  Just like I hate it when people, myself included, magnifies a not-so important detail during an event and forgot all the nice and beautiful things.

Why is it so easy to look for things we could complain and whine about and neglect the beauty and things we should be thankful for instead.

So then I pause, took a deep breath and finally said, “Its okay. There are a lot of things we should be grateful for you know.  God gave you to me, and He sustained us even when we’re apart and He provided and grant us this time so we could spend it together. I think those details (airline, flight schedules etc.) are not so important now as you comming home to me.”

Starbucks moment. Nov 3, 2007

 5 Months. Since YOU and I became US. I can’t help but thank God. For the highs and the lows. For the friendship and trust. For the praying with and for me. For being known and loved. And for the fact that I can entrust to you my heart.

Being US made me experience God’s grace, forgiveness and great love. I am grateful that He entrusted you to me. Someone I can work, play and pray with. Someone I can express myself without editing my thoughts. Someone who is not afraid to speak up His thoughts and rebuke me with gentleness and love. Even we are apart and different from each other, we make a pretty good team. Really! hehehe.

5 Months more. And you’ll be here again. And we’ll be taking more pictures together, watch more movies, take more long walks and have more Starbucks moments.  I can’t wait to see how your forehead “crinkles” whenever you talk. Go to “that cupcake place” again. (It’s Sonjas by the way.) Or simply hang out and talk non-stop. HAHAHA.

5 Months and more. And we’ll stop counting months and start counting the years! And we’ll look back and smile knowing that Writer of all Great Love Stories, wrote yours and mine. Wrote OURS.  

WUVVVV YOU BABY DOLL!

I think she’s one of the persons that deserves to be featured in my blog because this lady (lady-boy) is not just a friend but a sister to me.

We’ve been together for 26 years now. It could have been 27 but I was born a year advance. And we were inseperable since then … The end. hahaha.

If there is a person that influence my decisions the most, Riz is that person. (yes parents, its all because of Riz. HAHAHA.) Riz is like my girl-other-half (if there is such a thing). Although growing up with her is not that easy cause since we were inseperable and people tend to compare us. KASALANAN KO BA KUNG MASMABAIT AKO SA KANYA?! hahaha. But looking back I thank God how we’ve grown, having our own identities and developed our own talents and capabilities God has given us Believing that God is our reason for exsistence and who are now is all because of Him.

It’s still amazes me how we are alike from music to arts to colors and movies and be completely different in alot of ways. Blooming in our different fields of expertise (naks!) Praying and developing relationships with 2 completely opposite guys. (yesss. ano pa, ano pa?)

We used to say we don’t have a choice but to grow-up together. Being in the same church, our families being life-long friends. But after all these years, I can say we have a choice and and I’m glad that we chose to stick with each other. 

26 years of friendship has proven only one thing. God’s goodness to His children that He allowed us to have this kind of friendship that is full of love and yes, compassion. They say that true friends are tested by trials. I say, what we have is tested by trials, boys and time. HAHAHA. 

God is Good pare.

Here’s to another year less drama and more laughter and joy

More new frienship that will last long

More love than pain.

Above all more of God.

Happy 26th! Labshu!

Since the bestfriend’s phone was cut, I was compelled to register again my twitter account so she can send me free sms. And again I was reminded why I deleted it long time ago. It’s where I can speak out my thoughts without thinking, it’s where I can whine and complain and let my friends hear it. It’s where I can say something pertaining to a person and yet not telling him/her directly and let everyone guess who am I talking about. It’s gave me that kind of convinience. And I am not proud to admit but sometimes or most of the times my burst of emotions speak of  my relationship with My Maker.

I had a good reminder from  Ate Lynnie last week when I and some of the gals at OMF Lit went out. She said, “My Pastor told me that the Christianity is dying to oneself. So we can say that we are Christians is not just because of our faith but because we follow Christ by dying to ourself everyday.”

 The Lord can see every thoughts comming in and out of my mind. And just this moment I need to stop thinking and reflect on this verse:

“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:8

So there, I need to FILTER every thoughts starting this very moment. And DWELL on those things.

(Bolinao, Summer 2008)

I just realized last week that this year I won’t be attending any summer camp. As much as I want to, since I’m new at the job, I can’t get any day-off. This is unusual for me since every summer in my previous company, we usually have our annual retreat. So for the last 6 years, come summer, my mind and body relax and reflect automatically. That is my signal that it’s summer already. (Well, aside from the fact na ang OA sa init hehe.)

This year, even the sun is showing off its power, there won’t be any summer for me. I’m stuck in an air conditioned room with tons of papers on my desk. Not that I’m complaining cause I’m happy at the new job.

This afternoon while in the middle of the ‘tons of paper’ like an uninvited friend, this memory came to mind…the OMF Lit retreat exactly one year ago.

“Two more days before the company’s retreat. Every year during the company retreat, I usually resolve the things bothering me. I think it’s the powerful expos and the peaceful place. Whatever it is, I get to really really listen what the Lord is telling me. This year I know its gonna be really grand. Cause I know this will be my last retreat employed with the company. I can feel that this will be the year, that I will  have to pursue what I am passionate about.” – April 10, 2008

During the retreat we had the most unforgettable time with the Lord together. I mean THAT is one retreat that I don’t think a staff could ever forget.We laugh, play, pray and cried together not just as co-workers but as God’s children.

And yes a year after here I am, in the wedding industry, just like what I prayed for. This afternoon I miss the OMF Lit pips that I’m almost in tears. But just like a sister working abroad far from her family, I was called in a different mission field.  It also moved me to pray for my brothers and sisters who remained faithful in the field where God called them.

This year, I won’t be joining any summer camp. But this year in the middle of  ‘tons of paper’ on my desk, I will be reflecting and rejoicing in God’s goodness and faithfulness. For He promised, ‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.’ Jeremiah 29:11